Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Ok, so i have no distilling experience, but have been doing lots of reading and trying not to ask silly questions.

I'm committed to distilling a decent bourbon, so that brings me to pot stills, in particular the five star range. I notice there are a couple on the fsd website. The 2 inch pot still and the 4 inch modular pot. Apart from the obvious modularity,

Is one "better" than the other?

Is the output speed/volume of one better than the other?

Does column height have any bearing on a pot still?

I have a standard beer keg, that i plan to modify to an electric boiler, what size element and controller would the group recommend for the above stills?

Thanks guys, love the forum, so much to learn. cheers

Only silly question is the one you DONT ask right before blowing up shed /house.. upgrade path is what you want. If you.like a drink your gunna love this hobby :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Hi Tanker,
I built a 2” pot still on a 50l beer keg boiler. Added 2 x 2400w elements. Use both elements for heat up and generally run 1 for stripping runs at full power. One element is fine but heat up time is much longer. A 5 star controller works well to control power on spirit runs. Would highly recommend that.

2" pot work just as well as the 4" just not as quickly.
Advantage of the 4" is that when you want to move on to a bubbler (and most people do) you can just add bits to your 4" pot so you have note "wasted" money on bits your not using anymore.

Height can play a small part in pot shilling as you will get some small amount of passive reflux the taller it is.

2x 2400w elements will see you through,
Use both for heat up, or stripping runs
Turn 1 off once distillate starts to come out and control the other with a power controller on a spirit run.

But before you embark on a keg build actually sit down and work out what it will cost you, a milk can boiler will generally work out about the same if you can't do the welds your self.

Hey Tanker,

Good advice from Scythe. I would opt for the 4"pot if I was looking to pot still on a 50 litre boiler.

It's definitely worth checking out the cost of a keg build if you cannot weld it up yourself and those 5 Star 50 milk can boilers are pure sexiness. The elements that 5 Star sell are the best you can get.

Assuming you're using domestic supply so 2 x 2400W run from separate circuits would be the go:
https://www.5stardistilling.com/product/weldless-2400w-element-guard/

5 Star also sell a good quality power controller:
https://www.5stardistilling.com/product/power-controller-kegland/

Thanks for the feed back guy's,
If i went for the FSD milk can boiler, which i believe has a 4 inch still mount. this would mean i wouldn't need the 4in to 2in reducer that comes with the 4in pot still. Would there be any benefit swapping the reducer out for a 4in straight section?

Go for the 500mm packed section.
This will then be of use later when the rig grows up :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I’m also looking at getting the 4” modular pot from FSD as they look very well made and like to ask if it is the best way to go for rum as well and will keep the flavours

Will be perfect for rums .
You will need to “support” some of the weight if putting it on the T500 boiler otherwise it will try to pull the boiler over .

:text-+1: about the weight and pulling the boiler over.

I was super lucky and the five star 4 inch pot was were I started, I had it on the 50 litre boiler as well.

These units are fantastic and have allowed a complete novice to brew enjoyable bourbons, rums will be the same if that is your thing. The 4 inch gives an upgrade path if you want that once you have been brewing for a while.

I can not recommend the quality or advice and backup from five star highly enough. Ask lots of questions on here, listen to the answers and ignore what you see on moonshiners and Facebook and you will be making safe enjoyable drinks before you know it :)

Hi to all i have the 4” modular pot from FSD installed on my T 500 boiler and its a fantastic bit of gear no complaints there but my dinky lid on the boiler really cant handle the weight i have supported the weight of the 4" modular from the roof with chain and a turn buckle for adjustment as well as chain from the 4" to the adjacent wall to keep it at 90 deg to the boiler and would like to know of anyone else's method to support the 4" modular and will it be ok to run if i cant get the 4" modular standing up at 90 deg , im planning on getting the 50 milk can boiler once i can get funds approved from my accounting dept ( wife) Cheers
'

NoHope wrote:Hi to all i have the 4” modular pot from FSD installed on my T 500 boiler and its a fantastic bit of gear no complaints there but my dinky lid on the boiler really cant handle the weight i have supported the weight of the 4" modular from the roof with chain and a turn buckle for adjustment as well as chain from the 4" to the adjacent wall to keep it at 90 deg to the boiler and would like to know of anyone else's method to support the 4" modular and will it be ok to run if i cant get the 4" modular standing up at 90 deg , im planning on getting the 50 milk can boiler once i can get funds approved from my accounting dept ( wife) Cheers
'

i have a similar boiler and use a pulley system.
2 x small pulleys, a small cleat hook and some suitable rope, all from the big green shed.
the silicone tube goes around the top 90degree bends.
i can change it to a hook to lift my biab when i'm straining a ferment-on-the-grain wash.
BTW (and i stand to be corrected)if you are using a t500 boiler and not an open flame, you may not need to have the PC sticking out at an angle (as in the FSD picture), reducing the side pull?

This is the setup I have now

NoHope wrote:This is the setup I have now

:handgestures-thumbupleft: Good one NoHope

I use the same setup, broken down from the bubbler. My bracing has evolved since first days!


1. Just gotta do that 1st gin run at all costs.....rags and cable ties


2. 2" and 4" pipe clamps with 10mm all thread in between


3. 2" pipe clamp secured by bolt & washers to shed upright (C section)


The bolt, nut, washer aren't fully tightened going through the C section, this gives me the option to unclip boiler lid and push down on end of PC to raise lid off boiler for removal. I'm happy with this outcome!

Cheers

I use two chains and two turn buckles, at right angles, to pull my column back into plumb. The turnbuckles have a hook
at one end, that hooks under the lip on the boiler. It works well with a 2" shotty hanging off it. I loop the chains above a
sight glass, which is clamped to the lid.

Hope that helps

Thanks for your input I will probably get another turn buckle to pull it back into shape also someone mentioned to change the angle of the condenser to bring it more inline with the boiler the trouble is the parrot isn’t square and level am I missing something

If you want the condenser straight up and down you’ll need to remove the 45 deg bend that angles the parrot.
But , I think you won’t be able to run the parrot as it’ll be on the boiler