This means that you will get water vapours in with the alcohol vapours, but they can be reduced. Just remember (again) that, in the majority of countries where you can read this Instructable, you need to check the legality of distilling alcoholic beverages for personal use.Īlcohol and water have surprisingly similar properties - each will dissolve in the other. This is by no means an exhaustive tutorial, so if you are planning to produce quality drinking-spirits on a regular basis (as opposed to something merely flammable), you may even want to invest in a purpose-built still. Since this is more a guide to function than form, you may choose to use different materials to those suggested, such as paying out for all-copper fittings. Before constructing your still, you must check local licensing laws to ensure you are not committing an offence, or obtain a distiller's license. This goes against the usual practice here, but I kind of want to keep my job, and if I did it for real, images posted here can (in a UK court of law) be used as evidence against me. For this reason, my images are a mixture of diagrams and stock photos. Legal point: It is illegal to manufacture spirits in the UK without a distiller's licence which is required under the provisions of section 12 of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 and this includes manufacture for "own/domestic use". You also need a thermometer with a scale that goes to at least +100 oC. I will refer to these parts as the vat, column and condenser. Pure ethanol boils at 78.4 oC, and pure water boils at 100 oC, so heating the wash will make the ethanol boil off first.Ī still has three separate parts - something to heat the liquid, something to help water vapours condense before they escape the apparatus and something to cool and trap the alcoholic vapours. In this case, we're trying to separate ethanol (alcohol) from water. Apparently, the wash has a strength and taste similar to beer, so maybe you would like to start there.ĭistillation is the process of separating a mixture of liquids with different boiling points. You now have a wash that is ready to be distilled. Keep the mixture slightly warm (and sealed from the air) until the yeast has turned the sugar into alcohol. Mix the malted grain with hot water and stir until you get bored - you are dissolving the sugars from the grain into the water. Just as it starts to sprout, quickly kill it by drying. If you don't know about the early stages of whisky distillation, here is a quick round-up: If you want to try distillation without risking breaking the law, then try this project. It's cheaper, easier, and less likely to be illegal in you area. If you are just interested in creating your own alcoholic drinks from scratch, then I recommend starting with brewing beer ( LINK). If you want updates on when I post plans make sure you join our Facebook page and our Facebook Group.If you're reading this, I assume you are interested in the theoretical transformation of a relatively weak alcoholic mixture into a relatively strong alcoholic mixture. I’ll also be working on designs using pressure cookers and beer kegs as these are popular boilers that can easily be sourced locally. I will be designing a Reflux still head for this as well. It’s heated by an electric element and has a parrot incorporated into the design for easy monitoring of real time % abv with an hydrometer. This is the 5 Gallon pot still plan with thumper and worm CAD image Appalachian Pot Still Plan – 20 GallonĪ similar design to the one above this pot still uses tri clamps for quicker assembly and disassembly. I’ll be releasing a 5,15,30 and 50 Gallon version of this plan. Also working on a Reflux head for this design so you can have more options when distilling. Here’s a screen shot of my CAD design I’ll be posting pdf template and e-book soon. This still plan was created to fit on a 36 ” by 48 ” sheet of copper keeping the cost low for you guys. I’ve also created a number of free moonshine still plans that you can check out as well if you can’t wait for these to be completed. I’ve completed CAD files and the E-book for these and am now working on the video production. If your interested drop me a line in the comments.īelow are a few plans I’m working on. This feedback will be used to help improve the plans and content. I’m planning on selling the E-books for around $15 to help pay for my time in creating but am offering it to you guys for free for anyone willing to offer me feedback on the plans once you’ve completed the build. Drop me a line in the comments if your interested in receiving a still plan package when they are completed. I’ll also be creating how to build video’s to help with you DIY build. These plans will include a detailed parts list complete with component drawings dimensions full assembly instructions and CAD drawings. I’ve devoted the next six months of my time to creating several still plans for you guys.
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