| 75 gallon pot-still, doubler and shotgun condenser
I use a medium sized (75 gal) pot still with a doubler/thumper
(5 gal) and a shotgun condenser for my purposes. I also utilize a
20 gallon outfit with a 1 gallon doubler and a worm condenser mainly
for running smaller batches and epecially for running backings or low
wines to "up" the proof quickly.
I use copper sheets soldered with silver solder to build most of my
components. Shotgun condenser made from of an old, antique copper
fire extiguisher. Cut both the ends off and sand everything inside
and out. Clean it to the "eat off of it" stage. Cold water enters the
shotgun condenser from the bottom and exits the top to force the hot
water out and this always keeps the bottom part of the condenser
way-cool.A shotgun condenser is basically a condenser with a water jacket too cool
the steam and it has dozens of 3/8" copper line that the steam goes
through. It's kinda hard to explain. Where the steam goes through looks
like the business end of a gatlin gun.
Bore two holes in the jacket about 3" from each end and solder a brass hose
copper garden hose connector in it, top and bottom. On the one you use for
the bottom, you will put a spigot used to regulate the amount of cool water
coming into the condenser. On the top one you'll attach a garden hose and
lay it out where the hot water can drain off the top of the condenser.
Two copper sheet circles are cut and clamped together and numerous holes
drilled through them. The circles are placed inside the copper jacket and
spot soldered.(silver) in place with a few pieces of the 3/8" line in to
keep things lined up good. The lines are cut about 4" shorter than the
jacket. Start putting the lines in and soldering them in place and solder
the circles in good, top and bottom.
On the first run, you'll be able to tell if you have any leaks or not. you
can fix them if it does.
Make a tight fitting cap for the top to be sealed/pasted on with corn meal
and water. The bottom does not require a tight fit at all. It is just there
to collect the alcohol as it comes through and then out to the jug/bucket.
With a shotgun condenser, you can fire the still as hard as you want to and
you'll have no problem with it not keeping up. That's why people who do
volume like them so much. |
