Friday, March 21st, 2008...10:25 am
My Homemade Still
Shortly before I left the USA I built a valved reflux still with which I distilled 92% pure ethanol from a mash of ground corn I bought at a local feed store and a bit of malted barley.
Being unsure of Mexican laws relative to possession of stills I bequeathed the still to a friend before I left the USA. I do intend to build another at some point.
I purchased the ten gallon copper apple butter kettle through the internet from a couple in Virginia who hand make a variety of copper products. I also bought many of the 2″ and 3″ copper fittings through the internet and was given the 2″ copper pipe column and the 3″ copper pipe condenser housing by a local plumber friend.
I placed the order for the kettle and waited. Having not received the kettle a couple months later I sent a message to the folks in Virginia inquiring as to the status of my order. The folks responded indicating that there had been a death in the family and that the wife had been ill so they were a bit behind. No problem. A month, or so, later I received a message from the couple indicating they were shipping my kettle. I responded asking if they needed my VISA card number and they wrote back telling me to just send them a check when I received the kettle. Amazing, I thought, the couple is sending the kettle across the country to someone they don’t know, and are trusting him to send payment. I shortly received the kettle and immediately sent payment.
The corn and malted barley is mixed with water and wine making yeast, to produce a mash, and set to ferment for a couple of weeks until the fermentation fully converts the sugars to alcohol. There are sorts of yeasts one my use depending upon what type of finished product one desires. If, for instance, one is producing ethanol for fuel there are super yeasts. Such yeasts produce more alcohol, but are unsuitable for distilling spirits for drinking as they impart undesirable flavors. Any yeast will do in a pinch, though, as there are means of removing the hair raising flavors that may result, which I address below.
The 2″ copper pipe column, about 28″ in length, is filled with copper pot scrubbers to increase the surface area upon which the vapors may condense and flow back down the column for re-evaporation. Thus providing a reflux action, multiple evaporations and condensations, which results in a higher purity of the final product with only one “run”.
The 3″ copper pipe condenser housing, at the top of the column, contains a coil of 1/4″ copper tubing through which water flows to cool the vapors to the point of condensation into the white lightening. The distilled spirit flows down to the bottom of the condenser head and is directed into a container through a 1/4″ copper tube. There is also a 1/4″ copper tube running from the bottom of the condenser head back to the column to direct a portion of the distilled spirit back to the column for re-evaporation, providing further reflux action to enhance purity.
Ethanol evaporates within a fairly narrow temperature range, below that at which water evaporates. You may see in the upper photo a thermometer extending from the top of the column which is used to ensures only the good stuff is collected.
So from 5 gallons of fermented corn and malted barley mash I distilled three quarts of 92% ethanol. Ethanol of such purity has no color and the stuff I produced had a fairly hair raising flavor. I placed activated charcoal in the white lightening overnight; removed the charcoal using a coffee filter; ran the white lightening through my back packing water purifier; placed Oak chips in the spirits and cut the ethanol 50% with water to produce a 90 proof, very flavorful golden colored sipping corn liquor.
Should be so inclined to try your hand at distilling keep in mind that ethanol is as highly flammable as gasoline, so do your homework, do your distilling outdoors, and be very careful. Here is an excellent web site covering every aspect of the process.
Kicking Calvin in Playa Baracoa.
10 Comments
March 25th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Chris,
Long time since weve spoken,Guff let me read your article of March 21st “My Homade Still”, very interesting… As you know when Dad was alive he was a “revenooor” and made his living from taxpayer funds arresting poor old “moonshiners” just trying to do the same thing. A funny story he always told was of a moonshiner that he arrested many times that eventually became a informant for Dad and also a close family friend. Claude was basically raised on moonshine and I still remember going to his house and he always had a Keer canning jar sitting on the kitchen table filled with “water”. Dad would always ask Claude “where are you getting your stuff” and Claude’s reply would be “Mike I will help you with you with your cases but I wont reveal my source”. Finally Claude passed and at the funeral (which Dad and his partners were the only ones who attended in suits) Claudes wife came up and told Dad that Claude had somthing that he always wanted Dad to have but she couldnt give it to him at this time. So a week later Dad and I drove to Claudes house and out back in the barn was a similar small still that Claude insisted went to Dad after he passed. I guess the long and short of it is Claude got the last laugh and was making “shine” under Dads nose the whole time….
Hope all is well Chris hope to hear from you soon…
Odios
Paul
ps. I still have the still…..
March 25th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Hey Paul,
How nice to hear from you. Ditto.
Great story of Claude and your dad.
Jeff never did tell me if you guys saw my post of the lineworker sculpture, which my be found here: http://www.expatriateruminations.com/Blog/2007/12/15/more-public-art-4/
Salduos to your family and all my friends in McCleary.
Isn’t the private use of the computer system a violation of the internet/email use policy?
Rave on.
March 25th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Chris,
Thanks for your timely response! You know about me and POLICY after working under you and Mr. Dent I guess a guy could say “you created me” Nice to hear from you…
420 Amigo
Nott
March 25th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I created you?
Come on, did you ever listen to me when I told you Limbaugh was a big bag of wind? Nooooo.
By the way I think you still have my Molly Ivins book. Be sure and bring it with you when you come for a visit.
March 25th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Mr. Brown,
Who the heck is Molly Ivins? I can hardly wait for this history class… we sure miss having you around here at the City of McCleary and also for a cold beer stop on the West boundary Rd. also even though its against my CURRENT political opinion (Bush sucks,and I am a republican at heart) I must say that I am in support of John McCain vs. the latter(either one).
ps. remember the time Guff stole your chair?
March 25th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Molly Invins was a syndicated columnist, from Austin, Texas, who had no fondness for your former hero, George Bush. She was known for her ability to turn a pithy and witty phrase while flaying some dumb ass politician.
I had lent you one of her books when you lent me one Limbaugh’s. I told you I’d read Limbaugh’s piece of shit, if you would read Ivin’s book. I, at least, kept my end of the bargain, read the book, and even returned it to you.
I know you’re a republican. You do know, don’t you, that there is effective treatment for the affliction.
I certainly do remember when Guff stole my chair. As a matter of fact, I thought of the incident just a couple of days ago. It was one of those incidents that when I look back wish I would have reacted differently. But you know me.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Once again thanks for the response Chris,
I will look for the book and if I can find it I will read your propaganda, and just like the kettle for the still I will ship it back to you. As I remember you were a steadfast republican when you were the leader of this “village”. How quickly we forget? Anyways, today I need to serve the citizens of McCleary and I will check the blog this afternoon for another informative response…Have a great day and wear sunscreen!!!
ps.Guff is still laughing about the chair!!!
March 26th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Yeah, get to work.
Don’t worry about getting the book to me. I was just kidding.
Sunscreen is for wimps.
March 26th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Its been fun conversing with you Chris,
You WILL hear from me again. Fantastic blog site you have here. Enjoy your home made shine and dont ever pee into the wind!!!
Talk to you soon….
Paul
March 26th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Likewise Paul. I won’t pee into the wind if you don’t pee on the mayor’s house.
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