Building a SUPER CHEAP and SIMPLE Reflux Still! - ElementalMaker

Putting together an inexpensive and simple reflux still. I wasn't able to find any other example of using a stainless boiling vessel and glass distillation labware.
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Here is a link to the glass distillation apparatus kit I purchased tinyurl.com/y5aavtsx Please note I do not recommend this set for any potentially dangerous distillations.
Before building or operating a still, you must look into all local and federal regulations, and obtain any necessary permits or regulations.

[@necronomicon1472]

"Ethanol isn't a particularly dangerous compound." That my friend depends entirely on how you use it!

[@ElementalMaker]

Well said and good point.

[@BurkenProductions]

Well you shouldn't drink it if that's what you mean! :)

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

@@BurkenProductions What's wrong with drinking ethanol?

[@ballzdeep6974]

@@DeliciousDeBlair nuthin special just some optic nerve damage

[@mwechtal]

@@ballzdeep6974 that's methanol you're thinking of. Ethanol is in alcoholic drinks.

[@bryceholbrook4926]

Ive been distilling my own booze for a while with a very similar glass set up you were using but my pot was only 2 liters. Ive been kicking around the exact idea you demonstrated here. Thanks for the ideas!......Love your channel!

[@cruelmarksman116]

Inspirational videos by my favorite KZbin channel keep it up

[@ethanmye-rs]

A bunch of tips from someone who just did this, albeit with a round bottom flask. 100% do not "seal" the entire system. Your t-adapter has a port for a thermocouple, do not put a keck clip on that. In the event of overpressure, the thermocouple will pop out, worse case scenario, instead of the condenser or column detonating. You'll want to insulate your reflux column, it's difficult to drive enough vapor to the top. If you're trying to make anhydrous ethanol, try molecular sieves (5A I believe), should help you draw those last bits of water out. They sell round bottom flasks with an addition port on them -- very convenient for near-continuous distillation! I don't know how well the boiler works, but beware "knocking", when everything boils at once. Can easily flood a condenser and generally pretty scary. Keep track of your fractions.

[@brutalstudios4919]

I just did basically the same exact thing a few months back. Love it.

[@jakenbaked87]

to solder stainless steel, drip concentrated HCl onto the solder! That's how I made this type of setup. Another method is using copper sulfate: dissolve it in water, then use a super fine grade steel wool and try to polish the metal around where you want to solder. This will plate the stainless steel with copper.

[@JasonVladimir]

Another good show. I always learn a little somethin' with each show.

[@ElementalMaker]

Glad you enjoyed 👍

[@obiem51]

The same rubber cork you have for the air-locks can be used in the same way. You can get a bigger one and make the inner hole bigger for the lid. Might be easier then cooper and glass with tap.. Just throwing it out there. I like making wine and looking to make a cheat still. I also started looking at the cheap chines distillation system. Thank For The Video.

[@arrowiz]

Nice little spin with the condenser as the coolant is fully filled at last.

[@barrymayson2492]

I think the glass broke as it needed to be scored all the way round and also some lubrication. Good video.

[@gonesilent]

love when you work glass

[@Nuovoswiss]

Wow, your version of a cheap DIY still is a lot more 'scientific' than mine was. Back in highschool, a buddy and I found a 5 gallon bucket, shoved a 3 foot length of 3/4" copper pipe through it on a downward angle, filled it with tap water to cool it (no pump necessary when you've got 5 gallons of water), used an empty liquor bottle as the distillation vessel, and used a bit of copper refrigerant tubing shoved through a stopper to get vapor from the distillation flask to the top of the "condenser" tube. That thing worked great for everything from mouthwash to ether (though ether required ice in the bucket for condensing). Oh, and I didn't mention the heat source. My buddy found a broken electric skillet in the dumpster (only one of its legs was broken) so we had to get it level by shoving bits of bricks under it. We used ~1" of canola oil in the skillet as the heat transfer medium, so we didn't have any thermal shock/gradient issues with the glass. Also worth adding a bit of activated carbon to the boiling flask to act as boiling stones, we had some "interesting" runs before we figured that out. Actually, I just realized, I have a picture of that damned thing - imgur.com/DiaoUTN . Damn, that brings back memories...

[@ElementalMaker]

Wow that's one heck of a contraption you built there! can't beat that simplicity though!

[@theghostofsw6276]

You're a better chemist for it!

[@TrojanHorse1959]

Great video, thank you!

[@totallylegalshit7579]

I have the exact same pot, which I also had issues soldering too. When I run my still I use alot of flour paste, but it was super cheap and easy to put together.

[@ElementalMaker]

I ended up trying to resolder it and had great luck the second go round. I kept the heat lighter and that was the trick, I guess I got it too hot for the silver solder ine the first try

[@hobbyx9248]

I’ve had the same soldering issues building a still like this I found to get it to wet out I had to have it at a much higher temperature than normally required.

[@ericmueller6836]

Once used a double boiler with a 2 liter pop bottle; aquarium air hose; poster tack as sealant, and wet rags to distill methanol from washer fluid into a jelly jar in an ice bath.

[@SARbud1387]

I know that packaging :-P Ive ordered from the same company multiple times and have has 0 issues with any of my glassware (only issue ive had was it took weeks to get from the company to my place in the States... but knowing where it was coming from, and not receiving anything broken... I wasnt too upset)

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah im really impressed with the glass so far. Since buying that distillation set. I've ordered a few more items from the same seller and am really impressed with the quality. I'm still wary to trust such a cheap brand though, and will keep it for use with the more safe and sane stuff.

[@templebrown7179]

@@ElementalMaker I have ordered from what is probably the same seller a few times. From my own tests and observations, I believe it is high quality glassware with nicks, grinding blemishes, haze, etc that made it fail quality assurance. Still more than adequate in my usage. Even the sintered buckner funnels seem to have very accurate pore sizing.

[@cphVlwYa]

@@ElementalMaker Yep, same story here. I've been using the same kit for about a year and a half now. I've even trusted it enough to make dioxane and nitric acid in it with no problems. It's surprisingly legit

[@killerke11]

Got the same exact kit and never failed me even under vacuum

[@SARbud1387]

@@ElementalMaker I agree, I'm surprised it lasted as long, with what i've put it through, for the price I paid. The only reason I felt comfortable making elemental Bromine in it was because there was no extremes in heat or pressure for that extraction.

[@dionbritten5777]

Great video enjoyed every second hope you all have an awesome day

[@ElementalMaker]

Glad you enjoyed Dion! Thanks for watching.

[@dionbritten5777]

@@ElementalMaker no problem you have a good day 👍

[@shaunstewart4064]

Moonshine! Whatever doesn't kill you turns you blind. I thoroughly approve.

[@ozzymandius666]

Throw out the heads and you'll be fine.

[@ozzymandius666]

@Marc T Agreed. I use it to fuel my little steam engine.

[@GigsVT]

@@ozzymandius666 Its kind of a myth anyway even if you leave the head in. Think about beer or wine. Its still got all the original methanol in it. What makes people sick is trying to distill denatured alcohol or even straight methanol. Things where the starting methanol content is much higher.

[@ozzymandius666]

@@GigsVT Agreed. Still, there are small amounts of methanol in the heads, as it evaporates first.

[@additivealex4566]

You can use a piece of material that you cut into directly after the blade finishes the glass cut. Might help prevent the break, similar to tear out in wood.

[@grantpickens2704]

I once apon a time used an old pressure cooker, removed the weight and used surgical tubing to attach the 1/4" copper tube... Ran the coils through a bucket of ice water and dropped into a mason jar... Done

[@MrKclo42112]

I didnt have the internet when I made my 1st still .we had to swipe a condenser from the highschool lab and use apple cider for stock then put 1gal jar of it in a stock pot of water and set it just under boiling .never knew the content % but it had barely any taste and caught fire easily .but our yeild sucked got about 6 shots worth from 1gal of cider

[@barthooghwerff1682]

Awesome dude

[@claudiog.7397]

A friend of mine who is a glassblower taught me to score the glass all around and then just snap it.

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah that's the way I should have done it. Cutting wasn't the best solution for sure

[@supergeek1418]

Stainless steel requires a special brazing rod and flux to wet out. Normal solders simply won't work. Next time use a cheap stove top pressure cooker. The lid has a built in gas tight seal, and the vent is easy to adapt to your distillation hardware using silicone tubing, hose clamps, and sweat soldered copper fittings. Please don't ask me how I know - the *last* thing I need is a bunch of revnooers sniffing around.

[@StillIt]

You all need to move to New Zealand. Legal home distilling here :)

[@david2ljdavid2lj56]

I have the exact same setup and I have used it for distilling sulfuric acid and nitric acid several times and it hasn't failed me yet.

[@david2ljdavid2lj56]

Oh and I'm talking just about the glass, nor the pot.

[@ElementalMaker]

Whew you got bigger brass than I. I keep my synthware distillation set for stuff like that.

[@david2ljdavid2lj56]

@@ElementalMaker not more brass just broke as shit and can't afford the good stuff.

[@bipolarchemist]

I would bypass the glassware altogether and just build the still out of copper and steel. If you want a greater degree of separation, swap out the shorter copper column for a longer one of find a way to retain some glass marbles/beads in the pipe and off you go. Just use a smaller bit of coiled copper from the column to your receiver to act as your condenser and you should be good to go. No need for converting to or from 24/40 and you should be able to solder everything together for a nice, airtight seal. As for ebay glassware, I've found most of the stuff from deschem to hold up fairly well to the glassware from synthware, but I'm a chemglass fan through and through. Can't vouch for any other ebay sellers as I've really only acquired stuff from deschem, but it has held up to more than a few reactions run in molten salts and the prices on their hydrothermal reactors are pretty fantastic. Keep up the good work and swapping out that griddle for a single burner might work better.

[@americanrebel413]

Very interesting thank you for sharing this, What are you using the liquor for? I mean alcohol.

[@ElementalMaker]

I'll be using for some chemistry experiments down the line. Mostly though just for the fun of making anhydrous ethanol

[@aldenhauser9555]

Wow that’s pretty fancy compared to what I used for my 9th grade moonshine project!

[@ElementalMaker]

9th grade huh? Man my high school never would have allowed that!

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

I used a 5 gallon pressure cooker with a couple of stainless fittings, and a 30 foot piece of 1/4" copper coil passed through an ice chest [exiting at the lower drain, sealed with silicone] filled with water... Not really great cooling, but it worked. I would dip out water with a pitcher and replace it the same way to keep the water temp below 150F .

[@ElementalMaker]

Very nice! Sounds like your making some big batches! Cheers!

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

@@ElementalMaker Not MY idea of a 'big batch'... ~( ,m,)~ Actually right this moment I am not making anything because where I live the mold is just so bad I can't set up any wort. I will have to set up a clean room with a ton of defenses [UV lights, filtration, positive pressure entryways, etc.] to protect any wort I do try to make. I now have instead of a 35 gallon wort tank, three 250 gallon tanks, and a 30 gallon 'pressure cooker' [an all stainless steel multi-port high (and low) pressure reactor vessel with a cute little borosilicate viewing portal built in ], some large stainless steel coils [rated for up to 600 PSIG], and 2 kinds of vacuum pumps. My aim will be to operate a continuous flow process with vacuum instead of boiling, so I can keep the wort in a state of perpetual ferment and perpetual cold distillation. With all of the various pumps [including low volume/low pressure and high volume/high pressure] and a micron filter to keep my yeast where it belongs, my goal is to simply continue to draw off the anhydrous ethanol without any problems of having to dry it out after isolating it. As long as my volume is high, and steady, I SHOULD be able to generate up to 30 gallons per month. This all depends on keeping mold and bacteria out of the wort.

[@4englishlies875]

Very cool a lot simpler than I thought it be Great information now just time to convince the wife we need to make that......lol I know I could find a reason.....lol

[@BurkenProductions]

I accually thought you said "flower paste" :) I was like ooohh flour!!! :D

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

You call FTD and order up a whole bunch of flowers and shove them in your blender! (~_^)-b [HOP HOP HOP!]

[@ElementalMaker]

Haha 🤣

[@caveman6345]

Phone was off but now I'm back. I have used a giant glass jar with a copper lid and some copper tubing for a stil but now I have a big glass set with a 4000ml Kimax.

[@ElGatoLoco698]

I think you should try distilling sulfuric acid with the cheap glassware. Hehehe, what fun! Seriously though, it'd be interesting to see if it could handle it.

[@ElementalMaker]

I gotta say I'm warming up to the Chinese glassware a bit. But I'll let you handle that distillation LOL

[@Felix-mg4mj]

8:29 If you rotate the condenser 180º so that the hose adapter is up and not down like it is now you will gain a 30% longer column. There is a good part of it that doesn't have water flowing through it which is pretty ineficient.

[@pulesjet]

I converted a 30 cup coffee pot by changing out the thermo switch with a 176F unit. Works for me. Looks kinda ghetto sealed with aluminum tape.

[@robpridgen3791]

Great video. You don't want to cool the condenser on the cleaning run. Steam is your friend.

[@ElementalMaker]

Great point Rob! Thanks for catching that!

[@htmagic]

EM, I would use an electric hotplate instead of the griddle. We want to see more of this and what you will do with it...

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah the griddle definitely does not put out enough heat to really distill at a reasonable rate. Trying to find a proper hotplate right now 👍

[@DanielGBenesScienceShows]

Benjamin Joshua Beggs Ethanol and open flames are a bad mix.

[@michaelmullins7327]

If you add some oatmeal to the flower paste you will get a better Seal and it will work like play-dough in your hands

[@ElementalMaker]

I ended up getting the silver solder to work, so no more flour paste here 👍

[@StillIt]

Nice video mate. That sure is a cheap still! Is this just passive reflux? Or is there a reflux condenser there somewhere I missed?

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah just a passive vigerux column. A fan could be added to increase reflux, but it seems to do quite well as is

[@peregrine1970]

Kinda wonder... could you find a cheap pressure cooker at a local thrift shop and use that, and then drill and tap the lid of that to thread in the copper? Keep up the great show. I like your wide variety of projects.

[@ElementalMaker]

That's what I was looking for, but after hitting three local thrift shops... Not a single pressure cooker. So I unfortunately had to fall back onto the Walmart stockpot

[@TomokosEnterprize]

Bud, , , You are just like a kid in a candy store when it comes to what you love to do most. Get a problem and solve, etc till it's a done deal eh. Fun one. Great to see ya bud.

[@ElementalMaker]

Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the kind words my friend.

[@deaultusername]

PTFE tape is chemically inert = Make sure its actual PTFE, had tape before that dissolved on me. Stainless soldering needs acidic flux

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah I'm using the good stuff. Virgin ptfe. Also I was finally able to get the joint soldered. I was using acid flux and safety silv solder, but turns out I had the joint too hot and the solder was just beading up. Tried it again with more tame use of the torch, and it wet the joint beautifully

[@rionmotley2514]

Yeah, stainless is odd sometimes, gotta rub the solder on the joint while heating or you'll overshoot and oxidize the joint, solder, etc.

[@elburropeligroso4689]

Are you gonna use the ethanol for liquid rocket fuel?

[@isaachagenbuch4584]

JB waterweld works pretty well to make a good deal between the copper and steel top

[@Flederratte]

Great video! I am trying to build a distillation kit with the components I already have. However as I see how cheap a complete glass distillation apparatus is, I might rather buy one instead trying to fit together different diameters and angles of condensers and flasks.

[@ElementalMaker]

Its crazy how cheap these units are. And I really have to say the quality is awesome. I'm stunned they can make and ship stuff this cheap.

[@Flederratte]

Yes this is true. Items from china sometimes have good enough quality to be competitive with locally produced products. However they often are way cheaper including shipping costs and the sellers have very customer friendly support. I bought some glassware for my lab and I received a parcel full of glass shards because it was not protected well. After telling the seller he offered me a refund.

[@supernatureza]

Hey bro!! Very good

[@ElementalMaker]

Thanks!

[@pyromen321]

Oof, when I saw that glass edge and heard you say you were going to flame polish it, I knew it would break. Glass is tricky but fun to work with

[@ElementalMaker]

It actually flame polished beautifully ( I sanded it before torching) but also closed up the ID a bit and it wouldn't slip over the 3/4 pipe I planned to use. I then reheated it and tried using that charred dowel you see in the video to wedge open the ID... That's when it cracked.

[@pyromen321]

@@ElementalMaker ah, good thinking with sanding it first!

[@RGCbaseace]

Was going to say dont go too hot the stainless will oxidize and the solder will not wet i use it alot it works well for less than good stainless steel

[@ElementalMaker]

Yep that was my issue. More tame with the torch and the silver solder went right in and made a beautiful joint

[@mrgreenswelding2853]

I am waiting for my set up 500ml boiling 250ml receiver off ebay. Hope its good.

[@n0username0n]

Hey mate. I have the same chinese gear and ive distilled nitric over its azeotrope to around 99% and the same with sulphuric to around 98% I was worried at first myself but a year and a half on and the lab ware is still with me and going strong aha

[@ElementalMaker]

Very impressive! Stay safe

[@JT-il3fe]

I know this was 2 years ago but if you had the top on the pot when you were trying to solder it then that’s why it wouldn’t stick, there was no place for the gases and pressure to escape except right Back out where you were soldering

[@Marco-nx5tj]

Nurdrage wants to know your location

[@ElementalMaker]

Winning comment right there 👍

[@Marco-nx5tj]

@@ElementalMaker your welcome

[@AtlasReburdened]

*Nurdrage

[@deepforrestalchemy9189]

Bit late I know but Kovar metal matches the CoE of borosilicate glass and is easily obtained from the metal tops of computer possessors. Melt and cast your stock and machine your adapter - come to think of it it would be easier to pay the couple of hundred bucks to buy the metal adapter from eBay... or would it?

[@CaptainCheezmo]

You should get Nanshinglass as a sponsor. I bet you've already sold a couple dozen of those glassware sets for them xD

[@ElementalMaker]

Probably could, but I'm trying to stay away from any corpo type sponsorships. Keeps the channel free for content

[@science0074]

DUDE I wish you would have uploaded this Video two days ago That would have made it work!!

[@ElementalMaker]

Did you just build one or something?

[@science0074]

ElementalMaker no mate i tried to destill some things and it failed miserably

[@therichieboy]

If alcohol distillation became legal, would you theoretically run a wash through this before doing a run for drinking, or is vinegar and water enough? Asking for a friend.

[@marcuskalvik7831]

Hi. Can someone explain, how easy is it to make moonshine with this? Are there rules, like dont consume the first drops becuz of methanol? Do i need a double boiler? Thinking of making a makeshift cause im gonna process my opium plants to heroin, and make ethanol and TNT (i know, i'm weird)

[@AtomicGeckoBrewing]

Did you use silver solder? I've braised lots of fittings to stainless steel beer kegs to be used as pots. Regular solder and flux will not work. Had to use silver solder, staybrite flux, and MAP gas to solder stainless.

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah used the Harris safety silv. Turns out I just had the joint too hot, and was able to get them soldered no problem with a bit more patience.

[@smellycat249]

what is the upper pressure and temp limits of "flower paste"?

[@ElementalMaker]

At least 2000 PSI. LOL jk. I wouldn't use it to hold any pressure. I'm sure it would leak immediately upon pressurization

[@jryer1]

Any TIG welder will tell you, that for the most part you cannot weld copper to stainless. The closest you're going to get is probably with silicon bronze, and even that isn't going to have good penetration at the joint. Better way to go is weld in a small stainless tube, and use high temperature re-enforced silicon tubing to connect to the column (available from brewing industry). You would of course have to stabilize the column, but a simple stand and clamp should prove useful.

[@ElementalMaker]

Oh I know you can't weld it, unless we get into the exotic welding types. I was able to very successfully silver solder them together though.

[@jryer1]

@@ElementalMaker Nice. I know you're distilling your own, but another inexpensive way to go is denatured Ethanol, which 95% ethanol & 5% N-Heptane, which is much cheaper. The boiling points are far enough away from each other that during distillation we first pull over the Ethanol at 80C (assuming no vacuum), and then the 2nd pull we do at 100C to get that little bit of N-heptane. And presto, you got nearly 100% ethanol on the cheap and no water issues whatsoever. Solvent for extraction on the cheap at that point.

[@josephbaker5810]

Flour paste that good???

[@justexpressingmyself397]

Its just like KZbin knows what im looking for

[@killshot7041]

since ethanol is the alcohol that is found in drinks, is this drinkable?

[@thermophile2106]

Probably. Some things can contaminate the product with methanol or other harmful compounds, but as long as basic safety measures are used it should be safe. It is called moonshine, and is often made as a way to get cheap and strong alcohol. It is also known as moonshine.

[@tuoppi42]

Taper with a couple of o-rings?

[@psychosis7325]

Beat me to it, was wondering why on earth he was trying to mess about to find a creative solution for thermal expansion on seal on a pressure vessel when he has a lathe and O-rings are a dime a dozen. would make a much nicer seal around top of pot also.

[@darellroasa6846]

Maybe limit the word “crack” around glass pipe as some people are doing self rehab. I’m not on it but my borosilicate oil burner have survived 5 droptest and 330F deg. therm. shock. i wonder if they sell 8mm x 6mm quartz glass pipe?

[@hibraisil]

Find a glassblower and have him put the glass thru a kiln cycle. That will greatly improved its durability. Half hour at 1100 f. Then cool down nice and slow.

[@AtlasReburdened]

Helluva lot easier if you have a pressure cooker and a bit of thin walled silicone tube.

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

I never tried silicone tube, but definitely the pressure cooker. Still have that rig in fact. (~_^)-b

[@rathalos304]

whats the purpose of the flour water paste?

[@StillIt]

As the still heats it sets and seals it. It's also a food safe product.......

[@franglish9265]

Are you making an ethanol propelled rocket? also, are you going to pack the column for the ethanol distillation?

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

You could with some LOX

[@ElementalMaker]

The vigerux column already has dozens of glass fingers in it that act like packing. As for the rocket engine... I can only hope 👍

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

@@ElementalMaker if you can concentrate enough oxygen and liquify it, it would be a pretty realistic possibility, although keeping such a small engine from melting from the heat might be the real challenge... I wonder how real the so called 'tungsten' is that they offer out of China... A chamber made of at least reasonably pure tungsten would probably work, so long as the alloy was not too contaminated so that the melting point went too low, but then forming and welding the material would pose a challenge on the other end of the deal.

[@the.glorious.potato9910]

Would it be to much pressure or heat for a rubber grommet

[@ElementalMaker]

The issue with rubber is the hot ethanol vapors will destroy it, and it will also leech rubber based volatiles into your distillate. Nasty stuff. Silver solder or flour paste are about the only options.

[@the.glorious.potato9910]

Ah that makes sense thank you for explaining

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

I need to distill some isopropyl alcohol so I am thinking about ordering this kit. I wish it came with an Erlenmeyer as I only have a hot plate but whatever they're cheap.

[@ElementalMaker]

Just use a stainless bowl with oil in it as a heating mantel, works great for lower temperature distillations.

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

@@ElementalMaker on the hot plate? That makes a lot of sense actually. I have been thinking of building my own hot plate/magnetic stirrer lately but I'm not sure on what motor to use and if I make the plate from aluminum does the lenz effect not but extra strain on the motor? I know that's probably such a small problem it doesn't matter but now I'm curious. Also thanks for the reply.

[@ElementalMaker]

Did you see my video on my homemade hot plate stirrer? It was quite easy to build 👍

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

@@ElementalMaker I did but I need to go back and rewatch it. I have been thinking about using a silicone 3d printer bed heater on borosilicate glass instead of the heater cartridges on/in aluminum but I really don't know. I have only recently started thinking about this project and if I want to do it or just spend like $70 online and buy one prebuilt.

[@ElementalMaker]

@@x9x9x9x9x9 that sounds like a really cool idea! I'd love to hear how it turns out if you go that route

[@brady8358]

If you get a tear in your jeans you can patch it up with some good ptfe tape.

[@nicktohzyu]

ebay distillation kit shipped from china? I live in between china and australia but the cheapest I found for such a set was about 60aud

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah shipped right from China. I have a link to it in the description, hopefully it's the same price for you.

[@RagnarEE]

The glass is probably OK. I distilled sulfuric acid with cheap glass from china, but did it outside of course. It handled 330 degrees C just fine :)

[@rngmstrdan]

as long as it's borosilicate it should be fine. You're only heating to around 100*c

[@ElementalMaker]

Damn man I'd be puckered ass real hard that whole distillation. That's what I have my good lab ware for though.

[@awesomefacepalm]

Would jb weld work instead of solder?

[@ElementalMaker]

From what I found on the home distiller forums they say not to use jb weld, as the hot ethanol fumes will attack it. Silver solder or flour paste are about the only things you can use according to them. Then again they may just be superstitious old men who are adverse to anything new

[@awesomefacepalm]

@@ElementalMaker ah I see. Oh yeah I remember now that JB weld cant be used on gas tanks for that reason so that makes sense

[@ZebbMassiv]

You didn't have to saw cut. For the cleanest cut, use a glassblower's trick called the "Jaws cutting tool". You can make your own for cheap its basically a modified wrench combined with a carbide wheel. Or even a simple carbide scoring blade. Get some gloves on, score only 45% around, aim score away from face, pull away and bend. Should be a perfect snap.

[@Draakdarkmaster6]

solid use of air quotes lol

[@StillIt]

I have no idea what those meant....🤣😂

[@gvii]

I guess I never thought to look since I figured it would be a heck of a lot more money. But 30-some-odd bucks for a complete distillation kit like that? Crap, I should pay more attention. That's a heck of a lot less than what I figured. Would have been useful back when I brewed a lot. The occasional batch of beer that went sideways may have tasted like crap as beer, but wasn't half bad after being reduced to something else. You know, stuff I used for cleaning or something... :-)

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah I can't believe how cheap it is! Can't say for longevity yet, but I'll update on the future of I find any faults with it. That's a great idea, I have a 7 gal batch of saison that went bad after I left it in the fermenter for 15 months and the airlock dried out 😂. Might have to turn it into some cleaner.

[@nicktohzyu]

what about sealing the copper thread with silicone rather than flour paste?

[@ElementalMaker]

I actually was able to successfully solder it after editing the video. Used Harris safety silv. Turns out I was getting the joint too hot before, and that's why it kept beading up on me. Lots of the guys on the home distiller forums I found say to stay away from silicone, I can't really see why though, as food grade silicone is essentially inert. Probably just old guys scared of moving away from flour paste.

[@mahatmadoo2566]

Now that I have made it here my life is complete.

[@ElementalMaker]

Is this Matt from DP?

[@mahatmadoo2566]

I'm not familiar with the "DP" acronym, I'm just some guy in the back of the house, up to my armpits in a dishpit.

[@ElementalMaker]

@@mahatmadoo2566 haha just checking, I used to work with a guy named Matt Stevens at a company named DP

[@mahatmadoo2566]

@@ElementalMaker , cool, felt like I was leading a double life. Wait a minute...

[@shanek6582]

Fuck yeah! Now make some tasty moonshine.

[@RGCbaseace]

I may in the future do a silver reclamation vid with hno3 once i get enough say a pound or 3 of cut offs i think i have about 1/2 lb or so now from the last couple batches of release *$#@ i made someone loves them got another order for 1000 + more who knows they might be piercings we pasivate them first that always helps with soldering

[@Berghiker]

How many watts is your water pump rated at?

[@ElementalMaker]

I would not recommend the one I used, it's far too underpowered. It's rated 4W and 80gph. I'd say get at least a 400gph rated one

[@Berghiker]

@@ElementalMaker Thanks. Was just looking at the EcoPlus 728310 pump. I'm going to get this one.

[@muyfoods]

where is your carbide

[@bunnykiller]

distilling distilled vinegar??? ;)

[@ElementalMaker]

DISTILLCEPTION 😯

[@Mr.Unacceptable]

I have half the stuff I need to make a window sill solar version of a Still like this.

[@ElementalMaker]

Now that would be pretty damn cool! Nothing but yeast and sun to make your solvent 👍

[@monkeyship74401]

So how are you going to get it to anhydrous levels? Way back in the day we used 100% ethanol in the lab and as soon as you opened the container it started to absorb water from the air (you could see turbulence in the alcohol near the surface as it dissolved in) Once you get to 95% it starts to "fight" that last little bit. Of course we are all on pins and noodles to see the distillation process. Thanks!

[@ElementalMaker]

You'll see in the upcoming video 👍

[@GigsVT]

Heh maybe a spoiler but you can make another azeotrope that is preferential to the one that alcohol forms with water.

[@ElementalMaker]

@@GigsVT are you talking about HNO3?

[@GigsVT]

@@ElementalMaker no entraining with something like acetone or hexane

[@ElementalMaker]

@@GigsVT oh gotcha!

[@SeanBZA]

That stainless steel requires a solder with at least 2% silver to solder it, though it is better to use a 5% silver fluxed brazing rod to make the join, though you need a high temperature to do so. Pretty much the only flux that will work without silver is acid flux, incredibly aggressive, but which will strip off the chromium coating on the stainless steel when hot and applied to a freshly sanded finish. Even the silver based fluxes work better with acid based flux to strip the surface. A better seal with those pots is to take the lip of the pot, put a sheet of waxed paper on it and then take the lid, run a bead of silicone on it and close the lid on the paper, and leave to cure with a weight on the lid, like a bag of sand or something else. That way you have a silicone seal, and can then after curing take the wax paper off, apply another thin even coat of silicone to the lid and smooth out with a gloved finger to add a thin extra layer or two. Clip on after curing and it will hold the vapour in nicely. Sand pot lid groove before the silicone first coat, using 120 grit paper ( anything from 100 to 220 grit will work) to get a nice rough surface for the silicone to grip onto, and wipe with some acetone to make it really clean.

[@ElementalMaker]

As usual I ended up soldering it no issue right after editing the video. LOL. Using Harris 56% silver solder. Turns out I had it too hot on my first attempt and the solder was just beading off. Many fo the home distiller forums I found stated not to use silicone. Although I cant see why food grade silicone would ever cause any issues. Probably just old superstitious guys who love their flour paste.

[@SharkyMoto]

you should really look up for "MPCNC" here on youtube, i'm in the middle of building it, cant imagine what you would do with such a thing :D

[@ElementalMaker]

I acutally have a CNC machine I built using a G0704 Mill. I just need to learn how to program and run the damn thing LOL

[@SharkyMoto]

@@ElementalMaker you have a 3d printer right? you can use the same stuff to do it. i'm using fusion360 and cncjs to run my ebay cnc and i'm planning to do the same with the mpcnc just in a much larger scale. i'd love to see your adventures in tackling it though!

[@jeffyerden7190]

That's Right! Paste that Still. :)

[@ElementalMaker]

Slatherin the paste over here

[@Timantinpoimija]

I have been distilling nitric acid with same kind of cheap chinese glassware and never had a problem. But i would never even consider distilling sulfuric acid or mercury with it...

[@ElementalMaker]

Man you've got more brass than I. I just couldn't trust glass this cheap with nitric. Glad to hear its been working well for you though! 👍

[@AKAtheA]

@@ElementalMaker maybe try and find a glass maker and have the glass go through his annealing oven? Even then it should still come out much cheaper then the namebrands :D

[@goodmanboattransport3441]

Solder, while is possible to stick to stainless, but braze would probably be easier to do

[@ElementalMaker]

Silver solder did the trick. Turns out I just had the joint too hot and was causing the solder to bead up

[@user-be4yc2vr5c]

WOW THAT IS A AFFORDABLE F GLASS SET!! Dang dood nice. Know I follow these vids for a reason ;p Lemme know how it holds up tho. Also, I don't think in my history of trying to shape already made glass has it ever been a total success. lol. stuff is fked to work with. Should make like a at home glass blowing kit that it pre programmed to assist with blowing w.e. glass part you need or something? 3d printer for glass wear? SDLS or w.e? Probably work better then traditional tip printing. Be neat, rambling now. thanks again for vid lol.

[@ElementalMaker]

Thanks! So far the set is still holding up just fine. I'm surprised with it that's for sure

[@user-be4yc2vr5c]

@@ElementalMaker Good to hear! Should throw a (the cheap set died) vid in, if it ever does. Hopefully it lasts a life time, and turns out to be a bargain of one to tho. ;p Thanks again

[@gizmoguyar]

You can't use solder on steel. I'm sure that cheap pot is 304 stainless. But that's not why it won't solder. You should either dip the joint in sulphuric acid, or use a tig welder.

[@ElementalMaker]

Silver solder. Very different than electrical solder

[@gizmoguyar]

@@ElementalMaker Actually it's not. Electrical solder used to contain lead, but these days pipe solder and electrical solder are the same. That's moot, though. No type of solder sticks to both copper and stainless.

[@ElementalMaker]

@@gizmoguyar that not true whatsoever. I don't know why you keep referring to plumbing and electrical solder. That is not silver solder. Silver solder absolutely works with stainless. I've used it many times in the past, and in fact, successfully soldered that copper-stainless joint with a bit more patience shortly after this video.

[@gizmoguyar]

@@ElementalMaker Modern electrical solder is the same as silver solder. Stainless can only be soldered with an oxide stripping acid flux as I said in my first comment. But that flux will ruin the copper. You may have stuck two pieces of metal together, but I doubt it will last. The only proper way to join those metals is by braising. By the way, steel and copper touching each other is going to cause hella galvanic corrosion. Good luck with that

[@markhawkins497]

Use 67% brazing rod with flux should work good

[@NZHorizones]

When has solder ever stuck to stainless??

[@ElementalMaker]

I actually got the joint done just after posting this video and its perfect.. Turns out I was just getting it too hot. Silver solder is used to join stainless and copper all the time.

[@NZHorizones]

@@ElementalMaker Ya shitting me, have I been walking around in the dark? I'm off to get me some silver solder now, I'll kick my own self if it works :)

[@OptionParty]

Silver solder or Brazing may have been a better choice.

[@ElementalMaker]

It was silver solder. Turns out I just had the joint too hot. Been a few years since working with safety silv

[@vincentgray9547]

Silver solder is the right way to make that work

[@ElementalMaker]

Yeah I was using Harris 56% silver solder. Right after editing the video I was able to successfully solder the joint. Turns out I had the joint too hot, and the solder was just beading up.

[@TheDesertsweeper]

How about modifying a pressure cooker instead - you get a sealed lid with a hole ready-made!