My Still wants a Mini-Me

[@markjust86]

a little tip, if you are drilling a hole in metal, you can fill the hole cutter with a sponge and drench it, that will keep it a lot cooler for a lot longer and you will need to stop and oil it far less.

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Love that tip

[@TheChefmike66]

Ooooh nice one, thanks for taking the time

[@rickfickes4954]

Now I see how it’s done thanks for the video keep up the awesome work

[@martink9785]

Good to see you back 👍🙂 I didn't realise that the Tri clamp fits the top of the threaded part on the keg and not the actual screwed in fitting. Thanks for that essential piece of information 🙂

[@planetmoonshine6223]

A pleasure martin.

[@garrymcgaw4745]

Great vid mate with some real helpful tips, cheers for that.

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Cheers Garry

[@smntsn]

I love your hard work on this project and I learned lots of things thanks to you. Great video great channel! :)) 🍺🍺🤩🤩

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Thanks Ren

[@Dystopian63]

thank you!

[@Dystopian63]

Hey buddy, great info, once again thank you! I looked for your vinegar run vid but couldn't find it?

[@widgets76]

Thanks for posting👍 I attempted to braze a 4 inch ferrule to my keg with 95% tin / 5% silver and Harris Stay-Clean flux today and I’ve given up. I had tried 55% silver solder with mapp gas previously and that didn’t work out either. I just can’t get it to stick; solder just drips straight off. The hole I cut is slightly too large which doesn’t help me either. Guess my next step will be finding a local welder to tig it instead 😔

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Sorry to hear that man. Did you clean it with alcohol first? Any oil left on will have that effect. Also I find that paint on fluxes tend to burn off before the metal gets red hot. Try the integrated flux on rods... here is a link to good stuff available in 🇺🇸. www.amazon.com/SSF-6-Silver-Solder-Brazing-Rods/dp/B07S64QV32

[@widgets76]

Thought I’d give you a quick update; I managed to braze it this weekend. I wasted a lot of solder, I used approx 15 feet, it took me almost 2 hours and most of it went on the floor… but I got the hang of it in the end. Turns out I was simply not using enough flux. I had initially been brushing it on which just didn’t work at all; in the end I started spraying the liquid flux on directly on to the hot surface and that seemed to work a lot better. It looks like shit but it seems to be sealed all around and I’ll sand it to clean it up 😎thanks for the heads up on brazing it; I didn’t think it was possible and saved me paying a welder to tig it👍

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Glad you got there man

[@snappingbear]

You mentioned around the 18:40 mark about showing us how to modify the gasket between the keg's top outlet and the column. Is that in another video?

[@scottgreco2313]

Great video. I'm planning my project now. At the 31:25 mark you start to grind out the clean out hole to match the ferrel. The grinding wheel is on your drill. What is that wheel called? I've never seen one that works on SS like that.

[@tedbullpit6164]

Hi do you have a link to the heating element you used and what Watt was it. And was it going to be a pot still or reflux

[@sprayblob]

Ear protection! that grinder noise is bad for the ears... 🙂 Nice work though!

[@jaredschwiner6844]

The leftovers in you 50 litter that you did not run to protect your heater element. Did you just pour that into your 30 litter along with your first finished run?

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Gosh, can't remember. Probably I dumped it.

[@andywoolhouse105]

why.not use a 4 inch ferrule in the top cut out the top to fit then cut off the spear attachment cut hole 4 inch blank and solder spear attachment to this, even more modular and easy to clean.

[@planetmoonshine6223]

🤣🤣🤣My thoughts exactly - already got the perfect ferrule in place - the fill/cleaning port. Just need a new blank cap for that ferrule to solder on the spear, then its a still or a thumper as required. Super modular.

[@Suzukidave]

Also that size makes a swell thumper

[@planetmoonshine6223]

I hadn't thought about that, but yeah, a spare cap with a hole and tube welded on, and bingo!

[@Suzukidave]

@@planetmoonshine6223 you could even reuse the stainless tube that came with the mini keg for the vapor in 👍🏻

[@planetmoonshine6223]

@@Suzukidave ooh, I feel a new modular build project coming on!!!

[@johnnyringo7194]

I wish you would touch on the columns you use for the kegs. Did you buy them, or make them?

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Hi Johnny, in the end I bought from China. I have a whole video on that topic, the choices i made and why. Its in the playlist on stills. Cheers.

[@puppyqueen6165]

Great video where can I buy an heating element

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Ali Express have lots - They even come in sets with the ferrule and Tri-clamp

[@nealhamilton3881]

How many times have you used this? I'm wondering how well the solder has held up, I'm debating getting mine welded or using the solder method and doing it myself. I'm concerned with the solder having issues under stress over time.

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Both my stills are still rock solid and working well. The soldering hasn't deteriorated at all as far as I can tell. Honestly, if you can afford to pay someone to weld it up, go for it. But if that's the case, you may be better off buying a commercial product instead. I wanted a low cost, modular still for hobbyist use, plus I enjoy tinkering, hence my route. I also wanted to save my precious hobby money to buy a column system with bubble plates and sight glasses for the still as making stuff to that quality level is way beyond my capabilities.

[@dac7046]

You need to be thinking “brazing” rather than “soldering”. Soldering likely will hold if high quality silver solder is used but brazing will definitely hold in the long run. Welding is stronger but entirely unnecessary for stuff like this. Mapp gas is coasting on its prior reputation. 10+ years ago it was reformulated and now the specs show it’s only 130 degrees F hotter than propane but a lot depends on your torch. Good torch with propane likely better than average torch with Mapp gas.

[@nealhamilton3881]

@@dac7046 Thanks, what silver content and what brand do you recommend? I was looking for a brazing rod with high silver content and most seem to be made for Jewelry and require a very hot torch.

[@brendanmorran5478]

What type of element have you used please messaging from uk thanks

[@planetmoonshine6223]

Search Ali Express for 3kw 240v triclamp element. There are loads of them. Mine was branded Dernord.