About commercial still for home

DWFII

Several questions...
For small time occasional distilling, what size still is adequate? And if a still is listed as 5 gallon for example, how much liquor will come off a 'finished' corn mash?
Some commercial stills seem to have an electric heater attached... are these replaceable if they fail? Do they need a separate rheostat?
And has anyone though of or come up with a way to use an immersion heater in a pot? I saw an episode of Moonshiners where Mike and his partner built a still in a wooden barrel that had a fire exhaust column / 'smoke stack' running up the center of the barrel and the mash around it.
Finally is it possible to make a malted corn liquor using zero refined sugar? And no other grains?Tioraidh
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Deplorable

Define "occasional"
How much do you consume?
Many here run 13 to 15 gallon still boilers for "occasional distilling" some run larger, some smaller.
Here are some numbers from my experience running a 13 gallon still.
My mashes ate done with 50# of grain in 23 gallons of water in a 30 gallon HDPE drum. Finished ABV varies between 8 and 9.5%
From that I get two stripping runs that result in 5 gallons of low wines at abut 30% and a gallon of fresh wash for the spirit run.
I use the same still for the spirit run. I consistently get about a gallon and a half of product at 60% after cuts from each mash.
1.5 gallons of 60% aged, and diluted to 40% for drinking will get me about 12 fifths of product.
If I am making a product to fill a 5 gallon barrel, the feints are added to the next run, and I can usually squeeze enough out of 3 ferments for a fill.
My still runs on a 5500W ULWD replaceable element via a power controller I built from threads you can find here. Everything is replaceable.
In the event of an element failure during a run, I have the capability to run off propane, but Id rather not, so I have spares of the parts that could fail. That said, if an element failed during a run, Id just move the boiler to a propane burner and carry on. Replacing the element after the run completes.Use all your senses, and its not that hard. You just have to pay attention.
Procrastinate, you'll make better whiskey.

jonnys_spirit

+1 on what Deplorable mentioned. I have a similar setup and experiences. I also have a small 10 liter still for small batch where i have limited ingredients plus also for infused spirits.
Check out the required reading threads at the bottom of every page and you’ll find tons of info as you research various rabbit holes.
Cheers!
-jonny————
i make stuff i break stuff
water into whiskey into water
just getting started in home distilling - been drinking for decades
16g copper pot still, 10l alembic, and a column or two
————

DWFII

My wife and I consume about 6 ounces of liquor a week... if that.
I have read all the required topics until my eyes bed. Frankly, I don't remember everything I read. At 77 years old I thought I was doing good just to remember how to get to this site. xD
BTW, I am subscribed to this topic and since 8am haven't received a single email notification. ???Last edited by DWFII on Sat Dec 10, 2022 10:32 am, edited 1 time in total.Tioraidh
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Deplorable

Id suggest a 5 gallon pot still and 20 gallon ferments, if thats all you're planning on consuming. Now, if you want to drink white spirits, like vodka and gin you obviously need a reflux still.Use all your senses, and its not that hard. You just have to pay attention.
Procrastinate, you'll make better whiskey.

DWFII

Thank you. I never did care for vodka or gin. I am a Single Malt whiskey fan (Scotch or Irish) but not so long ago (well after I became fascinated with the possibilities of distilling my own) I ran across some 100 proof Midnight Moon corn liquor. Against my better judgement and all the horror stories I'd heard about moonshine, I rather liked the flavour.
Part of my question about making entirely with malted corn and no refined sugar comes from the fact that I don't get hangovers from Highland Park or Lagavulin....even when I get a little excessive.  I had read somewhere some time ago, that liquor distilled with white cane sugar will strip the b vitamins out of your brain and that's what causes hangovers. I know, I know...probably crappy science and urban myth but it has always borne true for me.Last edited by DWFII on Sat Dec 10, 2022 11:20 am, edited 2 times in total.Tioraidh
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Deplorable

Well, I can attest that if I take a B vitamin before I imbibe heavily, I feel a lot better than when I don't.Use all your senses, and its not that hard. You just have to pay attention.
Procrastinate, you'll make better whiskey.

DWFII

yeah, I know that one too. I'm a firm believer.Tioraidh
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DWFII

Are there any commercial 5 gallon pot stills that you'd recommend I look at?Tioraidh
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Deplorable

Honestly, I'd look for a copper pot still in that size. If you're handy, buy one of the copper pot still kits and solder it up yourself.
JohnnySpirits might have some suggestions, or 8Ball. see what they are using.Use all your senses, and its not that hard. You just have to pay attention.
Procrastinate, you'll make better whiskey.

Ben

If you are wanting to drink stuff that is aged (brown) then a keg sized (15 gal) is big enough to fill smaller barrels, or have some to drink white while some ages, but not crazy to run. If all you want is to run white corn liquor then a 5 gallon is fine. Also how often do you want to run... if you aren't up for running biweekly or even monthly it's better to go a little big to start with.  
Yes, you absolutely can mash corn only. Doesn't even need to be malted, you can use packaged enzymes to deal with that part.:)

DWFII

Thanks..
Well I'm not gonna give up my Highland Park so monthly or even less frequent would probably be my practice.
What enzymes are those (amylase?) and what is their source? I mean how is it derived or created?Tioraidh
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