Small Backyard Stills

[rumfarmer]

Has anyone purchased, seen, or used a still from one of the really small backyard guys like Hillbilly Stills or Mile High Distilling? I'm sure there are others out there, but those are the two obvious ones. It seems you can be up and running with a 25 gallon still for at the most $2,500 with every bell and whistle they offer. Obviously this wont be suitable for a commercial application, but are these things worth the money to do some initial product development work and recipe creation?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[chrisl]

Instead of buying one you can make your own for a fraction of the cost. Get a full or half size keg for your pot and make up your head and you are ready to go.Chrisl

[Action Equipment Corp.]

Yes there are a number of hobby still manufacturers out there. We build and sell several hundred of them a year on Ebay and our website, www.moonshinestillpro.com . Most discussion of hobby stills is avoided in this forum because they are predominately being used illegally without licensing. And it is not the purpose of this forum to promote illegal activity. But I'll bet that if everyone who uses this forum were willing to be honest the majority of them would have to admit to doing perhaps considerable experimenting and practicing with a small still prior to getting licensed. In my opinion it pretty much becomes a necessity to learn the craft. As for the equipment you choose it depends on how much you are willing to spend. Pick something that has enough copper in it to mimic results you will eventually get from a production sized still. And just so that I cannot be accused of too much self promotion here, that $2500 Hillbilly Flute looks like as close to a commercial still design as can be had in a hobby still. In the next year I may develop something similar using actual bubbler plates rather than perforated plates that can be inconsistent. - Gary, Action Equipment Corporation

[Lenny]

I've dealt with Mile High in the past and own a small stainless still that can be clamped to a sanke keg. The do really nice work (beautiful welds) and will do a custom build for you if you require it. I've also scene large scale versions of their stills used in a production environment. The distillery had them fabricate a rather large column and condenser (aprox. 5x the size of their hobby stuff), packed the length of the column with copper, and attached to to a 55 gallon ss barrel that is heated with electric element(s). It seems like a really nice solution that costs a whole lot less than many other options out there. It's pretty bare bones, but hey... it's a still — not a hadron collider. I can't speak of any of the other manufacturers of smaller stills/still heads but I would recommend giving mile high a call.

[porter]

Has anyone purchased, seen, or used a still from one of the really small backyard guys like Hillbilly Stills or Mile High Distilling? I'm sure there are others out there, but those are the two obvious ones. It seems you can be up and running with a 25 gallon still for at the most $2,500 with every bell and whistle they offer. Obviously this wont be suitable for a commercial application, but are these things worth the money to do some initial product development work and recipe creation?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

SMOOGDOG---Tried to pm you some info, but you aren't set up to get pm apparently.

[Gwydion Stone]

Obviously this wont be suitable for a commercial application, but are these things worth the money to do some initial product development work and recipe creation?

You might be surprised. Artisan Spirits in Portland, OR did very well with four 55-gallon stainless drums with three home-made condensers and one modified PDA II from the Amphora Society. Stripping runs were done in the three "smaller" boilers, and the spirit run was done with the PDA II. They managed to make some of the best vodkas I've tasted, one from grapes, one from honey. I used the grape spirits as the base for Marteau while I was there, and I'm pretty picky.

I wouldn't use apparatus like these for flavored pot-still spirits such as whisky or rum, but for cleaner, more neutral spirits they can do very well.

[rumfarmer]

SMOOGDOG---Tried to pm you some info, but you aren't set up to get pm apparently.

PM set up now. Sorry for the oversight.

I would use one of these very small stills legally, of course. The idea would be to simply create the recipe and have a tangible product in a bottle that could prove the concept and secure traditional financing to build a full production facility on a larger scale. I assume one of these little stills could put out 2-3 gallons of spirit per run, and this might be enough to accomplish my goals. I want to be able to produce a quality product, and I am worried that might not be the case. A 30L German still will set me back $25K or more, so these little one's seem to make sense.

More feedback welcome, and please feel free to send me a private message.

[rumfarmer]

I wouldn't use apparatus like these for flavored pot-still spirits such as whisky or rum, but for cleaner, more neutral spirits they can do very well.

Is there a reason the Hillbilly still wouldn't work well for rum or whiskey?

[Uncle Rob]

Is there a reason the Hillbilly still wouldn't work well for rum or whiskey?

Hello I am The owner of Hillbilly Stills and the conversation is really pretty interesting. I do offer my Hillbilly Flute with bubble caps also. I have made a few of them for customers. I think you would really be suprised at the consitency of the perforated plates though. I can tell very little differnce in the two. I have 4 customers running them on 55 gallon boilers and I am getting very good feed back from them. I would like to invite you to stop by if you are ever in western Ky. Feel free to call or email me also. If you would like you can call 270-334-3400 or e mail me at mike@hillbillystills.com

These make great recipe development stills and a really good for the micro distiller that is just getting started and may does not have several thousand to invest right off the bat. I am planning to make it to one of the ADI conferences and bring one of my columns and boilers out for display. I wanted to come out to Oregon but I just did not feel I had the time to take away from my customers. If any of you are interested but require bubble caps please let me know I will build which ever you would like.

come by and see me at www.hillbillystills.com any time.

Mike

[cowdery]

Plenty of Vendome's stills have just perforated plates and no bubble caps. It's just a matter of what you're going for.

[rumfarmer]

Plenty of Vendome's stills have just perforated plates and no bubble caps. It's just a matter of what you're going for.

Plan on making rum only. Any advice out there about using this as a rum product development still?

[J'ESP]

Build your own still. If distilling a mash YOU made in a still YOU made is not a "craft", I don't know what is. It'll take longer to build than buy but cost less & you'll learn a lot. Now if you grew the crop, you'd be 100% responsible for the product.

[Gwydion Stone]

Not everyone has the skills or desire to build a still, though.

I would use one of these very small stills legally, of course. The idea would be to simply create the recipe and have a tangible product in a bottle that could prove the concept and secure traditional financing to build a full production facility on a larger scale.

Any spirits distilling you do before you have a permit is illegal. Just sayin'.

I assume one of these little stills could put out 2-3 gallons of spirit per run, and this might be enough to accomplish my goals. I want to be able to produce a quality product, and I am worried that might not be the case. A 30L German still will set me back $25K or more, so these little one's seem to make sense.

My 500 liter (~130 gallon) still ran me a little over $7000, custom made, from Portugal, including shipping, duty, etc.

Is there a reason the Hillbilly still wouldn't work well for rum or whiskey?

I'm not qualified to comment on the Hillbilly Stills, having never worked with one. I was referring to the stills I posted.

A pot still is designed to minimize reflux, with wide open chambers and wide necks. A still that's designed to work at high speed and purity is the opposite of a potstill, it's a reflux still, whether the reflux is caused by bubble plates, copper mesh, or other condensing surfaces. They're great for making vodka and for stripping, but do you want to strip the flavor out of your rum?

You can get a traditional, and beautiful, copper pot still from a number of places, but I can recommend these guys.

[rumfarmer]

Great info, thanks everyone. I do not want to strip the flavor from my product at all. I grow my own cane, so I will be using fresh cane juice for my rum. It would be a terrible waste to leave it without flavor. Sadly, I am a complete notice and have to learn step by step. I will research the link you gave me from Portugal and see what their options are like. Again, I really appreciate everyone's help here.

[J'ESP]

A pot still is designed to minimize reflux, with wide open chambers and wide necks. A still that's designed to work at high speed and purity is the opposite of a potstill, it's a reflux still, whether the reflux is caused by bubble plates, copper mesh, or other condensing surfaces. They're great for making vodka and for stripping, but do you want to strip the flavor out of your rum?

A reflux (column) still does not necessarily strip flavor. It merely separates it better than a pot still. High ABV does not mean low flavor. There are some distinctly flavorful vodkas on the market. The fractions can be blended to achieve the desired flavor profile for rum or WHY.

[bluestar]

My 500 liter (~130 gallon) still ran me a little over $7000, custom made, from Portugal, including shipping, duty, etc.

Dear Gwydion,

I wanted to learn more about your experience using the portuguese alembic. I have used a small one for test batches, and I am considering buying one for production in Michigan. Our plan is to produce white aromatic spirits, including gin, eau de vies, and herbals. Maybe eventually an absinthe. Looks like you got yours recently when you were setting up again in Seattle? Email me, thanks.

Derrick

[rumfarmer]

My 500 liter (~130 gallon) still ran me a little over $7000, custom made, from Portugal, including shipping, duty, etc.

How long ago did you get this still and how are you heating it?

[Curtis McMillan]

We are 75% done building our first still. I have 10 years body work experience and it still not easy. I would strongly recommend against it.

[Friday]

Isn't it supposed to look like that after vinegar has been run through it and a proper cleaning has yet to have been preformed?

I though copper turned green when in contact with vinegar.

[Uncle Rob]

Yes Friday you are correct. Also if you let any still set very long and not in use they will tarnish and turn green in places. This is what they look like when they are ready to ship. I just want to clear this up.

[rumfarmer]

Thanks for the new images and clarification. I am still hoping to have some people actually using these stills chime in. I understand that these stills are not meant for large production, and they are made from mostly off the shelf parts, but I want to know if people using them are glad they bought or wished they had gone another route. I know I can spend 10X more for a professional still that will also be too small for any large production. So, would those who have used a backyard still recommend or reject the idea of using one to do recipe development?

[rumfarmer]

Thanks for the new images and clarification. I am still hoping to have some people actually using these stills chime in. I understand that these stills are not meant for large production, and they are made from mostly off the shelf parts, but I want to know if people using them are glad they bought or wished they had gone another route. I know I can spend 10X more for a professional still that will also be too small for any large production. So, would those who have used a backyard still recommend or reject the idea of using one to do recipe development?

[rumfarmer]

Do you have a recommendation for a reasonably priced alternative that is a turnkey solution?

[Tsouke]

I have been using a Copper-Alembic 40L pot still and like it. It is a pot still though, and you have to know what kind of product you are looking to make as a still is just a tool not a solution. If your goal is to make rums, whiskies, or flavoured products like that then a small pot still like this is a good solution for testing. If you want to make clear higher proofed products, then this is not the tool for you. Small inexpensive stills are great for dabbling and to get you in the general direction you want to be, but keep in mind your production sized recipes will act differently than the small batches will.

[jwymore]

I was at Eastside Distilling (formerly Deco) in Portland Oregon the other day and they are appearently using the Hillbilly Column for production runs. I didn't get to talk to anyone there to verify this for sure but it was the only still I saw in the place.

Hillbilly also makes pot still arms so for expermentation it seems like having interchangeable pot arm and column that could be used on the same boiler makes some sense.