direct firing vs steam jacket

[Guest db337]

was wondering if anyone out there uses direct fire method of cooking. Is it safe with possible fumes building up? What type of ventilation is required by law to run a direct fire burner under cooker? Also was wanting to know more about still builders in southern states if it is any in this area. Contact info for these would be greatly appreciated.

[Beauport Bob]

Welcome db337,

To get some of the groundwork out of the way, there are already some decent threads running on this site. You'll have fun reading them.

Good luck.

Beauport Bob

[Guest db337]

thanks bob yes you are right there are great threads out there and I have enjoyed reading them.I have gathered lots of helpful info. Some info has answered questions and other info has caused more questions. But thats all in the learning process.

[JimmyCrackCorn]

Hello,

I have the "Missouri Still" from the Colonel. It is a direct fire pot and I use propane to fire 3 "banjo burners". Each burner is capable of just over 200,000 btu's with the 30 psi regulator they come with. Of course, 30 psi into a commercial building would never pass any building codes, so check with your local building codes for compliance. I use 5 psi so my btu's are under 200,000 for each burner.

You should research or hire someone to calculate the proper about of fresh air needed to safety vent your flue gases away from your production area. Carbon monoxide can build up while oxygen is depleted. This can be very dangerous!

I have a fire box that directs the gases into the flue pipe which is 8 inches in diameter. It took time and effort to design the still, and the heating system, but it was worth it! I am very pleased with the full flavor profile that direct fire adds to my spirits!

I hope this helps! Send me a message if you would like more information.

Cheers,

Jim

[Chip Tate]

We've built several direct fired stills to code that we run in Texas and I'd be happy to share what I know. Of course, the devil is in the details, but I've certainly learned a lot about directing flue gas and building materials since version 1.0. In the end, the code is not that hard. Getting the still operating efficiently and satisfying your local inspector that it's kosher is another matter : )

Chip Tate

Balcones Distilling