thecybergurus.com

With the cost of gas now over $2.50, and my new truck averaging around 14mpg I decided it was time to look for “alternative” gas solutions. Since my new truck is e85 ready, I began searching the net for e85 fill stations around my area, and found out that the price of ethanol is only about $.07 cheaper per gallon, and you get far worse mpg with e85 then standard gas. But, during my searching I came across this website ,which explains how I could make my own ethanol for about $1.10 – $1.50 a gallon!

Part 1:

Well this sounds like a project for me! I consider myself a pretty handy guy, and felt up to the challenge so I’ve decided to give it a whirl.

I purchased the plans for making the still, and a couple “how-to” pdf’s for making the fermentation mash from the above website. A couple days later I had my blueprints, and complete instructions as well as a detailed parts list and tools list.

My last job was a computer network consultant, so I traveled all over the city fixing computer networks, and it just so happens that one of my clients that I became good friends with is the president of a mecanical piping company, and hooked me up big time with all the hard to find copper pipe and fittings and temp. control valve that are required. Otherwise this project could have been much more difficult and expensive.

I will update this article as I go, posting pictures and comments. Hopefully when I’m done I will have given you a better and more comprehensive resource for doing this project yourself then what I had when I started. I found myself searching all over the internet for information on this subject.

4/4/2006, Shippment of parts arrives!!

I have received most of my parts, from my friend at the pipe shop, I’m only missign a few key peices that I will need to order because they were out of stock. I also need to make a trip to good old Menards to get some of the tools necessary. Notice the temp. control valve there on top, that is by far the most expensive piece of this still at around $250. It controls the temp. of the still by allowing water through the valve once the probe reaches 170 degrees.

4/7/2006 Start of build!

Today I began the build. I only did a little work, cut the 3″ pipe down to size, drilled a few holes, pretty much just getting my feet wet and my mind wrapped around this project.

4/9/2006 Day 2 of build

Build 2 key pieces, these are the pieces that go in the bottom of the still, in whats called the bubbler section. The steam from the boiler comes into the bent piece with the holes in it, and “bubbles” out into the still. The base circle object goes in the very bottom of the still.

4/10/2006 Day 3 of build

Things are really cooking now, I have finished the bubbler section and drain at bottom of still. The hardest part so far was sealing the pipes sticking out of the 3″ pipe. I’m still not sure I got the large inlet stub sealed, I may have to hit that again with my solder. One thing I have noticed in the last few days, is the importance of having the right tools for the job. The biggest tool that I would recommend is a strong, big bench vise. It’s so nice to have something sturdy holding your work, especially when soldering and it’s very hot. Also several metal files and a good set of leather gloves and eye protection are a must.

4/14/2006 Day 4 of build

Major progress today, I completed the condenser and reflux sections of the still. I made my cooling coils and secured them in the top and bottom sections of the still. This was by far the hardest part of the build so far. Making the coils wasnt too tough, but getting them in the pipe, and then getting the end through the 1/4″ hole in the pipe without crimping the tube was really tough. And then finally sealing the gap around the area where the 1/4″ tube protrudes the main pipe was also tough. I did learn that flux is your friend, you can never have too much of it. Also while sealing the gap, I heated the pipe from the inside, and put the solder on the outside of the pipe, and let it get drawn into the gap from the outside in, this worked really well for sealing all the stubs sticking out of the main pipes.

4/15/2006 Day 5 of build

Another very productive day of building. I connected the bubbler section to the condenser section of the still with a screen inbetween the sections to contain the marbles. I then filled the bottom section with the glass “marbles” and then connected the reflux section and the top cap, I actually used decrorative glass jewls instead of marbles because I could buy them in larger amounts at a time for less. Finally I connected the top half of the still’s cooling coils the the bottom half so that water can enter the top and flow all the way down to the bottom of the still. Finally I added the drain extensions at the bottom of the still, only a little more work to do!! Note: I’ll post some full size picture links at a later date so you can see more detail. I have several more pictures of the process that I will post as well.

Part 2:

5/20/2006 Day 5 of build

I have completly finished my still and boiler at this point. The boiler was a great find, it’s actually a turkey boiler that I bought at the local hardware store, and modified the lid with an outlet. For the outlet, I found a shower head adapter that you use in a standard bathroom shower, it is a 90 degree bent pipe, with threads on one end, and 2 plates that screw together, one on each side of the lid, sandwiching the lid inbetween. I used brass hose fittings to connect everything together, these are threaded on one end to connect to copper pipes, and have a tapered end on the other that you simply slide the hose onto, and clamp down. I have also mounted the still in a wood frame, and made all the hose and water hookups. The instructions that I purchased are very acurate for both blueprints, step by step instructions for the build as well as the parts list. The only thing extra I had to buy were some fittings for my boiler and some tubing. As you can see it looks pretty good, and works great, it blows my mind everytime I fire it up and watch it work so perfectly. I’ve only run beer through it one time since I am still waiting on my permit, and want to be legal, but I have run plain water through it 3-4 times to make adjustments and tweaks to the automatic valve etc. I’ll update again once I get my mash and fermenting receipe all figured out, as well as posting links to where I got all of my supplies, and receipies.