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Away we go

to inspect the next batch of 2 dozen boilers that are heading to USA.
Ranging in size from 120L to 1000L, some with agitators, some with extra element ports and one 500L that is setup to be operated only with gas so it has no element ports but sports a gas skirt instead.

I'll be offline for a couple of days (Tuesday and Wednesday) but I'll try to bring you all back a souvenir. A panda toy or something.

Bus and train tickets booked, bags packed and camera battery fully charged... check, check and check.

Custom dictates that after the boiler inspection that we get fully wined and dined. The last few times were extraordinary but this last time was just over the top. We were taken to a seafood restaurant that specializes in hotpot and dammit it was good.
Boiled shrimp and crabs were the first course and the remains of which were added to the hotpot soup. That's when you get raw meats and veggies that you add to the boiling cauldron in the center of the table. You pull out what you want with your chopsticks and onto your plate whatever you want AND if that's not enough there was an open bar... anything you wanted to drink and as much as you wanted was included in the price (I have no idea what it costs because we were the guests and were shielded from the cash register). Tan and I still talk about that meal with a far-away-look in our eyes.

We travel first class (because its very close to the same price as steerage class) when we travel. I just like a bigger seat for my bigger seat and long legs if you know what I mean. And first class has 2 seats where second class has 3 and steerage is basically standing room.
And yes they do sell train tickets here for standing room only for a journey that can last for 20 hours or more, even much more.

So for all the bleeding hearts out there that are crying the big tears in sympathy for the tribulations that we must endure to bring you SD boilers (the taxis, busses, trains and hotels AND the actual ordering of the boilers AND the incessant paperwork involved) I can only say that I DO IT ALL FOR YOU.
(And for the hotpot.)

There is something magical about 6 to 8 people enjoying hotpot and cold beer after a long journey to inspect a bunch of boilers.
I really wish I could fully describe hotpot to y'all.

Comments

  • Enjoy your trip Lloyd, seems like quiet an adventure. When you r back can you send me a drawing of that 500L gas fired boiler ? Seems just what I need ?

    Enjoy the hotpot !!!

  • edited July 2013

    Hi Moscca, its difficult to see the gas skirt on this PDF but if you look close you can spot it.

    pdf
    pdf
    500L gas boiler 2013.0412-Model.pdf
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  • edited July 2013

    I'll remember all that next time i see 'boiler inspection fee' on an invoice :D

    @mosca i can show a pic of my gas skirt, although it's only a 120l. I had to have the bottom drain welded on too as you can't use triclamps with gas.

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    BloodyFirstClassFreeDiningPunkin

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    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • You cannot argue with local custom Lloyd. I'm sure Yourself & Tan deserve to be spoiled after all of your hard work :D

  • @Lloyd, I really miss the fantastic food over there. Have fun, and take your laptop with you! :)

    StillDragon Europe - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Europe & the surrounding area

  • edited July 2013

    2 interconnected 1000L boilers - manway doors not on yet

    image

    A bunch of 380L boilers

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  • Gonna call Rusty. He should be over the moon.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • That's my baby. Her name is Jeanie and she is going to make vodka, whiskey, and bourbon for Everett Cunningham Distillery in Morganton, NC. Thanks Lloyd. And thank you Rusty. Cheers all!

  • Best of luck MoL

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • Love to see some photos once it's all set up and running.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Very, very nice...

  • edited August 2013

    @Master_of_Libations said: That's my baby. Her name is Jeanie and she is going to make vodka, whiskey, and bourbon for Everett Cunningham Distillery in Morganton, NC. Thanks Lloyd. And thank you Rusty. Cheers all!

    My pleasure entirely! The design is called The Friggin' Figgins, and without the 8-inch column and manway doors, she's a bit of a naked lady, but I can't wait to do the assembly work to make her complete. Good going, Gary, and thank you Lloyd and Larry for bringing the design to life!

    All the best,

    Rusty

    BERLE W FIGGINS, JR | Master Distiller ~ Consulting Distillation Engineer ~ Consultant & Lecturer in Craft Distillation

    SPIRITS INSTITUTE PUGET SOUND | Seattle, Washington | consulting craft distillers and presenters of Craft Distillation masterclasses, workshops & seminars | inventor of the Figgins Reciprocator distillation system
    www.SIPSclass.org | ProofProf@SIPSclass.org

  • Glad to know that the The Friggin' Figgins made it and has been named. I would add that this is only a nickname and the proper name is The Figgins Dual-Kettle Reciprocating Still, or simply, The Figgins Reciprocator. First of its kind!

    BERLE W FIGGINS, JR | Master Distiller ~ Consulting Distillation Engineer ~ Consultant & Lecturer in Craft Distillation

    SPIRITS INSTITUTE PUGET SOUND | Seattle, Washington | consulting craft distillers and presenters of Craft Distillation masterclasses, workshops & seminars | inventor of the Figgins Reciprocator distillation system
    www.SIPSclass.org | ProofProf@SIPSclass.org

  • @ProofProf said: The Figgins Dual-Kettle Reciprocating Still_, or simply, The Figgins Reciprocator.

    "The Figgins Reciprocator",,,,,,,,,,,Has a ring to it.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • I know this is an older thread, but would it be possible to get a list of available options along with pictures for the boilers? I didn't realize that agitators were available from stilldragon.

  • Thats no problem. We are working to put together a boiler page on the web site. We can do just about anything as a one off, but do have a catalog of tanks that we are trying to keep readily available on the floor here in the states.

    High Ridge Spirits and Wolf Creek Distillery have purchased the 380s with the agitators so non are available at the moment.

    Please email me at smaug@stilldragon.com and I'd be happy to supply you with a list of our remaining tanks as well as pricing for any tank in our catalog. We have fermenters, cookers and holding tanks as well. Kind regards

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • Well now I have to change my ordering code from Friggin' Figgins, and I thought that had a lovely ring to it :)
    Call it what you want, my spreadsheet says its a FF4-1 Friggin' Figgins 4" Manifold Model 1.

    FR4-1 Figgins Reciprocator 4" Manifold Model 1 just doesn't have the same zing.

    (But he's writing the checks so he can call it ANYTHING he wants!)

  • 15G conical SS fermentors? or 30G for that matter. Can you SD do those?

  • @nvnovrts said: 15G conical SS fermentors? or 30G for that matter. Can you SD do those?

    We can do anything.......The issue is cost and here is why. lets take for example our 120 (30 gallon) liter 2mm wall thickness. That tank sells for $1700. That works out to $14.16 per liter. Our 200(50 gallon) sells for $1800. That works out to $9 per liter. Our 380 (100 gallons) is a really good value at $2000. That works out to $5.26 per liter.

    Lloyd tried his best to have 60 liter potbellies made but they ended up being the same money as the 120s as the materials needed come in modular sizes and the labor is the same weather they build a 120 or a 60. The materials for a single 120 will not build two 60s.

    It is about economy of scale more than anything.

    However,,,,if Lloyd starts to flex his super power muscles and makes the factory realize that we are worthy, attractive, dynamic hero's of the universe,,,,,perhaps things may change?

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • edited September 2013

    @Smaug, you may have misunderstood my question. Blichmann does 14/28 Gallon, SS fermenters. Their price is around $600 for the 14.

    Blichmann 14 Gallon Fermenator Conical (Standard Fittings)

    I'd love to have a few of these. you can pull the wash/mash off the lees without having to muck about with the syphon. And they look cool and clean-up fast.

  • We've tried the smaller conicals and we can't compete on price with the big guys.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • @punkin said: We've tried the smaller conicals and we can't compete on price with the big guys.

    thats too bad. those are some spendy bits of kit.

  • Fermenters are tricky, at least for us. Our limited foray has yielded dismal results.
    We tried to guess what folks wanted and stocked a few and they sold so painfully slow while the boilers, any and every size boiler, sold out and we were taking backorders for them (and looking at the $$ in the fermenters just sitting on the floor). The truth is a plastic garbage can makes a very acceptable fermenter at a tiny fraction of the cost of a SS conical - I know this to be true of my needs too.
    A boiler is the very heart of a still. You can change the column around countless times but the boiler is "fixed".
    Lots of micros out there using plastic 'totes' for fermenters but they are the first to splurge for a nice boiler. The column is both easy and inexpensive these days because of StillDragon's modular still parts and it's getting easier and more universal as the copycats try to knock off our modular products and ideas. All a benefit to the micros and serious hobbyist.
    The one place to pinch the budget is the fermenter because almost any and every vessel will do.
    There are some seriously big distilleries out there with huge antique wooden fermentation vats and state of the art computer driven giant continuous still columns.

    Just sayin', fermenters always seem to take the back seat when the guy with the pen is signing the check.

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