@jbierling. Great comments. Yes a few times when I have stacked baskets I have had puking and color in the final gin but the good thing about Gin is I just put it back in the still and run it again.
@DonMateo said:
danmarcus. Yes I always have a safety valve on the boiler. You can see it in the foto. Its like a safety belt. You only want to use it once.
I am not certain if @grims comment was directed at me but I am in the unusual situation is that its really difficult for me to purchase anything offshore, and so for very large items I have to get stuff fabricated where I am.
I wish I could buy only SD gear but import duties here in Argentina are extreme. I heard of one guy buying a $25k 300L bain-marie boiler and after it arrived in Customs he had to pay US$50k to get it out. The guy is a surgeon and they don't make a lot of money here.
I have bought a half a dozen medium size columns and items that I could smuggle through customs or in my car when I could get them sent to Chile but that option hasn't been available to be for the last 18 months. I cant put a 200L boiler in a suitcase or I would have tried.
I have some funny stories about getting busted by customs with SD column components in my luggage that I haven't shared. Anyway I have tried though to contribute to the community as much as I can with the experience that I gain, because I can't buy SD gear.
Personally I think posting 3D drawings of items your fabricating, that are in direct competition with SD products is just crass and crap behavior. Yes @richard I am talking about you.
@punkin said:
There is a spare 2" port on the side of the basket that would take a 2" PRV.
I love these PRVs since they do both vacuum and over pressure, I have them on everything. I do think they could be improved though by adding a way to redirect their output/input to/from something other than the local atmosphere.
Maybe develop a fitting including an enveloping triclamp pipe with a two ferrules at the bottom one pointing in and the other pointing out. Then the out one gets connected to the tank and the inner one to the PRV. Then the triclamp pipe's top fitting gets a reducer that then can be connected to pipe work.
@grim said:
Awful lot of information shared by the SD team and associated community here. Bothers me that the intent is not to purchase something, but to replicate a tried-and-true product. Throw the crew a bone at least. :) The fact that this community can exist and provide support is in large part to the business it's attached to.
Been busy with life for a while :)
@grim, sorry for any offense but the reason for me asking about the size of the GB4 on this forum is because this statement on the EU site:
Premium Aroma Basket Filter (also known as Gin Basket Filter) made of stainless steel in the size of 4 inch, compatible with our Aroma Basket Kit (GB4).
Useful as replacement Aroma Basket for our Aroma Basket Kit (GB4), as well as for tinkerer building their own Aroma Head.
I took that as an OK from SD side to copy their aroma head. Not that I am going to do that, not in detail anyway. I'm going to follow @DonMateo's advice in and make the thing be able to house 2 botanic baskets.
I will also make a void space above the botanic basket and have the outlet on the side but above the botanic basket.
Now when I come to think about it, it will not be a copy at all of SD GB4 but I will use their basket. And I will by "something" like tri-clamp fittings, aroma basket and sight glass.
That is no something you fabricate yourself. Well not me anyway. As far as I can see the GB4 is not a unique design it looks to me like similar design is all over internet?
@grim, English is not my first language and I do not understand what you mean by the "Throw the crew a bone at least" comment?
It's all good mate. As i said, we started off as a pioneer group supplying parts to the hobby community to build their own equipment. We are proud to be able to keep doing that.
@Danmarcus said:
As far as I can see the GB4 is not a unique design it looks to me like similar design is all over internet?
StillDragon with the assistance of the hobby distilling community developed the GB4 a long way back as there was nothing like it available. Since then the imitators and copiers have made their own versions. That's why you now see them all over the internet.
@crozdog said:
StillDragon with the assistance of the hobby distilling community developed the GB4 a long way back as there was nothing like it available. Since then the imitators and copiers have made their own versions. That's why you now see them all over the internet.
Precisely.
Anything (distilling) you see on the internet that has the StillDragon aesthetic is indeed a copy cat.....ANYTHING.
And there is a time signature to prove it.
However, not all similar design aesthetics are equal. Nor do the copy cat vendors attempt to make any design improvements until they see what we do first.
It's a compliment really.
EDIT: And when I say "we", I mean the entire SD community as well as the SD team. Many of our products (present and future) have ( and will be) been modeled after feedback from the community.
The GB4, the Crystal Dragon™, the original SD sight glass kits. The DIY controller.....the list goes on.
@crozdog said:
StillDragon with the assistance of the hobby distilling community developed the GB4 a long way back as there was nothing like it available. Since then the imitators and copiers have made their own versions. That's why you now see them all over the internet.
@crozdog and @Smaug, regarding SD being the developer of the gin basket; I stand corrected, didn't have a clue. My interest in the possibility of making gin or other spiced alcohol did not start to long ago. I never giving the production any thoughts before. I stumble on it when looking to buy tri-clamps and found SD.
Moonshine is not really big in Sweden anymore, not since our entering in to EU. It is illegal to even own moonshine equipment. So if I where to try to buy anything that would resemble of distilling equipment the customs would find it and the law would come knocking.
On my GB4 to reduce the basket side clearance I used copper wire wrapped around the outside of the basket one band top and one on bottom
Does not seal 100% but definitely reduces the possibility of leakage.
I fill my basket pretty full and never had a problem and on inspection after brew it’s nice and even penetration and still porous.
Comments
@jbierling. Great comments. Yes a few times when I have stacked baskets I have had puking and color in the final gin but the good thing about Gin is I just put it back in the still and run it again.
@DonMateo. Thanks now I see how to fit it!
How many kW is your electrical heater at for your 150 l boiler? Is it a 3 phase cable in the back ground?
In Sweden where I live we are fortunate to have >20 A, 3 phase 400 V in to most houses.
How much alcohol % do you have in your boiler when doing a gin run?
Do you thing I would benefit from a double botanic charge when using a 100 l boiler at 80 l or so?
Thanks for your input :)
@Danmarcus, there's many ways to make gin, its up to you to determine works best for you & your operation. A few commonly used approaches are:
Awful lot of information shared by the SD team and associated community here.
Bothers me that the intent is not to purchase something, but to replicate a tried-and-true product.
Throw the crew a bone at least. :)
The fact that this community can exist and provide support is in large part to the business it's attached to.
So True
I am not certain if @grims comment was directed at me but I am in the unusual situation is that its really difficult for me to purchase anything offshore, and so for very large items I have to get stuff fabricated where I am.
I wish I could buy only SD gear but import duties here in Argentina are extreme. I heard of one guy buying a $25k 300L bain-marie boiler and after it arrived in Customs he had to pay US$50k to get it out. The guy is a surgeon and they don't make a lot of money here.
I have bought a half a dozen medium size columns and items that I could smuggle through customs or in my car when I could get them sent to Chile but that option hasn't been available to be for the last 18 months. I cant put a 200L boiler in a suitcase or I would have tried.
I have some funny stories about getting busted by customs with SD column components in my luggage that I haven't shared. Anyway I have tried though to contribute to the community as much as I can with the experience that I gain, because I can't buy SD gear.
Personally I think posting 3D drawings of items your fabricating, that are in direct competition with SD products is just crass and crap behavior. Yes @richard I am talking about you.
I love these PRVs since they do both vacuum and over pressure, I have them on everything. I do think they could be improved though by adding a way to redirect their output/input to/from something other than the local atmosphere.
Maybe develop a fitting including an enveloping triclamp pipe with a two ferrules at the bottom one pointing in and the other pointing out. Then the out one gets connected to the tank and the inner one to the PRV. Then the triclamp pipe's top fitting gets a reducer that then can be connected to pipe work.
@DonMateo what a tosser of a comment. I can only presume you are pissed again as usual. Grow a backbone you gutter piece of turd.
Guys, please stay civil!
Our community is so well off, that barely any moderation is needed.
Let's keep it that way! :-B
Your Place to be >>> www.StillDragon.org <<< Home of the StillDragon® Community Forum
I apologise unreservedly. Sorry.
No, was directed at the original poster, the new guy.
Both you and Richard are long time regulars here.
Been busy with life for a while :)
@grim, sorry for any offense but the reason for me asking about the size of the GB4 on this forum is because this statement on the EU site:
I took that as an OK from SD side to copy their aroma head. Not that I am going to do that, not in detail anyway. I'm going to follow @DonMateo's advice in and make the thing be able to house 2 botanic baskets.
I will also make a void space above the botanic basket and have the outlet on the side but above the botanic basket.
Now when I come to think about it, it will not be a copy at all of SD GB4 but I will use their basket. And I will by "something" like tri-clamp fittings, aroma basket and sight glass.
That is no something you fabricate yourself. Well not me anyway. As far as I can see the GB4 is not a unique design it looks to me like similar design is all over internet?
@grim, English is not my first language and I do not understand what you mean by the "Throw the crew a bone at least" comment?
It's all good mate. As i said, we started off as a pioneer group supplying parts to the hobby community to build their own equipment. We are proud to be able to keep doing that.
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America
StillDragon with the assistance of the hobby distilling community developed the GB4 a long way back as there was nothing like it available. Since then the imitators and copiers have made their own versions. That's why you now see them all over the internet.
Precisely.
Anything (distilling) you see on the internet that has the StillDragon aesthetic is indeed a copy cat.....ANYTHING.
And there is a time signature to prove it.
However, not all similar design aesthetics are equal. Nor do the copy cat vendors attempt to make any design improvements until they see what we do first.
It's a compliment really.
EDIT: And when I say "we", I mean the entire SD community as well as the SD team. Many of our products (present and future) have ( and will be) been modeled after feedback from the community.
The GB4, the Crystal Dragon™, the original SD sight glass kits. The DIY controller.....the list goes on.
StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America
@crozdog and @Smaug, regarding SD being the developer of the gin basket; I stand corrected, didn't have a clue. My interest in the possibility of making gin or other spiced alcohol did not start to long ago. I never giving the production any thoughts before. I stumble on it when looking to buy tri-clamps and found SD.
Moonshine is not really big in Sweden anymore, not since our entering in to EU. It is illegal to even own moonshine equipment. So if I where to try to buy anything that would resemble of distilling equipment the customs would find it and the law would come knocking.
@Danmarcus, GB4 is also awesome to distill essential oils!
@Smaug, don't forget ProCaps! Love those suckers.
On my GB4 to reduce the basket side clearance I used copper wire wrapped around the outside of the basket one band top and one on bottom Does not seal 100% but definitely reduces the possibility of leakage.
I fill my basket pretty full and never had a problem and on inspection after brew it’s nice and even penetration and still porous.