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26 Gallon Milk Can Boilers

Are the 26 gallon milk can boilers any good, sturdy etc. Where is the best place to purchase?

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  • Was hoping someone else would sound off @mlobarr but so far nothing.
    26 gallons, about 100 liters, is a very large milk can and milk cans are made to be inexpensive (OK, cheap). The wall thickness is typically 1.2 mm thick and that is quite marginal for that size. A quick search of the folks that used to carry them have seemingly de-listed them and it could be for a good reason - the size may very well be too big for milk can construction.
    I have no idea for price because I can't seem to find one either from the folks that used to vend them.
    Its entirely possible that when you reach this size that you need to move into a true, purpose built boiler. In USA a 120L real boiler is, I think, about $1,700 and a 200L is not much more. If you can find a 100L milk can boiler it will have makeshift legs (if any) and none of the standard fittings that make up a distilling boiler.

    I'm sorry that I'm not much help but if you really, really want a 26 gallon milk can boiler SD can definitely get it made for you. Contact your distributor and ask him for a price and availability quote. That will trigger a round of questions and answers about what all you want on it (top port size, number of element ports, etc...) but its too late now for shipment before around April or May 2015 from China because of the Chinese new year shutdown during most of February.

    A 50L milk can makes a lot of sense but 100L or more gets into purpose built boiler territory with legs that are engineered and welded on, manway, sight glass, top ports for instrumentation, etc..... and a boiler body at least 2mm thick at an absolute minimum.

  • They are $480 usd plus shipping and work very well. They have a 2" port for the element a 1.5" fill port and you can get a 3 or 4 inch tri clamp on the lid. Moonshinedistiller.com

  • edited November 2014

    At that point why not just convert a 55 gallon stainless drum? You are already too big to move, once you get over 12 gallons you need two people and sturdy handles. Its too big to clean out of place, so in either case you need at least some mechanism to clean and rinse. If it doesn't get dented up in shipment it's going to look beat up in a year anyway. Stainless drums are universal, you can pretty much find a used one anywhere. Once you get past keg size, you are pretty much in a dedicated rig setup anyway. Paying $500 for a milk can sounds crazy to me when you can find a 14 gauge drum for half that.

  • Thanks lloyd,Chalmer and Grim. I like the Stainless drum idea,I have been looking for one quite awhile now with no luck. Lloyd price point wise the 380 seems the way to go but it is huge.

  • Bubbasbarrels.com has some decent pricing on ss barrels, especially if you don't mind buying used

  • edited November 2014

    Either way you are well into the "heck of a lot of booze" category. Even with tight cuts you are talking about a case a run.

  • Thanks Brewsmith never new about that site.

  • Bubba (not his name) is a good SD customer BTW.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • +1 @Smaug I have a barrel from Bubba's, fine quality and he does custom tig fittings on the lids for a reasonable price.

  • Just let him know we sent ya.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • I have a bubba barrel and I am very happy with it. Their customer service is great. Carl will do whatever he can to customize your barrel

  • On the bubba barrel what seals are you using and where do you get them. Is there a PTFE available?

  • Question 2 if you buy a 55 gal drum and get ferrules welded all over it does that put you on a TBB list?

  • The seals came with the barrel, he also has replacement seals. You should ask Carl at bubba barrels, but I don't think so,

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