Mother’s Six Inch Alcohol Fuel Still

to take advantage of the production benefits that size can offer. That’s
why–after designing this publication’s first practical alcohol
distillery–researcher Clarence Goosen immediately began working on a new,
bigger apparatus . . . which, as it turns out, not only utilizes all the best
features of the original three-inch-column still and improves upon them,
but Is capable of producing between eight and ten times more fuel than could
the initial model!

Now you might think that–because the
new still has a capacity that’s 1,000% greater than that of the old one– it
would cost that much more than its predecessor, too. However, because of the
fact that the larger version was purposely designed to use less copper and–for
the most part–common (or scrap) metal stock in its construction, you can
probably build the entire unit for about $500 if you’re a capable scrounger!
(And this figure Is, of course, barely twice the cost of assembling our smaller
still.)

MOTHER EARTH NEWS’  latest
alcohol-maker is wood-fired, and has a mash capacity of 275 gallons (the
storage vessel is no more than a salvaged fuel oil tank). Like its smaller
relative, the new model has a stripper and a reflux column … however, in the
most recent design, both are made from inexpensive 6″ thin wall tubing
rather than costly copper.

Also, the still’s efficiency has
been Increased by replacing the marble packing–used in the three-inch column
model–with commercially available 5/8″ “Pall rings” (they’re
about 25% more effective than marbles), which provide 131 square feet of
surface area per cubic foot and allow for 90% free gas space. (In effect, this
means that the rings give us a near-perfect balance of two desirable features
… since we need plenty of surface area to “strip” as much water
from the alcohol vapors as possible, yet we must also provide a fairly large
volume within the column to achieve a high capacity flow rate.)

Another reason MOTHER EARTH NEWS’
six-inch-column still works so well Is that it was designed to maintain
temperature equilibrium. In other words, even though the distillery’s
volume-per-hour output is increased–since more alcohol vapor is forced into the
column than it can handle on its own without overheating–the correct
temperature balance is accomplished (from the variable boiling point of the mash
at the bottom of the column to 175°F at the top) because the column contains
two heat exchangers which remove much of the warmth but leave the alcohol
distillate within the column.

Furthermore, the still is not only
extremely efficient as is, but also flexible enough to incorporate many
different modifications. For example, although we used a plate steel firebox
(to facilitate transportation of the still), you can cut expenses by
constructing your oven of stone and/or brick. Also, the size of the mash tank
Isn’t critical … a larger container could be used if the builder desired the
extra capacity.

By the same token, you can up the
output of the still by increasing its column size to an eight- or ten-inch
diameter. You see, the working principle will remain unchanged … as long as
you maintain a height-to-diameter ratio of about 24 to 1 (thus an eight-inch
column must be 16 feet in height, and a ten-inch conduit would have to be 20
feet tall).

But the best news is yet to come:
This low-cost still, even though it can deliver up to eight gallons per hour of
distillate (and more if you choose to upscale it), is also capable of
producing a 175 to 190-proof product … which is ideal for homemade fuel
alcohol use!

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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you feel
that you need a large capacity still for home or farm alcohol production,
you’ll be pleased to know that MOTHER EARTH NEWS will have a complete set of
detailed, step-by-step plans available for the construction of the distilling
apparatus shown here by February 1, 1980. 

And–should you choose to
get involved in alcohol fuel production–be sure to comply with the new, and
much less restrictive, regulations pertaining to fuel manufacture that are
enforced by the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Information–on applying for the necessary permit, etc.–is provided with every
set of MOTHER EARTH NEWS’ still plans.