I'm looking for someone in the eastern Nebraska, western Iowa area whom I can connect with to discuss ideas, recipies and such. Anyone around this area?

After doing some research, I've decided to make a valved reflux which I am in the process of completing attached to a beer keg. I'm looking a making some whiskey and rum with it. Brewhaus looks to be the best place to get the ingrediants. I've checked with a homebrew place in Omaha and the guy pretty much kicked me out of the store when I asked about distilling (didn't tell him what I wanted to do). Is there anywhere local to get grains and yeasts?

"We have a feed store nearby so I'll check to see what they have for grains. I'll check those web sites as well.

The still I'm building is from moonshine-still.com. Looks like one of the advantages of using that type of still is one can remove the packing and run it as a pot still. Kinda like having two stills in one. Am hoping to run a test with water this next week."

According to the plans, if you take out all of the packing the still can be used as a pot still. I just ordered the raschling rings. I figure the rings would be easier to take out to clean or when using as a pot still then the scrubbers. I had some hvac and plumber friends help dontate to my cause. Was able to get a beer keg through a friend who works at a bar. Found out the hard way that to relieve the pressure from the keg, it's best to lie it on it's side then push in the ball valve. The first time I did it the keg was upright and I got doused with beer. Wife made me shower as I smelled like I had been drinking all night (I only wished)!

I was planning on cutting a hole in the top of the keg to attach a ss bowl which the column mounts to. the directions suggested doing it that way as it is easier to clean after each use, which I like. I found a 2 1/4 exhaust flange which the coupler fits nice and tight into. I can use a smaller bead of soilder for the coupling to the flange but won't have to rely on the soilder to hold everything.

"dasorge, dude I have made both and the keg unit with the sanitary coupling that connects the tower directly to the keg neck really is better...
with that bowl on top the tower is kinda unstable..it does work of course.
with the direct connect it really seals good and is quite stable..
with the cleaning issue I have never had a problem - I just put the hose gun on stream and squirt it in there and clean it that way -- seems to work just fine. If ya get nervous and thiink its not clean enough just put 3 or 4 gallons of water in it and boil it.
That exhaust flange you speak of is steal and will rust - how do you know you ask??? cause thats what I used and thats what happened to me.
If its not too late try the neck of the keg first and if thats not what you want THEN go the bowl on top route. If you cut it then its too late but if you try the other first and dont like it well you can always cut it later."

Clean this up an put in Google http://www.shop.rainierdistille...Pipe-Keg-Kit-MH16608.htm You can buy most of the parts to do this at BH but you would have to hunt down your own 2" female copper fitting with NPT threads. Hard to find around here unless you know where to looky. If you can find the copper just buy the other stuff off BH. Should save a few bucks. Prob a few other places which sells the complete kit. I had thought of another place to suggest first but going over there they seem to be out of stock. Guess there is too many yups taking up this hobby.

someting I forgot, you dont HAVE to have a slip coupling --- you can just weld or soldier the ferrel right to the tower and clamp it that way too. Its really simple when you finally see one. This is what I use now and its the cats azz as far as I'm concerned. This and the internal heating element with the RSC sooooo simple and reliable too. Good luck and keep us informed.

I would stick with the 2" threaded copper..the sanitary fitting..Tri Clamp and rubber O ring. For getting the built in metal ring (which holds the stalk in there) out of the hole on top of the Keg..my welder says he can knock it out in about 30 seconds with a Carbide Rotary File. Guess we will see on that. Now I did have one nice fella recommend I go to E bay and buy a two inch metal punch for a hundred bucks or so. I did not like the sound of that.

http://askville.amazon.com/sold...er.do?requestId=58748686

Stainless steel can have a wide range of constituent metals, with widely varying amounts of chrome and iron and nickel. Chrome and nickel are difficult to solder as they love to generate a layer of passivating oxide. You also have issues where the heat changes the grain structure of the steel, perhaps making it brittle. Then there's the problem of corrosion as you have dissimilar metals in contact, making a self-destroying short-circuited battery. I'd use some sort of compression fitting to connect the two. It won't last forever but neither will a badly soldered and corroding joint.
( Even with a compression fitting in between you can get electrolytic corrosion if the water in the pipe is acidic or basic ).

Study long and study wrong. Best of Fortunes Sir. Dont come over here crying in the post toasties if the upside down bowl do not work as anticipated. Not to even mention the thirty bucks it cost to buy one at Bed Bath and Beyond. The made in China stuff do not play well in this application. I worked with a hard headed dumb Yankee from Iowa. I feels your pain. After keg one is destroyed hopefully you can make a comeback in a more receptive Modus Operandi. Let me guess. Do you like kidney beans in the chili? Numb nuts yankees drive me crazy. May the Lord richly bless your endeavor.