dephlegmator In a boka still?

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Wildcatdistiller
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dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Wildcatdistiller »

Instead of a double coiled 1/4 inch copper pipe can I use a dephlegmator instead? I've got a 8 inch tall, 2 in diameter dephlegmator with two 1/2 copper tubes inside. I'm wanting to install it on a boka with a triclamp connecting the tower and a cap on top of the dephlegmator with a relief/exhaust port.

Would this work?
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by still_stirrin »

I don't know if your dephlag has enough knockdown to work above the slant plates of a boka. Usually you need more conducting surface area to knock all of the vapor down...which you absolutely must do on a boka. You should not need a cap on top...if you do, then the reflux condenser isn't doing its job.

But you can make a CSST (corrogated stainless steel tube) reflux condenser much easier than twisting a roll of soft copper. Search around and you'll get the idea.

Your dephlag is better suited for a CM still than a LM I'd imagine.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by bluefish_dist »

Since a delfag is essentially a shotgun condenser, yes it will work, but it will probably need to be bigger than one used on a cm. personally I would do a coil of CSST, cheaper and much faster to make than a shotgun. 3/8 will coil nicely in a 2".
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Yummyrum
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Yummyrum »

My gut feeling is its too small ......but
Only one way to find out for sure :D

I had a little two inch long Deflag I made . It was 5 x 3/16" tube . It would not allow total reflux at 1380 watts and I had to turn down the element to what I guestimate was closer to 1000w

I roughly calculate your Deflag as having just over twice the surface area as mine so there is a good chance it might be able to cope with 2000w which is about as much power as you really need for a 2 " anyway .....just not really much leeway

I say try it on some feints and if you can detect anything coming out the top then its no good for the job . If you have a power controller you could just dial back the power until its not bypassing .
2 inch  RC shotty.jpg
On the gas boiler.jpg
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by cranky »

A long time ago I had a little boka with a with a 10 or 12 inch 4 tube shotgun on top. That shotgun was easily overwhelmed because unlike a CM a boka absolutely has to knock down 100% of anything you throw at it. I have both a 15.5 gallon keg with 5500W element and 3 gallons boiler with 3,000W element and both of them could overwhelm the shotgun RC. That said, I made some very good very pure neutral with that little boka but it had to be run very very carefully and very slowly or it blew vapor and liquid right out the top, so it was not the right or safest tool for the job. Do as the others suggest and get some CSST or make it a CM instead of a boka.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by just sayin »

Two 1/2" ID tubes 8" long have the same internal surface area as the external surface area of 32" of 1/4" OD tubing. Mighty small coil...
Could you put enough water through your dephlegmator to knock down all vapor in it's former life?
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Wildcatdistiller »

Thanks for all your replys. I was in the middle of a CM build them decided to do a Boka. The dephlegmator was already built and I didn't want to make a coil. I couldn't figure out the right size pipe to wrap the coil around. PVC pipe was working well. Screwed 3 eyelet screws in it and started wrapping. The double coil ended up way to big
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by bluefish_dist »

With CSST 3/8", a single wrap fits in a 2". So quick and easy to make I would not do anything else.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Wildcatdistiller »

Where do you get csst? I have only seen the insulated stuff
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by ShineonCrazyDiamond »

Wildcatdistiller wrote:Where do you get csst? I have only seen the insulated stuff
https://www.houzz.com/photos/64180286/l ... l-hardware" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Also, give this thread a read.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by bluefish_dist »

Wildcatdistiller wrote:Where do you get csst? I have only seen the insulated stuff
The yellow jacket gets removed. A utility knife to score it, then just pull it off.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by cranky »

bluefish_dist wrote:
Wildcatdistiller wrote:Where do you get csst? I have only seen the insulated stuff
The yellow jacket gets removed. A utility knife to score it, then just pull it off.
All that I've found with the yellow jacket were powder coated and impossible to remove.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

Try Amazon. I've used this to make a RC for a 2" CCVM. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00103W78O" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

In a 2" you can make a wrap around a cold finger.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by bluefish_dist »

The two rolls I have bought have a yellow plastic sleeve. That leaves a straight outside. I could see that if the cover is corrugated it is probably powder coat.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by cranky »

bluefish_dist wrote:The two rolls I have bought have a yellow plastic sleeve. That leaves a straight outside. I could see that if the cover is corrugated it is probably powder coat.
I just wanted people to know some are powder coated, especially at the local big box store :( I got lucky and found a bunch of uncoated ones at Home Depot on close out when they were getting rid of the uncoated for coated and I bought a bunch. That's why I have a double dimroth product condenser made out of 2 coils of CSST :D
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by ShineonCrazyDiamond »

+1

Yep, I had a bugger of a time trying to clean the powered coated, painted, ccst up. I scraped it, burned it, acid bathed it. Nothing.

I liked the one I posted because it was on my door step the next night, and it was 72" length vs the 60" I found on Amazon. And 3/8" was hard to find, which is what you need for 2" pipe.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Rain Distillate »

To OP. Just add 2 or 3 more 1/2" pipes inside. I run 5 .5" pipes through a 3"diameter 5" shotgun and it's waaay overkill. I've never had steam escape.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Wildcatdistiller »

What keeps the coil from coming uncoiled?
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by still_stirrin »

Wildcatdistiller wrote:What keeps the coil from coming uncoiled?
...whew, without a quote from which your question came, it's hard to interpret what you're asking. But...I assume, you're asking about the CSST, is that correct?

If so, it stays twisted (of sorts) in the manner in which is was twisted. You can't make a "coil" in the sense that you're thinking...like you can do with 1/4" soft copper tubing. The CSST is a bit more rigid, yet can be twisted up easy. If you do a search for Dad's CCVM, you'll see how the corrugated stainless tubing is twisted and inserted into the top of the column.

Do a little "nosing around" the website and you will learn a thing or two. There is soooo much data available here if you just look for it. So, help yourself.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Wildcatdistiller »

Thanks for everyone's replys and all the generous knowledge ya'll pass along. For newbies like me, this hobby has so many facets and it's hard to wrap our heads around them all. I've read a lot about condensers and every post led to copper 1/4 inch coil for most uses. Ya'll post in this thread opened my eyes to csst which I wish I learned about prior to buying two rolls of coiled copper. I've done a lot of searching but still waiting to find a picture that will enlighten me on csst coils. I wish there was a tutorial video page people can post on. That would help guys like me a lot. I know there is you tube but seriously it's like finding a needle in a hay stack searching for CSST coil making
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by still_stirrin »

Wildcatdistiller wrote:...I've done a lot of searching but still waiting to find a picture that will enlighten me on csst coils. I wish there was a tutorial video page people can post on. That would help guys like me a lot. I know there is you tube but seriously it's like finding a needle in a hay stack searching for CSST coil making...
Here's one: http://ww.homedistiller.org/forum/viewt ... 7#p7361342" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

And there's many more....but YOU'VE got to LOOK.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Wildcatdistiller »

I quickly found out 1/2ID CSST will not fit coiled inside a 2inch pipe. Found that out the hard way. I'm working on getting 3/8 inch ID from Home Depot to use. I seen dad300 set up and I'm going to do something similar. CCVM here I come.
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Wildcatdistiller »

bluefish_dist wrote:Since a delfag is essentially a shotgun condenser, yes it will work, but it will probably need to be bigger than one used on a cm. personally I would do a coil of CSST, cheaper and much faster to make than a shotgun. 3/8 will coil nicely in a 2".
I wish I would have taken note to your 3/8 inch suggestion. But I now have enough 1/2 csst for a 3 inch build in the future
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Re: dephlegmator In a boka still?

Post by Wildcatdistiller »

Oh yea, for anyone interested Home Depot and lowes both sell CSST. $30-40 for 25ft with easy to peel off yellow coating. HD is the only one of the two that sell 3/8. Both carry 1/2 and 3/4 inch.
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