Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trouble?

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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joeymac
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Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trouble?

Post by joeymac »

So I have a Boka with a 2"x42" marble-filled column that makes fantastic neutrals relatively fast (for a 2" LM, anyways). All the connections are 2" sanitary tri-clove, so it's pretty modular. I want to start playing with rums as well as doing stripping runs using my new heating element/controller (5500w ripple element) when it's complete in a week or so. The extra power should speed things up considerably for things like that.

If I remove the column altogether and attach the LM head directly to the pot with the LM valve removed (open product takeoff) ... will this be a problem at say 3500-5000 watts of power? I mean, I know LM heads on a potstill will work... but will it work at these kinds of power? I'm talking about putting it directly on top of a 15.5gal keg and dialing up 4kW+ or so. My product takeoff tube is actually 3/8" and the coil condenser is a 10" long double-coil with cold finger return so it's pretty substantial for only being a 2" LM head. I'm hoping it can knock-down 4000w+ alone. What worries me is am I going to gunk up my condenser or something if it's not on even a short tower? Even on top of an empty detuned column, the head would only ever see pretty high proof vapors.

If it matters my washes are usually Birdwatchers, Hybrid MUM, and I'm planning on trying some blackstrap rum washes in the near future too.

10" Long Double-coil Condenser with 1/2" Cold Finger:
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"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks" - God (Isaiah 5:22)
So evidently, God wants us to drink our whiskeys single barrel and our Bourbons neat.
rad14701
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by rad14701 »

Using just the reflux head has been done many times for pot stilling... The main issues are whether the reflux condenser can knock down all of the vapor, whether it can perform well without chocking and flooding, and whether the take off can adequately handle the increased volume of spirits without refluxing back into the boiler... I call it refluxing but this is just wasted energy when pot stilling because there is no reboiling like there would be in a packed column... A 1/4" product take off and needle valve may limit how fast you can run in pot still mode compared to 3/8"... Give it a go and see what happens...
joeymac
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by joeymac »

It's a 3/8" take-off tube and pretty beefy (for a 2" head) condenser. A minor concern of mine is the actual open-area of the condenser (see picture). Coil spacing is tight at only 1/16"-1/8" and the 1/2" cold finger eats up a lot of center volume. It has a ton of surface area and high flow though.

I could see a ton of vapor speed possibly keeping liquid distillate held up in the coils though. I think theoretical EtOH production even with 4000W is only about 8-10 L/hr of condensed liquid product without any reflux/recoiling... and even less at lower potstill ABV%. So that's only like 6oz per minute the coils need to drain. I could do a water-run beforehand just to easily/quickly experiment... if it can knock down all the water it can certainly knock down alcohol.
Last edited by joeymac on Wed Jan 18, 2017 9:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks" - God (Isaiah 5:22)
So evidently, God wants us to drink our whiskeys single barrel and our Bourbons neat.
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still_stirrin
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by still_stirrin »

joeymac wrote:...A minor concern of mine is the actual open-area of the condenser (see picture)... coil spacing is tight at 1/16"-1/8" and the 1/2" cold finger eats up the center volume...
This isn't really a concern as long as the coils aren't touching each other. "Surface area" is the feature which drives condenser efficiency here. "Dwell time", or how long the vapor is in contact with the cooling coil, is the other.
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still_stirrin
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by still_stirrin »

Hey joeymac, resize your images (800x800 max.) and post on the site. External hosts are the "scourge" of the site because the images don't sustain and external hosts bring "sickness" to us all. Many, if not most, of the members here won't even follow an external hosted image for this reason. Do us and you a favor and conform to this request.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
joeymac
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by joeymac »

It's a thumbnail... it should open up fullsize.
Photobucket just sucks to edit/resize pictures with. I'm not even sure why I still use that site. It went down the toilet about 5 years ago.
"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks" - God (Isaiah 5:22)
So evidently, God wants us to drink our whiskeys single barrel and our Bourbons neat.
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still_stirrin
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by still_stirrin »

joeymac wrote:It's a thumbnail... it should open up fullsize.
Photobucket just sucks to edit/resize pictures with. I'm not even sure why I still use that site. It went down the toilet about 5 years ago.
Reread my request please. "Shit bucket" is not welcome here!
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
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der wo
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by der wo »

Make a screenshot and size it with paint or other free programs to the right size.

Or simply take a new picture. Most cameras and phones have setting options for the resolution. And transfer it to your computer and then to hd.
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure. - Rosa Luxemburg
joeymac
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by joeymac »

der wo wrote:Make a screenshot and size it with paint or other free programs to the right size...
Now that's some thinking... easy!
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"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks" - God (Isaiah 5:22)
So evidently, God wants us to drink our whiskeys single barrel and our Bourbons neat.
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der wo
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Re: Is Putting a Boka Head Directly on a Pot Asking for Trou

Post by der wo »

You're a genius! :thumbup:

Like rad wrote: Give it a go and see what happens...
Of course try a little less heat at the beginning just for sure.
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure. - Rosa Luxemburg
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