I just finished my new "Bokakob style" still :
The column is made from 54 mm (2") and 80 mm (3") tubes. The cooler is made from 8 mm 1/4" tube.
The particularity of it is that I didn't use any fitting or reduction. All parts were hand made by reheating copper and waisting tubes...
Only 2 little 10 mm elbows and 1/2" fittings (water inlet) were used.
Building process pictures on my (sorry, french) site : http://www.fairesagnole.eu/page39/page47/colfract.html
I still have to test and clean the still... I'll tell you...
Last edited by Bujapat on Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I'm french speaking!
Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
I promise I'll translate the comments durin' this WE...
I'm french speaking!
Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
theholymackerel wrote:Inline columns are cheaper and easier to build and work as efficiently as any other column still. Definately my favorite style of column still.
Now that I build one, I'm agree with you THM... I thought before that it was more difficult to do, regarding the difficulty to find great diameter tubes here in Belgium... But I found all in a scrapyard and that's the reason I build the still without any fitting or reduction... Copper isn't so hard to work when you take the time to experiment and learn...
I'll post a picture when the setup will be cleaned and polished.
I'm french speaking!
Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
I made a test with water today...
It seems that the condensor is too small : it can not condense al the vapor, and the distillate comes out at 60°C (too hot, I think).
I'll add a second coil around the first one and hope it will work.
Any advise?
I'm french speaking!
Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
Very cool, good work, bujapat! Regarding the condensor, I think I remember reading in someone's post recently that they also had trouble condensing water, but found that it was plenty of cooling for their spirits. You might just try it with some old feints or something first.
couldn't you find 6mm copper? that worked good for me.
if you have hot spirit, but everything is condensed, you could make a minilibieg condensor after your outlet
I think your condenser should work ok with spirit. You didn't say what length of tubing you used or your estimated power input. But from my experience it's much more difficult to condense water than alcohol. My condenser is at least four times bigger than needed for high-purity alcohol but it is still too small for water. Give it a try as it is.
Thanks for the (quick) replies. Before to add a second coil, I'll try with low wines (I've got a lot of them) to see how it works with ethanol.
BTW, I've to thank you, Stoker, your drafts helped me a lot to design my setup. In the same way I have to thank Bokakob for the ideas and the drafts.
I'm french speaking!
Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
Ok my French isn't to good either...
So i read the site from Bujapat trough a online translator.
Sometimes you will need a bit of imagination but it works.
Have you wrapped and filled the condensor with copper mesh to spread the cold better and slow the passage of the vapor? Looking at your picture, the condensor coil looks like it may be a bit small for the housing, which would allow vapor sneak by the coil if the coil, even though the coil has enough capacity. The coil in my 2'/50mm Bokabob is actually smaller than yours and I run it so the exiting cooling water is quite warm, without any problems.
Which brings up the question, while your still is very handsome, and shows some very clever and skillful workmanship, I don't understand the purpose of most of it, especially the enlarged condensor chamber. It seems like a lot of work and effort for no gain over the standard Bokabob slant plate design. In your case, it may even be detrimental since your coil doesn't fill the space.
Distillate from a Bokabob-style still, is usually quite hot. This isn't really a problem and some people even say its an advantage, since it provides a second chance to boil off undesirable volitiles as the hot condenseate drips into the collector.
Bujapat wrote:and the distillate comes out at 60°C (too hot, I think).
It should come out hot - you're collecting it at the point where you're returning the reflux to the packing. If the distillate was cold when you returned it to the packing you wouldn't get the desired temp gradient for it to work properly.
I use a distillate cooler before the parrot beak so I get a proper reading of A/V.
I made this column almost exclusively for "science" ! To try such a setup and put some info about it on my website... I don't make much neutral spirit, and for the little quantity I make, my refux still is quite satisfying.
I made this still with a piece of 2" and a piece of 3" because I had the tubes by the hand... And I didn't have more lenght than what I used... I prefered more work than more €!!!
I'm wrapping a second coil around the first one... To increase refrigerant power and fill all the space in the upper tube.
After testing that purpose, maybe I'll add a little Liebig cooler before the parrot beak.
I'll tell you!
I'm french speaking!
Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
I have a 1 metre by 2inch slant plate Bokabaob that I am very happy with. I have done two modifications that may be of value to you.
The first is I stuffed my condenser coil with a SS scourer to increase the efficiency. I think it may be overkill as I have a 200mm double helix condenser to start off with.
The second modification is, as you are already thinking, a small liebig cooler on the output line. This brings the temperature of the product closer to the calibration temperature of my alcoholometer and so is within the range of my correction tables.
Cheers
Mal T.
So, I wrapped a second coil around the first one... Total length : 8 meters of 8mm copper coil. Test with water : OK, all condensed.
Today, test with 13 liters of tails (wine, grain, fruits, rice...!) : 100 ml as heads, then 250 ml at 92%ABV (measured at 20°C). Spirit comes out at 35°C, not too hot. For these first 250ml, it took 12 minutes 30 sec (1200 ml/h maybe a little fast !?).
Distillation is on the run, I slowed down to see if alc % goes up...
Next 250 ml collected at the rate of 600 ml/hour : 95%ABV!!!
I'm very satisfied, thanks to all of you for your advises!!!
I'm french speaking!
Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
