I have been using a cm still but am intersted in making a Boka.
With the CM you use the water flowing through the colomn to get the vapour to 78-82c and it will flow out the outlet.
With a Boka I understand turn on element, turn on water get into reflux for 30min, open outlet and start collecting.
how do you make it that only 78-82c vapour hits the coil and collects in the slant plate?
If you cant control the temp before it hits the coil wont i collect all that nasty also drip onto the slant plate for collection as well?
I have no Idea, make me understand?
I am using a 50L keg with a 2000w element.
BOKA vs CM
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HolyBear
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Re: BOKA vs CM
Welcome to HD. It is customary here (the and I think throughout the history of mankind) to first introduce yourself. Introductions go in the welcome center...
But to help with understanding, read through the new distillers reading lounge. There you will find many answers such as... http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13265
But to help with understanding, read through the new distillers reading lounge. There you will find many answers such as... http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13265
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
Re: BOKA vs CM
I have had a read through however am still wondering?
To have a Boka work correctly do I need to have a Flame/burner so i can control the vapour temp?
As I have a Element that has no control, as i understand I would not be able to control the temp before it hits the cooling coil, which means that unwanteds would reach my output.????
To have a Boka work correctly do I need to have a Flame/burner so i can control the vapour temp?
As I have a Element that has no control, as i understand I would not be able to control the temp before it hits the cooling coil, which means that unwanteds would reach my output.????
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HolyBear
- Distiller
- Posts: 1600
- Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 3:23 am
- Location: Prolly diggin through Dnders posts
Re: BOKA vs CM
You don't have to use propane but you do need to be able to control temp. I have both electric and propane. Electric (with my variac controller) seems more fine tunable than propane. I only have one element though so heat up takes forever... there are several threads about controllers here, if going electric, you'll need one...mathew11 wrote:I have had a read through however am still wondering?
To have a Boka work correctly do I need to have a Flame/burner so i can control the vapour temp?
As I have a Element that has no control, as i understand I would not be able to control the temp before it hits the cooling coil, which means that unwanteds would reach my output.????
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
Re: BOKA vs CM
trust the brains trust, it just works 
once you bleed off the foreshots you than have ethanol in the top of the column @ +-95/96% (at 78c) refluxing itself over and over as long as the coil is knocking it down
if you open the valve a little you get some of that +-96% @78c
it stays @ 95/96% as long as you keep enough reflux happening and there is enough E as well
2000w (240v) in a keg and a 1m+ coloum will work just nice
the best way is to strip some washes then do a spirit run with say 10 or 15 or 20L of 40% in the keg
once you bleed off the foreshots you than have ethanol in the top of the column @ +-95/96% (at 78c) refluxing itself over and over as long as the coil is knocking it down
if you open the valve a little you get some of that +-96% @78c
it stays @ 95/96% as long as you keep enough reflux happening and there is enough E as well
2000w (240v) in a keg and a 1m+ coloum will work just nice
the best way is to strip some washes then do a spirit run with say 10 or 15 or 20L of 40% in the keg
Re: BOKA vs CM
Newbie here. I have a crapload of column packing, and what I can say (that reflects what is said above) is that I don't 'control' the temp at all. I run gas and I run it flatout until the temp gauge says 78 degrees. I then turn the gas down, and lo-and-behold it stays at 78 degrees. You leave it equalise for a while, then take off foreshots, then heads, then hearts, then tails. As tails come on, the temp will go up. It's unreal just how well these things work when you follow the design principles.
In fact, I don't think I need a temp gauge at all. When the coil is warm halfway up, I know that the temp gauge will be reading 78 degrees (or less if there are some ugly foreshots). Temp will stay the same throughout the run until tails, at which point you use smell to make the cut anyway, so temp isn't of much use here. All the temp gauge did for me was validate the design against the theory. I'm not entirely comfortable ditching the temp gauge yet, but maybe after the next run or two it will become redundant. Likewise, you don't need any sight glass in the boiler or anything, especially if using a temp gauge. Once the alcohol is gone the temp starts rising steadily. I'm really in awe how good this thing is.
In fact, I don't think I need a temp gauge at all. When the coil is warm halfway up, I know that the temp gauge will be reading 78 degrees (or less if there are some ugly foreshots). Temp will stay the same throughout the run until tails, at which point you use smell to make the cut anyway, so temp isn't of much use here. All the temp gauge did for me was validate the design against the theory. I'm not entirely comfortable ditching the temp gauge yet, but maybe after the next run or two it will become redundant. Likewise, you don't need any sight glass in the boiler or anything, especially if using a temp gauge. Once the alcohol is gone the temp starts rising steadily. I'm really in awe how good this thing is.