Hi Guys, been distilling a while, been reading a long long while, lets hope
I don't ask any Newb questions!
so, ive just posted on the welcome forum, so you can have a read about me there if you like!, but
I want to make a Boka still, though theres a few changes I want to make,
and I want your opinions, im not building this to get a better neutral, im
not building it to get a better yield. frankly, ive never built a still,
ive barely changed a light bulb, and its a pretty sorry thing to say, I
distil, but I don't have my own beautiful creation. and frankly, it looks
fun as hell, and this is well over the top.
my boka will be split into several sections while im explaining this, if
you guys don't understand what im saying ill do some drawings later on
tonight,
so, 15.5 gallon keg, the usual, electric heat sources etc.
I intend to use 2 inch or 3 inch copper tubing for the column 3 or 4 meters
tall, I intend to split this into 5 pieces, of equal length, and attach
connect them together with Tri-Clamps, in order to make storage, cleaning
easier, and to give me the option of making it far shorter, do much smaller
runs, etc,
so at the top of my column, ill be using a Concentric dual-coil, nice and
simple, the usual slanted plates and spirit out spout with ball valve,
running into a simple liebig condenser,
I also intend to build 2 very simple bubble plates, very small perforations
in a copper disk to let vapour rise through, with small 5mm copper pipe
raised roughly an inch up on each column, so that an inch of distillate
will settle on the plates and all excess fall down below making each bubble
plate effectively work as a thumper would, though in the still these will
be high up, but below the slanted plates. these bubble plates will be connected, again with Tri-clamps, so I can add and remove them.
I also intend to make 3 simple copper packing holders (so packing doesn't
drop down in the column) Tri-clamp again
so the overall intention is that because every piece of the still, ill be able to chop ans change with the tri-clamps, I can add in a bubble plate here and there until
it works best, and add in packing holders etc. quite simple up to now.
in the bottom of my column, (again, not for efficiency, not for yield,
because I can) intend to add in more copper slanted plates and a low
volatiles receiver with a ball valve so I can turn it on and off, these
plates, as they are close to the boiler will be very hot, though cool
enough to allow water to collect on and be retrieved(much in the same way
large column still have run offs at every level) this would simply be to
reduce the amount of low alcohol or water in the system. this is something
im unsure of, I know its not necessary really,
above the bottom bubble plate, I would like to add in a system, much like
that, but to allow me to add more wash into the still, suspending a 1 litre
container beside the column, full of wash, circulating hot waste water from
the condenser through it using copper coils, in order to warm the wash
before it enters the still, as it enters the column (very slowly), it would
flow down, and begin to lie on the bubble plate, displacing everything
else, causing much more reflux, as well as lowing the ABV of the alcohol
that sits on the bubble plate, allowing it to continue to work the way a
thumper does. the addition of cooler liquids to the still, will again,
increase reflux above the bubbler plate
so my current intention, the still would be built like this
Condenser (with spirit out spout and valve)
0.5m of column filled with copper scrubbers
Packing holder
Bubble plate
0.5m of column with wash inlet and needle valve to allow slow addition of
wash
0.5m of column
bubble plate
0.5m of column filled with copper scrubbers
packing holder
0.5m of column filled with copper scrubbers
packing holder
0.5m with low volatile spout and valve
boiler
so, what are your thoughts? am I going to reach azeotrope with this still
or am I going to ruin my life?
thanks in advance
So, Am I Crazy? check this Boka
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DurhamDistiller
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