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I haven't read every comment but how tall is the current column and what is your main hooch you plan on producing? You might pm Mash Rookie as he has been doing test comparisons with plates and packing combo's.

Perfect! Don’t even think about cutting out. Fill it with packing when you want to make a clean neutral. Your six plates will make great whiskey but not a tasteless neutral. You will need to build a small scaffold structure to hold the packing above the plate a few inches and only pack within an inch or so of your reflux condenser. Were watching!!!

OK MR...... I'm in...I will solder up a simple grid and mount it a couple of inches above the top perf plate to hold the packing in place.... Now ....... What to use for packing ????? I wish I could get my hands on some spp...... But I don't see that happening any time soon so I guess it will have to be ss mesh...

Just finished my parrot

You will need to vent that parrot or you will get huffing and spurting, see the surge buster I put on flute MkII


OD

Thanks OD..... I knew I have to vent it I just haven't figured out where I am going to do it yet.. I'm thinking right where the condenser reduces down to 1/2"

Here are a couple pic's of the "Beast"... Its so big I had to use 2 pics..!

Installed the vent for the parrot and the thermo port...

Great looking build Bonjimmi!!! love all the pix's, thanks for the kind words in your early posts of your build!! keep up the great work!!!
Have fun and always be safe!!!!

Thanks Procharge...... I am getting close to firing this beast up..Just a few more little things.. then a cleaning run...
Hopefully it will be pissing out some fine likker.....

I added a clamp and chains....... it really stabilizes the column on the keg

Well the 4" beast is Done.....
I have 3 gallons of low wines to run through it.... Just don't have the time this weekend.
So it looks like next weekend I get to see what this badboy can do.....

Loving this thread! I'm new, only done 3 runs but you seriously make me want to build a flute. I work at Lowe's and we just had a 10 foot 2 inch copper pipe returned and they have it on clearance for 55 bucks. My boss said I could have it for 25 though. May work on a Boka first.

You've got me dreaming man!

Thanks Hawking.... Get that 2" pipe!!!
I ran a Boka for over a year and they work great for sugar washes...I was getting 95 abv from mine....
After my flute is clean my first run is going to be a multi grain whiskey

Bonjimmi wrote:I made up a simple jig to solder on my down comer caps. This makes sure they are 4 3/4" from the bottom of cap to the end of the 3/4 pipe. This leaves me 1/2" of open pipe in the cap....

plates2.JPG

Bon

Bon, did you drill a small hole in bottom of the cap to allow for drainage?

Hey MooQu, I didnt drill a hole in the downcommer cap. I want the cap to stay full so that I dont have any vaper bypassing the perf plate up the downcommer.
As far as clean up ... I will just turn the column upside down and hose out.

Bonjimmi wrote:Hey MooQu, I didnt drill a hole in the downcommer cap. I want the cap to stay full so that I dont have any vaper bypassing the perf plate up the downcommer.
As far as clean up ... I will just turn the column upside down and hose out.

That works Very Nice looking still by the way. Can't wait to hear how it performs

Love your build, man! Learning a lot about how to build components.
Now, if I could only build the parts needed to help build the components!

After reading most of the post on this thread. I know what I want to build now for sure. Had to replace my water heater so I got the whole soldering thing down The copper gods have blessed me with some pipe....

Older thread bump, but it deserves it. Awesome thread, thanks for posting the build process.

In the 2-3 years I have been surfing this forum, people have gotten much more adept at 'working copper'. It is great for the hobby and you make it look easy.

Thanks for the kind words guys....This is the last still I will ever have to build. I luv running this 4" column.....

Two questions on this build. How did the jig for your coping work? Did you just insert the tube through the horizontal hole in the wood block and grind off anything that was showing?

Second question is why not raise the downcomer cup up off of the plate, so that you can perforate underneath it and have more plate surface? It's already suspended it the air, so why not suspend it 2 inches higher or so?

The jig is just a guide for the hole saw drill bit in the drill press.
Your second question is a good one.... The way I saw it was I didn't want the down comer to high where the return flow would be splashing all over the perf plate..... The lower the down comer is the better it flows onto the perf plate..

I just read this whole thread. That flute definitely shows some skill. Very nicely done, Bonjimmi! definitely an inspiration to us new guys.

If only I wasn't so broke and could afford some copper.

I have a question though that falls under theory... You say "The lower the down comer is the better it flows onto the perf plate..". Well, what if you had the downcomer cup's top level with the next lowest plate? "frenched in" so to say.

Thanks for the kind words.....!
As for your question..... I really don't know.... It might work better if you French in the down comer cap or it just may be a lot more work for the same result.... You would have to make sure it was sealed up tight to the perf plate

that's what I was thinking, just solder it in really carefully.

Just wanted to share two still columns that I built over the winter... I guess the title to my thread was a lie..... Can't help myself...ftlog
The first is a pot still head. Did a cleaning run and it ran great. I will need to put a final product condenser on it as it was puffing a little. The off set head reflux column was putting out 96% on the cleaning run with a batch of low wines I had. I took the insulation off the column the snap the pic.

Thanks for posting this, great build! Getting lots of ideas VG

man, thats my nick name at work. El chongo blanco, the vanilla gorilla.