first run with 2" boka
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first run with 2" boka
well finally started my first run last night with my upgraded column/keg. I FELL ASLEEP!! from now on only starting in the morning. the lucky thing is i must not have had my heat high enough, was being careful with heat as i was only doing a 2 gal test run and didn't want to scorch my keg. the burner i got can really kick. anyway it collected about 2 fingers worth in a 750ml bottle then just stopped. i'm guessing it was enough heat to take off heads, but no more, that sound about right for a 2 gal run about 13%? also it seems the temp dropped way down. not sure where it was at i didn't check the therm until i had already killed the heat for a min. got it re equalizing now. can't wait till my 15 gal batch is ready.
Re: first run with 2" boka
Falling asleep is never good when distilling... 
Glad things didn't go bad for you - you got lucky this time... 
Can't really comment on the quality and quantity of what you collected... With low heat input you may not have been getting proper reflux and that could have caused several related problems... The one that would concern me most would be the fact that due to low heat input you may not have had ample reflux which could have resulted if filling your stilling area with distillate vapor pumping out the top of your column... Not enough heat is almost as bad as too much with reflux columns because it is the reflux that keeps the column temperature within range... If it gets too hot the vapor will shoot right past the reflux condenser and exit into the atmosphere due to vapor speed... So, again, you got lucky...
Glad things didn't go bad for you - you got lucky this time... Can't really comment on the quality and quantity of what you collected... With low heat input you may not have been getting proper reflux and that could have caused several related problems... The one that would concern me most would be the fact that due to low heat input you may not have had ample reflux which could have resulted if filling your stilling area with distillate vapor pumping out the top of your column... Not enough heat is almost as bad as too much with reflux columns because it is the reflux that keeps the column temperature within range... If it gets too hot the vapor will shoot right past the reflux condenser and exit into the atmosphere due to vapor speed... So, again, you got lucky...
Re: first run with 2" boka
yeah i know i got lucky, as i said i am only doing runs early now. 
but i don't think i lost any vapors, it seems to be equalizing at the right temp now. well we'll see what i get outa it.
but i don't think i lost any vapors, it seems to be equalizing at the right temp now. well we'll see what i get outa it.Re: first run with 2" boka
forgot to post. i ended up getting about the same amount as i got with my 1-1/2 boka. same ferment. weird never had it stop like that before.