Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

I've been running my 2" boka slowly for neutral and flat out for whisky/bourbon etc... The mesh packing works great however I wanted to try something new and build something interesting. So with inspiration from this forum I'm trying to make a set of 4 perforated plates that I can slide into the bottom of the column interchangeable with the mesh packing. The goal is good UJSM, whisky and hopefully rum.

Don't have much money to splash on this atm so i've utilised what I have rather than what would be best, for example the diameter of the down-comers is not really in proportion to the column. I would love to get a 3" or 4" build going with sight glasses etc.. but that will have to be down the track. The coil condensor above the boka plates isn't really the norm for this type of setup, I'm sure it will work but how well?? Here is some progress so far:


Cut and file the disks as close as possible then jam them in the press and round off with a file


3/4" pipe almost round with 18 x 1.5mm holes at roughly 8% of surface area


1/2" down-comer with 6.5mm hole in the top, did it like this to save a little space

One question. I'm thinking of spacing the plates about 15cm apart and the column is 135cm from boiler lid to take off plate. Would it be best to sit the plates in the middle of the column or towards either top or bottom of the column?

I have some 4th gen UJSM fermenting at the moment and I hope to run this one weekend before the end of the month.

I have no idea if this is going to work and haven't seen much info about 2" plates or what they are capable of, ideas, criticism and pointers most welcome!

Phil

Just looking plates dont seem to have enough holes

I think it will work Phil, how well I dont know.

Seem to recall over on HD someone tried this and didnt have a great deal of success, maybe someone else knows where that thread is.

I would have the plates at the bottom and the packing above, the plates give you ABV & the packing scrubs the flavour.

See how it goes & keep us informed :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cool, I'll check the area of the holes again.

I was thinking plates without the mesh packing. So maybe I'll try plates below just a couple of scrubbers.

Cheers.

Plate diameter = 47mm = 1734mm2
Centre hole diameter = 6.5mm = 33mm2
Down-comer diameter = 13mm = 133mm2
Available plate area = 1734 – 33 -133 = 1568mm2
1.5mm hole = 1.767mm2

8% of 1568 = 125mm2
And 125 / 1.767 = 70 holes for the required 8% meaning at the moment I only have about 2% :angry-banghead:

Seems like many holes but does this sound better? Lucky I posted this, maybe I don’t have any idea what I’m doing.

:text-thankyoublue:

Yes you want more holes in there.
Afaik as it is, you will have a high vapor speed (ie pressure) which will be undesirable.

MacStill wrote:Seem to recall over on HD someone tried this and didnt have a great deal of success, maybe someone else knows where that thread is.

Think it was usge this link should help http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =1&t=28592

Still,don't be discouraged ,just because some didn't like the results doesn't mean you won't :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Looks like you're doing a good job anyway :dance:

Phil ,just had a closer look at your J traps .

At first it looked cool but I can't see how it will work as there is no "pool" of liquid to stop vapor just going in the hole and straight up the downcomer

Yummyrum wrote:Phil ,just had a closer look at your J traps .

At first it looked cool but I can't see how it will work as there is no "pool" of liquid to stop vapor just going in the hole and straight up the downcomer

:text-+1:

Thanks for taking a look guys, I've gone with 50 x 1.5mm holes for the moment which gives me around 5.6% plate area. It is probably more than this as some holes may be a little larger + the small gap around the plate. Easier to drill more holes later so will try this first.

Here is tonights progress

Yummyrum wrote:Phil ,just had a closer look at your J traps .

At first it looked cool but I can't see how it will work as there is no "pool" of liquid to stop vapor just going in the hole and straight up the downcomer

I thought the J would fill with liquid as the hole is on the top or end of the J?

I'll have a read of that HD thread thanks.

Just out of interest how have you sealed the end of the J cup

Hi Crow, it's just some off cut copper worked into a rough circle and soldered in. Hopefully I get a chance to run this in a week or two and I'll update with results.