My 2" Boka LM/VM Project beginnings

[Yummyrum]

Happy days Scales..excellant work.
You'll have the neighbours asking where you bought those cool looking garden features :teasing-tease:

[Andy]

looks nice mate!
hopefully there is enough of a space between the column and condenser, they look almost touching in the photo. if the heat from the column is coming across to the condenser it might be worth putting some insulation between em. (i doubt that it is too close though, just if things don't seem to be running right that could be a contributing factor)

[Scales82]

Yeah I know what you mean. I'm running vinegar through it right now. The tee is getting hot but the condenser is still knocking down everything at full boil with 95deg in the tower. So I guess it's negligible.

[Yummyrum]

Whats you plan for column insulation ?

Edit I think what andys getting at is the temp of the Product condenser upsetting the temp gradient in the main column ,the heat transfering through the condenser mounts as well as radiated

[Scales82]

Dunno about insulation yet. Probably just some Clark Rubber stuff or something. I definitely don't think that the product cooler is interfering with the column gradient. More likely that the column is heating up the coolant.

[Scales82]

Successful vinegar run... Doing the pot now

[Andy]

Dunno about insulation yet. Probably just some Clark Rubber stuff or something. I definitely don't think that the product cooler is interfering with the column gradient. More likely that the column is heating up the coolant.

yeah that's what i was getting at. the coolness from the condenser wont be a problem to the column as thermal energy travels from hot to cold :handgestures-thumbupleft:

something from clark rubber will be good. unless you can beg/borrow/bin dive something haha

[Scales82]

Well the condenser coil was still knocking down vapour at full boil and 95 degrees on the thermometer... And with shitty warm nq tap water... So I'm happy so far.

[Scales82]

few more pics

[Scales82]

Cleaned my copper mesh and loaded it into the column today. Running another vinegar steam through it and sacrificial goon bag. I hope I got the density right and get rid of all the oily crap on them... :pray:

[Scales82]

Ive done 2 runs with this head now. Working quite well (apart from tiny leaks around the ferrule that im fixing). However I cant seem to get above 92%. Any tips on squeezing that last few % out of it? Ive got the copper mesh slightly spaced apart rather than one big bunch (tried both). Also tried running slower with not much change.

[APR]

I cant seem to get above 92%.

Make sure you don't have condensed liquid dribbling onto the thermometer shaft.

[Yummyrum]

Hi scales.

I get 95% easily from mine .It looks the same column as yours ....I only have a 1400watt element ...I do strip my wash first and re run it watered down to 40% ABV .

How hard you run will effect the output dramatically ...The difference between a few drops a second and a stream will be it .

I have modded my still to be VM , LM ,and now CM and in all cases ,I have been able to obtain 95% or higher.


So... There are a few possibilities ....How accurate is your Alco meter ? ....water = 0% ABV ....metho = 95% ABV ...at 20deg C

How have you packed you column?
Firm packing is the go ..as much as you can pack up it the better ....I don't mean ram it up so hard its like a musket firing a shot ....just firmly placed next to the wad you stuck up there before ...kinda thing ;-)

[Scales82]

hmm I might have to check the alcometer again. Or the temp of the product. but even when i go really slow and dial the boiler back to 1500w it always seems to be the same result. The packing is quite firm and ive tried both bunched up as one lump and with gaps between. Doesnt seem to make a big difference.
Do i need to insulate?

[APR]

I cant seem to get above 92%.

Make sure you don't have condensed liquid dribbling onto the thermometer shaft.

Stupid... for some reason I read your post as 92 degree C and was thinking you were doing a cleaning run without alcohol.

[SBB]

Yes you should , a Bok wont work well uninsulated.
The water exiting the reflux condenser should be on the warm side too. But not so hot that its not knocking all the vapors down.

[Scales82]

I cant seem to get above 92%.

Make sure you don't have condensed liquid dribbling onto the thermometer shaft.

Stupid... for some reason I read your post as 92 degree C and was thinking you were doing a cleaning run without alcohol.

yeah i figured that, I didnt bother correcting you ;)

The temp of the water exiting the coil is warm not hot so im happy there. I guess Ill look into insulating her up and go from there I think. is there any cheap material i can get at bunnings to do the job?

[Yummyrum]

I just wrap an old blanket around mine ...basically anything to stop the cold air or breezes from contacting the column and upsetting the equilibrium that is happening inside it .

Remember that in a length of copper pipe only a meter long ,you have Temps around 95 DegC at the bottom and around 88deg C at the top .all the magic is happening inside and if a breeze upsets this temp gradient then it all turns to shit and has to re -equalize again

[Scales82]

cold? what is this cold you speak of? lol, just kidding. Yeah I've been getting around 75-85 up top roughly. I would like to get some tube style rubber or something to wrap around it and then duct tape it all over. Just dont know what its called or where its from.

[MacStill]

cold? what is this cold you speak of? lol, just kidding. Yeah I've been getting around 75-85 up top roughly. I would like to get some tube style rubber or something to wrap around it and then duct tape it all over. Just dont know what its called or where its from.

http://www.clarkrubber.com.au/pipe-insu ... th-10.html :handgestures-thumbupleft: