2 inch slant plate boka?

[zwagerman9]

Ok help me out here.
I've looked and I know I need to look further which I am. But what do YOU do. What works best? Best design?
Yes Im more whiskey but just "want" to build a boka for a neutral because I can.
Just picked up 3m of 2" for $20, bargain. and a couple of meters of quarter inch.
Now help me out with this build!

I need...

End cap?
Helix, single...double?
The tap...thing... Lol
A heap of stainless steel scrubbers..
Digital thermometer.


Cheers

Rae

[zwagerman9]

Just to clarify.
I will buy the "needs" Lol. Not asking for equip! Help me out with advice... lol 8-}

[stilly_bugger]

Just to ease your pain.

What works best? Best design?
Yes Im more whiskey but just "want" to build a boka for a neutral because I can.

Do you want to know the best reflux still design to produce neutral, or the best liquid management reflux still design?

The big design differences are in 'management' style. (See here for the differences between cooling management, liquid management and vapor management stills.) I have only ever built liquid management stills, which to vapour management gurus will mean that I don't know too much about distilling.

But if you're going to go with a liquid management still (which most people seem to for their first build), then the biggest things that separate the various LM designs are cost and required skill level with a propane torch.

You could turn that 2" you have into a dual slant plate Boka for next to nothing. A double reducer Boka (see here also), on the other hand, is going to cost you a bit more because you'll need two 50mm (×25mm most likely, or ×32mm) reducers, a short length of 25mm and a 25mm T. (But, then, if you're going to put in a needle valve, the cost of a couple of reducers is comparatively no biggie.)

However, even though it's cheaper to build, a slant plate boka is a bit more fiddly than a double reducer boka. There's the working of a 2" section into plates and cutting the slits at an angle and to fit the plates. Not too big a deal, but a bit harder than the double reducer build.

Both LM designs will work equally well. Some people have had problems with double reducer bokas flooding, mainly because they've pumped more heat into the boiler than the smaller diameter 'neck' can handle.

Also check out MR-E's riffs on the LM theme:

• MR-E's charity auction build
• MR-E's 'T-in-a-plate' LM build

[MacStill]

Stilly!

You forgot to mention a lot more people have had trouble with flooding slant plate bokas than the DR's

If your going to crap on on at least be fair about it ;-)

Any LM column will flood if you throw too much heat at it, and what's the fucken diff tween the gaps tween the slant plates or the reduced size in a DR ????

[stilly_bugger]

Stilly! ... If your going to crap on...

But crapping on is my forté :laughing-rolling:

Na. Fair point. I didn't think of it like that. Yes, chuck too much heat at 2" column and no matter what particular LM design is at the top it's going to flood.

My point with the double reducer was just that you have to roughly match your smaller diameter tube to the amount of heat you want to throw at the column.

For example, if you reduce to 3/4" (19mm) tube you have 2.85 sq. cm. through which vapour and condensate can pass. But if you reduce to 1" (25mm) tube, you have 5.07 sq. cm. That's a lot more room to breathe in 1" compared to 3/4".

However, if you use a 17-25mm gap between your plates in a 50mm double slant plate Boka, as recommended on the HD wiki, you'll have between 8.5 and 12.5 sq. cm. through which vapour and condensate can pass. That's more room to breathe again.

So, to answer this question:

...what's the ... diff tween the gaps tween the slant plates or the reduced size in a DR ????

Area.

[MacStill]

Built both, ran both.... DR all the way :handgestures-thumbupleft:

"area" was my point.... SFA diff if you realy think bout it, you can space the plates further apart or increase the size of the tube tween the reducers........

So your point is moot (I could say bullshit but will refrain :laughing-rolling: )

[stilly_bugger]

I was just highlighting the problems that other people have had when they reduced to too small a pipe in a DR boka neck.

To quote:

My 1.25" column can produce enough reflux and vapor pressure to flood the reflux condenser head without any problem at all... That is why I have advised that anyone scaling the design up to used 1" minimum for the throat section... What happens is th[at] the increased vapor speed, and the volume of vapor entering the head, blows virtually all of the reflux back into the head where it continues to accumulate... I've never had an actual overflow...

And on it goes. The point is that 'throat' diameter is DR bokas is particularly important because a throat that is too small in diameter can, by itself, cause the 'head' section to flood even in the absence of flooding in the lower column. The same no doubt applies to double slant plate heads when the plates are too close together. But it's less likely to be a problem in the slant plate design because the minimum width of the throat is 50mm.

It's no big problem with the DR boka per se. It's just something to be aware of, which is why I provided the link to zwagerman9, who is in the early stages of building a LM column himself.

Just helping a brother out. I was going to build a 50mm DR with a 19mm throat. It was only after reading that thread that I avoided making the same mistake when I built mine.

[MacStill]

Do you have any practical experience with these issues?

When was the last time Rad built anything & do you really take anything he says seriously?

I bet you've just confused the shit out of the OP with all your dribble.

I've built a lot of these rigs & only ever experienced issues with forcing too much reflux, ran with a 2200w element the original design (not rads version) works fine.

[MacStill]

I need...

End cap?
Helix, single...double?
The tap...thing... Lol
A heap of stainless steel scrubbers..
Digital thermometer.


Cheers

Rae

The end cap is not required, but I like to use one
I like the double wound coils, but a single with a cold finger will work just as well
You cant beet a good quality needle valve for the off take, this is the business end of your rig and worth spending $ in this area
A digital thermo that measures .1 of a degree is required, they're only about $8 from a brew shop ;-)
Scrubbers can be found at bunnings, the jumbo ones are huge and perfect for what you need.

[googe]

Did you go and have a shot Mctill? :laughing-rolling:

[MacStill]

Did you go and have a shot Mctill? :laughing-rolling:

Fuck you :D

Just answering the OP's questions, nobody else seemed able too :))

[stilly_bugger]

C'mon McStill, yeah the thread is called "2 inch slant plate boka", but Zwagerman9 was asking about different designs as well as the materials that he'd need for the build. I raised some points about the first part, you answered to the second part.

[zwagerman9]

Lol boys boys!
I did look at the double reducer bok. And other slant plates etc. Seemed a bit fiddly with the double reducer, more so cost for reducers etc.
I've kind of begun the double slant reducer. Wound a coil. Could call it a 20cm, 1 and a third wound coil. :text-lol:
My first coil looked awesome. Then nearly kinked it half way through the second wind so just called it quits there.
Ive hammered flat some 2" to make it for the top. I will try and soft solder it in place. 1/4 inch hole in the plate for atmospheric pressure yeah?
Next I need to hammer out the slant plates. One question with the collection slant plate, It need to some how drip back down in to be reprocessed yeah? do you cut two slits and then once soft soldered give it a tap down??
Also, Im planning 1/4 for collection piping. I bought a 1/4 ball valve from masters. Looks stainless steel, but was cheap so I have my doubts. I got brass adapters to connect to the ball valve (brass does not come in contact with alcohol as pipe sits inside brass connectors and will cover all with teflon etc).
Sorry if this is a bit lost.

Appreciate all the advice and bickering guys. Always interesting.

Rae :text-thankyoublue:

[zwagerman9]

Ball valve was brass. So...No go?

[MacStill]

I need...

End cap?
Helix, single...double?
The tap...thing... Lol
A heap of stainless steel scrubbers..
Digital thermometer.


Cheers

Rae

The end cap is not required, but I like to use one
I like the double wound coils, but a single with a cold finger will work just as well
You cant beet a good quality needle valve for the off take, this is the business end of your rig and worth spending $ in this area
A digital thermo that measures .1 of a degree is required, they're only about $8 from a brew shop ;-)
Scrubbers can be found at bunnings, the jumbo ones are huge and perfect for what you need.

I would use a cheap stainless valve rather than a cheap brass one, but you cant beat the control of a quality SS NEEDLE VALVE

[zwagerman9]

Should I feel safe using brass outside of the vapour path? Its on my to do list for stainless steel needle valve but I may work with what I have currently.
So what are your dimesions?
Im thinking 150cm packed.
But im not sure How far should the plates be from the packing?
50mm between slant plates - between plate placing on the 2inch? or between the end angle of 30 degrees.
What heights do you tend to do total??

[zwagerman9]

Ghetto coil.

[MacStill]

I think you'll struggle with a ball valve, boka's are a touchy rig that need minute adjustments to be run to their full potential.

The only reason I dont like to use a cheap brass needle valve is that they never seem to seat properly, I would have no problem using a good quality brass needle valve though.

[crow]

Hi bud if ya don't want to dick with the slant plate (I wouldn't want to) this is basically how my still head is and that copper elbow set up would cost stuff all in parts . + 1 on the ss needle valve I have a ball valve and its a proper c#nt to deal with and really takes the fun out of using it , will be changing it some time for sure

[zwagerman9]

Haha. No compliments on my coil! :laughing-rolling:
Probably looking more towards the slant as it seems just as fiddly. I've looked at Mr E and thought. More surface area collection. But thats just perception isnt it? Ok needle valve it is lads!

Cheers

Rae

How many coles stainless scrubbers do you guys use??