Another Happy Customer

Nardy

I've bit the bullet and purchased my first bit of SD kit. I ordered the kit yesterday through @punkin and it arrived today, unbelievably quick!! @punkin even threw in an SD hip flask in the order for me! And I have to say I'm more than impressed with his service, answering probably a dozen stupid emails from me and then packing everything up and posting it so quickly.

I'll post more pics when I have my build complete.

fadge

Good stuff, those sight glass units look good, l have brass, they also look good but each one is different tone or shine due to needing to clean or polish them, that l don't do often.

I bet the box @punkin sent was smaller than you expected, he can really pack that stuff tight.

Cheers

Fadge

Nardy

It sure was! I thought he'd left a few things out but it was all there, and then some.

FloridaCracker

You have now stepped up big time from what you were using and will really enjoy running that rig. Have fun and keep us updated on what you are running and your impressions.

FullySilenced

One of them cap screws looks a little narly... i be @punkin will send you a spare next order...

Kapea

You went with thermo ports on each plate. Nice! As an engineer I believe there is no such thing as too much data... You'll be able to watch the tails climb up the stack.

Getting a box from StillDragon is like Christmas morning as a kid, yah?

Sunshine

good customer service is the most important thing of all, but even more important: keeping this good service so many years now! That is what I have learned from @Punkin!

Some may seen friendly in the beginning and quick in shipping, the real values only show, when problems occur, or something went wrong...hopefully this happens next to never, but when it does, be assured, @Punkin (or of course @Smaug) are not the persons who will let you down!

punkin

Thanks for the kind words all. The customer service is definitely my favourite part of my job. Lucky too, as i seem to make so many mistakes i have to make right. #:-S

That rig will be a very interesting to watch as the boka head and reflux condensor go on it. I think it will be a first, as far as i have seen anyway. Thermotees were all i had left in stock till my order shows up in the next couple of weeks.

FullySilenced

@Punkin you guys could make a "Boka Spool" with no issues using a short spool... inserting plates and a drain valve....

I used layout dye on a 3" X 4" long spool up to make one so i know it will fit.. and work..even if you had to make a 5" long spool

not sure i have seen anyone else with a modular one in their product line... would be too easy putting this one together ...

FS

punkin

Theres a few aussie guys doing them already mate.

Nardy

Cheers guys, I'm definitely excited to get it up and running. The boka head was actually a suggestion by another still builder here in QLD. Another good bloke that some of you already know, he built my last two rigs and suggested the boka idea. I'll see how it goes, it will definitely operate differently to the dash.

As for the thermo ports, I'm actually glad they're all you had @punkin. I too am an engineer and having thought about the idea I'm now looking forward to using them. Will be handy for learning how my still behaves.

And when you say the stainless SGK's are limited @punkin, how limited exactly? I was going to give the 3 plates a few tries to see if they're all I need for rums and whiskey but if I needed to buy a fourth tee later on, will I still be able to get the stainless SGK's? Can't have a mismatched still! :)

Nardy

And @Kapea, it definitely was like Xmas morning opening up the box! Although my wife is on to me "That looks fancy, how much was all that?" "Oh not too much". :)

punkin

I'd decide fairly soon if you want another, i still have stock of them, and will be able to get more. I'm not sure whether i will keep stocking them though so that means that for special orders of them if i don't continue to stock there will be a wait.

The alloy samples will be here within the next couple weeks and i suspect they'll be much nicer, a better design that we have had a hand in and as a bonus they will be a fair bit cheaper.
They'll also be available in a few different colours, one that imitates the brass ones and the one i'm really looking forward to seeing is the Black Chrome edition.

Kapea

I'd say add another plate, or two, a deflegmator, a product condenser, and forget about the boka. That configuration will allow you to make just about anything you want.

Then in the future (when the heat from SWMBO has died down) you could add a parrot, and if you're into gin-making, the GB4 is a great little add-on.

Nardy

Alright, we'll see how the boka goes and go from there. :)

@punkin, I'll be in touch about another SGK soon.

Nardy

Picked up the boka head this arvo, so its all set to go. Will try and run a molasses wash through it tomorrow night and see how it goes.

Nardy

Sorry about the sideways pic.

Moonshine

@Nardy said: Sorry about the sideways pic.

Fixed :)
(and not only the orientation, but also the filesize down to 82kB from 6MB)

Smaug

Should run way more stable on top of those tees. But it is a bok so it'll be only slightly better than the speed of growing grass.

Smaug

Oh wait there is no packing then?

Kapea

I think that's one of those new fangled defleg/PC combo thingies... ;)

Smaug

Well it looks beautiful no matter.

Nardy

No packed section, the boka head will reflux everything and control will come from the take off speed. We'll see how that goes anyway, hopefully tonight. Not intended for neurtals, I only do rums and whiskeys.

Smaug

Pardon me if you've mentioned before, but why did you say that you were using this head if you are only doing flavored spirits?

jacksonbrown

An LM is just a means to control reflux rate. It's no different to a delph.
The column does the work.

punkin

@Smaug said: Pardon me if you've mentioned before, but why did you say that you were using this head if you are only doing flavored spirits?

He's seeing if it will save a few bucks on parts and still give him the product he's after on the advice and referral of spud who's building the Boks. Spuds a good guy and a good distiller, you probably remember him Smaug?

Nardy

Yep, pretty much. In my case it works out just over $1000 cheaper. If I end up changing my mind at a later stage, I can just add on the bits I need and use the boka head for something else.

Smaug

Sure I remember spud.

LM refers to the method that the distillate is dispatched. Also these systems don't ordinarily have a product condenser. Hence the grass growing reference.

I recall Joe Red Nose installing a tiny Graham condenser to help increase his collection speed for flavored spirits. He called it an egg as it was about that size.

Nardy

With a boka, wouldn't the coil act as both the reflux condenser and product condenser?

Smaug

Yes it does.

Boks are famous for dispensing a much warmer distillate when pushed too hard.

They can make a wonderful spirit. Just at a much slower rate.

jacksonbrown

@Smaug said:

LM refers to the method that the distillate is dispatched. Also these systems don't ordinarily have a product condenser. Hence the grass growing reference.

I recall Joe Red Nose installing a tiny Graham condenser to help increase his collection speed for flavored spirits. He called it an egg as it was about that size.

Sure you get hot distillate but what does that have to do with speed? You can easily take 100% if your take off valve is sized right?!? Sorry, I don't understand??