Another Happy Customer

jacksonbrown

I should add that, that single downside (hot distillate) was my main reason for moving from a bok style to a VM many years ago. If you add a product cooler you just lost the main benefit of a bok, it's simplicity and low cost.

crozdog

@Nardy said: Yep, pretty much. In my case it works out just over $1000 cheaper.

A dephleg, a 180 degree u bend, a PC and a parrot won't cost u $1k

Nardy

Actually it does, when you add the plumbing kit, parrot kit, bend, shotgun condenser and all clamps that go with it. I priced it all up when making up my mind.

punkin

I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes, i may even partner up with Spud to offer them as a hybrid option if it works well.

If not you'll have a great bit of kit for a neutral still if you ever lean in that direction or i'm sure with spuds prices that you could make a profit or at least get your money back on ebay. He's very fair.

Kapea

@Nardy said: Yep, pretty much. In my case it works out just over $1000 cheaper.

$1000?! $-)

We must not be looking at the same catalog!
All you need is a defleg, a bend and a product condenser. With clamps and gaskets <$500

Nardy

@Kapea said: All you need is a defleg, a bend and a product condenser. With clamps and gaskets <$500

See above reply.

Unsensibel

@nardy - not to beat a dead horse, but maybe you overspec'ed the addition for parrot irrigation etc. I'm also thinking it's around $500. Nevertheless, this is still a chunk of change....

Nardy

Perhaps all of you are thinking in USD? I'm in aus. But feel free to go price up the bits for yourselves. I assure you, its over $1000aud. Which would make sense given the full dash 1 is ~$1800aud.

But who cares? I'm not complaining about the price nor looking for an argument.

As for actually running the still, all went to plan tonight and I've got a bunch of jars airing waiting to be cut tomorrow. I haven't seen how quickly a defleg and PC runs but the boka took about 3hrs from the point where all 3 plates were loaded up until I shut it down (including 30mins to equilibrate). That was on a 40L molasses wash which was probably around 8%. I collected about 3.6L including about 600ml of tails, not sure on ABV at this point. So about 1.2L per hour. Seems slow to me, but beats doing both a strip and spirit run on the pot still.

So my initial thoughts are, I'm very happy with the product that's coming off, waaay better than any other rum straight off the still. A lot less cooling water to operate it, a single run instead of a strip and spirit run is awesome. I love the thermo ports as I can see exactly what's happening by monitoring the temp. You can see tails creeping up. A bit slow, so I can definitely see the benefits in going a full dash still, but I can live with that for now. Very simple to operate, I think I have it sorted.

Next up is a rye whisky I have fermenting and then maybe I'll run some rum feints I've got stored. But looking forward to putting tonight's product on oak and tasting it some time down the track.

FloridaCracker

I haven't had much success with single run rum and am curious about your wash/process. My single runs always have kind of a muddy/dirty taste for lack of a better description. Then again I am using live dunder in my washes so that may be the difference. I've been running with 4 plates and an ass-ton of reflux lately to get the most esterfication that I can. I'm gonna go to the Big Dunder Thread and update it today as to my latest findings.

FullySilenced

Hmmm those maybe some of the valves i sent over to Au...

punkin

Sounds great Nardy, the time taken would include slow heads removal as well so it would be a better take off than that in hearts. I like to use a 500ml jar and write down the time and abv at each change, sometimes i'll do 250ml jars at heads or transitions and sometimes 2l or 4l jars on spirit run hearts. It can all be worked back to l/ph at the end if you get in the habit of keeping a note book next to the still.

The other thing is that as you learn to drive it and get more experience with it you'll get a better understanding of where the limits are for each part and how you prefer to run overall.

I really like that Spud was right and it worked just fine and i'd love to see some pics of it in action.

Well done mate.

Smaug

No doubt the rig will make a nice drop.

Nardy

@punkin said: Sounds great Nardy, the time taken would include slow heads removal as well so it would be a better take off than that in hearts. I like to use a 500ml jar and write down the time and abv at each change, sometimes i'll do 250ml jars at heads or transitions and sometimes 2l or 4l jars on spirit run hearts. It can all be worked back to l/ph at the end if you get in the habit of keeping a note book next to the still.

The other thing is that as you learn to drive it and get more experience with it you'll get a better understanding of where the limits are for each part and how you prefer to run overall.

I really like that Spud was right and it worked just fine and i'd love to see some pics of it in action.

Well done mate.

Cheers Punkin. I took a heap of notes throughout the run, so hopefully after a few more runs I'll know exactly how it behaves. The separation between heads/hearts/tails though really is obvious now, it was weird to begin with and I'm pretty sure I wasted some hearts in with the heads. I just expected more heads, so collected it in a 700ml bottle but when I switched bottles I sampled a bit and was already in hearts! So I'll collect in smaller jars for the entire run next time I think. I collected in smaller samples towards the end and it was almost like someone opened up a valve to let the tails in - it came on fast.

One other thing - I thought that the bottom plate would dry up completely before tails reached the condenser, but that wasn't the case last night. Tails were evident when the bottom plate still had a reasonable amount of distilate on it. It wasn't fully loaded, but was still bubbling. So that was unexpected. I also noticed throughout the run that the plates would seem to be slowing down (ie, less loading) and be like that for a while and then all of a sudden they'd be full again. With no change in cooling or the take off valve from me. Anyone else ever see this?

Nardy

@FloridaCracker said: I haven't had much success with single run rum and am curious about your wash/process. My single runs always have kind of a muddy/dirty taste for lack of a better description. Then again I am using live dunder in my washes so that may be the difference. I've been running with 4 plates and an ass-ton of reflux lately to get the most esterfication that I can. I'm gonna go to the Big Dunder Thread and update it today as to my latest findings.

My rum recipe is pretty standard - mostly molasses with some raw sugar, some DAP and a baker's yeast. I use dunder from previous runs but don't have a dunder pit. I use about 25% in a new batch. I ferment in large batches and take off 40L at a time and they're usually quite clear by the time I run them. I have found in the past that certain batches of molasses have turned out a bit ordinary, so I now only use molasses that I get direct from a local sugar mill (well, local enough, 3hrs away but I visit family in the area quite a bit). This is my first single run though and I've only got my first impressions to go on. I'll let you know how it turns out though.

crozdog

@Nardy said: Perhaps all of you are thinking in USD? I'm in aus. But feel free to go price up the bits for yourselves. I assure you, its over $1000aud. Which would make sense given the full dash 1 is ~$1800aud.

But who cares? I'm not complaining about the price nor looking for an argument.

Not arguing either. but just priced it up on Punkins site: 180 46 2” pc 170 Parrot kit 244 3 x 0 rings 3.3 3 x 2” triclamps 26.4 Bubble still plumbing kit 120 Total 609.7 Reckon you could do the plumbing cheaper if u just bought the bits you needed.

Regardless you are having fun with your new rig. It'll give you not only a lot of joy but also fine spirit & a great base to expand on as dollars allow.

Have fun & take notes

Nardy

@crozdog said: Not arguing either. but just priced it up on Punkins site: 180 46 2” pc 170 Parrot kit 244 3 x 0 rings 3.3 3 x 2” >triclamps 26.4 Bubble still plumbing kit 120 Total 609.7 Reckon you could do the plumbing cheaper if u just >bought the bits you needed.

You guys are like a dog with a bone with this pricing. :))

Your breakdown looks good, but you left out the defleg ($259 + clamp & gasket) and don't forget the dash 1 is a 4 plate, so another plate too ($210). Now you're around $1000.

But you're right, it can be done cheaper - I can stick with 3 plates, skip the parrot kit and use my copper parrot and do my own plumbing. All that will save quite a chunk.

I guess the point I was making was that if I can start off my build using the boka, I could save a bit of money with not much of a trade off. After my first run I can see the trade off is speed, but I can put up with that for a while I think. All the bits I have purchased can be used again if I go the RC and PC route, I'd just have the boka head left over which I could use elsewhere or sell as punkin mentioned. I wasn't trying to complain about the price, don't get me wrong.

What sort of take off rate are people getting with the 4" dash's?

Smaug

Naturally there is a range but you can go as fast as 5 liters an hour.

3 liters an hour seems to be the sweet spot.

jacksonbrown

I still don't get what the still head type has to do with speed? Can someone please spell it out for me??
I run a 2" head on a 4" column and it works fine.

Nardy

As I understand it with the boka, I'm controlling the reflux via the take off valve. So the more I open it, to speed up the take off, the less reflux occurs and I risk smearing. So I'm limited in the speed of take off because of this.

Whereas with a dephleg and PC, the reflux is controlled via the cooling of the dephleg, and we don't need 100% reflux. So then it comes down to how much vapour your still is creating - knock down the stuff you don't want and allow the rest through.

That's about right isn't it?

Kapea

If you don't want 100% reflux then you won't need a 4" defleg. A 2" big baby will work just fine.

Nardy

I would think that you do need 100% reflux, to get the column to equilibrate.

Kapea

@Nardy said: ...Whereas with a dephleg and PC, the reflux is controlled via the cooling of the dephleg, and we don't need 100% reflux. So then it comes down to how much vapour your still is creating - knock down the stuff you don't want and allow the rest through.

You tell me.
What are you trying to do? Run a bubbler like a LM?

I think you're trying to put a Tasco plinking scope on a Barrett sniper rifle.

punkin

Will you guys just leave him alone? There really is some members putting holes in their manners here, and i'd hate to get a reputation like some other forums of ganging up on new members and driving them away.

The beauty of the modular concept is that you can clamp this stuff together however you want to. There's plenty of examples of others above that have started in similar fashion and evolved and grown.

Nardy is having fun, making some nice spirit and learning as he goes. I don't think it's a very good reflection of the forum or the members to be giving him this crap over it. It's not like he's refusing to listen or using something that just won't work. It works just fine.

All the parts-as said-are still just as useful as they were when he purchased them and all will be just as useful if he decides to upgrade down the track.

Kapea

You're right @punkin.

I'm sorry @Nardy. No offense meant.

We all travel different paths to get where we're going. This a hobby for many of us, so the journey is as much fun as the destination.

FloridaCracker

I'm always interested when a guy gets a new rig. Sometimes we get closed minded and in our own little worlds, often missing bits of info that could be beneficial. I have learned stuff from people new to the craft who see through new eyes. Not often, but it does happen. Nardy, keep us posted.

Smaug

@Nardy your still is beautiful and is perfectly capable of making a wonderful spirit.

CothermanDistilling

@FloridaCracker said: I'm always interested when a guy gets a new rig. Sometimes we get closed minded and in our own little worlds, often missing bits of info that could be beneficial. I have learned stuff from people new to the craft who see through new eyes. Not often, but it does happen. Nardy, keep us posted.

yep, we ride a fine line between evangelizing what we know works while trying to save folks headache and being close-minded about other things....

DonMateo

I want to be a happy customer but still waiting to buy something.

Kapea

@DonMateo said: I want to be a happy customer but still waiting to buy something.

I hear tell that buying a torpedo is a pretty harmless way to start... B-)

DonMateo

I want to buy a couple of stills. I am going to set up a craft distillery. Still in the planning stage but I have been doing the planning. I have pretty much completed the planning process, found a great place, found all the suppliers I need and sourced most of the gear that I need. I just need some cashflow and few months work and I can set up. I just got a great quote from the SD guys and its exactly what I need. I need my client to pay my invoice so I can stop trolling SD shop website and start making whiskey.