Hello everyone

Mickiboi

Hi there,

Mick from Adelaide here.

I'm looking forward to turning out some of the good old stuff with the help of some of you guys.

I am an electronic engineer and control systems engineer. I have been involved in process and temperature control for 30 years. If anyone needs any help with control solutions please feel free to PM me.

Mick

Moonshine

Welcome @Mickiboi, great to have you here. Familiarize yourself with our revolutionary forum software and feel right at home. @Lloyd & @olddog are currently working on a SD Automation Kit, have a look here and here.

Mickiboi

Thanks @Moonshine and I have already checked it out, very neat and tidy and well done to them. I will be interested to see how they incorporate it into the still and what the results are. :)

cunnyfunt

Hi mickiboi

Mickiboi

Howdy cunnyfunt, lucky I haven't been drinking tonight, that Howdy could have ended badly.

cunnyfunt

Or it could have been cunny

What types of projects have you worked on the last 3 decades?

Mickiboi

I spent 10 years in the air force as a guided missile engineer. When I got out I had the choice of either working for the Saudi or the Israeli air force. I couldn't see either of those ending with a smile on my face so I decided to get into building automation systems, access control and cctv. I did that for a couple of years and then did process control systems for Bowater Scott paper mills. I got sick of that and went back to building automation, access control and cctv. I was in charge of Melbourne airport BAS and Adelaide airport BAS and security systems. Now I am retired.

Philter

Hello Mickiboi and welcome to the friendly one-stop distilling forum. I'm sure you have a one or two interesting stories working with guided missiles.

I'd love to see how you go about automating your still if you choose to go down that path. I have just purchased a BCS-462 from embedded controls, and one day hope to use it as a backbone for automating my 6 plate dash :)>-

CothermanDistilling

@Philter, I can help you with your BCS-462, it works awesome...

Mickiboi

Howdy @Philter and @CothermanDistilling, thanks for the welcome guys. Just had a look at it and seems to be pretty easy, just normal ladder logic. Seems a reasonable price for what is too. @CothermanDistilling what have you used the 462 on? I probably will automate my still at some stage (when I get it, getting the same as you) but I have a shit load to learn before that happens. I have a stack of Allen Bradley PLC's, RobertShaw and Niagara building automation controllers and analogue valves. I will be using all of that if I decide to do it that way. Anyway once again thanks for the welcome.

CothermanDistilling

@Mickiboi -

here it is attached to a small brewing setup:

CothermanDistilling

and here is how the graph might look on a still...

punkin

Fantastic Cotherman.

Welcome Micki, glad to see you made it in here. You really will have the same setup as philter when you get it. :D

cunnyfunt

So many clever people in this hobby. Not like those beer guys :P

Mickiboi

@punkin Thanks mate. Did you get my email yesterday?

@CothermanDistilling thank you too. Can you tell me where you take those vapour temps from on the still? Is the boiler running flat out to get those lowered temperatures or are you setting it at those temps and increasing the boiler set point over time?

Thanks

punkin

Yes, found and answered your email mate. :)>-

fadge

@mickiboi welcome, as they have said this is the friendly, almost starter come professional mix and don't take ourselves to serious forum.

I've personally never been told to " do a search" "read the xxxx" etc or been put down or reluctant to post anything questions or thoughts.

My stilling and more to the point my understanding has improved heaps on here.

Also so many members have so so much experience with things outside distilling that it benefits everyone, welding, electrical, business, cad draftsman, and the list goes on and on.

My own background includes a butcher, trainer, supermarket manager, IT technician, just to mention a couple. Ask me about meat and I'll likely throw in about hygiene practices. Ask how to explain something and I'll do my best to break it down to understand. Want to know the ins and out of the largest supermarket in Ozzie? Need some computer or server assistance.....etc

Feel free to chime in, I already know you will get hit with the automation side of distilling.

Fadge

cunnyfunt

Im just a dumb vinyl layer. I cant help anybody:(

Mickiboi

@cunnyfunt yes you can, I'm redoing my kitchen.

Philter

@CothermanDistilling said: Philter, I can help you with your BCS-462, it works awesome...

Thanks for your offer @CothermanDistilling. I may well need your help down the track :D

@cunnyfunt said: Im just a dumb vinyl layer. I cant help anybody:(

Don't talk yourself down @cunnyfunt. Vinyl layers are very handy, and have excellent hand/eye co-ordination!

Mickiboi

@Philter @CothermanDistilling I would be very interested in seeing what you do with the 462. I am ordering the same setup as you Philter. I will get some tips from what you 2 do with it. Over the next few weeks I am probably going to ask some of the following....stupid questions....questions that have been asked before....questions that have no answers.....questions that will make you wonder WTF am I on about. Humour me OK?

whitelighting

hell:I fell ya brother,Im a power plant operator. I just sober up enough to go to work! , and hope Im not the one that pushes the roung button that day lol. Welcome aboard I read more than I say anyway... I do want the next still,o hell I said the four letter word} I build to runn more on its owen. The only reson I know how to make shin in the first place,shit the four letter word agian. I come from a bunch of outlaws. Over the past few mounths I have come to see here on this site. That all this talent here, Could come together and buld a space ship ,and fly to the moon. And be shit face doing it lololol..

Philter

Ask away when you're ready @Mickiboi.

Like @whitelighting has said, there is an immense amount of knowledge and talent on this forum. Sometimes it may take a little time for your question to be answered, as a few members are away due to work commitments etc.

CothermanDistilling

vapor temp locations are pretty logical, before first plate (dash-1), after the 4th plate(before dephleg) and after dephleg. (some of the lines being above or below each other when it is really not possible is due to calibration..)

power was probably 2500 watts, with the bcs you set it for a percent power, I have virtual buttons to increase and decrease percent power by 1% and 5%

obviously, with more plates, you could push the knee of the curve further to the right or run more power..