Page 1 of 2

How many plates needed for a really good stripping still?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:33 pm
by Rolls912
Sorry for all the questions... I’m becoming obsessive :ymdaydream:

The t5 is giving me the shits. 10 hrs a pop is killing my sex life. Turning up to work with bags under my eyes. I’m sick of it.

How many plates do I need for a decent stripper. I’m working with:
4 inch
a FSD Milk can 50 litre boiler
2 heating elements...

How long should I make the packed section? Why don’t peeps make this extra long? Is it ceiling height, power or something else?

Cheers

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 11:01 pm
by mattyb
I have 4 plates and a 700mm packed section which gives me a nice neutral and 94%. Am thinking of just putting on another 1m packed section and doing away with the plates.

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 6:55 am
by Rolls912
sorry. my post is ambiguous.... i have a pot still for stripping.
I need to make a good neutral.

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:04 am
by coffe addict
Build a 4in boka if all you want is neutral!

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:28 am
by RC Al
coffe addict wrote:Build a 4in boka if all you want is neutral!

:text-+1:
with as much height as you can fit, after 2m or so you hit diminishing returns though on a 4" (20-30 times diameter)

There's more than one distillers house out the with an additional man hole into their roof :think:

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 2:47 pm
by Jimmy.
Why would you say a boka style over 5 plate and 500mm packed bubbler?

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 2:50 pm
by coffe addict
Because packed sections have a higher theoretical plates per metre ratio. Simply put they are more efficient at producing neutral.

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 2:51 pm
by RC Al
Many $$$ per meter cheaper to build too

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 3:21 pm
by Jimmy.
As long as its filled with packing material from what I have read?

Does look good option though. Fill the tees with packing as well instead of bubble plates.
Get your hybrid on

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 3:30 pm
by Magnus
If it's just for neutral the cheapest build is a CCVM, 1.5 meters packed with volcanic rock (scoria). You can run a lot quicker than a Boka too. The Boka is a very outdated build.

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 4:50 pm
by Rolls912
Magnus wrote:If it's just for neutral the cheapest build is a CCVM, 1.5 meters packed with volcanic rock (scoria). You can run a lot quicker than a Boka too. The Boka is a very outdated build.


Could you please explain what a ccvm is? Closed circuit? Could you point me towards a post that explains what it is. Cheers

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 4:58 pm
by Andrew
Stay tuned
*****Spoiler Alert*****


We are working on bringing back the MacBoka in both 2 inch and 4 inch.
Stay tuned

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 5:59 pm
by coffe addict
4in :happy-partydance:

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:37 pm
by Magnus
Rolls912 wrote:
Magnus wrote:If it's just for neutral the cheapest build is a CCVM, 1.5 meters packed with volcanic rock (scoria). You can run a lot quicker than a Boka too. The Boka is a very outdated build.


Could you please explain what a ccvm is? Closed circuit? Could you point me towards a post that explains what it is. Cheers


This is a commercial forum, I'll refrain from adding any further info, suffice it to say google is your friend and you have already been spoon fed enough to make your own decisions...

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:52 pm
by Ned
I purchased a 4 inch 4 plater with a 500mm packed section. 750g copper in the bottom 500g in the top and the inbetween is 10m scoria.
I have got 95% and 96% on a run doing a neutral TPW. Stripped 1st though. Brillant still from 5 Star Distilling.

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:27 pm
by dazzerthemighty
https://youtu.be/_IAIA_kQEgs

Sometimes a visual just makes things a whole much simpler to understand, but Ytube & Goole certainly help with your research.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cheapest+build+is+a+CCVM&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU744AU744&oq=cheapest+build+is+a+CCVM&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

:teasing-nutkick:

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 10:07 pm
by Sam.
Magnus wrote:
Rolls912 wrote:
Magnus wrote:If it's just for neutral the cheapest build is a CCVM, 1.5 meters packed with volcanic rock (scoria). You can run a lot quicker than a Boka too. The Boka is a very outdated build.


Could you please explain what a ccvm is? Closed circuit? Could you point me towards a post that explains what it is. Cheers


This is a commercial forum, I'll refrain from adding any further info, suffice it to say google is your friend and you have already been spoon fed enough to make your own decisions...


Not sure about the commercial forum comment. Yes this forum was born from the creators of 5 Star and their brand is what this forum is.

5 Star have always maintained an excellent after purchase customer service, something a lot of others do not offer.

We have many new members here buy gear elsewhere and they come here to learn how to run it because the other companies after sales support is non existent and they have no idea how to run it properly.

When was the last time you went to a HBS and they were running a 4 plate bubbler effectively?

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 10:27 pm
by Rolls912
Thanks for the video link. That’s perfect.

So am I right in saying that a boker is better than the ccvm featured in the video as the takeoff would be more pure?

What I don’t understand is if the boker is so simple / cheap and effective at producing the best neutral why don’t all gin or vodka enthusiasts have one? Seems like it’s too good to be true!

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 11:30 pm
by RC Al
People also make a combo of the two types, CCVM/LM and then a variation on the LM, So CCVM/LM/RLM

More reading mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: How many plates needed for a really good stripping still

PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 11:30 pm
by coffe addict
A lot do but a lot also like rum whisky and/or brandy... These things aren't easily achievable with a boka... A boka is also slow compared to other stills of the same diameter.
Now for something that comes down to opinion, boka's produce great neutral but rarely is true neutral really needed.
My understanding also is packed columns struggle above a certain height and diameter due to weight or compression of the packing which is why they aren't used by the likes of Smirnoff.
So it's a case of balancing between speed purity and types of booze