MacBoka users

High performance modular SS304 plated columns and accessories.

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Sat Jan 09, 2016 11:08 am

xcvator wrote:A step drill will work ok,( $30-00 from the bgs ) you may have to drill a pilot hole, use lots of lubrication, like wd40 or rp7 and then grind out the hole a bit bigger :handgestures-thumbupleft:


D'Oh! I forgot to hit the subscribe option so thought I was getting the cold shoulder treatment ;-)

Thanks Keith, after watching a lot of videos, and reading up on it I was getting close to coming to the same conclusion and your advice seals it.

My step drill cost over $50 so was a bit reticent to risk it but it should be fine. Step drills are great things. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I particularly liked one idea to give it a big rest at every step - no hurry in all of this so why not?

I'll be using my "Tap Magic" cutting fluid initially, it should be fine but if I detect over heating I'll make up a solution of water detergent and oil and flood the thing.
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Urrazeb » Sun Jan 10, 2016 4:15 pm

xcvator wrote:Thanks for the comments Urrazeb, things have changed a bit since I put that post up, thank goodness :D I have found a sweet spot that I can run at 78.8c , now it's not azeo but I can run a wash at about 1.5 litres p/h @90%.
If I use "Vanessa" 1st then the Boka I can get 2.5 to 3 litres p/h @ 92% to 93%.
Also changing from a 2 ring burner to a 4 ring burner has been a game changer too, but the training wheels are still there and will be for a few years yet :roll:

No worries mate. It'll all just 'click' one day, took me a while :violin: :laughing-rolling: :dance:
Urrazeb
 
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Location: Perth
equipment: Column & pot

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:46 pm

Hi guys (and gal), there is mention in some previous posts about ss scrubbers - mine is fully packed with copper mesh - should I be worried? (I would think not).

Also, whilst the temp port is fully shielded from vapour is it reasonable the have the thermometer just loosely sitting in the port?

Cheers
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby WTDist » Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:53 pm

Copper mesh is best if the still is not made from copper. copper helps in removing sulfides. my still is all copper so i only need SS scrubbers
WTDist
 
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Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2014 11:32 am
Location: Brisbane
equipment: Building a 4" bubbler with 8" glass thumper

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:58 pm

WTDist wrote:Copper mesh is best if the still is not made from copper. copper helps in removing sulfides. my still is all copper so i only need SS scrubbers


Yep, as I thought, but always best to check in case, thanks for that.
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Adam007 » Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:06 pm

I use some plumbers thread tape for my temp probe port to make a tight seal.
Adam007
 
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 4:08 pm
Location: North QLD
equipment: 2" Boka
2" Pot
50L Keg Boiler 2400W

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:13 pm

Adam007 wrote:I use some plumbers thread tape for my temp probe port to make a tight seal.


Good idea, I will start with that. I was just wondering if it was worthwhile (or indeed in any way necessary) to turn up a small short brass ferrule to keep the probe centred and away from the walls of the port. I will probably do that at some stage.
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby xcvator » Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:56 pm

I just sit mine in the port, when it's hot it's hot .It's simple system, I like simple, keep it simple, don't go looking for potential problems until after you have done a couple of runs at least. Just run it as supplied, it works :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
xcvator
 
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 12:51 pm
Location: Mornington Peninsula
equipment: 2" MacBoka
2" Copper Pot still Head
50 Litre keg on a 16000 watt 4 ring gas burner

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:29 pm

xcvator wrote:I just sit mine in the port, when it's hot it's hot .It's simple system, I like simple, keep it simple, don't go looking for potential problems until after you have done a couple of runs at least. Just run it as supplied, it works :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:


Great! Good to hear - I couldn't help having the sneaking suspicion something was missing - should have known better ;-)
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Tue Feb 23, 2016 2:54 pm

The cleaning run tutorial seems to say packing in the column for the vinegar run is optional - I would like to leave mine in just as an extra cleaning exercise - anybody see anything wrong with that?
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby xcvator » Tue Feb 23, 2016 3:53 pm

Bundaboy wrote:The cleaning run tutorial seems to say packing in the column for the vinegar run is optional - I would like to leave mine in just as an extra cleaning exercise - anybody see anything wrong with that?

That's what I did with mine and I'm still alive :teasing-neener:
xcvator
 
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 12:51 pm
Location: Mornington Peninsula
equipment: 2" MacBoka
2" Copper Pot still Head
50 Litre keg on a 16000 watt 4 ring gas burner

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:01 pm

xcvator wrote:
Bundaboy wrote:The cleaning run tutorial seems to say packing in the column for the vinegar run is optional - I would like to leave mine in just as an extra cleaning exercise - anybody see anything wrong with that?

That's what I did with mine and I'm still alive :teasing-neener:


You call this living?? :-p :obscene-drinkingchug:

:text-thankyoublue:

Cheers mate.
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:43 pm

Hawkeye wrote:The roll of copper mesh that kit comes with has plenty of leftovers. Advice from FSD was to create two rolls of copper packing for the column, which I've done.


Well! I was shocked! Shocked I tell you, to read that. ;-)

I have mine totally packed tight - I thought I had read somewhere that was the thing to do - have I done bad?

I think using one or two of the mesh's to wrap the condenser would be great for the strip run, also may reduce the require water flow rate too?

Anyway, despite having forgotten to start in full reflux mode for 30 mins or so for my first spirit run, I quickly hit the sweet spot and have over 90% distillate (damned if I know how people can be so precise with these alchometers - it's somewhere between 90% and 95%), and, for the first time, got to smell and taste "tails". It's amazing how closing the tap can "knock" the tails back enough to extract some more of the good stuff. What fun!

But emptying and cleaning the keg based boiler is such not fun...
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby xcvator » Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:00 pm

Just be very careful if you have to syphon out the contents of the boiler, 1 tiny mouthful and it's :puke-huge: , don't ask how I know :angry-banghead:
xcvator
 
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 12:51 pm
Location: Mornington Peninsula
equipment: 2" MacBoka
2" Copper Pot still Head
50 Litre keg on a 16000 watt 4 ring gas burner

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Bundaboy » Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:27 pm

xcvator wrote:Just be very careful if you have to syphon out the contents of the boiler, 1 tiny mouthful and it's :puke-huge: , don't ask how I know :angry-banghead:


LOL been there done that, now I wait until it has at least cooled down... :scared-eek:
Bundaboy
 
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:58 pm
Location: Southern Highlands, NSW
equipment: MH-943/s water distiller
Some parts in the shed for something more "traditional", 2" MacBoka atop a 50L SS keg fitted with 2 x 2400W weldless elements (with guards).

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Hawkeye » Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:21 pm

Got a problem with my Macboka....

It's leaking at the lid attachment. Have pulled apart, cleaned seals, wrapped thread with plumbers tape, also tried a flour paste but it won't seal.

Any suggestions???
Hawkeye
 
Posts: 94
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:01 am
Location: Hobart
equipment: 4 inch, 4 bubble plate on a 50L keg with 500mm packed section.

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Professor Green » Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:34 pm

Hi Hawkeye,

Is it leaking where the column attaches to the lid or the lid attaches to the boiler?

Cheers,
Prof. Green.
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equipment: FSD 100 litre milk can with 2 x 2400W elements
FSD Neutraliser
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12 litre double boiler with 2400W element

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Hawkeye » Sun Feb 12, 2017 12:43 pm

Sorry at the top of the lid where the column attaches to the lid. Not the clamp which holds the column on, but the screw fitting which goes through the lid which you attach the column to. It's leaking around the screw thread and also from under the seals.
Hawkeye
 
Posts: 94
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:01 am
Location: Hobart
equipment: 4 inch, 4 bubble plate on a 50L keg with 500mm packed section.

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Hawkeye » Sun Feb 12, 2017 1:05 pm

Crap ok I just tried again after pulling it all apart and going again, it wasn't leaking at the bottom so i got it up to temp then left in reflux, but the liquid alcohol started coming out of the top from around the condenser. So must not have been able to drip back down the column?

What the hell have I done wrong here?
Hawkeye
 
Posts: 94
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:01 am
Location: Hobart
equipment: 4 inch, 4 bubble plate on a 50L keg with 500mm packed section.

Re: MacBoka users

Postby Hawkeye » Sun Feb 12, 2017 1:38 pm

Have pulled entire still apart, redone the packing, ss scrubbies at bottom two rolls of copper at top, undone and retightened the connection to the lid.
Third time lucky?
Hawkeye
 
Posts: 94
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:01 am
Location: Hobart
equipment: 4 inch, 4 bubble plate on a 50L keg with 500mm packed section.

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