The Boka-pot still

[Ploopyster]

Ion preparing to build my first still but I want to have my cake and eat it too. I want to produce tasty spirit as well as neutrals. So was thinking of making a 2" Boka and using it as either a reflux or pot still depending on what I want to make. Kind of a multipurpose still! Has this been done? Can this be done? Should this be done?
I can't think of why not. I would just take the packing out to run as a pot. I would leave the reflux condenser off for pot, though could potentially just leave it running as well. It will have a Liebig condenser.
Is this a done thing? Why/why not please?
Cheers

[Zak Griffin]

A Boka will work like a pot still if you unpack it and leave the Offtake valve wide open ;-)

I would make it modular though. Add an easy flange and triclamp just below the slant plates, so you have a detachable Boka head. Then make another head with a couple of 90°'s and a 2" shotgun for your pot still :handgestures-thumbupleft:

And yes, it is done, I got most of the way through doing it before I started building Agrajag...

[Ploopyster]

Thanks Zac,
I've taken your advice and am building a modular pot with capability to add a boka head later on.
And am building a shotgun in place of a Liebig. Cheers.
Will attach pics once I figure it out

[Ploopyster]

It's coming along. ''Twas hard to solder the brass fittings to the copper pipe though. Just waiting on alcometer and tryclamps. Then need to decide how to rig up my boiler element! Any suggestions? It's a keg king 2200W. I want to be able to dial it up/down like a dimmer. But do I need to control the heat out put on a pot still?

[Sam.]

Check out the electrical section mate there are plenty of controller options.

Also good luck with that keg king element, let us know how much use you get before it goes bang ;-)

[Ploopyster]

Sorry late with some pics. Had to re size pics.

[Ploopyster]

Check out the electrical section mate there are plenty of controller options.

Also good luck with that keg king element, let us know how much use you get before it goes bang ;-)

Haha. Thanks Sam. I got the element for free. I've read on here that there not not too flash.

[sp0rk]

This is more or less exactly the same as my still
The only difference being I have tri clamp joints either side of each bend, so I can alter the lyne arm to go up on an angle for some passive reflux, or straight across for less
I also only have a 500mm vertical column, i'll make another 500mm extension to go under the boka head
Mine seems to work great, I'm sure this will work just as well for you :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[mattcoffs]

This is exactly what i'll be doing in the next few weeks.

I (stupidly) bought a Keggomax glass reflux column to try and found it to be rather worthless (condenser not up to the challenge, lots of smearing). The only saving grace was due to poor shipping I actually ended up with two slightly broken ones - so I mixed and matched parts and ended up with something fairly modular.

The condenser ended up being two independent double helix coils and a cold finger all piped with cold water supply through the manifolds. At full 2500w from my boiler the condenser totally floods the column. Seems I had some leftover copper I made an extension for extra packing too so all I need to do is knock up a slant plate attachment and clamp it in. Should be pretty sweet to strip with!

[WalterWhite]

still reading and stumbled across this ... How did the build end up Ploopy?
Also this confirms that the Keggo FM looks cool as hell with copper scrubbers packed in but clearly is unreliable and likely to break very quickly!lol. Good work with the 'adapt and overcome' approach Matt.