diff --git a/src/main/java/helpers/ScryptHelper.java b/src/main/java/helpers/ScryptHelper.java
index 134dd82..bf4c903 100644
--- a/src/main/java/helpers/ScryptHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/helpers/ScryptHelper.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.CharBuffer;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
 import java.security.SecureRandom;
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -14,48 +15,65 @@
 /**
  * Wrapper for Bouncy Castle's scrypt implementation.
  *
- * Generates salted scrypt hashes in modular crypt format (MCF).
+ * Generates salted scrypt hashes in a format similar to Modular Crypt Format (MCF).
  *
  * @author Mark George <mark.george@otago.ac.nz>
  */
-public class ScryptHelper {
+public final class ScryptHelper {
 
 	// the standard work factors for scrypt
 	private static final int N = 16384;
 	private static final int r = 8;
 	private static final int p = 1;
 
-	private static final int saltSize = 32;
-	private static final int dkLen = 32;
+	private static final int saltSize = 64;
+	private static final int dkLen = 64;
+
+	private static final Charset utf8 = StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
 
 	private ScryptHelper() {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Generates an MCF formatted salted scrypt hash for the password.
+	 * Generates an MCF-like formatted salted scrypt hash for the password.
 	 *
 	 * @param password The password to hash.
 	 * @return The MCF formatted hash.
 	 */
-	public static char[] hash(char[] password) {
+	public static CharBuffer hash(CharSequence password) {
 		byte[] salt = salt();
 		byte[] hash = hash(password, salt, N, r, p, dkLen);
 
-		Base64.Encoder encoder = Base64.getEncoder();
+		Base64.Encoder b64encoder = Base64.getEncoder();
 
 		int costParams = (log2(N)) << 16 | r << 8 | p;
+		byte[] dollar = "$".getBytes(utf8);
+		byte[] params = String.valueOf(costParams).getBytes(utf8);
+		byte[] b64salt = b64encoder.encode(salt);
+		byte[] b64hash = b64encoder.encode(hash);
 
-		CharBuffer mcf = CharBuffer.allocate(2 * (saltSize + dkLen));
-		mcf.append("$").append(String.valueOf(costParams));
-		mcf.append("$").append(encoder.encodeToString(salt));
-		mcf.append("$").append(encoder.encodeToString(hash));
-		mcf.append("$");
+		int size = (4 * dollar.length) + params.length + b64salt.length + b64hash.length;
 
-		return mcf.array();
+		ByteBuffer mcf = ByteBuffer.allocate(size);
+		mcf.put(dollar).put(params);
+		mcf.put(dollar).put(b64salt);
+		mcf.put(dollar).put(b64hash);
+		mcf.put(dollar);
+		mcf.flip();
+
+		CharBuffer result = utf8.decode(mcf);
+
+		Arrays.fill(hash, (byte) 0);
+		Arrays.fill(salt, (byte) 0);
+		Arrays.fill(b64hash, (byte) 0);
+		Arrays.fill(b64salt, (byte) 0);
+		Arrays.fill(mcf.array(), (byte) 0);
+
+		return result;
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Checks an MCF formatted hash (as generated by the hash method) against a
+	 * Checks a hash (as generated by the hash method) against a
 	 * password.
 	 *
 	 * @param mcfHash The MCF formatted hash.
@@ -63,12 +81,11 @@
 	 *
 	 * @return True if the password matches the hash, false if not.
 	 */
-	public static boolean check(char[] mcfHash, char[] password) {
-		Pattern regex = Pattern.compile("\\$(\\d+?)\\$(.+?)\\$(.+?)\\$.*");
+	public static boolean check(CharSequence mcfHash, CharSequence password) {
 
-		CharBuffer mcfHashCb = CharBuffer.wrap(mcfHash);
+		Pattern regex = Pattern.compile("\\$(\\d+?)\\$(.+?)\\$(.+?)\\$");
 
-		Matcher matcher = regex.matcher(mcfHashCb);
+		Matcher matcher = regex.matcher(mcfHash);
 
 		if (matcher.matches()) {
 			int costParams = Integer.parseInt(matcher.group(1));
@@ -98,30 +115,21 @@
 
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Overwrites the contents of a char array with zeros.
-	 *
-	 * @param chars char array to zero.
-	 */
-	public static void zero(char[] chars) {
-		Arrays.fill(chars, '0');
-	}
-
-	static byte[] hash(char[] password, byte[] salt, int N, int r, int p, int dkLen) {
+	static byte[] hash(CharSequence password, byte[] salt, int N, int r, int p, int dkLen) {
 		return SCrypt.generate(toBytes(password), salt, N, r, p, dkLen);
 	}
 
-	static byte[] salt() {
+	private static byte[] salt() {
 		try {
 			byte[] salt = new byte[saltSize];
 			SecureRandom.getInstance("SHA1PRNG").nextBytes(salt);
 			return salt;
 		} catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException ex) {
-			throw new RuntimeException(ex);
+			throw new IllegalStateException("SHA1PRNG not supported on this JVM!", ex);
 		}
 	}
 
-	static int log2(int operand) {
+	private static int log2(int operand) {
 		int result = 0;
 
 		do {
@@ -135,34 +143,12 @@
 	/*
 	 * Source: https://stackoverflow.com/a/9670279
 	 */
-	static byte[] toBytes(char[] chars) {
+	private static byte[] toBytes(CharSequence chars) {
 		CharBuffer charBuffer = CharBuffer.wrap(chars);
-		ByteBuffer byteBuffer = Charset.forName("UTF-8").encode(charBuffer);
+		ByteBuffer byteBuffer = utf8.encode(charBuffer);
 		byte[] bytes = Arrays.copyOfRange(byteBuffer.array(), byteBuffer.position(), byteBuffer.limit());
 		Arrays.fill(byteBuffer.array(), (byte) 0);
 		return bytes;
 	}
 
-	public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
-		// standard vector test
-		byte[] hash = hash("pleaseletmein".toCharArray(), "SodiumChloride".getBytes("UTF-8"), 1 << 14, 8, 1, 64);
-
-		// output should match https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7914.html#page-13
-		for (byte b : hash) {
-			System.out.printf("%02x ", b);
-		}
-		System.out.println();
-
-		char[] aHash = hash("testing321".toCharArray());
-		System.out.println(aHash);
-
-		System.out.println("Check (good password): " + check(aHash, "testing321".toCharArray()));
-		System.out.println("Check (bad password): " + check(aHash, "testing123".toCharArray()));
-
-		char[] bloogy = "bloogy".toCharArray();
-		System.out.println(bloogy);
-		zero(bloogy);
-		System.out.println(bloogy);
-	}
-
 }