Sacrificial run on all stainless still?

[Cannibal]

Hey every body! Hope all is good.
So, I have recently been reading the New Distiller's mandatory topics, as well as some books on distilling before I joined here. I have a couple questions, and I hope I am not overlooking any rules . I have used the search tools on the site, but have not had much luck. Here goes:

1- Is a sacrificial run mandatory on a new all stainless steel rig?
Regarding the cleaning protocol mentioned in topics for new rigs, I totally understand the steaming and vinegar runs' necessity. Now, the alcohol run is always mentioned as a means to eliminate flux and other impurities caused from copper brazing/soldering, as well as somehow seasoning the new copper. On the other hand, the pot still I am meaning to use is all TIG welded stainless steel joined by C-clamps, and it comes cleaned and polished from the vendor, so i am wondering if the sacrificial run applies here, since the manufacturer's instructions only mention a vinegar run for cleaning.

2- If the still is all stainless steel, is copper packing needed somewhere to eliminate sulfates?
The still I am meaning to use is NOT a tower still with a pot boiler, so I understand no tower packing should be done but I still want to look into eliminating sulfates from my condensed output. Is there a way to eliminate this from the boiler? Is it smart to stick some packing right before the neck's bend on the still?

Any help would be greatly appretiated. Regards.
-Cannibal

[navan4]

A sacrificial run applies to both copper and stainless stills, my stainless pot still I did one and my copper reflux column I did one also and if I change my packing in my column I would do one after cleaning in vinegar my packing, this to insure that my spirit runs are consumable and are totally free of any byproducts that might remain. As for if or how you can use some copper with your still, maybe a little more information about your still would help to give an adequate answer.

[pope]

If you're adding packing there will be some reflux so it just depends what product you're after, but the copper will react with sulfites if it is in the vapor path.

I would just do a cleaning run. If you're worried about all the wasted time/effort going into fermenting and stripping down the liquor needed for your cleaning run, one day that sugar wash you made to clean your equipment will just be a drop in the bucket and it won't feel so painful that you didn't get to drink that first product. It will be good fermentation practice and it will only cost a few dollars.

[NZChris]

One of my stills can be cleaned manually before assembly, so it has never had a need for a cleaning run.

To get rid of sulphites, copper is needed in the boiler as well as the condenser. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 0450.x/pdf

[pope]

To get rid of sulphites, copper is needed in the boiler as well as the condenser.

This link is killer tyvm. I will be reading it tonight, I had been misinformed on the value of copper in the boiler.

[shadylane]

1- Is a sacrificial run mandatory on a new all stainless steel rig?
the pot still I am meaning to use is all TIG welded stainless steel joined by C-clamps, and it comes cleaned and polished from the vendor

I wonder what flavor of polish the vendor used
I'd recommend a sac run.

2- If the still is all stainless steel, is copper packing needed somewhere to eliminate sulfates?

Get some copper mesh
Wad it up and throw it in your SS boiler

[pope]

Shady I have a copper column but ss keg boiler and have never added copper to the boiler... do you think I’ll notice a difference? Stripping and spirit run or spirit only?

[WithOrWithoutU2]

If it is clean, no. But do you know for sure. Unless you have a still like NZ that is modular enough that you can hand clean every inch, most here would tell you to error on the side of caution. What is the downside of running a sacrificial run? For me time is my most scarce resources. So I did not want to take 7-10 days on a wash to use it as a sacrificial run. So I bought the cheapest vodka and cut it with water down to about 10% abv and ran it. Gave me the chance to learn the still a little bit too. If time is not an issue for you, then why not practice on creating a wash and running the still on a sacrificial run.

[Cannibal]

Awesome!!! I did not expect to get answered so qickly. Very grateful to you all.

Ok, so what I can extract from your replies, I will do a sacrificial run out of watered down vodka. I did not know if vinegar can do away with polish residue but I guess not, and the still has a very narrow pipe outlet so it's pretty difficult to clean by hand.

I'll also chuck a piece of copper mesh in the boiler on the stripping and spirit runs. We're aiming at making corn whiskey on our first various runs, so I'll read that link NZChris sent and find out if I will use it on the condenser also. I understand that creating reflux may take some flavor out. Thanks bud!

...As for if or how you can use some copper with your still, maybe a little more information about your still would help to give an adequate answer.

Here is a picture of my still, any comments would be greatly appreciated. I've marked where, in any case, packing could be placed besides the boiler. Don't know if it's really recommended or not to place packing there tho.



Again, thank you all!

[Corsaire]

That's a very shiny pot still! You can place some copper there but without some forced reflux you don't need to worry about losing flavour. It's still just a pot still.
Good luck on your whisky runs!

[navan4]

Awesome!!! I did not expect to get answered so qickly. Very grateful to you all.

Ok, so what I can extract from your replies, I will do a sacrificial run out of watered down vodka. I did not know if vinegar can do away with polish residue but I guess not, and the still has a very narrow pipe outlet so it's pretty difficult to clean by hand.

I'll also chuck a piece of copper mesh in the boiler on the stripping and spirit runs. We're aiming at making corn whiskey on our first various runs, so I'll read that link NZChris sent and find out if I will use it on the condenser also. I understand that creating reflux may take some flavor out. Thanks bud!

...As for if or how you can use some copper with your still, maybe a little more information about your still would help to give an adequate answer.

Here is a picture of my still, any comments would be greatly appreciated. I've marked where, in any case, packing could be placed besides the boiler. Don't know if it's really recommended or not to place packing there tho.



Again, thank you all!

Yes it seems as an adequate place to put a single mesh of copper. A good trick to know if it's packed too tightly or not, try breathing through it, if you can with a little resistance, then it's fine, if you can't, loosen it up. Your still looks great, just lacks copper.

[Cannibal]

Yes it seems as an adequate place to put a single mesh of copper. A good trick to know if it's packed too tightly or not, try breathing through it, if you can with a little resistance, then it's fine, if you can't, loosen it up. Your still looks great, just lacks copper.

Cool. Then I think all my questions have been answered; for now obviously. And thanks for the comment on the still, I would've gone for copper but our budget was not friendly with that haha. My brother in law is pretty good at brazing/soldering, so i'll maybe buy copper fittings and tube further down the road and put them together ank keep using the boiler.

Thanks for the help!

[GCB3]

Cannibal
Nice looking rig. I can’t quite tell from the photo whether that is a tri-clamp between the kettle lid and the lyne arm. If so, you could add a 6” tall gin basket to hold copper in the vapor path (and botanicals when you move into gin). As noted above, some copper mesh will not create enough reflux to affect your flavor, but, will capture a bunch of nasty sulfur compounds!
Good luck!

[Cannibal]

That's a very shiny pot still! You can place some copper there but without some forced reflux you don't need to worry about losing flavour. It's still just a pot still.
Good luck on your whisky runs!

Awesome. That comment makes me stop worrying so much. Thanks!

[Cannibal]

Cannibal
Nice looking rig. I can’t quite tell from the photo whether that is a tri-clamp between the kettle lid and the lyne arm. If so, you could add a 6” tall gin basket to hold copper in the vapor path (and botanicals when you move into gin). As noted above, some copper mesh will not create enough reflux to affect your flavor, but, will capture a bunch of nasty sulfur compounds!
Good luck!

Niiice, I'll keep that in mind. I will most certainly move to gin eventually. Always figured building a thumper with the basket in it, but your suggestion now made me think twice Thaks for the tip!

[bilgriss]

I have the same or similar still. One recommendation is to build a new condenser. A longer copper condenser makes it way easier to strip quickly, and cuts down tremendously on your coolant water flow. When I used that short stainless one, I had to keep the water COLD, and that shouldn't be necessary. Otherwise, I've had great luck with the setup. And yeah, I pack in some copper mesh in the region you have marked.

[cayars]

Personally, I'd see if you can get some scrap copper and cut it up into pieces and throw them in the boiler.
You could also attach a foot or so of "wormed" copper to the end of your condenser as well to direct the distillate flow into your jars. Hell, get rid of the table and have a nice down spiral copper worm directing the flow to a jar on a milk crate or something and that would get you a couple feet of direct copper contact.

You really can't overdue the amount of copper you have especially when it's super easy to clean.

BTW, is that the 2" or 3" head you got?

I love the milk cans as they make cleaning so easy.