Silver lining in the column

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ct1870
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Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

I distilled an ujssm yesterday. I ran 11 gals of mash in a 15.5 keg, copper column and worm. I have used for the past year. I was rinsing out the column and noticed silver stuff coming out of the column. Could it be from the wash, did I run it to hot? I put some copper chips .5 inch copper tubing I had cut with a pipe cutter to help break up the boil. Could it be from the pipe cutter? And should I toss the whole run?
hackware
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by hackware »

i would suspect scrubbers...
tell me how hard it is to do... tell me how expensive it will be... just don't tell me what i can not do...

lead, follow, or get out of the way... ankle biters will be kicked...

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ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

No packing in the column
ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

Used a ptef/teflon gasket with an easy flang to connect to the keg and flour paste for the rest.
Usge
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by Usge »

Are you sure it's not solder? Perhaps loose solder from a joint, and/or from the easy flange?
Bull Rider
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by Bull Rider »

I'm with Usage, solder flotsam and jetsam. Did you do a cleaning run and a sacrificial run?

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Dnderhead
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by Dnderhead »

was the copper new/used?
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by Prairiepiss »

You said you have been using it for a year? How many times had you run it in that year? This is the first time you noticed it?

You also said while rincing out the column? Did it come out of the column only or the worm to? Did you find it in your distillate to? or just the rince water?
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ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

I have used it 10 to 15 times. The easy flange has been solid and holds tight to the keg. I rinse it out aftr eAch use cover the ends with coffee filters and a rubberband to keep the spiders out. The only thing I can figure is it is something in the keg. I'll get some pics of the copper chips I used in the boiler. The difference is i used a yellow corn meal from SAMs instead of cracked corn. On the run before I had put some malted barley from the beer store. Before I had more of a brown tint at the end of the run in the tails. Unless the solder is breaking down inside the copper pipe there is some that ran down the inside wall of the column. Sorry for jumping all over the place. Had a few minutes to check it on the I phone and can't type worth a shit on it .
ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

here are some pics
chips in the boiler
chips in the boiler
the silver stuff
the silver stuff
this is  the pip cutter i used
this is the pip cutter i used
I filtered this out of the forshots. What the hell is it?
ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

Dnderhead wrote:was the copper new/used?
Copper is new and have been using it. Next run i make i will use a different colmn.
ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

can anyone on here test it? I would love to find out what it is. :crazy:
Usge
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by Usge »

That's either solder, or those tube ends are chipping up the bottom of your keg. You using 'letric? Or are you heating with gas? I think we need to start seeing some pics of your keg
Dnderhead
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by Dnderhead »

is it something off your element? some Iv seen are plated with something.
ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

I'm heating with propane. I had thought about the tube ends chipping up the bottom but cant really tell . I'll get some pics of the keg. Miller 15.5 keg.
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by Dnderhead »

now i'm thanking this is some sort of minerals ,probably from water.
ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

AHH Yes! I am on city water and i fill up gallon jugs and let them air out for couple of days or even weeks before i use them to let the chlorine out. You think That could be it.
Dnderhead
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by Dnderhead »

you could boil some water.do this until you have nothing left .then see if you have same/similar in pan.
nil_fhios_agam
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by nil_fhios_agam »

Is your water hard? Throw some water in there and boil it up then chuck in some citric acid. If it starts vigorously bubbling then there is your problem. Let the citric acid run for a while and you should be sorted. Also, get some campden tablets instead of letting the water sit for that long. Crush one up per 25L and stir it into the strike water. Might be worth looking at some mash stabiliser too, if you're water supply isn't up to scratch. Do you find you're hitting your gravity correctly?
ct1870
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Re: Silver lining in the column

Post by ct1870 »

Thanks for the help. As I stated before, I'm on city water. I have run 2 more washes the first had less in it and the last didn"t see and residue. The only thing i can figure is There WAs someThing in The WateR!!
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