Looks like copper flakes in distillate

[nerdybrewer]

I've run quite a few batches with my equipment and this time was going along great.
It's a pot still with a keg boiler and 24" tall b 2" diameter column and a liebig condenser.
All copper and stainless steel, nothing else.

The first 4 quarts were clean and awesome, ranging from 78% down to 60%.
The 5th quart was going great until I noticed little copper colored metallic looking "stuff" floating on top.
I put the 6th jar under and took the 5th out into daylight, sure enough looked like copper floating on top.
I swished and the little bits stuck together to make bigger patches.
6th quart was also getting the same stuff, I shut down at that point.
Anyone see this before?
Here is a picture.

[nerdybrewer]

Ok, got the picture size right.

[bellybuster]

what kind of washes or mashes have you been running?

[nerdybrewer]

Been running rum washes lately.
Today I decided to run a batch of heads and tails and for fun put in some home made blackberry wine.
So, today was not typical at all.
Was it something to do with the acidic wine?

[DAD300]

It may be a puke of the rum wash.

Were you pushing the power to keep distillate tails coming out?

Did you put anything in to stop foaming? Butter or oil?

[nerdybrewer]

Never had a puke before, but there's a first time for everything!
Didn't add anything to stop foaming.

[DAD300]

Hmmm...well with nothing else to go on...I'd say puke! If it was metal it would sink.

I'd do a cleaning run, till it stops.

I add a tablespoon of butter or coconut butter to the boiler as an antifoam agent.

[bearriver]

I add a tablespoon of butter or coconut butter to the boiler as an antifoam agent.

Me too. Then again I'll put butter on almost anything that's not a body part.

[DAD300]

Beat ya...I've put it on her!

[StillLearning1]

How long had your still sat in between running it? Just wondering because I think i read somewhere here if it sits for more than a few weeks it should be cleaned again.

Im probably wrong as I'm not speaking from experience just what I think I remember reading here.

[bellybuster]

Molasses??

[nerdybrewer]

I will do a cleaning run, no doubt it was puke.
Thanks all, like I said there's a first time for everything.

[rad14701]

Do you have copper plated scrubbers in your pot column, by chance...??? Looks like copper coming off imitation scrubbers from China to me...

[nerdybrewer]

No Rad, all pure solid copper above the boiler.

[rad14701]

No Rad, all pure solid copper above the boiler.

Chinese 100% pure copper scrubbers from a discount store...??? Or Chore Boy knockoffs from China...??? They aren't 100% copper... Give them a look see if you haven't already to make sure they are intact...

[nerdybrewer]

There are no scrubbers.
There is a 2" copper pipe that's 24" tall and an angle 2" to 1/2" adapter connected to a 26" liebig made from 3/4" and 1/" copper pipe.
Besides if it was metal it wouldn't float.

[rad14701]

Maybe it "shouldn't" float, but it could if the plating was thin enough... Check out a bottle of Goldschlager and notice how the "supposedly" real gold floats...

Well, at least we've eliminated the scrubber issue...