Particulate or Sediment in Product

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Oso
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Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Oso »

I could use a little advice, I have been distilling for over ten years, rum and sour mash mainly. I use natural cane sugar and untreated washed cracked corn, distillers yeast and yeast nutrient (UJSM recipe) in the recommended amounts. Everything was just rosie until my last two runs, I dumped the first 150 ml then collected about 2500 ml in 100 ml increments in 1/2 pint ball jars with plastic lids, as is normal. After making cuts (I only Keep hearts) I was distracted and and left the product in the cutting jars for several weeks, this happened again on the next run. I noticed a small amount of a black particulate, residue, sediment in the cutting jars. I then checked the storage jars from the earlier run and found this sediment also. Can anyone tell me about the black stuff?
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Still Life
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Still Life »

"Plastic lids" ...elaborate, please.
Pikey
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Pikey »

Is the black evident in all the jars ? or mainly in the tails of the "rum wash"

How did you clean your apparatus between runs ?
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HDNB
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by HDNB »

i'm getting some black dust in the procap downcommer cups too. All AG, after a few runs. I have been thinking but unable to prove it was/is grain powder that has been thoroughly cooked onto the steam jacket, and busted loose.

but now i'm subbed here to learn more.
I finally quit drinking for good.

now i drink for evil.
Oso
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Oso »

Still Life wrote:"Plastic lids" ...elaborate, please.
The lids are made and sold by Ball, they are used to reseal a Ball canning jar after opening.
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Oso »

Pikey wrote:Is the black evident in all the jars ? or mainly in the tails of the "rum wash"

How did you clean your apparatus between runs ?
It's in all the jars. I scrub the still with dish soap followed by a triple rinse, all hoses and seals are food grade, dish soap washed, triple rinsed then air dried.
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NZChris
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by NZChris »

What kind of still have you got?

My stills don't have any 'food grade' hoses or seals because we are not making food. Seals and hoses must be able to handle hot solvents, ethanol is only one of them.

Ball jar lids might be ok to use for a few hours and a lot of home distillers use them, I don't, but weeks is probably a bad idea.

You are doing so much that most of us would never do, that I won't be surprised if you have problems that few of us have experienced.
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Pikey »

I agree - what still do you have ? photos ?
Oso
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Oso »

Pikey wrote:I agree - what still do you have ? photos ?
I have a PS II in the Pot Still mode.
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Pikey »

Oso wrote:
Pikey wrote:I agree - what still do you have ? photos ?
I have a PS II in the Pot Still mode.
You mean this one ?

http://www.brewhaus.com/Essential-Extra ... olumn.aspx

If so - we have a thread on it - with suggested modifications - particularly to the "Rubber bung" here ;

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25732

First thing is replace that bung - rule that out as a possible cause - even though it seems unlikely atm.
Oso
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Oso »

The Sediment in the distillate turns out to be carbon powder, most likely a contaminate in the raw cane sugar used in the fermentation process (They burn the cane field prior to processing). The carbon rides the vapors into the condenser, then into the collection jar.
Thank you each and all for your help and advice, I learned a great deal about distilling while identifying the black stuff. Again thank you.
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Pikey »

Brilliant result :thumbup: That we can live with eh?
How did you get that analysed ?

Sounds like HDNB might have the same issue with corn dust "cooking on" - Something we can all keep in the back ofour minds for future reference.
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NZChris
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by NZChris »

Oso wrote:The carbon rides the vapors into the condenser, then into the collection jar.
Where did you get that information from?
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Oso »

I have a friend that is a Chemist at a rum distillery.
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by Pikey »

Oso wrote:I have a friend that is a Chemist at a rum distillery.
lol: neat :thumbup:
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HDNB
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by HDNB »

Oso wrote:I have a friend that is a Chemist at a rum distillery.
awesome. Can you ask him for a test that would prove my dust is carbon? or at least eliminate carbon as a possibility?

something that a person can do without a lab or GC ...?
I finally quit drinking for good.

now i drink for evil.
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rgreen2002
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Re: Particulate or Sediment in Product

Post by rgreen2002 »

Oso wrote:I have a friend that is a Chemist at a rum distillery.
Dammit! I want a friend at a rum factory too....

I really appreciate you coming back to give us the answer Oso! Many folks would not have come back to help the group. Hope you continue to stay.
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