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Blue Moonshine

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:10 am
by fireman7753
I did a simple sugar wash (10 gallons) and ran it through my column still. My distillate came out blue and smelled like ammonia. It looks and smells just like windex (maybe I have discovered their secret process lol). My system is 100% stainless and copper. I was doing a stripping run and the only thing that did not go right was I let it get a little hot at the begining. Is that what caused this mysterious blue liquid to come out? I did check it with my alchometer and it was about 80%. Any input would be appreciated.

Re: Blue Moonshine

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:21 am
by Dnderhead
was the wash alkaline?

Re: Blue Moonshine

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:53 am
by fireman7753
I did not do any tests to the wash except for checking gravity. I kinda wondered that too, that maybe the color came from a chemical reaction with the copper. I just have never had this happen before and have always done the same sugar wash. The only difference with my wash this time is I had a over abudance of corn sugar and I added it to the wash as well as the granulated sugar. After colleging about a half gallon of the "blue stuff" I shut it down dumped everything and washed and scrubbed everything.

Re: Blue Moonshine

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:29 pm
by rubber duck
Is this a new still or have you made any mods to your rig? Because it kinda sounds like flux. Is it like a blue oily sheen on top?

Re: Blue Moonshine

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:47 pm
by FLquacker
Copied from the main site...
[previously] replied, saying it was probably due to copper salts coming from acid wash. I WAS WRONG!!!!

In fact, I've learned that it is just the opposite! Acid washes do not corrode the condenser (unless, perhaps, they've been allowed to sit far to long and have gone acetic), but neutral to alkaline ones DO. Heating an ALKALINE wash, particularly one with lots of nitrogen-containing compounds that have been put in as nutrients, liberates ammonia, which corrodes the heck out of reflux coils and dyes the distillate a distinct greenish blue.

The Upshot: if the WASH is turning blue, it's probably due to acid wash corroding a copper sheathed element or a copper boiler, but if the collected DISTILLATE is blue, (and probably ammoniacal, but not always), the wash should be acidified!

Turbos contain a lot of nitrogen-containing compounds, and at neutral to high pH, these can liberate free ammonia. At low pH, they are bound up with the acid as salts, and do not liberate ammonia. So, by adding nutrients to an already nutrient rich turbo, you can inadvertently push the mix over the line and get ammonia with your distillate.

Re: Blue Moonshine

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:39 am
by fireman7753
That sounds like what the cause probably is. I think I might have gotten a little carried away with my nutrients. I did the "that looks good" measurement. I will have to be more careful in the future. Thanks! I searched the main site and did not come across that post.

Re: Blue Moonshine

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:59 am
by dixiedrifter
DAP + sodium (bi)carbonate + copper = blue shine.

Re: Blue Moonshine

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:44 pm
by rad14701
The re-invention of Blue Curacao... :esurprised: