Do you clean your copper rig?

[DenisO]

I suppose this topic is discussed before, but I'm unable to find anything with words "clean" and "copper". System said its too often words here

So, my question is, do anybody clean their copper rig (specifically column and all stuff above boiler. Boiler have to be cleaned, obliviously)?
How you do that, if so?
I have stainless steel rig with copper "mash" inside column, which I'm cleaning with boiling water and lemon acid just before run
Now I'm thinking about purchasing 500mm 2" copper column, but cleaning it same way will be not really convenient

[fizzix]

I do not have a copper still, but have read threads on the subject. The predominant personal choice is to let it get a natural copper patina on the outside and let chemistry take care of the inside.
Keeping it showroom shiny outside takes a lot of repetitive work otherwise.

But let's see what copper owners have to say...

[DenisO]

I mostly care about cleaning inside of it. Which chemical solution is the best to clean it inside?

[Kareltje]

I hardly clean the inside of my boilers. I rinse them out with hot water and let them dry. If there is some rest of solid stuff, like debris of grain or fruit, I use a toilet brush on a stick. New, of course.

I have no real column, but sometimes I use ss scrubbers in a ginbox. Boil them out, if they seem dirty.
The only problem might be an aftersmell of strong botanicals like anis seed or juniper, but I try to do a stripping run of some strong mash like rum after that.

[BlackStrap]

Thank You DenisO; You asked a good question.

I mostly care about cleaning inside of it. Which chemical solution is the best to clean it inside?

I have been thinking about this the past week or so... there are times that my still sets a month or so without being used. (I give it a good rinse after use with water, let it air dry... BUT, am curious, What IF...)

I have a enough runs lately to collect about 4 gallons of foreshots and heads.

Why couldn't I throw them back in the boiler with 5-6 gallons water and make a quick "spirit" run to clean out the insides of the still should anything be questionable inside the vapor path?

What are your thoughts?
Thanks
Blackstrap

[jonnys_spirit]

I thought running high proof alcohol through it regularly was a pretty stringent cleaning system ?....

I throw away fores (store it in a jar labeled not for consumption...) with also a good little bit of heads so the initial drip drops do certainly sterilize the product path through the column and condenser.

The 3" pot still column gets a rinse with hot water before / after use. No other chemicals other than ethanol.

The milk can boiler get's the same treatment and maybe I'll use a brush on it if there is any build up...

Interested to see what other folks do.

Cheers!
-j

[OtisT]

I run a copper column and clean it on occasion. It depends on what I am making next and what my still smells like.

If I hope to run something clean through my still, a neutral or some delicate spirit, I make sure it smells clean. I don't often make delicate spirits and rarely need a full clean. Mostly it's just a rinse and a good dry after each use.

If my still smells bad, I clean it. Also, some products can be messy to make and require additional cleaning. I just ran some molasses that puked and I needed to lightly clean my rig. Warm water and a light scrub knocked most off. I used some foreshots for the final scrub. I use a bottle brush for most of the short column and joints. I use a stick with a rag or a rag on a string to push/pull through my liebig and long column sections. If I were making rum after rum after rum, I may not clean between those runs, even if it gets a little messy.

Otis

[Single Malt Yinzer]

A tablespoon of citric acid to a gallon of water will give you good cleaning power. It's good for cleaning the inside of the still to remove tarnished layers and will remove residue from previous runs like gin. Don't let it sit for long. Swish it around until you see the copper go shiny. For stainless it's safe to let it sit for a while. It will actually passivate it.

[DenisO]

A tablespoon of citric acid to a gallon of water will give you good cleaning power. It's good for cleaning the inside of the still to remove tarnished layers and will remove residue from previous runs like gin. Don't let it sit for long. Swish it around until you see the copper go shiny. For stainless it's safe to let it sit for a while. It will actually passivate it.

I clean same way copper mesh in stainless still column
And that was I mean exactly, with my question, is how to remove copper oxide after run (but better just before new run, IMHO)
I thought there something more convenient way available. I need to have large basin to put 500 mm 2" column in to citric acid

[The Baker]

A tablespoon of citric acid to a gallon of water will give you good cleaning power. It's good for cleaning the inside of the still to remove tarnished layers and will remove residue from previous runs like gin. Don't let it sit for long. Swish it around until you see the copper go shiny. For stainless it's safe to let it sit for a while. It will actually passivate it.

I clean same way copper mesh in stainless still column
And that was I mean exactly, with my question, is how to remove copper oxide after run (but better just before new run, IMHO)
I thought there something more convenient way available. I need to have large basin to put 500 mm 2" column in to citric acid

Put a cork in the end and put the liquid in the (upright! ) pipe. That's the inside done.

Geoff

[OtisT]

I have been making a lot of copper parts the last two years and just wanted to share something I have used when copper parts needs a serious cleaning, especially where you can't reach. Check out Pickling Solution, which is usually associated with jewelry work. Strong stuff, so be careful and use sparingly. It will strip the patina off of copper in seconds and make it look like new. Just whip up a bucket of this stuff and dip your copper. I made a simple trough out of a skinny cardboard box and lined it with plastic for pickling entire columns.

Otis

[The Booze Pipe]

The most cleaning I do with my copper still is a rinse of water after a run. And like mentioned earlier, if I'm stilling the same stuff (stripping/spirit runs of sour corn mash) I won't even bother with the rinse.
The most I've got going was a bottle brush up the column to scrub it out.
Copper mesh I throw into a bucket of StarSan, cleans copper to a shine; I imagine citric acid does the same. I guess if you were crazy about it you could use the bottle brush with citric acid to scrub out your copper column.

[DetroitDIY]

I do not have a copper still, but have read threads on the subject. The predominant personal choice is to let it get a natural copper patina on the outside and let chemistry take care of the inside.
Keeping it showroom shiny outside takes a lot of repetitive work otherwise.

But let's see what copper owners have to say...

I do have a copper still... on the precipice of two now. I've read that most prefer the natural patina on the outside. I'm one for the external bright finish. Just put a couple of coats of KBS Clear Diamond Finish Clearcoat after taking some Pennybrite to the exterior. Did a bit of research and KBS is supposed to be very hard and good for high temps.

On my first still, I polished it by sanding and applied some spray finish I got at the hardware store. The coat isn't as thick as the KBS is (which I brushed on with multiple coats) and gets a bit tacky when the still it running. Minor bummer on that. I'm really hoping the KBS is more capable.

As far as the inside goes, I'm just give it a good cleaning and let it go. Quick water rinse after a run, let it air dry, and ready for more action. The new still has a gin basket (first one didn't), so that and the down stream product condenser and parrot may need a bit of extra TLC when I run botanicals. We'll see.

[zapata]

IMO patina is a good thing on the inside. I clean if things end up with thick black crust (usually the bottom copper mesh). Occasionally if stuff gets stored especially put away damp you get all sorts of yellow, green and blue verdigris. I really try to avoid that, but I've got a fair bit of equipment that doesn't get used regularly so it happens. That stuff I clean out for sure. I break out the acids for the colorful stuff as needed. Starsan if it's on hand, especially if I've had a bucket mixed and sitting longer than I'd trust for a brew day. Otherwise citric.

Standard cleaning is just a hot water rinse before/after a run. Soap and/or starsan and/or unscented oxiclean if it's a bit funky and I need to make a neutral.

Sometimes the best defense is a better offense, so I just keep gin botanicals out of my copper gear. Juniper is essential to gin, and a plague to whiskey.

[DenisO]

I have been making a lot of copper parts the last two years and just wanted to share something I have used when copper parts needs a serious cleaning, especially where you can't reach. Check out Pickling Solution, which is usually associated with jewelry work. Strong stuff, so be careful and use sparingly. It will strip the patina off of copper in seconds and make it look like new. Just whip up a bucket of this stuff and dip your copper. I made a simple trough out of a skinny cardboard box and lined it with plastic for pickling entire columns.

Otis

Thanks Otis!
Will try that

[Swedish Pride]

get a bucket, put in the parts you need to clean, dump hot backset in to said bucket. hot, acidic and free