Last winter I put away more booze than I ever thought I'd drink and thought I would take the summer off with my distilling. Guess I was thirstier than I thought as I started running out of vodka. Those screwdrivers were pretty good
Anyway, I made 10 gallons of sugar wash and broke out the still. I ran hot water through the column for about 5 minutes while I re-rinsed out the keg. When I looked up the column it just didn't look right so I ran a white bottle brush up it. When I pulled it out, it was brown from all the corrosion.
Next I broke out the vinegar, poured some in and sealed all of the openings. Swished it around for about 10 minutes and when I poured it out, it was green It took me an hour but with vinegar, bleach and sand I eventually got everything clean.
So here's the question.........what if anything can be done to protect copper when it's not in use? Does anyone know of anything that the inside of the column could be coated with (vegetable oil maybe?) and washed out before use? I really don't want to go through that again.
Thanks!
a lot of the old time moonshiners who actually left their equipment stashed under bushes in the woods when not in use would fill their coil with vinegar and cork the ends.
I'd worry about that causing as much corrosion as it prevents.
"a woman who drives you to drink is hard to find, most of them will make you drive yourself."
anon--
After a session we immediatly clean our column. We use a couple pieces of scotch brite pad cut out to about 2- 1/4" slightly larger than the diameter of the column. We mount these pads on a piece of 1/4" ready rod about 2' long and then use an electric drill to spin it. Run it up and down the length of the column while spinning. We only dip this pad in clean water, (no vinegar). After this we rinse it thoroughly and then DRY it with a clean rag. It seems to stay clean and shiney this way.
Previously we used vinegar and found the column had oxidized after a couple of weeks and had to be cleaned again before use.
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day and drink beer.
Interesting about the copper and oxidization. I soak boiler and head with mild vinegar and water before and after each run for about 10 min., then rinse with lots of water, then dry. It does seem to oxidize a bit between runs.
I've also stopped a run half way through, had to let wash sit for 24 hours (which may be too long), then finish the run. When I do that the part of the boiler that had wash sitting in it is cleaner from the wash working on it, but I also have to toss a cup or two of spirit when I start the second half because it has metallic taste from sitting in the copper. Think 24 hours is too long in the middle of a run?
Lord preserve and protect us, we've been drinkin' whiskey 'fore breakfast.
It took me an hour but with vinegar, bleach and sand I eventually got everything clean.