I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
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I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
Both stainless boiler and CM column with copper packing. Copper mesh has been cleaned twice, but not recently.
But I can swear "Shirley" is producing cleaner product than ever. Cuts are distinct and easy.
Hearts are luscious and full. Does seasoning happen like granny's old iron skillet?
But I can swear "Shirley" is producing cleaner product than ever. Cuts are distinct and easy.
Hearts are luscious and full. Does seasoning happen like granny's old iron skillet?
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
I find every run is getting better myself. I think it is more about getting to know the proper protocols and ones specific rig. Maybe there is a little 'seasoning' effect but improving in skill is more likely.
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Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
i agree with both, seasoning and hopefully i'm getting better!zed255 wrote:I find every run is getting better myself. I think it is more about getting to know the proper protocols and ones specific rig. Maybe there is a little 'seasoning' effect but improving in skill is more likely.
I finally quit drinking for good.
now i drink for evil.
now i drink for evil.
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
Did you remove your copper packing to let it dry between each run ?
With my old bok, Iet them dry, and from time to time I washed the packing with citric acid when copper was too dark.
Well, was for tasteless vodka, don't know a lot about flavored products, I ran just a few times in pot mode.
With my old bok, Iet them dry, and from time to time I washed the packing with citric acid when copper was too dark.
Well, was for tasteless vodka, don't know a lot about flavored products, I ran just a few times in pot mode.
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
No. Just drip dries in the columncede wrote:Did you remove your copper packing to let it dry between each run ?
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
Good to know. I wondered about this myself. Thanks.fizzix wrote:No. Just drip dries in the columncede wrote:Did you remove your copper packing to let it dry between each run ?
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
I would bet money it's skill and familiarity. Stainless might passivate but it doesn't season like you're talking. The copper in pot mode is there just to react with sulfur wash compounds or redistillaion sites in a column.... not sure how it would change over time, except getting dirty.
One thing I did notice using some fairly dirty (used in pot mode, sulfates... not true dirt) copper packing multiple times was that early heads and fores in subsequent runs could pull out/off copper sulfate giving distillate a blueish hue (not to mention it's poisonous). They just have better solvent properties than watery tails in the end of a run.
I clean all my packing now after a run. Few hours in hot oxiclean or PBW then hot rinse followed by a few minute soak in Star San or Citric Acid.
One thing I did notice using some fairly dirty (used in pot mode, sulfates... not true dirt) copper packing multiple times was that early heads and fores in subsequent runs could pull out/off copper sulfate giving distillate a blueish hue (not to mention it's poisonous). They just have better solvent properties than watery tails in the end of a run.
I clean all my packing now after a run. Few hours in hot oxiclean or PBW then hot rinse followed by a few minute soak in Star San or Citric Acid.
Re: I Swear My Still Is
after about 10 run the SS will develop a coating of baked on crud light gold eventually becoming brown that does not wash off in a dishwasher with extra detergent, it will come off with fores assisted with a scotchbright.butterpants wrote: Stainless might passivate but it doesn't season like you're talking.
I call that seasoning, damned if i'm gonna work that hard to get it polished
I finally quit drinking for good.
now i drink for evil.
now i drink for evil.
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Re: I Swear My Still Is
Every 40-50 gallons wash run I overnight hot soak in oxyclean/pbw, hot rinse then soak again in Star San for 20 minutes (it's the best way to remove the oxlate formed by oxyclean that looks like you sprinkled baby powder on your stainless but won't wipe off). My still has run weekly for a year and still looks like it just came out of the box. Still learning but the product has created quite a few smiles. What you're describing is just filth. More power to ya if you like the results but as a brewer my metal can't look like that.HDNB wrote:after about 10 run the SS will develop a coating of baked on crud light gold eventually becoming brown that does not wash off in a dishwasher with extra detergent, it will come off with fores assisted with a scotchbright.butterpants wrote: Stainless might passivate but it doesn't season like you're talking.
I call that seasoning, damned if i'm gonna work that hard to get it polished
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
if it is calcium oxalate that is coating the SS then anything acidic will bring it off,
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50L Beer keg boiler, 2200W element
Modular 2" Pot Still
opinions are free and everybody has them, experience costs you time
50L Beer keg boiler, 2200W element
Modular 2" Pot Still
opinions are free and everybody has them, experience costs you time
Re: I Swear My Still Is
I didn't want to be pretentious by exclaiming my "skill" but I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. There is a wipeable film in the boiler base.butterpants wrote:I would bet money it's skill and familiarity. Stainless might passivate but it doesn't season like you're talking. The copper in pot mode is there just to react with sulfur wash compounds or redistillaion sites in a column.... not sure how it would change over time, except getting dirty.
One thing I did notice using some fairly dirty (used in pot mode, sulfates... not true dirt) copper packing multiple times was that early heads and fores in subsequent runs could pull out/off copper sulfate giving distillate a blueish hue (not to mention it's poisonous). They just have better solvent properties than watery tails in the end of a run.
I clean all my packing now after a run. Few hours in hot oxiclean or PBW then hot rinse followed by a few minute soak in Star San or Citric Acid.
Seasoning or not, I've got the boiler soaking in PBW overnight and will do a 20-minute StarSan after that. Already cleaned the mesh last night. It's just time to do it.
- Yummyrum
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
fizzix
I think you are correct ...fresh clean copper does not produce the same product as Patenea'd ...is that a word copper .
A freshly cleaned still won't make you sick but the booze from a blackened still tastes better .
Been a few years since I last cleaned my stills . Might be a few years before I clean them again .
I know Salt Bush Bill hasn't cleaned his in 5+ years ...his stuff is good
Guess'n a wad of copper wool in a staino still is the same . Don't clean it .
I think you are correct ...fresh clean copper does not produce the same product as Patenea'd ...is that a word copper .
A freshly cleaned still won't make you sick but the booze from a blackened still tastes better .
Been a few years since I last cleaned my stills . Might be a few years before I clean them again .
I know Salt Bush Bill hasn't cleaned his in 5+ years ...his stuff is good
Guess'n a wad of copper wool in a staino still is the same . Don't clean it .
My recommended goto .
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
I cleaned it this time because I'm still making Booner's (got a 10-liter barrel to fill) and will see how the CLEAN STILL Booner compares to the DIRTY STILL Booner.Yummyrum wrote:fizzix
I think you are correct ...fresh clean copper does not produce the same product as Patenea'd ...is that a word copper .
A freshly cleaned still won't make you sick but the booze from a blackened still tastes better .
Been a few years since I last cleaned my stills . Might be a few years before I clean them again .
I know Salt Bush Bill hasn't cleaned his in 5+ years ...his stuff is good
Guess'n a wad of copper wool in a staino still is the same . Don't clean it .
The copper mesh after cleaning retained its patina, complete with blackened edges. Smells better, though.
Yes, Patenea'd is a word that works for me if it works for you.
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
I'd be interested in seeing a triangle test of Booners from a cleaned vs never cleaned still. Make it so!fizzix wrote:I cleaned it this time because I'm still making Booner's (got a 10-liter barrel to fill) and will see how the CLEAN STILL Booner compares to the DIRTY STILL Booner.Yummyrum wrote:fizzix
I think you are correct ...fresh clean copper does not produce the same product as Patenea'd ...is that a word copper .
A freshly cleaned still won't make you sick but the booze from a blackened still tastes better .
Been a few years since I last cleaned my stills . Might be a few years before I clean them again .
I know Salt Bush Bill hasn't cleaned his in 5+ years ...his stuff is good
Guess'n a wad of copper wool in a staino still is the same . Don't clean it .
The copper mesh after cleaning retained its patina, complete with blackened edges. Smells better, though.
Yes, Patenea'd is a word that works for me if it works for you.
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
True but I'd rather have it come off cleaning than in product. Star San is quite acidickimbodious wrote:if it is calcium oxalate that is coating the SS then anything acidic will bring it off,
- corene1
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
Just sharing my experiences. With my all copper pot still I did notice that after several runs the flavor of the spirit did improve . The same with my stainless steel plated column. The plated column has a section at the bottom that is 4 inch by 8 inches tall and is filled with 3/8 inch copper tube pieces 3/8 inch long , these are for copper contact and the plates and downcomers themselves are copper. This is the only copper in the system except for the liebeg.
After the initial cleaning run I have never cleaned either still. My procedure for cleaning the still after a run is to take all the cooling water off and steam the inside with the tails. These have a bunch of oils in them and put a coating on the surface of the metals. I disassemble the rig while it is hot and let it air dry. When I make my next run the fores will strip off all the oil and all is good from there on. have never had a problem with the greenish copper sulfates on any runs and have inspected the insides of the still and have never had any copper sulfates forming. Both still have run well over a couple hundred gallons of washes and mashes each.
After the initial cleaning run I have never cleaned either still. My procedure for cleaning the still after a run is to take all the cooling water off and steam the inside with the tails. These have a bunch of oils in them and put a coating on the surface of the metals. I disassemble the rig while it is hot and let it air dry. When I make my next run the fores will strip off all the oil and all is good from there on. have never had a problem with the greenish copper sulfates on any runs and have inspected the insides of the still and have never had any copper sulfates forming. Both still have run well over a couple hundred gallons of washes and mashes each.
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
When the Distilling Goddess speaks, I drop everything and listen.
Thanks for the input, Corene!
Thanks for the input, Corene!
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
Right on Corene. not sure why i was thinking i should hook up to caustic and acid cip stuff.
the only time i got a blush tint was on the second run on a new PC i added to enhance cooling. after it patina'd up it has never been a problem (prolly 30-40 runs past that now)
i use copper mesh on top of a copper plate in a SS like you. the copper is just there to clean things up and it does work. The mesh gets black and silver oils on it by the end of every strip, i just run a bit of water to wash it down thru the down commers into the kettle, and off to the sewer.
After a spirit run and 5 strip runs later (before next spirit run) I have been tearing down for a soap and water clean up, more to make sure the DC's are clear because they get a lot of black soot in them. The rest of the still is just lightly washed with soap and a brush and then thoroughly rinsed with clean water. also gives a chance to inspect all the gaskets and such.
i never dry between runs, the oils keep everything well lubricated between runs and i never see any oxides...i run quite often though so maybe they don't get much of a chance to show, sometime i may have 10 days or so and no blues or greens. I find the patina when everything is as it should be are pink and yellow and brown. that is, plates get brown and yellow on top and the bottoms get pink.
the only time i got a blush tint was on the second run on a new PC i added to enhance cooling. after it patina'd up it has never been a problem (prolly 30-40 runs past that now)
i use copper mesh on top of a copper plate in a SS like you. the copper is just there to clean things up and it does work. The mesh gets black and silver oils on it by the end of every strip, i just run a bit of water to wash it down thru the down commers into the kettle, and off to the sewer.
After a spirit run and 5 strip runs later (before next spirit run) I have been tearing down for a soap and water clean up, more to make sure the DC's are clear because they get a lot of black soot in them. The rest of the still is just lightly washed with soap and a brush and then thoroughly rinsed with clean water. also gives a chance to inspect all the gaskets and such.
i never dry between runs, the oils keep everything well lubricated between runs and i never see any oxides...i run quite often though so maybe they don't get much of a chance to show, sometime i may have 10 days or so and no blues or greens. I find the patina when everything is as it should be are pink and yellow and brown. that is, plates get brown and yellow on top and the bottoms get pink.
I finally quit drinking for good.
now i drink for evil.
now i drink for evil.
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
If I’m not running back to back (within a few days) I remove mine for a rinse and hang dry. My mesh would still be wet a few weeks after a run if I don’t remove it.fizzix wrote:No. Just drip dries in the columncede wrote:Did you remove your copper packing to let it dry between each run ?
I am a believer in seasoning. It’s how I justify not cleaning it frequently.
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Learning to Toast: Toasting Wood
Polishing Spirits with Fruitwood: Fruitwood
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
Yummyrum wrote:fizzix
I think you are correct ...fresh clean copper does not produce the same product as Patenea'd ...is that a word copper .
A freshly cleaned still won't make you sick but the booze from a blackened still tastes better .
Been a few years since I last cleaned my stills . Might be a few years before I clean them again .
I know Salt Bush Bill hasn't cleaned his in 5+ years ...his stuff is good
Guess'n a wad of copper wool in a staino still is the same . Don't clean it .
Agree.
I think the only caveat to that is when you constantly dig too deep into tails and funk everything up every run.
Only ever hosed out here.
Pro distiller in my home state says he wants his plates clean as a whistle every run. Says the spirit ain't as good when the plates are "dirty"...Pretty sure I don't know what the heck he's talking about.
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
so if I have a stainless steel column and I pack it with copper scrubbers, I shouldn't throw them out after each run? Man. I wish I would have known I could keep them before i threw out about 15' of copper mesh already. Just rinse and dry? perfect.
how many runs will it last?
how many runs will it last?
Sweetfeed 100 proof for drinking white
All grain bourbon for testing my patience
Whatever else is left goes to the Homefree, because, I hate waste
All grain bourbon for testing my patience
Whatever else is left goes to the Homefree, because, I hate waste
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
Copper can last years. If it gets funky, soak or boil in a vinegar/lemon juice mix, rinse well and dry. But the copper industry thanks you otherwise for your indulgence.Honest_Liberty wrote:so if I have a stainless steel column and I pack it with copper scrubbers, I shouldn't throw them out after each run? Man. I wish I would have known I could keep them before i threw out about 15' of copper mesh already. Just rinse and dry? perfect.
how many runs will it last?
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
oh great! ha, I'm laughing at myself now. Thank you very much for clarifying.
Sweetfeed 100 proof for drinking white
All grain bourbon for testing my patience
Whatever else is left goes to the Homefree, because, I hate waste
All grain bourbon for testing my patience
Whatever else is left goes to the Homefree, because, I hate waste
Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
The rare occasion I clean my still, the first couple of runs just don't taste right.
Here's to alcohol, the cause of, and solution to, all life's problems.
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Re: I Swear My Still Is "Seasoning"
However long it lasts, when it looks all thin and flogged out I guess its time for a change.Honest_Liberty wrote:how many runs will it last?
Backset cleans copper really well.