Still contaminating product..

[Dec]

Can't figure this one out.. My (internal reflux) still was finished yesterday. Ran piping hot water through it for 30 mins to clean. Black stuff came out as a result of the brazing.

Began a test distillation last nite, man it was messed up, water flying everywhere, temperature fluctuating crazily. Began to get the hang of it then thankfully. The heads had a sweet/stale metallic smell, so did the middle run and (to my surprise) so did the tails.

Odd

This morning I took the still apart and noticed that the mesh at the bottom of the column was not the stainless-steel mesh I was informed it was, and had infact completely rusted.. The stale metallic stink from it very strong..
So I removed the mesh (don't really need it, the packing {real ss-scrubbers} stays in by itself between the inlet and outlet pipes to the condenser) scrubbed my pot and lid and rinsed water through my still for a few minutes. Then I set it up again and am just after boiling and distilling water through it for 3 hours. The distilled WATER also has strong a sweet/stale metallic smell/taste and it doesn't seem to be getting any better!?

How can potable water be distilled and become unpotable.. ?
If it's the rust from the mesh how can I remove the flavour from my still?

If it's not that rust then what could it be??
My still is pretty much the same as the internal reflux one on moonshinestill.com, with a ss-pot, ss-scrubbers and a rubber fixing in the top with a screw in plastic lid. The lid has a small hole in it which I put the thermometer through..

Thanks
~Dec

[Guest]

Can't figure this one out.. My (internal reflux) still was finished yesterday. Ran piping hot water through it for 30 mins to clean. Black stuff came out as a result of the brazing.

Began a test distillation last nite, man it was messed up, water flying everywhere, temperature fluctuating crazily. Began to get the hang of it then thankfully. The heads had a sweet/stale metallic smell, so did the middle run and (to my surprise) so did the tails.

Odd

This morning I took the still apart and noticed that the mesh at the bottom of the column was not the stainless-steel mesh I was informed it was, and had infact completely rusted.. The stale metallic stink from it very strong..
So I removed the mesh (don't really need it, the packing {real ss-scrubbers} stays in by itself between the inlet and outlet pipes to the condenser) scrubbed my pot and lid and rinsed water through my still for a few minutes. Then I set it up again and am just after boiling and distilling water through it for 3 hours. The distilled WATER also has strong a sweet/stale metallic smell/taste and it doesn't seem to be getting any better!?

How can potable water be distilled and become unpotable.. ?
If it's the rust from the mesh how can I remove the flavour from my still?

If it's not that rust then what could it be??
My still is pretty much the same as the internal reflux one on moonshinestill.com, with a ss-pot, ss-scrubbers and a rubber fixing in the top with a screw in plastic lid. The lid has a small hole in it which I put the thermometer through..

Thanks
~Dec

Take your packing out, soak it in vinegar overnight, then wash it off with hot water, clean the inside of everything with vinegar, and that should do it. I don't know if I would even attempt to try distilling the metalic flavor out of it...it would just make it so you have to totally clean everything out again.

[MyDBear]

as said befor take ALL yer packing out and clean yer colum.
Then make sure that the packing that ya use is pure ss... a magnet wont stick ta pure ss nor pure copper if the magnet sticks do not use it because it's just coated steel and it will rust

[DBM]

I recomend you use the copper packing instead of SS. I used the ss for a coupla times and was highly unsatisfied with it. Ordered a pack of the copper mesch (comes in 40 ft packs) cured all my problems.

[outlawokie]

If your haveing a hard time finding screen this is what Idid cut a 2 inch piece of pipe in half and flatened it drilled 1/8 inch holes in the diameter of the 2 inch bend the corners up drill tap stainless screws to the colume

[knuklehead]

If your haveing a hard time finding screen this is what Idid cut a 2 inch piece of pipe in half and flatened it drilled 1/8 inch holes in the diameter of the 2 inch bend the corners up drill tap stainless screws to the colume

Or you could just take a piece of copper wire and clamp it over the bottom with a stainless steel mechanical clamp. Less resistance and way less work.

[Dec]

Thanks.. its ok I don't need a mesh, my packing stays in by itself between the cooling tubes (it's actually kinda difficult to take out, TG for coat hangers)

ANYway, I took out the packing as suggested and soaked it in vinegar over nite. Once it was rinsed it smell fine, all cured
The still on the other hand.. I spent the entire day today trying to clean it.
Firstly I poured vinegar through it about 30 times over about 2 hours. Came out all blue etc.. Then I ran a continuous stream of hot water through it and put all sorts of cleaning solutions/detergents (my yoke is brazed so its ok) through it. Kept the hot water going til it was completely clear and for a good bit afterwards.

Anyway I set it up again and put steam through it and distilled some water. Same contamination, sweet-metallic flavour after a whole friggin day of cleaning!

Taking it up again I turned it upside-down and into the base of the column I stuffed a cloth down as far as it would go (til the 1st cooling tube) and twisted it around. When I took it out it was covered in a brown/orange residue. I found this very strange.. Did it again and no more came out. .
Reckon I need some sort of long handled pipe cleaner or something to give this a good scrub on the inside.. Any suggestions?

[MyDBear]

ya said Thank God for (coat hangers) their not inside yer colum are they.

All I can say bout that is ,think steel,think rust, ya kinda get the idea

[knuklehead]

The orange residue inside the column is normal. What I do after each run is take out all the packing and drop it into a pail to soak with vinagar. I have a piece of 1/2" copper pipe which I cut slits in on a band saw at one end. Then I flared out the tabs created by slitting the pipe. After each run and once the packing is removed I wrap a rag around the flared end which will grip the rag and send it scrubbing up and down the column to clean it and dry it out. Don't worry about the funny tasting water that comes out of your still. When I distilled water in mine for the first time it smelled exactly like you discribed and I was also confused. Try another wash run and I am sure it will come out fine. If you want to distill your own water you need to "put 10 g permanganate in 10 L of tap water. Reflux 30 minutes. Distill from glass or SS. Reject first 200 mL. Collect 8 L very clean water without chlorine or any organic contaminants. Dispose residue." as quoted form homedistiller.org

[Rickle]

Heh heh
Surely he's useing the coat hangers to REMOVE the packing. When it's packed pot scubbers you'd have to hook and pull them out some how. Right?
Damn!! Yall must've had some pretty ignorant people pass through for you to say that.
But what can I say I'm getting less ignorant by the day, but still errrrr,, uuhhh. Heh heh.

[MyDBear]

Heh heh
Surely he's useing the coat hangers to REMOVE the packing. When it's packed pot scubbers you'd have to hook and pull them out some how. Right?
Damn!! Yall must've had some pretty ignorant people pass through for you to say that.
But what can I say I'm getting less ignorant by the day, but still errrrr,, uuhhh. Heh heh.

lol, the ignorant one was me I read his post wrong.

sorry bout that yer doing just fine Dec

[BigJames]

MyDBear, thanks for the magnet information. I had a problem with discoloration from my scrubbers and just checked them with a magnet and they were steel. Thanks again