Pennies in boiler

[Zeig]

Can you put pennies in your still to break boil?

[Prairiepiss]

Old 100% copper pennies yes. Don't think I would use the crappy copper coated junk they make now.

[Dnderhead]

"Can you put pennies in your still to break boil?"
for what???? boiling chips are to "brake" the boil this is only needed when you have a boiler that's super smooth(like glass),and is best done with something that has sharp points,holes and carnies .(like volcanic rock or ceramic bits.

[bluenose]

what if you cut some short lengths of copper pipe, like an inch long or so?

[rad14701]

A copper or stainless scrubber or three works great...

[Dnderhead]

again why,you want to hear it rattle? and no you need something that traps air/gas.
brake up your china?... anti-bumping granule is a tiny, uneven shaped piece of substance added to liquids to make them boil more calmly. Boiling chips are frequently employed in distillation and heating. When a liquid becomes superheated, can cause flash boiling. This very rapid boiling can be extremely violent and cause to splatter, Boiling chips work by providing nucleation sites so the liquid boils smoothly without becoming superheated or bumping.
made of a porous material, such as alumina, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, porcelain or carbon.
these need to be replaced each time.as the holes can become filed with?
now what happens,,,,with something smooth like glass boiler, liquids can heat more on the bottom,to the point of steam as there is no bubbles to make it circulate.when this happens it can release with violent reaction..
it wont do a thing in a SS boiler ,,but make clanking sound.

[Mr.Brown]

I'm with Dnderhead on this one. ( not that he needs me to back up his wisdom ) i tried boiling chips for a while, it was just to noisy. It let me know on heat up, when things were getting up to temp, but then i had to listen to it for the rest of the run. Also was loud enough that someone else might hear it. Dont need that...

[Da Yooper]

A copper or stainless scrubber or three works great...

I'm sure rad your talking about putting copper or stainless scrubbers in a gas fired boiler rather than one that's powered by an electric element, correct. People my get the wrong idea and throw them in a electric boiler, there is a chance of grounding out the element to the boiler.

[The KYChemist]

I work for a company, that specializes in industrial plumbing and valve automation. I know, for a fact, that at one time we were supplying Jim Beam with an ungodly amount of cut copper tubing pieces like this. I'll get the specifics on why, but it had something to do with the fact they made some equipment out of 316ss and not 304ss. For some reason, and I'll find this out as well, distillate doesn't like 316ss, as much as 304ss.

[rad14701]

A copper or stainless scrubber or three works great...

I'm sure rad your talking about putting copper or stainless scrubbers in a gas fired boiler rather than one that's powered by an electric element, correct. People my get the wrong idea and throw them in a electric boiler, there is a chance of grounding out the element to the boiler.

It honestly doesn't make any difference whether it's gas fired or internal element... They should stay below the element but even of they didn't the element itself is not live... The element casing is soldered to the fitting anyway... Let's not cause false fears here...

[Dnderhead]

"distillate doesn't like 316ss, as much as 304ss."
i thank it be more likely do to sulfates and the lack of copper.

[Zeig]

The fact I like I'm an apartment where the front door opens to the kitchen is reason enough I won't so this now..

[The KYChemist]

"distillate doesn't like 316ss, as much as 304ss."
i thank it be more likely do to sulfates and the lack of copper.

After this slipped to the back of my mind, for a long while, I got to asking around today. You'll see why in a minute... It does have to deal with filtering out sulfates. I was mistaken. Three skids of these came into my work today. The packing list said 28,000 pcs of 1"x1.5" cut copper pipe. I won't say which distillery it is they are going to, but it's a BIG one. I don't think they'll miss 4 or 5 handfulls, to go into the bottom of our pot-still...

[Zeig]

at first glance at seeing this thread brought back from the dead i was irritated.
After seeing why.. i want some

Do you work for a pipe distributor or something?

[OBX Phantom]

I thought that the copper needed to be in the vapor path in order to remove the sulfites. Maybe I am wrong, and maybe this is an advantage for a copper boiler instead of a SS. But I don't know... maybe one of the experts could give us some insight on this. Dnderhead? PP? or Rad? please.

[rad14701]

Yes, copper has more effect on distillate vapor than liquid spirits or hot wash...

[The KYChemist]

Ill take the experts word, that it works better in the vapor path. As far as I know though, it goes into their boilers, but I can't say for sure. I work for a company that specialises in valve automation, industrial pipe fittings, etc. We supply just about every distillery, in bourbon country, you can think of. Back to the copper... May be a possibility, but they may have a column type still, and use these like a Rashig Ring.

EDIT: I swiped my rings to use in the pot, to produce a smoother boil. Good idea? Bad idea? Or will it not make much of a difference?

[Zeig]

As far as i am aware Copper is only chosen for the same reasons you would make a still from it. But if it's going in the boiler then its like using boiling stones, it just adds more surface area for bubbles to nucleate on to bring on a faster and harder boil.