Running pot still

[wildman1983]

If u run a pot still to hot and to fast will u get trash in ur drink

[Prairiepiss]

To answer your vague question. Yes.

If you would like a better answer. Maybe give us a little more detailed question.

[wildman1983]

Running liebig ,stanless still beer keg with stanless still mixing bowl ,then copper from there ,hooked to water hose from house so cold water constantly.any help would be thankful.done my cleaning runs more than I got figures and toes.read that stanless will produce a oily film but no harm is that true

[Prairiepiss]

I'm not real sure as to what you want to hear. You run a pot still. As a pot still should be ran. You want a broken stream to a twisted stream coming out. Adjust your heat input till you get that.

Stainless greasy film. Don't have a clue to what that is about. Stainless is a non reactive material. It as close as you will find in the metal world. It ain't gona cause a greasy film? Don't know when you found that tidbit of misinformation?

[swampdog 2]

did you clean all the parts before you put it together when I built mine I pulled a rag through the tubing with a string like you would clean a gun barrel all kinds of oil in it then I put it together and done my cleaning run or it looked like oil it was nasty shit

[wildman1983]

I have been trying to figure this out for a while I thought mabe I was running it to hot and to fast.i guy told me that a keg would produce oil a oily film. I don't know what to do about it I been trying to figure this out

[501outlaw]

I just feel all the lines and follow the heat , you can tell as line get a lot hotter all the way to the condenser then back heat down just a tad . Once your have your twisting linker come out adjust heat to the size of a match stem .

[Prairiepiss]

I have been trying to figure this out for a while I thought mabe I was running it to hot and to fast.i guy told me that a keg would produce oil a oily film. I don't know what to do about it I been trying to figure this out

So what are you trying to say? That you are getting an oily film on the product made from your pot still. And you are trying to figure out how to fix the problem?

Or some guy told you that a SS keg would give you a oily film on your product. And you are scared of it happening.

I'm sory but can you be a little more clear in what you are wanting an answer to?

Again a stainless steel keg won't cause an oily film on your product. The oils found in tails will. If you are not making good cuts. It could be a problem. Or if you are running it way to fast it mite be a problem. By pushing the tails out early.

But I don't really know how to give you a good answer. Because I'm not clear on the answer you want?

[wildman1983]

No I am getting a oily film on top.i am using propane gas . I told a guy about it and that's what he said that keg would do that. My next run I am going to run it very slow. To see if I get a change. But I have done steam runs with vinger and water and got a oily film. I have done all my runs alc runs to many times. I used water base flux and lead free Lenox solder.that same guy told me it could be the cheap solder.but the solder is made of tin and copper. I can't figure it out.i have 40 pds strawberrys want to make something but not with trash in it

[wildman1983]

Also my liebig is made of copper just stanless keg a stanless mixing bowl then copper pipe connected to it. I also heard soaking the keg in aceton might would help. Is it worth a try. Just hate puting chemicals in my still. Thanks for any opions

[googe]

This is getting confusing!. Can you start from the beginning, from the first time you ran it. Did you do a cleaning run and there was oil?.

[bellybuster]

thousands are using kegs without issue.
there are 2 reasons for an oily looking film on top that I'm aware of
1) flux residue from soldering, proper cleaning runs will solve this
2) fusel oils in tails, proper cuts will solve this. Collect in many small jars

[Prairiepiss]

Stainless steel and or copper will not give off a oil. Neither will solder. Flux and or machineing oils from the manufacturing process will. As will fusel oils.

Sounds like you have done vinegar and water runs. Have you done a sacrificial alcohol run? I didn't see any mention of that.

When I build stills. During the build before the cleaning runs. I do a acid bath. I use a mix of muratic acid and water. 4 parts water to 1 part acid. I dunk the parts for approx 15 min. Then rinse really really well. The acid is very dangerous. So caution should be taken. This cleans it up really well. Then the cleaning runs get the rest out and season the copper.

What are you using to seal the mixing bowl to the keg with? Do you have any questionable sealing materials?

On an alcohol run. Is the film present through the whole run. Or just at the end. How are you collecting? All of it or small jars like suggested here? How fast of a takeoff are you getting? Drips fast stream small stream? What are you using for a recipe? It the product that comes out clear and clean as the clearest water you can think of. Or is it milky or have a color to it?

Take a wire hanger. Straighten it out. Fold the end over and clamp a piece of cloth in it. Run it inside your liebig. A few times. See what comes out on it. You should get a slight coloration from the copper. But it shouldn't be oily. And should go away with a couple different pieces of cloth. Maybe a little oxyclean will help with that. Rinse good with clean hot water.

[wildman1983]

Okay I seal the bowl with box wrapped in plumbers tape the kind that I heard was safe from this site.i ran a all bran and used corn. My product comes out clear as drinking water.most of the time u can't see the trash or oily film without a led flashlight then u see it. It also present through the whole run.when I get to tales it gets milky and usally the trash is gone by then.i soaked it in muratic acid before and still got trash do u think aceton would be better. Yes I have done 5 vinger runs and steaming runs,and 4 or 5 Alchol runs.even reran some I already ran to make a stronger Alchol vapor through it. It really aggravating I don't understand it.also I used a water based flux.any ideas plz thanks

[wildman1983]

Or maybe I should do away with the seal and just use flower and water paste

[wildman1983]

I meant ptfe tape

[jarheadshiner]

I am thoroughly confused but what type of "trash" are you talking about besides the oily film?

[Prairiepiss]

Stupid question. Are you sure its not coming from your collection jars?

How full are you filling the boiler?

The seal sounds ok to me. Basically a large everlasting PTFE gasket. Shouldn't be a problem.

[bellybuster]

how about a pic of the "trash".

you still haven't stated exactly how you run your still, how fast of a stream/drips do you run? what recipe? etc etc
we'd all love to help you out but you need to fill in some data for us.

[wildman1983]

I usally run a stream bout the size of a pencil led i have not tried just leting it drip. I run it on propane gas. I was running a all bran and a corn mash.i have none to take a pic of I threw it all out.i usally start by heating it up pretty quick then I drop back the hit right before it starts driping.then I just hold a steady stream.

[wildman1983]

I also collect in mason jar. Have cleaned them and bought new ones still get oily film on top of product. Like I said before it comes out clear as water and sometime a jar will come out with hardly any but there's always a trace.have any of y'all looked at ur product in a dark room with a flash light and see if any is floating on top of yours.

[wildman1983]

I also only fill the keg half way 15 gal I usally put about 7 gallons of mash in it

[bellybuster]

you wouldn't by chance be talking about the swirling action you see in the liquid?
Gotta ask... what made you decide to look through your product in a dark room with a flashlight?

[wildman1983]

No I have swirled it oil comes back to top. I want in a dark room I was doing it at night. Could not tell u y I looked at it with flash light. Why don't some of u try it maybe its normal and I am crazy.i don't know love to fix the problem though

[DuckofDeath]

I have only seen the oily film after a cleaning run. Never from my clean still.

[jarheadshiner]

Sounds to me like you are somehow pushing tails throughout the run. Is there any major surging going on? Or possible pooling anywhere? Just throwing darts here.

[wildman1983]

Should not be.i don't see how a liebig could pool.no surging neither maybe I just running it to hard . But it also comes out on vinger runs to and steaming runs

[Hound Dog]

I see a little bit of oil on top of my product sometimes while doing striping runs on my short pot still and worm. I just figured it was fusel oils getting pushed through because I am running about as hard as i can without it puking. I didn't worry about it though because my spirit run is done on an LM Reflux so it comes out clean and clear. If it is just a couple little patches of oil floating on top, try running it through a coffee filter when refilling your boiler for a spirit run and run the spirit run a little bit slower than your first run. Bet it goes away.

[bellybuster]

was your copper used or brand new? Are you an accomplished solderer or did you "lay the heat to'er" burnt flux can be a bitch to get out. Little black specs

[wildman1983]

No am not a great solder and I have seen the black specks with a oily film around her. Is there anyway to get the burnt stuff out. Thanks for any information. I bet that's what it is.