Waking up my old still...

[ibfestus]

I love this site!!! I am an old fart at 74 and not computer savvy. I retired my simple pot still 5 years ago because of family issues including my wife was dying from cancer. Recently, I pulled the column out of storage and finally got around to making some Gerber wash and buying a new Cajun propane burner. Looked the over the column and it was a mess with dirt dobber mud nests in both the column and Liebig arm. The Chore Boy copper mesh was tarnished and there was evidence of corrosion at the tri-clamp ferule.

I researched (the best I could) what I needed to do and read a lot about oven cleaners, vinegar, and, yes even about battery acid, and gasoline.

I decided to take things into my hands... I pulled the copper huff pads and discarded them.

I took the keg and the column to the car wash and put $5 in the slot and sprayed and cleaned both the 13.2 gal keg and the column. When I got them home I flushed both with fresh water multiple times to get rid of the soap and they both look good.

Questions:

1. What is my next step?

2. What do I need to use for the cleaning run?

3. Do I still need to make a sacrificial run?

I know these questions have probably been answered dozens of times... I just haven't found them.

[cranky]

If it were me I'd go head and do a full cleaning regiment as if it were a new still, water run, 50/50 vinegar/water run, another water run then a sacrificial alcohol run. I'm actually about to do that with my little pot that has been sitting for a year or two.

[sltm1]

+1 cranky....safety first !!

[nuntius01]

yep, i'd do a vinegar run then a water run then a sacrificial run.

[ibfestus]

Thanks guys I will do exactly that.

[The Baker]

ibfestus (I am an old fart at 74) ;

welcome from an older fart (76).

Geoff

[thecroweater]

suit ya self but ya not cleaning flux off a new built still. If it isn't oxidized inside a quick water/ steam run would be fine and if it is a vinegar followed by a steam run maybe. I think a full cleaning protocol with sac run is probably going overboard.

[BoomTown]

I love this site!!! I am an old fart at 74 and not computer savvy. I retired my simple pot still 5 years ago because of family issues including my wife was dying from cancer. Recently, I pulled the column out of storage and finally got around to making some Gerber wash and buying a new Cajun propane burner. Looked the over the column and it was a mess with dirt dobber mud nests in both the column and Liebig arm. The Chore Boy copper mesh was tarnished and there was evidence of corrosion at the tri-clamp ferule.......

Makes me wonder about Lil Pauncho....

[Pikey]

I'm with Croweater - why waste a charge of wash ?

[Kareltje]

Depends on the state of the copper and other materials. If it is corroded very much, I would use a vinegar run etc. If I had soldered new parts or repaired parts, I would use a vinegar boil on these parts. And maybe a boil with some alcohol.

But if all parts look quite clear or just brown patina, I would only run it with water and check for leaks etc.

[PipeWelder316]

If it were me, I would clean it up a bit with water and run a cheap box of wine or some other cheap fifth of what I could find. Then start running what I made. That way I could save time.

[cranky]

A lot of time we can't see everywhere inside a still to see exactly what it may look like, especially when dirt dobbers have been in the column and condenser and corroded packing. If there is a problem and you don't do the full regiment you may find out the hard way that you should have done it only after you go through all the trouble of making something special only to have it ruined. My opinion is better safe than sorry and what do you have to lose by doing a full cleaning? I also always do a sacrificial run after a vinegar run in order to reestablish the patina and I find the first run after vinegar sucks anyway and is not worth keeping and Birdwatchers is cheap, easy and fast to make for that sac run.

[jon1163]

Great to have you to the site... Or back to the site. So sorry to hear about your wife. Blessings.

[NZChris]

You only need to clean anything that is dirty or oxidised.
Citric acid in hot water should quickly clean up any copper oxide. In a condenser, plug an end and pour it in hot.

[EventfulAnimal]

I wouldn't personally waste the time and money on a sacrificial spirit run. Clean it with citric acid and water for a while, then the foreshots and heads should finish the job. Toss them away, and you're good to go. I don't understand this obsession with cleaning. My still is all stainless, with no soldered joints, so maybe that's why.

[ibfestus]

OK... Ran into some unexpected problems. Yes I am a old fart with serious problems with dexterity...

Okay, all bull shit aside, I am having difficulty Attaching my column to the boiler using the tri-clamp. It is almost impossible for me to attach the column to the keg by myself. I didn't have this problem 12 years ago but now it seems I need 4 hands but only have the use of one. Try it sometime...

Any suggestions?????

[NZChris]

Take the weight with a block and tackle, pulley, chain etc.. I have one chained to a rafter, using a turnbuckle for fine adjustment.

[C2H5O5]

Ditto NZChris
I have a 10 gauge wire strung across about 12" apart on a rafter then just pick up the still and hang. It takes all the weight off of the still and I just swing into position and clamp.

[cranky]

I use a ratchet strap to do the same thing.

[ibfestus]

"I use a ratchet strap to do the same thing."

Great idea! I would never have thought about doing that.

I got it up to temp and ran it for an hour with 50/50 water and vinegar, then, today, I ran it with just well water that has an odor and high mineral content (hard water). I captured a few ounces of the distillate before I shut it down. Surprise, surprise, surprise... it was odorless and tasteless just like distilled water should be.

Thanks for all the help... I am going to skip the sacrificial run... If it will produce odorless and tasteless water, I doubt it will produce dangerous alcohol.

Thanks again for the help.

[Kareltje]

Prosit! Nazdarovje! Cheers!

[ibfestus]

I ran about 4 gallons of Gerber today. I ran it hot and fast and caught the first 16-20 ounces as heads, turned the burner down and caught 32 ounces at 65% ABV but it was still 100F coming out of the liebig. I turned the burner down to it's lowest level and caught another 32 ounces that checked at 60% and was cool to the touch. I caught and pitched another 24 oz as tails. and shut it down. I collected more high proof alcohol than I thought was possible.

It has been a long time since I ran a batch. It tastes right to me, burns clear, etc. So I put some toasted oak chips in the jars and will let them suit for a few weeks. I have pics/videos of the run but am to stupid to know how to post them.

[bilgriss]

Congratulations on your success!

[BoomTown]

Gotta love recovering old skills and using good tools.
Congratulations!

[Kareltje]

I have pics/videos of the run but am to stupid to know how to post them.

- Make the photos less than 800 x 800 pxs and do not use .BMP.
- Store them somewhere on your computer.
- Open a window for a posting a reply and look under the |Save draft| |Preview| |Submit| line. At the left you see two tabs: Options is open, behind that there is the tab Upload attachment.
- Click that so it opens, than click |Browse| your computer, find the picture and open it.
- The window with your own computer will close and the name of the file will be shown. Than click |Add file|.
- Than just above the |Save draft| |Preview| |Submit| line you see a new block where you can add a comment and choose to |Place inline|. Before you click that, put the cursor in your post on the right spot where you want the picture.
- Than you see the name of your file on the right spot. With |Preview| you can enjoy the result. After |Submit| we can enjoy the result.

[OtisT]

Take the weight with a block and tackle, pulley, chain etc.. I have one chained to a rafter, using a turnbuckle for fine adjustment.

+1 to hanging the column, though I don't use block n tackle. I have a locking beaner on a hanging chain set to the correct length, and just lock it in. There is a little slack so I use a spring set to take up slack and apply enough weight to offset the column. I.e. It only takes one pound of pressure to lift the column off of the boiler.

Hanging rocks. I can attach/detach, maintain, clean, and store my column all in one place. I like that I don't need to move or set it somewhere where I can dammage the column, and I don't need to clear a counter or floor space.

Another benefit to hanging is that leveling the column for fraction is a snap. I simply move the base under the hang chain until the level is dialed in.