Cleaning an Alembic when switching wash type?

[Big L]

Hi

I remember reading about it being important to clean your alembic after a gin run. It said the oils in the botanicals leave behind a residue which will leave a nasty taste in whatever you run next. Are there any guides to cleaning? I have a 30L copper alembic Bain marie still - used to be used for gin (not by me) i want to use it for other stuff.

All the best

L

[Saltbush Bill]

Does it smell like gin ? if not you can probably give it a steam clean by boiling water in it. If it stinks of gin then harsher methods might be needed.

[Big L]

Does it smell like gin ? if not you can probably give it a steam clean by boiling water in it. If it stinks of gin then harsher methods might be needed.

Yeah definitely has gin smells coming off it. Would prefer to give it a proper clean too as its first time i'll be using it after getting it

[jonnys_spirit]

First time use of used still - Clean it like you would any copper pot being sure to rinse very well - hot water, soap, and a scrubbie should do well. Don't worry too much about removing so-called patina from prior runs if you're main concern is the oils from gins. If it has green or blue verdigris style patina on the inside you'll want to remove that. Some folks will do a citric acid soak which should make it shiny. Follow all of that with a vinegar and sac run. After that you pretty much just need to rinse and dry after each use because a strip run is basically boiling a low ABV acidic cleaner and a spirit run is of course boiling higher ABV ethanol. Both clean well in normal still usage.

Cheers!
-jonny