Copper Still Lead Solder

[Skybluewhy]

I purchased a copper still maybe a year or so ago and i decided to test the solder for lead. I turns out it tested positive for lead. Is it safe to use or should i have someone melt out all of the lead solder and redo it with a lead free solder? there are not alot of solder points not sure if that matters or not.

[stillanoob]

Presence of lead = not safe. If you could completely clean down to bare copper and then re-solder that would be ok, but I wouldn't leave any old solder at all. Not sure if it is practical to get it that clean.

[Skybluewhy]

There are only a few solder points (2 ) so i think it should be easy to remove it all and re solder it. Thanks

[Twisted Brick]

Who is the manufacturer of your still?

[Skybluewhy]

purchased it on amazon. Clearly that was a mistake.

Artisans Village Copper Moonshine Still

[acfixer69]

You should not use it if tested pos for lead. Clean and re-solder it should be fine.

[Saltbush Bill]

Makes me wonderhow many more of these are put together using lead solder......seems to be a lot of them in use around the place.

[80Vette]

Makes me wonderhow many more of these are put together using lead solder......seems to be a lot of them in use around the place.

Probably most of them coming out of Asia. Our company has been around and around with lead issues for brass and copper products coming out of China and Vietnam.

The QC samples pass the lab tests, but the production parts fail.... Mysterious....

[Saltbush Bill]

In not sure that many of that style of still come out of those parts of Asia....but I have no solid proof of that.

[80Vette]

OP, if you have a lead test kit also see about testing the copper itself for lead, I have seen sheet with high lead in it, if it was made with re-melt.

[nerdybrewer]

The first and only one I bought on Ebay tested positive for lead.
Since the ad stated "no lead" I was able to return it for a full refund, even though I had to make a claim on Ebay to do it.
I'd say unless you solder it yourself you should always test.

[Skybluewhy]

well i have desoldered it. Now to clean and resolder it. I will test the copper for lead as well. Will report back.

[Skybluewhy]

All soldered again and i tested the copper for lead. The copper tested negative for lead. I guess I am good to go thanks guys

[Hambone]

Smart move to test it. What got you to think about it?

[Skybluewhy]

Someone asked what still I got so I sent him a link from what I posted on Amazon. The rating seemed to suck which I found odd because I have had nothing but good luck with mine. As I was reading the reviews I noted someone said the solder had lead. I started some mash this weekend so I figure it's time to test. It also looks like those reviews are gone which is odd. But all resolved now.

[Bushman]

Some of those small alembic stills are built for essential oil use.

[Windy City]

Just curious and maybe a help for other members, how did you remove the lead solder and clean it up?

[pastis-huntaway]

Just curious and maybe a help for other members, how did you remove the lead solder and clean it up?

I'd like to know the answer to this too. Bought two stills online from Portugal, one tested positive for lead, the other one didn't. I haven't contacted the seller yet (only did the test today), but if they're not cooperative, removing the lead would be my only option, unless I turn the thing into a flower pot.

[Orpheus123]

I know this is and older post, but I just got one for Christmas from Whiskey Still:

https://www.whiskeystill.net/

They specifically say they use tin or silver solder, no lead. The thing is beautiful and hand made in Texas. Check out the How to make a Still section to see how they put them together.

[greggn]

The thing is beautiful and hand made in Texas.

Distributed from Texas but it's unlikely that they are built in Texas. I'd put my faith in a lead test kit rather than a website.

[Orpheus123]

The thing is beautiful and hand made in Texas.

Distributed from Texas but it's unlikely that they are built in Texas. I'd put my faith in a lead test kit rather than a website.

Um...did you even look at the website? If they are not hand made in Texas, they sure went to a lot of trouble faking all their videos and such.

[greggn]

The thing is beautiful and hand made in Texas.

Distributed from Texas but it's unlikely that they are built in Texas. I'd put my faith in a lead test kit rather than a website.

Um...did you even look at the website? If they are not hand made in Texas, they sure went to a lot of trouble faking all their videos and such.

Looked at the website. Looked at their photos and noticed how no faces of the workers are shown. Checked Google maps to look at their building ... which doesn't jive with the look of their "manufacturing" areas in the photos.

Finally, I watched his video on making moonshine. Yep, his recipe is turbo and sugar. I especially liked his instructions for potstilling: throw out the fist shot glass, keep the rest, and serve to friends.

[Orpheus123]

The thing is beautiful and hand made in Texas.

Distributed from Texas but it's unlikely that they are built in Texas. I'd put my faith in a lead test kit rather than a website.

Um...did you even look at the website? If they are not hand made in Texas, they sure went to a lot of trouble faking all their videos and such.

Looked at the website. Looked at their photos and noticed how no faces of the workers are shown. Checked Google maps to look at their building ... which doesn't jive with the look of their "manufacturing" areas in the photos.

Finally, I watched his video on making moonshine. Yep, his recipe is turbo and sugar. I especially liked his instructions for potstilling: throw out the fist shot glass, keep the rest, and serve to friends.

Well, watch the video on making the still. It shows the process. It's possible they are made at a different building than the offices. In fact, if you call them and they are not in, it says "we may be in the shop". The google map to me looks like a pretty big industrial area.

But whatever. You could be right I guess.

[Saltbush Bill]

I agree .....imported stills for sure.....heaps of giveaways on the web site.......including the BS how to make whisky video.....
Turbo....sugar..water....small fores cut........woohoo rocket fuel rubbish.
For your own safety I would check it for lead solder, my understanding is that a lot of those stills are made using lead free solder....but quite a few still use lead solder.
About Us
We are a Texas company that sells great quality moonshine and whiskey stills at a great price. Period.

I see nowhere on that site that says they actually make the stills themselves.

[Orpheus123]

I agree .....imported stills for sure.....heaps of giveaways on the web site.......including the BS how to make whisky video.....
Turbo....sugar..water....small fores cut........woohoo rocket fuel rubbish.
For your own safety I would check it for lead solder, my understanding is that a lot of those stills are made using lead free solder....but quite a few still use lead solder.
About Us
We are a Texas company that sells great quality moonshine and whiskey stills at a great price. Period.

I see nowhere on that site that says they actually make the stills themselves.

You are not looking at the site then.



This is the owner and designer, who claims they make the stills and shows them doing it.

Anyway...whatever.

[Dancing4dan]

Interesting that this still was bought on Amazon. The Whiskey Still Company sell directly on their web page. Consider the possibility that the still purchased off Amazon was not manufactured by or for the Whiskey Still Company. Amazon and the poster here listed a completely different company. "Artisans Village Copper Moonshine Still" NOT "The Whiskey Still Company" in Texas.

My interest is knowing where the still is made and if the Whiskey Still Company products sell on Amazon. I emailed them provided a link to this discussion. I will post any reply they send me.

There are a lot of these and similar stills on the market. Would be great to know if there is a legitimate manufacturer using silver rather than lead.

[Saltbush Bill]

You are not looking at the site then.

I looked at the link that you supplied to begin with. ~~~~> https://www.whiskeystill.net/

[greggn]

You are not looking at the site then.

I'm looking at the site and the "About Us" page lists their mailing address as:

Mailing Address
1305 W 11th St #3106 Houston, TX 77008


... which is in a strip mall, with Great Clips and Auto Zone as retail neighbors.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/1305+ ... 95.4108907


Sure, that capture is from 2017, and the other retailers have probably changed, but I'm pretty sure he isn't selling Alembic stills from a strip mall.

I first posted only because this site promotes safety in how to run a still as well as the materials that go into a still. I just know from reading first-hand accounts of people with *strangely similar looking stills* (despite the owners comments about "his design") that some lead tests came back positive.

[Saltbush Bill]

(despite the owners comments about "his design")

Yeah that bit made me laugh too.....its a design that's been around for a looooooooong time, hardly something that he came up with.
Too much doesn't add up to me to believe the marketing.

[NZChris]

He doesn't actually say that their coppersmiths are in America, he lets the viewer arrive at that assumption.

At 1:38 the bags are marked fràgil, which is not a spelling I that would expect to see in an American factory.