Cleaning copper column

[Virandell]

Hi guys so yesterday I been cleaning my column with 20g citric acid and 100ml of water and after that 100g bicarbonate of soda and risned nicely with water but the outside looking bad aswell I wonder if I should use only citric acid or I need use bicarbonate of soda aswell to alkalise it ? Also with what to make it nice and shiny toothpaste and cloth will be fine or are you guys reccomend something else

[Saltbush Bill]

A nice bath in some dunder or backwash will get the worst of the crud off.....as for the outside it depends how fussy you want to be...... metal polish like brasso is one of many options.

[NZChris]

My stills are for making likker, not for attracting loose women. The copper is covered in patina, fingerprints, lagging and thermochromic pigment and is not pretty.

[Virandell]

A nice bath in some dunder or backwash will get the worst of the crud off.....as for the outside ot depends how fussy you want to be...... metal polish like brasso is one of many options.

Unfortunately I don't have any Dunder for now so I will use citric acid after that felt fabric and polish with brasso correct ?

[NZChris]

It doesn't matter what you use to clean the outside of your copper because it's not in contact with your product. You can probably spray it with polyurethane if you want to keep it shiny, (I've never tried that).

[Virandell]

It doesn't matter what you use to clean the outside of your copper because it's not in contact with your product. You can probably spray it with polyurethane if you want to keep it shiny, (I've never tried that).

Rightye thanks alot bud I have a wife so I am not doing that for women's haha it's my first toy that's why I am looking after it and it's been 2 years since last time I cleaned it

[NZChris]

I would love to have a mini copper alembic sitting on the dining table dripping Ouzo when the guests arrived.

That still would be shiny.

The still that made the base spirit would be the ugly one in the shed that no visitor ever sees.

[Saltbush Bill]

My stills are for making likker, not for attracting loose women.

Thats not what you said about the Gin Still.

[NZChris]

My stills are for making likker, not for attracting loose women.

Thats not what you said about the Gin Still.

My gin still is an old saucepan & steamer held together with flour paste, wire and springs. The copper riser is barely welded to the lid and leaks and needs flour paste to fill the gaps and hasn't been cleaned since it was first built. It's capable of making fantastic products.

[puddingwar]

The citric acid will make the copper bright and shinny by stripping off any patina that's been happening but unless it's sealed with something the oxidation will just start up again.

[Deplorable]

CLean the outside with toothpaste and felt if you must have it that clean. Or a metal polish. Otherwise, you can clean it with warm backset and a worn out scotchbrite pad then rinse with warm water and dry it with a clean towel. Its gonna get tarnished. It's inevitable, but a little general cleaning after the work is all done will do good to ensure the patina is even and not all trashy with fingerprints and water spots.
I just cleaned all my copper with toothpaste and a wet wash cloth yesterday. I doubt it will get cleaned to that degree for some time even though it took less than a half an hour to clean the whole kit.

[Windy City]

When I complete fabrication of any equipment I soak said equipment for approximately 24 hours in a 10% solution of citric acid / water. Do not use a neutralizer until you are done.
Most times I don’t use a neutralizer but just heavily rinse with hot water.
I do this before they get polished and clear coat powder coated (exterior only)
If you want your equipment looking pretty that is your decision.
I consider myself a builder and a distiller. I take pride in my work so I want it to look as great as it works. After all I am the one that sits in front of it for two weekends a month so I figure I might as well enjoy what I am looking at as well as the fine products coming off the spout.

[Deplorable]

When I complete fabrication of any equipment I soak said equipment for approximately 24 hours in a 10% solution of citric acid / water. Do not use a neutralizer until you are done.
Most times I don’t use a neutralizer but just heavily rinse with hot water.
I do this before they get polished and clear coat powder coated (exterior only)
If you want your equipment looking pretty that is your decision.
I consider myself a builder and a distiller. I take pride in my work so I want it to look as great as it works. After all I am the one that sits in front of it for two weekends a month so I figure I might as well enjoy what I am looking at as well as the fine products coming off the spout.

You know, if I still had an oven in the garage to bake powdercoat in, I'd likely do the same thing, but when the oven quit working I never got another and my powdercoat gun sits unused.

[GNBrews]

Barkeepers Friend powdered cleaner.. best $2 you'll ever spend. It's mostly oxalic acid, but shines up pretty much everything in the kitchen.

https://www.target.com/p/bar-keepers-fr ... A-13304297

[Hebden]

When I complete fabrication of any equipment I soak said equipment for approximately 24 hours in a 10% solution of citric acid / water. Do not use a neutralizer until you are done.
Most times I don’t use a neutralizer but just heavily rinse with hot water.

Hi all,

I am just building my first still and I am starting to consider ongoing maintenance, cleaning.

So when I have run my boiler, how do you clean all the parts like: Copper Mesh, Inside Valves, Inside Shoutgun Condenser?

[Yummyrum]

I don’t LOL .

Honestly . The most I do is squirt a hose in the boiler and swish it around a few times and drain .

I once decided to pull all the packing out of my column and acid clean it etc but the next lot of booze tasted metallic like when it was new . It took a a few runs until it was good again . I don’t clean it anymore .

Sure , when the run is finished , the packing will stink like tails . Big deal . Next time you start it up , all the tails residue ( which smells like a lot but in reality is bugger all ) will get refluxed back to the boiler .

It’s one of the benefits of Foreshots and heads is that due to them being excellent solvents , they have the amazing ability to clean the still fir you the next time you run it .
Reflux action will keep the column and packing clean while the Fores and heads will clean out the head and condenser section .

If you feel you must do something , just rinse the still in fresh water .
What ever you do , don’t think you need to do a full acid clean every run . It will be detrimental ti you making great drink .

Now , while you’re thinking about still cleaning , have you ever wondered how often those big Scottish stills get cleaned during the year ?……. They don’t .

[NZChris]

I would love to have a mini copper alembic sitting on the dining table dripping Ouzo when the guests arrived.

That still would be shiny.

The still that made the base spirit would be the ugly one in the shed that no visitor ever sees.

Since posting this, I've scored a 3l copper alembic and have run it on the dining table in the presence of guests. I have a gin recipe using feijoa that that is best drunk the day it is run as the feijoa flavor disappears in a few hours. I picked the first feijoa of this season today

The only cleaning I did was removing the sticky left by the duct tape that the previous owner had been using to seal it.

[Hebden]

I don’t LOL .

Honestly . The most I do is squirt a hose in the boiler and swish it around a few times and drain .

Thanks Yummy, that is great news:) So how long will the copper mesh last before you need to replace it?
(if you use copper mesh)

[NormandieStill]

I have a gin recipe using feijoa that that is best drunk the day it is run as the feijoa flavor disappears in a few hours. I picked the first feijoa of this season today

If you weren't quite literally at the opposite side of the planet to me I'd invite myself around for a drink! (Apparently tunneling though the centre of the planet would put me about 900km from Dunedin in the Pacific Ocean.)