vinegar run

[wscywabbit]

So I purchased an alcoengine dome lid and still tops to get started. I'm running on my Brewzilla 3. Yesterday I did the vinegar run with plans to do a sacrificial run soon (its fermenting). But when I finished the vinegar runs, the copper on the inside was no longer bright and shiny, but grey and dingy. Is this normal?

[Yummyrum]

Totally normal . I hope you gave it a good rinse in fresh water immediately after .

Alas ,although the shiney looking copper looks cool , it needs to have that patina on it .

[wscywabbit]

Copy that. I did rinse it very well, but I also did a distilled water run with it today just to be sure I got all the vinegar out. Thanks for the reply!!

[wscywabbit]

I guess my next question would be whether I can use my first bucket of UJSSM as my sacroficial run, and still keep some of the backset for the beginning of the sour mash...

The vinegar run was like an hour and the water distillation was a couple of hours. So although I'll toss the first alcohol run, would there be any reason not to use some of the backset?

[Yummyrum]

The purpose of the Sac run is to use the alcohol to dissolve any residue from manufacturing that the vinegar didn’t .

So long as it all goes out the spout , no worries .
But if it falls back into the boiler then your Backset will have residue in it .

The question is is there any residue in that angle joint in the potstill and if so how much will end up back in the pot .
Also you will only be using some of it in your next fermentation . So thats about a quarter of sweet fuck all .

So probably there isn’t much of an in issue as I see it . But then its your call .

If you have issues down the track it will always be at the back of your mind that it was residue from the original Backset .

For piece of mind , I think you know the answer.

Edit : you have a reflux still as well . I assume you will be giving that a sac run too . In the case of the reflux still close to 95% of what goes up the still will end up back in the boiler . I would definitely dump the backset after Sac run on the reflux still .

[Stonecutter]

I wouldn’t use the backset.
Sacrifice all for the distiller spirits.

[Twisted Brick]

Here's a thought: take a quart of UJ and put it in a pot on the stove. Cover it and bring it to a low simmer, allowing whatever steam escapes to rattle through the lid. An occasional check of the surface level will indicate when it has reduced, (give or take) say ~8-10% for an 8% wash. Bobs yer uncle.

[shadylane]

....Yesterday I did the vinegar run with plans to do a sacrificial run soon (its fermenting). But when I finished the vinegar runs, the copper on the inside was no longer bright and shiny, but grey and dingy. Is this normal?

Yes, that's normal.
It will look a little different after the sac run and each run after.
The more runs done, the darker and more consistent the patina will become.
After multiple runs everything copper in the vapor path will have an almost flat black color.

[Yummyrum]

Here's a thought: take a quart of UJ and put it in a pot on the stove. Cover it and bring it to a low simmer, allowing whatever steam escapes to rattle through the lid. An occasional check of the surface level will indicate when it has reduced, (give or take) say ~8-10% for an 8% wash. Bobs yer uncle.

Smart thinking Twisted
Bingo , you got your backset for the next batch and the rest of the UJ will be more than enough for a Sac run .

Could I suggest using an electric boiler or pot on an element outside ( no lid) .Don’t think I’d be comfortable with uncondensed Vapour simmering above a gas stove in the kitchen .

[shadylane]

The vinegar run was like an hour and the water distillation was a couple of hours. So although I'll toss the first alcohol run, would there be any reason not to use some of the backset?

Sounds Ok to me.
A vinegar and water run has been done.
After that, I figure there's nothing bad that could get into the backset.

On a side note.
Left over backset is really good for soaking and cleaning new copper parts.

[LordL]

How about just run vineager and wine at the same time, to speed things up?

[wscywabbit]

Thanks for the replies and advice guys. I've decided to discard the leaves after the sacrofical run just to be safe. BUT:

Here's a thought: take a quart of UJ and put it in a pot on the stove. Cover it and bring it to a low simmer, allowing whatever steam escapes to rattle through the lid. An occasional check of the surface level will indicate when it has reduced, (give or take) say ~8-10% for an 8% wash. Bobs yer uncle.

I think this has merit, so I'll take some off the top before I distill the rest to use as backset. Thanks!!!