Sacrificial Run?

[Solo83]

About to clean a new project (2" VM reflux ala Compleat Distiller w/ a few changes...), have done a water/vinegar test and clean and going to do a sacrificial Run next. I'm curious if I can save the "sacrifice” for future cleaning runs? Was thinking of proofing that down to 20-30 for storage and using for future use when I can add components to my setup ( gin basket, better product condenser etc.). The gods haven't been kind this last year and don't deserve offerings

[jonnys_spirit]

It wouldn't be a sacrificial unless you sacrificed it now would it?

The intent of the sac run is to remove oils, fluxes, and similar noxious gunk that the vinegar run didn't solve.. If you re-run it then that's exposing your still to those materials again and not recommended...

Maybe save your fores and heads for further sac runs or make a simple sugar wash...

Cheers!
-j

[Solo83]

Makes perfect sense. Guess I'll have a bonfire this weekend

[tiramisu]

The truly neurotic will clean new metal with soap and water, then vinegar run, then steam, then sacrificial, then steam again.... but I suspect that might be excessive That said I am a bit neurotic.

[Berserker53]

I have been on the fence. I have a new 20 gal pot still and will do a vinegar run, just seems the sacrificial run is a superstitious thing. I'll do it if need be ut the builder of the still who makes still for master distiller said they do cleaning runs before shipping. I'll do one if I really have to. Just seems silly

[Wildcats]

I have been on the fence. I have a new 20 gal pot still and will do a vinegar run, just seems the sacrificial run is a superstitious thing. I'll do it if need be ut the builder of the still who makes still for master distiller said they do cleaning runs before shipping. I'll do one if I really have to. Just seems silly

It's not silly. There is a number of things that you will not be able to get clean with just vinegar and water/steam. The high temperature alcohol is just another step in the cleaning process. All kinds of oils and flux and crud will be present in a newly manufactured still. That is why we have the 50/50 vinegar/water and the sacrificial alcohol runs. You thinking it SILLY is not gonna get the new still clean. The cleaning run and sacrificial run will. Have fun and stay SAFE.

[MooseMan]

I have been on the fence. I have a new 20 gal pot still and will do a vinegar run, just seems the sacrificial run is a superstitious thing. I'll do it if need be ut the builder of the still who makes still for master distiller said they do cleaning runs before shipping. I'll do one if I really have to. Just seems silly

Hey man, if you think an established still cleaning protocol, developed to keep people from poisoning themselves, is "Silly" and superstitious, then that's your call, go ahead and ignore it at your own risk.

But please don't promote it.
Now THAT is silly...

[Wildcats]

+1 MooseMan.

[Yummyrum]

A vinegar run strips all the patina off a still exposing fresh copper . It must be followed up immediately with a fresh water rinse and or a steam boil to rinse out all the vinegar otherwise , green copper acetate reaction will very quickly build up ….. and produce green booze .

Now , fresh copper is also not desirable . It makes anything distilled have a metallic taste. …. For the first run .

So , while a sacrificial run might not be needed iff’n all the flux and manufacturing crap is otherwise removed ,
The Sac run will create the necessary patina on the fresh copper so it is ready for a real run .


And I can see how the word “Sacrificial” could be taken as just some ritual or voodoo . Especially if one was using a Google translate .

Perhaps it is not a good term .

[shadylane]

Makes perfect sense. Guess I'll have a bonfire this weekend

That's what I'd do.
I don't like having alcohol in the shed that isn't drinkable.

[Berserker53]

Will do the run... just wasn't sure...

[Wildcats]

The reason we do this sacrificial run is to get all the flux and oil out of the still. And to "season" the new copper. It is also a great time to get to know the still and how it runs and what to expect. I recommend putting together two washes. One for the sacrificial run and the other one for the first keeper run. Congratulations on getting your new still. I would be mindful of how much your thumper fills up over the course of the run. With a 20gal boiler... That thumper will fill up fast. Beautiful still BTW.
I look forward to hearing back from you with your results. Good luck man. Stay safe.

[Berserker53]

Well I did the cleaning run a d my sacrificial run is working off now. Just did a simple sugar wash and looking forward to running it. Also working on building my first actual mash bill for my first hopefully usable run lol. Thanks for advice

[Wildcats]

I bet you are super excited. Beautiful rig you have there sir. What size piping is that running from you boiler to the thumper? Good luck on your sacrificial run.

[Berserker53]

1" across to drop then switches to 1/2. Probably going to up it to 3/4. I did a sugar mash for sacrificial run and it is still working off. Only have weekends to do anything. But I am looking forward to running it and getting my first corn mash going

[lurch chaos]

Ok just checking would it be cheating on a 5 gal still just to go get a super cheep bottle of vodka and run it? Like you gonna throw it out anyway because it like really cheep?

[IAmPistolPete]

That's exactly what I do when I'm breaking in new equipment. I'm not keen on going thru a fermentation only to throw it away, so a handle or 2 of cheapo stuff does the job. Be sure to proof it down to 20-30%.

[shadylane]

Using cheap booze works but here's a quick and easy sac wash.

Fill the pot half full with 100'f water add a couple pounds of sugar and sprinkle in some yeast.
In a day or two the sac wash will have alcohol and the pH will be low.

[zed255]

May depend on where you are. For me a quick sugar wash is soooo much cheaper than even to worst rot gut vodka available it makes no sense to buy sacrificial booze, full stop.

[Yummyrum]

Same here Zed.
Cheapest Spirit I can get would cost at least $35-40 for a 700ml bottle . Bloody excise tax sux here .

[IAmPistolPete]

I can get a 1.75l handle of the local Chateau Cheapeau for under $20US and 10lb bag of sugar is pushing close to $10 these days. Worth it for me. But if I was paying double that for half the product like you, I'd be looking in my fridge & cupboard for things about to expire lol

[NZChris]

If you are going to be making products that take years to age, saving a few days by buying expensive cheap plonk rather than chucking a handful of sugar and yeast in a jar seems a bit impatient.

[Saltbush Bill]

I can get a 1.75l handle of the local Chateau Cheapeau for under $20US

If I could buy booze for what folk in the US and other countries can I probably wouldn't have ever got involved in this hobby.

[jonnys_spirit]

I save my foreshots and early heads for cleaning fluid. I’ve got 2-3 gallons available. Proof it down and run it like you stole it!

Cheers,
jonny