Cleaning procedure after taking a break from distilling

[artooks]

Hi,

I am using an SS still for the last 8 years, and I usually distill in the winter and stop around in April and start again in September so I am not using the still for 6 months, then when I start again I wash all my still parts with PBW and use the procedure to clean a new still, first with water then with %50 water and %50 vinegar and finishing with a neutral wash, I now that this is overkill because normally this procedure should be done once when we buy a new still, but still I wanted to ask all of you when you take a break from distilling and when you start again what is your usual cleaning procedure ?

But I must add that every year, I see small rust spots on the lip of the ferrules in my still, I clean them with green scotch brite scouring pad and then I do 3 cleaning cycles, is this necessary or overkill I am asking because I am trying to relieve myself from too much cleaning.

[NormandieStill]

Unless I've soldered anything since I last ran, my cleaning routine is generally "washing the spiders out with some water then doing a stripping run." My kit is largely stainless steel as well, and while I may get a couple of drops of slightly discoloured spirit at the very start of the run I either chuck them, or just let the spirit run sort them out. My schedule means that quite often I'll go a couple of months between runs, although rarely more than 2.

Edit to add: You edited your post while I was writing so... For the rust spots, try and make sure that everything is dry before you put it away, and maybe even leave a sheet of coffee filter on the ferrules to soak up any condensation. I wouldn't worry about running a full cleaning protocol just because you wiped it down with scotchbrite. A good hose down with water will get any bits out. Slightly rusty ferrules suggest either dodgy stainless or that you're leaving something ferrous on top of them.

[artooks]

Unless I've soldered anything since I last ran, my cleaning routine is generally "washing the spiders out with some water then doing a stripping run." My kit is largely stainless steel as well, and while I may get a couple of drops of slightly discoloured spirit at the very start of the run I either chuck them, or just let the spirit run sort them out. My schedule means that quite often I'll go a couple of months between runs, although rarely more than 2.

Edit to add: You edited your post while I was writing so... For the rust spots, try and make sure that everything is dry before you put it away, and maybe even leave a sheet of coffee filter on the ferrules to soak up any condensation. I wouldn't worry about running a full cleaning protocol just because you wiped it down with scotchbrite. A good hose down with water will get any bits out. Slightly rusty ferrules suggest either dodgy stainless or that you're leaving something ferrous on top of them.

Thank you very much I purchased them from SD they are good quality parts, after distilling I take apart and my still and run fresh water and then leave them for air dry, but I must stress that some parts that I disassamle has 90 degree bends etc that I do not disassemble so they are already with the part that I disassemble, so I am not %100 sure if water some how gets in there but this is not a huge problem I see very minuscule rust spot very very small but still I clean them with scotch brite

[Deplorable]

Like you, my seasons run from late September to May.
I don't really clean anything but my fermenters when I get started again.
A good water rinse after the run, and wipe down the inside of the boiler. The copper still head and condenser get rinsed with water, and left to air dry. The vapor tubes of my shotgun get the most attention. I run a paper towel soaked in heads through them to clean out the brown crud, then rinse with water. All my copper spools are covered with a nice patina inside.
In the fall, prior to the first stripping run, everything gets a visual inspection for spiders nests, and fill the boiler charge and power up.

[OtisT]

On those small rust spots on your stainless, you should clean and polish them down to shiney metal then passivate them with acid. This may prevent the rust from coming back for a while. Search for the term passivate or passivation to learn the correct acid and process. Citric acid works, and I believe there are other acids that work too.

When cleaning up your stainless, don’t use anything metal unless it is stainless steel itself. Anything non- stainless, like a scotch bright pad, should be new and never have been used on any other metal.

[Homebrewer11777]

just a thought...I'm new to distilling and haven't had taken a break yet...but have a SS kit too and am thinking that SS kit would benefit from passivation treatment once in a while. For your situation would seem the last run of the stilling year would make sense. The passivation step is intended to dissolve any surface contaminants (iron surface contaminant that is leading to the rust spots) leave behind a protective chrome oxide surface layer. Time to air dry to form the protective layer is part of the process.

From the homebrewing forums you want 4% citric acid solution (40 grams per liter) at 100-140F with submersion time of 2 hour for 304 stainless. Lots of people point to a presentation that was published by NASA in 2013, linked here: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20110001362

Complete cleaning protocol would be:

clean with hot PBW or similar
rinse with hot water
passivate with citric acid solution
rinse with hot water
air dry (important step, this is when the chrome surface layer is developed, minimum 24 hours seems to be recommended)

For start up some months later I believe all you should need to do rinse the dust off with water and get to stilling. Unless you see rust spots again. Hopefully you prevented them instead of having to clean them.

My understanding of the whole acetic acid wash followed by sacrificial run is designed to remove flux and machine oils that may be left behind following new equipment fabrication.

Challenge may be finding something large enough to contain your still during passivation. Hopefully it breaks down into small enough pieces to fit in a bucket/kettle for the passivation but might need to figure out some form of CIP using pumps and possibly spray ball. I do that for my SS fermentor.

[MooseMan]

Top advice there.

[artooks]

On those small rust spots on your stainless, you should clean and polish them down to shiney metal then passivate them with acid. This may prevent the rust from coming back for a while. Search for the term passivate or passivation to learn the correct acid and process. Citric acid works, and I believe there are other acids that work too.

When cleaning up your stainless, don’t use anything metal unless it is stainless steel itself. Anything non- stainless, like a scotch bright pad, should be new and never have been used on any other metal.

Thank you Otis yes this is what I do before I start cleaning everything with PBW I also inspect small tiny rust spots and clean them with a new Scotch brite, I did passivation 2 years ago but still from time to time I see small rust spots.