Home Distiller

Thanks in advance for the help, I've been a learner here for months now, but frankly I am still only a neophyte at this. I've been tinkering with a pot still for months, and I love the results, but...well why not take another bite at the apple?

I've just finished building my first Boka, I've loaded him up with 1/2 gal of white vinegar and fired up the pot. I started out with full bore heat, and Boy did that puppy get REALLY hot! So hot there was vapor coming out the exit too where I thought only fluids would come out, and the water coming out the the chiller section was very hot. That stopped after I choked back the heat. It's setting on a 20L SS pot, on top of a 1500w hotplate. Now it's chilled back to where I can now feel two different temperature sections on the column, the top have (where the internal coil is) is now cool, the bottom, below the reducer and take off port, is very, very hot, and the water coming out the chiller is almost cool. Output is making much slower, but no vapor, and am incrementally increasing the heat trying to get a steady drip coming.

Knowing that this is a vinegar run, and that the temperatures are going to be very different for the alcohol run, I've several questions about the cleaning runs.

1) How long to I run this with the vinegar in it? Till I collect my half gallon back, or for a set period of time?

2) When I run the sacrificial alcohol, will I still have that temperature difference between the top and bottom of the column?

3) Do I have to use my own alcohol to clean with, or can I buy a qt or 2 of that cheap denatured stuff at CVS drug store and use it?

BoomTown wrote:1) How long to I run this with the vinegar in it? Till I collect my half gallon back, or for a set period of time?

2) When I run the sacrificial alcohol, will I still have that temperature difference between the top and bottom of the column?

3) Do I have to use my own alcohol to clean with, or can I buy a qt or 2 of that cheap denatured stuff at CVS drug store and use it?

1.) The longer you run the vinegar and water the better chance of loosening up flux and other contaminants in the still...

2.) Don't worry about temperature differences during cleaning runs... Yes, there should be differences but they are a moot point...

3.) Absolutely Do Not Ever Use Denatured Alcohol in a still that is intended for use in producing potable spirits... Manufacturers do not have to disclose what they use as a denaturing agent and there is no guarantee that you'll ever get all of it out... It's just not a safe choice... You can do better... Use old wine, new cheap wine, a simple sugar wash, or unwanted commercial spirits...

+2 on Rads post... You'll also be amazed at how much flux and crap you can remove from the inside before you do your cleaning runs. This will help and make the process a bit faster...

tip: Not really necessary, but if you want to give your new creation an initial clean, heres what I do...
I use an old rag on a stick, a little diluted patio cleaner (BEWARE: Hydrochloric Acid - Ware rubber gloves, safety glasses, ect) and a very good rinse afterwards.
It usually gets rid of most of the gunge. Then I perform the vin/h2o and alc cleaning runs...

Agree, actually making up a birdwatchers or something is cheaper than buying a cheap wine. I also allow part of the cleaning run during the vinegar and water run to allow some steam cleaning to occur.

Thanks Rad, you may have quite literally saved my life.

Remember to save all the alcohol produced by your sacrificial run for future cleaning of any mods you may make...

Good luck...