Effect of Copper vs Stainless(with copper packing)

[Elfmaze]

In a Reflux type still, the distillate is passed over the packing many times during the process. If one had between 4-5' of copper packing, would that bind all the sulfates?

The common practice is to keep copper along all vapor paths. But does it need that much surface area, OR would most to all of the binding take place as its running over the packing? I guess one could see how high the copper turns brown? The best place to check would be the final condenser after product take I would think.

I work well in Stainless, But I don't want to sacrifice product quality.

[just sayin]

Elfmaze,

4 or 5' of copper mesh would have an amazing amount of surface area, far exceeding the surface area of a copper column. Most of the reaction takes place in the first several inches in the bottom of the column. The majority of the color change in your scrubbers or copper bundles occurs in the first one or two at the bottom. Stainless stills and columns with copper packing have a long track record of success. If stainless is your forte, go for it.
Copper SPPs may be a DIY packing project that would be more long lasting than copper mesh.

Just Sayin'

[dirtymax731]

I believe that it takes very little copper in the path to bind sulfates. Theres plenty of stainless columns producing quality drops.

[kaziel]

I'm running 4' SS VM with 8" of copper SPP packing and it remove all sulfates. Odin stated in one of his post that for vodka you can ged rig of all cooper from still. Sulfates are made during fermentation, more of them are created when wash has small amount of nutrition or yeast are pushed to high ABV or you are using turbos. So do a nice nutrition full ferment keep ABV in low range and you will only need small amount cooper in your still.