Copper pot still clean/sac runs - what's going here?

[mikehoover]

I finished my build of a three gallon electric-fired copper pot still. I'm in the process of getting it cleaned. First I cleaned with boiling water, then did a water run, followed by a run with one gallon of vinegar. Then cleaned with hot soapy water and a sponge brillo pad, making sure the scrub all inside. Rinsed several times with hot then cold water to remove any soapy residue. After that I did another water run for around 30 minutes of steam exiting the worm. I did my first "sac" run with 1.75 L of cheap vodka mixed with one gallon of tap water. This was late at night, so I poured out the backset the next morning. I rinsed the pot and parts well with tap water. I noticed that the cheap water heater element had been stripped of its shiny coating and is now copper colored. The inside of the pot at the bottom edges is dark and there is staining with all kinds of colors above the backset level (some of these colors were there after I did the vinegar run.) I can wipe with a damp paper towel and get black and copper colored stuff. I did a vinegar/water run and it cleaned up some copper but the black around the bottom is still there and when I rub it with my fingers it turns my fingers black. Also, one thing I noticed is the base of the heating element is rusty. That I should have expected. I will replace the element with an all-stainless steel one. I do have a grounding tab soldered to the outside of the pot right beside the element to ground the system. I am planning to try soaking in a citric acid solution but wonder if I am going overboard.

Comments and suggestions much appreciated!

Regards,

Mike

[NZChris]

You're overthinking it. I've never used soap or citric acid on a finished still and I wouldn't recommend either.

You should be good to go.

[mikehoover]

I scrubbed the black area with some Barkeepers Friend and it got most of the black off. Unfortunately, my sloppy soldering job is showing. Gonna do another cleaning run and see what happens.

[Kareltje]

As NZChris said: you are overdoing it.
Everytime when I look into my boiler after a run, it looks different. I clean away the scorched mash, if I alas have some, maybe rinse a few times extra after I ran juniper or anis but thats all. It does not need to shine, better not, even!

You mention black stuff at the bottom and rust on your element. So I suppose these are not ss but iron.
I got some black stuff in my iron still. Easy to wipe away and not harmfull for drink, taste or health. Only thing is: iron corrodes quite fast in contact with copper, so you will have to replace iron parts in some time.

I am puzzled by the copper colour of your element. Maybe the iron is dissolved in the fluid and replaces the copper, which than precipitates on your element.

[NZChris]

I am puzzled by the copper colour of your element. Maybe the iron is dissolved in the fluid and replaces the copper, which than precipitates on your element.

It's a copper element and the plating has been removed by the acid. It's nothing to worry about.

[Kareltje]

I am puzzled by the copper colour of your element. Maybe the iron is dissolved in the fluid and replaces the copper, which than precipitates on your element.

It's a copper element and the plating has been removed by the acid. It's nothing to worry about.

Maybe. I did not use an element yet. But then the plating was very susceptible to acid. I hope mine will be more resistant.

[rad14701]

As NZChris said: you are overdoing it.
Everytime when I look into my boiler after a run, it looks different. I clean away the scorched mash, if I alas have some, maybe rinse a few times extra after I ran juniper or anis but thats all. It does not need to shine, better not, even!

You mention black stuff at the bottom and rust on your element. So I suppose these are not ss but iron.
I got some black stuff in my iron still. Easy to wipe away and not harmfull for drink, taste or health. Only thing is: iron corrodes quite fast in contact with copper, so you will have to replace iron parts in some time.

I am puzzled by the copper colour of your element. Maybe the iron is dissolved in the fluid and replaces the copper, which than precipitates on your element.

Not one heating element on the market is made from iron... Steel alloy, stainless steel alloy, or copper alloy... No iron elements...

[MoonBreath]

Just thinkn your element assembly looks kinda close to bottom ..
Thinkn it should be on about a four inch center minimum (from bottom).
Just thinkn.

[Twinrivers]

My element did the same thing. Perfectly normal. No need to clean the inside after a water run and a sac run.

[NZChris]

Just thinkn your element assembly looks kinda close to bottom ..
Thinkn it should be on about a four inch center minimum (from bottom).
Just thinkn.

My base is formed to place the lowest element barely high enough to fit my fingers under it, enabling quite small runs if needed.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Just thinkn your element assembly looks kinda close to bottom ..
Thinkn it should be on about a four inch center minimum (from bottom).
Just thinkn.

Since you are thinking, you mind telling us the thought? Why would an element be too far down?

[MoonBreath]

Just thinkn your element assembly looks kinda close to bottom ..
Thinkn it should be on about a four inch center minimum (from bottom).
Just thinkn.

Since you are thinking, you mind telling us the thought? Why would an element be too far down?

Beins its only 3 gallons or so, maybe a two inch center.
But for a few reasons ...Radiant heat, element life, lodging and scorching, and efficiency ...Elements don't like confinement, or excess heat, they work best with a 'cushin' of sorts, or space...Ifn that element is rite on bottom, your charge better be spotless..To close and the real possibility of a dry fire condition occurring from the confined boil, killing the element.
Ifn boiler is elevated, your heat will escape, whether noticeable at these small scales, maybe ...Just thinkn ..That'd be a good username.

[NZChris]

There is no radiant heat from an element in a boiler until you run it dry, it's all convected.

In thirty years of operating my setup, I've never had anything lodge in the element and cause a problem.... and I've never put any effort into clearing a wash.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

There is no radiant heat from an element in a boiler until you run it dry, it's all convected.

In thirty years of operating my setup, I've never had anything lodge in the element and cause a problem.... and I've never put any effort into clearing a wash.

[MoonBreath]

There is no radiant heat from an element in a boiler until you run it dry, it's all convected.

In thirty years of operating my setup, I've never had anything lodge in the element and cause a problem.... and I've never put any effort into clearing a wash.

Wowww!
You've had an electric element setup for 30yrs!!!
Please elaborate and show pics of prolly one of the first in the world!.
And always put dirty wash on your element without EVER scorching?
Is your element setting on bottom, or spaced up some?
Wowww..You da (lucky) man!

Like I stated earlier, no worries gents, just thinkn.

[sltm1]

I'm only 3+ years into this hobby and agree with NZChris, sometimes the wash is cloudy and sometimes clear, however, when I transfer it to the boiler I strain it through a fine mesh (over the counter, nothing special), SS food strainer. Never any burning or scorching.

[MoonBreath]

First, I apologize for dragging off topic, I just think an element should be 3-4" et least off bottom, not rite on bottom ..Depending on boiler size of course.
I'll start another thread on "Element Height/Location".
In the meantime maybe someone will measure the exact center (from bottom) on a store bought 15-25 gal boiler for reference.
Sometimes I do get ta thinkn to hard .

[NZChris]

Mine has a copper bottom, beaten to mount a jug element from the era at 45 degrees. The element is then bent to be horizontal with barely enough clearance to get my fingers under it. The drain valve is under the element at the lowest point, so that the backset can be completely drained. The second element is vertical. The preheater also has the worm as close to the bottom as I could get it. Heat rises, so having the element and worm close to the bottom avoids having a cold layer at the bottom before reaching a rolling boil.

You can't get scorching unless you put something in the boiler that can scorch.