Sacrificial Run

[scmoose]

I need to do a sacrificial / cleaning run and was going to use a 5 gallon UJSSC wash but the more I think about it the more I don’t want to waste that mash. If I went with a cheap box wine how much would I need to use in a 1/2 barrel keg boiler and a 1/16 keg thumper?

[still_stirrin]

I suggest making an “Rad’s All Bran” recipe. It is quick and economical. And, once you’ve done your sac run, you should make another all bran recipe, simply because it makes a great base spirit for a neutral. The all bran cereal has all the necessary nutrients to support a healthy and fast ferment. And the cereal grains helps to buffer the wash against a pH crash which can cause the ferment to stall. Look for the recipe in the Tried & True forum.

A cheap (purchased) box wine is not cheap. Chances are you spent more than you would on the all bran recipe (hence my suggestion). But as to “how much” do you need? ... I say, “the size of a regular run”, so 3/4 the size of your boiler...or 9-10 gallons for a 1/2 barrel keg boiler. See.....box wines will get expensive to fill the boiler.
ss

[scmoose]

I’ve already got a UJSSM ready I may jut use it

[still_stirrin]

I’ve already got a UJSSM ready I may jut use it

Just remember, it’s sacrificial...meaning you dump it and don’t drink or taste it.
ss

[scmoose]

I’ve already got a UJSSM ready I may jut use it

Just remember, it’s sacrificial...meaning you dump it and don’t drink or taste it.
ss

Yeah that’s what makes me not want to waste the mash and run something else.

[cayars]

Keep the wine, drink it or save it for a brandy run later. Sacrifice the UJSSM.

It would be better if you had just done a straight sugar wash but USSSM is quick to do and not much different in cost over a straight sugar wash.
Run it fast like a strip run, then load the low wines back in the boiler and run them again like a spirit run. Discard after this but don't drink it. That will give you 2 runs to play with while cleaning the still and allowing you to get the feel for both strip and spirit runs.

[Corsaire]

Or, if you have a spare fermenter, cook up an all bran like still stirrin said or a birdwatchers. If you've got that ujssm airlocked it'll keep a while.

[scmoose]

Ok wound up running the 5 gallons of UJSSM I had. Man this thing ran so much faster than my old home made slant plate reflux column. Started at 70+ % and ran it down to 40%. Having a hard time tossing everything since there are no off taste or smells, and it’s as clear as water.

[still_stirrin]

Ok wound up running the 5 gallons of UJSSM I had. Man this thing ran so much faster than my old home made slant plate reflux column. Started at 70+ % and ran it down to 40%. Having a hard time tossing everything since there are no off taste or smells, and it’s as clear as water.

You’re “living on the edge”.

At best, it could give you the puking shits, that is...when you sit on the pot with a trash can in your hands.

Worst case...it could KIlL you.

It is absolutely NOT ADVISED to keep the sacrificial run product! Don’t be tempted.
ss

[Tabucowboy]

Burn Sacrificial Runs that is what I do. it is great fuel for campfires, BBQ to get them started pour it on a log an light it up.

[cayars]

Ok wound up running the 5 gallons of UJSSM I had. Man this thing ran so much faster than my old home made slant plate reflux column. Started at 70+ % and ran it down to 40%. Having a hard time tossing everything since there are no off taste or smells, and it’s as clear as water.

You do this run to clean out poisons from your still from soldering, welding and machining. You're removing residual flux and chemicals used in the process of making it.

Poisons don't always have a taste or smell so you will not know what's in the first distillate.
It's called a SACRIFICE RUN for a reason because it will contain things you DO NOT want in your body.

[ZMan3k]

Why not just do a simple sugar mash for the sacrificial run? Cheap and easy and since it doesn't make for great likker its no big deal just to dump it or use it for campfire fuel.

[TDick]

Lot of newcomer going through the stages.
FWIW, I got my 5 gallon copper pot out of the closet but had to solder, so I need a sac run to be safe.
I just did enough mash to do an extra run.

Doesn't make sense TO ME to do a separate fermentation to toss.
Simply adding 4-5 gallons to your ferment just costs pennies and saves a week or so.

[Black Hearts]

Ok wound up running the 5 gallons of UJSSM I had. Man this thing ran so much faster than my old home made slant plate reflux column. Started at 70+ % and ran it down to 40%. Having a hard time tossing everything since there are no off taste or smells, and it’s as clear as water.

I really hope you didn't drink it..

[Royco]

I BET you drank it!

[Royco]

With a new Liebig can I not just plug the end and fill the vapour tube with hot vinegar/water mix and leave overnight. Then do a sac with a smaller amount of spirit?

[NZChris]

With a new Liebig can I not just plug the end and fill the vapour tube with hot vinegar/water mix and leave overnight. Then do a sac with a smaller amount of spirit?

If it's made out of stainless, it should be fine, but I wouldn't recommend doing that to copper.

[Royco]

It's a copper vapour tube inside NZ

[NZChris]

I haven't seen yours, but mine can be cleaned manually. When new, most of them didn't have any solder joints in contact with product, so didn't need sacrificial runs and just got a pull through with a foreshot soaked rag.

[Royco]

Oh brilliant! Never thought of that. As a newbie I have this immediate gratification thing and don't want to waste good spirit that is waiting to be re-distilled into drinkable rum or gin! My whole rig is SS apart from the vapour tube. All sections tri-clamped so easy to access.
Thanks so much for the advice

[Bee]

I'd use the cheapest rum I could find. Calypso for $10/1.75 liter.

[normandy]

I have left the copper column . the condenser etc in 50% vinegar bath for 24 hours, turned the clear solution into a greenish bluish color, and also changed my coppers from stained dull darkish color into a nice bright yellow color. Washed with water and polished it with a cloth and now I can see my reflection!
I plan to do a 50% vinegar run next and then a pure water run to get rid of the vinegar residue.
After all these cleaning stages do i still need to do a sacrificial run?

[zed255]

The sacrificial run is always recommended as final assurance there is no oil or flux residue left, especially in areas where mechanical / manual cleaning and direct visual inspection are difficult or impossible.

For me, a new build gets the full cleaning regimen. A significant modification requiring cutting, welding, brazing or soldering will get the full regimen. A minor modification or a single new component with good access for cleaning will get a thorough manual cleaning and I trust that my foreshots and heads of whatever I run next will do the rest.

[BettyB]

Burn Sacrificial Runs that is what I do. it is great fuel for campfires, BBQ to get them started pour it on a log an light it up.

This is a great idea! Would you just store it in glass hars and mark it fuel?

[Tabucowboy]

I just store mine in an old 10 gal green gas can. I am not going to drink it so I don't worry about it sitting in metal fuel can.

[SuburbanShiner]

I just store mine in an old 10 gal green gas can. I am not going to drink it so I don't worry about it sitting in metal fuel can.

Same. I store mine in a wal-mart fuel container (it's made of some type of plastic) and pour what I need to start the grill.

[Durhommer]

I use my fores to start the grill

[zed255]

I save mine in an old plastic jug that formerly held a cleaning product and clearly marked it as forshots. My missus will occasionally steal some to remove soap scum in the bathroom; she says it does a brilliant job but stinks. Otherwise I just use it where a relatively mild solvent is in order.

Issue for me is production outruns usage. I'm sitting on about 6l of fores with ever more coming.

A thought - anyone ever dilute and use the forshots as the fodder for a sacrificial run? We just need a hot solvent (and I'm sure there's alcohol in the fores) to run through the still and forshots seem like a reasonable candidate.

[Expat]

A thought - anyone ever dilute and use the forshots as the fodder for a sacrificial run? We just need a hot solvent (and I'm sure there's alcohol in the fores) to run through the still and forshots seem like a reasonable candidate.

I did just this on my Bok upgrade project.

I find that it does a good job killing weeds between concrete pavers; pour liberally, ignite and let it burn down.

[Deplorable]

A thought - anyone ever dilute and use the forshots as the fodder for a sacrificial run? We just need a hot solvent (and I'm sure there's alcohol in the fores) to run through the still and forshots seem like a reasonable candidate.

I did just that to clean my new build, and used up all my old fores.