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"Sour" still
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:29 pm
by rug
Hi.
My still, or more precise my boiling kettle and CM has gone sour.
Smells like if I have vommited into it. The destilled product get a "sour smell" ....
Why?
What to do?
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:44 am
by still_stirrin
More info needed:
1) what material is the boiler?
2) what material is the CM reflux head?
3) when was the still last used?
4) what type of wash did you run?
5) have done a cleaning run?
6) did you use any special post-run protocol?
7) how do you store your still?
Perhaps something crawled in and died.
ss
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:58 am
by Corn Cracker
Sounds like you did not get it as clean as you thought after your last run
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 3:24 am
by Demy
As Stillstirrin said you need to give more information to give you an answer.
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:52 pm
by MihiT
.
Demy wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 3:24 am
As Stillstirrin said you need to give more information to give you an answer.
Not really...
rug wrote: ↑Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:29 pm
What to do?
Clean it. Vinegar run. Sac run.
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:57 pm
by Stonecutter
Like SS said, in order to give good info we need good info. Do you use any cleaning agents?
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 3:17 pm
by kimbodious
Tails in the packing will do this.The other issue could be a copper plated steel pot scrubber that has badly corroded. No need to ask how I know these things.
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2021 11:56 pm
by rug
still_stirrin wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:44 am
More info needed:
1) what material is the boiler?
Steinless steel
2) what material is the CM reflux head?
Stainless steel cm filled with copper scrubs.
3) when was the still last used?
Recently
4) what type of wash did you run?
Sugar, yeast, gin-spices
5) have done a cleaning run?
No, an old still used for years
6) did you use any special post-run protocol?
No, should I?
7) how do you store your still?
Dry, dark and cold
Perhaps something crawled in and died.
Hehe, well, I just found a dead mouse in my car so maybe one in the CM?
ss
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 3:05 pm
by dragon9874
MihiT wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:52 pm
rug wrote: ↑Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:29 pm
What to do?
Clean it. Vinegar run. Sac run.
bingo... bango... bongo. always start there!! d-(^_^)-b
it's like a reboot of a computer/system. when in doubt, reboot. translates here to... wait for it........
"When in doubt, clean it out!" vinegar/water (50/50) HOT & HARD for an hour (+/-, some will say 30 mins), then your sacrificial run (SW/BW). then, try another run, go from there. good luck!!
edit: added the water part to the vinegar, don't want anyone using 100%.
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 4:55 pm
by cob
this is one of several posts on HD that state for a vinegar cleaning run use
50% vinegar and 50% water. this is misleading as store bought vinegar is
already 5% vinegar and 95% water. so the correct ratio for a cleaning run
is 2.5% vinegar and 97.5% water. 100% vinegar is quite acidic and likely
difficult to obtain. stronger solutions than 5% are available for non home
uses but not readily available outside of industrial suppliers. so
50% store bought vinegar (5%) and 50% water is the correct cleaning ratio.
I would hate for someone with access to 75% vinegar to use it at that strength.
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:38 pm
by dragon9874
cob wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 4:55 pm
...50% store bought vinegar (5%) and 50% water is the correct cleaning ratio.
thx Cob!! d-(^^,)
during the 1st part of your reply, i was like: "man, i've been doing it "
WRONG" this whole time?!?" but you talked me off the ledge w/ the latter part of y your post. 50/50 is the mark (for your 'typical', grocery store purchased white vinegar). you would potentially need to FURTHER dilute (by possibly quite a bit) if using a more powerful vinegar, such as POSSIBLY some (or all of) the afore mentioned ones. thx for the schooling Cob!
LOVE IT!!!
~web
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 9:47 pm
by MihiT
cob wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 4:55 pm
this is one of several posts on HD that state for a vinegar cleaning run use
50% vinegar and 50% water. this is misleading as store bought vinegar is
already 5% vinegar and 95% water. so the correct ratio for a cleaning run
Well... yeah nah.
Acetic acid is a constituent component of vinegar. I think to be called or sold as
vinegar it needs to be 4-8% acetic acid. (The balance being water and insolubles)(and if you make your own vinegar with wild aerobics you'll generally end up at a similar acid concentration)
If one was buying pure, or lab grade acids, then yes. But anything you can buy as "vinegar"... 50-50 is about correct.
Re: "Sour" still
Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2021 8:07 am
by ThomasBrewer
Exactly, MihiT. No one is confusing glacial acetic acid or acetic anhydride with vinegar.