Not sure how I got grease in the mix.

[Wellsy]

No idea what I did, I suspect a puking, but I think I dodged a bullet.
After my last spirit run I noticed a grease like film just at the beginning of the takeoff parrot, it is a pot still. Run my fingers over it and rubbed it off and fingers were left with black stuff like a grease on them. Just enough to cover the tip of a finger.

Then when I was diluting spirits back to 65% I noticed my distilled water had what looked like a bit of tissue with black on it in the bottom of the bottle. Black looked like smoke on a tissue. To be gross it looked like someone had spat in the bottle the way it hung together and floated. The water had no taste so it had not caused any adverse taste, I had distilled the water previously like a stripping run.

Has anyone else ever experienced this ? I have no idea what is causing it so thought I better check. I have done about 20 strip runs and 3 spirit runs and everything tastes fine so do not believe it is from not cleaning properly initially

Thanks

[scythe]

When was the last time you did a cleaning run?
Might be protiens if you are doing grain washes.
How far into tails do you normally go, could be fussel oils.

[Wellsy]

Thanks Scythe
I usually run right down to 10% on stripping run.
I have not cleaned the still since I got it in early September, apart from the cleaning and sacrificial runs when I first got it.
When giving it a good wipe out after yesterdays spirit run I found some grease ( for want of a better word ) in the recess that the boiler thermometer is housed in.
I have some feints of feints now that i have kept for a sacrificial run, it might be time to look to getting some vinegar for a cleaning run.
How often do you guys do a cleaning run when using the still 2 or 3 times a week ?
Or does it depend on what you are running.
I have not done any all grain washes yet, still waiting on angel yeast to arrive.