Cleaning & Sac runs for a new still

[MattSmith]

Ok, I've just put my still together and have a couple of questions re the first couple of runs.

Cleaning - citric acid or vinegar (or both)? Still is stainless with copper mesh (I'll clean that in citric acid prior to use). Plan was to run one of these (could do both) and then run water to rinse everything out. Any advantages of one over the other?

Sac run - If it's been cleaned really well what does this do? I was going to run a TPW but just wanted to understand what it achieves?


Thanks

[iOnaBender]

Hi Matt,

I'm under the believe that you only need to do a vinegar run on a copper still (correct me if i'm wrong). If you've washed all of your stainless steel parts with a dishwashing detergent and rinsed well you only need to do a sacrificial run with a wash of your choice. TPW will make a great sacrificial run to get all the smegma (new word!) out that the original cleaning didn't. Keep it all (other than foreshots) for future cleaning runs. That is what I was initially instructed to do.

Cheers

[BigRig]

Ok, I've just put my still together and have a couple of questions re the first couple of runs.

Cleaning - citric acid or vinegar (or both)? Still is stainless with copper mesh (I'll clean that in citric acid prior to use). Plan was to run one of these (could do both) and then run water to rinse everything out. Any advantages of one over the other?

Sac run - If it's been cleaned really well what does this do? I was going to run a TPW but just wanted to understand what it achieves?


Thanks

If its new and its an FSD still then put the stainless in the dishwasher and copper in a citric acid bath then its good to go

[The Stig]

100% what these 2 said .

[brewster2]

i have in past used methanol from previous batches mixed with water worked good for me