Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Chocko6969 wrote:

Chocko6969 wrote:

Sam. wrote:I would also rethink the use of brass with spirit :-B

Could you tell me more Sam, I wasn't aware there's an issue with brass contacting alcohol?

Never mind, I've found the 365000 posts on brass ;-)

Haha, well done for searching :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Google pickling brass, it’s the best you can do with brass to make it safe..ish.

Ah righto, here is one of the more recent heated discussions.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=8800

Just did some searching, turns out lead is insoluble in alcohol but lead readily forms oxides, carbonates, sulfate, on it's surface in the presence of water. All of these are insoluble in ethanol too.

But, in a still, there's also acetic acid (in tails and also from slow oxidation of ethanol in contact with air) which reacts with lead to form lead acetate, which is very slightly soluble in ethanol.

Even very slightly soluble is too soluble. And insoluble doesn't mean it can't be dissolved, it just means it's not measurable. Since lead accumulates, it's best to avoid it if you can.

Source:
Page 277 to page 287.
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp13.pdf

Also don't forget there will be water with your ethanol as well.
If it comes out at 95% thats 5% water*...


* maybe other compounds but there will be a majority of water.

scythe wrote:Also don't forget there will be water with your ethanol as well.
If it comes out at 95% thats 5% water*...


* maybe other compounds but there will be a majority of water.

Thanks, I missed the solubility of lead oxide in water in the document I posted the link to. It's 17mg/L at 20 degrees C :scared-eek: lead forms an oxide readily upon exposure to air.

I also missed the solubility of lead acetate in water but it's listed as 443g/L at 520 degrees C (steam), which is huge :scared-eek: :scared-eek: :scared-eek: , but not able to tell how this transfers to temps less than 100 degrees C found in our stills. It's possible that ethanol reduces the solubility of lead acetate in steam, but there's no way of telling just how much. It's safe to say that lead acetate is a concern.

So essentially, lead will form lead oxide, which has a significant solubility in water, and it will also form lead acetate which could have a very significant solubility.

db1979 wrote:

scythe wrote:Also don't forget there will be water with your ethanol as well.
If it comes out at 95% thats 5% water*...


* maybe other compounds but there will be a majority of water.

Thanks, I missed the solubility of lead oxide in water in the document I posted the link to. It's 17mg/L at 20 degrees C :scared-eek: lead forms an oxide readily upon exposure to air.

I also missed the solubility of lead acetate in water but it's listed as 443g/L at 520 degrees C (steam), which is huge :scared-eek: :scared-eek: :scared-eek: , but not able to tell how this transfers to temps less than 100 degrees C found in our stills. It's possible that ethanol reduces the solubility of lead acetate in steam, but there's no way of telling just how much. It's safe to say that lead acetate is a concern.

So essentially, lead will form lead oxide, which has a significant solubility in water, and it will also form lead acetate which could have a very significant solubility.

Thanks fellas, all great information.
Does this all have as much bearing do you think for alcohol trickling at room temp?

How about we all agree we don't need to use brass when there are better options. Why risk it?

This conversation will end up the same way it always does..... :handgestures-thumbdown:

It is forum policy that brass is no good around alcohol so lets avoid the arguments :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Great information here, might need to group it all together in one thread at some stage :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Be a bugger to fill and empty the carbon

Aussiedownunder01 wrote:Be a bugger to fill and empty the carbon

I think it will be fine, hose on the end and the water should push it all out into a bucket. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

So the moral of the story is to avoid anything that comes from a rusty trombone? (some of you may/may not need to look that one up)

shmuck wrote:So the moral of the story is to avoid anything that comes from a rusty trombone? (some of you may/may not need to look that one up)

I looked it up, now I'm regretting that choice :hand:

db1979 wrote:

shmuck wrote:So the moral of the story is to avoid anything that comes from a rusty trombone? (some of you may/may not need to look that one up)

I looked it up, now I'm regretting that choice :hand:

:puke-huge:

bluc wrote:

db1979 wrote:

shmuck wrote:So the moral of the story is to avoid anything that comes from a rusty trombone? (some of you may/may not need to look that one up)

I looked it up, now I'm regretting that choice :hand:

:puke-huge:

I don't dare google it, I think I have a fairly good idea........ :shock: