still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby 1 2many » Wed May 21, 2014 8:59 pm

TheMechwarrior wrote:I just bought 5kg of citric acid thanks to this thread.


What 5 kg, are you doing a group buy :)) I am in for 500 gms. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby SBB » Wed May 21, 2014 9:14 pm

sam_and_liv wrote:Or is it because when you clean it the bottom gets cleaned better than the top? :think:

Its never been cleaned since the time I built it Sam, the booze coming out of it still tastes good, I knew it was getting a bit grubby inside , but until this post was started I never had a really close look. I may or may not clean it,,,,if I don't it will be for experimental purposes.

Yummyrum wrote:Recon you need to take off your sight glasses and lay it in a big bath of citric acid

Yummy I dont own a bath, blew all my money on copper and fittings.
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby APR » Wed May 21, 2014 9:18 pm

Yummyrum wrote:
SBB wrote:You could lay a sheet of plastic in your bath tub and fullit up to cover it....Just an Idea as it would stop th acid corroding your bath tub...then pull the plug and give it good rinse

Couldn't you leave the still assembled and put a blanking plug on the bottom and fill the still up with solution? This is what I do to clean the packing in the Boka.
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby 5 o'clock » Wed May 21, 2014 9:38 pm

SBB wrote:
sam_and_liv wrote:Or is it because when you clean it the bottom gets cleaned better than the top? :think:

Its never been cleaned since the time I built it Sam, the booze coming out of it still tastes good, I knew it was getting a bit grubby inside , but until this post was started I never had a really close look. I may or may not clean it,,,,if I don't it will be for experimental purposes.

Yummyrum wrote:Recon you need to take off your sight glasses and lay it in a big bath of citric acid

Yummy I dont own a bath, blew all my money on copper and fittings.


A bath can be made easily with some bricks and black plastic lining. That way you can make it exactly the size you need to minimise the volume of acid solution you need to make up.
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby SBB » Wed May 21, 2014 9:42 pm

Or I could just turn it upside down and lean it in a corner of the shed, pour a whole heap of citric acid mixed with water down the guts of the thing ...let it sit a day or two, pour it out , rinse a bit, and get back to making Rum n other goodies. Life doesn't always have to be so complicated.
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Urrazeb » Sat May 31, 2014 3:43 pm

Getting ready for the vodka run I thought I'd clean the packing.

Don't have a before pic but after two runs it was pretty rank. I also attempted to clean it in an aluminum pot which left a nasty black tinge to the ends it was touching. :handgestures-thumbdown:

Anyway, 2L vinegar and water to cover, simmered for 15min and stood for two days. Come up a treat :handgestures-thumbupleft:

tmp_img20140531_134149-81880174.jpg
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Andy » Sat May 31, 2014 4:02 pm

after the soak do you guys do a sacrificial run or what?
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Sam. » Sat May 31, 2014 4:59 pm

Andy wrote:after the soak do you guys do a sacrificial run or what?


I never have I just give it a real good rinse :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Andy » Sat May 31, 2014 5:01 pm

cheers
i think it might be worth cleaning my potstill like this :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Urrazeb » Sat May 31, 2014 6:05 pm


I never have I just give it a real good rinse :handgestures-thumbupleft:

:text-+1: I just rinsed for ages until it didn't smell like vinegar :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby MacStill » Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:43 am

Andy wrote:after the soak do you guys do a sacrificial run or what?


If the copper is new yes, but if it's already used and just given a citric bath & spray with the hose I reckon the fores & heads will do the job just nicely :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Andy » Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:12 pm

sweet. i stuck a bottle brush in the pots column about a week ago and gave it a bit of a scrub. and the white brush came out pretty dirty!
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Yummyrum » Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:08 pm

Its been 5 days and finally most of the Black buildup has converted to green stuff and finally its coming back to Pinky goodness.I should have done this last year or earlier :sad:
This is what it looked like after 24 hours .The black is gone but Green ??? is left ...but slowly moving down column

cleaning still 001.jpg

holding in a vice.jpg
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby MacStill » Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:41 pm

Looks pretty good yummy, it'll be interesting to see what you think of the next run you do & if you notice much difference :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Yummyrum » Thu Jun 05, 2014 5:34 pm

MacStill wrote:Looks pretty good yummy, it'll be interesting to see what you think of the next run you do & if you notice much difference :handgestures-thumbupleft:


Whoo....I can't believe the difference .Just doing a Weetbix All Bran and my god :handgestures-thumbupleft: ......Just compared a bit with some Neutral I had from the last run :puke-huge:

After 6 days in citric acid ,I rinsed and Run my flap disc though it on a drill extension I have .

cleaning still.jpg

cleaning still 007.jpg

Attached my new CM head which is clean inside
WAB Run.jpg


MIL is coming this weekend .....she only drinks Grey goose......going to give her the middle jar and see what she thinks
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LM/VM head with 1m packed 2" on Still Spirits boiler for Neutrals.

Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby SBB » Thu Jun 05, 2014 6:51 pm

Best water it down first Yummy, or the old girl might roll down the hill ;-)
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Yummyrum » Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:27 pm

SBB wrote:Best water it down first Yummy, or the old girl might roll down the hill ;-)

Oh thanks Salty, you just reminded me she only likes expensive Italian bottled water........might have to give her a push . :silent: ....my triple filtered rain water is probably not up to scratch
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Now use 50l Keg with Pot head for Rum and Neutral stripping runs on gas .
LM/VM head with 1m packed 2" on Still Spirits boiler for Neutrals.

Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Zak Griffin » Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:29 pm

Looks like I'll be giving my pot an acid bath before I do another run... I've only ever done a couple of vinegar runs since I built the thing, and I think it might be time for a birthday...
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Smbjk » Fri Jun 06, 2014 7:18 am

Yummyrum wrote:
MacStill wrote:Looks pretty good yummy, it'll be interesting to see what you think of the next run you do & if you notice much difference :handgestures-thumbupleft:


Whoo....I can't believe the difference .Just doing a Weetbix All Bran and my god :handgestures-thumbupleft: ......Just compared a bit with some Neutral I had from the last run :puke-huge:

After 6 days in citric acid ,I rinsed and Run my flap disc though it on a drill extension I have .

cleaning still.jpg

cleaning still 007.jpg

Attached my new CM head which is clean inside
WAB Run.jpg


MIL is coming this weekend .....she only drinks Grey goose......going to give her the middle jar and see what she thinks


Off topic I know but yummy your rig looks slick mate and love the adjustible cut jar stand :handgestures-thumbupleft: think I might steal that idea
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Re: still maintainence & sulphides (renamed)

Postby Yummyrum » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:22 pm

Smbjk wrote:Off topic I know but yummy your rig looks slick mate and love the adjustible cut jar stand :handgestures-thumbupleft: think I might steal that idea


Thanks Smbjk.....Steal away but there is a patent pending on the blocks of wood :laughing-rolling:

BTW

I forgot to mention that I repacked my column with new scrubbers as the old ones stunk so bad of tails oils and were really greasy.......so this may also have contributed to the much improved flavour....or Lack of it
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LM/VM head with 1m packed 2" on Still Spirits boiler for Neutrals.

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