by Clickeral » Mon Jun 21, 2021 10:16 am
Just packed down my kit from last nights run
Typically I empty the boiler hot but sometimes if I am time poor I let it cool overnight
Turn power off (or gas if you use gas)
Open RC full bore as I go into pot mode end of run to cool RC and knock back any output
Open 2" tri clamp port on boiler to release pressure
(I do this always, generally stainless is fine with vacuum and my column will let air back in when its not running but don't want to risk it and its a good habit to get into, also allows excess steam to vent and cool faster)
Walk outside and turn hose off and unhook hose so the shotgun/rc can drain. I counterflow chill so cold goes in the top
Empty boiler into buckets (old 25kg queensland molasses buckets or bunnings green buckets as they are able to handle the heat) and empty down my outside sink
Once empty ill unhook the ends of my water in connections over a bucket (hose to adapter to splitter etc) and drain any water
Then do the same with the water out over a bucket
Once that's done generally the other components are cool enough to handle, if not ill leave it till the next day.
If I am doing another run ill just take the shotgun/parrot and the RC/4'-2" adapter off and then undo the connection to my boiler so the column stays together (4-5plate only more then that and ill break it down into 3 tee sections etc always remove the packed section separately)
So I can refill, if not doing another run then ill break it down completely after a quick flush with water. I dry my plates before they go away so not to phased about water sitting on them. All my tees etc get wiped down inside as well.
Everything gets put away cleanish, normally any shit left over gets collected in fores/heads anyway. If there is anything caked that will come through the whole run I suggest a clean
Can also soak stainless in PBW or straight sodium percarbonate, ill sometimes boil the stainless scrubbies I have packed in my packed section in sodium per-carbonate if I feel they need a clean. (think ive done it once in 7years)
Whenever I feel the plates are too tarnished or ive done a rum wash that's left lots of rum oils/shit on my plates ill flush everything. Plates get disasembled rinsed in hot water, scrubbed with a green scourer and then soaked in citric acid at 5g per L (I use boiling water for this) normally let them sit over night but have done just a few hours before. I then scrub/rinse them again and dry them before reassembly. (done this maybe 1 once a year at the most)
Then the plates get put away
I only do vinegar runs with full new equipment, normally new equipment ill clean before hand separately with a mix of straight alcohol, sodium per-carbonate and vinegar/citric acid as required.
Never had and issue, my 3v beer setup gets more thoroughly cleaned and more regularly, but I find boiling temps and 90%+ alcohol kill most things
People tend to work out what works for them so this is just what I do