Cleaning Your Still

Fiji_Spirits

How often does the column, boiler and lines get cleaned in your operation? do you take it all the way down and even clean the viewing glass gaskets and such or do you just run steam thru it every 4th run?

What sorts of cleaning products do you use? how do you clean your copper?

Any tricks or shortcuts you use to make the process easier?

I've been back flushing every run and cleaning when the plates are black. it's not enough I dont think tho. I'll run steam thru it once in a while but thats not enough by itself it seems.

I need some more schooling and tips!!

Cheers!

Lloyd

I am very fortunate indeed! My still is self cleaning.
By putting it into total reflux for about 20 minutes or so it gets all of the previous grunge out with the fores and heads or sinks them back down into the boiler.
I don't often go very deep into tails so that helps to keep the stench down between runs.
It is a nice touch to allow some kind of CIP for flushing out the column after a run.

My still gets reconfigured so often that I typically break it all down anyway after only a few runs. This is probably not much help to you because I'm lazy. If I ran 'dirty' washes through the still like molasses washes then I'd be forced into physical cleaning.

I'm reminded of the big commercial continuous stills that run 24/7 for months at a time. Maybe because the gunk is not allowed to dry onto the innards of the still they can get away with it?

Fiji_Spirits

I think thats the case LLoyd.

RedDoorDistillery

Very easy to clean. Just takes 1 stick of Dynamite.... And a long fuse... >:)

Then you just buy another still from SD.... @Lloyd you should love this cleaning regimen..... :D

dad

I clean mine by running alcohol through it every time i start it. I also leave a little in the column everytime i stop. Kind of self cleaning unless it pukes:-)

Fiji_Spirits

so how often do you guys pull the copper plates and soak them? does tails smell accumulate at all for you?

bentstick

can not pull them they are soldered in the 3 plate section and have the upper 2 plates soldered in that section,so as Dad does it gets cleaned by running alcohol through it,every un have not had a issue in 2 yrs! do my rums first then Whiskey's all clean!

Fiji_Spirits

what do you mean running alcohol thru it? you flush it with liquid alcohol or just process the spirits thru it? my copper gets really black after about 4 -5 runs.

bentstick

just by using the column, making runs! It does not look nice and shinny,but not build up gross either,and as Dad. I only take my runs down to 45-40 % so I do not the tails y stink by running lower! :!!

Drunkas

with my pot still the copper dose tern black but a simple vinegar run cleans that out. I think for me its probly when I do my cleaning run that counts and make's me diffrent from most. When I first start my stripping runs I just give the pot a quick flick with the hose make sure I dont have any green blue gunk built up inside. If thats all ok then I fill the boiler kick the tyers light the fire and away we go. Once I have finished my stripping runs thats when I do my vinegar cleaning run. Befor I do my spirit run or runs deppending on what flavors it get.

PS I know that this thread is about column stills but I thought I would just chip in on how I do things.

Grip

What!! You have to clean them as well???

dad

NO...you don't...

Grip

Phew!

Thought I was the only one who relied on the product to do the job.

Drunkas

Bull shit you dont have to clean a pot still give it a good vinegar cleaning run next time you use it and tell me you cant tell the diffrence with your spirit run

Lloyd

@Drunkas said: Bull shit you dont have to clean a pot still give it a good vinegar cleaning run next time you use it and tell me you cant tell the diffrence with your spirit run

Sure, a clean still is a happy still... but the OP question was:

How often does the column, boiler and lines get cleaned in your operation? do you take it all the way down and even clean the viewing glass gaskets and such or do you just run steam thru it every 4th run?

If you do run a pot still AND take the stripping run down to about 20%, you bet the boiler and all will be nasty with tails stank. But for a column still that, by its nature, stops collecting at the end of the hearts it's a whole nuther story.

Drunkas

bloody column distillers :D