Clean Equipment After Each Use – Here is the procedure we recommend distillers follow when cleaning a copper still: First, we recommend wearing a pair of protective gloves as the still will still be hot.
Remove the seal between the boiler and the column cap skirt. Completely remove the column from the still. Rinse the column with clean water, and scrub the inside of the column with a carboy cleaning brush (these are the perfect size and work really, really well). Once the column has been cleaned, dry it off and place it in safe dry spot for storage. Put on gloves again and dump the leftover wash out. Fill the still with 1/2 gallon of clean water and scrub the still with a scrubbing brush. Dump the water out and then rinse it one more time with clean water. Dry thoroughly and store in a cool, dry environment.
Contents
How often should you clean a still?
Every 5-10 distillations : Clean the head of the Air Still thoroughly by running a water distillation. To do this: Fill the boiler with 4 L (1.1 US Gal) of clean water.
How much vinegar do I use to clean a still?
1. Fill the Pot. – Fill the pot of your still to about 20% capacity with a mixture of 50% white vinegar and 50% clean water. That’s about 1 gallon of the mixture in a 5 gallon still, or 2 gallons in a 10 gallon still. Use distilled water for this mixture, if you have some available.
How do you clean old copper stills?
Cleaning A Copper “Moonshine” Still – Quite a few folks have asked us how to keep the copper bright and shiny, so we decided to write this “how to” guide. First things first, by “moonshine still” we mean “small copper still. We’ve chosen to use that language because small copper stills are often called “moonshine stills.” That said, copper is not naturally shiny. 1. Vinegar, salt, and flour : Yes, that’s right a few common kitchen ingredients and a bit of elbow grease will clean copper right up. Combine about a tablespoon of salt and a cup of vinegar and then add enough flour to make a paste. Apply the paste to a still and wait.
- Leave sit for 30 minutes, wash off, and repeat the process if needed.
- Of course, one will probably need to scale this recipe up for even the smallest still we make, but it’s very inexpensive and works well.2.
- Etchup, lemon juice, cream of tartar : This is another common recipe that utilizes common kitchen ingredients.
If one does not have the ingredients listed in the previous recipe, but they do have some ketchup, lemon juice, and cream of tartar they can use this recipe. However, this version of DIY household cleaner is not as effective as vinegar, salt, and flour. 3. Tarn-X : For the quickest results, consider purchasing an “industrial strength” metal cleaner / tarnish remover. Tarn-x works well and can be purchased at Lowe’s or Home Depot. It is also fairly inexpensive. Be warned though, this stuff is quite a bit stronger than vinegar and salt, therefore proper protection is required.
Wear gloves and goggles. Also, this stuff really smells awful. I literally wear a voc mask when using it, which actually blocks the smell completely. Regardless of the cleaner used, remember to rinse a still thoroughly after cleaning. Any residual acids left on the still will cause it to discolor. Also, remember that nature will always win and a still will discolor over time.
The best way to prevent natural patina is to apply a sealant just after thoroughly cleaning and polishing a still. Hopefully this was helpful information for those that want to keep their stills bright and shiny. Also, consider the alternative: do nothing and let the still develop a natural patina.
In my opinion, the natural route is best. Stills with patina look cool and require no work to maintain! A reminder: Distilling alcohol is illegal without a federal fuel alcohol or distilled spirit plant permit as well as relevant state permits. Our distillation equipment is designed for legal uses only and the information in this article is for educational purposes only.
Please read our complete legal summary for more information on the legalities of distillation. Kyle Brown is the owner of Clawhammer Supply, a small scale distillation and brewing equipment company which he founded in 2009. His passion is teaching people about the many uses of distillation equipment as well as how to make beer at home. When he isn’t brewing beer or writing about it, you can find him at his local gym or on the running trail.
What should I clean my still with?
Clean Equipment After Assembly – Before using our for the first time, it will need to be thoroughly cleaned. After assembly, the equipment is going to have a lot of flux and bits of solder that need to be removed. To clean the inside of a still, fill the boiler with a gallon of white vinegar, attach the column, and boil for about an hour.
- After boiling the vinegar for an hour, carefully dump out the the vinegar.
- It will be HOT- we recommend using heat resistant gloves.
- After dumping the vinegar, fill the still with, let is soak, then scrub the copper still with a toilet cleaning brush (one that is new and only for stills!).
- Dump the water out and fill the still one more time with clean water.
Scrub the still once more with a scrubbing brush and dump the water out one last time. For info on cleaning the outside, read our article on,
How long can wash sit before distilling?
Article: Clearing the wash
- Clearing the wash
- When fermentation is complete
- Turbo clear should always be used to clear wash before distillation, there are three reasons for this;
- To remove the yeast – there are many billions of yeast cells (70 billion/ml) by the end of the fermentation – if not removed they will break open during boiling releasing volatiles giving off-flavours and aromas into the distillation process and reducing distillate quality.
- To remove semi-soluble compounds – Turbo clear contains strongly negative and positive charging and will take out unwanted compounds that even filtration will not remove.
- T o remove adsorbents – the majority of turbo yeasts contain absorbent materials such as activated carbons, clays and other compounds which trap unwanted metabolites within pore microstructures.
If turbo clear is not used, these metabolites will be released during boiling. Turbo Clear has been reformulated to give increased performance and works faster than ever. Each turbo pack comes with part A and part B. It is important to remove dissolved gas from the wash by vigorous stirring of the wash first – then add part A.
One hour later stir very gently and Part B should be added. Then leave the wash for at least 24 hours before decanting and distilling. Within 24 hours Turbo Clear removes over 95% of the yeast cells, solids and other unwanted compounds from the wash – at this point it is acceptable for distilling. For ultimate quality – leave for 48 hours to remove up to 99% of the solids.
It can sometimes take several days for the wash to become completely clear because alcohol yeasts are poor flocculators, but removing every last cell is not important. : Article: Clearing the wash
How long can wash last before distilling?
It depends on what type of wash you have but as a general rule of thumb, it is best to distil within 2-3 days after fermentation is complete. The wash will keep for up to a month so long as the fermenter is airtight. The period can be extended if the wash is racked off into a clean airtight container.
How often do you clean a moonshine still?
What if I don’t clean my copper still? – Copper reacts to oxygen over time (it “oxidizes”), developing a dark brown and then a green lustre if not regularly cleaned. Think of the color of a 20-year-old penny or the Statue of Liberty – that is what happens to unpolished copper.
What cleans better alcohol or vinegar?
Why Rubbing Alcohol is Better for Cleaning (Even Better Than Vinegar) This post may contain affiliate links. These help support this website. 
I think isopropyl alcohol is one of the most underrated tools in the home, so today I want to share with you why rubbing alcohol is better for cleaning than many other items.Isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, is even better than vinegar for most things!While vinegar is a great acid that can clean build up like steam, or, it is not a registered disinfectant.
Household vinegar is not effective at killing bacteria that can linger in the home (it can be mixed with other things like dishwashing liquid to create a good cleaner, but again, not as good on it’s own). I highly recommend checking out ourr to learn how to use it properly! So, I use vinegar strictly for removing build up, but rubbing alcohol for disinfecting and cleaning most places especially the kitchen.
Should you use straight vinegar to clean?
Best type of vinegar to use – White distilled vinegar is the best vinegar for cleaning because it doesn’t contain a coloring agent. Therefore, it won’t stain surfaces. Staining can happen when cleaning with a darker-colored vinegar. Plus, distilled white vinegar has about 5 percent acidity, which is also similar to the acidity level in many everyday multipurpose cleaners.
What is the best cleaner for copper still?
How to Clean Copper With Vinegar or Ketchup – If you don’t have any lemon juice, distilled white vinegar or ketchup works very well to polish copper. Vinegar contains acetic acid (ketchup contains vinegar as well as citric acid in the tomatoes) that reacts with copper tarnish and breaks its bond with the copper.
Wash the copper: Start by washing the copper item with warm, soapy water to remove dust and grime.
Make a vinegar paste: Combine three parts distilled white vinegar with two parts salt or baking soda (there will be fizzing) in a small bowl to make a paste.
Apply the paste or spread the ketchup: Use a sponge to spread the vinegar paste over the copper. Or, squirt some ketchup directly onto the copper. Use a sponge to scrub in small circles to remove the tarnish. For stubborn tarnish, add a bit of baking soda to the ketchup to act as a gentle abrasive cleaner.
Rinse and buff dry: Rinse away the paste or ketchup with warm water. Use a lint-free dishtowel to dry the copper and a second dry towel to buff it into a burnished glow.
How long do copper stills last?
Application – Main article: Since at a much lower than, can separate ethanol from water by applying heat to the mixture. Historically, a vessel was used for this purpose, since copper removes undesirable -based compounds from the alcohol. However, many modern stills are made of stainless steel pipes with copper linings to prevent erosion of the entire vessel and lower copper levels in the waste product (which in large distilleries is processed to become animal feed).
- Copper is the preferred material for stills because it yields an overall better-tasting spirit.
- The taste is improved by the chemical reaction between the copper in the still and the sulfur compounds created by the yeast during fermentation.
- These unwanted and flavor-changing sulfur compounds are chemically removed from the final product resulting in a smoother, better-tasting drink.
All copper stills will require repairs about every eight years due to the precipitation of, The beverage industry was the first to implement a modern distillation apparatus and led the way in developing equipment standards which are now widely accepted in the chemical industry.
- Old Ukrainian vodka still Zambian artisanal still and cooler There is also an increasing usage of the distillation of under glass and, and even at reduced pressures, to facilitate a fresher product.
- This is irrelevant to alcohol quality because the process starts with triple distilled grain alcohol, and the distillation is used solely to harvest botanical flavors such as and other like compounds.
The ethyl alcohol is relatively unchanged. The simplest standard apparatus is commonly known as a, consisting of a single heated chamber and a vessel to collect purified alcohol. A pot still incorporates only one, whereas other types of distillation equipment have multiple stages which result in higher purification of the more volatile component (alcohol).
Pot still distillation gives an incomplete, but this can be desirable for the flavor of some, If a purer distillate is desired, a is the most common solution. Reflux stills incorporate a, commonly created by filling copper vessels with glass beads to maximize available, As alcohol boils, condenses, and reboils through the column, the effective number of distillations greatly increases.
and and other neutral grain spirits are distilled by this method, then diluted to concentrations appropriate for human consumption. Alcoholic products from home distilleries are common throughout the world but are sometimes in violation of local statutes.
What cleans better than alcohol?
Alcohol Vs Bleach, Which Is Better? Right now we have a huge issue taking place worldwide and this is causing panic and chaos everywhere. People are rushing out to get their hands on anything and everything possible and some of those things that people are trying to get their hands on are alcohol and bleach.
Alcohol Alcohol is effective against killing off a wide range of germs and most bacteria including mycobacteria. This is really only effective in concentrations above 70%. Alcohol has also been shown to be effective in disinfecting surfaces contaminated with pandemic viruses such as Influenza, Ebola, SARS, Coronavirus, and has some activity against Norovirus.
Alcohol is often used to disinfect small surface areas such as door knobs / handles, personal items, and things of that nature. It is occasionally used to clean larger surface areas like countertops, desks, and so on. However, due to it being very flammable, it is best to limit its use as a surface disinfectant to small surface areas and make sure it is used in a well-ventilated space.
Using alcohol as a prolonged disinfectant can cause hardening and cracking of skin, rubber, and some plastics. If used to sanitize personal items, it can also cause discoloration after repeated uses. Bleach Bleach is a strong and effective disinfectant as well as a great alternative if you can’t get your hands on alcohol.
Bleaches’ active ingredient is sodium hypochlorite and it is highly effective in killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Diluted household bleach can disinfect surfaces within 10-minutes and 60 minutes of contact time. It is also widely available at a low cost and is recommended for surface disinfection at many health care facilities.
- However, bleach irritates mucous membranes, the skin, and the airways.
- It decomposes under heat and light and reacts easily with other chemicals.
- Therefore, bleach should be used with caution; and in a nice open area where ventilation is occurring in an adequate and consistent manner.
- Improper use of bleach, including deviation from recommended dilutions (either stronger or weaker), may reduce its effectiveness for disinfection and can injure yourself as well as others around you.
Well, there you have it, a little breakdown between the two cleaning chemicals. If you have any questions or would like to get your hands on some sanitizer or bleach-based cleaning wipes you can find them on our site as well as other helpful cleaning products.
What do you do with washed after distilling?
Double distillation of you neutral spirit is the most important method you can use to improve the quality and quantity of your finished alcohol. 1. Distil your wash as normal, you do not have to discard anything as you will do it on the second distillation anyway. This is called a “stripping” run because you “strip” the alcohol.2. Collect the spirit and dilute to 45% using the calculator found here 3. For every 8-10L spirit add 1 tablespoon of sodium carbonate (not bicarbonate). This is sold as washing soda at the supermarket.4. Run the still as normal, discarding the first 50-100mLs. This is called the “spirit run” 5. Dilute to 40% and carbon filter To save time you can strip the alcohol from two or three ferments and then do a single spirit run. barry 4/4/2018 11:53:02 pm why are you adding sodium carbonate to the strip run after collection??? The sodium carbonate in your second distillation causes ‘base catalysed hydrolysis’. Some of the bad tasting compounds get converted into compounds with high boiling points so they cannot come over with your product. This means that the heads and tails fractions are much smaller, leaving you with a cleaner (and larger) hearts cut. An unfiltered double distilled product (with sodium carbonate) will in many cases be cleaner than a single distilled and filtered product. Make sure to never add sodium carbonate to your wash for your first distillation. Dave 10/2/2019 08:36:56 pm Why do you use carbonate instead of bicarbonate? Anything wing with using bicarbonate? Thanks for your help. Duck 6/8/2020 02:23:55 am Sodium carbonate is more basic than sodium bicarbonate so induces base catylised hydrolysis more readily. If you put sodium bicarbonate in a glass oven safe tray in the oven @200C for 2hrs it will convert to sodium carbonate. Matthew Scherf 9/5/2020 06:35:30 pm Hi – I have some heads that I’ve saved. If I add sodium carbonate to the heads, and then add those to fortify the sugar wash, is it safe? sean 11/9/2020 06:13:14 pm hey mate. i do a double batch at a time. when you do your spirit run with sodium carbonate. do u just dilute to 40% or do u fill the still back to the top with water thanks mate Mike 9/23/2022 01:44:46 am Ok so I made the mistake of adding Sodium carbonate washing soda to the wash in a stripping run, now i have a spirit that has a bad smell a bit like ammonia, should I try re running it or just tip it down the drain. Garry 5/7/2018 06:09:21 pm Hi do you get the same result using the turbo 500 reflux still,also double filtering ? Thanks Garry Hi Garry, Yes you can do double distillation in a t500. There is no need to double filter after you’ve done a double distillation, it will be VERY clean. A nice slow single filter is more than enough. Cheers tash 2/26/2020 11:11:00 pm Hi do you filter after the second distillation or the first? noting I am looking to add botanicals to make gin on the second distillation Mark 6/2/2018 08:37:58 pm Hi mate, Do you need to filtee tpw or only turbo. Cheers, Mark. Steve 11/20/2020 06:17:45 am Hi what do you do with heads and tails you collect? camille 6/2/2018 10:28:06 pm Hi Mark, it’s not essential to filter a tpw but it will make it a little cleaner. Always filter a turbo and double distil it if you have the time. cheers Mark 6/2/2018 11:18:02 pm Many thanks, Looking forward to trying your bourbon essence. Do you recommend to age the soirit on wood chunks first and if so which type. Thanks again, Mark camille 6/3/2018 01:49:47 am Hi Mark, the essence already contains an oak profile so I would try it first before oaking. If you feel it’s not enough by all means put in a few chunks. At the end of the day it’s all about you like to drink ? cheers Mark 6/3/2018 03:11:49 pm Hi Camille, Just followed your instructions on double distilling. It made some amazing spirit. The sodium carbonate makes a difference. I lost about 10%, is that normal? Also, with the T500 is it necessary to do cuts as I am lost on how to do that. Kind regards, Mark. camille 6/3/2018 05:48:46 pm Hi Mark, I’m actually unsure why you would have lost 10%. The t500 frequently leaks around the lid so perhaps you lost some there. You can plug that up with flour paste or just accept the loss. The other reason I can think of is you cooling water is too cool and the still struggles to push the last little bit out. It’s always important to do cuts as it will increase the quality of your spirit especially if you don’t carbon filter. Carbon does hide a lot of sins though. cheers jason 7/12/2018 05:48:52 pm Hi I am going to try out the sodium carbonate Woolies have Lectric in wash & soaker Washing Soda Is this good enough or should i look for a different brand Cheers camille 7/12/2018 05:53:20 pm it’s not food grade but it’s the brand I use Adam 8/7/2018 01:50:44 pm Hi Ducks.just want to make sure this is the right stuff. https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/263093/lectric-inwash-soaker-washing-soda and thanks for all the info!!! camille 8/10/2018 07:34:36 pm Hi Adam, yes this is the right product. Have a good brew! Mson 8/25/2018 05:25:20 pm Do I use 1 tablespoon to 8-10 liters of neutral used or 1 tablespoon to 8-10 L of spirit diluted at 45%. Sorry for the simple question, am fairly new to this 🙂 Mate I’m new to it as well but I’m assuming it’s added to the total volume after its diluted? camille 9/5/2018 06:28:58 am can you repeat your question please. I don’t understand what you mean Steve 9/5/2018 02:11:39 pm I run a still spirit condenser do I have to conditions the second run on a double distilling,also thanks for giving out advice about double distilling Jay 9/19/2018 04:58:20 am Camille – I believe what Mson was asking refers to points 2 & 3. Do you add the 1 Table spoon of sodium carbonate to 8-10L of: A. clean distilled spirit OR B. the 45% diluted spirit. Following the directions it’s the diluted, but I guess #3 says spirit – so that’s where the confusion may have come from. Camille 9/19/2018 09:12:02 pm Add the sodium carbonate to the 45% diluted spirit. Sorry for any confusion Robert Christoffel 9/30/2018 12:31:26 pm Hi Hope you will help me, I have a Turbo 500 Happy with it, i would like to try DOUBLE DISTILLING can someone out there tell me how to do it PLEASE, Step by Step would be GREAT, Thanks Very Much Bob Camille 10/1/2018 03:50:19 am Hi Bob, 1. Make ferment 2. Distill ferment without cuts (stripping run, do not drink this) 3. Dilute spirit to 45% 4. Add 1 tablespoon of sodium carbonate to each 9L of 45 Spirit 5. Run again making sure to take foreshots, heads, hearts and tails. (Spirit Run) On average you can strip 3 ferments to a single spirit run to save yourself time. Mick 11/27/2020 01:51:08 pm This may be a dumb question, but I am assuming you clean out the still before the second run yeah? Ian 8/21/2021 11:08:31 pm Hi Bob I run the t500 when I do a double distill, was recommended by the home brew shop on the second run add ten litres of hot water to your near 95% and like the first run it as close as you can to 50 degrees low and slow comes out so clean the women fight over it for there fruit drinks eg lemon chilo etc Luke 11/1/2018 02:38:13 am Hi All, I’m very new to using an air still, I have the Still Spirits 4L air still. I’ve only made one run though the still at the moment using the manufacturers instructions. However I’m interested in double distilling with it. I’m not 100% clear on what the process is. Do I distill the first 700ml as per the manufacturer, then dilute to 45% and add just that and a small amount of sodium carbonate back into the still for the 2nd distillation? Then discard the first 10ml or so? Or have I got it completely wrong? Sorry for the newbie questions! Cheers Luke Denny McIntyre 12/27/2018 01:46:31 am Does the washing soda do the same thing as distillers conditioner? Is better than or just as good or worse? Camille 12/28/2018 08:38:16 am Washing soda does a completely different thing. It is only done in the second distillation, never add it to your wash. Denny 1/14/2019 03:13:11 pm Thanks heaps gonna double distill my next 2 washes. Should i be putting distillers conditioner in my spirit run? Using t500 Dave 12/28/2018 07:06:22 pm Hi, just wondering, when u distill the first wash to 45%, do u add water back to the 21lts to do the second distill??? Dan 1/23/2019 06:47:15 pm Hi all. I didnt discard the first 50ml of my first distil so I have to do a second distil. Ive noticed you have to add sodium carbonate and i proof it to 40%. My question is do i just add the 40% to the still or make up to 25litres? Also to distil again do i need to add the distil conditioner and ceramic boil enhances? Thanks 👍 Hi Dan, You just have to put in the 45%, no need to fill your still up to the 25L mark, you’ll just waste time and electricity. Cheers, Camille Dan 1/23/2019 09:52:26 pm Thanks for that. i ended up just filtering and watering the alcohol the other half after i realised i stuffed up Hi Dan, You can still double distill after its been filtered. If you filter before and after the second distillation you’ll end up with super clean booze. Its unnecessary but it does make it squealy clean! Jules 1/31/2019 05:03:43 pm Hi, Do you have to wait a certain amount of time after adding the lectric soda to the 45% spirit? Or can you mix it all up and run it straight away? Cheers Duck Distilling 7/28/2019 08:13:54 am Just dump it in and run straight away Kev Roberts 6/10/2019 12:38:08 pm G’day mate, to save space and weight in my caravan on an extended trip, I would like to carry 93% alcohol and then reduce that to 40% with local water before adding any essence. To achieve this, before leaving, I intend to use my T500 to produce 93% in the normal manner, (disgarding the first 100 ml) then reduce this to 40% before very slowly carbon filtering this to my normal high standard. At this point, can I re-distill my 40% filtered product back to 93%, again disgarding the first 100ml and carry the concentrate to dilute later with local water back to 40% WITHOUT filtering again? Thanks mate, Kev. Hi Kev, Yes that will work very well. It is in fact the best 95% is made for soaking gin botanicals. Cheers, Luke trevor cottrell 6/19/2019 09:15:44 pm so about a teaspoon of carbonate to my 4ltr wash at 45% abv should do it?second distillation of course in my airstill Duck Distilling 6/19/2019 10:09:46 pm That should do the trick. Make it a heaped teaspoon, a little extra won’t hurt. trevor cottrell 6/19/2019 10:15:26 pm thx, here goes nothing lol, let you know how it went, cheers” Michele 7/28/2019 12:42:31 am Do you need to use water conditioner in the second distillation or just the soda? trevor 7/28/2019 04:13:41 am i didnt bother with conditioner on second run, all went fine, that was with tpw yes? Duck 7/28/2019 08:14:28 am You dont need it on the second run Jade 7/28/2019 04:04:38 am I’m doing a gin in the t500. I’m wondering if I can add my botanicals in the 2nd distillation run? If I do this, should I filter before the 2nd run or still filter after? Thanks!!! Duck 7/28/2019 08:15:46 am Have a look at our section on gin. http://www.duckdistilling.com.au/blogpost/making-gin You want to soak the botanicals in 95% and then cut down chris 4/21/2020 05:50:02 pm what if you did add sodium carbonate to your wash for your first distillation. What will happen??. Craig 5/14/2020 03:25:42 am Im guessing you can tell us.😁 Duck Distilling 5/14/2020 05:04:46 am You’ll release ammonia from your wash and turn your spirit blue making it toxic Dean 5/23/2020 03:20:47 pm Hi Duck Distilling, just wanting to know a couple of things, 1: is it ok to firsr dissolve the sodium carbonate in the water that is added to the high proof? 2: Is it ok to let the sodium carbonate and alcohol mixture sit in the boiler overnight? 3: Do I need to add ceramic saddles in the boiler when doing the final run. Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance. Duck Distilling 5/23/2020 05:49:09 pm And the saddles are good too but not as necessary as when distilling from wash so if you forget it’s no bother Dean 5/23/2020 07:23:26 pm Hi Duck Distilling thanks for the fast reply but it looks like half of the reply is missing? Dean 5/29/2020 02:26:19 am Hi duck distilling, not sure if you seen my last reply but it looks like half of your response to my original questions was missing? Would love to hear your feedback on the other unanswered questions. Thanks again for your help. Duck Distilling 5/29/2020 03:29:12 am Hi mate, sorry I wrote two replies but only one came through.1. Totally fine to dissolve sodium carbonate in water first. Or you can just chuck it straight in the boiler.2. You can let the alcohol and sodium carbonate sit together as long as you like.3. Without saddles is fine on a spirit run, very hard to puke. No harm adding them though Hi Just got my ducks burbon in the mail, My tpw is now ready to distill. I am using the Air Spirits still. Their instructions is to distill wash to 700 mi of spirit and then and 300 ml to bring it to 40 % finished product before filtering. Question is, as i want to do your double distillation do i put the above 1 litre @ 40 % back in for the second run with soda and discarding first 50 – 100 mill, Or do i top up the 700ml of spirit from the fist run to the 4ltr mark on the still with water then run the second distillation ? regards Rob Duck 6/8/2020 02:27:20 am Diluting to 40 % and then redistilling is best practice. As you’ll have lots of room in the airstill you should do 2-3 runs from the wash, dilute to 40% and then run again. With a 10% tpw wash you’ll do 3 strips, add spirit to boiler and dilute then do a single slow spirit run Natalie Newman 6/10/2020 05:36:04 am OK. COOL I have about 6 l of 40% filtered S@^&*, once filtered still nasty, do I put 4 l of this stuff back in my 4 l turbo still with washing soda and run the whole lot through, ditch the first 100 ml and still all the rest still it stops, or should there be any “tails” if it’s all 40% spirit So much help, but so hard to follow for a dummie Duck Distilling 6/10/2020 05:58:00 am Yes. Stick the 40% back in your still with sodium carbonate and redistill. Take cuts and then keep your hearts. If the 40% you put into the boiler is only hearts from previous run then you only need to take a small heads cut and the rest should be hearts. Natalie 6/11/2020 06:34:15 pm Sorry, but in a second run (spirit run) I still don’t get it as to how much of a 4 l spirit run do I keep after the 100 ml foreshot waste. Should there be any left in the air still, or should I only collect a certain amount and ditch the stuff remaining. I have read somewhere that the remaining stuff can be put back in a wash ? ? ? BUT I really need to know how much to save, and how much to leave. I’ve just pulled out the first 100 ml of rocket fuel, but the next 250 ml tastes like metho.I’ll keep stilling it, but should I still it again (3rd time) or just filter it again? I have a fuselex filter with 5 times washed activated carbon. I’m using sodium carbonate, conditioner and saddles, I want to get it right ! ! ! Help please 🙂 Cheers,Nat John 4/10/2021 11:05:03 pm https://i.imgur.com/1MM0IOo.jpg Check this put it tells you exactly what to do for ya Air Still. Duck Distilling 6/11/2020 07:08:26 pm Please send me an email through our contact form. I’m not 100% sure what you’re doing so shoot me an email and we’ll get it sorted James 6/21/2020 02:14:37 pm Do you have to run in reflux on the second run? Or can you run in pot still mode? Duck Distilling 6/21/2020 06:46:31 pm It’s actually better to use the pot still on the strip run and use the reflux on the second run. It’s a lot quicker getting the booze off a wash with a pot still. baden barry 7/1/2020 04:09:30 pm thanks for the info i will give the 2nd run a go thanks again for the help Rohan Anstey 9/8/2020 07:38:08 pm Hi, I’m using a non commercial still. It is a an beer keg with condensor that attaches to that. It uses a hot water element to heat the wash. Because of the volume required to cover the element, am I best to add my dilute first wash back into still with the remnants of the first wash or? the other option I can think of is to empty enough out that I’m not wasting time/energy but also not running the element dry. Sorry I know this is a little left of centre. Thanks I’m assuming the element is low as possible on the keg? What most people do is collect multiple strip runs before doing a spirit run. Usually 3xstrip runs is enough for 1 spirit run. Because your strippings are 40% there will be plenty of liquid covering the elements. If you’re doing turbo wash you’ll only need to collect 2xstrips before doing spirit run because if the slightly higher yield Shane 9/18/2020 07:20:13 am Hi I have a non commercial still and have tried re-stilling a few times without success, losing volume and percentage after starting with 5 -7 liters @94%, I have use the leftover water for the next wash, Thanks for the useful posts and information, I will have another go hopefully being more successful 👍 Dave 10/5/2020 02:13:16 pm Hi there, was just wondering for the second run, do you top it back up to 20 litres with water or just run the 45% on its own? Shane 10/6/2020 02:25:40 am I am not sure of the percentage it was 7 liters @ 94% and 40 liters of water, I will try again @ 40 % alcohol and see how that goes Jason 10/17/2020 07:06:24 pm Hi its my first time double distilling is normal for the spirit to be coming out hot camille 10/17/2020 07:22:42 pm Yes it can be, what kind of still are you using? And what was your process? Jason 10/17/2020 07:38:11 pm Im using a t500. I have done the same process as in comments. Diluted to 45% added sodium carbonate. sean 11/9/2020 06:21:37 pm what the difference between diluted to 45% and just filling the still back to the top with water for the spirit run with sodium carbonate. camille 11/9/2020 08:25:29 pm I usually say 40% because above 50% is dangerous and gives a bit of leeway. You can dilute to 40% (or 45%) and use sodium carbonate. Alternatively you can just fill the still up with water, even if it’s 20% it will work. The difference is you’ll spend more money on heating your still up if you just fill it to the brim. The main concern is not boiling the elements or the bottom of your still dry sean 11/9/2020 08:56:41 pm thanks sean 11/10/2020 01:11:07 am So if I burn off two 25 litre washers and put that back in my still in top it up to 25 litre of water would I add it 2 and a 1/2 tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate sean 11/10/2020 01:12:56 am Sorry sodium carbonate Camille 11/10/2020 02:03:29 am Yep that’s fine sean 12/6/2020 07:55:03 pm thanks Camille. Just did first burn off with sodium carbonate and the quality is amazing. best stuff ever. thanks again. Hi I’m about second distil two 25L TPW on a second run together. Do you discard more than the 150ml at the start because you are doing double? sean 11/21/2020 01:08:49 am when i do spirit run with two 25l washes do i just take 100ml out or do i double it. Ger Caff 11/25/2020 11:16:52 am Hi, I am new to the process as well. I done a spirit run of 18L and have approx.700ml of 90%. I will dilute this down to 40% which will give me about 1.5L. The still can hold 24L. Is there a probably or risk distilling 1.5L in such a big still? Thanks in advance, Scott Yaxley 12/17/2020 12:01:14 am Hi, New to this Air-Still business and have similar questions to Natalie. I’ve done my first stripping run through the Still Spirits Air Still, based on a 10l wash. From the first two 4l wash runs, I discarded the first 50ml of Foreshots from each, then collected the next 700ml – it came out about 55%, then 50% ABV. I’ve diluted both runs to 40%, filtered through the carbon filter and have about 2litres. I’m keen to do a Spirit Run to get a palatable neutral spirit to make lemoncello (from lemons). So my plan is to put the 2l of 40% in the Air Still, and dilute with water to the 4l mark (this would be 20% right??). I am planning to discard another 50ml of foreshots (to be safe), maybe take another 150ml as Heads, then collect about 1l which I am assuming will be hearts. I’ll probably let it run and collect as much tail as I can, testing occassionally. I did collect abut a further 100ml of tails (~30%) from the remainder of the initial stripping runs, and I was planning to dump this and the Spirit run Heads and Tails in a feints jar until I have enough to do a separate run. Can you see anything wrong with the above strategy, or am I overcomplicating it. I’m not confident in discerning the cuts at the moment, but have noticed the smell differences in the fractions collected so far. Any comments appreciated. Thanks. Neal Ivey 8/21/2022 06:58:24 pm Hi Scott. Did you get an answer to your question. I have the same question. Neil 3/11/2021 05:20:47 pm after reading about TPW and bicarb I’m keen to give them a go I’ve been learning the slow way, everything seems to add time cost and effort, but if the end product and found, double distilling did make a noticeable difference and running thru a carbon filter made a difference when making booze for Xmas presents I’d thought I’d show off and triple distil, I reckon most people could pick the difference over a double but it is only small, and while not necessary for regular drinking it can be a little fun again very keen to try the bi carb thanks to all for their comments, its a good way to learn and I don’t know anyone in Canberra that’s into the craft Cheers Neil quicksloth 12/27/2021 09:42:54 pm Hi Neil, i just did my first double distilled tpw last month and it made a MASSIVE difference from my single distilled version. people thought it was okay before, managed to have a cocktail party out of the double distilled stuff. now i never tried it without the bi carb but i believe it had made a big difference. at first i could taste almost a powdery taste but also a lot of the harshness and off flavours had disappeared. well worth it in my opinion. I also compress the heads by dropping temp for the first half hr after collecting fores. only got about 300-400ml heads (or less) out of a 2 wash 2nd distill Hi, I have a T500, I thought I would give double distilling a go without looking into it, which is what do I do 😂. I took the first 94% and put it back in the T 500. I didn’t put any water with it at all 😂. then I started reading all the comments on this page, I stopped it halfway And added the water, so I didn’t burn the bottom out 😆. So what do you reckon do you think it will still be okay or do I do it all over again but with the sodium bicarb and the 49% water, Thanks BD And the Duck Bourbon essence is unreal!! How much do you discard when doing spirit run with 2 or 3 washes together? Ethan Salmon 11/12/2021 05:56:49 pm hey just wondering i diluted spirit to roughly 20% as i was told but reading this you are saying 40% will this make a diference? quicksloth 12/27/2021 09:54:48 pm Hi Ethan, 20% is fine, but its just a waste of time, 30-40% is enough to run it without any problems. your just heating less water up Hi just wondering if I need to do cuts for a 35l wash of the birdwatchers recipe. Or do I just remove the first 100mls. Thankyou What a great site, thanks Duck Distilling. I am using the T500, I was given a tip the other day regarding clearing the wash. Once fermentation is complete leave it for an extra day so the sediment goes to the bottom of the barrel, drain the contents of the barrel into a clean second barrel leaving the sediment behind in the first barrel. Once degassed use the clear in the normal way, this makes a clearer wash for the still. This is a tip that I haven’t tried yet but having a wash in the barrel atm I will be putting it to the test in the next few day’s. Karl Quilter 12/10/2022 05:06:08 am Thanks I run the Turbo 500 still and ur site has been a big help as I turned the water of by accident halfway through distilling and the temperature raised too over 90 degrees Celsius I turned it off then started it again then I filtered it and did a 2nd wash my 1st ever 2nd wash and too be honest it’s the best tasting moonshine I have had. Jonathan Ritchie 3/9/2023 02:15:58 pm when you double distill with the Sodium Carbonate do you do it in the reflux still or the pot still? (I have a copperhead still) Thanks
Does alcohol eventually turn into vinegar?Fermentation of Alcohol Into Vinegar – The fermentation of vinegar can then be summarized as follows: How long is a moonshine still worm?A Worm is made of cooper tubing that ranges in total length from 16 to 20 feet. The cooper tubing is coiled so it is only around 24 inches in height. The tube fits in a barrel. Does vinegar intensify alcohol?Conclusions: Vinegar reduced the increment of blood ethanol and acetaldehyde levels and moderated the change in taste intensity for salt and alcohol after alcohol drinking. What do you clean new metal with?Adequate surface preparation is a vital prerequisite for ensuring the quality and longevity of metal coatings. Without proper preparation, even the most advanced metal coating technologies will fail. To turn your first metal paint job into a successful experience, we invite you to check the next five steps to preparing metal for paint. Clean the surface. To properly prepare new metal surfaces, use mineral spirits to remove grease and apply a rust-inhibitive primer before painting. For painted surfaces that are in sound condition, remove dust with a clean, dry cloth, de-gloss the surface with light sanding, and wipe with mineral spirits to ensure good adhesion. To remove persistent dirt, wash surfaces with a mild detergent solution or with a commercial product recommended for cleaning painted surfaces, Remove loose and peeling paint. If the old paint is in poor condition, you can remove it by hand wire brushing, sanding, or scraping. Since these methods are labor intensive and usually fail to deliver the results expected, many professionals opt for power tool cleaning, which can help remove paint Priming immediately after cleaning the surface is imperative to prevent dust or dirt from accumulating and flash rust (rust that occurs within hours) from forming. At Performance Painting, we’re proficient in various painting systems and techniques, which allow us to complete a variety of interior and exterior projects according to individual specifications. How long can wash sit before distilling?Article: Clearing the wash
If turbo clear is not used, these metabolites will be released during boiling. Turbo Clear has been reformulated to give increased performance and works faster than ever. Each turbo pack comes with part A and part B. It is important to remove dissolved gas from the wash by vigorous stirring of the wash first – then add part A.
It can sometimes take several days for the wash to become completely clear because alcohol yeasts are poor flocculators, but removing every last cell is not important. : Article: Clearing the wash How do you clean metal like new?Gold – Cleaning gold or gold-plated jewelry is simple because it does not tarnish easily. Just a quick soak in some dishwashing liquid and warm water, followed by a rinse in clean water and drying with a soft cloth, will restore its luster. The Spruce / Sarah Lee  |
In the presence of oxygen, acetic acid bacteria convert the alcohol into acetic acid, also known as vinegar. This process is called acetic fermentation. Once the vinegar has properly fermented, it can be aged, Young vinegar is often very aggressive on the palate. The longer the vinegar ages, the more refined and developed the flavours become.
quickly and easily. However, one drawback of using power tools is that they can polish metal surfaces, potentially causing paint-adhesion problems. Remove rust. When preparing metal for paint, checking for rust is important to make sure that the paint will adhere properly to the surface. To restore lightly rusted metal surfaces to their original state, use a brush to clean off loose rust, sand the area, and apply a high-quality rust-inhibitive primer (e.g. Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer). Also known as rust converters, rust-inhibitive primers can be used to cover rusted spots and turn them into non-rusting, paintable surfaces. Repair small holes and dents. To repair holes and dents, sand the area until you reach bare metal and wipe with a degreaser mixed with mineral spirits. For small holes and dents, inject an appropriate epoxy-based composite directly into the hole and/or dent. For larger holes, apply epoxy filler to the edge of the hole, cut a piece of fiberglass mesh approximately one inch larger than the hole, and press it into the filler. Then, cover the mesh with epoxy, working your way from the edge toward the center of the hole. Prime the surface. Priming is a very important step in preparing metal for paint, especially if the surface will be exposed to moisture. To select the right primer, the type of metal to be coated along with the desired appearance, performance requirements, and environmental conditions should be considered. To begin with, water-based (latex) primers shouldn’t be used on metal surfaces, as moisture can seep through and cause paint to fail within weeks or months. Professionals recommend two types of metal primers: the rust converters mentioned above and galvanized metal primers. While a rust converter is ideal for preventing rust from recurring and making a rusted surface easier to paint, a galvanized primer is appropriate for metals (e.g. aluminum) that prevent paint from adhering to the surface. You can also find iron oxide and zinc chromate primers, which can be used on most metal surfaces, including interior and exterior iron and steel.