StillSmart

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-21T00:35:13+00:00

mashy wrote:
I always use it in the wash I wonder if adding it to the vapour path will make a difference?

I will run a side by side on the same wash In the next few days.

Can anyone recommend a source of good quality soft copper wire? 1mm twin & earth ??

Very easy to strip the earth from that,at whatever length,IME much harder to strip the insulation from the live and neutral,but doable in short sections.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:35 am

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-20T06:42:51+00:00

I always use it in the wash I wonder if adding it to the vapour path will make a difference?

I will run a side by side on the same wash In the next few days.

Can anyone recommend a source of good quality soft copper wire? 1mm twin & earth ??

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Mon Apr 20, 2015 6:42 am

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-19T23:59:33+00:00

Welcome aboard the Copper train.
Lots of us find our way here eventually.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Sun Apr 19, 2015 11:59 pm

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-19T23:06:12+00:00

Here's my tuppence- worth as a newbie.. Last spirit run I did, I bashed four or five copper pipe connectors with a hammer and chucked them in my AirStill. They came out quite discoloured; I cleaned then in a citric acid solution and they came out very shiny.

If I remember my basic chemistry, copper loves sulphur, so I think there was a sulphide reaction going on in the run - the acid wash reduced the salt back to pure metal.

Either way, the neutral tastes and smells a lot bette than the previous batch, so my copper stays in!

Statistics: Posted by hampk — Sun Apr 19, 2015 11:06 pm

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-19T09:01:38+00:00

Those who know a lot more about this science stuff than I do say it removes harmful/unwanted Sulphides from the distillate.

The copper mesh I use in my stripping riser now goes in clean but comes out a very dark grungy colour after a strip run. However, after doing a distilled water run it comes out as clean and sparkly as it went in. So I just accept it's doing something good.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Apr 19, 2015 9:01 am

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-19T08:42:13+00:00

But does it make any difference?

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:42 am

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-19T08:02:41+00:00

Not spooky really, If you search the threads hard enough you'll find a discussion, from a few years back, in which this very matter was discussed and explored. Some managed to get a wire passed through the tiny coil and some, like me, gave up in frustration.

A bit like the monkeys and typewriters thing, we're all bound to get there in the end I ended up suspending a pad of copper mesh inside the lid, held in place with very fine copper wire

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:02 am

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-18T18:01:12+00:00

billmcc wrote:
Hi mate for the air still i use a piece of copper wire threaded through the condenser and a spiral of this wire circled in the lid in the vapour path and it works a treat.i also use copper split washers in the still
Cheers

Spooky. I was only thinking the other day of that would work.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sat Apr 18, 2015 6:01 pm

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-18T16:16:46+00:00

billmcc wrote:
Hi mate for the air still i use a piece of copper wire threaded through the condenser and a spiral of this wire circled in the lid in the vapour path and it works a treat.i also use copper split washers in the still
Cheers

Ah, yes that sounds like a plan Bill.......

I mean, I don't know why it's an issue, as all my air still batches have come out fine. I suppose its just a fixation that I should have some in there somewhere - especially as I've been using a couple of the packs of Alcotec 48 (not sure why I got them, as I'm more than happy with vodka star)......

Hey ho.......

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sat Apr 18, 2015 4:16 pm

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-18T15:30:25+00:00

Hi mate for the air still i use a piece of copper wire threaded through the condenser and a spiral of this wire circled in the lid in the vapour path and it works a treat.i also use copper split washers in the still
Cheers

Statistics: Posted by billmcc — Sat Apr 18, 2015 3:30 pm

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-18T14:33:05+00:00

Bollocks! I could have sworn I posted a response.......

Unless one of you crafty buggers has binned it

Anyway, looks like my best option will be just to chop up some copper scrap and use it as additional boil enhancers (using rashig rings ATM - not one of those silly little bags - I bought a kilo some years back).

Got enough wash on the go so I can test to see if there's any metallic after taste that results (because there's no way of getting it into the vapour path alone, so it's got to go into the wash in the boiler - smart/easy/air still of course.

Not an issue with the T500.......

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sat Apr 18, 2015 2:33 pm

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-14T06:37:20+00:00

Easydrinker wrote:
mashy wrote:Another benefit to using real copper 1p & 2p and some copper pipe offcuts, is the noise they make. You can tell what is going on with the boil. Even to the point of when it is coming to the end of the run.

Yes indeed - real copper. Get your magnet out !

..... and steel one will do odd things in there.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Tue Apr 14, 2015 6:37 am

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-13T22:59:05+00:00

mashy wrote:
Another benefit to using real copper 1p & 2p and some copper pipe offcuts, is the noise they make. You can tell what is going on with the boil. Even to the point of when it is coming to the end of the run.

With you on the boil noises here,I find it useful and companionable.
Don't forget,UK Copper coins made before 1992 are 97 per cent copper,
Those minted after are copper coated steel.

Not looking to get into a fight with the good Capt.here,but a simple observation,that I am willing to have tweaked,to fit modern life.
For centuries,all over Europe(and elsewhere)people have made stills and condensers from easily worked copper.
I will not argue that some of the new fangled distillers,using Stainless steel,might find a superior taste using it,what would their Grand-daddies have said?
Just throwing stuff into what should be a healthy debate.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Mon Apr 13, 2015 10:59 pm

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-13T19:28:13+00:00

my personal experience is that with washes with something like molasses which can be higher in sulphur compounds, the distillate is rather nasty with a rotten egg smell on the stripping run if there is no copper.
A little time and this sorts itself out, but its better to include some copper if for nothing more than a more pleasant distilling session.

For neutral type washes, I don't notice any difference whatsoever, but I have heard several eastern europeans claim it makes their vodka worse, than if using all stainless. So I'm on the fence on this one.

Statistics: Posted by Capt-Cudellez — Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:28 pm

Re: what? no copper ?

2015-04-13T12:43:36+00:00

i used copper for the first time last week in my airstill ,i could taste the difference ,i think the spirits taste better with copper in

Statistics: Posted by popcorn sutton — Mon Apr 13, 2015 12:43 pm