Burnt taste

[125neil]

Hi. I bought my SS second hand and it works well. My only gripe is that the distilled product (distilled from a basic sugar wash) has a slight burnt taste to it, even after going through a carbon filter and being watered down. Even when the things initially bubbling away there\'s a slight burnt smell coming from the thing, which you can taste afterwards.
Does anyone have any ideas as to how to remove this, is there a cleaner etc for the SS?

[bluecap]

Hi
The only reason I can think of for that is a small amount of solids left in the wash when it’s distilling (the sediment), and it’s cooking it on the base of the still as you collect.
As for cleaning, I just clean mine with hot water but there is a cleaner available from wineworks
http://www.wineworks.co.uk/product/still_cleaner_200g/
Mick

[bluecap]

As an after thought run some tap water through the still if that has a smell it’s a still problem, if it got no smell it’s a wash problem.

[Jimmy]

If yours is the unmodified version, it will run hotter and you may have some issues relating to that. Run 4 litres of tap water through it - if it takes about 3 hours it\'s unmodified, nearer 6 and it\'s the modified version. If it is unmodified then you could do with opening up the lid and soldering over the chlorine vent, there\'s not much point really in changing the element - just make sure you use the calculator with the correct values.

[125neil]

Thanks for the advice. I\'m pretty sure it\'s the modified version, but I will run some water though it see if that retains some burnt essence.

[Mikey]

125neil

I wonder if you just found out why it was sold to you. I hope not and good luck sorting it

[125neil]

I don\'t think so, hope not anyway. It was my first attempt, and as I mentioned on a previous post, the was was still bubbling after two weeks, so just went for it. The wash was as clear as water so not sure it it was the wash or not, but going to flush the thing right out before trying batch number 2.
It could just be me, not knowing what the distillate is supposed to smell like, if anything, but when the wash was going through the SS it gave off a kind of burnt grainy smell, not nasty, just odd.

[Jimmy]

It does have an odor when it\'s going through, but the burnt thing is what might be of concern - like you said, give it a good flush through which will allow you to double check you have the modified version, and then go from there.

[125neil]

Ok, put 4 liters of water in and in 5 hours it manages to distill 1300ml of liquid, took about an hour and a half to warm up to start, which makes me think it\'s the modified version.
Being a secondhand SS, I\'m guessing that the previous owner could have been a smoker hence a burning type smell when running (the smell comes from the fan unit, but even the water has a very slight taint to the taste, now wondering what has been put through in the past!!
Going to get some cleaner and put that through the SS and also blow/clean the fan unit out, see if that helps.

[umpa]

Update ?

[125neil]

Sorry umpa, BT decided to disconnect my broadband by mistake, obviously it was my error for telling them that I was moving....doh!!
Anyway, took the head unit apart and washed it down with warm soapy water (was quite sticky, cooking fat type sticky, god only knows where the previous owner used it and what for!!) and flushed through the cooling tube. I think that\'s where the main smell was coming from, that and burnt sugary type deposits round the seal due to previous overboiling!
Haven\'t had a chance to run any more through it as previously stated, moving soon, so going to wait until in new property before starting a new mash etc, will keep you posted.