StillSmart

gaza the instructor wrote:Re Benoit;
After every session, I am paranoid about
infection. Think it comes from brewing
beer !! Use citric acid to clean my
stills is that a good thing

The fermentation gear I can understand even if I don't bother myself but your still is a horrible environment, biologically speaking. It's hot, it's full of toxic vapour when it gets hot, it's full of fairly high alcohol liquid before it gets hot...it's no fun for a bacteria really & is there stuff in there long enough to get infected? I rinse just to get rid of any tails left loitering before the next run, maybe I'm lacks / lazy but I've never really done much with beer so this cleanliness thing hasn't been bred in to my routine. Early into my research before starting distilling I read about the protective patina & it must have stuck with me, funny how the things that reinforce not doing something you don't like stick out! In my head I read it & thought "yay, less cleaning"!

I think mine is from Mrs Gazza "cleanliness
is next to godliness" or something like that,
anyway she's always cleaning

Benoit. You are bang on. Well put. The beer chaps get silly about it and I have never understood it at the volumes we make. I am sure if you add up the cost of all the cleaning products you could easily afford to lose the odd brew. I have NEVER lost a brew or ferment of any kind to infection. (yes I did say that out loud).

There is a big difference between washing, sanitising and sterilising. There is also a BIG difference between sterilising and getting back to the bare metal. The big boys use steam generators and they pump superheated steam through everything.

Cleaning is the same as oxidisation in my book, both have become subject of paranoia and OCD.

Nice one Benoit,I have to agree wth you there.

More concerning is that Mash has posted something, containing several points that I agree with
I did once have a minor infection in a wash but stilled it anyway, with little change from the usual.
It's a fickle world, find yourself a comfortable niche, or frighten yourself every now and then by trying to look at it as it really is.

Robert.

Nice to have you back Robert

"look at it like it really is "

Good phrase. Sooooo many times you see people setting themselves up with commercial processes or kit which are just not appropriate. Some do bring benefit sure, but are some clearly irrelevant at home volumes. Look at it like it is!

Oh no I am agreeing with you now

"Too each, his own", finding your own is is the tricky part.

Robert.