More T500 cleaning advice

[Admiral Toad]

Hi all
Just done 1st two runs with T 500 and all well
Cleaned boiler then boiled and steamed column each time as I read somewhere else
Is this adequate or should I be rinsing and/or pulling column apart from time to time
I only plan to use turbo yeast and tubo carbon washes for now suitably cleared
Cheers again
AT

[Capt-Cudellez]

Unless the column is getting stinky, I couldn't be bothered pulling out the saddles.
After heat up on the next run, if you put the column into 100% reflux for a while, that will do a great job of cleaning her up, and it will come out in the heads.
Since moving to stainless packing I now only need to pour some hot water down the column to get rid of the tails smell for storage, the ceramic packing was more difficult to clean

[i dont drink]

stainless packing??

i take it you'v replaced the ceramic saddles with stainless ones capt?.... if you have then what did you replace the ceramic saddles with?

i actually rip mine to bits after each run i do cos i left it once for two days and it stunk, so i remove the copper/ceramic saddles and wash then boil them and it keeps them smell free...... io also put a spoon of white vinegar in a cup of hot water and flush the column out and then rinse it well.

it might be a bit of overkill, but its 99% smell free when i start every run now and thats the way i like it.

al.

[Capt-Cudellez]

I no longer have the T500 column - I have a longer VM unit. Its packed with 100% stainless scrubbers - like for doing the dishes (make sure they are 100% stainless though) - I have a roll of copper foil at the top for sulphate removal.

Boiling is a good way to clean up the ceramic saddles - I have also had good results using an oxidizing agent like hydrogen peroxide. you can put them on a tray and bake them afterwards to dry them out.

CC

[Admiral Toad]

Thanks guys

When you say 100% reflux mode what do you mean and for how long

As for the stainles steel scrubbers these are effectivly plain stainless type brillo pads I assume (nee soap I know) do you pack em in quite tight and could I leave the original copper saddles at top

does it make a great difference to performance and cleanig ?

feel guilty to keep asking things but I am on a steep learning curve

AT

[Admiral Toad]

Just found stainless steel scrubbers via Amazon on a sellers site 'clean and sparkle Ltd' about 3 quid for 10no. 20 gram ones plus copper ones as well
wonder if they would do
god knows how many packs you would need !

[Capt-Cudellez]

I'm not suggesting to swap out the packing for scrubbers on the T500, I think someone already tried it and it adversely affected the performance.

They work great on my column, but its twice the length of the T500s.

100% reflux is when the still is up to temp and you prevent any product coming out by running the cooling a bit faster sending 100% of the alcohol back down the column.
What you do with adjusting the cooling on the T500 is adjust the amount of reflux or how much alcohol you send back down the column, and how much to take off.

The trick with 100% reflux at the start of the run is to get the top temp on the T500 reading above 60oC but under 75 when the alcohols start coming off - it must be heated gasses from the charge CO2 etc that aren't knocked down by the cooling coil, this prevents you over cooling the spirit - holding the still temp right on the edge of being about to output spirit.
Both myself and Mr cat have had good results with holding for 30 mins, I've tried longer too by 30 mins is good.

This helps with cleaning as hot alcohol vapour is an excellent solvent, so your cleaning up the column, then the stinky stuff hopefully comes out in the already stinky heads. Does that make sense?

[Admiral Toad]

NO x

by which I mean you've baffled me with science mate !