Still Smarter

Hi all, anyone using distillers copper mesh or sulphur beaters in their columns, apparently (by the seller) they are recommended for stainless steel columns to cut down on carried over "smells" in the distillate vapour thus making a totally neutral smell spirit? any thoughts?
https://distillinguk.uk/copper-mesh/

You do need copper in a still, either in the column itself, or copper mesh inside a SS column, the AS guys use copper pennies in the pot.

You need good quilty mesh as the cheap stuff just dissolves, which it all does overtime...check this guy out..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIzBiwF-pYU

Ice.

Cheers ice, that was interesting. The stainless T500 i use has copper saddles and a copper coil in the top section. they were almost black after 4 stripping runs, luckily the tip on here about using citric acid, cleaned everything up brilliantly. I do the spirit runs on an alembic pot, and after reading your tip about the pennies in a previous thread, i threw in loads of my copper fittings (plumber) into the spirit wash, lol. I was wondering if the column would benefit from this mesh as well, cheers for replying

Copper copper everywhere here.

Not at all sure you need "distillers" copper tho. Pure copper scrubbies, coins, washers, pipe offcuts work just fine.

Mash wrote: Tue May 10, 2022 5:46 am Not at all sure you need "distillers" copper tho. Pure copper scrubbies, coins, washers, pipe offcuts work just fine.

I agree with that, I find using a roll of "good quality" mesh at the bottom end of my column the best way for me. It's easy to remove and given a soak in citric, some copper scrubbies are not what they seem to be... beware, you don't need tons of copper just as long as there is some in the still.


Ice.

However you do it, involve copper in your neutral runs.
This is more important if your still is shiny Stainless Steel.

Robert.

Thank's everyone for replying

Yes. All the above correct.

I have physical experience of the results of putting pure (or as near as, 97.6% pure) copper in my air Still.

I suffer with night cramps in my lower calves. I take quinine tablets when it disturbs my sleep. Typically after having consumed too much home made Gin or red wine.

However, copper offcuts at the base of the Airstill and a copper Sputnik with a sprung copper sealing ring around the outside of Sputnik does the job. No cramps.

Alternatively, it could be argued that there may be an improvement in Gin flavour, I then drink more and enter oblivion and don't notice the cramps!

Anyway, copper, yes. If in doubt more copper. If concerned about the amount of copper, add more. More copper really that's the solution.

WelshGin.
Still Dreaming.

On the packed column I use stainless scrubbers as the main packing, with 1 roll of copper mesh just above the boiler. It is actually below the packing retainer in the column, so I can easily remove it (without disturbing the rest of the packing) for cleaning or replacement.
It does get used up but any residue falls into the boiler for easy disposal. Put it at the top and you just mess up your main packing.

On the plated column it is right at the top in its own module. It is easier to flush debris through the plates on the cleaning cycle at the end of the run. I just pump the hot boiler stillage to the top of the column and back flush all the plates and the packed copper section into the boiler.
I bought a roll of Stuf-fit copper mesh, 100 ft x 5" knitted mesh, actually for pest control, but it works just fine. Pure copper, no alloys. Just make a roll any size you like.

That's a lot of copper.