How To Clean A New Still : Should You Clean A New Still?

Before you fire up your brand new still for the first time there is something important to think about.
Your still is going to have some nasty stuff left over from the manufacturing process. It does not matter if you made it your self or if you bought it. You really should clean your still before using it properly.
There are three steps to properly cleaning a new still:
1 - Soak all the parts in an acid solution. Ideally overnight.
2 - Run a vinegar solution through the still. 50;50 water to vinegar works well
3 - Run a sacrificial alcohol run. Use cheap alcohol and throw it out afterwards.
Thanks to Clawhammer for hooking me up with these new parts! I will be putting them to good use soon enough.
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[@msoutham85]

Not all acids will suffice for a cleaning run. A citric acid solution won't evaporate off like vinegar does so you'll have a very clean boiler but an uncleaned column and condenser.

[@StillIt]

Good point! Pinned!

[@richardshillam7075]

2 years and 2 months. Doing my vinegar run now. This channel has been a major part of it. Cheers.

[@pkthtguy587]

I feel this,I just bought a T500 and washing it out now,I've also picked up a plumbing apprenticeship and I have two 50ltr kegs waiting out side for my Still build :D

[@lazyplumber1616]

My wife said the garage smelled like a pickle factory... %5 acetic acid (white vinegar) diluted down to %2.5 worked great. I let it steam up nicely, since it was non combustable vapor, about five minutes and then turned on the condenser. The stuff coming out of the condenser was oily and green. Clean water steam wash and then a sacrificial (cheep vodka) run afterwords. I saved the sacrificial vodka, it is a great cleaner/degreaser. Marked the jar poison with a skull and crossbones, makes a good weed killer also. Cool video, everyone needs this information, stay safe and Still It! Lazy Plumber out.

[@histoshooter]

I loved seeing you with all my other KZbin’r’s! That was great! I think your spot on with what you should do. When I cleaned mine, I did a 50% Vinegar run, followed by a good clean water scrub, then a sacrificial alcohol run, then a good clean water scrub, then I was still paranoid so I did a run of just water, and let it steam all the way through the condenser for a while... it seemed to work good, and it gave me time to “get to know my still” before I did a true run in addition to appeasing my paranoia...

[@danielbarbieri8199]

Cleaning at first use is essential. But for the users of copper domes and condensers, you must soak the copper things in citric acid from time to time. Because we use copper for its retention of by-products, it will saturate soon or late. To give a basis, let say every ten to twenty distillations. Depending on what you are distilling. This will keep the copper active, and avoid it releases unwanted stuff.

[@jessbarclay472]

Thank you for all your overseas vids. It was great to see you together with so many other good youtubers. I look forward to your stuff every time. Have a kickarse week.

[@StillIt]

Cheers :) Im hoping to team up with Clawhammer as well, I think we can make some fun stuff together.

[@mrmedic2012]

Thanks brother, I'm planning my cleaning run. I'm loving this hobby already.

[@BigEdsGuns]

Like your emphasis on safety Jessie. It can be a fun safe hobby as long as you follow the rules. During a sacrificial run. If you want to run hot vapor through the condenser for 5 minutes. Connect a hose (any kind you don't care about) to the product output and curl the hose down into a bucket of cold water. Call it a suicide thump/worm condenser I guess. The vapor will condense into a liquid in the water and dilute it in the bucket safely. The hose may try to rise out of the bucket so never walk away from it. I would not run this setup more than 5 to 10 minutes depending on how much heat you are putting into the boiler.

[@tomfodi]

Watching this in order to kick off my first vinegar cleaning run. Nervous but excited! Thanks!

[@mattdunn5954]

great vid jessie! I just done my first run in my brand new copper alembic still last night. I spent a lot of time cleaning it before doing my first run due to having 3 weeks for my AG mash to do it's thing. I started with a 5% rye wash which was recommended but man that stuff sticks! then steam with water next was cheap cask wine another steam then acid bath & another steam probably over kill but now I can just rinse, dry & run again. watching your vids has really helped out a beginner like me. cheers m8

[@RobertIsaac]

I came for the learning but stayed for that clarinet. Good choice of tune.

[@j.schwarts9837]

next week i get my t500, love your channel!! keep up the good work!

[@jasongrezek3944]

Bought Clawhammer's 10 Gallon kit. Was fun putting it together. Good products.

[@StillIt]

I have yet to really use it. But I am pretty impressed with it all so far.

[@debonpanton3366]

I believe in a vinegar run as the first for a new still. 1 gallon water, 1 gallon vinegar and run it for an hour or so at full blast while not passing any water through the condenser. That is the way I do it. Would love to hear what every one else does.

[@wiseguysoutdoors2954]

Very nicely done, Jesse.

[@jerrykirsch8317]

Good time to check for leaks as well

[@wiseguysoutdoors2954]

Another good simple clean for copper is unbelievably ketchup and a clean rag. Rinse well and ready to go! But, that's maintenance cleaning. First cleaning, Jesse is on point

[@CascaFugioLonginus]

Nailed it, excellent breakdown.

[@StillIt]

Cheers mate

[@stillworksandbrewing]

Great video great info Jesse,I believe can't be to clean for first run

[@whitestar3334]

you will love the stainless steel so easy to take care of. just add a little bit of copper somewhere along the line my is 4 years old with lot of Barrels on it and still looks new

[@StillIt]

Awesome! Yeah I have the copper bubble plates in this, they also sent some copper packing too :)

[@34Calvin]

Love the new background! Although, I miss seeing your stuff.

[@justsomeguy8951]

Another great video, all ways learn something still wish I could do it here in the states.

[@StillIt]

Ah man im sorry :(

[@OpenSourceDistilling]

Love the lights in the back. Do you have a grow op back there ; )

[@StillIt]

I have no idea what you are talking about . . . . .New Zealand is generous with some laws. But not others haha.

[@jasongrezek3944]

Great video, Jesse!

[@StillIt]

Thanks mate :)

[@GooTimo]

im planning on slapping together a column that slopes from 4-2 inch ferrules and is likely 1m in length, how would i clean that piece if i dont have a tub big enough for it?

[@russellmcgahee942]

Ketchup and a cleaning bristle wand. Works great and popcorn Sutton did the same.

[@straight-hooked]

i just finished myy cleaning run tonight and was realy happy i got it out of the way and worked out a few kinks in the process and just have tro wait for my netural to finish for my gin in about 5 moe days highly recomend getting fimilar with your still before doin your inatial run

[@chevyda8070]

Hey Jesse howz it ? Just a quick one 👍 i love the brew craft been at it for a good 6-7 years now. But as work is getting in the way i can only fit probably 3- 4 runs max a year. I have a super reflux column which i am really happy with made by yours truly 😂. Any way back to my question in between these runs it just sits there wrapped in a blanket. Do you think its worth doing a vinagar run to rinse it out in between say 3 monthly runs? It's all copper and i stress out what could be growing inside. I normally rinse out packing and column with boiling water each run and just leave it to dry. Cheers mate 👍

[@ZMan3k]

I’ve always done a vinegar/water cleaning run on my new stills and at the beginning of each distilling season. Usually soak them for a few hours in a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water, then rinse with clean cold water at the end of every run. Then fill the boiler up about halfway with a 3:1 water:vinegar solution and run that at full blast turning on and off the water flow for the condenser to make sure everything is getting coated and rinsed a few times during the cleaning run. Haven’t ever done a sacrificial alcohol run tho. Just usually discard more foreshots and leave the entire first jar of heads alone too. Never had any off flavors coming thru after that. Question tho, why do you recommend such a high ratio of vinegar to water in the boiler? I haven’t had any problems doing it 3:1, and it saves a bit of money as well. Just my two cents. Happy distilling, glad the channel is back up!

[@PetePhotographer]

would an old batch of apple cider be ok? also generally speaking in a real run for consumption would we be looking for a simmer or a vigorous boil?

[@hammondcheesa-angwich6009]

Hey Jesse, I got a one gallon copper piece and was wondering how you can tell when you’ve captured about 20% of your vinegar charge when ALL that vapor is coming out? I’m asking because I want to have it running until the distillate is no longer blue -which might be an hour or two, but I don’t want my vinegar/water charge drying up completely.

[@thomaskenny7702]

Do you use a vinegar bath then fill the still or just run it through the still, or will just cleaning with vinegar steam suffice ?

[@crabjoe]

For the alcohol run, how much wash should you run? Will a couple gallons be enough or is it more based on time or how much one collects?

[@bombbrew4119]

Jesse! Dude Ive been looking at that exact still for a good minute now! How are you running it? With you own heating element or did you get clawhammer supplys element and controller? Its cool to see two of my favorite YT channels all in one! Please tell me there is a review to follow at some point!

[@StillIt]

Ah true? I cant really talk about how it runs yet. I have yet to really get into using it. But it looks like its made really well. I used my own element and controler.

[@brettm.s.1169]

I’m getting a new stainless still this week and do I have to clean it before I use it and should I use the same technique for stainless as for copper ? Thank you, Brett.

[@StillIt]

Yup clean it! Use the same method outlined here :)

[@MTS2111998]

So a buddy of mine just purchased a two gallon still, ran a half gallon of straight viniger through it and then ran some brandy though it. Well its came out a lil chunky but I filtered it three times. Am I going to die if I drink it?

[@johnhambly4248]

How much alcohol do we use do we use? do we mix with water also

[@jamescoote2957]

Hi Jesse - Cleaning a new still, doing the vinegar run - but then could I used a wash and run that through, then re-distill the alcohol from that as two sacrificial runs? Maybe more steps than needed but I figure it lets me get to know the still a lot before doing something that should be drinkable :)

[@chunri1626]

Let me get this straight, for the sacrificial alcohol run, it’s pure alcohol in the still? Like just go get a bottle of two buck chuck and pour it in and boil it?

[@stefandepaul5253]

Jesse, what percent vinegar are you using? What they call white vinegar in the U.S. is about 5%. But over where I live it is usually 8%. Also, maybe I learned this after watching a cleaning run with a white wine vinegar solution through a still that turned it into a nightmare rainbow of copper oxides inside (red, purple, black, a little green). Not a high enough acidity/not long enough? Or is white wine vinegar just a terrible thing to put in a still?

[@andreszabo9952]

In sweden 🇸🇪 There are pure ”Absolut ren ättika 24%” ( ” Absolut pure vinager 24% ” ) And i know, there are came out ”dark blue ” into lighter blue.

[@chancekiki8488]

I’m thinking of making a thumper for my 15 gal still. What’s your thoughts on using thumpers? Worth it or not?

[@StillIt]

I think they are potentually worth it depending on what you want to make and how you want to make it. For me, so far, not really.

[@Denver_Risley]

If you have a fin-tube in your cooling system, Wrap it in a towel or two to hinder its cooling ability so the steam will stay in steam form throughout the line.

[@throttlejockey70]

i prefer to use the vinegar/water mix as well. toss in a couple gallons of each, about a 50/50 mix, heater her up and let the steam/vapors do the hard stuff. then, i follow up with a good wash down with clean water, inside and out. after all. clean equipment= clean results.

[@MultiTempered]

Do you rinse the parts off after the vinger bath

[@StillIt]

Yeah just a super quick rinse

[@MultiTempered]

Could you try making an apple brandy. I'm curious to see how it's done

[@StillIt]

Love too, it's on the list.

[@MultiTempered]

Then you should definitely make pommeau de normandie. I've had it and its amazing

[@bryanroupe8646]

When i do my first vinegar/water run to clean my new set up do I need to use water in the condenser or just let it run dry ?

[@StillIt]

Its actually better to not run water through the condenser first. Let it run without for a good hr. But its also a good opertunity to test it out. I would put some water throught it after that.

[@bryanroupe8646]

I just started heating the vinegar. Its just a small pot still. I found two problems and both revolve around compression fittings. The one in the top of the pot lid and the one connecting two 10ft piece of copper line.

[@flupflup12]

Probably shouldve watched this before playing with my own still, all i did was rinsing and a water run. Heads of my first eun where horrofic though so that probably did the work

[@miguelmcwilliams7015]

Im looking for a camouflage ball cap with the (still it) logo. Does anyone know where or how i can get one?

[@StillIt]

Sorry mate, they don't exist yet . Working on it !

[@miguelmcwilliams7015]

@@StillIt Iwill be Patiently waiting. Thank you, for your channel thank you for the abundant amount information and doing such a great job.

[@somerandomguy32]

I'd like to talk about the small 4" elephant in the room ...I'm happy you've cleaned and prepped the nice fancy milk can and yes the gin basket looks nice and the small pot still head is nice .. but can we talk about Gertrude 2.0 and the shiny bionic bits that you keep happily body blocking from the camera ..grr ..love it ..keep up the good work and the editing is on point ..liking the effects shots

[@StillIt]

HAHAHAHAH So enough of the softcore and onto the full on? Tune in next week ;)

[@DS-iy5sd]

So I'm wondering - couldn't you run the vinegar and alcohol together using BigEdsGuns "suicide dump" idea? Surely the same job would be done, you'd have no dangerous alcohol vapour and you've used half the energy and time... Just a thought.

[@johnsmith4032]

A legitimate................. hobby.

[@stonetoolcompany3649]

The caution about not running anything you would not drink through the still is a bit unrealistic considering the fact that foreshots and heads contain things you would not drink such as acetone and methanol. These things do not contain solids that would remain, and all boil at lower temps than water. Mixing (pure) isopropol alcohol into your vinegar run and making sure plenty of steam passed through behind it should be perfectly safe...... HOWEVER ISOPROPOL ALCOHOL VAPOR IS TOXIC.... so should be discharged outdoors. Acetone is an incredible solvent. Intelligent caution, knowing what you are putting in your still, and what it's composition and toxic potential is is important, just as separating out heads and foreshots from hearts is. While isopropol alcohol is available at 50/50 with water, DENATURED ALCOHOL IS UNSAFE, because it is intentionally adulterated with components that may vary, and are often not listed. In the end it is up to you and I to decide what we are comfortable with, and ensure that whatever we do is safe.

[@snappingbear]

Is that gauge water proof?

[@StillIt]

Which one?

[@snappingbear]

@@StillIt Well either, but especially the pressure gauge shown in the beginning.

[@Toil18]

If you buy flux in the plumbing section it should be NSF 61 ...check the label.

[@haydenholmberg6327]

Hey Jesse, a question that I floated recently on FB about the actual effect a vinegar run has on a still... Yes there will be some benefits from it as it is a steam run but the main point that I have been geeking out on is the boiling point of acetic acid (118 degrees c) yes it is in Solution but as you run it at a boil you increase the acid concentration in the boiler. The effect will be more noticeable on a copper still as it is a softer metal but stainless I'm not sure there is a major benefit over a acid bath and a water steam run. Just my few cents and more than happy to have more added to it. Still on.

[@PetraKann]

I am assuming that when you say 100% vinegar you mean 5% acetic acid? Typical commercially available white vinegar contains about 5% acetic acid. So your vinegar cleaning run solution is about 2.5% acetic acid.

[@fazaani88]

When you're talking about diluting the vinegar, it would be nice to mention the strength of the original solution. I imagine your final acid content was around 5% or so which is just fine for cleaning and nice to handle. Household vinegar is NOT 100% acid, here where I live it's 10% acetic acid but I'm sure this may be different from place to place. 100% acetic acid is actually pretty nasty stuff and it's extremely hygroscopic so it gets diluted to around 96% just from air moisture alone. Also you probably won't find this outside of chemistry/industrial supply places. The concentrated stuff turns into a solid at around 16*C, is super flammable and burns the crap out of your nostrils if you smell it :).

[@StillIt]

Dam good point!

[@tshort63]

George said no need to clean a new still. Despite his guidance, I am going to clean my still.

[@josephkordinak1591]

Anything over a soapy water wash on stainless is overkill.

[@the_whiskeyshaman]

Ohh the smell of vinegar vapor. Whoo

[@StillIt]

Heh, yeah. Its potent!

[@PaperrouteRC]

Sure you clean it even know the person you bought it from said they already cleaned it before they sent it out

[@condor4679123]

I just received a new still and the entire thing stinks of machine oil... horribly dirty. All parts will need to go into hot soapy water and then only acid wash etc.

[@StillIt]

Yeah, thats pretty standard. Clean it out good mate. Congrats on the new still though :)

[@davefarnsworth6444]

Probably not a good idea to submerge the thermometer head in acid solution. Many brands are not sealed very well and if this solution gets in behind the glass bad things happen. No problem cleaning the probe end.

[@dickopolka2733]

Is that a new wall behind you?

[@StillIt]

Just a fake one haha

[@MrPaddy1000111]

Distilled vinegar and salt also works VERY well for cleaning copper. It will strip it back to bare metal in about 3 minutes with a minor rub!

[@thedjdyer]

Tease

[@StillIt]

;)

[@selcukozcalisan2487]

Hello , Can i get contact with you via e-mail?

[@Mr1lukers]

Wow this guy likes to talk! Get to it already

[@stanervin6108]

WAAAAY TOO LOUD TRANSITION! EARS ARE BLOWN OUT! CANT HEAR MY WIFEY BITCHING! (maybe a good thing?)

[@StillIt]

I will only apologise to your eardrums and your wife haha. Yeah you are right, that is loud. My B