When the distillation is taking place, sulfides will be deposited as a thin black layer on the copper parts that are exposed to the distillate vapor. You will notice that some of the copper parts will start to turn black. This will be the case especially for the copper mesh that is located inside the reflux columns. You should do the cleaning at least once in every 2000 hours of operations or alternatively when all the mesh is dark black. The cleaning will allow you many more years of good distilling. You will require at least one liter of hot water for the cleaning. You should then add about 50 grams of table salt to the water and 50 grams of citric acid. You should then stir to dissolve the salt. The next step is to soak the copper parts in a hot solution for not less than 30 minutes. The mixture should be kept hot for the entire duration. Once this is done, rinse the copper mesh with clean water and soak for at least 12 hours in water and bicarbonate of soda. This is done to neutralize the acid that is left over. The last step is to rinse with clean water.
The structured copper mesh is the one that has been designed specifically for use in structured and catalytic packing mediums. These are always used in reflux column stills to eliminate the molecules that contain sulfide from the alcohol vapors during distillation. Reflux condensation is considered as superior to other packing mediums because it offers larger surface area per volume compared to the traditional packing materials including glass beads. The first step is to prepare your copper mesh for cleaning. During the manufacturing process, oil is normally used as lubricant as the mesh is weaved. This is undesirable for distilling. You have to soak the mesh in a highly concentrated soapy water that is hot. You should preferably use dishwashing liquid. You should leave it to soak and then cool it down for a day. You can then rinse the copper using clean water to eliminate all the traces of detergent on the mesh. The next step is to roll the mesh into small rolls to fit the column diameter and then cutter using ordinary scissors. You should then stuff the column with the small rolls. Distill water for the initial three hours of the operations to eliminate the off-smells. Once you are done, the copper will be ready for alcohol distilling.
When the distillation is taking place, sulfides will be deposited as a thin black layer on the copper parts that are exposed to the distillate vapor. You will notice that some of the copper parts will start to turn black. This will be the case especially for the copper mesh that is located inside the reflux columns. You should do the cleaning at least once in every 2000 hours of operations or alternatively when all the mesh is dark black. The cleaning will allow you many more years of good distilling. You will require at least one liter of hot water for the cleaning. You should then add about 50 grams of table salt to the water and 50 grams of citric acid. You should then stir to dissolve the salt. The next step is to soak the copper parts in a hot solution for not less than 30 minutes. The mixture should be kept hot for the entire duration. Once this is done, rinse the copper mesh with clean water and soak for at least 12 hours in water and bicarbonate of soda. This is done to neutralize the acid that is left over. The last step is to rinse with clean water.
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