How much copper is enough

[bradocaster]

I have a stainless steel boiling vessel and would like to outfit it with a stainless steel column, and copper plates. would that be enough copper exposure to eliminate the sulphur?

Thanks for any replies.

[porter]

I have a stainless steel boiling vessel and would like to outfit it with a stainless steel column, and copper plates. would that be enough copper exposure to eliminate the sulphur?

Thanks for any replies.

Also interested in the response you get......

We are making a stainless 60gal cooker and leaning toward a stainless column, primarily due to my steel man having better access to stainless fittings and more knowledgable in stainless welding.

However, plans are to line the column with thin copper sheet or sleeves which spring to the sides and can be slid out for cleaning. We recently saw a slide from Kothe stills which contained an inline system where the vapor is forced to go through a cylinder containing a large amount of copper which appeard to be scrap drop-off copper. Apparently it doesn't matter what form, just as long as you have enough surface area and keep it clean.

[AlanW]

Hi

That's a bit of a "how long's a piece of string" question.

The answer is "it depends".

It depends on various factors including but probably not limited to:

The size of the apparatus, because the plates are two dimensional area but the throughput of the still will go up like a cube, relative to the volume of the feed. This will change the sulfur loading which the available copper has to deal with.

The mash bill or substrate. Different cereals have different sulfur contents.

I suspect whether the beer is all grains in too, as all grains tends to produce heavier spirit.

Generally it is reckoned that the copper interacts better in the vapor phase. Plates, depending on design tend to be flooded, so the effect is reduced.

Also the copper regenerates on being oxidised when not in use, so assuming you are not using it 24/7 open up the doors and let it breath.

My advice would be "give it a go". Leave a decend void at the top of the column, and, if you get sulfury notes, you can always add small pieces of sacrificial copper (rivets or lathe turnings have been used to my knowledge) in a mesh basket set up to add a lot of surface area.

Best of luck

AlanW

[bradocaster]

Thanks. We've just started the licensing process, and have a long way to go. we sure appreciate this forum.

[Guest Bonanza]

I just finished to built my two stills, they are 300 Ltr boilers with 6" diameter bubble plates heads.

I only used copper in the bubble caps, all other is stainless.

We couldn't detect any sulfate contents with a grain wash yesterday at first run.

Don't know the results with rum though, but I would say you will be fine making the complete plates in copper, I would do so in an update.

I'm not stilling all days but plan to rinse the heads daily.

ADD: I didn't introduce myself yet, forgive me, but I will do it as soon I have my license done.

Joe

[Tirador]

Hey, I've helped a couple of people build columns using either copper scrub pads or slices of small copper tubing ... and I know of several folks that have installed similar columns on their stills both for rectification and to deal with the sulfer. The rectification probably isn't as good or as controllable as with a plate-column, but it's cheap, easy and does help deal with the sulfer.

I'm not sure how much copper is enough, but ...

There are a couple of folks on here I know that should speak up on this one, and I'm interested in seeing what they have to say. It might come in handy one of these days, just in case I buy that used 500 gallon stainless vodka still I was looking at the other day, or something.

S.

[Beauport Bob]

Yes, could any of the still manufacturers, I know they monitor, chip in on this? I seem to remember reading somewhere all Copper is not the same copper required. So recovered scrap copper might not be what you want!

Comments?

[Manu de Hanoi]

Hi,

Problem with copper is you have to clean it and replace it. I wouldnt advise plates of copper for this reason but rather some rolled copper foil that would have the height equal to the distance between 2 plates.

The coil should be placed on top of the column just before the reflux and be easily removed for cleaning.

[Beauport Bob]

Hello & Welcome Manu de Hanoi,

Nice info on your postings. I do get a sense of home still vs industrial. Although theory is practical, and I am not challenging, but some of the info might not readily/economically apply. So could you give an idea of your size distillation unit?

Cheers,

Bob

[Beauport Bob]

So Emmanuel, I just read your earlier introduction post. No need to reply to mine. Wrong of me to read from the newest to old on these updates. Lesson Learned.

Cheers,

Bob