Cleaning iStill 2000

[FieldNotes]

Hi all...I have a 2000 Liter iStill that will be coming online in early February, and I had a cleaning practice question...

 

Do you run a low concentration citric wash to clean your still, or do you just flush with water? I am primarily making gin, contained in bags directly in the pot, so no solids should be in the column. The iStill blog mentions just using the alcohol from the end of your last run, and the alcohol from the beginning of a new run, to clean...is that truly enough? I could just be overthinking it...

 

Thanks!

[Kindred Spirits]

Typically you don't want to do too many citric runs as it eats away from the copper.

Mild caustic and a good rinse goes a long way. Now if you were switching to other spirits, a more thorough cleaning might be needed to prevent some of those gin flavors from carrying over.