Cleaning Your Moonshine Still

Your copper moonshine still looks great. No matter whether it’s aged with a striking brown or blue-green patina, or if you have kept the exterior as shiny as a new penny, a copper moonshine still can be an excellent conversation piece. Additionally, if you make use of your moonshine stills, you will want to keep the interior spic and span, so that you always produce the finest, purest alcohol. Regular upkeep on your still is worth it, and keeping your 5 gallon, or even your 10 gallon moonshine still ready for use and admiring onlookers doesn't have to be expensive.

Old-Time Recipes

Several insiders’ tips have been passed down through generations of moonshiners. You can keep your copper clean with common household items and a little elbow grease.

For the outside:

Use a combination of flour, vinegar, and salt for the best results. This tried and true recipe will work for those of you with about a 5 gallon moonshine still, but you can calculate the proportions for larger copper stills.

Combine about 5 tablespoons of salt with about 5 cups of vinegar, and mix in flour until it makes a paste. Apply this paste to the outside of the still, allow it to dry for approximately 30 minutes, remove, and repeat if needed.

There’s also the fact that you can polish tarnished copper with ketchup, but it will take a lot of ketchup if you have a more than a 5 gallon moonshine still.

For the inside:

Vinegar comes to your aid before your first run with the still. Completing a vinegar run keeps toxins from building on the copper and forming copper salts. It will also clear out debris and solder.

After every run, let your still cool completely before disassembling and cleaning it. Not only will this help you prevent injuries, but it will be much easier to pull the metal pieces apart once the copper has contracted. After rinsing the column with clean water and scrubbing it with a carboy cleaning brush, fill the boiler with at least ½ gallon clean water (it may take more like 2 gallons for a 10 gallon moonshine still) and scrub the interior with a new toilet scrub brush that you will only use on your still.

Always dry all your copper still components thoroughly, and leave them in a safe, dry place for storage.

Commercial Products

If you want the quickest and easiest way (no scrubbing required!) to keep your copper still looking new on the outside, there are commercial products available. Be warned: they have strong odors, so you want to keep the still in a well-ventilated area, and make sure you remove all traces of the cleaner from the still.

For the outside:

Tarn-X is an industrial strength copper cleaner that is much stronger than using vinegar. Make sure to read all safety warnings and wear eye protection as well as gloves when using this product. Always make sure to rinse the chemical thoroughly to avoid the copper discoloring from residue.

If you decide to let your copper develop a natural patina on the outside, but you still want to keep it functional, you need to keep the interior safe by cleaning it after every use. Copper that shows its age is considered highly desirable, and you can always polish it up later if you choose. Enjoy your copper whiskey still responsibly and it will continue to produce high quality alcohol and interesting conversations for generations.