Flame color

[jimid]

Hi
I am a new guy here with a couple of question that
has been asked a million times no doubt.

Just ran my first batch thru the still spirits still.
should the first 25ml be discarded. I have heard yes but make
it 50ml, also heard not to worry about it.
I also took a sample on a spoon "dipped it" and the flame was a nice blue with no other color. I took a few sample during the process and the same blue.
I again heard good drink up and also heard toss it out.

Thanks
Jimid

[gaza the instructor]

Hi Jimid.
Look read and follow this.

Airstill Brief SS.pdf
It certainly put me on the right track

[Icefever]

Hi & Welcome to the forum jimid...have you read the airstill practice Here this will tell you all you need to know about running the still.

Take your time and download the PDF file it will answer all your questions matey..yes you need to throw away the first 100ml....this is the crap you don't need in your drink....it's bad news...great for an hangover if that's what you like..

Tell the guys what wash you've done..what drink you would like to finish up with..vodka/rum/gin/whiskey???

We're here to help you in your new hobby.

[gaza the instructor]

Sorry Icefever done it again.
tried but failed this time

[Icefever]

Sorry Gaza...they don't me "lighting" for nothing...

[Easydrinker]

Sorry Ice, you are either being very clever, or I am being very stupid, did you miss a 'call' and 'en' there?

Robert.

Welcome to the bunch of "Sorry" posts!

[Icefever]

Oh Robert I am undone Sir....indeed it should read "Call me Lightning".

I have two very very good reasons for it...one I had just returned home with a smegging great black hole in my very beloved wallet...due to the purchase of a newer caravan.

Two..it's this smegging keyboard, where it has a mind of it's own....a pox on it I say....we're off out today "we" need new bedding for when we collect the van.

What Mrs Ice is not aware of as yet...is there's a computer store around the corner from where we'll be...

[Phantom]

Flame colour is nonsense. Once there's enough alcohol to burn, you'll get a blue flame pretty much whatever.

A hydrometer calibrated for %ABV is the way ahead for testing strength.

[Phantom]

Oh Robert I am undone Sir....indeed it should read "Call me Lightning".

I have two very very good reasons for it...one I had just returned home with a smegging great black hole in my very beloved wallet...due to the purchase of a newer caravan.

Two..it's this smegging keyboard, where it has a mind of it's own....a pox on it I say....we're off out today "we" need new bedding for when we collect the van.

What Mrs Ice is not aware of as yet...is there's a computer store around the corner from where we'll be...

Caravan ? Get it insured then "do a top gear" with it.......

[Easydrinker]

Two..it's this smegging keyboard, where it has a mind of it's own....a pox on it I say..

The keyboard that I am using is like that, I did buy a new laptop, but it threw a wobbly and is in for repairs already, so I am reduced to using the first one that I ever bought, it is more an abaccus with electrical connections....

And +1 on Phantom's comment about hydrometers.

Robert.

[jimid]

I was told methanol burns a different color. So this is bull?

[chill]

In a word, yes. If you want something safe and reasonable healthy to drink you need to discard a LOT more than the first 50ml. Learn before you distill.

[Phantom]

In a word, yes. If you want something safe and reasonable healthy to drink you need to discard a LOT more than the first 50ml. Learn before you distill.

The sentiment of learn before piling in is valid, as there's a lot that "could" go wrong.

As for taking more than 50ml of foreshots ? Granted, I mostly do sugar neutral, but having researched methanol, 50 is plenty.

50ml taken off per gallon of wash, that is.

And no, I don't bin it I put it in my screenwash bottle for the car........

[Mash]

Agreed. A sugar wash had much less. 50 is fine.
I keep it and tails for surface cleaner in a spray bottle.

[Benoit]

Hi Jimid, methanol does burn blue but then so does ethanol but with a slight orange tip to the flame. It's not really something you want to be relying on as a method of testing & a lot of the old moonshiners did it to show simply that their drink was high proof, not to distinguish between foreshots & heads or heads & hearts.
An airstill is a pot still, by its very nature it produces drink of various compounds & that's why it's used for drinks with flavour. Any one of those other compounds could affect the flame colour & bugger your test up in an instant. Learning about cuts is a very individual thing, it depends on your own tastes & what went in to the still to start with so cuts on rum won't be the same as whiskey or a neutral. You might decide something tastes great & the next person hate it. You could even make changes to a recipe you have done before successfully & have to change where you make the cuts because you might decide a certain aspect comes out too strong in the late heads or early tails that you would have left in before.
The only hard rule here is throwing the fores away but use your nose because that could be 50ml, it could be 150ml! Until you get used to it, a good thing to try is get loads of small jars & line em up then use a new jar every for 100ml of product as it comes off the still. When it's finished let them all sit for a day or two with the lids off to air out then you can start sniffing & tasting, start in the middle & work your way out towards the end a jar at a time by adding a teaspoon of your drink with about half a teaspoon of water then taste. As you give each jar a yay or nay you can pour the yay's into a big jar for ageing & the nay's into a feints jar to recycle later.
This comes as a shock to some people but you won't be drinking everything that comes out of your still, some of it is poisonous & gives horrendous hangovers, some of it tastes like crap & you wouldn't give it to your mother-in-law. It's best to make peace with that now or prepare to be very disappointed with what you're making!