StillSmart

With a refractometer you can quickly read what is coming through. I am seeing a pattern* that at about 32% the tails seem to arrive.

Does this make sense or is it a coincidence?


*Only with Airstill with sugar & bakers wash.

Never used a refractometer, but 30% is where I stop collecting anything but my Malt Whisky feints.

Are you curing or curtailing?

Robert.

I am with Robert. On my sugar washes, I can taste tails starting at around 55-60% ABV. 30% is deep, deep into tails.

Thanks chaps. This is such an easy test to do I will persevere.

Teaspoon & refractometer. Couple of drops from spout taste and measure.

I have a refractometer that I only use for the grapes before we pick. I'm going to sort it out and give it a try.

Icefever wrote:I have a refractometer that I only use for the grapes before we pick. I'm going to sort it out and give it a try.

Careful Ice. You might find its got a different scale.

Mash, is your 32% where you start collecting for tails, or where you stop collecting anything?

Cheers Mash I've not found it yet, bet your bottom dollar it's for grapes

chill wrote:Mash, is your 32% where you start collecting for tails, or where you stop collecting anything?

Stop collecting for drinking.
Divert the output for use as cleaning fluid.

Easydrinker wrote:
Are you curing or curtailing?

Robert.

Curing the need for all the bleeding jars, by coming up with a better way to find the break point.

My thinking is a small scale easy to use "parrot". A teaspoon and a refractometer seems to fit the bill.

What kind of wash and still are you using that your tails start at 32%? I don't think I have ever seen them start later than 50%.

Airstill and a sugar wash.

That is what I thought. Either our sense of taste is vastly different or... I dunno. That is way off what I detect.

I will pay more attention next time and report back

Try doing it by temperature, along with taste, smell and volume collected.