StillSmart

Nice info phlogiston.
I will learn to do it simple and right first and then go complex later. But I had figured 50ml amounts was what would be required as a cutting regime. Not impossible - just needs a method.
The dimmer switch idea is one I have seen now at a few places - i admit I like the sound of it. Pity we cannot get a temp reading at the vapour hole to ascertain what temp the vapour is coming off. Similar to the placement of the thermometer in a reflux up the top of the column just prior to the condensing arm. What sort of total volume do you reckon you pull out when doing your fruit based washes - correction - USABLE product as compared with your "to be redone" later.
I also considered the idea of using an eye dropper to get some from the various 50ml cuts that are made which in total are not great but there may be aspects of the spirit contents that may provide a beneficial profile to the whole - in tiny amounts. My understanding is that some of the flavour and smell profiles come from minute traces - and the real art is knowing which to keep and which to discard. Even a 1% addition is still something - even if minimal. Obviously the first heads and end tails are probably all crap - but some of the others might be ok to have 2ml - or that sort of thing. I would welcome your approach to how you find doing it and the end result. I imagine because you are doing it at all you have found a method that gives you a product you are pleased with - and that is the main objective.
J
edit - I would be interested what the 400w dimmer actually consists of - as I have heard of an inline device that is built into a cable - say for dimming lamps and stuff - and the switch type which would go on the wall.

The amount of output will depend on the alcohol content of the wash. A reason for not trying wash/mash with pulp in it is that some fruits can end up burned on the inside of boiler.
If the end product is one thats made from a 100% liquid wash/mash (like calvados, brandy, whisky etc etc) then you can make that first and distil it. You do have to make sure that whatever you put in the still is as clear as possible as cloudy wash and a full still can cause over boiling which lifts the condenser/fan head and spits out hot/boiling wash. That\'s why it\'s recommended to use rashig rings (or even some broken glass) inside the boiler, as it helps with keeping the boiling bubbles small. I also use \"distillers conditioner\" whicv is an anti-foaming additive.
You\'ll find that it matters not, how strong tasting a wash/mash material is, distillation strips most of that out. Which is why it\'s quicker/easier/less hassle to make neutral spirit and flavour it later. Of course if you want to experiment, then thats great, just that I\'m lazy, impatient, etc etc.

Here's a picture of my "power controller". Not really elegant engineering, but does the job. The dimmer and meter came from ebay.

The mixed fruit pulp is the first I have done from beginning to end. I had about 16 litres of wash at about 12% abv. I ended up with 1250ml of "hearts" at 66%, i.e. about 2 litres of 40% spirit (plus a litre of "heads" at 80% and about 400ml of "tails" at 40%).
I'm new at cutting and blending, and what I do is much more large scale than you suggest. I don't think I have the skill, or sufficiently sensitive nose and tastebuds, to work with tiny amounts. I start at the middle, go up and discard any jars that smell of heads, then taste the next one or two to see if those have any heads in. This wash was slightly odd in that jar 6 had a slight solventy taste but jar 5 didn't, so I put in half of jar 5. At the bottom end, I taste until there is the faintest hint of unpleasant bitterness and/or wet cardboard then stop (the wet cardboard taste in particular becomes much more obvious if you add mixers to your spirit). Remember to dilute each small sample of spirit to 40% when you taste it, and dilute even more for tasting the tails.
Phantom is quite right in that this gets you a very delicately flavoured spirit. I'm planning to use some of the various products next autumn for sloe gin and crab-apple schnapps, while others I'll be trying to flavour with toasted oak to produce something that vaguely resembles calvados or brandy. I don't think it needs to be a good mimic of the commercial product, just to taste good, but that's just a personal opinion.
I haven't been too fussed about the washes being completely clear when they go in the still. There's no fruit in them, but they are cloudy in the way that a recently completed ferment usually is. I use the boiling rings, and occasionally add distiller's conditioner if I'm feeling anxious, and I haven't had a problem with spitting (yet ... ).

Hi phlogiston
You built that controller thing?
Does not matter what it looks like as long as the bloody thing does what you want. Nice.
I need to collect a bunch of glass jars and stuff. Going to keep the spirit in those square bottles with the swivel cap thing. Eventually will get a few demijohns for putting spirit on wood and stuff when I start that. but no point until I have enough to put in one.
Now I just need to decide what yeast I will use for first batch. No turbo - but I have heard of a pot still yeast from that Gert bloke. Might be worth a look. Another one mentioned on here a Vodka yeast of some sort - I thought it had \"arctic\" in the name. I will find it again - but not tonight. brain is fried.
J