StillSmart

@ Mr. Four Square: By my estimate. Total alcohol should have been 2.64 L at 100%ABV. Therefore, at 50% ABV you should have pulled off 5.28 L. That is unrealistic as you will derive less than that. However, what you did pull off is probably very good, hopefully.

The numbers for the first strip run are very low also. But that's OK. Numbers will improve as you go along. Repeat the process. I record everything throughout the ferment and distilling. That lets me see what a current run is doing and I can compare to past runs.

A GS run is not as easy as brown sugar run for a rum.

In case you have not done it, measure the ABV % of the boiler content once it cools down. If I think I might have quit a run a little early, a check of what remains in the boiler will generally show that I was within range. Usually around 3% on a strip run.

My first strip run went too deep according to RJ. I could really tell the difference between the two. First one I ran hard down to 15 % . The second strip run I followed RJ s instructions and stopped collecting just under 40%.

Quite a different smell between the 2 jars even though there was only 10% difference in final ABV collected (40 v 50) Lots of tails in the deep one and a lovely sweet spirits smell off the other.

I'm ready to combine the two for my spirit run. Rather than taint the spirits with the tails I ran that jar again and stopped this time at 40%. It's still little more tailsy than the goodun but I think I've done the right thing.

I'll put the 2 together and do my spirit run tomorrow.

Is it still the accepted wisdom here to dilute below 30% for the final run?

What do you do RJ?

I am unsure of RJ's method,but most of us here find sub 30% to yield the best results for a spirit run.
Have fun with it.

Robert.

Easydrinker wrote:I am unsure of RJ's method,but most of us here find sub 30% to yield the best results for a spirit run.
Have fun with it.

Robert.

I'm sure I will ED. I keep thinking about the tagline some members use "all roads lead to rum" It took me two years but I'm on my way there for a visit at least.

@ Mr. Four Square: I don't get to specific and usually just eyeball. Taking the low wine down to 30% is fine. Make sure you have an idea of what you will pull off the spirit run. That will help you decide when you are done.

RJ Do you mean run it down till the output is 30% or till the total collected output is 30% ?

A while back you wrote that you stop collecting below 40% but that is when you are making a neutral correct ?

Mate,I don't wish to crowd RJ's advice here.
I believe that he is saying,as many of us here do,STOP collecting at around 30% from the run from the still,on a strip run.
The combined collected will have a higher %.
Dilute and run again,sub 30%,because you have diluted.
The result is worth it.

Robert.

@ Mr. Four Square: Robert sums it up accurately. My average ABV % of a strip run is 50% when done.

However, I don't rely on ABV to determine when to stop collecting. I do it by temp.

Hi RumJohn

You've mentioned many times that you make your cuts based on temperature, do you find its the same temperature when making Cachaca as when making Rum?

I want to have a go at finding these temperature sweet spots where cuts can be made, I
Was reading the "Blue Flame" (an old book given to Brits working out in Saudi) it talks about pot stilling and cuts using only temperature,

@ Anavrin: The answer there is YES. Your dealing with vaporized alcohol, not something in the oven.

I chart and graph everything. You will be amazed at the consistencies you will find and recognize the "sweet spots". It is easier with at least a 50L boiler as the temp will remain the same, while producing ethanol, for a longer period of time.

Doing the spirit run now. Smells and tastes good ! I'll collect in 200mm jars and let it air for a few days then have a go at the cuts. As a general rule is there a point(ABV) past which you let it all go to the feints jar?

RumJohn wrote:@ Mr. Four Square: Robert sums it up accurately. My average ABV % of a strip run is 50% when done.

However, I don't rely on ABV to determine when to stop collecting. I do it by temp.

When you say by temp RJ, do you mean that things are close to boiling, at the temp take-off point? Just curious.

I ask as with my set up @ 99degrees (+/-) % is generally down below 30 and could be close to 20.

@ Packapoo: Mate, I hope this will all fall into place for you in the next few minutes. At what point does water boil??? 100 C. Right. At that point most alcohol will have gone up in steam and the remaining water is vaporizing as fast as it can. The temp was probably climbing rapidly at the end as the alcohol dissipated.

I have shut down way before 99 or 100 C. The whole purpose of the exercise is to pull the alcohol off what you have in the boiler.

You have a good still. I assume you have it configured properly. Cold water going in the right connection, etc. For anything except a neutral, run it as a pot still - no reflux, valves wide open, and once at a boil, back off on the heat. Just enough to keep the alcohol boiling which is at a lower temp than water. Is your head thermometer calibrated???

All good RJ, just checking.

Looking back on my notes for stripping runs I find that some are still pulling 30% @ 98.5 while others are @ 25% at the same point.
Because I have it set up I run to 99 and toss the product into feints jar for reflux.

Cooling track FWIW is in at bottom of liebig, out at the top then tracks to the top of the still where it drops down to the bottom of the condensing coil and winds its way back to the top, then back to the household water supply.
Thermometer - digital, constantly fluctuates about .4 of a degree up and down, up and down. Probe is under the collection plate so I've accepted it is picking up what is being pushed up while the condenser is knocking it down. Calibrated? No idea, probably not. Is just as was supplied, even after some 10 years or thereabouts still using same battery.

I have stripped my rum washes, by the way, clean result but on reading what you say ran it too hard - did not back off the power. Each run calculated about .5 litre shortfall in potential.

Presently waiting for a time slot to get the combined collection run again.

RJ Thank you for your coaching in this.

Have now completed spirit run and feel I got a decent result. In spite of myself
Learned quite a bit in there......

Nutting out the next step of the aging process presently.
Also presently, can see this one being repeated. Multiple times.