Heads & Tails

[Egg]

Hi, I have a couple of questions:-

HEADS - I am now on my third wash and will shortly be carrying out a run using the heads I have collected previously. Does the 'heads only' run follow exactly the same procedure as the previous runs, ie - water down to 30%, discard the first 50ml, save 250ml heads, keep 1000ml hearts and then collect tails?

TAILS - I have some collected tails from previous runs. It has been mentioned to 'include these in the next wash', at what point in the wash process should they be included?

Still got a lot to learn (excuse the pun)

Egg

[Capt-Cudellez]

I don't think you need to discard the 50mls as you will have already removed the foreshots from the first spirit run.
As for the cuts, I don't know as I have never done an all heads run on a pot still. Just use your nose and taste to guide you as normal, I'd bet you would end up with less tails than a standard run as all the spirit is from a cut before the hearts so will contain little tails.

As for tails, I would never put feints anywhere near a wash, I'd only consider adding them to a spirit run.

[chill]

You really have to do a heads run by taste. You will get little/no foreshots, more heads (percentage-wise) than a normal run and less tails. Every heads runs is different, in my experience.

I usually add tails to my wash when I strip it so that there are two distillation cycles before I collect them again. You could also use them to dilute the stripped wash prior to a spirit run.

Chuck

[Almanac]

Different strokes for different distillers. When I have a wash cleared and ready for stripping I throw in whatever tails I have available at that point. In an Airstil I add no more than 1lt to each stripping run.

Heads run is really a 'smell & taste' run. If it's in an Airstill you'll probably end up with 500ml of Heads before you get into the Heart. You should be prepared to regularly taste/smell the Heart as it's collected and watch the Alcometer closely. On a Heads run I'll often collect down to 55%ABV.

Although there should be no Tails, as such, continue to collect down to 20% and keep what you collect to add to your next strippng run.

AM

[Egg]

Thanks guys, I find it really interesting to receive these different opinions from experienced distillers. Coming into this hobby as a novice, one tends to imagine that there is only one 'correct' procedure for the whole process but I am slowly beginning to realise that there is plenty of room to develop ones own style.

My problem is that some thirty years ago I suffered a stroke which bizarrely left me without the ability to smell and also affected my taste. For these reasons I cannot rely on these two senses, therefore I am trying to develop a system which I can rely on to attain as pure a spirit as possible.

So far I have followed the guidelines regarding double distilling, cuts etc making absolutely sure to be over cautious on the side of safety. This results in a yield of around 5L of 40% alcohol from each 27L wash. This 'vodka' is perfectly acceptable, even more so once it has spent some time in the bottle. I have added essences to several bottles but am leaving them for a few more weeks before sampling them.

I realise my cautious approach is probably costing me a couple of bottles of finished product from each wash but hey, it is still a lot cheaper than branded spirits and fun too!

Thanks to you guys I can continue to develop my own 'no taste, no smell' style in the knowledge that the finished product is at least, probably somewhat better than that using the method recommended by the retailers of the still.

Egg

[Almanac]

BTW, your approach is an admirable workaround solution.

One thing I'll argue with you about; you said;"I realise my cautious approach is probably costing me a couple of bottles of finished product from each wash but hey,"

Your cautious approach should not be costing you any loss at all. The cuts you are making are what suit you in making your spirits but the heads and tails fractions you're cutting are all recyclable so you don't need to lose anything as these fractions will yield clean alcohol after a little further processing in future runs.

AM

[Frank]

@egg
mate there is lots of room to follow one's own style....(esp if you are making non-neutral spirit).
IMHO, heads can boost the ABV% and will boost the post-session headache potential, tails can be flavour enhancing and/or off taste inducing.....best time to include either is a spirit run; either as separate feints run, if possible, or as part of your run cycle.....
anyway your tastebuds etc will tell you where its at for you..... just please consider airing and maturity time prior to quaffing whatever you save...

and, as often, +1 AidanMac etc; re why consider such 'drinking cuts' as anything other than this time or 'next time' collectables? You will get to enjoy your efforts either sooner or later.

[Almanac]

Morning Frank. Did you make up with MD yet? Trust you to be first to get booted

AM

[turbonial]

Just a wee addition to this discussion...
I'm about to do my first heads run. Should I keep the heads from a heads run for a further heads run later on

[Frank]

yep all heads and (prety much)all tails can be kept and reused in the still...at anytime you choose.
Most folk will try to keep them accumulating until enough is gathered for a 'separate run', like a generation of feints...as it were.
This is unlikely to help with the flavour profile retention of most whisky/rum spirit, for example, but will certainly help with getting a more neutral spirit.