Tails

[Easydrinker]

Today I joined some others on here,and finally realised the futility,or otherwise of collecting low alcohol tails from a supposed neutral wash.
I understand(?)the point in collecting tails with my malt washes,that they carry through some flavour/taste to the feints receiver.That seems to work.
When distilling for a "neutral",if tails taste rough at that low alcohol level during a strip,is it going to be much better after a spirit run?
I know that there is ethyl alcohol in there,but if it is of the lazy sort,that wants to hang around with tails,and keep me out of bed an extra couple of hours,while it slowly dribbles from the condenser is it a friend of mine?
Tonight I decided not.Switched off a good hour or two earlier,and am off to bed.
Win,win.

Robert

[RumJohn]

@EasyD: Good to see you have finally seen the light. UI have often preached that a small amount of the tails coming across can ruin a whole run with off flavors.

I did a spirit run yesterday. First run in ages due to lack of water pressure around here. Pressure was up yesterday and as I am out of Apple Pie, I needed to get rolling.

When I was done, the SG of the wash was 5%. That would indicate about 1.5L of alcohol left in the boiler. Which is fine by me. The cost in time, gas and water to retrieve that final 1.5L is just not viable. Include the unwanted materials that are ready to come across and it certainly isn't.

I wonder how many check the SG of the low wine after a spirit run?

[Mash]

I normally stop collecting based on how it tastes which seems to be when it reaches around 10%.

[Frank]

@Easy D: you are correct in calling your neutral runs 'finished' once tails are apparent, IMHO......
Perhaps equally important, when on a spirit run, keep the 'heads' removed too.

[GrunthosTheFlatulent]

The airstill guide says to collect 250ml of heads but I quite like them and only collect 150ml for running again.

But I do NOT like tails at all.

It was interesting recently when we went up to Scotland and visited a few malt whisky distilleries, they seem to make the second cut between 62 and 65%, and I usually cut around 64%.

[chill]

I think there is a rather wider divergence of opinion on heads than tails. I dislike heads so I cut 500ml from each Airstill run, and usually 100-200ml of the start of the "hearts". Tails... can't tolerate them.

[Easydrinker]

When I was done, the SG of the wash was 5%. That would indicate about 1.5L of alcohol left in the boiler. Which is fine by me. The cost in time, gas and water to retrieve that final 1.5L is just not viable. Include the unwanted materials that are ready to come across and it certainly isn't.

I wonder how many check the SG of the low wine after a spirit run?

Just a tiny bit confused here RJ,but think that I understand,correct me if I have it wrong....
I have never before tested the SG of what is left in the boiler.
Usually I'm just testing the distillate.
I assume that the %figures you are speaking of is what is left in the boiler and not what is coming from the condenser at the end of your run?
My last neutral spirit run I ended at around 30%,from the condenser.
To use as tails,not as hearts,although Tails are rapidly falling out of favour with me
And all seems good
I did not test the remaining wash before discard.
Are we on the same page here?
You have given me another way of looking at distilling.

Robert.

I have just edited this,for the benefit of anyone reading through,and also because I would hate anyone to think that I collect drinkable spirit at such a low % ,I'm not that sad!
Equally,sometimes I don't post as clearly as I intend.
Edit should appear in a similar shade of Blue.

[RumJohn]

@EasyD: Sorry for any confusion. I never take a spirit run down to 30%. You could look at that and say you are still pulling off alcohol at 30L per hundred. Or you could say that 70% of what you are collecting is pure crap that will contaminate the run and add fusil oils.

I base my cuts on a combination of sight, smell, taste, head temp and % ABV. But when done, I check the remaining contents of the boiler to verify what I determined were appropriate cuts.

On a spirit run, I probably put the most emphasis on the head temp to determine when to make the cut. The %ABV at the end maybe in the high 60's. But the remainder in the boiler should be 3-5%ABV.

NB: I am talking about rum here.

I trust I have answered your query. If not - get back to me and I will try again. Might I suggest that next time you do a spirit run, that you make it sooner and see for yourself.

I also make generous cuts in a stripping run. By the time I do a spirit run, I already have a very clean product that only gets better but still maintains the characteristics of rum.

[Admiral Toad]

No I'm not doing much with tails anymore on neutrals that I no longer filter

I'm actually doing strip runs with 3 plates down to low 20% ish then diluted spirit run on 4 plates plus packed column down to 40ish%

I guess that's giving an effect of 7+ plates so very clean

Don't know what to do with a DJ of tails now !

[Almanac]

In stripping pot mode (no plates) I routinely run down to 10%ABV but when I run my hybrid for neutral it all but stops producing after it dips below 60% and definitely not worth the power or my time to collect after that.

AidanMac

[Easydrinker]

@RJ.
Accepting that your usual methodology refers to rum,I am fascinated by the insinuation that I should be discarding more than I usually do,(although experience had just brought me to the same conclussion);
The testing of the remaining wash in the boiler is something completely new to me.
I'll give it a whirl,and see how it goes.
Thank You.

Robert.

[RumJohn]

@EasyD: While we are sort of on the subject. I take as much care with my stripping runs as I do with a spirit run. The cleaner the low wine is, the easier it is to arrive at a clean spirit.

You have often heard me mention that I don't carbon filter (neutral). I only use bakers yeast, not turbo, I don't put oil or any other additive in my boiler, I don't use conditioner or the like. I keep it simple.

After a stripping run, I clean my still. Essential.

[Easydrinker]

RJ, I can +1 you on all the above points that you make.
For me the hardest part is cleaning the column between a strip and spirit run.
I have a dream of separate strip and spirit stills,and more importantly condensers,just to make life possibly easier.I may get there yet.

Robert.