StillSmart

Currently doing a stripping run of sugar wash, to then do spirit run this weekend, I just want to go over a few things, during my stripping run I collect 1500ml each time is this about right? which gives me about 7500ml for spirit run, top up to 8000ml and do the spirit run, I have only ever been getting 3 litres at 40%, and some cuts I can't tell the difference with so if I'm unsure I bin them, but read a post I did last year and people are saying I should be getting 5 to 6 litres at 40%.
My usual is 75ml foreshots, 200/300ml heads, 700ml of hearts, then add about 300ml of tails so keep about 1litre.

So should I be collecting more ? Will I defiantly be able to taste the off taste as soon as it goes bad? And how much should be left in the still when I've done?

I know everyone's wash is different and depends on starting abv and other things but I'm just looking for what other people get then can look at the guidelines and make my own decision based on taste and smell.

Have read mozrs guide and feel I'm doing roughly the same, maybe just add some more tails as long as the taste smell right ?

I can tell you what works for me. My washes are 5 Kg of sugar in 24L of water so that after clearing and racking I have 23L to run. I usually collect 1.3L of low wines from each 4L charge. After that point, the time and energy to collect more low ABV does not seem worth it to me.

For the spirit runs:
1. Toss first 50ml
2. Collect 250ml as definite heads
3. Collect 3-4 x 100ml as possible heads (the first 2-3 always end up in the heads jar)
4. Collect hearts until abv of output (not total collected) drops below 70%
5. Collect 100ml jars of possible tails until abv drops to 55%
6. Collect remainder down to 20-30% ABV as tails

Air out 3, 4, and 5. Taste test 3 and 5 to decide what goes in hearts and what gets recycled

I don't rely on collecting set amounts as my results have differed. I rely on taste (stick in my finger, lick it off) to determine where the hearts start. Then experience and an alcohometer to determine when tails are approaching (output drops below 70% for me, for my alcohometer). Then taste to determine when tails start.

Unless you like the smell of wet dogs and musty, damp cardboard tails are pretty easy to identify. If you are not sure, do a side by side taste test with the hearts. If they don't taste the same, that is the start of tails. The more they don't taste the same, the deeper you are in to the tails.

Chuck

Firstly, the amount you collect for each 4l Airstill stripping run is based exclusively on the ABV reaching 20%. This is not the overall ABV it's the measure of the latest 100ml from the still.

If you're getting 1500ml for each 4l in the Airstill either you're wash is extremely high to start with or you're measuring the ABV of the entire batch.

If you don't have a parrot to measure the ABV during the flow you need to collect the distillate, on the stripping run, up to 1litre in one go but then in 100ml lots and measure each of these. When the ABV of the latest 100ml reaches 20% you can stop collecting.

When you have everything stripped you can measure the ABV of the entire low wines collected and dilute that to 20-30%ABV. You can use this link to a Dilution Calc http://homedistiller.org/calcs/dilute to work out how much water to add to your low wines to get the right ABV for the spirit run.

You ask if you'll be able to tell the off taste as soon as it starts. The Tails are quite distinctive, even from a sugar wash, and with the Airstill eyou'll generally find only the first 100ml batch of Tails will probably be useable and the rest should go in your Tails jar for recycling.

Try not to get hung up on other people's results or expecting specific amounts for each cut. When double distilling with the Airstill I never worry about making the cuts as what doesn't go into my spirits is recycled into the next stripping run so nothing is lost except the Foreshots.

AM

If it is of any use, my low wines (total batch) are usually (depends on original wash strength) between 35 and 45% when I stop collecting. I generally do it by time now, 4 hours then I pull the plug. I think that was from when I was doing rum washes and wanted the late tails flavour for the spirit run. You can probably stop after about 3.5 hours on a sugar wash. That would probably work out over 50% overall.

Don't over think it. Do it and learn.

Chuck