StillSmart

Silly Question mebee, but what do you guys do withs heads and tails?

Martinis! Tails go in the next wash just before it is stripped. Heads are collected for a heads run. That is for an AirStill where there is lots of work to get product and lots of heads and tails by volume. For a fractionating still, it might not be worth keeping either, I don't know as I don't have one. Yet.

Chuck

+1 with Chill.

I routinely add Tails to my striping runs at an approximate 10% ratio. i.e. 36Lt of wash + 4Lt of Tails

Heads are stored for a long time and I generally wait until I have about 80Lt @ around 30% (it starts life as 80% ABV from the top of numerous runs) and do two runs back to back in a version of the format of stripping runs. There's no Fores so I run the still at low power once product appears, around 450W and keep testing the output until the Heads fade. then I run the rest into my Low Wines kegs.

BTW there are no silly questions here. We don't treat members like that

AM

I throw all my heads and tails into the same corni keg, I'm keeping it for junkahol cleaning runs as my still is still evolving, I'll be using some of it up this weekend hopefully, as I've fitted some new ferrels and replaced my boka cooling coil.

It saves wasting a wash for a cleaning run

Another +1 with chuck here.

aidanmac wrote:+1 with Chill.

There's no Fores so I run the still at low power once product appears, around 450W and keep testing the output until the Heads fade. then I run the rest into my Low Wines kegs.

"

I think that I understand what you are saying there;not sure that a Newbie would,and so feel the need to chip in.
Maybe a typo,maybe an accidentally erased line before posting.

You appear to have gone from heads to feints missing the hearts collection.
You and I know a heads run will yield another big bunch of heads.
And a worthwhile collection of hearts.
And if you are really chasing the alcohol,something that might be worth recycling from the tails.
Personally I just take the Hearts from these runs.
Life is too short.

Robert.

I think maybe he meant that the heart (and small tails) output from this heads run is then distilled yet again.

Chuck

I used to keep the tails and run through again for a vodka. Heads I chuck. Don't want them around.

These days, I chuck both. It is not worth my time, expense, the storage or anything. My rums are just the heart of the heart, are smooth as silk and not like somebody is welding in the back of your throat when drinking.

Thanks chaps.

Really helpful. I use mine for cleaning- in a squirter and for storage.

What is the best way to workout when to take with an air still ?

... Our put another way do i need a parrot?

You certainly need an alcometer (spirit hydrometer) and trial jar.
A parrot might make life a little easier.

Robert.

If I get an alcometer what % does the hearts start and end in an air still.

aidanmac wrote:There's no Fores so I run the still at low power once product appears, around 450W and keep testing the output until the Heads fade. then I run the rest into my Low Wines kegs.

I meant exactly what I said, i.e. I run it like a stripping run, only one cut, at the end of the Heads, then just treat the rest like a basic wash and run EVERYTHING into the Low Wines Storage keg until the parrot drops to 10%.

Some may consider it not worth the effort to recycle the Heads but I have the storage space and Cornie Kegs for the purpose and I do this type of run when I have nothing else to do so it's a "whenever" type of job which suits me fine.

AM

You can not make heads, hearts, and tails cuts with an alcometer. It can be a guide as to when the transition is likely to start. I make my heads cut mostly by volume (50ml + 250 ml + 400-600ml in trial jars with finger tip samples). Hearts I run until about 70% or a tad above then back into trial jars until it hits 55%. Anything after that is certainly tails and no need to trial it.

If you are very exact with your washes and distilling and always make exactly the same wash in the same temperature etc, then maybe over time you could get to making the cuts by ABV alone. Or you could make the hearts cut very narrow and do it by ABV, but you would have to sacrifice some hearts to the heads and tails cuts. I think Scotch distilleries might do something like this, but they are planning on recycling what is not in the hearts and they run rather larger stills. And if your washes vary, you risk contaminating the hearts by a transition that is too early or too late.

Trial jars are your friend here, and your teacher too.

Chuck