Easy peasy best results from a single run?

by **John51** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:13 am

I'm curious as to how high a quality the product can be from a single run by inexperienced users.

With proper cuts and a later head run, the product cost is about £1.20 per litre of 40% but what if lowest cost wasn't the priority?

Say the budget is £2.40 per litre of 40%. A 25L wash plus leccy is £9 or less so the target would be 3.75L of 40%. Assuming the product is collected at 93%, this would be just over 1.6L. Call it 1.75L which is about half of what the T-500 can give with a 14% wash.

Running the still as slow as patience allows, 100ml of foreshots then I'm guessing at 500ml to make sure all the heads are collected, then the 1.75L of hearts. Total collected 2.35L and hopefully no tails in the 1.75L.

I'm prepared to do some runs like this to see how good it can get. Could be useful to new users that don't mind paying double per litre to get 'no experience' higher quality.

Any thoughts on how much heads to collect to be absolutely certain? I'm using Vodka Star yeast with 6kg of sugar to give a consistent wash.

by **lll_0_mike_0_lll** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:27 pm

True there is no tails. When it's done it's done. Nothing else will come out. I discard first 100-200ml and getting around 2 gallons 190 proof. Really depends on how temps are. Meaning slower the more you get. Faster you get less. But the faster you run it the worst it taste like hot fire water.

by **John51** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 7:21 am

I think there was a bit of tails in the last part of my run. I'm wondering if there is lower bottom temp that gives a proper cut off?

by **Myles** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:59 pm

There is a general rule of thumb that is applied to most reflux stills. If you can concentrate your heads to be less than 10% of the total alcohol volume collected, then you are doing OK.