Planning to double distill

[Seagull]

So I have a collection of Kilner jars full of spirit run according to the instructions provided with the T500. So although it was acceptable to me, it obviously isn't the purest it could be.

Since reading all the great info on here, I have learnt that the process is not quite as simple as Still Spirits would have me believe!

I have 12 to 13 litres of spirit at 40%. If I dilute this to 30% and redistill, will this produce a better product even though I never did a stripping run? Is the stripping run just a speedier way of double distilling really?

I assume I still need to do head/hearts/tails cuts. What do you reckon I can expect as good spirit from my original 12 litres of 40%?

Thanks!

[Icefever]

You seem to know what your doing...you say you did a spirit run, and you have the jars of what you collected.

If I were you I would re-still as you said...pour your jars back into the boiler..check the ABV down to say 30% and run.

You will as you said "need to do head/hearts/tails" and if you run the still nice & slow...you should finish up with a good drink...the more you do it, the better it gets...

[Seagull]

Cheers Ice. Think that'll be my Monday job then.

Looking forward to experience the difference after the second long and slow run.

[Myles]

These numbers will just be a guide because these are from the classical cognac method, but they will give you an idea.

Based on a boiler charge of 28%

Heads 1%
1st quality Hearts 28%
2nd quality hearts 6.6%
Tails 6%

These are volumes as %age of boiler charge. Pot still mode, so if you are collecting at higher purity your volumes will be lower.

[Icefever]

Get it all setup....start the boiler, as it heats up turn the PC on so that the column goes into reflux.

Keep it like that for 15mins or a bit longer....then back off the water to start the flow....the slower the better.

[Seagull]

Brilliant. Thanks for that. Looking forward to trying this out on Monday

[Seagull]

Haven't done my run yet. Quick question:

Given that I'll have 30% abv in my boiler rather than my usual 13%, and I want to run the still nice and slow to get a quality neutral, will the total distilling time increase significantly from the usual 5 hours or so that the lower abv would usually take?

[Easydrinker]

I'm not really qualified to advise here, as I don't have a T500, but my assimilated knowledge tells me that around 5 hours is the average time that owners of such stills work on for a second distillation...
Go for it.
If someone better qualified comes by with something better to say, great!

Robert.

[Seagull]

I'm not really qualified to advise here, as I don't have a T500, but my assimilated knowledge tells me that around 5 hours is the average time that owners of such stills work on for a second distillation...
Go for it.
If someone better qualified comes by with something better to say, great!

Robert.

Cheers Robert. I've been trying to decide whether to run the still when I get home from work or whether to wait for the weekend when I have more time.

[Myles]

A few folks running bigger boilers have reported that they stabilise and remove heads. Then shut down, I imagine running the condenser in full reflux untill the boiler cools down. And then continue the run the next day.

To me that does not seem logical. The only way to know for sure is to try your boiler and power configuration (at that charge ABV) to see how it performs.

Once you know that you can adjust your boiler charge volume next time to get a convenient run time.

It is a "mistake" a lot of folks make. They have a boiler that they use to run fermented wash, and they then fill it with the same volume of low wines without considering that it is going to take a lot longer to run.

It is one reason that neutral "specialists" do things like hydro-separating the low wines. It reduces the volume of heads going into the boiler in the first place, which helps with run time reduction.

[Mr Four Square]

Hi Seagull I ran something similar through my boiler a couple of weeks back. From memory it was 15 litres of mixed feints @ 40% ABV. A real cocktail. Pot still run fruit and rum feints, TPW and wheat reflux feints. It took about the same amount of time as my usual 23 litres @ 10% wash.

I took a small middle cut of hearts and it was the cleanest neutral I've made in 4 years.

Combined the rest into a perfectly acceptable "vodka".

Hope that helps

[Seagull]

Doing my run and making cuts for the first time.

I didn't think I'd be able to tell the difference. - I don't have a sophisticated palette.

But wow!! The difference is incredible! I wish Still Spirits would include this in the instructions. People would be much happier with their results.

I'm glad I found this site and the brilliant advice in it.

[Seagull]

Is it worth carbon filtering after a double distill? I have the EZ filter and the Essencia (not yet used the Essencia cos I still have a few EZ carbon cartridges left)

[Benoit]

Is this for a neutral spirit Seagull? Taste what you have then decide, if you think it could still be a bit more neutral then filter it. If you are happy with what's there then filtering it might be a bit pointless, save the carbon for something that you really think needs it

[Seagull]

Yes, it's for a neutral. Will be using some of the Still Spirits essences on some of it. Really happy with how it's turning out. Will check it tomorrow, dilute and decide whether to filter. Reckon it probably won't be necessary but I'll wait and see.