Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
Moderator: Site Moderator
Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
In my stripping runs I've been taking about 300 ml of foreshots and all of the runs have been anywhere between 12 to 13 gallons. From the four stripping runs I wound up with 12 to 13 gallons of low wines collected down to 10% so this should get me down around 40% or so for a Spirit Run. What would be a good amount to collect for foreshots? The rest of the cuts will be made in 300 ml increments and stored covered for at lease 24 hours.
- Windy City
- Site Donor
- Posts: 1177
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:52 pm
- Location: Chicagoland
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
Turn up your power. You are running a pot still and not a Boka
When I ran a keg/pot still I would get a quart every 15 min (approx)
You are running a sweet feed and want to push those flavors over in the strip.
To be honest I would run only slightly slower than the above speed on a spirit run .
When I ran a keg/pot still I would get a quart every 15 min (approx)
You are running a sweet feed and want to push those flavors over in the strip.
To be honest I would run only slightly slower than the above speed on a spirit run .
The liver is evil and must be punished
Cranky"s spoon feeding for new and novice distillers
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=52975
Cranky"s spoon feeding for new and novice distillers
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=52975
- jonnys_spirit
- Site Donor
- Posts: 3631
- Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:58 am
- Location: The Milky Way
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
For a strip run i go as fast as my PC can take which is full power @ 5k5W and will strip that size boiler in about 1h after taking fores.
Cheers,
Jonny
Cheers,
Jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
- Twisted Brick
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 3771
- Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:54 pm
- Location: Craigh Na Dun
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
I take 150-200ml fores on both stripping runs and spirit runs, but everyone is different. Since I don't include early heads in any of my spirits the amount of fores is subjective. As you learn your still, it will become apparent when to start collecting different fractions in quart jars (ie: hearts) in order to minimize the number of jars you need.
I run my keg pot on full (40k btu NG) and it takes around 4hrs to strip 12gal down to 10%. Early on, I collect 1500ml every 14-15min. As the alcohol depletes, takeoff becomes painfully slow and boring.
BTW, I love pics of stills in the house
Twisted
I run my keg pot on full (40k btu NG) and it takes around 4hrs to strip 12gal down to 10%. Early on, I collect 1500ml every 14-15min. As the alcohol depletes, takeoff becomes painfully slow and boring.
BTW, I love pics of stills in the house
Twisted
Last edited by Twisted Brick on Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
“Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”
- W.C. Fields
My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
- W.C. Fields
My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
-
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 3180
- Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 11:59 am
- Location: Pacific Northwest
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
Hi sailman. You could run your strips at full power (puking aside) and be done in about 4 hours +/-.
You said your low wines should be about 40% ABV. Can you measure that to get an accurate number?
The reason I ask About your low wine ABV is so that you can do some math to work out collection jar size. 300 ml collection jars would be a PITA. If you plan to collect in 300 ml increments you will need about 80 jars. There is a nice calculator on HD, on the “Calculations by RAD” page, that will calculate how much volume you can expect to collect. I think it is called the “distilate to water calculator”. Using that calc, 12 gallons of 40%ABV low wines through a pot still collecting at an average of 70% ABV will result in 24 liters collected. If you collect in 1 liter increments each jar is still less than 5% of the total volume you will collect.
Re: how much foreshots. Just my opinion. If you are pulling just acetone slowly, you could get away with pulling just 200 ml over about an hour and be good. That is a rate of about 1.5 drips per second. If your not pulling fores slowly and the acetone is coming over with your heads during a gentle boil (Another acceptable method) all the fores should be gone long before you are done with heads and before you get near hearts. For me, that heads to hearts transition is always >15% of total volume collected. On your coming run, that would mean you will collect around 3 to 4 liters of heads +/- before you are near your first cut point.
Otis
You said your low wines should be about 40% ABV. Can you measure that to get an accurate number?
The reason I ask About your low wine ABV is so that you can do some math to work out collection jar size. 300 ml collection jars would be a PITA. If you plan to collect in 300 ml increments you will need about 80 jars. There is a nice calculator on HD, on the “Calculations by RAD” page, that will calculate how much volume you can expect to collect. I think it is called the “distilate to water calculator”. Using that calc, 12 gallons of 40%ABV low wines through a pot still collecting at an average of 70% ABV will result in 24 liters collected. If you collect in 1 liter increments each jar is still less than 5% of the total volume you will collect.
Re: how much foreshots. Just my opinion. If you are pulling just acetone slowly, you could get away with pulling just 200 ml over about an hour and be good. That is a rate of about 1.5 drips per second. If your not pulling fores slowly and the acetone is coming over with your heads during a gentle boil (Another acceptable method) all the fores should be gone long before you are done with heads and before you get near hearts. For me, that heads to hearts transition is always >15% of total volume collected. On your coming run, that would mean you will collect around 3 to 4 liters of heads +/- before you are near your first cut point.
Otis
Otis’ Pot and Thumper, Dimroth Condenser: Pot-n-Thumper/Dimroth
Learning to Toast: Toasting Wood
Polishing Spirits with Fruitwood: Fruitwood
Badmotivator’s Barrels: Badmo Barrels
Learning to Toast: Toasting Wood
Polishing Spirits with Fruitwood: Fruitwood
Badmotivator’s Barrels: Badmo Barrels
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
Thanks for all the help guys it looks like I've got a lot more reading to do before my next run. All this is new to me and I have read before that you run a stripping run wide open as long as your condenser can handle the vapor. I was afraid of a puke and or scorching the batch. The way you guys are describing it and the way I've been running my stripping runs I guess they were just Spirit runs, well at least I've got some experience on Spirit runs. One thing that I have noticed with my still is that once it hits 100 degrees at the point of no return you better not take your eye off of it because it'll be 150 before you know it. That's where I start producing.
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
If you put that sight glass on the bottom of your riser you'll have an easy indicator for pukes.
I agree with the run it as fast as the condenser can handle on a strip run.
I agree with the run it as fast as the condenser can handle on a strip run.
- Twisted Brick
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 3771
- Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:54 pm
- Location: Craigh Na Dun
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
Your shotgun is strong and will handle wide-open strips without blinking.
“Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”
- W.C. Fields
My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
- W.C. Fields
My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
To be honest I'm unsure of the percentage on the low wine as far as alcoho.l I said that because I read on the form somewhere that if I was to strip down to 10% that would probably get me in the neighborhood of 40% low wines it could be lower but I will cut it down to at least 40%. I don't have anything large enough at the moment to be able to combine all of the low wines to get an accurate reading.
Holy crap I just went and looked at the calculator and for 12 gallons of low wines at 40% on a still that collects at 70% I'm going to wind up with about 6 and 1/2 gallons of spirit. Does that sound correct ?
Also I've always thought that I should collect in small amounts of cuts. I've read to do it this way to keep from smearing the different fractions. on a run like this what should be a normal cut jar?
Holy crap I just went and looked at the calculator and for 12 gallons of low wines at 40% on a still that collects at 70% I'm going to wind up with about 6 and 1/2 gallons of spirit. Does that sound correct ?
Also I've always thought that I should collect in small amounts of cuts. I've read to do it this way to keep from smearing the different fractions. on a run like this what should be a normal cut jar?
- jonnys_spirit
- Site Donor
- Posts: 3631
- Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:58 am
- Location: The Milky Way
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
On my still I run my spirit run somewhere between 35-40% low wines maybe 12-15 gallons topped up with backset and get about 2-3 gallons of 125'ish proof after cuts depending on teh variables. I will collect fractions using a combination of mason jars and clear wine bottles (because they're available and easy) - Seems like I usually end up numbering to 24 or so collected fractions and by the time I'm into fraction #24 the proof off the PC has dropped significantly and I'm into tails so I'll stop the run and dump the boiler - after a couple days I decide my cuts and I may save the feints perhaps discarding the extreme ends of the fractions. Six gallons total sounds about right if divided into 24 fractions = almost 1 liter per fraction. I'll collect my hearts into 1/2 gallon or even gallon jugs and 500-750ml/fraction on those runs depending on where in the run it's at and based on prior runs...
Yes - Three gallons of 125'ish proof is quite a bit of likker IMO but also consider that you may leave it on oak for a year with some testing. Three mash/ferment/clear/strips and a spirit run may take me a couple months total so i'm not actually running it that much but I could probably do more if I wanted.
I feel like straight up sugar wash neutral can be somewhat quicker to process beginning to end or even UJ but I generally fiddle with it all and take my time - plus I'm not drinking much anymore either so that makes a big difference.
Cheers,
jonny
Yes - Three gallons of 125'ish proof is quite a bit of likker IMO but also consider that you may leave it on oak for a year with some testing. Three mash/ferment/clear/strips and a spirit run may take me a couple months total so i'm not actually running it that much but I could probably do more if I wanted.
I feel like straight up sugar wash neutral can be somewhat quicker to process beginning to end or even UJ but I generally fiddle with it all and take my time - plus I'm not drinking much anymore either so that makes a big difference.
Cheers,
jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
-
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 3180
- Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 11:59 am
- Location: Pacific Northwest
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
Yes, about 6 gallons is what you should expect to collect IF you run to the end of tails. On spirit runs, some folks will end the run when they are well into tails, past their cut point, so if you do this you may only collect about 5 gallons. When you make cuts, you will likely only be keeping about half of that 6 gallons collected, so you should end up with about 3 gallons of roughly 70% spirits, +/-. Otis
Otis’ Pot and Thumper, Dimroth Condenser: Pot-n-Thumper/Dimroth
Learning to Toast: Toasting Wood
Polishing Spirits with Fruitwood: Fruitwood
Badmotivator’s Barrels: Badmo Barrels
Learning to Toast: Toasting Wood
Polishing Spirits with Fruitwood: Fruitwood
Badmotivator’s Barrels: Badmo Barrels
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
I need to go get bigger Cuts jars
- jonnys_spirit
- Site Donor
- Posts: 3631
- Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:58 am
- Location: The Milky Way
Re: Stripping runs Spirit runs and cuts questions
A couple/three cases of mason jars works pretty well and they have milliliter and pint measurement marks on the sides too... Recommend large mouth.
Cheers,
jonny
Cheers,
jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————