Foreshot, Heads, Hearts and Tails

[wmautrey]

New to distilling. I have purchased a twenty gallon still complete with thumper and worm inside a plastic drum container. I have a 1000 gallon cistern buried of which I pump and return the rain water through the worm. My associates have given me the nickname "Houch". I have run off 120 gallons of mash which has given me 30 gallons of shine. Once the temperature begins reaching around 160 degrees I throw away the first 1/2 quart of foreshot. Then when the temperature reaches 170 degrees the process takes off. I begin by using two one gallon containers and then switch to three liter containers. Each time I change a container I check the proof of each. The first one gallon glass container is 150 proof. The second one gallon glass container is 145 proof. The next is then a three liter glass container which is 135 proof. The next glass three liter container is 120 proof. The next glass three liter container is 100 proof. I usually get one more three liter container but it is between 50-70 proof. Which I put in my thumper on the next run. I then pour all contents of the five containers in a six gallon bucket and mix. I proof, and rain water to bring the final proofing to 115% (57.5). I then pour this into plastic one gallon jug containers.
After reading all comments about separating the foreshots, heads, hearts and tails, the only part I am NOT confused about is the foreshots. I do not know when to determine the Heads, Hearts and Tails. Although when distilling and I get to the 50-70 proof I know this is the tails. Also I noticed as I am getting to the end of distilling a run the temperature begins to climb from 170 degrees to 190 degrees. I usually back off my heat to decrease the temperature to 170 degrees until there is very little liquid coming out.

Any help when to determine the Heads and Hearts would be appreciated.

[Still Life]

Well, first off, Welcome!

Second, dump the plastic! Those high proofs are a solvent eating into it and leeching nasty shit.
You may not see it, but it is. Be safe and keep your drink pure. Use glass or stainless steel for high and drinking proofs.

And third. This is your lucky stop for cuts.
Check this thread out for a great guide on making cuts. Excellent read.

And last, (since I'm being that guy), running your still by temperature is surprisingly not efficient at all.
Temperature's a moving target for making cuts and there is no magic degree point.
Once you learn cuts, you'll see what I mean.

I hope this helps you out. Have fun and be safe!

[Pikey]

New you may be, but with a 20 gallon pot and a thumper, you're better geared up than most on here I guess !

Is that kit something you bought second hand off someone retiring ?

However as Still Life says to run a pot still by temperature, is very wasteful and simply will not work properly.

Welcome in - stick around and learn properly

[wmautrey]

Thank you Still Life and Pikey! a little more digging and I guess someone will have the answers to what you have suggested about not running temperatures and it being wasteful. It would have been easier if you explained it here. But no matter I'll keep digging until I find the answer.

Yes I was fortunate enough to meet a fella who's partner had passed and he developed diabetes and did not want to do it any more. I purchased everything from him. Including his recipe and he showed me how to run the first run. I fermented to .999 specific gravity before I ran but he knew nothing of this. But he didn't explain the foreshots, Heads, Hearts and Tails. I learned that here (still learning).

[sltm1]

Welcome to the "journey". Enjoy yourself and be safe. As was plastic is veboten !!

[Still Life]

Since you are receptive, I'll give you another link I found
by entering "running a still by temperature" in HD Google Search (at top of page).
Great explanation of temperature fallacy.

[Pikey]

It would be a waste of time starting to discuss anything here - this is the welcome thread and they get locked if discussions start.

Read in the novices section and you should find out why - otherwise ask the question in there.

*crossed with Still Life

[wmautrey]

Still Life I read the thread...Wow! I will be running/ experimenting with quarts to learn the different cuts. My still is twenty gallons and I am running about five gallons each time and one three liter bottle (50-70 proof) Tails for the next runs thumper. She begins running at about 160 degrees (1/2 quart foreshot) and reach 170 degrees where she'll run at this temperature until I collect about five gallons (150-80 proof). Then the temperature begins to increase and I collect one three liter bottle of 50-70 proof. This run usually from start to finish takes about eight hours. I did two runs once and started at 10:00 am and finished about 3:45 am the next morning. This included emptying out the still and thumper, washing/rinsing, transferring the wash into the still, adding the tails from the last run and igniting the burner for the next run. I ran corn and rye and all ten gallons turned out very smooth. You can barely taste the rye upfront, but can really taste it on the back side. That first taste on the tongue is sharp, but not to sharp as I have tasted other whiskeys. So at this point I am happy with the outcome of the product but realize I have allot to learn (like capturing in quarts instead of gallons). And differentiate between the cuts.

Thank you everyone!!!