My first stripping runs then spirit run

[Bobdoe]

All,

I'm very pleased with my latest run. I posted elsewhere (http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=55926) different mashes/ferments using corn, 6 row barley malt and honey malt. Three of the batches had low SGs so I did a fast stripping run on each individual batch, pooled everything (except the fores), and then did one slow spirit run. My little 5 gallon still performed great! I posted my still porn elsewhere (http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 32&t=55329). I added 6 copper scrubbers to the column and, while nothing all that exciting for the experienced folks, I was getting 80-85% ABV fractions after the fores and through the heads. Hearts were also potent, 70-80% ABV.
Here's the data:

Fraction 1 clearly smelled like fores. Fraction 2 had a little sweet smell, didn't taste it. Fractions 6-12 were considered hearts by smell and taste and were pooled. Fraction 15 was the first with a slight cardboard smell and a bad taste to me. Fraction 17 turned slightly cloudy after an overnight sit. Fractions 18-20 were immediately cloudy out of the still.

The pooled hearts was just about 80% ABV and is oaking as we speak. To enjoy after aging/oaking, I'll dilute with an equal amount of good water and I'll have a nice little supply of 80 proof product. I'm almost all growed up! Well, not really, but pleased with this outcome. As usual, thanks to HD members and all the useful guidance and encouragement.

Bobdoe

[yakattack]

Congrats on getting through your first set. Just a suggestion, dilute a bit now. 80% will pull a lot of off tastes from the oak. I'm no expert but there are reasons you oak and age lower. A quick search will explain why.

Just my .02¢

Yak

[Bobdoe]

Thanks for the advice- I'll do this for half my bottles.

Bd

[Danespirit]

Well done Bobdoe..
Now you have a problem...distilling is like dope...you can easily get hooked..

[NgrainD]

Well done Bobdoe. I am nearing my first spirit run too. So far I have about 2.5 gallons of low wines saved from my few runs of Booner's I've done. I have pulled a small sample of hearts from each run (50ml) to put on different woods for flavor experiments, that way I will have a better understanding of what I want to do with the bulk of my whisky once I do get there. Thanks for sharing all you do. It's fun to watch other newbs, kinda feels like we're all growing up together. Stay safe and still well friend.

[S-Cackalacky]

Congratulations! Sounds like you're having great success right out of the gate. It'll only get better.

[Mikey-moo]

Congrats on getting through your first set. Just a suggestion, dilute a bit now. 80% will pull a lot of off tastes from the oak. I'm no expert but there are reasons you oak and age lower. A quick search will explain why.

Just my .02¢

Yak

+1 for this. Most here age at 60% to 65% abv for best results. Some go lower than that. Welcome to flavour country.

Yes I'm British - we leave the U in there

[ranger_ric]

BD,
I just finished the cuts on my last spirit run earlier this afternoon. ended up with 4 qts of 80% that I diluted down to 63% for aging..
I am sipping on what didnt make a full quart that I diluted down to 45%.
If I could offer any advice here it would be based on my mistakes... When you make your cuts, do NOT get greedy and add in anything that might slightly be considered heads. I have made this mistake 3 times and kick myself everytime... without heads this stuff is the sweetest smoothest ambrosia you can imagine, but get just 200mL in your gallon or so of keepers and it just sucks the joy out of it.
Everytime I make this mistake I tell myself that I can rerun the feints but it sucks to have to rerun a gallon of good stuff for 200mL of crap....

[Tomb]

Along the same line of rerunning any "mistakes" as feints......

Is there any danger of reusing some of a sacrificial run?

I understand that likely two or three times the normal heads should be tossed, and the rest of the run might be not fit for consumption. But could it all just be tossed into the next batch and run again?

Tom

[Mikey-moo]

You can run your sacrificial run as many times as you like.

Still can't drink it though.

[Danespirit]

+1 Mikey-moo..

This is basic knowledge o, one could find by reading the spoonfeed thread in the novice section.
I can't apparently not be stressed to many times: DO NOT DRINK A SACRIFIAL RUN!!
There are so much dangerous crap dissolved in there.
Use it as antkiller, firestarter..hell...you can even wash motorparts in it, but never ever drink it..!

[Tomb]

Yes, I have read this many a time.

I am not trying to be difficult and this may not be the right place....

But I would like to understand how (and more interesting, what) impurities could pass through a second distillation process?
This may be to technical an answer to give/understand, so it may just have to stand as "certain poisons can pass through a still"

(Forgive me for being anal but I want to understand)

Tom

[S-Cackalacky]

Yes, I have read this many a time.

I am not trying to be difficult and this may not be the right place....

But I would like to understand how (and more interesting, what) impurities could pass through a second distillation process?
This may be to technical an answer to give/understand, so it may just have to stand as "certain poisons can pass through a still"

(Forgive me for being anal but I want to understand)

Tom

You could possibly research it yourself? Most folks here just follow the common sense idea that flux and crap left in the pipes from the manufacturing process might possibly vaporize and condense into the output. It's one run - if you can't make that simple sacrifice for your own safety, maybe the hobby isn't meant for you.

[Mikey-moo]

Why risk it? It's easy enough to make more. Let it go

[bearriver]

If common wisdom isn't to your standard then the responsibility lies on you to perform in depth research personally. Research takes time and effort, which is why no one is willing to do it for you, only to answer a question they don't particularity care about.

A manual cleaning followed by the standard series of cleaning runs is what it takes... If you want to research and explain to us all the science behind that, then awesome. It would be a good contribution.

As far as not doing the proper cleaning procedure, well, here is a link for you. It's a goodn: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=46170

Edit: I wish the guy in that thread would come back and let us know he didn't develop a third arm or something...

[Tomb]

Thanks!

I do not disagree, but I was hoping someone would have a quick reference to back up the folklore.
I will keep quiet and search for the mechanics behind this.

Tom

[rad14701]

If it makes you any wiser, here is an example... A couple years ago I made up some mead using excess honey my father had sitting in the basement... It had been stored in metal short term storage cans... The cans had rusted on the inside out due to the honey but that wasn't obvious at the time... I couldn't tell the honey was tainted when I mixed the wash... I couldn't tell when I dumped the wash into the boiler either... The spirits looked just fine coming off the still... However, taking a smell and taste made it obvious that the wash and resulting spirits were tainted by rust... The entire still had to be scrubbed several times to get it adequately cleaned... Diluting the ~95% spirits to ~30% and rerunning didn't help... The spirits still smelled and tasted like rust... Another round of cleaning was required...

Do you really want to take chances with your and potentially others health...??? Is one batch of wash and the resulting spirits really worth that much to you...??? Get used to sacrificing your efforts at times because we all end up there at one point or another if we stay in this hobby long enough... Don't let greed or stubbornness cloud your judgement because it's just not worth it... Sacrificial runs are just that, a sacrifice...!!! You don't need to know every little tidbit of the theories and facts behind being safe, you just need to get used to erring on the side of safety... It's part of our everyday lives...

[Tomb]

Rad:

Thanks for taking the time for me. I am very much for safety and my questions are not to try to "ride the edge" but to undrerstand so I can ovoid dangerous activities. I guess i have not fully abandoned the notion that a still will "purify". Obviously there are poisons, both in the wash and in the machine that must be dealt with.

I will abide with the wisdom from the past, but will still try to understand the reasons behind them as much as possible.
Again sorry for the dumb question, but I am a little less dumb now.

Tom

[Mikey-moo]

Look at it this way. You're never going to get an output of 100% pure alcohol. It'll alwayslbe contaminated with something - water for example and flavour giving molecules also get carried across during the run.

You will have used (or at least should have used) water soluble flux in your build and some of that will be carried over too.

Be safe. Ditch it. Make more