What cuts for third distillation for Irish Whiskey?

Ardent Spirit · Post by **Ardent Spirit** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:39 pm

I am trying to make some Irish whiskey (not poitin) with a pot still. I have done the first two distillations taking cuts at the following points on the second distillation (of 8 Litres divided itno three batches, recycling the feints as instructed on the home distilling site):

Foreshots (3.1%)
Heads (17.4%)
Middle Run (57.1%)
Tails (22.4%)

The distillate is about 50%

I want to do the third distillation to about 75% but am unclear as to where to make the cuts.
Do I just repeat the percentages of the second run?
Do I dilute to 40% before redistilling
I am looking for a Black Bush style end product.
Any help gratefully received.

TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY · Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:27 pm

Is your still that small, Gallon or less? Need more info. But dont dilute before next run. What were the abv reading of your collections. If your at 50% now you should have no problem acheiving 75% next run.

Aidas · Post by **Aidas** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:51 pm

What is your sense of taste telling you to do? Seriously, I don't think that there's a better method of determining your cuts than using your nose and tongue.

I've noticed with my UJ sourmash that after a number of runs, I've found (after using nose and taste) that my cuts occur consistently at the same time into the run. Then I can do it with my eyes closed.

However, I'm not a believer in doing "chart" cuts. Each still, each recipe is going to be different.

Aidas

P.S. What was your recipe for the irish whiskey?

Post by **Tater** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:55 am

If you have allready made cuts in heads and fourshots 3rd run id taste it to be sure.And distill down to say 80 to 90 proof and stop.I triple stilled some peach a while back had around 4 1/2 gallons of 2nd run 90 proof but I didnt make any cuts till last run.It started out at 175 proof I caught till 80 had a tad over 2 1/2 gallons of 140 proof .Tempered down I ended up with a bit over 3 gallons 100 proof.I feel taste and smell to make my cuts.If youve saved all your cuts might wanna put back in and do cuts on 3 run.Good luck

Ardent Spirit · Post by **Ardent Spirit** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:59 am

Is your still that small, Gallon or less?

4L stainless steel
25% internal reflux
Insulated pot
320W external heat source
Air cooled condenser.

Don't drink that much. the 2 L or so I hope to get out of this batch will last most of the winter.

Did a 20L turbo yeast mash to 18%, distilled 50%, carbon filtration, infused with juniper, coriander and a coupe of other bits, redistliled and diluted to 40% and ended up with 2 gallons of extremely pleasant gin, but it will take me well over a year (decade) to drink 2 gallons of gin!

So for me a 4L still is just fine, I don't want industrial quantities of alcohol hanging around the house.

By the way my first two attempts were complete failures as I had not mastered the use of the filtration column.

I distilled them to 80%, added 2 drops of orange oil to mask the smell and made a great all purpose household cleaner (provided you keep it away from naked flames!)

What is the optimum strength for car windscreen wash? as I've still got plenty left

Ardent Spirit · Post by **Ardent Spirit** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 11:39 am

What is your sense of taste telling you to do? Seriously, I don't think that there's a better method of determining your cuts than using your nose and tongue.

I don't really have enough experience to tell. What am I smelling for?

This is the first whiskey I've made and i don't know what it should smell like straight off the still without the oak and ageing. Thats why I'm using a chart.

I wish we could post smells! - Must be fortune for someone to invent that.

As far as the recipe goes. I lifted it from the description of how to make Black Bush on the Home Distilling site and I am scaling it down, modifying it as I go along. If people would like I can post the process when it is finished if I succeed. At the moment it is work in progress.

At least I have the authentic product beside me to compare it against, as the remnants of hurricane gordon fly past my back window. (What is the world coming to - Hurricanes in Ireland!)

If I don't succeed I shall be reaching for the orange oil again!

Aidas · Post by **Aidas** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:09 pm

An irish that will last on 2 liters through the winter?!? What is the world coming to?!?

You know what good whiskey tastes like, right? You know what good whiskey smells like, right? That's what you're going for.

You're right, if we could post smells, it would be a hell of a lot easier to explain... Basically, tails simply smell "off" -- I don't know how to describe the smell, maybe slightly metalic? Slightly septic? Shit, describing smell is impossible!

Aidas

hornedrhodent · Post by **hornedrhodent** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 3:23 am

="Aidas

Shit, describing smell is impossible!

Aidas

Perhaps that's why wine experts spout so much bullshit?

Post by **Tater** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 4:37 am

Best way I could tell ya is to wet end of your finger and taste.Will have a real sweet taste that will drop and stop after a bit .Toss that keep till proof drops to 80.Quit there thats never gonna be to far into tails.Also fourshots and heads to me have a dryer feel them when rubbed between fingers.Getting a slight wet or slightly oily feel when your into the good stuff.

Ardent Spirit · Post by **Ardent Spirit** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 9:14 am

May you be half an hour in Heaven
Before the Devil knows you’re dead.