Keeping Notes

Distillation methods and improvements.

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Distillusioned
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Keeping Notes

Post by Distillusioned »

Not sure if this is the best place for this, but....

Edit: TL;DR: stop taking notes and enjoy the output.

When I first started making wine/beer/etc., I kept detailed notes. Now my recipes read more like "put x, y, and z in a bucket...wait...drink the result".

When I first started 'stilling, I did the same. I kept track of the jars, which ones were keepers/heads/tails. One day I ran two batches of the exact same low wines and the cuts were completely different. After that, my notes became "distilled on xx/yy/zzzz with wide/tight/etc. cuts and added xx wood with yy toast and zz char.

Once I realized my notes were essentially useless, and I started running on "feel", I began really enjoying the hobby. With the pressure to document everything lifted, I found it much more relaxing.

To my mind, that is so counterintuitive. I love data. This should be a very scientific process, but there's a lot of art that goes into it (I've found the same can be said for computer programming, which is my current profession). Anyone else of the same mindset? I was hoping for some level of repeatability, but, honestly, most everything I run is yummy even if I don't get the same thing twice. So why complain? :)

That said, one thing I have found that helps my consistency is doing stripping runs and shutting down at the same output, diluting the low wines to the same ABV (been doing 25% lately), and do my spirit runs. Product may not be the same, but the cuts stay much more consistent. I can almost cut by still output even on different stills of the same basic configuration (within reason, and taste/smell is obviously still a big part of it).

I'm partially posting to get others' input and partially posting so maybe some newbies will learn to chill out and enjoy the drop without going through the same learning curve I went through over the last few years.

Just put your stuff in a bucket, distill the goodies, and don't worry about the details. You really have to screw up royally to get a bad product...especially compared to commercial spirits.

Apologies for the long, rambling post, but I'm sitting here imbibing of the fruits of my labor, and I'm feeling chatty. :)
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Haha! Too funny!

The old notebook book notes ->
E43333B0-20DB-4D82-9512-C7A55E20827B.jpeg
Some new notes - >
63E71764-ACF8-46BF-AFF9-01958FB760BE.jpeg
In the new dedicated notebook ->
BEC7605B-816B-485F-8500-3E2461168CE2.jpeg
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Personally I think most people would learn far more on their early runs spending all of their time and energy watching their still, not writing notes.
Watching how fast or slow the out put is, smelling and tasting that output, switching jars often, checking to see if plates are loaded properly in the case of plated columns, fiddling with water flow and reflux as well as power input, checking ABV from time to time to see the effects that different amounts of reflux or power have.
There are a hundred ways to spend your time when you first start distilling that are more productive that staring at a thermometer and writing notes on, what jar is what abv,what the the boiler temp is as well as column temp.
Some of the note keeping Ive seen produced here and on other forums is truly mind boggling " a fly on the wall farted type stuff".......don't make what can be a simple hobby into a chore.
You don't have to complicate things to keep learning and to keep on making better booze.
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Corn Cracker »

My first run i was taking notes and checking everything data related, about 3/4 through the run that went out the window. I took the notebook out on the 2nd run documented the time i started and the first drops and realized what y'all are saying. I keep notes on the mash bill changes and how the changes affected the final product. After 2 runs on a pot still, you shouldn't need further notes on running or collecting from it, i know how my stripper will produce, i know how my stove top spirit still will produce. Only notes i think i need are on ingredients and how they effect taste.
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Hambone
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Hambone »

My first few runs my records actually helped me understand what I was seeing during the run.

That said, I don’t really keep records of my runs now, but keep records on my mashes until I’m satisfied with the results…
Good judgement is the result of experience.

Experience is usually the result of bad judgement..
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by jonnys_spirit »

If you put up a likker and it actually makes it to 2yrs old it’s sorta like a cute little baby book! Every child is unique ❤️
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Bushman
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Bushman »

I have never kept detailed notes during a run. My notes are at the recipe stage, what I added the amount, what changes I made to the next run, etc. When I first started everything was done per the members that came before me (touch, smell, taste). When I started I used a lot of small jars and numbered them for cuts. Today I feel like I have the expertise to collect in larger quantities as my senses are better. I do collect smaller amounts when I think I am getting close to a change from Heads to Hearts to tails. Then depending on the cuts and what I am producing blending becomes it’s own art form.
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Deplorable
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Deplorable »

My first few runs I didn't take much at all for notes other than the recipe I followed.
Now I keep the recipe followed on a word document. I do still take notes for jar volume and abv, as well as tasting notes from jar selection for the final blend(s) simply to compare any shift in my personal preference over time.
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Twisted Brick
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Twisted Brick »

jonnys_spirit wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:11 am If you put up a likker and it actually makes it to 2yrs old it’s sorta like a cute little baby book! Every child is unique ❤️
Uh, wouldn't know... nothin' makes it that far! Nice log book JS!

Time and temp malting and kiln schedules, yeast starters, mashes, ferments, distilling runs and aging all go into my log book. Losing it might drive me to drink... wait, I already do that.

.
Log Book.jpg
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Sporacle
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Sporacle »

Hambone wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:07 am My first few runs my records actually helped me understand what I was seeing during the run.

That said, I don’t really keep records of my runs now, but keep records on my mashes until I’m satisfied with the results…
+1 I was keeping detailed notes on my pot still runs, they provided a good reference so I could get my head around what was happening.
Now I turn it on and run by feel, I still number my jars as I am still collecting in small amounts trying to get better at my cuts.
Notes on mashing and ferments are pretty detailed and I'll have an interesting experiment to note. Got called into work today so the Corn, Barley and Oat Mash will spend another 24hrs in the esky (it's at 140f atm) before I get a chance to strain and get it into the fermenter, interesting to see what the conversion is as this is the 4th batch of the same recipe :D
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Distillusioned
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Distillusioned »

I got a good laugh at jonnys_spirit's log books. Pretty much mirrors my notes exactly. :)

I don't have any desire to keep those kind of notes anymore, but I have to truly admire Twisted Brick's log book. It's so neat and orderly, and that penmanship is impressive.
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Distillusioned
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Distillusioned »

Hambone wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:07 am My first few runs my records actually helped me understand what I was seeing during the run.

That said, I don’t really keep records of my runs now, but keep records on my mashes until I’m satisfied with the results…
That's a good point. I reckon there is a real benefit, especially early on. I'm sure it helped me to internalize what was going on, but, dang, it was also stressful keeping track of all those details.
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NZChris
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by NZChris »

Sometimes I make something really 'out there' and it succeeds and I go back through my notes to see what I did and I didn't bother to record it. I searched my files for one yesterday. Fantastic, unusual, rare product, no notes, nothing on old hard drives, or paper ... all records, if there ever were any, are gone.
Corn Cracker
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Corn Cracker »

Exactly why i keep notes on the recipe for a run, i don't see the benefit of noting the time it took to get to jar #3 and how long it took to fill it.
"To ease the pressures of this world here's the way i got it figured, the thing to do for me and you is to drink lots of good corn liquor"
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Distillusioned
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Re: Keeping Notes

Post by Distillusioned »

I try to keep my in-development recipes and my final recipes, but that's about it now. I probably should have kept my earlier, detailed notes for reminiscing, but they got shredded and composted. The bottles aging are be labelled with recipe revision and batch numbers, for example Rum #7 Batch #2, so I can keep them straight. That's the theory, anyway; I have a few bottles whose contents are a mystery. lol.
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