Help: Hearts around 60% - 80% ABV, want 45-55% ABV of hearts

[EDragon]

So with what I'm making, an herbal liqueur where the herbs need to macerate in near (or above) 90%ABV for 24 hours to get the best flavor I usually end up dilluting it down to 40 or 45% ABV after the maceration is complete for the spirit run.

When I do this the hearts seem to start around 80%ABV and run to about 60%ABV (I separate them into 50mL sets until I have enough to pour into my alcometer (no parrot) vial and test, if thye smell 'off' I leave them out and put them with heads for next run, then I leave each sample separate, about 100-200ml, coming back to smell them later to see which seem to be 'off' or 'too much', and again, those are thrown back in the next round). Doing this I usually get a pretty good amount of hearts, the rest being recycled into the next batch until I reach 10ABV and quit the still. Below about 60%ABV I start getting into the tails QUICKLY and that 'wet dog' smell is pervasive.

What I want to do, though, is find a way to have the hearts sit so that all the hearts collected the abv is between 45-55%. The problem is I have to go so high in the stripping runs to be able get the flavor of the herbs, that's not something I can do at a lower ABV. Is there something I could do to 'swing' this down? More water to dilute it in the still to below 40% ABV? Won't I lose a lot of flavor if I do this? Other ideas?

Thanks!
ED

[Prairiepiss]

Your gona lose flavor on the front end or the back end. So if you dilute before you still. It will be lost on the front end. If you dilute after you distill it would be lost on the back end. I would say your best bet would be to lose it in the back end.

But let me get this straight. You are maceration in 95%. Then diluting and doing a stripping run. Then a spirit run? Sory you lost me with the stripping run comment. I would think you would be better off not doing a stripping run. Diluting the maceration down and doing a single run. Or did I read that wrong?

Also what kind of still are you using? And how are you using it?

[EDragon]

Sorry I didn't make it clear. So it's stripping run/s to get to 95%, then macerating for 24 hours, then spirit run. Only one stripping run (before maceration).

So should I add extra amounts of what I use for flavoring then since it's going to be diluted? And would it have a better taste if diluted with a mixture of water and lower % ABV rather than just water (like part of it 30% neutral spirits or such, along with water)? Is there an 'easy' way to figure out how much more flavoring material to use (if needing to dillute it by 1/3, say would I need to add 1/3 more of the flavoring? or will this just be trial and error to see what works best?).

Thanks!
ED

[Prairiepiss]

What kind of still? And how are you using it?

[EDragon]

simple stove top pot still.

[bellybuster]

and you can get 90% out of a pot still???


correction... 95%??????

[Cardinalbags]

Methinks he was making 90 proof unless he has not been diluting between distillations.

Methinks he is a bit confuzed too.

[Prairiepiss]

Ok 90% from a stripping run on a stove top pot still? I don't know how you could do this. Even If it was a second distillation. 90% is way to high for a pot still to safely produce.

[Truckinbutch]

Troll or mistaken ? I call foul either way . Even tripple running with a thumper I have never reached that level with a pot still .

[woodshed]

EDragon, Please provide some more info such as how are you determining ABV? Are you sure you are not reading proof? Been around pot stills for 40+ yrs. Never saw one produce what you are claiming.
You are making claims that you cannot back up to a group of very savvy members.
The answer to your question is easy but will not be provided by me.

Please come back to the table with a sensible approach and something we can believe.
I hate the smell of troll.