Low wine collection and storage

[NormandieStill]

So. I've got a first decent sized run under my belt (Birdwatcher's) and I'll soon be embarking on a run of HBB. I've converted my second 30l keg to a mash tun and while, for the minute, I'll still be fermenting in plastic buckets, I'm aiming to phase all plastic out of this business with the exception of the cooling hose.

Now when I collected low wines from my birdwatcher's stripping runs, I collected until I had x litres at 40% (I actually got around 4l from a 15l wash. With HBB I'm aiming for flavour so probably stripping down to mid-to-low 20s. The calculator on the parent site gives me a guestimate of 7-8,5l per run, although my real world numbers with birdwatcher's ended up higher (I was expecting about 3l to hit 40%), so if this goes the same way it might be slightly more.

I'm not trying to "run this by numbers", but I need to be organised. Last time I collected into our largest stainless saucepan which can hold about 4.8l to the rim. I have no single non-plastic containers that will take upwards of 8l. And then I need to store them. I can muster up 5, (possibly 6) 5l demi-johns, but obviously the ultimate solution would be a sealable stainless container. I had a look at old milk "pots", which I can get without breaking the bank (there are 20l models which would be ideal), but they are aluminium. As I understand it aluminium is frowned upon for boilers because of longevity issues due to the high temperature and acidity. Is there a consensus regarding low wine storage? (Please don't mention alzheimers... that was debunked some decades ago!)

Otherwise for collecting low-wines, I have to work with multiple containers and calculate the average, which given the speed of a stripping run, is going to be problematic. Do you all just own enormous stainless steel crock pots, or is there a simple estimate to be made based on the abv coming off the spout?

[Yummyrum]

For a stripping run , I generally get about 20% collected volume . So say I’m stripping 200litre wash I’d expect around 40litres of low wines , I’ll use a 50 liter keg to collect and store it in . .

As far as capping the keg for storage , I’m about as sophisticated as putting an upturned glass over the Sanke fitting to keep the critters out .

[NZChris]

I take a foreshot, then strip until I have collected the ABV I want. The thermometer is reading the temperature of the wash and I record that at the finish of the first strip. Subsequent strips can be shut down at the same temperature and will be close enough to the same ABV that I don't have to worry about ABV for the rest of the strips, or what the ABVs of individual demijohns are.

Not having a receiver, or a container, that can hold a whole stripping run would be a PITA. I've always had a SS preserving pan that I can use.

[NormandieStill]

I take a foreshot, then strip until I have collected the ABV I want. The thermometer is reading the temperature of the wash and I record that at the finish of the first strip. Subsequent strips can be shut down at the same temperature and will be close enough to the same ABV that I don't have to worry about ABV for the rest of the strips, or what the ABVs of individual demijohns are.

Not having a receiver, or a container, that can hold a whole stripping run would be a PITA. I've always had a SS preserving pan that I can use.

OK. Thanks for the temperature tip. I don't have a thermometer anywhere in my still (I read, and read, and read, and it was clear that for a pot still it was unnecessary! ) but I'm guessing the same logic should apply to volume (it certainly worked for my sugar washes).

And I hadn't thought of preserving pans. In my obsessive search for stainless steel I completely forgot about our large copper preserving pan. I'll have to check the volume but it might just do it.

I should be able to muddle through with my demi-john's for the next few washes which gives me time to try and lay my hands on some more kegs (They're rarer than rocking horse dung around here it seems!)

[Expat]

After the fores cut, I strip directly into a 5g glass demijohn. Sufficient room to go deep, just use appropriate precautions when moving them.

[Demy]

I don't make large quantities so I can keep low wines in glass damsels or stainless steel pots... I often use the same boiler that I will use for spirit running (I have boilers of different sizes made from stainless steel pots). I don't think you need an absolute seal in the low wine container. As for abv, in stripping I go down according to the product I want (very low for aromatic products, a little higher for neutral) but since I produce little down to at least 15 abv, the low wines will therefore be in the "safe abv" range.

[8Ball]

OK. Thanks for the temperature tip. I don't have a thermometer anywhere in my still (I read, and read, and read, and it was clear that for a pot still it was unnecessary! ) but I'm guessing the same logic should apply to volume (it certainly worked for my sugar washes.

I have temp gauges on my simple pot boiler and at the top of the riser just before the vapor enters the Liebig condenser. I use them extensively and get reliable and repeatable results. Having done literally dozens of strips and spirits and taking careful notes on the performance of EACH one of those runs, I can use boiler & vapor temperatures, parrot abv readings, AND my senses of taste & smell to make cuts that produce a good drop.

[StillerBoy]

Now when I collected low wines from my birdwatcher's stripping runs, I collected until I had x litres at 40% (I actually got around 4l from a 15l wash.

I strip for neutral only to 50% abv, as stripping below that only brings across tails, which I'm not interested in them..

And I collected from a 30L run only 4.5L of low wine, and collect in 3 gal glass carboy, and store the low wine in 1 gal glass jug..

Mars

[NZChris]

OK. Thanks for the temperature tip. I don't have a thermometer anywhere in my still (I read, and read, and read, and it was clear that for a pot still it was unnecessary! ) but I'm guessing the same logic should apply to volume (it certainly worked for my sugar washes).

The ABV of the remaining charge can be calculated from it's temperature if need be. I haven't had a thermometer anywhere in the vapor for years.

A few years ago I scored a straight sided vase that holds over 11l and graduated it. For the first stripping run, I float the alcometer in it, giving it a stir before taking a reading because the lower ABV condensate coming off the spout at the end of the strip heads straight to the bottom with little mixing on the way.

Volume should work well enough for stripping. I often use volume when making gin.

[Boozewaves]

Now when I collected low wines from my birdwatcher's stripping runs, I collected until I had x litres at 40% (I actually got around 4l from a 15l wash.

I strip for neutral only to 50% abv, as stripping below that only brings across tails, which I'm not interested in them..

And I collected from a 30L run only 4.5L of low wine, and collect in 3 gal glass carboy, and store the low wine in 1 gal glass jug..

Mars
DSC018161.jpg

Hi Mars ,this is interesting , I usually collect 2 demijohns full (10 litres) from a 35 litre charge when I am doing a stripping run for what will be a neutral

if I collect half of what I usually collect or down to the point when tails are starting in a stripping run will I still get the same amount of hearts in the reflux spirit run? (the only part I keep to drink also). I always thought that tails could be distilled into more potential hearts . or is your way more of a "point of diminishing returns" kind of thing where it costs you more to heat the boiler than make a new wash? .

I have been distilling for a few years but not as long as you and others on here so i'm still getting the hang of it and always trying to get better . be interested if you could shine some light

[howie]

Now when I collected low wines from my birdwatcher's stripping runs, I collected until I had x litres at 40% (I actually got around 4l from a 15l wash.

I strip for neutral only to 50% abv, as stripping below that only brings across tails, which I'm not interested in them..

And I collected from a 30L run only 4.5L of low wine, and collect in 3 gal glass carboy, and store the low wine in 1 gal glass jug..

Mars
DSC018161.jpg

Hi Mars ,this is interesting , I usually collect 2 demijohns full (10 litres) from a 35 litre charge when I am doing a stripping run for what will be a neutral
I have been distilling for a few years but not as long as you and others on here so i'm still getting the hang of it and always trying to get better . be interested if you could shine some light

i'm curious too.
i get about the same output as SB.
i would probably only get 7l from a 35l run
what is the abv of your wash?

[NormandieStill]

I can't answer for Mars, but it's possible that he, like me, is doing his spirit run on a potstill. Hence the interest in not bringing many tails to the party.

[StillerBoy]

Hi Mars ,this is interesting , I usually collect 2 demijohns full (10 litres) from a 35 litre charge when I am doing a stripping run for what will be a neutral

If you are collecting 10L of low wine from a 35L run, then you are making a wash that has high potential of abv.. in other word using way to much sugar in your ferment.. your SG should not be any higher than 1.070 or about a 10 - 11% wash which is the average I shot for.. higher abv gives off a strong bit to the finish product overall, so will fermenting at high temp (in the 88 - 92*F) vers fermenting at a lower temp (78 - 82*F) when using bread yeast..

i would probably only get 7l from a 35l run
what is the abv of your wash?

The same answer as about for the given return of low wine..

f I collect half of what I usually collect or down to the point when tails are starting in a stripping run will I still get the same amount of hearts in the reflux spirit run? (the only part I keep to drink also). I always thought that tails could be distilled into more potential hearts . or is your way more of a "point of diminishing returns" kind of thing where it costs you more to heat the boiler than make a new wash? .

I never really done an experiment to that extent, but on a logical level, the heart section once collected from the wash, one will thereby have more hearts in the overall multiple collection of low wine to process, thereby giving a little more heart/body in the spirit run..

In a spirit run I collect the heads/tails (feints) and re-run then on their own, also diluted to 30% abv, which on 28L run will give me just a little over 4L of 95%..

Also remember that I'm talking about making neutral went I stop collecting at 50%.. when I do a mash run, I stripped down to 20%, to include some of the sweet water, and I also separate the tails from the body section during the stripped run.. the tails have a bitter taste to them most times, so I've come to remove them and not add them to the low..

Also stripping run are done using the pot style, and the spirit are done using a reflux column setup..

Mars

[howie]

SB - sorry mate, i was asking boozewaves about his wash abv, i thought it may be around 13-14% to get that much low wines from 35L.
i go for 8-9%, happy no-stress yeast.

[Boozewaves]

SB - sorry mate, i was asking boozewaves about his wash abv, i thought it may be around 13-14% to get that much low wines from 35L.
i go for 8-9%, happy no-stress yeast.

.

If you are collecting 10L of low wine from a 35L run, then you are making a wash that has high potential of abv.. in other word using way to much sugar in your ferment.. your SG should not be any higher than 1.070 or about a 10 - 11% wash which is the average I shot for.. higher abv gives off a strong bit to the finish product overall, so will fermenting at high temp (in the 88 - 92*F) vers fermenting at a lower temp (78 - 82*F) when using bread yeast..

no guy's, I go for a similar wash abv as you (1.070 to start) making Shady's sugar shine or UJSSM closely following the recipe when making a neutral , I don't use turbo yeast or too much sugar .
I always just assumed it was best to collect more as it was potential future hearts . all the studying I have done here made me think that was a normal amount to collect . So i guess I will try things differently when I next do a run . as I said , i'm still working out the best way to do stuff . thank you for your input . I know I would use less butane doing the runs the way you describe . cheers