Learning to make cuts.

Other discussions for folks new to the wonderful craft of home distilling.

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Sporacle
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Re: Learning to make cuts.

Post by Sporacle »

The Baker wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 8:06 pm Not sure if it was huffing or puffing or what.
First time I had used my still since changing from gas to electricity. 3000 watt element, still is maybe a bit bigger than a keg.
Tried out my remodelled condenser and it was huffing and puffing like a distant steam train.
If I lowered the power input to maybe 65% that stopped.
Stuffed a wad of copper mesh in the spout and no more train noises.
I suspect the condenser is far too efficient.

Geoff
You're saying your condesor may be too efficient, think about the condesor as a car, yeah sure it can do 100mph easy, do you drive it that fast? No because you might get in trouble. Like the car slow it down until it does the job its supposed to do in the situation its in at the time you're doing it
Cheers
" you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends; but you can't always wipe your friends off on your saddle" sage advice from Kinky Friedman
Pops33
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Re: Learning to make cuts.

Post by Pops33 »

Thanks you,

Great advice everyone,
In the video, you can hear the huffing. I didn't hear that huffing sound but might have been on the edge of doing so, the stream was swinging a bit.
Saltbush Bill wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:57 pm ... You need enough flow to get a temprature gradient happening. Feel the condencer.....warm to hot at the top.......dead cold at the bottom.
I used to do it like that but I would deplete the water from the well and thought the condenser was getting too warm. Plus I thought the colder the condenser was, the better. So I picked up a 700 liter water tote, fill it it from the brook nearby, hook a garden hose to it and use gravity to feed the condenser. The tote filled with water was sitting outside at only 8 deg C. Very cold water coming in to the condenser and going out from it. The distillate was 13 deg C at the spout. By regulating the flow I'll be able to get the "warm to hot" at the top and "dead cold" at the bottom.

I'm on the fence on re-distilling it a 3rd time, the hearts are in 2 one gallon glass jugs and aerating for about a week(be a week Sunday). Hoping the "off taste" will go away.
If I want to re-distill the whole thing do I need to add Baking soda to the mix and let it sit for a week or so?I read that it smooths out the product. The hearts are in jugs and the feints are in a glass carboy.

Thanks
Pops33
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Deplorable
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Re: Learning to make cuts.

Post by Deplorable »

You don't need to add soda to them to run it again.
Just put it all back in the still, feints and all, along with enough water to dilute to 30-40% abv and ensure your element stays covered. Run it again and make your cuts.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
Pops33
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Re: Learning to make cuts.

Post by Pops33 »

Hey All,

After two weeks of airing out, it still has that papery(wet newspaper) taste.
I'm doing a 3rd distillation tomorrow.

So I have a few questions.....Oh yeah , I received my Glencairn glasses. Gonna try it out.
Everything mixed I have about 15 liters of 59% ABV.

1st Question(s).
Is it it best to dilute to 40%, 35% or 30% before running it? Should I dilute it more? What advantages will one %ABV give me over an another(in terms of quality, smoothness...etc)?
Diluted to:
40% will give about 22 liters in the still.
35% will give about 25 liters in the still.
30% will give about 29 liters in the still.

2nd Question.
When I did the first distillation,I used a calculator for how much backset there would be left in the still. Would the same calculation be good for 3rd distillation? I don't want to cause a dry fire. It takes 5.5 liters to submerged the element.

Thanks
Pops33
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Deplorable
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Re: Learning to make cuts.

Post by Deplorable »

More water will help remove more flavor. So 30% will be better than 40.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Learning to make cuts.

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Lets try and keep this thing on topic , that is "learning to make cuts".......its wandering a long way off of that subject at the moment. :thumbdown:
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