All Hearts Spirit Run

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GortKlaa2
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All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by GortKlaa2 »

I'm sorry if this has been answered somewhere, but I swear I can't find a direct answer anywhere.

What I'm planning to do is this: I'm going to follow a German distillation book to making Spirits, which they only refer to the final product as a spirit when it is vapor-infused. (Now, I know there are huge camps pro/con on maceration/infusion versus vapor- infusion; I'm not asking about the merits of one over the other. I understand more botanicals/herbs/etc will be necessary per unit volume of liquid and I'll still end up with a more lightly flavor embued distilled spirit.

Following the guidelines of this German methodology my post revolves around this question: If I'm doing an all hearts run in a reflux still of a 92% neutral that is diluted to 12% for the new distillation, how much should I expect to have to cut for heads and tails. I know there will be some, but starting with a 92% pure alcohol that is all hearts, I should expect mostly hearts back again, right? Or have I missed something.

Does anyone have a ballpark figure of those fractions per liter?
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BlueSasquatch
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by BlueSasquatch »

This doesn't answer your question but can I ask why you are diluting your 92% charge down to 12% prior to running it? Why not something like 30% ?

If you have 92% neutral, why are you re-distilling it? just so that you can vapor-infuse some flavors to it?
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Twisted Brick
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by Twisted Brick »

So does the German methodology call for a spirit run's hearts to be diluted down to 12% or are you just winging it with what you have? Sounds like the final vapor-infused 'spirit' may have come from low wines diluted to 12%?

I think you're going to get answers all over the place on the fraction percentages to take. Each distiller has a slightly different method of distilling, different assessment of hearts, and a different assessment of heads tails. Your senses should be your best judge, not someone else's opinion or experience.

Out of curiosity, how old is the German text you're using for this exercise?
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by Saltbush Bill »

The short answer is that if you made good tight cuts the first time, and it is a pure hearts cut , you shouldnt have to make any cut at all on the infusion run. If you really want you could collect a few ml in small jars at the beginning of the run and smell the contents just to be sure.
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by jonnys_spirit »

It could be that if you collect in fractions there might be some you wouldn’t blend into the final-cut. Easy enough to do in any case so why not?

I cleaned my still recently (there was some verdigris forming) with a citric soak then a vinegar run then a couple water runs. The distilled water itself (even after thorough rinse and two water runs) wasn’t really even close to store bought distilled water - try to fraction out clean pure distilled water just to see what you get.

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GortKlaa2
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by GortKlaa2 »

BlueSasquatch wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 1:03 pm This doesn't answer your question but can I ask why you are diluting your 92% charge down to 12% prior to running it? Why not something like 30% ?

If you have 92% neutral, why are you re-distilling it? just so that you can vapor-infuse some flavors to it?
Yes, because I'm going to vapor-infuse it. Following this method for vapor infusion they report "you will get a clearer and finer fragrance as well as taste. Steaming enables you to avoid overcooking and boiling away part of the flavor and aroma" Furthermore it emphasizes, "Always dilute the alcohol to about 10-12% ABV.

So we'll do the experiment and see. :)
GortKlaa2
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by GortKlaa2 »

Twisted Brick wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 1:18 pm So does the German methodology call for a spirit run's hearts to be diluted down to 12% or are you just winging it with what you have? Sounds like the final vapor-infused 'spirit' may have come from low wines diluted to 12%?

I think you're going to get answers all over the place on the fraction percentages to take. Each distiller has a slightly different method of distilling, different assessment of hearts, and a different assessment of heads tails. Your senses should be your best judge, not someone else's opinion or experience.

Out of curiosity, how old is the German text you're using for this exercise?
Yes, it does. In fact, it emphasizes , "Always dilute the alcohol to about 10-12 % ABV"
No, not from low wines. In fact, they recommend best "carrier" to be a neutral derived from high-grade wash that is then diluted to the 12%.
It was originally published in 2013 in Germany.
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by GortKlaa2 »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 1:53 pm The short answer is that if you made good tight cuts the first time, and it is a pure hearts cut , you shouldnt have to make any cut at all on the infusion run. If you really want you could collect a few ml in small jars at the beginning of the run and smell the contents just to be sure.
Thanks, this was my feeling as well, but I couldn't find anything to substantiate that.
I think I'll still collect some small amounts at the beginning and end of the run just for evaluation just to be sure.
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NZChris
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by NZChris »

If you do cut anything, the cut will include some of the flavors from your botanicals. Running with a reflux still, there is a chance that you could compress quite a lot of desirable flavors into the first jar off the still. I'd like to know what his running instructions are.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by Saltbush Bill »

NZChris wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:47 pm Running with a reflux still, there is a chance that you could compress quite a lot of desirable flavors into the first jar off the still.
What if you ran no reflux, Boka Needle valve wide open, A CM run without coolant to the Reflux, heat input adjusted to suit, both spring to mind.
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BlueSasquatch
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by BlueSasquatch »

Vapor Infuse down-stream of the boiler, before the condenser, so that you don't lose any of the flavoring, to reflux?
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GortKlaa2
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by GortKlaa2 »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 12:41 am
NZChris wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:47 pm Running with a reflux still, there is a chance that you could compress quite a lot of desirable flavors into the first jar off the still.
What if you ran no reflux, Boka Needle valve wide open, A CM run without coolant to the Reflux, heat input adjusted to suit, both spring to mind.
That is exactly what I did Saltbush Bill....I ran the CM with very little coolant so practically no reflux, but just enough to keep output from just being a flood.

I have to say, it is so aromatic--unbelievable really...and that initial nose-hit really adds to the overall taste experience. (I've always just infused botanicals in store-bought vodka before and there was really none of that.)

Hendricks is our go-to gin of choice, so I used it as a model trying to match that flavor profile. Mine has a bit more of a spice note but is just as smooth--really could drink it neat. It is less juniper-forward than Bombay Sapphire. I really want to know what it will be like in another week or two.
I have German friends here who will be my taste judges (they are pull-no-punches people, so whatever they don't like about it they will be sure to tell me!).
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Trapped-in-Oz
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Re: All Hearts Spirit Run

Post by Trapped-in-Oz »

Air Still can make excellent vapour infusions, the smallness being an advantage on botanical trials………….
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