Re-running a smeared batch

[Twisted Brick]

I think I smeared my batch of wheated bourbon. There's an element of heads throughout that several week's time has diminished, but still slightly objectionable. All my jars have been aired (48hrs) with cuts forthcoming. This was a 7gal batch of 30% low wines pushed through a 30 x 3" copper riser hunting for 'passive reflux'.

What are my options for rerunning? After diluting and rerunning is there a noticeable loss in flavor? Are there any instances where you reran a batch and wish you hadn't? As my senses are still developing, I may be over-reacting to normal pot still characteristics, but I detect smearing I didn't get in my previous bourbon run that I'm not sure oak time will remedy.

[der wo]

Further airing will solve the problem. How long do you want to oak it? I think you want it many months or perhaps even a few years? Then you have enough time to air it a bit from time to time. Airing cuts fores better than a potstill. Perhaps in a year you like this one much more than your previous Bourbon with stricter cuts.

Only if you also have smearing with the tails I would consider redistilling.
If you decide for redistilling, don't dilute it. Diluting dilutes flavor.

[Twisted Brick]

Further airing will solve the problem. How long do you want to oak it? I think you want it many months or perhaps even a few years? Then you have enough time to air it a bit from time to time. Airing cuts fores better than a potstill. Perhaps in a year you like this one much more than your previous Bourbon with stricter cuts.

Well, that's a relief. This means I can age it for as long as it takes, albeit with periodic airing; the original plan was to age it for 9-12 months.

Danke, Der Wo

[der wo]

The improvement from 9 to 12 months in general is big. Perhaps only fill a bottle after 9 months and keep the most on oak?

9-12 months should be enough by far to get rid of the heads. If you age in bottles with lids, one pinhole covered (inside) with 5 or so layers coffee filter paper is an elegant way of slow evaporation.

[Twisted Brick]

Great suggestion, thanks. I'm on it.

[kimbodious]

Re-run it. If you don’t you will always be checking for traces of heads sharp taste and burn. Dilute it down and run it slowly in standard pot still made, you won’t lose much flavour. In my experience tails dissipates with age and airing but not heads.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

In my experience, I have learned to master the rules. So that I can break them.

I have to agree with der wo here. If you are conservative as you come off, then you are highly tuned to heads. And that means just a little got in. Honestly, my whiskey got better with a little heads. But just a little, cause I hate them, lol.

I used to be super conservative. To this day, I could drop any run to the hearts. I have to force myself not to. I adopted a mindset of, once you make your cut, it's done. The whiskey in this way creates itself. There is no right. Only a profile. The answer for me? Cut off the still. I needed to not be perfect, and this gives me the perfect balance of conservative, and character. Not suggesting you're there or that's the answer for you. Just saying, if you know what you're doing, a little variance or imperfection may just be what you need.

Age it, then learn from it. If you rerun it, you lose a valuable opportunity to learn. And grow.

Always drink your mistakes. Or enjoy them .

[Antler24]

Yeah I'd let it ride, may take a while but I bet it'll have plenty of character and herbal/floral flavours to it when it comes around.

[Twisted Brick]

Age it, then learn from it. If you rerun it, you lose a valuable opportunity to learn. And grow.

Always drink your mistakes. Or enjoy them .

Ok, gonna let it ride and learn from it. I think I'll make my cuts and put on oak, but save a small jar of white to compare to in a year.

Thanks for the input, guys.

[zapata]

The other way I'd think about it is how is your time best spent? You could re run it, or be half way to a whole nother batch in the same amount of time. I'd go with volume, both product and education are things you cant have too much of.

[Twisted Brick]

I'd go with volume, both product and education are things you cant have too much of.

True dat. I'm slowly coming to the realization that to really get good at this requires the reps to learn from. And spending time trying to fix stuff will just be getting in the way of gaining experience and knowledge. Besides, I don't think I'll have a problem drinking my "mistakes".