Tails and snails?

Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
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stilltryin
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Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2013 7:43 am

Tails and snails?

Post by stilltryin »

Howdy y'all.
I recently ran about 20L of UJSSM. This was a second run, so it was a sour mash run.I added the spirits from the first run, and i did use a portion of the backset on the mash. Heres my trouble... I can't make heads nor tails.. much less hearts of it all. The first collection of heads was about (118ML). I'm switching out jars as soon as I can discern a significant difference in taste..trying to get the hang of cuts So, I didn't collect enough to measure with the hydrometer but the shake test made some quickly dispersing big-ole bubbles. Anyway, from there I collected about 2L of 60% -50% separated every 250ML after about 250ML of @ 40% I shut it down.
Too soon?

I mixed three of the cuts between 60 and 50% together and diluted to 45%. I put back the rest to use in my next run. well, as luck would have it, after about 2 weeks in the fridge, the "good stuff" had a whiteish-blue-green wormy-algae looking substance in it. not much, but enough to put me off. I mean hell, to be perfectly honest... it looked like a martian shot a load in my hooch! What is that stuff?!?!

I went and got the other portions I had set back as feints and gave them all a look.. some had "algae-worm" while others didn't. So, I'm thinking it was probably the jars and not anything from the still.
-stilltryin

Dilemma part deaux: The 40% stuff was crystal clear. And guess what... after it had set for 2 weeks... it tasted amazing! Did I miss this when I did my blending? or had this stuff actually changed, in flavor, in bouquet, over 2 weeks to something so good, from something that I passed off as "dregs" right off the still.

Did I cut it off too soon? I figured at only 40% I had to have been in the tails. I've read, on here, that most shut it down when the ABV drops below 40.
wv_hillbilly
Swill Maker
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Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:46 pm

Re: Tails and snails?

Post by wv_hillbilly »

Maybe you didn't get it clean enough on your cleaning runs? On making cuts, collect everything in equal jars, let them air out a couple days, then start in the midle and work your way towards the tails until you get to a taste you don't like, then work toward the heads doing the same. Then you have made cuts.
stilltryin
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Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2013 7:43 am

Re: Tails and snails?

Post by stilltryin »

wv_hillbilly wrote:Maybe you didn't get it clean enough on your cleaning runs?
I did an initial cleaning run several months ago. Maybe another is in order since it has set up a while?

wv_hillbilly wrote: On making cuts, collect everything in equal jars, let them air out a couple days, then start in the midle and work your way towards the tails until you get to a taste you don't like, then work toward the heads doing the same. Then you have made cuts.
I went straight to cutting. I see now, it's best to let it sit a while. Do you cap your jars? or let them "breathe"?

Thanks for the comments.
Braz
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Re: Tails and snails?

Post by Braz »

stilltryin wrote: Do you cap your jars? or let them "breathe"?
Cover them with coffee filters. Lets them breathe and keeps the bugs out.
Braz
stilltryin
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Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2013 7:43 am

Re: Tails and snails?

Post by stilltryin »

Thanks Braz. I have some coffee filters perfect for that. (too large for my coffee maker)


I meant to also ask, at what ABV do you all consider the run complete?
wv_hillbilly
Swill Maker
Posts: 425
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:46 pm

Re: Tails and snails?

Post by wv_hillbilly »

I cover with a coffee filter and let them breathe for 48 hours. Do this for awhile, taste, feel, and smell them, eventually, you'll be able to tell the difference. I can pick tails off while distilling, and make my cut there over to bigger jars and take it down to around 20%. I still collect heads and hearts in smaller jars, though I can pick them off, then I'll air them out and reverify 2 days later. You'll get it eventually, and find a method that works for you.
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