I was hoping someone here might check my math. I'm currently working a UJSSM (several generations). I'm working toward filling my new 5 gallon oak barrel, my old 1 gallon barrel, and then have a gallon to sip (while I wait for my sour mash to age, and while I'm making other varieties! So you see I'm trying to make at least 7 gallons of product. This is going to take awhile, with a 5 gallon pot!
So for planning purposes, I will eventually have 5 gallons of stripped product, for a spirit run. That product will be at 80p (40% ABV). I want the barrel strength to be 125p. Going straight from the online calculators, it looks like 5 gal of 40% ABV would yield 3 gal of 125p liquor, a combination of heads (>160p)/hearts/tails(<120p). I know everyone's mileage varies. If I plan to oak only the hearts, both my research, and my practice/experience, shows I should only count on 40% (of the 3 gal) of this being drinkable/hearts.
So the math would say that for 5 gallons of charge (stripped), I should get about 1.2 gallons of usable product:
- 5 gallons charge @80p (x60%) ==> 3 gallons @125p (x40%) ==> 1.2 gallons hearts to oak
- 7 gallons of hearts (/40%) from 17.5 gallons of alcohol @125p (/60%) from ~29 gallons of charge @80p
- This would also give me ~3.5 gallons of heads (17.5 x 20%) to be used later (for up-proofing or?)
- and ~3.5 gallons of tails (17.5 x 20%) (toss, or put in future thumper, depending on taste...)
- and A WHOPPING ~15 gallons of backset (to dispose of)
Anyway, I'm committed now! 2nd generation (10 gal) done fermenting, going in the pot tomorrow (along with the 1st gen product - should yield about 4-1/4 gallons of 80p, toward my 29 gallon charge (goal).
NEXT UP: How much time, corn, and sugar needed?