When do I need to cut off my stripping run?

dixiedrifter · Post by **dixiedrifter** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:18 am

I'm stuck with using one of those scientifical type all glass distillation rigs with a 3L flask as a boiler. Using an oil bath it takes about an hour to heat up fully and another hour or so to run off the goodies from about 2.5L of sugar wash (yeah I know, its loaded up pretty good).

I have been cutting off my distillation when the temp hits around 96C... there is still a little product left in the pot, but by the time the temp hits 98C its all over (judging by taste).

I don't have a hydromether, so I couldn't tell ya the ABV but to my amazement the product will actually light up and burn with a nice clear blue flame. However it smells like some fruity #^$! blend with maybe a hint of wet cardboard. From what I been reading thats pretty much par for the course when using a turbo (and a still with no copper).

Am I on the right track?

markx · Post by **markx** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:27 am

You are on the right track. The objective of a stripping run is to get all the alcohol (and all the other stuff with it) out of the mash and therefore you should keep on boiling until there is no more coming off. Depending on the type of still the cutoff point lies in the upper 90's of the Celsius scale. So you made everything right. The product of a stripping run always smells like fruity !#"% no matter what kind of yeast or still is used and so it should.

LONEEAGLE155 · Post by **LONEEAGLE155** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 5:51 pm

Almost done with my pot still and this isprobably a stupid question when the stripping run is done I am assumeing that all the alchol is outof the mash but there is still liquid in the boiler mines a keg not glass so can't see into it my uneducated and inexperienced thought is there is liquid left right?

LONEEAGLE155 · Post by **LONEEAGLE155** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 5:52 pm

Sorry I was stupid on that last post duhhhh thats where the backset comes from right???

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 7:27 pm

yeah, thats where backset comes from. At the best yield you may get %20 alc. from a mash. that leaves %80 of what you started with as backset...

Those numbers are optimistic too... unless you are distilling a turbo yeast wash or have taken great care in making your mash and fermenting it, then less than 20% is realistic. I've found that making a mash that produces about 10% alc/vol. is pretty simple and has good flavors... Yeast just don't like to ferment too much past 10-15% alc/vol. They will do it if everything is right, but from what I've seen, they make some stinky stuff too.