Question about cuts with feints.

[pomiataa]

I made refluxed sugar wash cuts at 5%, 17%, 57% and 20%.
When I add feints in the next run, are above numbers the same, or it is done just by taste. Never found info about this.

[rad14701]

Those percentages aren't "hard numbers"... All cuts should be made "as needed"... However, you can end up with more heads depending on the composition of your feints...

[pomiataa]

Thanks Rad,
Until now I was discarding the feints. I know, I am wasting the stuff.
In your experience, approximately what percentage of the alcohol in the feints is recuperated when you add them to the next run?
I am trying to figure out if it is worth to save and recuperate the feints.
Also I always wandered, what is the difference between adding the feints in the next run and keeping the end of the heads and the beginning of the tails with the first run?

I didn’t have time yet to make a picture of the original labels of the 19L stockpot. I’ll do it before the end of the week.

[kiwistiller]

Assuming you toss foreshots (i.e. remove the nastiest of the heads) you shouldn't get a buildup of feints to the point where it is a problem. It will definately increase your yeild. If you read the novice guide to cuts, there are some great diagrams there and a link to the original thread they were taken from that may help you to get your head around this.

and yeah - making cuts by percentages isn't a good option unless you actually have no sense of smell / taste (some smokers etc struggle).

[pomiataa]

OK, I’ll try to simplify even more the question.
Does anyone have an idea how many percents approximately you gain from reusing the feints?
5%, 20%, 50%, 100% ?

[rad14701]

OK, I’ll try to simplify even more the question.
Does anyone have an idea how many percents approximately you gain from reusing the feints?
5%, 20%, 50%, 100% ?

I think we've answered your question as accurately as possible... Stop fixating on numbers...

[kiwistiller]

yup, unless you are actually prevented by disability or something from using your senses, that is the way forward, especially if you are starting to vary your still charges a little.

[pomiataa]

The question was IF somebody knows.
How am I supposed to make a decision based on “more”, “less” ore “better”.
If you don’t know just don’t answer.
I didn’t mean to offend anybody.
Just asking a question.

[blanikdog]

Firstly, nobody is offended.

What is being said is that this hobby is a craft, not a science. The question you are asking can't be answered in the way you want. Only your senses can be your guide. It's like the perpetual question about a thermometer on a pot still - yes, I know you didn't mention a pot still, I use it purely as an example - you have to use your senses to make your decision. You just can't do things using black and white logic. There are for too many shades of gray.

Kiwi and rad answered you as well as they can.

blanik

[pomiataa]

Perhaps it isn’t obvious by the number of my posts, but I am a novice in this hobby.
Using my senses. What senses? I don’t have them yet.
In the liquor stores they don’t sell heads, hearts and tails to compare.
I still do not know what is normal and what is not.
I’ve read a lot here for the last several months.
However there are questions still unanswered.
This is why I am asking here people which are supposed to have more experience.
I know, not everything is black and white.
I just wanted to figure out if in my case it is worth saving the feints and reuse them.
If I gain 5 to 25%, why bothering. If it’s 35 to 70%, it makes sense. I don’t believe I’ll get 80 to 100% from feints. I don’t understand what is so difficult?
Since no one can answer this question I’ll have to continue discarding the feints.
I want to make my vodka as safe as possible.
With the cost of sugar washes isn’t this too much trouble and risk for saving several cents?
This is just my opinion.

[Dnderhead]

it whould make a difference , when you stopped taking you harts off the first run, and when you stopped collecting the feints.
say you you stopped harts at 60% and stopped collecting freints at 20% then you whould have the same as a 40% wash or close.
then you need to know how much you had and how "dirty" it is,
now if you added 20% heads +20 frents , that whould give you a wash 40% of the total take at 50%? alcohol. how much you collect
out of this will depend on how "dirty" it is and how greedy you are.
so it is like asking " how many apples I'm I going to git out of this basket when I sort them. we whould have to know how big the basket was
and how many bad or good apples there are. if you want me to guess, then about half as much as you have in harts.
and the "vodka" is not going to be "unsafe" it just wont taste good if you have to maney heads or tales and will give you a bigger hangover.
(like cheep wine)

so as you can see there's a lot of "IFs" to many for some one to answer.

[blind drunk]

Using my senses. What senses? I don’t have them yet.

I know what you mean but you have to let the hobby lead you for a little while before you can take charge and lead it. It's a bit like evolution in that your hobby and what your preferences are will grow together.

I still do not know what is normal and what is not.

Again, I know what you mean but put it this way - when I first started I kept getting a certain discernible taste in my likker that I absolutely hated but I didn't know what it was. I posted a question here and someone said "sound like you have some heads in there." Even though I read about heads and cuts in general I really didn't know wtf they were. But what I did know is that I didn't like that taste so after more runs I learned how to keep them out. That became my "normal." Eventually I learned that I like some of the later heads etc etc ...

This is why I am asking here people which are supposed to have more experience.

You've gotten really good answers but you just can''t hear them yet.

I want to make my vodka as safe as possible.

Shite, I just saw this line; I know nothing about vodka. Ignore the post bd.

[pomiataa]

... if you want me to guess, then about half as much as you have in harts. ... if you have to maney heads or tales and will give you a bigger hangover.

Thanks Dnder,
In my case half the hearts costs $1.
Divided by two weeks, this saves me 7 cents per hangover. No thanks!
I’ve made my own vodka (flavored) for the last 3 months and I never had hangovers.
Why bother?
Perhaps reusing feints is useful in some cases, but not in mine.