A neutral wash for a pot still…

[Suburban Guy]

I’m curious as to what type of wash would produce the most neutral spirit in a pot still? My first assumption would be to use a pure sugar wash or similar, but I’m not sure. Eventually I will build a reflux type head; so I understand that aspect of the equation. However, I wanted to start as basic as possible, hence a boiler and worm condenser. Anyone ever get something really neutral out of their pot still?

SG

[rad14701]

So are you looking for the wash that will produce the most alcohol or that will produce the most drinkable alcohol...??? And let's assume that you mean neutral spirits... What you would be looking for is a good reliable sugar wash that produces a minimum of foreshots, heads, and tails, leaving you with the most hearts cut possible... There are several sugar washes in the Tried and True Recipe forum that would fit the bill... I'm preferential to the All Bran and Gerber washes, not just because I published them but because I have had very good luck with both of them for neutral spirits... Gerber might have a bit less heads and tails... Never really measured the differences between washes...

[Suburban Guy]

So are you looking for the wash that will produce the most alcohol or that will produce the most drinkable alcohol...??? And let's assume that you mean neutral spirits... What you would be looking for is a good reliable sugar wash that produces a minimum of foreshots, heads, and tails, leaving you with the most hearts cut possible... There are several sugar washes in the Tried and True Recipe forum that would fit the bill... I'm preferential to the All Bran and Gerber washes, not just because I published them but because I have had very good luck with both of them for neutral spirits... Gerber might have a bit less heads and tails... Never really measured the differences between washes...

Way to selfishly plug your own stuff Rad! You got it, I am looking for a neutral, drinkable spirit, as close as you could come to Vodka I guess. Again, I understand that a pot still has limitations. It is interesting that you bring up All Bran, I have a total of 90 liters at various stages of fermentation and distillation as we speak. I’ve read everything available on it and didn’t realize that it would be more on the neutral side of things. I guess I thought it would have hints of, well, bran (read grains) so to speak? Thanks for your input, and thanks for the work you have done on All Bran as well, I am sure the Gerber is great too. I am looking forward to my All Bran spirit run, I am learning and building my low wine stock at the same time.

Question: If All Bran is more neutral, do you personally use it for mixed drinks, drink it neat, or?

SG

[rad14701]

Question: If All Bran is more neutral, do you personally use it for mixed drinks, drink it neat, or?

I drink All Bran neutral with just about anything... Neat... With water... Flavored waters... Crystal Light... Diet anything...

It makes clean neutral as long as you don't go overboard on the cereal it's easy enough to get clean spirits either refluxing or pot stilling... My last few washes were single run through a pot still and came out relatively clean... I was too tight on time to reflux...

[Suburban Guy]

Question: If All Bran is more neutral, do you personally use it for mixed drinks, drink it neat, or?

I drink All Bran neutral with just about anything... Neat... With water... Flavored waters... Crystal Light... Diet anything...

It makes clean neutral as long as you don't go overboard on the cereal it's easy enough to get clean spirits either refluxing or pot stilling... My last few washes were single run through a pot still and came out relatively clean... I was too tight on time to reflux...

Cool deal, learning minute by minute...

[rtalbigr]

Occasionally I like a good vodka martini or a nice bloody mary. Being strictly a pot stiller that presents somewhat of a challenge. I've made vodka with my pot still on several occasions and have found that basically it doesn't matter what you start with. I've done a straight sugar wash, I've done a potato sugar wash, but mostly I do feints from various runs, combine them, and make vodka.

In my experience it takes at least three runs but often four. Run, dilute with water to 40%, do again, and again. The key I look at is the backset. Ya put clear liquid in, ya get clear liquid out, but when ya look at the backset it's cloudy as hell. Each time ya throw out that cloudy backset you're throwing out the stuff ya don't want. So keep going until your backset is just barely cloudy, then you'll have a nice clean neutral.

Big R

[The Baker]

Thanks, rt, some clues here I hadn't thought of.