my first go around

[harley1]

sorry if this has been mentioned before but this was my first go around with spirits so thanks for any input...
after my first batch with my ebay purchased pot still my finished product was 40%/80 proof give or take a point or two. is this normal at times? from what i have been reading it seems it should have to be cut down down to the numbers i already have. thanks guys for your help. as i mentioned i am very new to this

[Slow & Steady]

I get the same result (average from my stripping run) from my pot still if the ABV in the mash is around 10%. If I were to chart the ABV of my pot still distilate from heads to hearts to tails it would be a decending curve. It would start well above the 40% mean average and end well below the average. Pot stills function this way. If you want to produce a higher ABV from a single run you will find there are many topics on HD for you to chose from. It is a wonderful hobby and there are many paths from which to choose. Good luck and Still safely.

S&S

[harley1]

I get the same result (average from my stripping run) from my pot still if the ABV in the mash is around 10%. If I were to chart the ABV of my pot still distilate from heads to hearts to tails it would be a decending curve. It would start well above the 40% mean average and end well below the average. Pot stills function this way. If you want to produce a higher ABV from a single run you will find there are many topics on HD for you to chose from. It is a wonderful hobby and there are many paths from which to choose. Good luck and Still safely.

S&S

thank you for the reply, so it sounds as though i should be ok with what i collected?...... i also ran it through a brita filter six times and will be putting toasted oak strips in it as well. i perhaps should have mentioned that my recipe was corn meal, sugar and yeast. any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[Prairiepiss]

Suggestions.

First use the brita for what it was intended for. Water. It's not designed or safe to use with high ABV spirits. So it shouldn't be used to filter your spirits.

If you don't like what comes out on the first run? Dilute to 40% or below and run it again. This will clean it up and make making cuts a little easier.

Work on your cuts. There is a great thread it the must read new distiller reading lounge. Novices guide to making cuts.

Recipes? GI to the tried and true recipe section and find one that sounds good to you. Use it to learn with until you get the whole process down. They are all great recipes for this. That's why they are there.

And of course read read read.

[WV Shine]

Hey harley, welcome to the forums!

Six times through the britta will probably have taken all the corn flavor out of it... If that's what you wanted, then go for it, but i'd recommend using something else (glass, copper, stainless) to hold the activated charcoal, the plastic in that Britta filter is not made for high test alcohol.

You probably want to take a look around the forums for guides on making cuts. There are many different chemicals coming out of your still that you should be aware of. Some of them affect the flavor of your spirits, and some of them should absolutely be discarded for health reasons (methanol, acetone, etc.)

Tons of excellent info here, just have to do a lot of reading
Good luck with the new hobby!

[harley1]

thanks for the info guys. i did discard the first to ounces......thanks for the heads up on the brita filter. seems as though there are different thoughts from different people. the guy i bought the still from told me to run it through a brita filter. after he told me this i did a little research and came across a site that sold there version of a charcoal filter and the set up consisted of PVC so i was assuming the plastic would be ok to use

[WV Shine]

People who want to sell ya things aren't necessarily the best ones to ask advice from
Did he try to sell you some turbo yeast as well?

I've definitely seen lots of references online to people using britta filters for vodka, etc. Happens because they're cheap and easy to find... not because it's a good idea! Alcohol is a pretty powerful solvent, so if you don't what 'god knows what' to leach into your wonderful new spirits... stay away from plastics when the alcohol is anywhere above wash proof

[harley1]

People who want to sell ya things aren't necessarily the best ones to ask advice from
Did he try to sell you some turbo yeast as well?

I've definitely seen lots of references online to people using britta filters for vodka, etc. Happens because they're cheap and easy to find... not because it's a good idea! Alcohol is a pretty powerful solvent, so if you don't what 'god knows what' to leach into your wonderful new spirits... stay away from plastics when the alcohol is anywhere above wash proof

great info ..no more brita. and no he did not try to sell me turbo yeast

[Prairiepiss]

It's pretty simple. These forums are here to help home distillers get better at the hobby and do it safely. It's not here to sell you somethin. It's here to make a potentialy dangerous hobby a safe one. Take a moment and read the rules we live by. Link upper right of page. After reading them you will have a better understanding of what this forum is here for.

I for one would like to see pics of your still. If the seller is telling you to use a brita I'm wondering about the use of safe materials in the still. And or design.

[harley1]

It's pretty simple. These forums are here to help home distillers get better at the hobby and do it safely. It's not here to sell you somethin. It's here to make a potentialy dangerous hobby a safe one. Take a moment and read the rules we live by. Link upper right of page. After reading them you will have a better understanding of what this forum is here for.

I for one would like to see pics of your still. If the seller is telling you to use a brita I'm wondering about the use of safe materials in the still. And or design.

it is the same as this one...............
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2G-ALCOHOL-ETHA ... 43ae46d3f6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[rad14701]

harley1, you could have done worse for a first still... At least it wasn't substantially overpriced...

You've been given some good advice here, especially the parts about safety and doing plenty of research... Any amount of research here will enlighten you to the fact that high proof ethanol will virtually melt PVC plastics which is why it is not an acceptable synthetic here in these forums - and very few are...

Keep at it and ask questions... We'll be here to help you in the right direction, and nudge a bit when necessary...

And I wouldn't expect miracles from the spirits you've run through a questionable filter at this point... Probably best to write that batch off as a good learning experience and concentrate on the next go-round...

[harley1]

harley1, you could have done worse for a first still... At least it wasn't substantially overpriced...

You've been given some good advice here, especially the parts about safety and doing plenty of research... Any amount of research here will enlighten you to the fact that high proof ethanol will virtually melt PVC plastics which is why it is not an acceptable synthetic here in these forums - and very few are...

Keep at it and ask questions... We'll be here to help you in the right direction, and nudge a bit when necessary...

And I wouldn't expect miracles from the spirits you've run through a questionable filter at this point... Probably best to write that batch off as a good learning experience and concentrate on the next go-round...

thanks for all the helpful input guys. i was TOTALLY unaware of the fact what plastics can do.do you feel there is a chance harm could be done if i were to try my first batch or should i just discard it?

[Prairiepiss]

I would call it a sacrificial alcohol cleaning run. Toss it. And start in on a tried and true recipe.

Oh and the built in high temp lid gasket. Scrap that too. Flour paste or a Samohons everlasting gasket will work good for you.