Im running my 2nd batch of UJSM on Monday. Its been syphoned off and is settling outside with no clearing agents. The wash is 8% and I have 6 gallons of it.
I ran my first batch on Monday and got a gallon and a quart of 62% on down to 20% low wines which will be right around 32% abv,if i combined them all together. Part of me wants to throw those in to the next run on Monday to bump up the abv and polish up the low wines from that previous run. I know that I could save them all up for a final spirit run but as I am inexperienced as it is, I feel that saving up for a spirit run would be a waste of time until I get my cuts down a little more. Any suggestions or objections would be appreciated. Im openminded on this one
Is this first batch your talking about from your first run out of the fermenter? (ie; with no backset. Just corn, sugar, water and yeast). If so it will benefit from being put through again with the second batch as the original recipe recommends.
While drinkable, I've found that the first distillation straight from the corn is a bit sickly tasting and lacks that full Sour Mash character. Running the whole lot through with the second batch is certainly the way I'd be going and you'll have a larger product yield which will make your cuts easier as well.
At the quantities you have there you will not need to add any additional water to the boiler to get it to under 40% ABV. Just mix them together and run it.
I can completely relate and understand where your at.
You just got a couple of runs under your belt and hopefully your excited and anxious to do some more and get more experience.
This is what I did when I was in your situation; I bottled up or kept a couple quarts of hearts during a run that I distilled pretty slow and then put that aside and then just did stripping runs until you get enough low wines %30 - %40 to do a spirit run and then you can compare the double distilled to the single distilled and see what you think.
Also it fun to play around with different recipes after you get pretty familiar with corn, and also try different yeasts with the same recipe.
Personally I find that spirit runs and then aging can produce some really fine likker, but its also good to produce enough for drinking and sharing in the interim.
Good luck and by the way what are you using to distill (photos maybe? ), :>
Hey Cuwhistle I ran one 5 gallon batch thru of the first mash of ujsm. This is my 2nd fermentation that ive made with some backset from the first distillation so I guess this will be the first authentic sour mashing ive had. Im gonna throw the gallon and a quart back in tomorrow for my next run and see what I get as you mentioned. Thanks for the suggestion.
Yeah Butterman...im pumped up for my run and anxious. Hey we're damn near neighbors Im just a little south of you. Lovely weather we're having right....sarcasm.
Anyway that sounds like a great idea. Im gonna collect the hearts and keep them on this run and maybe a few more until I get the hang of it a little more, learning how to make the cuts .
As far as pics go i will post some soon enough. I have a crappy camera on my phone and havent experimented with posting any so far because ive spent all of my spare time reading these damn forums so much. I love this site! Anyway i will keep ya posted.
ps im using a 2" potstill that I made. I just looked at pics of your Nixon Stone still. Wow! Pm me and let me know when youre gonna build a flute. You do good work
Ahh spring time in the NW... is lovely, soon enough there will be fruit everywhere and then lots of new things for to ferment :>
The best advice Ive read about making cuts is this :> http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13305
and this is also very informative http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 63&t=13261
really smelling, tasting, feeling and generally getting to know what your making will eventually give you the skills to evaluate.
Your going to do fine, just be safe and patient and then soon you will be producing something that is perfect for you.
I have recently discovered spirit running, hell I drank it up too fast or my friends did. Anyway, the best licker comes from this process, takes more time and gas but its worth it.
I'll make 2, 6 gal. runs on the potstill down to 40 %, ( I get rid of the tails) ( they just ruin good licker) IMO... removing a 1/2 pint of fores each run. Then when time allows, a slow spirit run thru the Boka making cuts. Spirit runs cleans up the heads which is just a mixture of hearts and fores. The licker is very hi in abv, smoother, cleaner (clear as glass) and something you will be proud of.
My spirit run this week took 7 hours.
I usually have things to do in my shed during all this so its really no problem for me. I carry a timmer in my shirt pocket in case I get distracted.....or walk outside.
If you are not running it twice, you are missing something guys.
being new with only 3 spirit runs under my belt. i took it slower then most just because i didnt trust loading the whole thing with likker until i got a little more comfortable with the still. but i ran ujssm for 7 gen on the first fermenter. i just kept all the hearts i got for drinking and then saved everything else in quart jar intill i had like 3 gallons of fients.. i poured it all in the boiler then got a abv reading. looked up my diluateing amount on the parent site. and add like another a quart to it .(just to be safe) took another reading then fired her up at 30% . it was actual the fullest my boiler everyways. it heats up much quicker i think. I learned that the spirit run made makeing cuts much easier. u could taste the differents right out the still like night and day. im able to collect in much larger quantity . i just started another fresh mash of ujjsm this time tho im going to try throwing all my fients in as i each gen goes by. see if there is a big differnt and what the taste and yield will get me . P.S. i forgot to say i just have a simple 2 in pot still into a liebig.. the best i got was 160 on a double run ..
if you cant build a paper airplane, then leave the rocket alone.
its like wiping before you poop, dont make sense.
Butterman wrote:Ahh spring time in the NW... is lovely, soon enough there will be fruit everywhere and then lots of new things for to ferment :>
The best advice Ive read about making cuts is this :> http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13305
and this is also very informative http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 63&t=13261
really smelling, tasting, feeling and generally getting to know what your making will eventually give you the skills to evaluate.
Your going to do fine, just be safe and patient and then soon you will be producing something that is perfect for you.
Butterman
PS photos, photos, photos :>
I have read both of those threads from front to back several times. So informative. I just got some pint jars for collecting and im going to use them on the next run to see if I can isolate and distinguish the heads hearts and tails thru them a little easier. And then keep the stuff I like. Ps you have any problems uploading photos? Ive never tried but damn sure couldnt even figure out how to get a profile pic loaded from my ipad.oh well with time Ill get it figured out.
Thanks BentJar. I have two fermenters going right now. 1 is Ujsm and the other is Birdwatchers. Im doing the BW to figure out my Bok and get familiar with running the reflux before i throw any whiskey at it. Once the BW is done Im going to fill both fermenters with UJSM and run some large batches thru the pot still and this will help me get my feints collection up a little bit faster to experiment more with the spirit runs when Im ready. Im tempted to run the bok but want to get the pot still corn whiskey combo dialed in for now. Are you runnin your bok with any packing? Thanks for the suggestions man.
I'm curious which method is preferred when doing multiple runs on a UJSSM or SF recipe. Do you prefer....
1) Several stripping runs, saving low wines for a spirit run?
or
2) Strip run #1, add that next time to the wash of #2, keep only the middle hearts, and save the outer limits to be added to the wash/distill of #3, lather/rinse/repeat?
F6Hawk wrote:I'm curious which method is preferred when doing multiple runs on a UJSSM or SF recipe. Do you prefer....
1) Several stripping runs, saving low wines for a spirit run?
or
2) Strip run #1, add that next time to the wash of #2, keep only the middle hearts, and save the outer limits to be added to the wash/distill of #3, lather/rinse/repeat?
Is there any pros or cons to either method?
Im going to try the 2nd option and use these runs as good practice. Many on this site prefer this method to a final spirit run. Its all a matter of preference and I know eventually I will get myself up to doing a full spirit run but hopefully I will have saved some of my hearts from previous runs to compare and contrast to see if the work is worth it for my tastebuds.
toast860 wrote:being new with only 3 spirit runs under my belt. i took it slower then most just because i didnt trust loading the whole thing with likker until i got a little more comfortable with the still. but i ran ujssm for 7 gen on the first fermenter. i just kept all the hearts i got for drinking and then saved everything else in quart jar intill i had like 3 gallons of fients.. i poured it all in the boiler then got a abv reading. looked up my diluateing amount on the parent site. and add like another a quart to it .(just to be safe) took another reading then fired her up at 30% . it was actual the fullest my boiler everyways. it heats up much quicker i think. I learned that the spirit run made makeing cuts much easier. u could taste the differents right out the still like night and day. im able to collect in much larger quantity . i just started another fresh mash of ujjsm this time tho im going to try throwing all my fients in as i each gen goes by. see if there is a big differnt and what the taste and yield will get me . P.S. i forgot to say i just have a simple 2 in pot still into a liebig.. the best i got was 160 on a double run ..
Im a little fearful of charging the boiler full of 40% or less spirits too Toast. I jump like a little girl when the wind blows out my flame when i have it on low still haha. So for this fresh mash youre saving it all or keeping some hearts? Kudos to you if you are that patient my friend. 160 on a double run? Explain that. Is that when you ran just the mash, then dumped and refilled the boiler with your distillate from your first run and run it again?
toast860 wrote:just to be safe) took another reading then fired her up at 30% . it was actual the fullest my boiler everyways. it heats up much quicker i think.
I doesn't actually heat up quicker. It has a greater concentration of alcohol which comes to the boil and vaporises at the lower temperature. This requires less heat input than running your wash at 8 -10%.
If you had it at 40% you would get take-off even sooner, but don't go higher than 40%.
F6Hawk wrote:I'm curious which method is preferred when doing multiple runs on a UJSSM or SF recipe. Do you prefer....
1) Several stripping runs, saving low wines for a spirit run?
or
2) Strip run #1, add that next time to the wash of #2, keep only the middle hearts, and save the outer limits to be added to the wash/distill of #3, lather/rinse/repeat?
Is there any pros or cons to either method?
I've done it both ways and can't say that I've noticed a whole lot of difference, particularly after it has been soaked on chips or oaked and aged.
2nd run was fun. Ran it out slow over 4 hours. Had 6 gallons of wash at 8% and a gallon and a quart of 32% low wines. Drips came out at 152 proof . Drained the fores and collected some of what I think were heads. Collected in pint jars until 136 proof then switched to 8 ounce jars. Ran 4 8oz jars till i detected what i thought were tails then switched back to pints. I think I got about 3 quarts of keeper likker. Its airing out on the counter with a towel over them. Tomorrow I smell and taste and maybe blend a few. This was fun! Thanks for all your help guys!
Hoodlums, My Boka is packed to the hilt with brewhaus woven copper mesh. I do all the stripping runs on my potstill and 7.5 keg at a fairly good rate. Then when I have enough low wines, change to the 15.5 keg and Boka to do a slow spirit run. ABV is hi, like over 90% and stays there for quite a while.
That seems to be whats promoted here and it works good. All my stuff will be run like this going forward. I just got some JD chips, Im learning on that right now. Moving right along.
I know one thang, it produces some mighty good, heavenly tasting licker.
@ BentJar:- Is this with UJ or sugar wash? Running a whiskey through a packed column (reflux) still and taking off spirits at 90% + is going to be removing a lot of your flavours. You'd be much better off just using your pot still for both stripping and spirit runs?
The packed column Boka would be used for producing neutral spirits (vodka :- no flavour) from sugar wash like Birdwatchers.
Of course the JD chips will flavour Neutrals from the boka but you'll find you get much better flavour, and your chips will go further if you only use the pot.
BentJar wrote:I have recently discovered spirit running, hell I drank it up too fast or my friends did. Anyway, the best licker comes from this process, takes more time and gas but its worth it.
I'll make 2, 6 gal. runs on the potstill down to 40 %, ( I get rid of the tails) ( they just ruin good licker) IMO... removing a 1/2 pint of fores each run. Then when time allows, a slow spirit run thru the Boka making cuts. Spirit runs cleans up the heads which is just a mixture of hearts and fores. The licker is very hi in abv, smoother, cleaner (clear as glass) and something you will be proud of.
My spirit run this week took 7 hours.
I usually have things to do in my shed during all this so its really no problem for me. I carry a timmer in my shirt pocket in case I get distracted.....or walk outside.
If you are not running it twice, you are missing something guys.
Bent
im gonna jump in the ring here too and say i side with bent on this one i just recently did my first of rads all bran. 2 10 gal strips with a single pint removed from each stripping run set aside in my collection. then ran a spirit run with just under 6 gals .100 reflux for one hour and started at 190p and stopped at 100p made pulled my hearts from that and watered to 40 and what i had was some of the best smoothest whiskey ive made yet...not only that but when i blended the rest of my hearts together and cut to 100p i had absolutely no clouding at all crystal clear awesome booze is what i made..so i go back and try my hearts set aside from the stripping runs and ....its great too both were great but hands down the doubled is better and still had plenty of flavor. i was actually a little disappointed as i was imagining this recipe to come out a little more neutral than it did.
with the added benefit of crystal clear product after cutting i think ill be runnin every thing like this from now on....
Thanks for sharing Bowhunt. I got some good hearts im saving from this run. I probably am goin to do 2 more stripping runs like I did yesterday. Then im going to have both my fermenters going with Ujsm, 12 gallons total. My goal is to completely strip and then spirit run. Then compare and contrast. Im doing it all in the potstill though so I can figure out my setup a little better then I csn use my Bok later. I like your setup by the way very cool. What kind of burner is that? When you strip do you use your condenser on the top of your tower or put a cap on it?
sounds like your plan is sound and i basically do the same i just pull a lil outta every run to put in my special horde.. the burner it is a camp chef pro 90 camp stove...i just fold the legs down and slide it in place http://www.clearwateroutdoor.com/produc ... QgodUWAA3A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
as for my condenser during stripping runs i have done both if i cap off i just plug the vent with flour paste and run it wide open, but i also have stripped with the condenser running but no forced reflux to boost the abv...
