UJSSM "Frusterated"

[Otis Campbell]

Ok, I'm getting frustrated with the cuts!

I have been stripping (2-3) 15 gal washes then running a 10-12 gal spirit run.
I have not looked at the proof while running.

If I make "Generic" cuts as stated in the UJSSM post, 160-140, am I guaranteed "Decent" cuts at the least?

[WERAT]

Otis,
Dont make your cuts on proof alone. You need to make them by smell, taste, and feel. I could run my still without a proof hydrometer by these 3 things alone. Keep on practicing. You will learn each of the 4 cuts over time. Fores, Heads, Hearts, and Tails. They are all very distinctive once you learn them.

Good Luck,

[ga flatwoods]

OC that sure seems like a lot of quantity per strip! I usually only collect around three gallons per run on my pot and 4-4.5 on my boka. I will assume that you are running a boka? The 160 to 140 is high for an 6-8% wash and using a pot still. My pot usually comes off around 130 and I collect to 40 for a strip. On a spirit I generally get the same on the high end and quit aT around 85-80 and on my boka around 164-124 before going into tails. So the answer to your question for my wash at 40% and 13 gallons in my boka is generally 160 -120 with some heads in the first portion out. Of course I am checking as the distillate is collected to recognize the changes in heads, hearts and tails. I collected below 124 on my last run for feints.
GA Flatwoods
sorry for edit got to mixing proof and abv. All above is proof measure.

[Otis Campbell]

Yes.. Here in Mayberry we don't add to good..

I will strip 12 gallons at a time and prolly get 3 gallons at 40%-50% per strip.
On my spirit run, it will start at 85%.

I am using a 3" pot still.

Now, GA, are you saying you collect 160-120 proof as hearts, or is there heads to be removed below 160?

I understand I need not to use a hydrometer, but I need to see the good stuff so I know what I'm looking for.

[Titus-a-fishus]

Otis,
Dont make your cuts on proof alone. You need to make them by smell, taste, and feel. I could run my still without a proof hydrometer by these 3 things alone. Keep on practicing. You will learn each of the 4 cuts over time. Fores, Heads, Hearts, and Tails. They are all very distinctive once you learn them.

Good Luck,

+1

This is good advice.
The smell and taste will tell you most of what you need initially.
The Alcometer is useful but smell and taste will win out everytime.

TAF

[ga flatwoods]

OC understand what I said works for me and my boka and may not be the same for yours. At 160 there could still be some heads in mine but I judge by taste. The hearts will tase sweet compared to the heads and the tails will start to provide an off taste. The feel will also be different between the three. Also I found when getting into tails you can begin to see the distillate looking swirley as if oil in water when it drops into the remainder of the hearts. The hearts will "blend on impact" with no discernable "blending". When I notice the discernable taste difference I know for sure it is into tails. This may/maynot work for you.
GA Flatwoods

[Otis Campbell]

Alright...

I have my boiler charged with 10 gallons of low wines (80 proof)
Ready to go, all I have to do is flip the switch.
I will run this in the AM, I will keep detailed notes and let you all know the outcome!

Thanks!

[WERAT]

So OC how did it go? Did you smell, taste, and touch every few minutes? If you did you should have seen a difference in each cut.
Let us know.

[Otis Campbell]

Took a while but here's what I got.

I am using a 15.5 gal keg, 3" x 18" pot still head, 24" water jacket condenser, 5500 watt element.

I charged my boiler with 7-/+ gal strippins, 3 -/+ gal "heady spirits" for a total of 10 -/+ gal of 80 proof.

I collected all spirits in pint jars.

Here's my notes:

At jar 20 it started smelling pretty good.
Jar 29 all traces of "what I believe to be heads" were gone.
Jar 44 it appeared to look swirly as GA stated but no off smell.
Jar 50 almost smelled of tails?

I shut it down because I didn't want my element to get dry. It requires 3 gallons to cover it.

With this all being said...
If you don't collect much tails while stripping, should you have very little tails during a spirit run?

[ga flatwoods]

Suspicion for me would have been jar #38 to really start looking close. Did you feel of it, smell &taste sweet go to not so somewhere there abouts.
GA

[Otis Campbell]

Suspicion for me would have been jar #38 to really start looking close. Did you feel of it, smell &taste sweet go to not so somewhere there abouts.
GA

Yea, I taste smell feel...
I think my senses are shot..

I still have them seperate.. I'll taste some more..

So is 10-12 pints hearts out of a 10 gal spirit run reasonable?

[ga flatwoods]

Sounds about right could go a little either way.
GA Flatwoods

[Otis Campbell]

Thanks Folks!
I have a pretty good start now!