How much product from 7.5 gal

[Tn Pride]

Hey guys I've been fermenting small batch sugar washes that are 7.5 gallons. I was wondering if you guys run similar sizes and how much product I might expect to produce I'd appreciate any feedback.

[Tn Pride]

I'm usually getting about 4 quarts does that sound right or should I be getting more

[corene1]

The amount of sugar per gallon will determine the ABV of the wash which will determine the final output. 1 pound sugar per gallon will give you a potential 9 ounces of 100% alcohol per gallon of wash then subtract the fores, some heads and tails and you should wind up with maybe 6 ounces of 100% per gallon. Or 12 ounces of 100 proof.

[S-Cackalacky]

You get what you get. No two washes are alike. A ferment can go bad and produce a lot of heads and then you will lose a lot in the cuts. The %ABV can vary by serveral percent and that will affect how much you get.

I just recently stripped 25 gallons of SF wash and got 3.5 gallons of low wines. I won't know how much drinkable alcohol I will have after the spirit run and cuts. It could be 2/3rds of that or 1/2 - I don't know and it doesn't matter to me. If you start worrying about how much you might end up with, you will get greedy with cuts an end up with crap. Getting more and better product comes from practicing and honing your skills.

[corene1]

You get what you get. No two washes are alike. A ferment can go bad and produce a lot of heads and then you will lose a lot in the cuts. The %ABV can vary by serveral percent and that will affect how much you get.

I just recently stripped 25 gallons of SF wash and got 3.5 gallons of low wines. I won't know how much drinkable alcohol I will have after the spirit run and cuts. It could be 2/3rds of that or 1/2 - I don't know and it doesn't matter to me. If you start worrying about how much you might end up with, you will get greedy with cuts an end up with crap. Getting more and better product comes from practicing and honing your skills.

Absolutely! There is theory and then there is practical application. Well put, SC.

[Vulture]

I agree to….. you get what you get.

I’ve been doing sugar washes for over 4 years now.

I run a weekly cycle…..like this

1st Fri night I Start six 25 ltr BW
1st Wed night there done and semi clear so I rack them
2nd Fri night I start six more BW
Mon-Fri I strip the first six batches that I racked previously.
2nd Wed Rack the second batch of 6 BW.
3rd Fri night start 6 more BW
3rd Sat Spirit run the first 6 strips. There is usually some left over plus now I’ll have heads and tails to re-process, so next weekend I do a spirit run on Sat and another on Sun.
I keep the closest heads and tails to the hearts for blending, the rest of the heads get treated with sodium carbonate to convert the ethyl acetate to ethanol.
The tails get saved for an all feints run somewhere down the road.
And now the cycle repeats (or actually continues)

So to the point……. Out of a strip of approximately 4 ½ to 5 ½ …… 25 ltr washes that started somewhere in the neighborhood of 9% to 12% and diluting that down to do a sprit run I get….

.15 ltr fores to light my BBQ
1 to 1.5 ltr heads to treat with sodium carbonate
.3 to .5 ltr of heads to blend
3 to 4 ltr of 92% hearts
.5 ltrs of tails to blend
1 to 3 ltr tails for all feints run
All of the above ending amounts vary by from 5% to 15%

So over 4 years now….. I have averaged about 1 gallon of 92% hearts per 5 to 6 gallon spirit run.