Who keeps there heads and who tosses them

[CanadianBacon]

I was doing some reading and found out that some distillers toss out there heads that are above 75%... What dose everyone else do.

[NZChris]

What I do and where I do it depends on what I'm making. Only my foreshot gets removed completely from any further distillations.

[CanadianBacon]

What I do and where I do it depends on what I'm making. Only my foreshot gets removed completely from any further distillations.

I only make corn whisky, Actually all I drink is whisky and bourbon.

[googe]

I always rerun heads, chuck it in with a wash here and there, always runs better and there's always something to suck out of them if there not already sucked dry.

[moosemilk]

I keep all my heads and tails til I have enough for an all feints run. The heads that result from this I use the first bit for cleaning solvent, starting bbq, etc as I find the acetone builds up. The late heads from a feints run aren't too bad so they go back into the recycle for the next feints run.

I would say as NZCHRIS said, all depends what you are running. If I have heads with strong acetone smell, I don't recycle them. This varies with what I run. For example I found it stronger in my ujssm than I did in my rum. But it also depends on the ferment...how much is produced. ultimately, go by your senses to decide what to keep or toss.

Posted while googe. But he said what I meant in much less words lol.

[badbird]

Whisky and rum heads and most tails go in with the next wash. Neutral heads get the Sodium carbonate treatment and rerun along with the next low wines.

[NZChris]

I only make corn whisky, Actually all I drink is whisky and bourbon.

In that case my cuts depend if I'm making white dog to be enjoyed young or aging it, but either way, my heads don't get tossed or recycled back into later whiskeys.

[CanadianBacon]

I only make corn whisky, Actually all I drink is whisky and bourbon.

In that case my cuts depend if I'm making white dog to be enjoyed young or aging it, but either way, my heads don't get tossed or recycled back into later whiskeys.

What do you do if you don't toss or reuse them

[NZChris]

If i was only making whiskeys, I'd save all the feints until I had enough for a run with some fresh wash added to dilute and bump up the flavor, then do the cuts on that to make a pleasant young whiskey to drink while the good stuff ages.

[Sherak]

I've been keeping my fores for cleaner/degreaser. Heads make good fuel for indoor micro sausage spit roasts

[NZChris]

Heads make good fuel for indoor micro sausage spit roasts

That's got me thinking. I've been wondering what to do with that old microwave platter motor.

[BentJar]

I run a boka type still with a off-set head and usually doing all grain mash. Then a 2nd ferment of the grain with sugar.

I pull 250 mL 0f fores off real slow, takes 45 minutes. Some say that's too much but that's fine. So then start collecting in 8 oz jars. The first heads jar goes into the feints jug and the 2nd heads jar is a keeper to play with. The late heads and early tails are pretty good drop if aged out on oak at 130% then proofed to drinking spirits. I aint ever had a hangover doing it this way. I guess we all have our own way of what we thinks is right.

Once I have 2 gal. or so of feints, I cut that to 30 % with water and back set and run that, pulling fores again, making good cuts and chunk all but the hearts cut. There's some fine lickker in them feints if you pull it out.

[Sherak]

That's got me thinking. I've been wondering what to do with that old microwave platter motor.

This is a little invention I came up with, I had to use an ethanol gel in this video because ethanol is soooo expensive in the UK, the gel works and its smoke/residue free but I got the idea from a little tapas bar in spain who used clear spirit.

http://youtu.be/JrIS2OaukQ4?list=UUtw8B ... Zrj1-f26lA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Heads is perfect for it!

[Ayay]

Early heads are best done once only along with the foreshots. They take the longest time every time, so take the time the first time.
I try hard to get the purest foreshots and early heads the first time, and happily toss them never to be done again.

Late heads should be the transition between heads and hearts...not good enough to drink, but sure good enough to run again.

[still_stirrin]

This is a little invention I came up with...
http://youtu.be/JrIS2OaukQ4?list=UUtw8B ... Zrj1-f26lA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

...Heads is(are) perfect...

Clever, very clever. I like that way of thinking.
ss

[Sherak]

...Heads is(are) perfect...

Clever, very clever. I like that way of thinking.
ss[/quote]

TY, and ty also for the grammar correction I'd claim to be a rapper but I isn't

[sltm1]

I take my heads and some tails, mix with equal parts of water and use the mix for my thumper.

[Usge]

If you research the topic you'll find different opinions about it. But, I'll throw mine in there.

If I'm refluxing the crap out of something I don't save them — they are particularly nasty and concentrated at that point and I just worked too hard to separate them out...to add them back in. If I'm potstilling, or running less reflux (ie, a thumper, etc) I generally save them, but how I mix them back in might be different depending upon what I'm making. I've found adding them mindlessly over time without monitoring can add an unwanted edge to my drink. That was just my experience (YMMV).

For added confusion there is the term "feints" that might mean different things to different people (just tails, heads/tails, etc). But, the best thing to do is to experiment for yourself and find what works for what you like to make.

[CanadianBacon]

great advice, I see everyone has there own ways. I think I will continue to take large forshot cuts and that should help clean out the methanol and high heads and save the rest in my faint carboy.

[Stilldrunk]

Is anyone cutting heads out when doing a stripping run? Or just foreshots?

[moosemilk]

I think most just take fors. Taking the heads out and not adding to strip run would rob you of a lot of the good stuff.

[jedneck]

I make a good fore and early heads cut. Rest of the cut depend on how much is in cabinet. Less in cabinet = less keep. More = more keep.

[Jimbo]

fores I ditch pretty religiously, on every run, no matter the type. Fire starter for the campfire. So my heads are not terrible, just not good. Ive had good luck adding heads/tails back into successive runs. Also had good luck doing all feints runs. 2013 batch of apple brandy I believe the all feints run I did very last when I was all done for the year was the tastiest of any of the runs. Was a very pleasant surprise. Ive also taken feints blended with a little of this and that, and ran the shit out of it repeatedly and made a pretty respectable potstilled vodka. Once I grabbed a gallon jug of bourbon feints that sat a year, white, and it was so good I poured a glass (disclaimer: I may have been a little lit already)

[SoMo]

I make two heads cuts first half goes into the fores jar, second half gets rerun in the sugar washes from spent grain, with the tails. Helps cut that sugar bite and give a flavor boost.

[rager]

Is anyone cutting heads out when doing a stripping run? Or just foreshots?

yes ,

my heads are usually about 1 qt on a 5 gallon charge. so when striping I cut the half qt goes for sac run. on spirit runs the first half of those heads (saved again for sac run) are cut, second half go into the fients jar. this is so im not pulling a lot of heads during my spirit run and keeping the the really bad heads out of my fients. my fients are probably 1/3 heads, 2/3 tails

[CanadianBacon]

I have been tossing 100ml- 250 ml of fore's on the stripping run for the 20ish litter batches. I will be tossing out 100 more ml on the spirit run for each 20 litters of original mash, so about 500ml of fores on the spirit run. Hope I am not wasting to much. I was looking for easy cuts so I figured that taking fores out twice would reduce high heads as well and make my life easy. Am I over doing it with the fores?

[NZChris]

Stop using numbers. Just toss out what smells nasty and keep the good stuff.

[RevSpaminator]

Is anyone cutting heads out when doing a stripping run? Or just foreshots?

I start my stripping runs in reflux mode. I have a CM still so I can start with heads compression. Once I'm past the worst of the heads I cut the flow to the reflux condenser and then finish as a stripping run. These heads are thrown out.

[CanadianBacon]

Stop using numbers. Just toss out what smells nasty and keep the good stuff.

I was wondering about that, cause somtimes by 100 ml what`s coming out smells like good whisky. I will start doing foreshots by smell.

[NZChris]

Do that, and keep good records, and you'll eventually have numbers that are pretty reliable for your still and products.