Stripping run

[bobnr32]

I have made my first vinegar run- I am waiting to do my sac alcohol run, and need to post a photo.
When I do my first run proper, I want to separate each 50ml into glass jars. When I have done this, will I need to do a second run?

[goblin]

if this is a stripping- first proper run. spirit is next when you save enough strips. or just do a single run.
how has your reading been going?

[Danespirit]

+1 goblin
How small is your still...?

When I do my first run proper, I want to separate each 50ml into glass jars. When I have done this, will I need to do a second run?

With 50Ml into each jar i hope you're not running a keg, cause you would be looking at several hundreds of jars....!

[bobnr32]

My reading is going well thanks, Goblin. The science to distill safely is not easy.
My still is 20 litres. Is 50 ml too small?

[Danespirit]

If you collect the first 50 Ml as foreshots and throw them away, you're on right path.
Do a strippingrun and collect everything besides the mentioned 50-70 Ml (it should be the majority of foreshots).
When you have collected enough for a spiritrun (something tells me you can't wait.. ), discard another 50- 70 Ml of foreshots.
Depending on your ferment, it can even go as high as 200 Ml. Don't be greedy and you will end up with a nicer endproduct.
I would collect in 250 Ml jars ( maximum) until you have done a lot of runs...feel familiar with the still and how it behaves.
Mark the jars...
Let them air out under a coffefilter or similar for 24 hours
Then do your cuts by selecting the middle part of jars and go downwards and upwards from there...pick what you like (remember to dillute the spirits!).
If you follow those guidelines, you will have a much better judgement of what to keep and what goes in the feints jar.
I treat heads and tails as feints...
Edited to add:
Here is a good thread Kiwi wrote, he suggests even a higher amount of foreshots to be taken: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 63&t=13261
Use the HD google search for more information, it's a usefull feature.

[S-Cackalacky]

bobnr32, if your plan is to do stripping runs and then a spirit run, I'm a little confused by the 50ml saved in jars in reference to the first run (stripping run). When you do the stripping run, collect the appropriate amount of fores and then run everything else into one large container. My still is similar in size to yours and I do my strips into a 1 gallon jug. I usually do 3 (sometimes 4) stripping runs and then combine the low wines into a single spirit run. When you do the spirit run, collect smaller amounts in individual jars for airing and doing the cuts.

For the stripping runs, run the still as fast as your condenser can handle. For the spirit run, run the fores and heads at a fast drip and then bring it up to a pencil lead sized stream for the remainder of the run. There's a good cuts tutorial by Kiwistiller in the "Novice Distiller" section of the forums.

[still_stirrin]

Good advice all.

Bobnr32, when you do your sacrificial run, you'll learn a lot about the take off rate and the heat input for your still. Pay attention to that, and collect in small jars if you'd like to measure progress. But remember...it's sacrificial...you'll dump it out. But the run can teach you a lot about your system and how it runs. Pay attention to that and you'll be OK.

And if planning on a separate spirit run...collecting is small jars is somewhat redundant, not completely without merit, but not warranted. Strip runs are typically run fast (once you've pulled your foreshots off) and collected in large vessels to hold the produced low wines.

Be safe. Be responsible. And be discrete.
ss

[bobnr32]

So, a stripping run involves removing 50ml and leaving the tails for the spirit run?

[still_stirrin]

So, a stripping run involves removing 50ml and leaving the tails for the spirit run?

From the HD glossary (FYI): http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 8#p7001010

Stripping run-
A fast primary distillation done when re distillation is planned for a finished product....

And an overview of distilling: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13266

You got some reading in your future...get to it.
ss

[Danespirit]

Bob.. a strippingrun is merely to remove as much water out of the ferment as possible, thus concentrating the distillate.
As a rule of thumb i use every opportunity to draw of foreshots. You ain't supposed to drink them, so why not get rid of them as you go along..?
I know many just collect the whole shabang on a strippingrun, i remove the foreshots and collect everything down to 20% ABV.
At that point there is so little ethanol left in the boiler, it won't justify the time and electricity to squeeze the last drop out of it.
Everything goes into one gallon glassjuggs, no cuts...
Then comes the spiritrun as described, remember to dillute your charge to 40% ABV or below before starting the spiritrun..!
As you collect, you'll naturally do some cuts by switching the jars and taste/feel/take a reading now and then (alcoholmeter link is in my signature).
After airing out as described, you do the final cuts and decide what to keep and what to recycle.
Combining the jars you want to keep, is called "to blend"...which is merly "intentional smearing"..
But for now... start with a strippingrun and proceed to the spiritrun, when you have collected enough for that.
Do forget about the blending etc (there is a lot more to it than just "smearing"), until you have a grasp off how to master strip and spiritruns.
Further how, and what your still does, when...
Then you can advance and play with blending, aging etc..

[bobnr32]

Danespirit: Thank you very much for the very clear description. I had read many times the links above without understanding. Your article should be placed in the links.