First Run disappointment

[MrBrew69]

Not discouraged, just disappointed. I ran my first run of corn/rye shine this weekend. I fermented for 7 days, my bubbler quit bubbling, my mash tasted great. New 5 gallon still. Strained my mash and poured it in the still. Turned on the heat and away she went. Temperature slowly raised to about 190 degrees, wha la, had shine coming out my condenser just like I expected. Collected a pint and tossed. I then collected 7 quarts separating by pints because I don't have the experience of cuts yet. Went to test each one with hydrometer, and realized I had the wrong hydrometer, had a beer/wine hydrometer. Did the bubble test and taste test on each pint, it all smelled the same and tasted the same. Tasted very harsh. Mistake number 2 (1st being the wrong hydrometer) I poured them all into a jug. Waited until today, 3 days later for my proofing hydrometer to arrive. 50 proof. It sure tasted hotter than that.

[ShineRunner]

Is there a question in there?

sounds like you did just a single run? 25% ABV with 1.75 gallons out of 4(?) gallons of wash is actually more than I would expect. You've got a bunch of tails in there. Did you run slow and low or fast?

I'd do it again and then take your low wines (results of your single stripping run) and run them again. Low and slow. Collect in small amounts, maybe 250 ml or so. Then make your cuts on taste and smell.

SR

[MrBrew69]

It took about 5 hours from start to finish. I'd like to say it was slow. Took about 1.5 hours to reach 190 degrees.

[MrBrew69]

Also, thanks for your advice.

[HDNB]

have you seen kiwistiller's guide to cuts? it's stickied in the novice section, it is a more detailed look at the advise shine runner gave.
collecting more low wines for a spirit run is the best idea for moving forward.

[Truckinbutch]

You just did a reasonable strip run . Do about 3 more while you are learning to drive your still .
THEN : Do a spirit run collecting slower in half pint jars and air the collection for 24/48 hrs before you begin to blend .
The rest is up to you and what you can learn here .

[aceswired]

Yeah that's not drinking stock yet. Repeat the process 2-3 more times then run it all together. No need to separate for cuts until that final spirit run.

[NZChris]

If you don't expect too much from a single run, you won't be so disappointed. The pint you say you tossed is probably way too much. Put it all back in the pot, including the foreshot if you still have it, and run it again using Kiwistiller's guide, or keep it aside until your next ferment is done.

I knew to double distill because I had to do actual research in the days before internet forums and youtube, so I've never expected to make good likker and in decent quantities from running singles. Right from day one, I've had a fermenter that will do four charges worth of wash and it is still my most used fermenter.

[Windy City]

It took about 5 hours from start to finish. I'd like to say it was slow. Took about 1.5 hours to reach 190 degrees.

Wow that's a long time for a five gallon strip.
What is your heat source and what's your product condenser.
On a stripper you are generally running as fast as your pc can knock it down. Collect all in one vessel.Throwing out fores on a strip is optional, some do some don't. I prefer to remove fores on the strip and the spirit runs. Like said above do about three or four of those combined for one spirit run
But five hours is a real long time for a five gallon spirit run. You are running a pot still, open it up and let that puppy run.

[MrBrew69]

Read until my eyes bled....even kiwi's info, bookmarked. Excellent info from all. Will change disappointed to good start and so happy I found this page. Will keep ya posted.

[MrBrew69]

Windy City, using a 1500w burner plate.

[jb-texshine]

What if I told you a long held moonshiners secret on how to speed your run up?

[MrBrew69]

I would say that I'm listening jb-texshine

[jb-texshine]

Put a piece of duct tape over the thermometer and run that still based on the size of the output stream. You want to run a stripping run as high as you can turn the heat and not blow vapor out of the condenser. For a spirit run ,as slow as you can run and still maintain a solid stream,it'll be pencil lead sized or a bit smaller. Just ignore the temps for now

[MrBrew69]

Sounds like a plan. Thanks

[japsinok]

What if I told you a long held moonshiners secret on how to speed your run up?

My 45,000 btu burner gets me my first drops from the 5 gal alembic in under 30 mins. Nevertheless, I'm waiting to learn this secret!!

I too used to use a 1500w burner for my spirit runs, and indeed, it took 4-5 hrs. But on the plus side, far fewer worries about the need for a fire extinguisher!!

[jb-texshine]

Yeah ,a bigger burner would go a long way. Or even a propane camp stove or the side burner on a grill...

[Shine0n]

It may be me BUT, I never seen anything about a cleaning and sacrificial acl run. You mentioned having a NEW still.?
If you have, good! Now keep the low wines for a later spirit run.
If you havent, take what you have and dump it in a pile of weeds or in the driveway on the grass poking through the cracks.

Sounds like you have a good start on running it and now as mentioned above, take smaller amounts at collection and start learning to make cuts.
Smell, taste and feel.
It will come in time but the sooner you can distinguish the heads to hearts and hearts from tails, you be sippin on a fine spirit before you know it.

Shine0n

[MrBrew69]

ShineOn, I did NOT do an acid run. Found that when I joined the forum. I did a water run to boil clean the still. After I read the required reading for this forum I questioned whether I got it clean enough. An acid run with vinegar will be done before next run.

[bilgriss]

Cleaning runs consist of 1) vinegar and water run and 2) a sacrificial alcohol run. Both remove different types of undesirables you don't want to drink. The first run disappointment is your sacrificial run. Now toss it, and follow the advice above for subsequent runs.

And best of luck!

[Mikey-moo]

Finally some sense! Who knows what kind of oily build residues your first run will have cleaneed out. I'd chuck it and try a recipe from the tried and true section.

With the small hotplate you'd also do well to insulate the boiler to increase the heat up speed.

Good luck

[MrBrew69]

Excellent advice all. I will keep you posted. I'm mashing in today to be ready for a run next Saturday. Doing a vinegar/water run today for some additional cleaning. New plate is on the way for Saturday's run, gotta deal with the small plate today though. Cheers!

[MrBrew69]

Ok second run done today....I am very pleased with this run. Used a corn, rye, and peach wash, 10% from my gravity readings. I captured the first part of the run in 4oz collections, 12 of them, then collected 8 pints until I dropped to 60 proof. Starting proof after foreshots was 150 proof. Read through kiwis guide on cuts. I've proofed each collection, now to smell, taste, and learn. I am very happy to say the rough taste obtained in my first run is not in this second run. Solder oils are terrible. I ran three acid runs just to be sure this time.

[ShineRunner]

Sounds great! Glad you got it cleaned out..

Only suggestion I might make would be to collect in smaller jars towards the tails as well. You'll soon learn what those taste like, and you'll get an idea of where they come in on your product. Up to you. Enjoy!

SR

[MrBrew69]

Ran out of 4oz jars and didn't want to leave the still alone, will purchase more for next Saturday's run.

[The Baker]

Or you could use bigger jars and half fill them....
Geoff

[NZChris]

If you are obviously in hearts and you know a jar has to be a keeper, tip it into a 'hearts jar' and reuse it. Small takeoff jars are only really needed when you are undecided and having your work area covered in a lot of small jars is a PITA. E.g. my experimental run today would have used 25 jars (I don't own that many) if I had done the whole run in equal amounts, but I only used 12 because the obvious keepers went into one jar and obvious tails went into another.

[bilgriss]

Chris, I do the same. But I think that's very difficult for someone without any experience, at least until you are familiar with changes in aroma that occur during the run. Once you've done this a few times, and are familiar with patterns and recipes that repeat each time with taste and smell, fewer jars are necessary. Small jars, a couple before/after transitions. Big jars at the start and end of the run or middle of hearts.

[MrBrew69]

Just learning cuts, I'm sure with time I can limit the amount of small cuts. I ended up using first 24 ounces as feints (using taste and smell), last 24 ounces as feints and blending the middle. I ended up with roughly 128 oz of blended and proofed down to 70 proof. I will use feints in my next run Saturday, mash is already fermenting.

Did however encounter a leak in my thumper...think I want to change it out anyways so I can add fruit to the thumper for enhanced fruit flavor.

[Truckinbutch]

Just learning cuts, I'm sure with time I can limit the amount of small cuts. I ended up using first 24 ounces as feints (using taste and smell), last 24 ounces as feints and blending the middle. I ended up with roughly 128 oz of blended and proofed down to 70 proof. I will use feints in my next run Saturday, mash is already fermenting.

Did however encounter a leak in my thumper...think I want to change it out anyways so I can add fruit to the thumper for enhanced fruit flavor.

Of course fix your leak . Concentrated fruit juices will give you more bang for your buck in the thumper and be easier to clean up .