stripping run advice, temps etc

[stringman]

Hi all

I am hoping to do a stripping run on my 10 pot still.
I know for the stripping run should be run hard and fast.
I think I know I should throw some foreshots away.
I know with cutting temperature reading is "frowned upon"

What I was wondering was this:
I have a digital thermometer (the gun type with the laser) not very good at liquids but great for solid.
could I use this on the top of my worm to determine when to stop the stripping run?

I was hoping to run it fast, discard the fores, and then collect the rest. I was hoping there was a temperature that indicates when you have more or less got down low enough alcohol to stop.

Just a thought

[Yummyrum]

If you don't have an alcometer then you should because you will need it to proof down after your spirt run .
Its also handy when stripping to let you know where you are .
It would be handy to compare temp with output ABV .
When you have done the same wash a few times you also get to know when to finish by th e smell and taste of the strip . Also how much oils start to float and the look of the hazy trail as the low ABV pouring in sinks through the higher ABV strip in the container .
Also if you are going to check temp you should do it at the top of the boiler rather than near the worm as it will give a trurer reading .

[NZChris]

What are you making?

Have you got an alcometer?

Keep the laser gun under your pillow to use for shooting bed bugs.

[stringman]

Yes I have an alcometer
It seems that the stripping run should carry on until its producing 20% alcohol - sound right.

I will try to get a comparison between temps (on the top of the still) and alcohol levels. its only for the stripping run as I thought it would make the process more time manageable (if that makes sense

[Yummyrum]

Yes I have an alcometer
It seems that the stripping run should carry on until its producing 20% alcohol - sound right.

I will try to get a comparison between temps (on the top of the still) and alcohol levels. its only for the stripping run as I thought it would make the process more time manageable (if that makes sense

yeah 20% a pretty good place to stop .

Not sure what you mean by time manageable but surely it would be just as easy to stick a jar under the spout and collect enough for a Alcometer test than to grab the gun and measure the temp .......oh wait , if your shagging the missus while stripping you wouldn't need to get up and stop , just point and shoot.

[NZChris]

It seems that the stripping run should carry on until its producing 20% alcohol - sound right.

That doesn't sound right to me. It is better to have a target abv for the low wines. What that is depends on what you are making.

You are better off learning how to run the still without knowing temperatures to begin with. If you know what they are, you are likely to make poor decisions based on them, then come back here quoting them and asking what went wrong.

[der wo]

It seems that the stripping run should carry on until its producing 20% alcohol - sound right.

That doesn't sound right to me. It is better to have a target abv for the low wines. What that is depends on what you are making.

You are better off learning how to run the still without knowing temperatures to begin with. If you know what they are, you are likely to make poor decisions based on them, then come back here quoting them and asking what went wrong.

Yes. I have often answered posts like "I have stripped 10l wash, why did I only get 0.5l low wines?" in another forum, where most members make their decisions by vapor temperature at least for the first runs.
Like NZChris wrote two times, it depends on the spirit you want to make, when you should stop the stripping run. And a bit on the abv of the wash IMO. For Whiskey and heavy Rum collect around 1/3 of wash volume. This way you will get all the alcohol out of the wash. So a 8% wash will result in 8 x 3 = 24% low wines. And you will have more taste this way. When you make neutral, stop after 1/4 of wash volume perhaps. Brandy or light rum something between 1/4 and 1/3 probably. And the higher the abv of the wash the longer collect generally.

[stringman]

It seems that the stripping run should carry on until its producing 20% alcohol - sound right.

That doesn't sound right to me. It is better to have a target abv for the low wines. What that is depends on what you are making.

You are better off learning how to run the still without knowing temperatures to begin with. If you know what they are, you are likely to make poor decisions based on them, then come back here quoting them and asking what went wrong.

Yes. I have often answered posts like "I have stripped 10l wash, why did I only get 0.5l low wines?" in another forum, where most members make their decisions by vapor temperature at least for the first runs.
Like NZChris wrote two times, it depends on the spirit you want to make, when you should stop the stripping run. And a bit on the abv of the wash IMO. For Whiskey and heavy Rum collect around 1/3 of wash volume. This way you will get all the alcohol out of the wash. So a 8% wash will result in 8 x 3 = 24% low wines. And you will have more taste this way. When you make neutral, stop after 1/4 of wash volume perhaps. Brandy or light rum something between 1/4 and 1/3 probably. And the higher the abv of the wash the longer collect generally.

Thanks for all the help so far
The wash is a basic sugarwash and is about 9%
I am going for a neutral spirtit to make flavoured vodka and gin (I hope)
so based on the above (and I know everyone does it different and opinions differ) a neutral wash of 9% should be approx. 27%?
so does that mean I should run the strip until I am getting 27% and then throw the rest away (or is there anything I can do with it)

I am going to do a sacrificial cleaning run so will experiment with that.

I know I should throw away the sacrificial run but can I still use it for cleaning etc (see previous posts about making alcohol gel)

thanks again

[der wo]

For Whiskey and heavy Rum collect around 1/3 of wash volume. This way you will get all the alcohol out of the wash. So a 8% wash will result in 8 x 3 = 24% low wines. And you will have more taste this way. When you make neutral, stop after 1/4 of wash volume perhaps.

The wash is a basic sugarwash and is about 9%
I am going for a neutral spirtit to make flavoured vodka and gin (I hope)
so based on the above (and I know everyone does it different and opinions differ) a neutral wash of 9% should be approx. 27%?
so does that mean I should run the strip until I am getting 27% and then throw the rest away (or is there anything I can do with it)

I am going to do a sacrificial cleaning run so will experiment with that.

I know I should throw away the sacrificial run but can I still use it for cleaning etc (see previous posts about making alcohol gel)

Because you want neutral alcohol you should stop earlier. Not after 1/3 but after 1/4. If 9% is true, I think you will get 33% collecting 2.5l per 10l wash.
But because it is only a cleaning run you could stop earlier and save a bit time.

[NZChris]

I strip until the total collection of low wines is what I want, never testing what is coming from the spout. For sugar washes for gin base, I shut down when they reach 40%.

The toxic crap from a sacrificial run should be disposed of before some genius accidentally poisons himself with it. You will soon have nice clean foreshots available for cleaning.

[stringman]

I strip until the total collection of low wines is what I want, never testing what is coming from the spout. For sugar washes for gin base, I shut down when they reach 40%.

The toxic crap from a sacrificial run should be disposed of before some genius accidentally poisons himself with it. You will soon have nice clean foreshots available for cleaning.

NZChris thanks for that
can I confirm that what you do is collect it all in one container and when that gets to 40% you stop?
what do you do with the remainder? throw it away or add to the feints container?

[still_stirrin]

...what do you do with the remainder? throw it away or add to the feints container?

What is left...in the boiler is BACKSET. Do with it what you will. Some use it to start a sugarwash. Some put a little in their thumper for a flavor boost. It will be quite acidic and smell sour as a result. Chances are...there isn't much alcohol remaining in it. I dump mine on my weeds, ie- weed killer.
ss

[stringman]

I like that idea.
I can pour it over the patio (yard) to kill the weeds.
I am big into the whole making things yourself. So if the fores can be used as fire gel and the backs as weedkiller its the the heads and tails I need to worry about
lol

[still_stirrin]

...its the the heads and tails I need to worry about...

Don't worry about them either.

Simply collect them in a separate feints jug and when you have enough for an "all feints" run, push them through your still. The top of the heads makes a good degreaser/solvent and the tails will tend to smell and taste "yucky"...for eventual disposal.

You'll see...with time (and experience) you'll develop you own processes for recycling of the byproducts.
ss

[stringman]

Well
I did my first stripping/sacrificial run

Thought I would post all about it in the "my first" forum so more people can see it
Please do head over and make any comments

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 32&t=66429

[NZChris]

NZChris thanks for that
can I confirm that what you do is collect it all in one container and when that gets to 40% you stop?
what do you do with the remainder? throw it away or add to the feints container?

That's what I said.
I shut down, dump the backset, refill and start stripping the next charge. My feints are leftovers from spirit runs, not stripping runs.

For example, this week I'll be stripping Birdwatcher's into one large glass vessel that I can float my alcometer in, aiming for 40%, but my spirit run yesterday was collected in 15 small jars.

[Yummyrum]

NZchris and der wo , I'm supprised that you guys only strip down to around 30-40% . That seems quite high .
For Rms I've always gone really low to often 10% in seach of the elusive Rum oils .LOL I never found them but I still go down to 20%

For a nutral I can see the logic in not going too far into tails but the amount of tails present compared to ethanol is small .My reflux still has no issues holding them back so I can't see why not to collect as much ethanol from the wash when stripping as I can .

[NZChris]

NZchris and der wo , I'm supprised that you guys only strip down to around 30-40% . That seems quite high .

I thought I had made it clear that 40% was what I do for a sugar wash neutral. If the question was for a different product, I would give my answer for that product.

[Yummyrum]

NZchris and der wo , I'm supprised that you guys only strip down to around 30-40% . That seems quite high .

I thought I had made it clear that 40% was what I do for a sugar wash neutral. If the question was for a different product, I would give my answer for that product.

I understand that is what you do for a sugar wash Chris , I'm not being argumentive , I'm just trying to understand why you only go to 40% on a sugar wash neutral when there is so much more alcohol left in the wash ?
Do you use a Reflux still or do multiple Pot still Runs to get your neutral ?

[NZChris]

Stringman has a pot still, so I am answering his questions on that basis.

By the time the total low wines collection reaches 40%, there isn't a huge amount of alcohol left in the boiler, not enough to be worth scavenging for making a neutral for gins with a pot still. You can spend the time and energy scavenging the last bit if you want, but including it in the take for a pot stilled neutral is a mistake in my opinion. If you can't bring yourself to put it on your weeds, by all means spend your time and dollars extracting it, but keep it separate from your neutral low wines and redistil it later. Me ... I'd rather dump that stinking crap on my weeds and get the next charge in the still.

[Yummyrum]

Ok , I see where you are coming from now Chris
Yeah that seems good advice assuming stringman is going to use a pot for making neutral .

It does take a bit of extra time to get the last few % out . Doesn't worry me too much as I run a fairly fast strip with gas and do a big boiler full in one go with a Pot then I run the strip through a reflux still , I jumped to the conclusion that stringman was doing the same ......IE stripping in a pot then using a reflux still

[stringman]

NZChris thanks for that
can I confirm that what you do is collect it all in one container and when that gets to 40% you stop?
what do you do with the remainder? throw it away or add to the feints container?

That's what I said.
I shut down, dump the backset, refill and start stripping the next charge. My feints are leftovers from spirit runs, not stripping runs.

For example, this week I'll be stripping Birdwatcher's into one large glass vessel that I can float my alcometer in, aiming for 40%, but my spirit run yesterday was collected in 15 small jars.

Thanks for that (and being tolerant to a beginner)
As per my other post
Treating this as a learning curve I sort of treated it as a spirit run
I collected 6 bottles of approx. 250-300ml each.
I mixed the 1st first 4 together (I didn't worry about there being fores in it as its all getting thrown away) this made just over 1litre and came out at 37%

I know this is a stripping run so is far from pure but apart from bottle 4 they all had a very strong sickly sweet smell . would this be the heads smell.
should I not worry about it at all on a stripping run?

[stringman]

Thinking I will see me making a reflux still soon
the pot still was very hard work and very messy with the worm being so small it kept overfilling and flooding.

I do have an idea of using a 25L fermenting bin full of water and then using a fishtank pump to just cycle the water in and out

do you think this would work?

My ultimate aim is have the still set up by the stream at the bottom of the garden with a pump using the stream water to cool the worm.

[der wo]

NZchris and der wo , I'm supprised that you guys only strip down to around 30-40% . That seems quite high .

Total 30-40%! That means under 10% in the parrot normally. For Whiskey I normally go to 25-30% total. Then in the parrot is almost 0% alcohol.

[stringman]

Stringman has a pot still, so I am answering his questions on that basis.

By the time the total low wines collection reaches 40%, there isn't a huge amount of alcohol left in the boiler, not enough to be worth scavenging for making a neutral for gins with a pot still. You can spend the time and energy scavenging the last bit if you want, but including it in the take for a pot stilled neutral is a mistake in my opinion. If you can't bring yourself to put it on your weeds, by all means spend your time and dollars extracting it, but keep it separate from your neutral low wines and redistil it later. Me ... I'd rather dump that stinking crap on my weeds and get the next charge in the still.

Well with the state of my garden I am almost thinking of throwing everything on the weeds!!!!

that's where the cleaning run is going LOL

[NZChris]

I've been doing this for a while now so the novelty has worn off and often don't bother to taste my stripping runs, just smelling the spout occasionally during the run, but not making decisions based on what I smell.

Have a good read of Kiwistiller's guide to cuts before your spirit run, because that is when you can turn a potentially fine neutral into absolute rubbish by including one or two wrong jars in your final selection.

[NZChris]

A pot still shouldn't be hard work unless it's too small, or badly designed. I love mine. It's a great tool for quickly putting a lot of good quality flavored product in my cellar and it's neutrals for gins etc. are good enough that nobody has ever guessed they started out as tomato wash.
I do have a reflux column that makes very good high proof neutral from the low wines from the pot still, but I don't make much that warrants using it.

[stringman]

Thanks chris
You have hit the nail on the head, it is badly designed and small, but it was very cheap
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XFXN2EU/re ... TybGDVGTRJ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I didn't pay anywhere near that.

I have just done a 6l stripping run and got about 1.8l at 39%
I have 2 more to do then may try a spirit run later in the week after I have read and re read kiwistillers post
using the formula of distilling a 1/4 of 9% wash I got 1L of 36%
does this formula work for the spirit run?
I am just trying to work out what quantity (excluding fores) of heads hearts and tails I should get from 6L 40% low wines.

Thank you so much for your help

As I don't drink "brown" spirits and the pot still I have is too small would you recommend making a reflux still.

[Pikey]

40% x 6 litres = 2.4 litres @100% (Near enough anyway ! )

This will include any "stuff" you don't want to drink.

[der wo]

Thanks chris
You have hit the nail on the head, it is badly designed and small, but it was very cheap
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XFXN2EU/re ... TybGDVGTRJ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
You should start to think about building a still.

I have just done a 6l stripping run and got about 1.8l at 39%
I have 2 more to do then may try a spirit run later in the week after I have read and re read kiwistillers post
using the formula of distilling a 1/4 of 9% wash I got 1L of 36% Because you will loose a bit in the boiler, it will be a bit less, perhaps 33%.
does this formula work for the spirit run? No!
I am just trying to work out what quantity (excluding fores) of heads hearts and tails I should get from 6L 40% low wines. Stripping is something mechanical and repeatable. The spirit run designs much more the taste. Collect small samples and choose the day after the run.

As I don't drink "brown" spirits and the pot still I have is too small would you recommend making a reflux still. Yes. But for stripping you will always prefer a potstill if you have one. So perhaps first build a potstill and learn with it.