Doh!

[What]

Been doing this for about 5 years now and just made the biggest rookie mistake ever.....
Completed a 50 litre strip of 7th generation rum wash and wondered why tails were in so early.
Persevered and stripped down to zero to get only 2/3 normal strip volume.
Pulled still down to find I did not tighten the top triclamp !!!!!!!
Doh!

[fizzix]

I hate when that happens.
I made a dumbass scorch mistake not long ago and you just want to kick your own ass.

[Twisted Brick]

I hate when that happens.
I made a dumbass scorch mistake not long ago and you just want to kick your own ass.

I commiserate with both of you.

So.... I thought I'd be brilliant and save time on a strip by 'pre-heating' my squeezed AG bourbon wash while I set up the rest of my pot. I knew I had time because the volume of liquid in the keg (12gal) hadn't started making any noise yet. By the time the riser and shotgun were installed and plumbed there were busy boiling noises coming from inside.

When the first drips emerged, they registered sufficiently low on the hydrometer that I was able to conclude I had pre-boiled into the atmosphere 30% of the available alcohol I had carefully mashed and fermented. I hit myself in the head a half-dozen times (Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!) and vowed that would never happen again.