First distillation - unsure

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France98
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First distillation - unsure

Post by France98 »

Hiya great to be part of this group 👍
I am new here and new to distilling. I purchased a T500 and made my first wash with the turbo package that came with it so I could get a feel for the still.
I ran a stripping run (removed foreshots) then ran a spirit run taking cuts (removed another 100ml fore’s and 500ml heads) so was pretty confident where I took the cut for hearts and also tails.
The end product still had a funny sweet chemical smell, as I’ve not made anything prior I have no reference as to whether this was ‘normal’.
Did a run with botanicals and was really surprised at how great my first gin tasted (43% ABV) But after 2 glasses got a headache and in the morning felt like I’d drunk a lot more than I had.
Any clues as to what might have caused this? I’m hoping it’s just the turbo wash and my next TPW will be better.
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NZChris
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by NZChris »

It could be because you didn't do a vinegar run followed by a sacrificial alcohol run to get rid of toxic chemicals used in the build.
France98
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by France98 »

I forgot to mention I’d done a vinegar run and then rinsed everything with citric acid solution. But no didn’t do sacrificial alcohol run as was told I didn’t need to.
Hoping next run will be better then now that I’ve done an alcohol run??
France98
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by France98 »

Am I best to ditch what I’ve made? Will re-distilling it make a difference?
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Best thing you can do is ditch the Turbo yeast. Use this recipe for your Neutral , it will make a much better product.
viewtopic.php?t=70585
If you got a bad hangover your cuts need working on, You cant make cuts by measuring volume, it needs to be done by taste and smell.
Suggest reading this ....more than once if need be until you understand it.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11640
Also search for topics written by Yummyrum on methods of making cuts and dilution of cuts pre tasting.
If you really want to keep that lot , you could dilute back to about 20% abv and run again.
Forget about running the t500 by temp...the temp means very little , speed that product exits the still is a better indicator.
Take fores at a very slow drip, heads a slightly faster drip, hearts a fast drip to broken stream.......much easier than watching temp constantly.
France98
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by France98 »

Saltbush Bill - thank you for your reply. I will take a look at those links and do some reading. Ran the still by temp as directed and flow was pretty fast. Will need to get used to using it properly 👍
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Yummyrum
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by Yummyrum »

Hi france , he’s the link Salty mentioned .

The pictures of the jars were of a Whisky run done in a Pit still , but the method of dilution is the main point .

viewtopic.php?p=7500094#p7500094

EDIT : forgot to mention . Agree that you may need to remove a bit more heads . That would most likely explain the bad hangover and indeed tastes like sweet chemical .

Hearts will be sweet/salty if that makes any sense in comparison .Although we call it Neutral .

Also Turbos made especially with the huge amount if sugar they suggest does make more heads and tails . Shadys Sugar shine recipe that Salty linked you to produces less heads and tales with a cleaner Hearts than a Turbo .

Sure ,it uses less sugar than the turbo wash and also yield's less alcohol , but it is a much better product .
France98
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by France98 »

Brilliant post thank you yummyrum 👏 I used about 15 jars in my run so need to collect a few more - and mostly did my cuts by smell. The glass tube is a great idea, I have no idea where I would find one in NZ though - any suggestions on type of shop to look in??
Will definitely use your technique in my next run. 😊
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NZChris
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by NZChris »

France98 wrote: Fri May 26, 2023 8:38 pm Brilliant post thank you yummyrum 👏 I used about 15 jars in my run so need to collect a few more - and mostly did my cuts by smell. The glass tube is a great idea, I have no idea where I would find one in NZ though - any suggestions on type of shop to look in??
Will definitely use your technique in my next run. 😊
I've tried that technique once and that was enough. Too much trouble for my little brain, so much sampling that I wrecked my taste buds before I needed them to confirm my final selection of heart cut. The graduated syringe I imported for the job has only been used that one time.
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Yummyrum
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by Yummyrum »

NZChris wrote: Fri May 26, 2023 10:45 pm
France98 wrote: Fri May 26, 2023 8:38 pm Brilliant post thank you yummyrum 👏 I used about 15 jars in my run so need to collect a few more - and mostly did my cuts by smell. The glass tube is a great idea, I have no idea where I would find one in NZ though - any suggestions on type of shop to look in??
Will definitely use your technique in my next run. 😊
I've tried that technique once and that was enough. Too much trouble for my little brain, so much sampling that I wrecked my taste buds before I needed them to confirm my final selection of heart cut. The graduated syringe I imported for the job has only been used that one time.
I don’t want to take this topic too far off topic Chris but the whole idea of a small glass tube that you stick your thumb over the end of , was its quick and easy compared to buggering around with pipettes and syringes . .

But we all have our preferred way of doing things .

While that topic of mine seemed to concentrate on the glass tube , the main reasoning behind the topic was about diluting samples before tasting and the concept of collecting in jars so that there are options for blends .

Glad you found it of interest France .
Sorry I can’t suggest where to get a piece if glass tube in NZ . I just happened to have some at work .
France98
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by France98 »

All good yummy I appreciated your feedback and your advice on making cuts. Will keep eye out for something I can use - spoons for now!! I have lot to learn!! Thanks again.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: First distillation - unsure

Post by Saltbush Bill »

A teaspoon with a bent handle used as a small dipper works just fine.....it's all I've ever used.
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