Stripping in Pot still and spirit in column?

[Levii]

Hi there,

I already own a pot still and have set my eyes on a column with 4 perforated plates. My question is: is it ok to do my stripping runs still in the pot still or is it better to go from a 10% wash straight to the finished product? I exclusively do rum and whisky. What is the best proof to go into a boiler for a 4 plates colum?

[NZChris]

There is no need to strip if you are running a plater.

My preference is to strip three or four washes, then spirit run in the same pot still. That way, I only have to do cuts once for three or four charges of wash. Using a plater, I would have to do cuts for every boiler charge, which would be ok if my boiler was three times the volume or I wasn't in a hurry to fill a barrel for aging.

[NZChris]

If you are interested in making high ester rums, a thumper might be a better investment.

[Saltbush Bill]

There is no right or wrong way to use a plated column, you can strip easily with one by just turning water to the defleglamator off completely.
As for the whas or low wines , again that is your choice.
The is no good reason that I can think of to run 100% low wines unless your trying to remove a lot of flavour.
Making neutral or vodka would be one reason.
A plater will make good spirits for a one and done run, using straight wash.
My personal preference is to run 50/50 wash and low wines or another ratio depending on what I'm making at the time.

[Yummyrum]

When I used my plated still for Rum , I found straight wash was not as good as using a mix like SBB said . My plated still didn’t like an ABV less than 10% …… well I could run it , but the Hearts run was small . When I upped the ABV by either stripping half the wash first and/or adding feints from last Rum run , the still “behaved “ smoother and the hearts run was longer and more consistent .

In the end I would just strip all the wash and run with three plates and feints .

Now I use a Thumper and the plater sits sadly in the corner .

[Levii]

Thank for all you’re replies!

I’ve looked into thumpers, but I don’t see myself owning one anytime soon. I‘m EU based and can’t find any around here. I live in a city Appartement with no tool on my hands so building one isn’t an option either.

If made an all molasses 100% pot still rum before (muck and everything), and quite frankly didn’t like it at all. I do like commercial examples like smith & cross etc…

My best bet is driving over to Poland and getting one of either of those two. Which one would you choose considering I already own a pot still and mainly dabble in rum (dark and Spanish style white), bourbon and whisky?

[Saltbush Bill]

made an all molasses 100% pot still rum before (muck and everything), and quite frankly didn’t like it at all.

How did you age that Rum, and for how long?

[Sporacle]

Wash and feints (obviously after your first run of a straight wash) on a flute, don't be greedy with your hearts and you'll have plenty of feints for subsequent runs.

[Levii]

made an all molasses 100% pot still rum before (muck and everything), and quite frankly didn’t like it at all.

How did you age that Rum, and for how long?

I was shooting for a white pot still overproduces like Wray & Nephews. I Found that the final tasted more like the wash it was made from than actual rum. I tried aging it (without wood) für half a year but the smell didn’t change.

[shadylane]

I already own a pot still and have set my eyes on a column with 4 perforated plates. My question is: is it ok to do my stripping runs still in the pot still or is it better to go from a 10% wash straight to the finished product? I exclusively do rum and whisky. What is the best proof to go into a boiler for a 4 plates colum?

Many ways to getter done.
I prefer doing stripping runs so the mash or wash isn't boiled for extended time like it is when doing a one run and done. The most important tails cut happens when the boiler is shut down and emptied at the end of a strip. Get rid of the nastiest tails this way and then redistill.

[Yummyrum]

It took me years to realise I was keeping to much of the tail end in my cut .No amount of aging would help . Commercial Rum is very devoid of tails . Maybe that was your problem too .

If a light Rum is what you want , I can recommend running an all Molasses Rum through that packed reflux still .It will come out like a Bacardi without the need for barrel aging and charcoal filtering that Bacardi do to it .

[shadylane]

I think it helps to let a rum wash settle so less of the trub gets distilled.
There's less tails to deal with if spent yeast doesn't get into the boiler.
As to using plates, I've got a collection of them gathering dust. It was fun and a learning experience building them, but now I mostly use a potstill for rum instead of reflux.

[Levii]

I read that Jamaicans do extended ferments so I gave mine a full month. It was cristal clear at that point. I’ll definitely give the pot still another chance with rum but for now it’s destined to make my AG whisky’s.

It took me years to realise I was keeping to much of the tail end in my cut .No amount of aging would help . Commercial Rum is very devoid of tails . Maybe that was your problem too .

If a light Rum is what you want , I can recommend running an all Molasses Rum through that packed reflux still .It will come out like a Bacardi without the need for barrel aging and charcoal filtering that Bacardi do to it .

Regarding that packed column …

If i send an all molasses wash through that still, do i use the lm or the vm takeoff?
Does a 96% molasses wash retain any rum flavors or is it just plain neutral at this point?
Again: stripping run or not?
Could I use the LM takeoff for my bourbon needs?

I see that the still can be operated with an E-ARC controller that only collects product at or above 96% that sounds fun to experiment with …

[Yummyrum]

When you run a Molasses wash or stripped through a packed reflux still it still retains a very characteristic Rum flavour . It is very hard to beat the Molasses out even though we associate a still like this making a Neutral , this is not the case with a Molasses base .

It should make little difference if you use either LM or VM ….however , taking a closer look at that still , it rings a bell . I believe it has the VM take off lower down the packing rather than above it like a “normal” VM still and uses the LM as a slow heads trap .

EDIT : found it viewtopic.php?p=7756841&sid=4352b020ece ... 5#p7756841