Leftovers

[AkCoyote]

Whenever I distill, I usually have leftovers. If it's a reflux run there's the heads and the tails. I double distill in the pot still so I have the foreshots, heads and tails.

Over the past year I've accumulated about a gallon of foreshots and 5 gallons of heads and tails. This is from grain, rice, sugar and grapes.

My reflux still gives me roughly 91-92% purity. Any suggestions on the best way to run and process all of the leftovers?

AkCoyote

[linw]

How about keeping it simple and just chuck everything into the boiler and use the reflux column on it????

[Grayson_Stewart]

Hey Ak,

Linw is right, just run everything through the reflux column...thats what I do.

You'll be surprised how much you get back out of that 5 gallons. I'd suspect there is at least 1.5 gallons comparable to the sweetest middle cut you've gotten in the past.

[AkCoyote]

That's what I was thinking. Just run everything. I'm curious to see how much will be foreshots.

AkCoyote

[DBM]

I would'nt rerun the forshots, just the heads and tails. Use the forshots as a cleaning fluid or something, you went through a lot of trouble and expense getting them out, don't put'um back in.

[Guest]

I would'nt rerun the forshots, just the heads and tails. Use the forshots as a cleaning fluid or something, you went through a lot of trouble and expense getting them out, don't put'um back in.

I agree...i wouldn't put the foreshots in...just the heads and tails.

[DBM]

AK;
I usually mix my heads and tail in with my next run, that way you are carrying over on heads and tails from one run.

[Grayson_Stewart]

Foreshots are suppose to be around 0.0067% or less of the volume of a grain a run so I wouldn't worry about it. If you are worried, toss out the foreshots every four or five runs and forget about it.

[knuklehead]

@AK, I don't rerun the foreshots but I collect the heads and tails to do a reflux run. Make sure you get up early because because its going to be a long day . The last time I did it I had 12 liters at 40%. My still ran for 15 hours collecting at 95-94% till I was finally done. On the bright side I had a lot of stock for over the holidays.

[Pieterpost]

yeah I also have the same experience as knuklehaed here. It's takes a long time to collect 94-95% though a reflux still.......

However if you would also be satisfied with a lower percentage (lets say 92-93) this greatly speeds up the process ..........

Also don't forget to add some sodiumbicarbonate. I have noticed that a lot of off-flavours are getten don't get through when you add it!