Novice Guide for Cuts (pot still)

[jlheath3]

Just getting started with a nice little pot still. My mash readings { S G } have stopped at 1.01 No more bubbling with a slight sour taste. If I run now, will I get any type of yield at all ? I keep reading about S G readings going below 1.00 prior to the run. Should I try to re-start my mash to lower the SG ? If so , what is procedure for that ? Thanks for your help. Joe

[rad14701]

Just getting started with a nice little pot still. My mash readings { S G } have stopped at 1.01 No more bubbling with a slight sour taste. If I run now, will I get any type of yield at all ? I keep reading about S G readings going below 1.00 prior to the run. Should I try to re-start my mash to lower the SG ? If so , what is procedure for that ? Thanks for your help. Joe

It's done... Let it clear and run it...

[Bushman]

Just getting started with a nice little pot still. My mash readings { S G } have stopped at 1.01 No more bubbling with a slight sour taste. If I run now, will I get any type of yield at all ? I keep reading about S G readings going below 1.00 prior to the run. Should I try to re-start my mash to lower the SG ? If so , what is procedure for that ? Thanks for your help. Joe

It's done... Let it clear and run it...

+1, if you haven't cleared before let it sit for a day in a cool room to let things settle before racking.

[Oldskool]

Just getting started in this and reading everything. This is a great article IMHO. Thanks

[YoungGun]

Would it be fine if I was to just pour my heads, hearts and tails into a large container then dilute it down to around a 40% abv to drink? Like would it still have a good smooth taste or would this just be something you would make into something like apple pie?

[Dnderhead]

HA HA it be something you'd turn red then green then run to git the aspirin.

If at first you don't secede,,then stop being a idiot and do as your told.

[YoungGun]

Oh I thought I seen Jim Tom do something similiar on tv were he labled all the jars like 1-6 then poured em into a big bucket then dulited it down to a good drinkin proof

[BourbonStreet]

Jim Tom? From "Moonshiners"? Anyone who's ever run a still will tell you 90%+ of that show is FAKE. It's a good guide on what NOT to do.

A little bit of heads and tails can be good in your final product. It depends on what you like. If you just mix it all in, what's the point of making cuts?

[YoungGun]

Oh okay well I'm just a newbie anyway trying to learn what I can before I make my first run.

[BourbonStreet]

No problem, buddy. We were all noobs at one time. We're just trying to save you from making some of the mistakes we've made before. Once you taste the difference between heads, hearts, and tails, you'll understand.

[Bry0232]

Good info KIWI
Thanks

[Ghost]

Oh I thought I seen Jim Tom do something similiar on tv were he labled all the jars like 1-6 then poured em into a big bucket then dulited it down to a good drinkin proof

Thats the difference in making something to sell and making something you drink to be proud of. I think it shows it in the truest light - they are looking ( or they are portrayed) the most they can get out of the still to turn a profit. You sell and you WILL be caught.

[WNC-PrivateStock]

I've been pouring out the heads and tails and just keeping the hearts. Why? Because it's perfect to drink just like that.

I see where you've said to keep the heads and tails to run later. If you do that, can you actually get more hearts out of this?

Oh, and the foreshots...I'm keeping those separate for my alcohol lamp and my alcohol stove. Waste not, want not and all that.

[gobucks85]

When I run a one gallon pot of wash/mash what roughly is foreshots head hearts and tails

[idahoarcher]

When doing a second run or doing a run on saved up feints, should you add them to distilled water to run it, or just put them in the still without any additional dilution?

[Dnderhead]

dilute to/below 40%

[Saltbush Bill]

I see where you've said to keep the heads and tails to run later. If you do that, can you actually get more hearts out of this?

Yes you can , there is still a lot of good Alcohol in them. When heads and hearts are combined they are then referred to as "Feints"
You can add these back to your boiler along with a fresh wash and run them again. Others prefer to save them up until they have enough feints to do a full feints run.
If doing a feints run you need to dilute the feints to 40% ABV or less than 80 proof first.
It might pay to go back to the first page of this thread and re- read it, to get a better handle on cuts and whats happening when you run your still.

[Rclark12]

This is pretty useful thanks

[kevnshel]

this is really helpfull! thanks for the post!

[latigo]

I sure wish that I would have read this far before I ran my still ! The more I read on here, the more I truly understand how little I know. I am into about my 6 try of 50L mash runs and my "juice" just keeps getting better and better. For any of the other newbs that might read this I can only say,, keep trying and reading this forum. A few weeks ago I wanted to know if anyone in my region was happy enough to let me try their product. I had a couple of responses from fellow newbs that seemed to be in the same boat as me. I can say that since then ( with a shit load of reading old posts) and experimenting with smaller batches of mash that I am getting good results. My hat is off to all the veteran distillers on this site for the info they share. If my liver lasts long enough I hope to be around here in 10 years to answers questions from the young uns (LOL).

Thanks Again to the MASTERS.
Latigo

[hikfromstik]

Im getting better with cuts . I have gotten good at tasting heads . From my experience the heads burn the mouth and hearts just burn the throat. I know there is more to it than that,but, thats just me. On my sugar washes , to me the tails just seem to fet weaker. I have never ran way down to where it taste like stale cardboardy water. I quit at about 30% abv. I get to nervous and clean it up asap .

[Goldfish]

Great advice...I have been reading for 18 months and always find great helpers here, thank you.

[Rclark12]

dilute to/below 40%

Does it have to be distilld water? Couldn't I use water from m fridge or a gallon of poland springs or something? I use tap water for my ferments so would it make a difference if I used it for my dilutions as well?

[Prairiepiss]

Diluting to drink use distilled water.

Diluting to run through the still. Tap water is fine. But the cleaner it is the cleaner your product would be.

[frozenthunderbolt]

To anyone still struggling with cuts, do this to test each jar:
1. boil the kettle (tap water is fine unless it stinnks)
2. Tip a sample of the jar you want to test into a heat proof mug
3. swirl it round and pour it back into the correct jar from whence it came
4. pour boiling water to about the 1/4 full mark
5. swirl and sniff

The heat (volatilisation) combined with the dilution to unlock the odour/flavour compounds will give you a really clear picture of what tastes are in each jar.

This method works particularly well for tails identification.

[pt49]

... using the same principle as a large brandy snifter!

Good advice

[Sugar-daddy]

Ok well, this is one I should've read before I lite the fire! Lol
Thanks for the info, better than gold for this rookie.

A question if I may, I was under the assumption that on five gal mash u'd get around a gal. Of product, so... That's what I shot for. Throw'n out the starter spunk of course. & put the rest in a mix'n box so it would all proof the same & made some hot apple. & it sucks to say the least! Lol potent yes, pleasant, not so much. Lol

The Q & A can I re-run my finished product back though to fix my foul or is this a love & learn, throw away & do better next time sort of mistake?
Thanks for the help, greatly appreciated

[Bohunk]

SugarDaddy, you never have to throw anything away, you can re-run it as many times as you like. sooner or later the nasty smell/taste will get tired and go away. Making those cuts is not as hard as one thinks, after about a year of making bad booze I suddenly found the answer, and you will too. Just hang in there, and help is on the way.

The Ole Bohunk

[Bushman]

A question if I may, I was under the assumption that on five gal mash u'd get around a gal. Of product, so... That's what I shot for. Throw'n out the starter spunk of course. & put the rest in a mix'n box so it would all proof the same & made some hot apple. & it sucks to say the least! Lol potent yes, pleasant, not so much. Lol

Not sure what recipe your using but that would put you at an abv of 20%, most folks shoot for 8-12% depending on the recipe.

[LWTCS]

2 liters for 5 gallons would be a generous amount (depending on abv).