Home Distiller

Yummyrum wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2025 4:05 am
Thats all well and good . But the big question is , do you include the heads in the hearts cut or put them aside ?

Oh yes I didn't specify and in the theme of this thread I should do.

I seem to be very sensitive to heads, even at a low level, so I can't bring myself to add anything but maybe a little of the final transition jar (For Rum) as it merges into the hearts portion, for grain ferments none at all.
I've tried blending some late heads several times into a portion of clean hearts cut, and I just don't like it.

I know I'm missing out on flavour as, if I could age it for long enough it would mellow and change, but I can't get past my dislike for the acetone smell and taste.
I now know that it is heads that kept me from drinking any (Affordable) brown spirits until I started to make my own, The stuff is really headsy!

Also, I think I have a condition, that I can't currently remember the name of, (rosy something?) that makes my face go really red, within minutes, when I drink anything with even a small hint of heads in. I also get it to a lesser extent when I drink wine.

It do's make you think a bit, ive chucked away heads that taste ok to me, and have good flavour, it's difficult as a reative newbie to id these sovent tastes and smells in the fores and to know whether the heads is ok to keep or not, and when the heads starts and finishes, unless you have a very experienced distiller by your side who can taste what you taste and say yeah or neah how do you learn this. Personally due to advice i always chuck both.
I suppose if there is a way to control those nasties during fermenting, it's defo worth knowing.
It's a shame there isn't a test kit that can detect the nasties. Been a good read this.
Food for thought.

Reefer1 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2025 6:42 am It do's make you think a bit, ive chucked away heads that taste ok to me, and have good flavour, it's difficult as a reative newbie to id these sovent tastes and smells in the fores and to know whether the heads is ok to keep or not, and when the heads starts and finishes, unless you have a very experienced distiller by your side who can taste what you taste and say yeah or neah how do you learn this. Personally due to advice i always chuck both.
I suppose if there is a way to control those nasties during fermenting, it's defo worth knowing.
It's a shame there isn't a test kit that can detect the nasties. Been a good read this.
Food for thought.

I know where you are, when first starting I had my wife join me tasting (women generally have a better nose and mouth for making the decisions). It takes time but starting in the middle, jumping several containers toward heads and tails so you don’t numb your senses and following the advice by others will make it easier.

Lol unfortunately Bushman my missus cant stand spirits, the mere smell makes her cringe. Especially whisky.
I use my 5gal boiler for all my runs and i am getting used to the amount i chuck on the fores, and heads, i have noticed a slight drop in abv after the fores thats when i taste and there is a very sweet spot, once that has gone i collect everything after, but ye it's takes practice.

My wife loves to drink it but hates the smell of whiskey cooking. Especially leftover backset. Guess it's an acquired aroma.

Since I started controlling my fermentation temps down to the tenth of a degree, I've noticed my heads cut is very small indeed. It has allowed me to start experimenting with different yeast strains without wondering where the flavors and aromas are coming from.

Odin wrote: ↑Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:11 pm Why? Because I feel we spend a lot of time discussing cuts. Especially the cut for Heads. As if distilling is the way to control Heads. No, distilling is just one way to control Heads. The real way to Heads control? Mashing, washing, fermenting.

If you mash as well as possible. If you make sure your ferment went just perfect. You just may end up with a "beer" or "wine" that is pretty clean, pretty devoid of lower or higher Boiling Point alcohols.

The key to controlling Heads is not "while distiling", it is "while fermenting".

Mostly true for making whiskey, 100% correct on a neutral spirit.
If there's less heads made during fermentation, there's less to deal with during cuts and blending.