Reflux and Pot Stilling: Is there a halfway house?

[Boozehound]

I've got a question for the experienced guys on here, just a theoretical one really.

Basically it's about the two normal distillations on pot still recipes like rum and whiskey and stuff I've read in Ian Smiley's book on corn whiskey. As I understand it for a rum or whiskey using a pot still you do a stripping run and get a distillate of 30% - 40% (low wines) and then a spirit run to get it to 60% - 70%. This is the stuff that gets aged on wood and then you dilute to get the actual drink.

Now, with stills that are VM or LM you can adjust the % of the liquid coming out from the full 96% to about 50%. by opening valves. Does anyone set their reflux still to output (once the foreshots are removed) at 70% straight away? Would this remove the need for the two passes with a pot still and keep the flavour? If so, why doesn't everyone do that and not use pot stills?

To add to my confusion, Ian Smiley make whiskey using a still in full reflux. Does anyone here do this?

O.K. I'm new to this stuff so if I've got my facts wrong please help me out.

Cheers.

[kiwistiller]

I sometimes use the top half of my reflux column, with half packing, for rum. it produces a lighter product at about 85% for me. I think I'm pretty much alone in doing that though! most prefer the additional flavours of pot stilling. I have heard of people extracting heads with a vm or whatever, then shutting down and putting a pot still on though.

[Boozehound]

most prefer the additional flavours of pot stilling.

Do you mean additional flavours that would come from a distillate at less ABV than the 85% you make, or do you mean that a distillate from two runs of a pot still at 70% would have more flavour than a reflux still making a distillate of 70% straight from a 10% wash?

Does 2 runs through a pot still = a reflux run set a 70%?

Out of interest, what kind of washes do you use when you make your 85% stuff?

Thanks for the reply.

[Dnderhead]

the "big boys" use column still but, what I was told they whould not even consider using packing, plate stills only, that leaves us out.
for what ever reason packing removes more flavor. plate stills are more like distilling in multiple pots.they also can add/remove
plates to their liking.

[kiwistiller]

most prefer the additional flavours of pot stilling.

Do you mean additional flavours that would come from a distillate at less ABV than the 85% you make, or do you mean that a distillate from two runs of a pot still at 70% would have more flavour than a reflux still making a distillate of 70% straight from a 10% wash?

Does 2 runs through a pot still = a reflux run set a 70%?

Out of interest, what kind of washes do you use when you make your 85% stuff?

Thanks for the reply.

Yes additional flavours will come from a distilate less than that. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to make my vm produce less though. LM you might be able too, but remember you can't reduce the Reflux Ration of a VM less than 50% in ideal conditions. I'm fairly sure mine is a lot higher. I use a rum wash, not stripped, pretty close to pugirum, but I don't waste the rum oils on refluxing. I take as much as I can at 85%, then shut down, put of the pot head and the rest is low wines for a pot run at a later date.

as for the pot still @ 70%, vs reflux still @ 70%, I'm just guessing, but I reckon they'll be roughly similar, but the pot still will produce more complexity, as it won't compress heads and tails but will spread them throughout the run, creating a heavier product? Just my thoughts, you'd need a lm to try.

[rad14701]

I sometimes run my LM combo still in pot still mode for the hearts but use the reflux mode to pull the foreshots, heads, and tails cuts... I've done it both with and without the column extension, packed and unpacked... I've even run the packed reflux column at a higher vapor temperature, which equates to a lower %ABV, but it strips a bit more flavor... Every reflux column still will produce varying results...

[Hawke]

I think the halfway point for the hobbiest would be a pot and thumper. Depending on what the thumper is charged with, you can vary the outcome quite a bit.

[HookLine]

Varying the amount of packing, column insulation, and reflux, in a tall column will give you a fair range to play with. Might not get you to a true pot still, but pretty close.

Personally I think it is easier to have a column, and a pot still head, both with connections for the same boiler. Pot stills are also very good for stripping runs, much easier to set up than a tall reflux column.