Home Distiller

Hello all,

I have recently started learning about distillation, though I am not able to attempt it myself where I live. I do, however, have the following question about multiple distillations and the flavor of the resulting product.

As I understand it, the more times you distill the same liquid the purer the result becomes. The flip side is that more and more of the character of the original source is lost. Hence, you have trendy vodkas that advertise how many times they were distilled, and can come from pretty much anything - grain, fruit etc.

However, you also have whiskeys that are triple distilled, particularly Irish, that clearly have not lost all of the character of the barley in the same way a triple-distilled vodka has. How is that? Is it because whiskey makers keep more of the tails? Or is there some other piece I am missing?

For starters,

Not all stills are alike. Never mind the other hundred variables.

Triple distilled from a pot still is not the same as triple distilled from a reflux unit.

samus wrote:How is that? Is it because whiskey makers keep more of the tails? Or is there some other piece I am missing?

The big boys will never give away their 100+ year old secrets.

Tripple distilled with a reflux still will strip out most if not all of the flavour.
Tripple distilled with a potstill will still carry some flavour over, also whiskys and the like are aged in barrels which also impart flavour to the spirit, where as vodka's are not barrel aged.

Of course, of course. I completely forgot to consider the efficiency of the still itself. Thanks guys.

Welcome to the forums, samus...

The learning curve has begun... Don't learn too much or you'll figure out how to get your hands dirty like the rest of us...

Good luck... I think...

rad14701 wrote:Welcome to the forums, samus...

The learning curve has begun... Don't learn too much or you'll figure out how to get your hands dirty like the rest of us...

Good luck... I think...

Heh, thanks. I already feel somewhat down the rabbit hole.

Don't worry you will see there is light at the end of that tunnel, you will gwt there soon

olddog wrote:Don't worry you will see there is light at the end of that tunnel, you will gwt there soon

That's good to hear OD. I wonder how far away it is?

blanik

olddog wrote:Tripple distilled with a reflux still will strip out most if not all of the flavour.
Tripple distilled with a potstill will still carry some flavour over, also whiskys and the like are aged in barrels which also impart flavour to the spirit, where as vodka's are not barrel aged.

Ive read that some vodkas are barrel aged and then the color is filtered out.The low proof mashes would take 3 runs to get proof/tatste up where they wanted it.

Yes, some of the 'top shelf' vodka claims to be distilled 3 or more times, then carbon filtered up to 10 times. Would much rather drink a 2x whiskey myself.

samus wrote: though I am not able to attempt it myself

Why not?

Short of bein' in a straight-jacket can't see what might stop me.

olddog wrote: ... Tripple distilled with a potstill will still carry some flavour over, also whiskys and the like are aged in barrels which also impart flavour to the spirit, where as vodka's are not barrel aged.

My prefered method is a slow single run for that very reason. I do occaisionally double distill, but not often. I guess if I made a neutral I'd try triple, but that's not likely to happen.

blanik

blanikdog wrote:My prefered method is a slow single run

Interesting. You single distil in a potstill?
What abv wash do you start with? I calculate you need >12% to get up to cask strength in a single step.
I figure I'm doing well with 10% abv in my corn-wash.

blanikdog wrote:

olddog wrote: ... Tripple distilled with a potstill will still carry some flavour over, also whiskys and the like are aged in barrels which also impart flavour to the spirit, where as vodka's are not barrel aged.

My prefered method is a slow single run for that very reason. I do occaisionally double distill, but not often. I guess if I made a neutral I'd try triple, but that's not likely to happen.

blanik

Mine also .90 percent of what I run is only run once. Only other time I run more is to get proof up ,

CletusDwight wrote:

blanikdog wrote:My prefered method is a slow single run

Interesting. You single distil in a potstill?
What abv wash do you start with? I calculate you need >12% to get up to cask strength in a single step.
I figure I'm doing well with 10% abv in my corn-wash.

I'm a sort of 'fly by the seat of the pants' stiller CD - guess it's because of my sailplane/glider flying - so I seldom check my OG and FG readings. I usually make the same wash and know around what the OG is and when the ferment stops I distill. My most recent honey wash was 16lbs of honey made up to 25 litres with rain water. My heads came through at 70 abv - which is higher than normal, which is around 65abv. I stop collecting tails at around 40abv depending on taste. I oak the good stuff at around 50-55 abv and save the rest for my next distillation. This seems to work.

This doesn't answer you question, as I don't know what my OG is, but I'll check it next wash and let you know.

blanik