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I'm slowly getting used to my new keg still. Can't get over the quantity this thing is capable of producing.

I store all my low wines in 40 litre glass carboys. I have one for a sour mash a-la UJSSM that I use for a bourbon and a whiskey. I have another for rum and another for neutral aka vodka.

My neutral feints just keep going back into the next run. I'm happy with this and it produces a reasonable vodka for mixers. I'm not a vodka drinker.

However, after 3 spirit runs (dark rum, spiced then light rum) I have feints that still have a very slight taint of rum flavour. Not enough for a rum (I like strong, full flavoured rums) and I'm not sure whether to dump this or put it in with the neutrals (which I want to keep clean).
Does anyone add rum feints to their neutral and run this. Be aware that the rum is now on it's 5th spirit run.

The same thing with my sour mash. I figure after 4 runs it won't have much taste left. Will it taint my neutral runs.

My dilemma is that it is a lot of hooch to just throw away, but I don't won't to taint my neutrals.

scarecrow

Just add the feints to your boiler when you distill the next wash of the same type, I do it all the time.


OD

All rum feints will tend to make a really strong full bodied rum - highly recommended. I have 6 litres of all feints rum aging in a special hidden place - I suspect it'll be the best tipple I've made when it matures.

I am with kiwi on this one. I keep the feints separate and run them through as a special feints only spirit run. The only time I run it through the reflux still is when I run out of neutral. I tend to use the pot still most of the time.

kiwistiller wrote:All rum feints will tend to make a really strong full bodied rum.....

Even after 4 or 5 spirit runs?
I thought the flavour gets weaker with each run, that's why whiskey has one or two passes, to keep that flavour.

Maybe I'm wrong.

I'll give it a go. I've got about 16 litres of rum feints. I might dilute and do a feints only run.

scarecrow

I do like OD with my rums and add back to the next run.

scarecrow wrote:

kiwistiller wrote:All rum feints will tend to make a really strong full bodied rum.....

Even after 4 or 5 spirit runs?
I thought the flavour gets weaker with each run, that's why whiskey has one or two passes, to keep that flavour.

Maybe I'm wrong.

I'll give it a go. I've got about 16 litres of rum feints. I might dilute and do a feints only run.

scarecrow

Might be a slight missunderstanding here. I keep my feints from several spirit runs and add them together to do a 'one off special' spirit run. Any feints off THAT run get relegated to neutral or occassionaly added in to a new batch of low wines. I don't think you could keep cycling feints only runs indefinitely.

I do salvage and re-cycle 'rum oils' as a special case though.

myles wrote:Any feints off THAT run get relegated to neutral or occassionaly added in to a new batch of low wines.....

Now we are getting on the same wavelength.
The feints that you relegate to neutral, do they taint the neutral run? This is what I'm worried about. I don't want to add a rum flavour to my neutral.

Thanks for your patience myles.

scarecrow

Ian Smiley says an all feints run is supposed to produce superior quality likker. Ive always just added it back like the others here. Never kept enough to try this.

Sometimes I add them to a stripping run, sometimes to a spirit run, next I'll do an all feints spirit run. Have no idea the generation etc but everything I'm making keeps getting better the more I mix everything up, willy nilly bd.

I have taken to doing feints only runs rather than potentially tainting a fresh wash... I make sure it is adequately diluted when I run it off as neutral spirits and it comes out fairly clean... That's what I usually give my buddy for making his Glug...

rad14701 wrote:That's what I usually give my buddy for making his Glug...

Glug??

LWTCS wrote:

rad14701 wrote:That's what I usually give my buddy for making his Glug...

Glug??

Glug... Glogg... Glögg...

scarecrow wrote: The feints that you relegate to neutral, do they taint the neutral run? This is what I'm worried about. I don't want to add a rum flavour to my neutral.

Thanks for your patience myles.

scarecrow

I don't think you need to wory about it scarecrow. A decent reflux still - run properly - will strip all the flavour out of anything that you put into it. If you WANT a bit of flavour to come through you can do that too by running a bit faster.

I tend to run feints through mine (and very rarely do I make a wash specifically for it) as I mostly tend to pot still. Also I usualy add bicarb to the feints which strips out even more flavour.
If you do get a bit of unwanted flavour all you have wasted is the time for a run and a bit of energy. You could always put it back in and run it off a bit slower.

UNLESS your column is a bit short then you can also make it taller and more efficient.

I used to re-cycle feints run to run, but not long ago I saved them all up for an all feints run. I was worried about off flavors, so I cut up a couple a lemon and a lime and tossed them in the pot (8 gal still, 5 gallon charge). Of course, I added a gallon or so of water to cut the alcohol level down to mid 30's. After taking off the heads, I got a very nice lemon/lime vodka. Tails got a bit skanky, though.