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If you distill a mash of hope-to-be whiskey using a relux still from which can distill down to 95% you've done nothing but make tastless extremely powerful ethanol. How could you make whiskey using a relux still. Would you dilute the ethanol using the left over juice in the still?

Run without any reflux.

This is on the parent site....

wouldn't it be the same effect to just dilute the ethanol with remnants of the pot? Shit i dont know this is confusing

I understand the confusing part. This is why we tell folks to read the parent site. http://homedistiller.org
Read it several times. Things will begin to slowly fall into order and your understanding will increase.
Do not just add back the leftovers from running a still. This contains ALL your leftover fusels. It is fine to use as a backset for sour mashing. Collect your tails in small batches and mix small amounts of the tails back into your hearts to get the desired taste you want.
Once again... Read the parent site.

Let me edit this and add that this list may help you to find what you want easier...
http://homedistiller.org/static_menu.htm

Once you get a whiff of the stuff that is left in the boiler, you will be able to deside very quickly if that is something you want to drink. If you want whiskey from a reflux still, like was said before, don't use any reflux. And/or take some of the packing out of the column. Maybe run a little faster (more heat). There are lots of possibilities. Detune your still so you can collect hearts below 80% abv. Stop collecting hearts around 60%-65%. This will give you whiskey from a corn mash. Run tails to 15%-20% to use as feints on the next run.

...Once again... Read the parent site...

I think you will here this alot around here. It is good advise. I know you said you have read a few sites, but this is a must read site. Read it a few times. The more you read it, the more sense this stuff will make.

Best advice I ever got on this matter was from THM. He said use the right tool for the right job, if you want whiskey use a pot still.

Not that you can't build good whiskey with a reflux still, but it's a hell of a lot more futsin' around. pot stills are much easier when making flavoured spirits.

I agree Uncle Remus, rum, brandy and whiskey can be made in a reflux still, but it's really hard to get it exactly the way ya want. While a pot still does it right every time without any real effort.

You can read the book 'Making Pure Corn Whiskey' by Ian Smiley. He advocates making whiskey with a reflux still. He writes in his book that this whiskey is actually better than than from a pot still. Basically you just only reflux about 50% of the condensate, and collect the other 50%. Even if you don't agree that its better than pot stilled whiskey, its a really good book on distilling in general. You can buy it on Amazon.com for cheaper than directly from the publishers.

Cheers,
J

Ian Smiley ain't selling pot stills.

you can do it with a reflux, even a really good reflux, but you have to wait a long time for your cuts to get down to 80% where you can start collecting actual whisky.

my reflux was made for whisky. the highest proof i've ever gotten out of my copper reflux still is 86% ABV. i call that well-designed and specific for whiskies and brandies.

i have a smaller reflux still which is far more efficient and can kick out 92% ABV but it's not as fun.

Big J wrote:You can read the book 'Making Pure Corn Whiskey' by Ian Smiley. He advocates making whiskey with a reflux still. He writes in his book that this whiskey is actually better than than from a pot still. Basically you just only reflux about 50% of the condensate, and collect the other 50%. Even if you don't agree that its better than pot stilled whiskey, its a really good book on distilling in general. You can buy it on Amazon.com for cheaper than directly from the publishers.

Cheers,
J

Like I said I ain't saying it can't be done. I did make a gallon or 2 in my reflux still . (and I have Smiley's book BTW)

It's just a whole lot more f*****g around, with a lot more room for error doing it in a reflux, compared to a pot still.

I mean a reflux still basically just makes PURE ethanol. What if I just add 50% of whatever is left in the pot to the 95% distilled ethanol. So me thats the same thing. I mean all a reflux still is doing is seperating the ingredients you can always add in back in in similiar quantities. Nothing is changed in a reflux still when compared to a pot still. They both use heat to seperate liquids. the relux is just more efficient. If you were to add equal parts pure ethanol with equal parts put leftovers... You'd basically have made the same thing a pot still could make on the first run. You just may have to filter the end product more by using this method as there may be a few solids left.

The leftovers in your still contains all the higher boiling point stuff that you are trying to remove from the wort.

Fusel oils comes to mind.

You need to read some more on the parent site.

I make whiskey with a valved reflux still all the time after you get the hang of it . make good cuts take out about half your packing they really do well not saying anything againts pots I'm going to build one myself but you can make good whiskey rum or brandy with both.

Yes, with a valved - reflux you can take the packing out and run it with no reflux at all - you have a straight up and over distilation as in a pot still.


The only difference is that the condenser is above rather than below.
Use a little packing, turn reflux up a little and you have something like a multiple distilation in a pot still or adding a thumper to a pot still.

You haven't said whether or not you can vary the amount of reflux ... this is the thing. What type of still do you have? Is it valved? And/or can you vary the reflux by the efficiency(speed) of the condensing water through the column?

If you can cut your reflux down to around 50% you can probably do it with practice.

The addition of back fill to distilate is to entirely defete the object of what we are all trying to do here. Back - fill is to be added to your next wash NOT to your wiskey.

Don't forget that spirit is called spirit because we seperate the higher being from the body. We don't want any of the fermented, mortal remains up in heaven thank you, just their distilled memories.