These Cuts Are Tricky!

[Wiz of Oz]

Well I ran my spirit run consisting of 4 stripped 25L rum washes. Estimated I had close to 30 liters in my boiler and they were 30% abv. It took my almost 10 hours from first drip to shutting it down at around 20%abv, I may have ran it a little slow but it was constantly a fast drip or thin barely broken stream so I just let it do it's thing. I collected in small vessels of approx 200ml each and collected 49 jars in total not including the 750ml of fores I took.

This time for cuts i decided to taste and smell everything before checking abv after letting the sit for 24hrs and here is what I came up with. Jars 1-3 were very obvious rough and burny, Jar 4 started to smell better but still a little harsh, by Jar 6 I liked the taste and smell but it was quite warm in the mouth after spitting it out but not while it was in my mouth so I tested the abv on Jar 6 and it came in at 81%abv so I was thinking of playing safe and cutting it at Jar 7 and starting my keepers at Jar 8 which I didnt feel the warmth so much and it tested at 80%abv.

As for the tails I find them much easier to find as they start to cloud up a bit and get some fussel/oils on the top, jar 37 had a few floaties on top but tasted ok but I dont like floaties so went back to jar 36 as my cut and it is around 58%abv.

Any feedback would be great and I 'm wondering if I'm leaving too much heads in as I find that cut very difficult. Last think I want is a raging hangover!

Cheers!

[jedneck]

I take a tablespoon of likker in a shot glass and fill with water. Really water it down for cuts cause at high proof I find it numbs the taste buds.

[skow69]

+1. I use a teaspoon of product with a tablespoon of water. I tend to hold the heads cut untill the bite disapppears completely. yield suffers, butmy whiskey is so smooth and sweet that nobody wants mixer.

[S-Cackalacky]

+1 on everything above. You did well by collecting in small amounts. Diluting is also important. I kind of balked at that when I first started out - thinking that it was best to taste at the proof I wanted to drink it. But, as Jed says, it'll numb your taste buds after a few sips. Like you, I also have a problem determining the heads to hearts cut, but it's getting easier with practice.

Sounds like you're finding your way very well. Good luck and stay safe.

[T-Pee]

Considering the amount that you distilled I think you could've gotten away with keeping Jar 6 but that's me. Like the rest told you, dilute to <40% for tasting and you won't get misled by the high ABV burnout. Otherwise, nice job!

tp

[shadylane]

Cuts aren't tricky, All you need is a time machine and/or experience.
The problem I have is, not enough experience and if I had a time machine, I'd have better use for it.
Back to making cuts. In the beginning, start in the middle and drink your way to each end.
Next time, you will have a better idea what each fraction taste's like.

[Sling_Blade]

good info in thread. I have only made to 4 gallon runs myself and collected in quart jars. I have a wash fermenting right now and plan on making my cuts in pint jars this time.

[rad14701]

good info in thread. I have only made to 4 gallon runs myself and collected in quart jars. I have a wash fermenting right now and plan on making my cuts in pint jars this time.

You'll be better off collecting 4 - 8 ounces per jar with a 4 gallon boiler charge... You want a minimum of 10 - 12 jars, and more is better... I collect in 4oz/125ml baby food jars up to 4 gallons and then bump up to 8oz/250ml for larger boiler charges...

[Wiz of Oz]

Thats good to know Rad, thanks

[NZChris]

You also have to think about the end use. Tight cuts for young white dog or nuked, wide cuts for ageing.

[WooTeck]

this is all good advice for me. my blends have been a bit . i have come to the conclusion that its probably because i only run it once.

[whiskymonster]

I personally use different sizes jars.
I have 10 old olive jars of about 140ml, and a whole bunch of cheap jam jars at about 350.
I use a bigger jar first, as I know I don't want that first pint out for anything but BBQ lighter fuel, then switch to the little ones.
Once I have filled the little jars, I know I am into the hearts and the larger jars aren't a problem.
I can usually smell the tails straight outta the still, so I'll collect one or two more jars and just cut straight to the feints jug.
The other thing that never occurred to me until a few months ago is that you don't have to fill the jars all the way up!
Even if you have pint or quart jars, just fill em part way until you are sure you are into the good stuff.
Sounds stupid, but we all get a bit simple at times yes?
Cuts are much easier once I have tried a recipe a few times an know roughly where they are gonna be in advance. Just make sure the small jars are somewhere around that point

[T-Pee]

I used to hit the tails then just start dumping them into a 2L Mason for the finish until I realized that there could be some good stuff for blending in some of the tails.

tp

[S-Cackalacky]

I keep the small jars going all the way through the tails and sometimes collect as low as 10%. I've been reading that there is good blending flavor in the late tails after the fussels have passed. Wondering if it would be a good idea to save some of the late tails separately for diluting after the aging process, or for diluting to aging ABV.

[blueduck]

has far as heads go. when I do my cuts now,any thing that still has that rich buttery smell go to the i'm out of liter fluid jar. then I cut each 1/2 pint jar to 50% and let it sit for 1 day. I begin tasting from the middle jar outward going to the tails side first because I think the start of the tails is harder to taste then the burn of the heads. The only thing I think Im doing wrong now is not going deep enough in to the tails but that gets rerun any. hope this helps

I had to edit this. all of the above happens after a 24 hr air out with coffee filters on top

[Justafarmer]

I have trouble with the heads cut, but the tails cut is a lot easier. I can taste the "off" flavor of the tails a lot better than I can tell when the heads end. I thought maybe I was running too fast and getting too much head smear, so I ran my last wash slower, at only a fast drip, rather than the broken stream I'd been running. That didn't matter. Still having trouble where to make the cut. I collect 200 mls at the time, but I use all different size jars. I just don't fill them up. I have been tasti g at too high proof, evidently. I'm gonna try this latest run again at a much lower proof and see if that helps. I'm running a simple pot still, so my collected ABV is a lot lower than the OPs. Mine start around 135 proof and I collect down to below 80 in small amounts, then down to 10-15 % in bigger jars to add to the feints collection.

[Wiz of Oz]

All the feedback is great everyone, thanks so much! Hey Justafarmer, I'm running a simple pot still too, 50 liter boiler, 2" column and a 36" liebig (3/4 over 1/2) running on a propane burner, my super early heads were coming over at 176 proof.

I plan on keeping my rum white as its a pretty light rum. Would it be best to dilute to 40% now or wait till drinking? I plan on putting it in glass and airing it out on a regular basis.

Once again thanks to everyone!

[shadylane]

A friend of mine lets his cuts jars sit and breath for a couple of days before sampling and blending.
The first fractions with the highest proof gets to breath the most.
The tails only have the jar shaken and the lid taken off for a moment.
I don't do it this way, but he sometimes makes better shine than I do.

[MichiganCornhusker]

A friend of mine lets his cuts jars sit and breath for a couple of days before sampling and blending.

+1 for airing out, makes a big difference to me when making cuts, especially with heads.

[raven_r_one]

After running out of jars when collecting in 100 ml increments, I collect in 200ml increments and usually have 40+ jars to cut from.

From a noob to a noob - sounds about right!

I taste via a few drops in a demitasse spoon during the spirit run, then as others suggest some ratio of spirit to water to make my decision.

I use mason jars and coffee filters (remove the metal disk and screw the lid over the coffee filter) 24-48 hours before cutting.

I label all the jars and keep a notebook handy with copious notes on my thoughts on each jar sampled.

Then I let everything sit overnight and then blend the next day.

[SoMo]

Cuts are as hard or easy as you make them. Heads are like tails you can smell them, and certainly can taste them. You've gotta find what your senses tell you all of them, using the hands method rubbing and sniffing heads jump out at you.

[Wiz of Oz]

Raven, you and are are very similar then,I collect in the mason jars with coffee filter screwed on and it works great. I left this stuff for almost 48 hours as well. I am keeping a notebook and taking notes as I go along. I'm very happy with how things have worked out so far. Just hope the end result tastes great in a couple of months. Time will tell if I can wait that long though.

SoMo-what am i looking for with the hands rubbing? I've read about but not sure what I am looking for when it comes to heads, hearts cut though

[T-Pee]

I also collect in pint jars at 250ml at a time but I just throw a dish towel over the jars while they air out.

Stop coffee filter abuse!!

tp (member of Coffee Filters Anonymous)

[MichiganCornhusker]

I just throw a dish towel over the jars while they air out.

or a T-shirt

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

Or the missus underwear. lol

[Wiz of Oz]

Hmm this list is endless LOL!

[rager]

Or the missus underwear. lol

only if you take it off of her, no fun/to easy just to go thru her drawer

[NZChris]

If you don't have enough small jars, no problem. Just use them for where you think you might want to cut. While you're obviously into hearts, use big jars.

If you're intending long term ageing, you can get away with a lot more and can relax a bit. Time will mellow the nasties. My last UJSSM, there was no hurry for, so I took the heads off on the fly, then ran one container to my desired barrel strength. It's only been a couple of months of oaking and aging in a loosely corked jar and the funk ain't funky no mo and is becoming good flavor.

[Wiz of Oz]

Hey NZChris good to know and it makes sense once you think about, I am keeping mine white and plan to just put into glass and aerate periodically so we will see how it is in a bit of time

[NZChris]

I just had a taste of white dog from that run and it is very nice. Cardboard has disappeared. No fusel.

In glass, loosely corked.