Page 1 of 1
Leftovers
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:48 am
by AkCoyote
Whenever I distill, I usually have leftovers. If it's a reflux run there's the heads and the tails. I double distill in the pot still so I have the foreshots, heads and tails.
Over the past year I've accumulated about a gallon of foreshots and 5 gallons of heads and tails. This is from grain, rice, sugar and grapes.
My reflux still gives me roughly 91-92% purity. Any suggestions on the best way to run and process all of the leftovers?
AkCoyote
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 12:17 pm
by linw
How about keeping it simple and just chuck everything into the boiler and use the reflux column on it????
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:01 pm
by Grayson_Stewart
Hey Ak,
Linw is right, just run everything through the reflux column...thats what I do.
You'll be surprised how much you get back out of that 5 gallons. I'd suspect there is at least 1.5 gallons comparable to the sweetest middle cut you've gotten in the past.
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:56 pm
by AkCoyote
That's what I was thinking. Just run everything. I'm curious to see how much will be foreshots.
AkCoyote
rerun
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 5:06 pm
by DBM
I would'nt rerun the forshots, just the heads and tails. Use the forshots as a cleaning fluid or something, you went through a lot of trouble and expense getting them out, don't put'um back in.
Re: rerun
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 7:07 am
by Guest
DBM wrote:I would'nt rerun the forshots, just the heads and tails. Use the forshots as a cleaning fluid or something, you went through a lot of trouble and expense getting them out, don't put'um back in.
I agree...i wouldn't put the foreshots in...just the heads and tails.
Heads & tails
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 10:49 am
by DBM
AK;
I usually mix my heads and tail in with my next run, that way you are carrying over on heads and tails from one run.
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 12:09 pm
by Grayson_Stewart
Foreshots are suppose to be around 0.0067% or less of the volume of a grain a run so I wouldn't worry about it. If you are worried, toss out the foreshots every four or five runs and forget about it.
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 4:19 pm
by knuklehead
@AK, I don't rerun the foreshots but I collect the heads and tails to do a reflux run. Make sure you get up early because because its going to be a long day
. The last time I did it I had 12 liters at 40%. My still ran for 15 hours collecting at 95-94% till I was finally done. On the bright side I had a lot of stock for over the holidays.
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:59 pm
by Pieterpost
yeah I also have the same experience as knuklehaed here. It's takes a long time to collect 94-95% though a reflux still.......
However if you would also be satisfied with a lower percentage (lets say 92-93) this greatly speeds up the process ..........
Also don't forget to add some sodiumbicarbonate. I have noticed that a lot of off-flavours are getten don't get through when you add it!