Yield

[wpkluck]

There is a lot on yield, I was surprised there wasn't a separate topic about it. I'm new to the craft, but as an engineer, I'm intrigued by how easy this hobby is to get started, and how complex it will be to perfect (if ever!).

As an engineer, all we have is math, and practice. My math can be wrong, but as engineers, we always put it out there for review. Be kind, be brutal - I'm just having a great time with my new passion (and, of course, your mileage may vary...).

After a few initial runs (I'm surprised how good even these have been), I've now set the goal of putting up/aging 5 gallons of sour mash (using the UJSSM recipe). I'm mashing in now. One of the great benefits of this hobby is that there is plenty of time between process steps (runs), which we engineers typically use to learn and analyze. Here is the theory I'm going to be testing (some info from research, other from the results I got from my earlier runs):

1st ferment: My first wash appears to have produced 10% alcohol, and my 5 gallons now looks like 4 gallons (grain/mash tax? LOL!). So I figure I have .4 gal of actual alcohol in my still charge.

1st distillation (stripping run): I'm going to do a stripping run, without my thumper, and expect this 4 gal to produce 1.5 gal of 25% ABV (based on my previous runs). This first stripping run (all of it) goes into my next charge.

(Yes, this is my experience, but there is a great online calculator at https://americanhomedistillers.com/dist ... alculator/ which gives similar numbers.)

2nd ferment: After ferment, I add the 1.5 gal from the first (stripping) run, which should now be 5.5 gallons (the 4 gal from the second fermentation at 10%, plus the 1.5 gal from the 1st stripping run at 25% ABV).

2nd distillation: I'll now add my thumper (pushes my ABV to 35% avg for the run, up from the 25% I get without it). According to my math, the wash s/b about .75 gal of alc in 5.5 gal of wash, about 14% ABV. I should be able to get 2 gal of product. I'll cut 3 ways,

• 0.5 gal heads (180p - back into next charge)

• 1.0 gal hearts (140p - TRIPLE DISTILLED SOUR MASH! Into the collection bucket, for later aging!)

• 0.5 gal tails (100p - save for feints run).

3rd ferment: 4 gal at 10%, then add .5 gal at 90% (the previous heads) to the wash - s/b 4.5 gal at 19% ABV.

3rd distillation: (with thumper) - 4.5 gal at 19% s/b 2.5 gal of product:

• 0.6 gal heads (180p - back into next charge)

• 1.3 gal hearts (140p - TRIPLE DISTILLED SOUR MASH! Into the collection bucket, for later aging!)

• 0.6 gal tails (100p - save for feints run).

Whew! After 3 ferments, I now have 2.3 gal or so of triple-distilled sour mash (at 140p). One more 3 run cycle gets me to 5 gallons, which I can now get into my barrel for aging (I'm going to do this in parallel, not sequentially - 3 runs, at 1 week for each ferment, means 3 weeks. If I do 2 sets at the same time, it still just takes 3 weeks, instead of 6).

I think I'll temper down to 110 before aging (by adding 1.3 gal distilled water - yup, same calculator), then temper the rest down to 85p, by adding 0.4 gal distilled water, to give me about 1.7 gal of XXX!

That's my plan, based on a little research, a little practice, some more research, and some analysis. I'll keep you up-to-date on how it pans out (I'm sure the volumes will differ a bit, based on actual measurements!). Thanks for allowing me to share!

Quick facts - I have a 5 gallon pot still/thumper/condenser (all copper. I used 7# cracked corn and 7# sugar for my initial mash. Since this is a sour mash, I'm going to remove/re-add about 3# corn, and another 7# sugar (and 1.5 gallons of backset) to my wort. For this first set of 3 stripping runs, this means 17# corn, 21# sugar.

[Deplorable]

I hope when you use the term collection bucket for storage of distillate to be aged, you really mean glass or SS.
Don't store distillate in plastic.
A general rule of thumb around here is that your fermenter should be 3X the capacity of your boiler this gets you 3 stripping runs to produce enough low wines for a full boiler charge spirit run.
You should look at a 20 gallon brute HDPE garbage can or the like.
I predict you be looking to build a bigger still before too long if you're wanting to fill barrels for aging.
Enjoy the craft, and be safe.

[wpkluck]

I should have posted my starting SG on my mash, it was 1.064 (same on my second bucket, that seems normal for 5 gal water and 7# sugar). It’s been 5 days, and my first mash is at 1.03. Seems slow, but I have time! It’s still bubbling, so no worries.

[Setsumi]

I hope when you use the term collection bucket for storage of distillate to be aged, you really mean glass or SS.
Don't store distillate in plastic.
A general rule of thumb around here is that your fermenter should be 3X the capacity of your boiler this gets you 3 stripping runs to produce enough low wines for a full boiler charge spirit run.
You should look at a 20 gallon brute HDPE garbage can or the like.
I predict you be looking to build a bigger still before too long if you're wanting to fill barrels for aging.
Enjoy the craft, and be safe.

yip and YIP on bigger still

[Berserk]

Interesting theory wpkluck!
I would be hesitant to call it triple distilled since some of it is only distilled once, but I think it can make you a good drop nonetheless! I'm curious as to why you chose to do multiple spirit runs rather than the classic 3 strips then a spirit run.

I found some flaws in your procedure though, it has mostly to do with the ABV of the different cuts.
In your 2nd distillation the wash should contain 0.75 gallons of pure ethanol. You expect to get 0.5 gallons of 90% ABV, 1 gallon of 70% ABV and 0.5 gallons of 50% ABV out of it which sums up to 1.4 gallons of pure ethanol (0.5*0.9+1*0.7+0.5*0.5).
As you know 0.75 gallons pure ethanol in and 1.4 gallons pure ethanol out is impossible, so some numbers in there are off.

On a related note I think your expected concentrations for the cuts are a bit high. Pulling heads at 90% running a 14% wash on a pot still with a thumper sounds improbable to me. When I've run a low wine + wash mix at around ~20% the heads hit 78% max.

I think you might find this thread interesting, it's a fellow engineer who's made an excel model modelling thumper runs and expected output etc: Hail the mighty thumper

Best of luck!

[NZChris]

Just because you have a thumper doesn't mean you have to use it. All of my UJSSM has been stripped and spirit run without using a thumper and I only ever had to dilute with water when I was a newbie at making it and was stopping the stripping runs far too early.

[wpkluck]

I would be hesitant to call it triple distilled since some of it is only distilled once, but I think it can make you a good drop nonetheless! I'm curious as to why you chose to do multiple spirit runs rather than the classic 3 strips then a spirit run.

Triple distilled, because the first distillation (without the thumper) is all put back into the 2nd distillation (with the thumper). That's the XXX.

As you know 0.75 gallons pure ethanol in and 1.4 gallons pure ethanol out is impossible...

Only possible, since the entire first distillate is put back into the second distillation, added to the second wash after ferment...

[jonnys_spirit]

A thumper is more like 0.5 distillation in practice not a double distillation and it depends on what you put in there.

Adding low wines to your "wash" for a spirit run is commonly referred to as a 1.5 run.

A double distillation would typically be the recommended protocol and would consist of combining the low wines (30-40%ABV) from 3-4 strips for a dedicated spirit run (second distillation).. Stripping to low wines generally takes all the alcohol fast and hard but you might be able to vary your LW ABV between 25-40% depending on what you want the hearts cut ABV of your spirit run to end up as... Adding feints cuts from prior runs might be a variable in this process as well...

A 1.5 run is common if you might want to rush it a little and a full double distillation protocol is pretty standard for good pot stilled product. With a 1.5 run there are inherent variables too that can be manipulated based on what you want to do. eg; ABV of stripped component, volume ratio of wash/low-wines, addition of a feints cut, speed and cuts of stripping run low wines, etc..

All that said - experimentation is always fun and often leads to good product.

Triple distilled get's a little deeper with the options and variables but the same general approaches can be implemented depending on the protocol you might want to implement for a particular end product...

Cheers!
-jonny

[wpkluck]

Also, since all of the product is going thru the still a 3rd time (as I stated) in a later spirit run, it will all be triple-distilled, no question (most more than that!).

[Berserk]

As you know 0.75 gallons pure ethanol in and 1.4 gallons pure ethanol out is impossible...

Only possible, since the entire first distillate is put back into the second distillation, added to the second wash after ferment...

Lets review your initial post, feel free to correct me where I'm wrong.
My notes are in red.

1st ferment: My first wash appears to have produced 10% alcohol, and my 5 gallons now looks like 4 gallons (grain/mash tax? LOL!). So I figure I have .4 gal of actual alcohol in my still charge.
4 gallons of 10% = 0.4 gallons of theoretically pure ethanol, so far so good.

2nd ferment: After ferment, I add the 1.5 gal from the first (stripping) run, which should now be 5.5 gallons (the 4 gal from the second fermentation at 10%, plus the 1.5 gal from the 1st stripping run at 25% ABV).
Second fermentation, another 0.4 gallons of pure ethanol.

2nd distillation: I'll now add my thumper (pushes my ABV to 35% avg for the run, up from the 25% I get without it). According to my math, the wash s/b about .75 gal of alc in 5.5 gal of wash, about 14% ABV.
5.5 * 0.14 ~= 0.75 gal pure ethanol, sounds reasonable and below the 0.4 + 0.4 = 0.8 maximum theoretical yield.

I should be able to get 2 gal of product. I'll cut 3 ways,

• 0.5 gal heads (180p - back into next charge)

• 1.0 gal hearts (140p - TRIPLE DISTILLED SOUR MASH! Into the collection bucket, for later aging!)

• 0.5 gal tails (100p - save for feints run).

Suddenly there's 1.4 gallons of pure ethanol.

Unless there's something I've completely misunderstood you have two fermentations of 4 gallons with 10% ABV, which gives you a maximum yield of 0.8 gallons of pure ethanol. I think you've added them together and then doubled it by mistake.

Feel free to correct me if I'm in the wrong.

[Saltbush Bill]

4 gallons of 10% = 0.4 gallons of theoretically pure ethanol, so far so good.

That 10% is not all ethanol......its a mix of many different alcohols.

[Berserk]

4 gallons of 10% = 0.4 gallons of theoretically pure ethanol, so far so good.

That 10% is not all ethanol......its a mix of many different alcohols.

Right, of course. Sloppy wording on my part there.

[wpkluck]

A thumper is more like 0.5 distillation in practice not a double distillation and it depends on what you put in there.

Adding low wines to your "wash" for a spirit run is commonly referred to as a 1.5 run.

Commonly? I can't find any data (sure, some people say it), to support that. What really is distilling? Evaporating a liquid substance, and condensing it. Certainly the pot still does that, AND the thumper, additionally, does that.

Why would a thumper be considered 1.5? Is it because there is an additive? The pot often has an additive (in fact, many mashes have corn merely for flavoring, which is why we add so much sugar - so that's additive) (often, heads from a previous run are added) (sometimes, a gin basket setup is added to the pot). The thumper acts somewhat like a double-boiler, in that it can get up to heat, without any direct heat. No one would say something coming out of a double-boiler was only "1.5 boiled".

The thump keg takes a liquid, and evaporates it, sending it along to the condenser. A full distillation, period. The fact that it increases the %ABV would seem to validate this, as not only does it evap, but it keeps a bit of the unwanted materials behind.

Thoughts?

[wpkluck]

I should be able to get 2 gal of product. I'll cut 3 ways,

• 0.5 gal heads (180p - back into next charge)

• 1.0 gal hearts (140p - TRIPLE DISTILLED SOUR MASH! Into the collection bucket, for later aging!)

• 0.5 gal tails (100p - save for feints run).

Suddenly there's 1.4 gallons of pure ethanol.

Actually, 'pure ethanol' isn't the only mistake. I said I'm going to distill 5.5 gal of product, down to about 2 gallons. 1 gal will be heads/tails, leaving me the other 1.0 gallons, of pretty high proof stuff. I'll add .4 gal of distilled water to get it to the proof I like.

(Oh, that water isn't triple-distilled, is that what you're talking about? LOL!).

[Berserk]

I should be able to get 2 gal of product. I'll cut 3 ways,

• 0.5 gal heads (180p - back into next charge)

• 1.0 gal hearts (140p - TRIPLE DISTILLED SOUR MASH! Into the collection bucket, for later aging!)

• 0.5 gal tails (100p - save for feints run).

Suddenly there's 1.4 gallons of pure ethanol.

Actually, 'pure ethanol' isn't the only mistake. I said I'm going to distill 5.5 gal of product, down to about 2 gallons. 1 gal will be heads/tails, leaving me the other 1.0 gallons, of pretty high proof stuff. I'll add .4 gal of distilled water to get it to the proof I like.

(Oh, that water isn't triple-distilled, is that what you're talking about? LOL!).

Alright, what do you expect the average ABV of those 2 gallons to be?

[wpkluck]

Hard for me to know. I'd guess, but you seem rather critical of what I post, so I'll wait to post my results instead. I got my second batch mashing now, started at 1.064. Care to take a shot at that?

[Saltbush Bill]

Yield is subjective and very variable.
Wash type / grain / sugar/ molasses/ fruit......types of grain, types of fruit.....fermentation temps.....PH of washes.....how far into a strip you go....whats left in the pot......final wash abv......cuts and how they are made .....all of these things and many many other factors, all vary from person to person ...still to still...wash to wash.
There is a saying here that you will come across in many posts, it has been around for a long time and is used by many of the older and more experienced distillers.
"You will get what you get"

[wpkluck]

Like a box of chocolates...

[Saltbush Bill]

Once you have done the same wash or mash many times over, distilled it, made cuts.....then you will have yield figures.
When you move onto something different they will likely be different again.

[jonnys_spirit]

A thumper is more like 0.5 distillation in practice not a double distillation and it depends on what you put in there.

Adding low wines to your "wash" for a spirit run is commonly referred to as a 1.5 run.

Commonly? I can't find any data (sure, some people say it), to support that. What really is distilling? Evaporating a liquid substance, and condensing it. Certainly the pot still does that, AND the thumper, additionally, does that.

Why would a thumper be considered 1.5? Is it because there is an additive? The pot often has an additive (in fact, many mashes have corn merely for flavoring, which is why we add so much sugar - so that's additive) (often, heads from a previous run are added) (sometimes, a gin basket setup is added to the pot). The thumper acts somewhat like a double-boiler, in that it can get up to heat, without any direct heat. No one would say something coming out of a double-boiler was only "1.5 boiled".

The thump keg takes a liquid, and evaporates it, sending it along to the condenser. A full distillation, period. The fact that it increases the %ABV would seem to validate this, as not only does it evap, but it keeps a bit of the unwanted materials behind.

Thoughts?

Re: Thumper.

It matters what ABV you charge it with and what ABV you’re main boiler is charged with. Boiling (and therefore condensing) points are determined by the ABV - which is a moving target as the alcohol is depleted in the boiler or raised to the vapor point in the thumper (depending on what it’s charged with). A state of stasis or equilibrium is fleeting as the run progresses. As alcohol vapors of certain temps arrive into the thumper higher alcohols will vaporize or pass on through depending on the temp (ABV) of the thumper contents at that point in the run - “once up to temp”.

A double distillation protocol in contrast in that the vapors are all evaporated then condensed once in a strip run and again in a spirit run. It’s still a moving target with regard to boiler temp (ABV), vapor temp (ABV), and output ABV.

Try several runs both ways and take notes on the process and final products?

Cheers,
-jonny

[Berserk]

Hard for me to know. I'd guess, but you seem rather critical of what I post, so I'll wait to post my results instead. I got my second batch mashing now, started at 1.064. Care to take a shot at that?

Well, if a fellow engineer put their math out for review, what else can I do but review it?

Sure, I'll venture a guess.
First fermentation: 4 gallons of 10% ABV. Contains 0.4 gallons of 100% ABV alcohol max.
Second fermentation: 4 gallons of ~9% if it finishes dry. Contains 0.36 gallons of 100% ABV alcohol max.

If you strip the first and add to the second, then do a spirit run with the two and take off 2 gallons the average ABV of those 2 gallons will be max 38%. It's quite simple math, you have 0.76 gallons of 100% ABV in your mash/low wines mix and you take off 2 gallons. If you got all the alcohol out the average is 0.76 / 2 = 0.38 = 38% ABV.

But, as Saltbush Bill said: you get what you get.

Good luck with your endeavour, let us know how it pans out.

[Tummydoc]

Volume is a goal of many of us early in our hobby. Once your drinking and aging stores build up (for me that was 3 seasons and eventually a keg boiler) then you can be less forgiving in your cuts. Yield no longer becomes a measure of volume, but a measure of quality. Having a larger boiler and willingness to discard more alcohol will do wonders for quality. I no longer care about volume, you get what you get!

[wpkluck]

Well, if a fellow engineer put their math out for review, what else can I do but review it?

Sure, I'll venture a guess.

The engineer in me won't allow me to guess. I take the facts I have, and the experiences I've lived, to build an analysis. You seem to be making up facts to support your guess.

What I WROTE was that I'm doing 3 stripping runs (not 2), THEN a SPIRIT run. So while your math may work, your 9% dry theory is only based on YOUR experience, and since you ignored 1/3 of the facts (the 3rd fermentation), your results, while they may work out on paper, don't relate to the issue at hand.

More facts coming in: The first ferment bucket seems close to being done. I've kept the temp of both buckets between 75-85dF, and the first bucket is measuring only 1.024. Kinda low, so I'll let it ride until the second bucket is done fermenting (there does seem to be few bubbles now and then, it may just be settling). The second bucket is bubbling away!

[wpkluck]

Volume is a goal of many of us early in our hobby. Once your drinking and aging stores build up (for me that was 3 seasons and eventually a keg boiler) then you can be less forgiving in your cuts. Yield no longer becomes a measure of volume, but a measure of quality. Having a larger boiler and willingness to discard more alcohol will do wonders for quality. I no longer care about volume, you get what you get!

Tummy - the reason I'm thinking about volume is so I can plan a full charge for my UJSSM spirit run. The first several (single run, double-distilled) batches I ran seemed to turn out fine (aged well, very flavorful), I didn't worry (too much) about volume.

Batch1: I got 9 jars total from a ~4 gal charge, a bit more than a gallon of total product. About 25% heads (>150p), 50 hearts (>100p), 25 tails (<100p). None of it tasted nasty, so I dumped it all together (probably not the best move!) and tempered (since I was going to age it, still another 'not so great' move). But I tempered with oak stick, and later in a barrel, for 130 days. I'm actually happy with the finished product, especially since I know it will only get better from there.

Batch2: Similar result volume/cut wise, better flavor still. This batch, I kept out the hearts/tails (to be used later), and focused on the hearts, 5 jars between 150p and 100p. Aging some, sipping some.

Batch3: I'm getting fairly consistent volumes, and better at distinguishing heads/hearts/tails by flavor, as opposed to P-measure. This one is an all-corn recipe, and I'm liking it! Again, saving the heads/tails for mixing later. Still aging some, and, of course, sipping some.

[still_stirrin]

Batch2: Similar result volume/cut wise, better flavor still. This batch, I kept out the hearts/tails (to be used later), and focused on the hearts, 5 jars between 150p and 100p. Aging some, sipping some.

Can you clarify what you mean here? Were the tails discarded? Were the heads put into the feints? Did you blend the hearts with the tails?

It is confusing what you’re writing versus what you’re meaning. Perhaps you can help us understand better rather than get defensive with your actions.
ss

[Berserk]

Well, if a fellow engineer put their math out for review, what else can I do but review it?

Sure, I'll venture a guess.

The engineer in me won't allow me to guess. I take the facts I have, and the experiences I've lived, to build an analysis. You seem to be making up facts to support your guess.

What I WROTE was that I'm doing 3 stripping runs (not 2), THEN a SPIRIT run. So while your math may work, your 9% dry theory is only based on YOUR experience, and since you ignored 1/3 of the facts (the 3rd fermentation), your results, while they may work out on paper, don't relate to the issue at hand.

Cool. Judging by your initial posts it seems like you're doing one (1) stripping run and two (2) spirit runs per cycle.

1st distillation (stripping run): ...
2nd distillation: I'll cut 3 ways,

• 0.5 gal heads (180p - back into next charge)

• 1.0 gal hearts (140p - TRIPLE DISTILLED SOUR MASH! Into the collection bucket, for later aging!)

• 0.5 gal tails (100p - save for feints run).

3rd distillation: (with thumper) - 4.5 gal at 19% s/b 2.5 gal of product:

• 0.6 gal heads (180p - back into next charge)

• 1.3 gal hearts (140p - TRIPLE DISTILLED SOUR MASH! Into the collection bucket, for later aging!)

• 0.6 gal tails (100p - save for feints run).

Generally when cuts are done on a run it's what is called a spirit run.
As far as I can tell this is done on two out of the three runs you describe, but I have apparently totally misunderstood what you were actually trying to get across.

Anyhoo, you do you. I was just trying to help you by reviewing your process and give you some friendly pointers.
I won't be doing that mistake again.

[wpkluck]

Cool. Judging by your initial posts it seems like you're doing one (1) stripping run and two (2) spirit runs per cycle.

Generally when cuts are done on a run it's what is called a spirit run.
As far as I can tell this is done on two out of the three runs you describe, but I have apparently totally misunderstood what you were actually trying to get across.

I've seen many people discuss doing cuts on a stripping run. When you say 'generally', you're (not so subtly) telling me that your experience trumps mine, implying I should just believe your assertions. It's a big universe, and 'generally' don't cut it.

I was pretty clear that I was doing 3 stripping runs, then a spirit run, once I had enough charge for my still. Your assumptions seemed to get in the way of the facts I presented.

Anyhoo, you do you. I was just trying to help you by reviewing your process and give you some friendly pointers.
I won't be doing that mistake again.

Don't get all disjointed. I invited review, not criticism (the difference merely being the tone). You started out asserting I was wrong in my assumptions, and even my facts. This clearly hit a nerve. Then you went on with your own set of assumptions, which you positioned as fact. Just something to consider for the future. If you want someone to listen, try to help, not lecture. A simple, "Have you considered..." may have prevented any misunderstanding, on both ends.

Good luck to ya!

[wpkluck]

Batch2: Similar result volume/cut wise, better flavor still. This batch, I kept out the hearts/tails (to be used later), and focused on the hearts, 5 jars between 150p and 100p. Aging some, sipping some.

Can you clarify what you mean here? Were the tails discarded? Were the heads put into the feints? Did you blend the hearts with the tails?

It is confusing what you’re writing versus what you’re meaning. Perhaps you can help us understand better rather than get defensive with your actions.
ss

My mistake, I meant to write "HEADS/tails" (to be used later). That should make it clearer that I'm using the tails in a FEINTS run later (I think i said that somewhere) and the heads in future washes. One word makes a big difference! Does that make more sense?

[jonnys_spirit]

I'll also admit that it's hard to follow what you're doing. Based n the OP it looks like you stripped one charge then mixed those low wines with fresh wash and did a spirit run (this would be a 1.5 run)... Third run looks like you mixed heads in some fashion and did another spirit run...

An efficient approach you might like to try is to size your ferments somewhere around 3-4x the size of your boiler so your fermenting efforts are only done once per double distilled batch.

From that ferment (to about 10%ABV'ish wash/beer/etc) you charge your still three to four times and do the three to four stripping runs - Collecting the low wines from each strip and reserve them for a spirit run.

3-4 strips should yield enough low wines in the range of 30-40%ABV to charge the still for your spirit run... Full charge of low wines for the spirit run which you collect in fractions then blend for your so-called "cuts".

In a double distillation protocol that's the process you would follow. This protocol is straightforward and yields excellent results in terms of working efficiently, maximizing output, and providing adequate and consistent fractions for deciding on quality cut points. Here it is with some reference numbers in a 15 gallon pot still -

- Fermenter is a 50 gallon Blue HDPE Barrel. Mash and ferment your grains following large batch protocol - Estimated for about 8-10%ABV. Siphon & Squeeze - Clear if desired. Divide the beer up into 3-4 portions. You'll want some headroom in the boiler for potential puking on a strip.

- Strip#1 Fill the boiler up between 2/3-3/4 full of beer and run strip till you get close to 0%ABV off the spout. Should get about 3-4 gallons of low wines in the 30-40%ABV range. Reserve the resulting low wines to the side.

- Strip#2 Fill the boiler up between 2/3-3/4 full of beer and run strip till you get close to 0%ABV off the spout. Should get about 3-4 gallons of low wines in the 30-40%ABV range. Reserve the resulting low wines to the side with your low wines from strip #1.

- Strip#3 Fill the boiler up between 2/3-3/4 full of beer and run strip till you get close to 0%ABV off the spout. Should get about 3-4 gallons of low wines in the 30-40%ABV range. Reserve the resulting low wines to the side with your low wines from strip #1 & strip #2.

- Strip#4 same as others if you have any beer left.

- Spirit Run (second distillation) charge your boiler with all the low wines - Collect fores low and slow - increase power to get a pencil lead sized broken stream and collect the run in 20-30 fractions (aka jars) labeled with numbers. Air out the fractions and blend your cuts.

*** You may choose to takes a fores cut on a strip run, a spirit run, or both..

- When I charge my boiler with 12-15 gallons of low wines @ 35-40%ABV i'll get maybe 2.5-3 gallons of barrel cut @ about 120-130 proof. Not sure exactly how much feints but that's been fairly consistent depending on the various recipe's and how I choose my cuts..


There are of course numerous "romanticized variations" like a 1.5 run where you might blend wash and low wines for a fractioned out spirit run, triple distillation which has many options, choosing and recycling feints cuts, or adding a thumper and choosing what to charge it with - all adding more potential variables - none of which are a bad thing either.

Add a packed reflux or plated column to the boiler and you might make other decisions too?

Cheers and best luck!
-jonny

[wpkluck]

I'll also admit that it's hard to follow what you're doing. Based n the OP it looks like you stripped one charge then mixed those low wines with fresh wash and did a spirit run (this would be a 1.5 run)... Third run looks like you mixed heads in some fashion and did another spirit run...

Thanks for the advice. What you're describing is exactly what I'm doing (going to do, remember, it is the process I intend to do). So I don't see how hard it is, if you got it right off the bat!

Like most of us, I'm using the equipment I have. Yes, larger ferment vessels would be nice, but I'm just looking at this run. Perhaps I'll upgrade later...

So the last thing is this discussion around a thumper being only .5 distilled. Physically, this makes no sense. What is being distilled here is a distilled product, giving another distillation. I suppose you could say that the thumper really SHOULD be gaining liquid, to be considered a full distillation. I'm really not interested in opinion here, what is the basis? I just don't see any physical difference, based on what I've explained (again, no sense commenting on what others are putting in their thumper, I'm putting feints).

Thanks!