Is this correct??

[Sonofodin]

Hey chaps and chapesses. OK so am running my first single malt whiskey spirit run. 28 litres or so of low wines at 40% abv with a couple litres of backset on top of that. Have been running low and slow as advised, been going since 10am and it's now 16.44 hrs, still is up to 86.5 c at point of no return on column and am currently up to around 3 litres distillate (excluding fores). I am using an abv refractometer to keep tabs on the whiskey as each jar comes out and am still at approx 90% abv! Is this normal?? I'm concerned that I've done something horribly wrong. The rate distillate is coming off still is now a steady broken stream. I was led to believe pots can't produce 90% other than fores. I promise I'm not mixing up proof and abv either. It's all coming off beautiful and clear and def starting to change flavour profile but only minimally. Can provide photos if need be. Oh its a 50l keg pot still with liebig. Thanks guys.

[Expat]

Sounds like you're running a lot slower than I would, 16 some hours on a keg still and not even done is intolerable. Remember you're making a whisky (and not a neutral) you will want some of the fractions on heads and tails tails side of the middle hearts to include in your blending. Full spirit run for me on my 15g boiler, including stripping the tails down is about 11 hours.

As to the ABV, it sounds like your boiler fill might have been a bit more than 40%, which would raise the potential output.

[StillerBoy]

I was led to believe pots can't produce 90% other than fores. I

Pot setup can produce 90%+.. providing the boiler load is at the 45 - 50% abv level..

So if you are getting 90% abv, your boiler load was not at 40%..

As to taking 6 hrs and still going strong on a 28L run, you are distilling it way to slow..

Mars

[Sonofodin]

Cheers Mars, I think it's time I got an alcometer, the refractometer might be throwing some strange readings, more so on my low wine strength, shit I know above 40% is dangerous so inclined to keep running slow for safety sake, guess its done when it's done. I have increased output slightly with my scr, 300ml now taking about 20 mins.

[Sonofodin]

Oh hey expat, yeah I'll be honest am getting a tad frustrated now! I agree with you about my low wines, what a stupid mistake. Def a steep learning curve! Thanks for your input mate.

[Sonofodin]

Oh and sorry when I said 16.44 hrs I meant 4.44pm so not that long!!

[Expat]

So basically 9 hours, crank up the pace a bit more and remember don't rely on the thermometer or refrac to make your decisions, keep checking the taste, smell and feel to figure out where you want to stop collecting.

[Sonofodin]

I'm on it expat, distillate coming out only slightly warm (obviously increased condenser flow) but seeing an abv drop! Amen!

[Butch27]

I'm on it expat, distillate coming out only slightly warm (obviously increased condenser flow) but seeing an abv drop! Amen!

Cooler distillate will mean denser distillate and therefore the ABV will appear to drop. All ABV readings need to be temp corrected.

[Sonofodin]

True that butch27 will get the old thermometer out.

[Twisted Brick]

Congrats on completing your first single malt run.There's nothing like making a run to learn the ropes and get one step closer to your goal.

For a spirit intended to be aged on oak, it is preferable to cause distillate takeoff at a lower ABV than higher. Doing so translates to less proofing water down the line, preserving your hard-earned grain flavors. Running deeper into the strip can produce ABV of total low wines closer to, and even below 30, providing for a lower range of ABV over the length of your spirit run.

[Sonofodin]

Couldn't agree more twisted. I ran down to 10% on 4 stripping runs! 6.5 litres a time, I think maybe my backset bumped it up too much. Good sound advice though, I think in future instead of low and slow I'll go a tad quicker and bump that abv down, still going now and just in the 80% mark, 9 hours later!

[Setsumi]

Couldn't agree more twisted. I ran down to 10% on 4 stripping runs! 6.5 litres a time, I think maybe my backset bumped it up too much. Good sound advice though, I think in future instead of low and slow I'll go a tad quicker and bump that abv down, still going now and just in the 80% mark, 9 hours later!

please tell, how backset can bump (increase?) avb of low wines. i need to do this.

[Sonofodin]

Well I can only assume that as my backset was still 6% after stripping run it added a small amount of alcohol but to be fair it prob wasn't a true abv reading, more like left over proteins etc. I think I'm just assuming It was that as my refractometer reading said 40% low wines before charging my boiler which I think was prob inaccurate! To be fair I've read that you use backset to reduce abv of low wines so I'm sure I am completely wrong with my assumption!

[Sonofodin]

By the way, now down to 57% on run so think I'll go to 50% then call it a day!

[Expat]

By the way, now down to 57% on run so think I'll go to 50% then call it a day!

Your taste buds should tell you when it's time to stop. If you're planning to age on old slightly more tails are generally desirable as they will change into interesting flavor given long enough.

You can also strip what's below your cutoff and use it to temper your next spirit run down to 40% and recover some alcohol.

Btw As others alluded to, backset would only lower the abv of your boiler charge since it's already (mostly) depleted.

[Sonofodin]

Thanks expat was wondering if I could strip from the 50% I stopped at down to about 10%. I'll save it as a smaller low wines run! I have a 12 litre chinese pot so may just charge that and do another smaller spirit run. May get another couple litres.

[Expat]

Thanks expat was wondering if I could strip from the 50% I stopped at down to about 10%. I'll save it as a smaller low wines run! I have a 12 litre chinese pot so may just charge that and do another smaller spirit run. May get another couple litres.

Kinda, the proof of the tail strip will be down low like 20% or less less. Also you don't want to go too deep, the really nasty stuff on the long tail doesn't want to go back in ever.

[NZChris]

Have a look around the site. There are a lot of commercial and home distillers who strip to get a Low Wines collection that is below 30% with no dilution necessary. To be clear, that is the ABV in the collection vessel, not at the spout.

[Sonofodin]

Gents thanks for you're knowledge and support, this is the reason I love this hobby, like minded people. Got 25 jars of blending to do today! Another first!

[NZChris]

This is the same method I use for grain cuts.
https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 9#p7582880

[Sonofodin]

I suspect the blend will take just as long as the run! All part of the fun though right!?

[NZChris]

I probably take less than half an hour to choose my blend and double check my final choice. It is very much part of the fun, even though it has to be done sober.

[Sonofodin]

Just a quickie if I'm not pushing my luck too much....I've got some old scotch whisky barrel staves to age my whiskey on, do I need to rechar and if so do I then need to soak in water before adding them to my distillate? I'm guessing a rechar isn't a bad idea as only the one side of the staves (inside originally) was charred, just not sure about soaking before hand in water. Sorry again for the cheeky ask here. Have read some posts where people argue for and against soaking.

[NZChris]

I char all sides, (some don't), then put the flame out with a fine mist of water. It isn't exactly what commercials to to their barrels, but it's close enough for me.

If commercial distillers soak their barrels in water, it's probably a good idea. If they don't ...

[Expat]

Just a quickie if I'm not pushing my luck too much....I've got some old scotch whisky barrel staves to age my whiskey on, do I need to rechar and if so do I then need to soak in water before adding them to my distillate? I'm guessing a rechar isn't a bad idea as only the one side of the staves (inside originally) was charred, just not sure about soaking before hand in water. Sorry again for the cheeky ask here. Have read some posts where people argue for and against soaking.

Best would be to clean up the exterior to expose new wood, and then rechar. Belt sander would work best for that task but there are other options.

[Sonofodin]

I ended up charring all sides, not extensively but just enough for a nice glow, dunked the staves in some water to get rid of lose bits then in the pot it went. Ended up with 5 litres at 55% 0r 110 proof. I'm really not sure about my cuts as was my first time but hey ho, what's done is done, thinking little taste every week to make sure I don't over oak and 3 months maybe ready for a cheeky couple! I'd like to attach a photo but says file too large, sorry, I'm not very tech savy!

[rubberduck71]

Just a quickie if I'm not pushing my luck too much....I've got some old scotch whisky barrel staves to age my whiskey on, do I need to rechar and if so do I then need to soak in water before adding them to my distillate? I'm guessing a rechar isn't a bad idea as only the one side of the staves (inside originally) was charred, just not sure about soaking before hand in water. Sorry again for the cheeky ask here. Have read some posts where people argue for and against soaking.

Thanks for asking this question & everyone's subsequent answers. I have some barrel staves & wondered the same thing.

And for your cuts - practice makes perfect! You'll find on repeated recipes that your cuts come at virtually same places. I use a shot glass & a stainless steel straw to draw samples of distillate & distilled water for mixing. I only have a 35L boiler, so I usually end up with ~18 jars of cuts (250 mL for 1st third & last third, 500 mL for middle third).

If you haven't already, check out Kiwi's cut guidelines: https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 15&t=11640

Duck

[Sonofodin]

Cheers duck, yup everyday is a school day. I think my final blend may be a tad tailsy but I guess for an aging whiskey that might not be too bad of a thing. Yup just gotta fly now and see where this all takes me!

[Sonofodin]

Here's the fruits of my labour!