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So I do not know enough yet for my BS meter to be fully developed so I thought I would make use of your guys meters.

Comment made by a still supply shop today. And I paraphrase.

"Apart from the potential danger of distilling above 38% ABV, there is another really good reason to be around 38% ABV. Products distilled at circa 43 and above tend to get bitter and the taste profile gets negatively affected. We have done tests to confirm this."

OK BS meters on lads.

Full on bs.

To add to that, currently sipping on 62% whiskey that sat 3 months on oak.
Smooth. Sweet. Tasty.

Andrew_90 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 6:37 am So I do not know enough yet for my BS meter to be fully developed so I thought I would make use of your guys meters.

Comment made by a still supply shop today. And I paraphrase.

"Apart from the potential danger of distilling above 38% ABV, there is another really good reason to be around 38% ABV. Products distilled at circa 43 and above tend to get bitter and the taste profile gets negatively affected. We have done tests to confirm this."

OK BS meters on lads.

If I were standing there and someone said that to me directly, (if I were on my good behavior mode) I would be so embarrassed for them that I probably couldn't even make eye contact after a ridiculous statement like that.

It does make you wonder what tests they did!

EricTheRed wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 6:40 am To add to that, currently sipping on 62% whiskey that sat 3 months on oak.
Smooth. Sweet. Tasty.

I think he is talking about the ABV going into a spirit run. Not what comes out.

What about the case of say for example a four plater running a 25%abv low wines charge where the product in the plates is going to be over 43%abv and also being distilled... Or even a double thumper setup or a packed column where the product being re-distilled towards the top of the column is certainly high ABV...

Cheers,
jb

Dancing4dan wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:02 am

EricTheRed wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 6:40 am To add to that, currently sipping on 62% whiskey that sat 3 months on oak.
Smooth. Sweet. Tasty.

I think he is talking about the ABV going into a spirit run. Not what comes out.

I don't always drop below 40% for the strip. Just run really slow.

Had I been in the room, I would have thrust my left arm high into the air. When asked if I had a question, Id have said "No questions, just trying to save my watch, as my shoes are already covered in the bullshit coming out of your mouth, and it's just getting deeper."

Was the proprietor by chance selling anything to go along with his advise? lol...

-j

I guess there's a mechanism by which high abv can reduce flavour, because the resulting high abv spirit will need proofing down. Low abv low wines produced by stripping deep will naturally produce a lower abv product (assuming pot stilling here) which will retain more flavour, partly because there was more flavour in the low wines, partly because you wont have to proof down with as much water, thus diluting the flavour.

But by what mechanism, high abv low wines could possibly produce bitter spirits...

I think he's not done any of this and is just repeating what he's misunderstood from other sources (high abv washes tend to make bad spirits).

Dancing4dan wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:02 am

EricTheRed wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 6:40 am To add to that, currently sipping on 62% whiskey that sat 3 months on oak.
Smooth. Sweet. Tasty.

I think he is talking about the ABV going into a spirit run. Not what comes out.

+1

Andrew_90 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 6:37 am So I do not know enough yet for my BS meter to be fully developed so I thought I would make use of your guys meters.

Comment made by a still supply shop today. And I paraphrase.

"Apart from the potential danger of distilling above 38% ABV, there is another really good reason to be around 38% ABV. Products distilled at circa 43 and above tend to get bitter and the taste profile gets negatively affected. We have done tests to confirm this."

OK BS meters on lads.

I'm of the same mind the as Dancing4dan, 8Ball and others.

"he is talking about the ABV going into a spirit run. Not what comes out."


On a side note.
There's some highly calibrated BS meters around here.

yeah sounds like he is saying don't charge the still with ABV above 40%. I think it is agreed it can be dangerous to do so, not sure about the claim on flavor.

Im sure hes talking about the ABV of the boiler charge , not the product leaving the still.....for safety reasons 40% ABV should be the Max......as for the flavour / bitterness thing, imo its BS.

Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 5:56 pm Im sure hes talking about the ABV of the boiler charge , not the product leaving the still.....for safety reasons 40% ABV should be the Max......as for the flavour / bitterness thing, imo its BS.

This board needs a like button to agree with posts.

Thanks lads. Just upgraded my BS meter to V1.0

Ive found a well timed scoff is a good bullshit-o-meter. If they get defensive and start rambling, 100% pure bullshit. If they say something like "well, shit, you don't have to believe me, check it out for yourself" or even better, show you some proof, then check it out for yourself. Might not be a guarantee against bullshit, but its at least a guard. This isn't just distilling related!

I have just been watching a video in which Odin is making his Gin.

Odin says that he charges his still at 30% ABV as this produces a more mellow Gin. Gins distilled at 35-38% he says are more astringent and drier on the palette.