Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
Pics are VERY welcome, we drool over pretty copper
Made my first spirit run of my first all grain washes. Numbers were not what I expected. 4.3 gallons of bourbon washes at 43% mixed with 2 gallons of fresh wash at 8%. About 6.3 gallons at 32% in the 8 gallon clawhammer electric pot still. The hearts smell incredible and will give it a few days to air out before tasting and making cuts. I diluted a few ounces off the still and it had good flavor.
However, I only received 1.5 liters of heads after 150ML of forshots, 5.7 liters between 80abv and 65 abv, and 3 liters of tails. I always pull 150ml of fores from all of my stripping runs. Could that be why my heads volume is so low?
Cant wait to get this into the charred oak barrel.
I think you mean 4.3 gallons of low wines at 43% mixed with 2 gallons of wash at 8%. So it's like a 1.5 spirit run?
Congrats. I am too new to even know if your heads volume was low, but congrats on your first spirit run of all grain bourbon!! I have only stripped one of my bourbons so far. I still have to ferment like 4 batches! I have a brand new oak barrel (1 gal) ready and waiting!
Will you have enough after filling your barrel for topping off? I still don't quite get how to figure all that, so I'm hoping after 5 ferments ferments I have enough to replace what the angles take!
Congrats on your first all grain spirit run. Nice work.
Quick question, did you determine the hearts cut by abv or taste and smell? Your numbers don’t seem too crazy, but I suspect that you’ve cut a bit on the wide side if everything under 80%abv automatically went in the hearts cut.
GrumbleStill wrote: ↑Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:37 am
Congrats on your first all grain spirit run. Nice work.
Quick question, did you determine the hearts cut by abv or taste and smell? Your numbers don’t seem too crazy, but I suspect that you’ve cut a bit on the wide side if everything under 80%abv automatically went in the hearts cut.
On the contrary, I'd suspect he left some good flavor in those 3 liters under 65%.
I think once the OP tastes the individual jars, and makes a few blended samples he'll find out what suits his taste buds and what he thinks is heads, hearts, and tails may shift a little depending on how long he intends to age it before sipping.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
GrumbleStill wrote: ↑Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:37 am
Congrats on your first all grain spirit run. Nice work.
Quick question, did you determine the hearts cut by abv or taste and smell? Your numbers don’t seem too crazy, but I suspect that you’ve cut a bit on the wide side if everything under 80%abv automatically went in the hearts cut.
On the contrary, I'd suspect he left some good flavor in those 3 liters under 65%.
I think once the OP tastes the individual jars, and makes a few blended samples he'll find out what suits his taste buds and what he thinks is heads, hearts, and tails may shift a little depending on how long he intends to age it before sipping.
Well put Deplorable.
Either way, I think the moral of the story is that the best instrument for making cuts is your sense of taste, not the hydrometer.
Sounds like a good spirit run. I'm wondering if you are using the all stainless Clawhammer Still or the one with the copper riser? How long did your spirit run take with 6.3 gallons?
Thanks Guy's. I do use a clawhammer 8 gallon tank with a copper column and condenser. I make up jars using a hydrometer temp corrected. when I get near the heads and tails I go to smaller jars 300 ml. I collect about 18 jars some 800 ml some 300ml. I'll let them sit for a day or so, dilute an ounce or so of each one to 20abv and taste them. I do make my cuts on taste for finished product. I'm not a bourbon drinker so it is a little tough for me to determine the correct taste. I guess it will take time to develop. I have a gallon on charred white oak. I'll taste it in 2 months. hope it's good.
Congratulations, when I first started I would taste test with my wife women (at least my wife) had a better sense than I did. I collected a bunch of pint jars that had measurements in 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 oz increments. I never used smaller jars just collected less when getting close to the hearts and tails.
