Beginner still?

[Beerswimmer]

the "oh so thin meter" got a hole in it and the shot/weight fell out.

Was it plastic?

I hope that all of your 300ml samples are in separate jars for making cuts! If not, I would just combine it all with the tails included and call it a strip to be re-run again.

 

[Bubbles2]

Was it plastic?

I hope that all of your 300ml samples are in separate jars for making cuts! If not, I would just combine it all with the tails included and call it a strip to be re-run again.

Separate jars and glass meter

 

[Beerswimmer]

 

[Bubbles2]

I am not running sugar head, it is a great wine, but I combined the first 170 the second 150 and the last 120 in one jar, let breath. The rest are separate, numbered and waiting for a new meter to check how far into tails they are,
Prob just gonna get the blended proof with the new meter and pearson square that number to create a Port Wine and run those other jars that are no lower than 30% in a new run

 

[Beerswimmer]

Your first brandy! Post up some tasting notes when you try it!

Be sure to make your cuts with your senses, not by a meter. Numbers are good to have, but don't make cuts by them.

 

[Bubbles2]

Your first brandy! Post up some tasting notes when you try it!

Be sure to make your cuts with your senses, not by a meter. Numbers are good to have, but don't make cuts by them.

I am waiting a day or two to make these cuts, kinda perplexing, the one video I saw was showing me that he takes it to 80 proof and just tries it for taste. Fine but what does he do after he finds the Cuts? Combine the whole lot?
I ask because I do not have a lot to make a bottle or two... I made my first cut out of the unit at 4oz foreshots, albeit after about 2oz I used a spoon and got blue flame perfect. Held to it and tossed the first 4 oz as mentioned. Now I pulled 100ml of what is considered Heads...But in my case I am a bit skeptical to small to measure proof, but has no chemical scent, and that is within an hour of producing.
Next was hearts I assume due to measurements pulled 300ml and the pics tell the rest.
I took the other days run before the new meter got here and used that to make Brandy at 85/15 for 80 proof Tossed it in a Jar with a stick of Med char White Oak, will check in a couple weeks. Was just fine to start.

 

[Beerswimmer]

Here's what I'd do to make good cuts, but it's just what -I- would do in YOUR case with such teeny tiny amounts of a pretty low proof in not many jars. You tried, and that's great. But you'll be disappointed in it. That's a really small amount at a low proof., it'll be tough to make anything very good from that the way it is.

1. Do strips. Use all the wash, in as many strips as you need to fill the boiler for a spirit run. Combine everything you already took except the fores and call it a strip, yeah. Hard to do but it's not looking good how it is.
2. Get more jars. You need more, probably twice the amount. At least 10-12 or so. Take smaller amounts in each.
3. Take all the jars and let them air for 48hrs with a coffee filter or paper towel on the top and point a fan at them to air out.
4. Make cuts by nose from the middle, where you think it smells good...where the hearts are. Work to the tails and make a preliminary cut of where you can first smell stinky tails. Then work to the heads and do the same. Stop when it smells worse than the hearts.
5. Then starting for the tails side take a few drops of the jars in your hearts from the jars at end of the good cut and water them down and re-evaluate by smell and taste to make sure that they aren't nasty and cut out anything nasty. Then try some of the jars that were cut out in the same way to be certain nothing good is cut. Then go the heads side and do the same.
6. Then you can combine the known to be good hearts and test for proof/abv %.
7. After you do this several times and get better at it and the process you can adjust to your own preferences.

Small amounts are really hard to work with, and yours are teeny tiny amounts in not enough jars at a too low proof. The more jars, the better the cuts can be. Get it? And your abv % should be higher, a low abv means that not enough separation was happening. It could be because of the overall small amounts of wash run, or that it run too fast and everything smeared into itself. The still itself and the small volume of wash was probably the biggest problem. If you can run the spirit run slower somehow, it will help big time.



You already have that one, I know you want to make it work, but the real step 1 would be to buy/make a bigger still or boiler. Your amounts are too small to realistically work with. With your still I would only put about a tablespoon in each jar. A 3-5 gallon still will allow you to use more wash so that you'll have more product to separate into jars and evaluate for making proper cuts. The bigger the better, just like with aquariums. Just one drop of bad stuff can ruin a whole batch, and the smaller the batch the harder it gets to keep it clean.

A flame test... I have no idea what that shows or doesn't. Go by senses! Something may burn yellow or blue or both depending on abv, type of product, size of spoon etc. Same with measurements. Use your nose first, then your tongue to make cuts.

Ageing at 80 proof will be...interesting. Next time age it on wood between 100-130 proof, different proofs pull different flavors from wood. I have no idea what that will end up tasting like since I and every distillery in the world has never done it.

 

[Bubbles2]

Here's what I'd do to make good cuts, but it's just what -I- would do in YOUR case with such teeny tiny amounts of a pretty low proof in not many jars. You tried, and that's great. But you'll be disappointed in it. That's a really small amount at a low proof., it'll be tough to make anything very good from that the way it is.

1. Do strips. Use all the wash, in as many strips as you need to fill the boiler for a spirit run. Combine everything you already took except the fores and call it a strip, yeah. Hard to do but it's not looking good how it is.
2. Get more jars. You need more, probably twice the amount. At least 10-12 or so. Take smaller amounts in each.
3. Take all the jars and let them air for 48hrs with a coffee filter or paper towel on the top and point a fan at them to air out.
4. Make cuts by nose from the middle, where you think it smells good...where the hearts are. Work to the tails and make a preliminary cut of where you can first smell stinky tails. Then work to the heads and do the same. Stop when it smells worse than the hearts.
5. Then starting for the tails side take a few drops of the jars in your hearts from the jars at end of the good cut and water them down and re-evaluate by smell and taste to make sure that they aren't nasty and cut out anything nasty. Then try some of the jars that were cut out in the same way to be certain nothing good is cut. Then go the heads side and do the same.
6. Then you can combine the known to be good hearts and test for proof/abv %.
7. After you do this several times and get better at it and the process you can adjust to your own preferences.

Small amounts are really hard to work with, and yours are teeny tiny amounts in not enough jars at a too low proof. The more jars, the better the cuts can be. Get it? And your abv % should be higher, a low abv means that not enough separation was happening. It could be because of the overall small amounts of wash run, or that it run too fast and everything smeared into itself. The still itself and the small volume of wash was probably the biggest problem. If you can run the spirit run slower somehow, it will help big time.



You already have that one, I know you want to make it work, but the real step 1 would be to buy/make a bigger still or boiler. Your amounts are too small to realistically work with. With your still I would only put about a tablespoon in each jar. A 3-5 gallon still will allow you to use more wash so that you'll have more product to separate into jars and evaluate for making proper cuts. The bigger the better, just like with aquariums. Just one drop of bad stuff can ruin a whole batch, and the smaller the batch the harder it gets to keep it clean.

A flame test... I have no idea what that shows or doesn't. Go by senses! Something may burn yellow or blue or both depending on abv, type of product, size of spoon etc. Same with measurements. Use your nose first, then your tongue to make cuts.

Ageing at 80 proof will be...interesting. Next time age it on wood between 100-130 proof, different proofs pull different flavors from wood. I have no idea what that will end up tasting like since I and every distillery in the world has never done it.

The 80 is Brandy, maybe I should have aged the spirit and then blended down the road? I wanted to lock up the wine for 02 reasons....

Thanks for the detailed help. These were wine runs and to be mixed with the actual wine, I am really trying to figure Heads.
I think Heads are the ones that burn a bit even at 112p it does not burn so much. I took the Jar marked heads and reduced it to 83p and tasted it using an eye dropper in the morning (when my palate is sensitive) The slight burn comes through even at a reduced proof, so I conclude those are Heads.
The one below it is 112p and has next to no burn at all. So I think that will be the one I mix to make Port. About down to 75p it is true to taste through, like the 112p.
I hit the 60p and there are tails, however no wet dog inside a wet cardboard box, it has Guava but watery, like hard water and Guava, even down to the 35p it just becomes more watery with a hint of Guava.
It might be that the wetdog comes through with sugarhead and or tractor S corn runs? That or I am not trained to know..Yet I contradict myself a bit duet to when I was running it to make sure that any thing coming out is Zero had that cardboard taste to it. Of course I tossed it, I just wanted the Dunder to backsweeten and have a Zero Alc wine for the GF, she is sober and likes it. The dunder tastes like a guava cider N/A. I bet if it were corn or sugar that would be ass dunder. LOL Hence me thinking that due to the wine it does not have strong cardboard at the end of the Hearts, until it gets below 15% Thanks again, I have 3.5 of 95-5 rye in the fermentor, when I run that I will do a strip and as you instructed, albeit arduous being a 1 gal pot.

 

[Bubbles2]

Brandy
Pear Plum and a Guava 80p

 

[tummydoc]

Beerswimmer is correct. The flame test tells you only that you are over 60 proof to combust. The color does not distinguish methanol. It's one of many errors that George perpetuates in his videos. Also with a small boiler there is huge smearing that makes proper cuts impossible. Even 5 gallons is on the small side. A keg boiler makes a much finer product.

 

[Bubbles2]

Good to know, the OP was asking about one of these counter top deals (I had one on the way and this is how I kinda Hijacked the thread albeit on point) and I think he can make a decision after this discourse. I'd recommend for using if you are a wine maker and want to fortify to make a Port/Sherry and or a Brandy. Reserving 1 gallon of your wine to run for about 600ml to fortify a few bottles for Sherry or to make 750ml Brandy.
To make a decent grain out of a cheap mash, I agree the cuts would be so much to get to, even if you EVER could get to them due to the smearing. Definitely want something at least 5 gallon, not for the volume vs work but to have a decent amount to measure and to cut.

 

[golfindia]

I

FWIW we're talking about different products. Clawhammer has a 5 gallon copper still kit for $250 (https://www.clawhammersupply.com/collections/all-products/products/5-gallon-kit) that is a kit that requires assembly. The kit is not compatible for an electric heating element as originally provided. Clawhammer also has an 8 gallon stainless steel kettle and copper still (https://www.clawhammersupply.com/co.../products/8-gallon-stainless-copper-distiller) that is 100% pre-built for $474. It is compatible for an electric heating element, with the provided and installed TC port.

I put a 1500w electric element in a buddy's 5 gallon claw hammer copper still. It works just fine.

 

[golfindia]

Throw a handful of JD wood smoking chips in your jar. No barrel required.

https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Daniels-Tennessee-Whiskey-Smoking/dp/B007RWXDXU

 

[Bubbles2]

Throw a handful of JD wood smoking chips in your jar. No barrel required.

https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Daniels-Tennessee-Whiskey-Smoking/dp/B007RWXDXU

I do not know how much that is, I got 6- 3/4 x 3/4 by 9" White Oak charred from a seller on ebay for about the same. I have my tree guy going to reserve a slab of white Oak the next time he trims one for me... The one stick is in the background jar, waiting for it to air a bit

 

[Soulshine2]

1. Do strips. Use all the wash, in as many strips as you need to fill the boiler for a spirit run. Combine everything you already took except the fores and call it a strip, yeah. Hard to do but it's not looking good how it is.
2. Get more jars. You need more, probably twice the amount. At least 10-12 or so. Take smaller amounts in each.
3. Take all the jars and let them air for 48hrs with a coffee filter or paper towel on the top and point a fan at them to air out.
4. Make cuts by nose from the middle, where you think it smells good...where the hearts are. Work to the tails and make a preliminary cut of where you can first smell stinky tails. Then work to the heads and do the same. Stop when it smells worse than the hearts.
5. Then starting for the tails side take a few drops of the jars in your hearts from the jars at end of the good cut and water them down and re-evaluate by smell and taste to make sure that they aren't nasty and cut out anything nasty. Then try some of the jars that were cut out in the same way to be certain nothing good is cut. Then go the heads side and do the same.
6. Then you can combine the known to be good hearts and test for proof/abv %.
7. After you do this several times and get better at it and the process you can adjust to your own preferences.

Small amounts are really hard to work with, and yours are teeny tiny amounts in not enough jars at a too low proof. The more jars, the better the cuts can be. Get it? And your abv % should be higher, a low abv means that not enough separation was happening. It could be because of the overall small amounts of wash run, or that it run too fast and everything smeared into itself. The still itself and the small volume of wash was probably the biggest problem. If you can run the spirit run slower somehow, it will help big time.



You already have that one, I know you want to make it work, but the real step 1 would be to buy/make a bigger still or boiler. Your amounts are too small to realistically work with. With your still I would only put about a tablespoon in each jar. A 3-5 gallon still will allow you to use more wash so that you'll have more product to separate into jars and evaluate for making proper cuts. The bigger the better, just like with aquariums. Just one drop of bad stuff can ruin a whole batch, and the smaller the batch the harder it gets to keep it clean.

A flame test... I have no idea what that shows or doesn't. Go by senses! Something may burn yellow or blue or both depending on abv, type of product, size of spoon etc. Same with measurements. Use your nose first, then your tongue to make cuts.

Ageing at 80 proof will be...interesting. Next time age it on wood between 100-130 proof, different proofs pull different flavors from wood. I have no idea what that will end up tasting like since I and every distillery in the world has never done it.

I havent done a batch since summer and I probably wont do another one for a while.
But, I do use all the wash ,but I have done sour mash batches that turned out really well.
Last batch I made I used my regular recipe and instead of running it on my usual 6th day I let it ride in the bucket for 3 months. After making my usual cuts ,smelling it (it'll burn my nose if its not ready )and taste (it'll take my breath away)and yes the flame test I do believe in . I put a few drops on a steel table top or jar lid and light it in the dark, if it burns yellow longer than a second or two I keep cutting. GENERALLY,my first cuts are 1 oz/starting gallons of wash. so, if I had 5 gallons of wash ,I take the first 5 oz of distillate and then start flame testing. I'll smell/taste it then and if i dont get an instant headache , i'll start jarring it in 1 pint batches, number each jar and test the proof of each one to blend later to proof down or add flavor (tails).
I've aged mine on toasted and charred oak chips anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months and 80-130 proof and i've found the sweet spot (In my own opinion based on my still) is at 98 proof charred oak chip aged for 1 month then bottle aged to mellow for 2 years. Some people cant wait that long ,but quality takes time.
Tastes just like Jack Daniel's Sinatra single barrel select if you like it , I do.
Caramel and light vanilla notes with a slight sweetness and a nice char without being overly smoky.
Very smooth .

 

[Bubbles2]

I havent done a batch since summer and I probably wont do another one for a while.
But, I do use all the wash ,but I have done sour mash batches that turned out really well.
Last batch I made I used my regular recipe and instead of running it on my usual 6th day I let it ride in the bucket for 3 months. After making my usual cuts ,smelling it (it'll burn my nose if its not ready )and taste (it'll take my breath away)and yes the flame test I do believe in . I put a few drops on a steel table top or jar lid and light it in the dark, if it burns yellow longer than a second or two I keep cutting. GENERALLY,my first cuts are 1 oz/starting gallons of wash. so, if I had 5 gallons of wash ,I take the first 5 oz of distillate and then start flame testing. I'll smell/taste it then and if i dont get an instant headache , i'll start jarring it in 1 pint batches, number each jar and test the proof of each one to blend later to proof down or add flavor (tails).
I've aged mine on toasted and charred oak chips anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months and 80-130 proof and i've found the sweet spot (In my own opinion based on my still) is at 98 proof charred oak chip aged for 1 month then bottle aged to mellow for 2 years. Some people cant wait that long ,but quality takes time.
Tastes just like Jack Daniel's Sinatra single barrel select if you like it , I do.
Caramel and light vanilla notes with a slight sweetness and a nice char without being overly smoky.
Very smooth .

I think that was great input, I will take it under advisement. Right now I am pulling at 101 proof, which equates to about 117 start and at about 92 I cut for tails. Giving me about 101. The first 2oz I toss for Forshots per gallon. I care not if I toss an oz...You should have seen what I tossed when I grew for a dispensary...LOL Anyhow I then capture about 4 oz for Heads the next 600ml pending on whether or not it was fortified with tails when IT went in. I'd guess 550 for a virgin and 600 with heads and tails from a prev run in that gallon.
The aging (unknown thus far) I have it on 3/4x3/4 Charred White Oak, same stuff JD uses but no bag. I also added about an 1.5" of real Vanilla Bean in the Jar. I had no idea that diff proofs pulled diff congers out of the wood. Good Tip.
I have 3.5 of a Rye Wash, I will let sit for 2 weeks before checking gravity, it was 1100 Start and with a SAF05 being a Large starter should pull down to 0.999 Anyhow I wish I had a larger Still so I could apply Beerswimmer's advice and get some concise cuts, but again my wash is quality. Like Anchor Steam Clone, and reserve 1 gallon off a 5.5g batch The whole wort / batch taste great, so smeared Tails is not so Wet Dog in a Cardboard Box.

 

[Bubbles2]

2 weeks later the Guave Brandy is spot on. The Pear Fig is so smooth it tastes like it needs some 101 proof for some heat/bite, as of now it is 80 proof and smooth as a 40 proof! The end of the month bottle and leave it for 6 months. Love this little counter top to run a gallon for fortifying wine.