Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Pisshead not sure what you are asking about combining 20% with 50%.

On a stripping run everything goes in the same jar mate no matter what the abv is. These are called low wines and once you have enough low wines to do a full run all the low wines are combined, watered down to 40% or under if needed then run as a spirit run.

From the spirit run you will then be tasting and making cuts, and product from a spirit run that does not make the grade is kept aside as feints u til you have enough to do a spirit run of feints. Again you make the cuts and any left overs are thrown out, used as fire lighter, de-icer for the windscreen , cleaner , anything except drinking

I hope that makes sense and answers your querrie

FG 9.96 on the CFW, filtered through cheesecloth and let settle for 24 hrs
Strip runs at full noise, keeping everything down to 20%, spirit run controller at 75v, condenser output at 40deg,drip drip drip, 8hrs and quite a drinkable product. 2L on white oak and 2L on charred oak.
Christmas is looking good :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Try and keep some for Christmas 2023, or 2024. You will be astounded at the difference :)

We all have learnt that lesson. Producing enough for you to drink while some ages for 2 years is the real trick lol

Wellsy wrote:Pisshead not sure what you are asking about combining 20% with 50%.

On a stripping run everything goes in the same jar mate no matter what the abv is. These are called low wines and once you have enough low wines to do a full run all the low wines are combined, watered down to 40% or under if needed then run as a spirit run.

From the spirit run you will then be tasting and making cuts, and product from a spirit run that does not make the grade is kept aside as feints u til you have enough to do a spirit run of feints. Again you make the cuts and any left overs are thrown out, used as fire lighter, de-icer for the windscreen , cleaner , anything except drinking

I hope that makes sense and answers your querrie

Definitely answered well , cheers

Run it down to 10% or less at the spout for flavoured spirits, a 20% cut off point is more suited to making neutral as you have found.

You get more flavour as you don't have to water it down for the spirit run, it usually ends up at 30-40% depending on the wash.

A very tiny bit more product too

Hey RC
I find that once it dips below 20% it’s soooo watery that it lacks definable flavour
Happy to run it lower tho!
My knowledge and experience is low but growing
Cheers

Hey wellsy
[quoteTry and keep some for Christmas 2023, or 2024. You will be astounded at the difference :)

We all have learnt that lesson. Producing enough for you to drink while some ages for 2 years is the real trick lol][/quote]
That will be a problem, just QA tested the charred oak and it might not make it to Xmas
Is there a recommended rate of oak chips to volume of spirit? The charred looks pale but it’s still early?

Move away from the chips and into staves. 5grams per litre for long age , 10 grams per litre for shorter age

Thanks Nathan02
Where do you get staves from, if it’s not a stupid question?

:handgestures-thumbupleft:

https://5stardistilling.com/shop/?s_keyword=oak
This will take you to all things oaky :laughing-rolling:

I can not recommend the 5 star staves highly enough. I looked around to try and get some and do the charring myself but for a consistent result , and at $20:00 for a kilo why take the risk on screwing up all your hard work and then waiting 2 years to find out it did not work.

Just grab a bag and you are off and running. The American oak has a great flavour , I found the med toast to be a little sweeter, but that is my interpretation, but both American styles did not colour anywhere near as much as the French. So I mix and match to get the right colour with great flavours.

Oaking is almost as implicated as distilling.

And to think when we started we all thought we only had to turn the still on and off :laughing-rolling:

Roddersvb wrote:Hey RC
I find that once it dips below 20% it’s soooo watery that it lacks definable flavour
Happy to run it lower tho!
My knowledge and experience is low but growing
Cheers

but if you stop the strip early and the collection is 50%abv, what do you add to get it down to 40%abv for the spirit run, add water?
that water stuff is pretty watery too and hasn't got much flavour either :smile:
i've not had to dilute anything for years, just run it until the whole collection is 40%, which is about 15%abv at the spout on my rig.

Spirit run done , jars on shelf so can air overnight

Once I'm happy with blend do I add it to demijohns at higher ABV or dilute it down to 40%?

What's the winning formula for oaking per L and how long should I leave oak in ?

Pisshead74 wrote:Spirit run done , jars on shelf so can air overnight

Once I'm happy with blend do I add it to demijohns at higher ABV or dilute it down to 40%?

What's the winning formula for oaking per L and how long should I leave oak in ?

Blend and dilute to 55-65% abv (your choice) then add to demijohns with oak. How much oak & for how long is also your choice.

I personally go 5g/L at 60-65% for 12 months. If you want to go quicker then you can up the oak but make sure to keep and eye on it and sample regularly. When you have it where YOU like it then dilute to your drinking strength and bottle.

BigRig wrote:

Pisshead74 wrote:Spirit run done , jars on shelf so can air overnight

Once I'm happy with blend do I add it to demijohns at higher ABV or dilute it down to 40%?

What's the winning formula for oaking per L and how long should I leave oak in ?

Blend and dilute to 55-65% abv (your choice) then add to demijohns with oak. How much oak & for how long is also your choice.

I personally go 5g/L at 60-65% for 12 months. If you want to go quicker then you can up the oak but make sure to keep and eye on it and sample regularly. When you have it where YOU like it then dilute to your drinking strength and bottle.

12 months ... Be lucky if I don't crack it open tommorow night

Its ok pisshead, im 5 years in an aint oaked a single thing lols.

Going to toast some Oak in the next few days lols