Ami I doing it right

[billybunter]

IHi All...Billy here.. :-D
I have been with the forum a while reading and reading..building and building stripping and stripping... :D And i am about to do my first spirit run..Now i dont trust myself yet to make cuts yet,so i was thinking to use a parrot and alcometer.I have a fair amount of stripped whisky knockoff 60%to 20%and run a wash of 40%and collect from when it starts at less the forshots down to 60%.This shouldmake good whisky ....yes..
could anyone tell me how far to collect down from 60% and what should i do with it,or run it through with another wash..help needed as i am starting to confuse myself.. :doh:
Put to much into this to muck up..thanks everyone
Cheers
Billy
So far built..
The easy pot still 50mmx500mm riser with 35 litre pot
50mmx1200 vm with boka[nealy compleated]
4 burner gas ring
stainless barrel [work in progress]

[Rumdrinker]

IHi All...Billy here.. :-D
I have been with the forum a while reading and reading..building and building stripping and stripping... :D And i am about to do my first spirit run..Now i dont trust myself yet to make cuts yet,so i was thinking to use a parrot and alcometer.I have a fair amount of stripped whisky knockoff 60%to 20%and run a wash of 40%and collect from when it starts at less the forshots down to 60%.This shouldmake good whisky ....yes..
could anyone tell me how far to collect down from 60% and what should i do with it,or run it through with another wash..help needed as i am starting to confuse myself.. :doh:
Put to much into this to muck up..thanks everyone
Cheers
Billy
So far built..
The easy pot still 50mmx500mm riser with 35 litre pot
50mmx1200 vm with boka[nealy compleated]
4 burner gas ring
stainless barrel [work in progress]

Hi Billy,
Sounds like you have a handle on things so far mate. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
There are many long term stillers here that can give you more thorough & accurate advice but here is what I do when doing a second run with the pot still (assuming you are doing the second or spirit run with the pot.....)
Take the fores, I take ~200-250ml on a 40 litre "spirit" run of low wines.
Collect in 500ml jars from here on in using the parrot & alcometer to give you an indication of where you are with the run, I regularly "taste" the product to gauge where I am at & have learnt it takes a few runs to tell when it's turning from heads to hearts & so on but collecting in 500ml jars allows for "testing" & blending later......
When I get down to around 50% I stop collecting in the 500ml jars & run the rest down to around 20% in larger 2L jars/bottles as this will be the tails.
Air the jars with no lid, covered in cheese cloth for a day or so before smelling & tasting to do your blending-I won't attempt to give you guidance on this one, much better for a seasoned pro to chime in here...........
I blend the heads & tails with my next run of low wines of the same wash for the "spirit" run, some save them to do a dedicated "feints" run.
Hope I haven't confused you further with this advice but this is what I do & it works for me :))
With my whiskey knock off, I blend & adjust to 65% & age on charred American oak, with my rum I blend & adjust to 62-65% & age on toasted American oak.
Lots of variables & most come down to personal preferance which you will pick up after a few runs :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Cheers

[bt1]

Bloke,

not sure on what you'll got here so let's discuss a bit.

need to know which still your going to use,,,please post.

Your going to do cuts regardless. We all insist.

i know your not sure on it but it's aprocess we all go through. You must learn it sometime so start early. Best thing is with plenty of cuts and a good sensible approach starting in the middle of your cut jars you will over time instinctily know what's good and how the still performs etc. Eventually it's second nature anfd cuts become a thing of the past almost with you making less cuts with amore developed sense of taste and smell.

So into boiler at no more that 40% run it slowish take your time the more cuts the better. let cuts air for a couple of days and then come back and water down/taste smell/rub . Your nose and taste buds will tell you when the wet cardboard/damp dog tails are coming in or wehnthe bitey heads are still present. We can all assist with cuts blending if you taste and use a good logical method...there's no rush here....if it takes a week then it takes a week.

I'm a single runner so can't really give you start or finish abv's with the parrot cos it don't apply. Again depending on still used we can advise a rough range(high 80's start run down to no less than 65% I've found) but at the end of the day your nose and taste bus will allways be the best guide.

Don't be shy give it a crack...start tubbing up those glass cut jars


enjoy!
bt1

[cdbrown]

Read this viewtopic.php?f=41&t=874 and then read it again a few more times. I'm not yet up to my first spirit run but have found that thread very helpful.

[billybunter]

Hi All ..Billy Here
Thanks all.. I will have a crack at the cuts and let you know how it turns out.. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cheers.
Billy :D

[SBB]

Billy its a good idea when you first start out to practice your cuts on stripping runs.....it aint perfect but you will learn things from it. Sort of gets you nose and taste buds atuned to some of the smells that you will experience when doing your first spirit run.

[bt1]

Yeh good pt SBB...the more the better imho

bt1