Weird spirit run..

[bluc]

This has happened to me three times over the course of stillin. I do the strip run which appears normal but then when i do the spirit run, there is nothing in it.

Happened twice before and again today. Todays was rum and it had a weird taste, burnt kinda bit like the smell of a hospital, panadol type weird taste. Ditched it all but wondering what would cause it. I did the strip then spirit back to back.

Only thing i can think is infection but why would strip seem normal? With usual low wines volume.

Seemed to go straigh to from heads to tails.. any ideas :think:

[peter01010101]

Bugger - a lot of effort for little return :angry-banghead:

[Dig Brinker]

Must be something with the back to back runs in my opinion. If I ever strip I at least let it sit for a few days but I normally strip a few washes, combine then spirit run.

How's the heat there ATM? Could be an issue maybe.

If infection you won't get as much from strip.

[bluc]

Quite cool 20-25ish in middle day only other thing is maybe a leak but doesnt explain weird taste..

[Dig Brinker]

Then maybe too soon? Your other spirit runs that have been ok, did you run them straight after stripping or after "letting them settle"/ combining strips??
Why aren't you combining strip runs????

[Dig Brinker]

P.S - only time I've had yield issues was due to running wash before it was fully fermented.

But...

Did you measure strip ABV?

Compared to normal (good) strip ABV?

You can strip a batch and get X litres at X %

Could strip a not quite right batch and get the same litres but at a lower overall %

Know what I mean??

[bluc]

Mostly do 5 strips then a spirit run, but i wanted to try another all molasses no sugar wash (did one with fancy molasses wanted to try one with stockfeed). So just did a 30l wash with 6l molasses no sugar.

When i think about it i dumped the dunder than the 5l low wines went in boiler in straight after. Maybe hot boiler boiled off half the volume(big call) and added a burnt taste to the remaining spirit. I got 750ml but real funky medicine-ish taste..

Dont know still thinking infection but with normal low wines volume has got me f#@%$#@..

[bluc]

I didnt measure strip abv but going by parrot and volume it seemed normal. 4.5-5.5 is normal volume for strip run i got little under 5l.. but d idnt measure final abv.

[Dig Brinker]

Would help to measure, how do you know you're not boiling high wines? Eg over 40% to start with?? :scared-eek:

Like I said, you got same volume but possibly lower ABV to start. Therefore lower spirit yield.

Last cfw I did wasn't quite finished, and went straight to tails (through bubbler) but collected quite a bit.

[coffe addict]

With such a small boiler charge there's not enough good hearts and after some smearing you may not get much at all. Definitely makes it easier to separate the hearts when there's a lot more hearts to start with. Running slightly too quick or slightly too slow could very easily smear a small heart cut.

My best guess anyway.