First run begginers luck maybe.

[AdamW]

Hi there peeps.
I've done my first run and I don't know it was begginers luck, all the tips I got from here, or I'm just peeing in my own pocket but I am super stoked with my first run.
I acually drink beer mostly but my wife drinks vodka (and lemonade) so I figured I could get some ok product for her.
I did a basic sugar wash which finished at 1.000 with a 6.5% (recipe from here)
I did some mods to my t500 (I got it from the tip for free) and ran it according to the posts here.
The run took about 5 1/2 hours
I didnt check the fores but the rest of the run was 94% the whole way. I was close to my calculated yield so when the still slowed up i just killed it rather than squeezing its neck for the last drops.
I ended up with 600ml heads and tails for the next run and 4 bottles of 40%.
The taste? I think its the bollocks. On ice it is tasteless odourless with a mild sweetness aftertaste. I would drink it anyday.
The wife reckons she can tell the difference but she mixes it so what would she know!
Tonight we are doing a blind test with grey goose, smirnoff and mine so should be a good night.
I didn't do any carbon filtering or anything, should I next run?
Any tips or criticism is welcomed.
Thanks for all the great information on this site!
Oh I forgot to mention the costing.
I spent $20 on a bit of copper and some ss scrubbers.
Still was free from the tip.
Sugar is free from a mate.
Epsom salts dap and gypsum was in my shed.
Citric acid and yeast was about $9
So I'm already in the black. If only my beer brewing account looked as good.
Cheers.

[bugeater]

By she can taste the difference - that means bad? Maybe you didn’t cut all the heads? Either way - good job.
I get a sweet smell and a more prickly feeling in the mouth and throat from heads. The hearts don’t seem prickly or even as alcoholic as they probably are. Others with way more experience can probably chime in.

[The Stig]

You don’t mention doing any cuts , if you did that’s great but if you didn’t that’s probably why the sweet taste.
Read up and learn how to do cuts correctly

[AdamW]

By she can taste the difference - that means bad? Maybe you didn’t cut all the heads? Either way - good job.
I get a sweet smell and a more prickly feeling in the mouth and throat from heads. The hearts don’t seem prickly or even as alcoholic as they probably are. Others with way more experience can probably chime in.

We did the blind taste test and grey goose came last. The wife was sure that mine was Smirnoff so she is happy and so am I.

[AdamW]

You don’t mention doing any cuts , if you did that’s great but if you didn’t that’s probably why the sweet taste.
Read up and learn how to do cuts correctly

I ran it into 200ml jars but didn't really know what to do next so i just threw away the first, kept the outside couple for the next run and bottled the middle ones.
More reading for me today on cuts.

[The Stig]

Cuts can be difficult at first but will become easier with time and experience

[Wellsy]

You don’t mention doing any cuts , if you did that’s great but if you didn’t that’s probably why the sweet taste.
Read up and learn how to do cuts correctly

I ran it into 200ml jars but didn't really know what to do next so i just threw away the first, kept the outside couple for the next run and bottled the middle ones.
More reading for me today on cuts.

Giiday Adam
Like you I am also a newbie. The making cuts topic in the newbie section is a great starting point. Keep lots of notes about abv of each jar as that gives you a good starting point next time. I have found using a medicine cup and measuring off 30 ml and then adding water to get it back to 40% gives me enough to have a good smell and taste. To me 5 ml just tastes hot. I never know what I am looking for when tasting but have found it easier to stop trying to pick flavours and simply go on if i like it. If i am unsure i move to the next jar and the next until i get one where i want to drink the rest of the sample. then i know where to make my cut. I am guessing with time and experience this gets much easier for now i start my top cut about 81% until i find the spot and the bottom one around 60%. But that is my still and taste and I have been as low as 50 because that batch was different.
Keep trying mate it gets easier