Learning The Cuts

[1 2many]

I realy need to learn how to do the cuts properly i got a bit slack at the most crucial time and nearly stuffed my spirit.

And i have studied Kiwistillers guide to cuts which is a very helpfull thread , but i went a bit to deep into both heads and tails i think :roll: , after i originaly tried the centre of the cut jars the spirit had no noticable smell and tasted very clean taking note that this was my first ever time running a still or doing cuts anyway i started from centre jar and put the next jars before and after into the centre jar and all was good until i did the same fo the next 2 jars and now the spirit has a lot more bite and seems strong on the tongue but still has no smell to it.

It is still quite drinkable i have it airating to try and smooth it out a bit i might mix it with some coke , but i prefer drinking spirit neat.

Anyone like to share there ideas as to how they do there cuts would be very helpfull

Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[greenguy]

even white booze should sit for a few weeks its still gona be hot for a few weeks

[1 2many]

even white booze should sit for a few weeks its still gona be hot for a few weeks

Yeah mite just leave it with the airstone in it for a couple of weeks see how it turns out. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Dominator]

Don't worry too much mate, I went too far into tails on my first run. Cuts take time to learn, I am still learning my self. The best thing I have learn is to water your spirit down before smelling/tasting. Something that has a faint smell of tails at 90% will have a lot stronger smell at 40%

[1 2many]

Don't worry too much mate, I went too far into tails on my first run. Cuts take time to learn, I am still learning my self. The best thing I have learn is to water your spirit down before smelling/tasting. Something that has a faint smell of tails at 90% will have a lot stronger smell at 40%

Thanks Dom good point about watering down i didn't do that and did notice a big difference when the wate was added, because of old habits and i drink neat spirits i thought i could work it out without dilluting :scared-eek:

Lesson learned :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[greenguy]

Good point watering them down is much easier to tell whats what
i use a small glass eye dropper thing and take 3-4ml white and 6-8ish of water and taste

[res]

:text-+1: on the addition of water, I use a set of ss measuring spoons. usually dip the half tea spoon in the white and tip it into the table spoon with the water.
I have a sip of cold tea between spoons (usually at least one of them around).

[1 2many]

Good point watering them down is much easier to tell whats what
i use a small glass eye dropper thing and take 3-4ml white and 6-8ish of water and taste

Yeah eye droppers sounds like the go i spill to much with a tsp. must visit the chemist on way home from work tomorrow .

Cool thanks :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[MacStill]

When someone asks me how I do my cuts I shrug my shoulders and say I dunno, it's one of those things that differs with each individual and can only really be determined bt yourself.

Kinda like having 6 people at at a BBQ and asking how everyone likes their steak, you'll get 6 different answers ;-)

[res]

Yeah eye droppers sounds like the go i spill to much with a tsp. must visit the chemist on way home from work tomorrow .

Cool thanks :handgestures-thumbupleft:

gota watch them DTs :laughing-rolling:
eye dropper does sound easy, glass one I trust? :-B

[1 2many]

When someone asks me how I do my cuts I shrug my shoulders and say I dunno, it's one of those things that differs with each individual and can only really be determined bt yourself.

Kinda like having 6 people at at a BBQ and asking how everyone likes their steak, you'll get 6 different answers ;-)

Good point , in comparison with Kiwistiller's post on cuts (for the pot still) when running a bubbler as i understand the fractions are compressed so i was thinking that by going by smell and taste that the changes would be a lot quicker than doing the same in a pot still , so you window is a lot smaller at each end . only my thoughts :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[BackyardBrewer]

I have to say that if you do more runs you'll figure it out quicker. I can understand how people drink heads - heads into hearts is hard to pick but... Tails? Tails fucking stink. How can you not smell that rank cardboard, wet dog pong? Seriously the minute you're past heads the next spirits out stink. STINK! Hearts smell ok but give yu a headache but tails? You should be able to pick them with one sniff.

[1 2many]

I have to say that if you do more runs you'll figure it out quicker. I can understand how people drink heads - heads into hearts is hard to pick but... Tails? Tails fucking stink. How can you not smell that rank cardboard, wet dog pong? Seriously the minute you're past heads the next spirits out stink. STINK! Hearts smell ok but give yu a headache but tails? You should be able to pick them with one sniff.

I never went that deep into tails BYB the spirit still smells neutral just a bit more bite and well yeah fucked if I know just wasn't centre cut :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[BackyardBrewer]

If ya don't smell dog then it's still hearts I say

[db1979]

I have to say that if you do more runs you'll figure it out quicker. I can understand how people drink heads - heads into hearts is hard to pick but... Tails? Tails fucking stink. How can you not smell that rank cardboard, wet dog pong? Seriously the minute you're past heads the next spirits out stink. STINK! Hearts smell ok but give yu a headache but tails? You should be able to pick them with one sniff.

I agree, I spend heaps of time trying to pick when heads finishes and hearts start...just keep reminding myself that heads have that fruity smell, yeah agree can easily see why people would want to keep heads based on the smell - esters smell sweet but taste bloody aweful. Tails is fucken easy to smell.

[BackyardBrewer]

I have to say that if you do more runs you'll figure it out quicker. I can understand how people drink heads - heads into hearts is hard to pick but... Tails? Tails fucking stink. How can you not smell that rank cardboard, wet dog pong? Seriously the minute you're past heads the next spirits out stink. STINK! Hearts smell ok but give yu a headache but tails? You should be able to pick them with one sniff.

I agree, I spend heaps of time trying to pick when heads finishes and hearts start...just keep reminding myself that heads have that fruity smell, yeah agree can easily see why people would want to keep heads based on the smell - esters smell sweet but taste bloody aweful. Tails is fucken easy to smell.

Just be brutal. It's so easy to be greedy and start your hearts too early, but just cut hard and turf anything suss into your next run. Once you have a heads headache (as many of us have) you'll never want to be greedy again.

[Dominator]

I agree BB. I think of it this way, I have just spent hours distilling to get the best product I can, I don't want to ruin it by trying to squeeze out another 250ml. Just chuck it in your feints jar or with the next run, that way its not getting wasted.

Since getting my bubbler heads have been contained to the first 500ml. The first 250 goes in with foreshots because it is really concentrated, the second 250 is borderline, has a very faint heads smell, so I just chuck it in the next run.

[1 2many]

Thanks for your input guys judging by you info i t seems as i have gone into the heads to much and not gone into the tails as there still is no smell but going by my hangover after just one mixed drink it is heads for sure . I will be very carefull on the next run. :ymsick:

[Petulance]

I chuck the first 500ml ... I don't care if there's usable alcohol in there ... it kills weeds and anything else it touches.

Once the ABV drops below 88% I start adding the output to the feints jar. I don't bother collecting down past 50%... jut not worth the effort.

Be brutal with you cuts. It's the only way to produce stuff that's worth drinking.

[Bushy]

For me. I got a spoon by the outlet and after a pint and a half i taste, nup. Taste, nup. Taste, yep. Hearts in the big jug. Mind you, then you gotta keep an eye on the bottom plate ;-)