Sanity Check - First Spirit Run

[druwade]

Hi All,

I've come back from a small hiatus ready to do my first spirit run underway. People say you can never do too much research but now I have so much info in my head I feel it best to get a sanity check on the process prior to trying. I was hoping to find small a basic step by step to sort my brain out.

Setup - cooling managed 25L digiboil with 2" FSD ft. dual shotgun condensers and 1100mm of packed copper

My understanding of how I should run it :
- Low wines @ 40% - heat and put in full reflux approx 40 mins pull back and cut 200ml foreshots.
--- Control column temp to about 80 degrees.

- Put back to full reflux for another 30 mins, then take off and run at a drip drip dribble approach. take cuts at 200ml intervals
--- Control column temp from 85 to 95 degrees.

- let sit over night to breathe and blend on scent and taste.

One key area I'm really wanting to understand and distinguish is the column temperatures to control through the cuts to ensure the highest ABV. I'll take notes for the way in which my still operates temps to cuts as long as my methodology seems okay

I really am excited to get the low and slow approach right

thanks in advance

[BigRig]

Method is ok but forget about running based on temps.

The abv will be determined by how much reflux and your take off rate. 40 mind reflux will be good and if you take spirit off slowly you will get good abv. Run it too fast and not allow enough reflux it will have lower abv and poorer taste.

Collect in 200 - 250 ml jars and let sit over night

[howard]

i don't think you can have any 'control' over the temps.
you (should) have basic control over power (which affects vapour speed) and coolant (to control reflux and take off) and the balance in between the two.
why do you stop, after taking off the fores and go into full reflux again?
after 40- 60mins of full reflux, my column is in EQ (i think)
only then i slowly and gently push the fractions past the RC, without going into full reflux again.
i was also obsessed with temps and abv not too long ago :smile:
i don't check them very often now.
btw on the whole, you did a lot better than my first spirit run :roll:

[druwade]

sorry for the slow reply @howard @bigrig

Thats exactly what I was hoping for. Spent the arvo working with the still learn full reflux power and flows, wont be long now and I'll put it the wash through its paces and learn it,

Thanks again all, each day im a little closer