AL
CHEMIST
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Distilling what is called a brown spirit is typically done in two distillations. The first of which is referred to
as the stripping run, and the final run is called the spirit run.
STRIPPING RUN
The stripping run is the easier and rougher of these two runs. Each distillation removes flavours and
increases the ethanol percentage of the spirit. The result from a stripping run will have 5-6 times the
ethanol concentration and a fifth to a sixth of the volume of the original wash. For the stripping run
we will distil the wash, and collect all output in the same container until the output of the distilling
drops below 20% ABV.
To perform a stripping run you will need:
• 5 L (1.3 US Gal) glass carbuoy
• An Alcoholmeter that reads from 20% ABV to 100% ABV + thermometer
• Still Spirits Distilling Conditioner
• Ceramic Boil Enhancers
• Cooling water supply and sink
Once the pot still has been prepared, as per the instructions on page 5, transfer wash and add 4 - 5
capfuls of distilling conditioner, then turn the boiler on and switch it to boil. The liquid inside will
begin to heat up and eventually start to boil. When the temperature on the condenser temperature
probe reads around 40°C (104°F) it is a good idea to turn on the cold
water tap.
Adjust the flow through the condenser so that the distillate comes out around 25°C (77°F), this
is usually a rate of above 2.5 L/minute. It is very important to ensure the water flow through the
condenser is large enough to ensure the output distillate is coming out as a liquid and not a vapour.
Not only is this ethanol vapour extremely flammable, it will also result in a reduced yield from your
run.
For a stripping run collect all of the distillate output in one container until the distillate ABV is 20%
ethanol or the vapour temperature is around 98°C (208°F). The temperature of the distillate has a
large effect on the ethanol reading. Calculators exist online to correct for temperatures effects.
Further output can be collected in a separate container and this can be added to a future stripping
run to maximise the yield from future runs.
Turn off the boiler, disconnect from the power outlet and wait for the contents inside to cool down to
a safe temperature. Then discard the contents inside the boiler.
Clean the boiler, pot still dome and condenser thoroughly with warm soapy water and rinse
thoroughly.
SPIRIT RUN
The spirit run is the more important of these two runs, and real care needs to be paid to separate the
different fractions present in the stripping run output. If you haven’t already, it is strongly advised
to read What are Cuts and Why do we Need Them? If using the Grainfather, read For Use with the
Grainfather Connect All in One Brewing System on page 3 before continuing.
You will need:
• 5 L (1.3 US Gal) glass carbuoy
• An alcoholmeter that reads from 20% ABV to 100% ABV, a 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz)
sample collection tube + thermometer
• Cooling water supply and sink
• 6 x 150 ml (5 US fl oz) containers for collecting fractions
The output from multiple stripping runs can be combined into one spirit run to save time and be able
to collect more graduations of heads/tails for blending. This makes the transitions between heads
and hearts more clear and is ideal if you want to make a larger amount of the same spirit.
Measure your stripping run ethanol content, and if necessary dilute the spirit. Dilute the spirit down
to 40% ABV by adding water. Diluting the spirit down to 40% ABV is important for the spirit run to be
effective and gives a fuller boil. Once diluted add the ceramic boil enhancers. It is not necessary to
add distilling conditioner.
Prepare the pot still system identical to how you set it up for the stripping run, and then turn on the
boiler.
FORESHOTS
Once the temperature probe reaches 55°C (131°F) turn on the cold tap water. When the distillate
begins to come out, you can collect the foreshots which is the more harmful components of the heads
and is typically the first 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz). This section contains the most harmful compounds
present in the wash and should be discarded. NOTE: the foreshots section is 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) per
stripping run distillate.
HEADS
After the foreshots is over you will be entering the heads section of distilling. This contains a lot of
the lower boiling point components as well as ethanol. Collect these into separate small containers,
and once distilling is complete decide whether they are suitable for the final whiskey or not when
blending the heads and tails into the hearts section.
Start collecting the heads in separate containers with a volume of around 150 ml (5 US fl oz), putting
them to the side once full. Label each filled cup with a number in the order it comes out of the still, eg
1 for the first cup, 2 for the second cup and so on. Once the temperature reaches around 83-85°C
(181 – 185°F) the heads section is complete and it is time to start collecting the hearts.
- The volume of these containers varies depending on the volume of liquid for the spirit run and
personal preference. A good guideline is around 150 ml (5 US fl oz)/stripping run. This gives a good
balance between ease of distilling and ability to blend well later on.
HEARTS
Place a larger vessel under the output tube and start collecting all of the hearts in the one vessel. This
middle part is good spirit so does not need to be separated into containers. Continue collecting the
hearts until the spirit is coming out at around 55% ABV. Once the still temperature reaches 90°C
(194°F) the heart section is complete and it is time to collect the tails. The hearts collected in the
DISTILLING A WHISKEY, RUM OR BRANDY
