I know this is an old video. I know you been doing this for decades. I have no idea how you have tolerated the General Public as long as you have. I am glad you did, and I am very thankful for all of the hard work you have done over the decades. I have been watching your videos off and on over the years since you first acquired your beer store. I do not know why you are on vacation, but I can assure you I fully support your complete withdraw from society in general. Sometimes... you just gotta take care of YOU! :)
Great video. I went to school for applied sciences of brewing, and a teacher was kind enough to teach the finer points of shine, after hours of course. You hit most of the important points - solidly. Very informative, and way cheaper than my tuition.
Just purchased a still and have been having a devil of a time trying to get some consistent easy to understand info on the concept of Heads, Hearts and Tails. First time hearing where the boundaries are for these phases of distilling. THANKS!!
I'm new to the craft and a chemistry graduate, this is about the best advice I have seen on separating the different cuts I have seen. I have been watching the temperature in my column to guage when to make cuts and have noticed that there is a clear relationship between the temperature and the proof of my liquor during distillation. On my next back I am going to hold at 168 as George recommended
That's the thing of it!! Teachers who have a passion for something, make thee best teachers. We learn the best from them!! Cheers to George mate!! (I like to refer to him as Dr.Distiller😉) Love learning from him!!
This has just answered a years long question. Thank you for tellinging me how the moonshiners know the difference. I'll probably never distill my own spirits but the wife and I love knowledge.
I love your no-nonsense, humble approach to sharing your expertise. Thanks for sharing your experience with us novices. Ive seen too many people swearing too many different ways are the ONLY way and they are all a little different.
I learn so much from these videos. My product has become the subject of campfire conversations whenever the topic comes up. Thank you for all of your wisdom!
I've done a half dozen runs on my setup and I am constantly coming back to the video's I watched when I was starting to build my setup. It's good to confirm that what I am seeing is pretty close to what you were seeing or learn what I need to tweak.
This guy is dope. I have been taking my homemade wine and running it threw my still. It is comes out tasting so good. I just have an electric water still. This guy has inspired me.
I apologize , I gave you a lot of grief in the way you were disseminating the information you posses. The problem is you have to much info for us beginners and made it to complicated. This video is gold, you gave me numbers to follow, you told me what to look for, thank you for your help.
I love the science basis you use to back up your choice to watch the temperature. I remember from high school chemistry that different substances boil at different temps and if you collect at certain temps you get specific substances. I know that with experience you can become more I TH-cam about things but as someone who wants to get started with home brewing/distilling, this is a great guide. The joke at the end sealed the deal. You’ve got a new subscriber.
Thanks heaps George ! I was a bit despondent after purchasing a T500 and all the negative stuff on the net until i found you ! I watched this video 3 times and finally got it lol
I just did my very first 1 gallon SugarWash with a stainless steel pot still on a rainy saturday while keeping a close eye on what was happening. The first 250ml was 70% ABV and crystal clear like distilled water. The next 900ml was 60% ABV but looks cloudy and tasted weird (need to carbon filter). The last 200ml was 10% ABV. After that I only got water out of it. I'm very happy with the first results.
Thank you George , I burnt my oats . I was in the middle of replacing my Meal worm farm bedding( baking to kill possible mites ) . then got sucked into your videos , Kinda don't want to go blind. I am very green .. I am learning so much from you . I come from a old shine family , how ever never was aloud to brew. Even found my Uncle old still first time Deer hunting in Parker PA. It was all you're apart , that is how he kept it untill needed. Was told " no you still can't take it " by my father . Rest his soul. My Uncle just kept insisting. AAAaaa good memories. Thank you.
With respect, it's not true that only some things are evaporating at 168 leaving everything you want in the pot till you have a higher temperature. The ratios change, but everything is evaporating (including ethanol and water) when you hit the boiling point of the total mixture. What's important is not to push too hard at that stage, because the vapors are no longer in the mixture and they begin to stratify within the column so you can condense and draw off the vapors stratifying at the top leaving the heavier vapors. Also just in case anyone is confused, this is only for a column still, and doesn't apply to a pot still at all. For that you make no attempt to control temperatures and just use heat input to control output rate.
wow, i'm online watching college classes all the time, and i'll tell you, this is high level instruction. previously, i was just hammering on heat and using math to cut out the methanol. i hadn't even considered fine tuning the temp points, but i can immediately see that your method will both make the cuts easier, but it will also improve the quality/quantity of the hearts run.
First I've found that gave a coherent answer to finding the cuts between the different parts. Well, aside from those recommending the perpetual taste testing. TYVM
Man you must have been a Prof, you nailed it so many docs on this subject speak to those without a scientific mind something many of us need. thanks again
I'm visiting all your videos, George, saving as I go. It's great knowing as much about process techniques using the science of heat transfer and not relying solely on taste and smell!
OMG where were you a week ago!!! I am new to this. I do 20 gallons at a time. My first run EVER!!! so much i need to learn. Thank you for teaching us newbie some things. I will message you with some other questions that i have tomorrow morning. Again Thank you
I've been setting here for almost 2 hours only 200F before I even feel heat close to my slobberbox. First time and I'm sure this comment shows it. I thought after all of the hours I've prepared, it would be much easier. You make it look easy,
For a 5 gallon wash, 250ml of foreshots are discarded, that's 8.4 ounces. In another video you said for a 5 gallon wash you'll discard 2 ounces of foreshots and have 2x that in heads. Which amount of foreshots is correct for a 5 gallon wash, 2 ounces or 8.4? Thanks for the great videos. 🇺🇲
There is almost no methanol produced in a sugar wash. There is a tiny amount that come off a grain wash and even more with a fruit wash. Generally the first 500ml are not even worth thinking about drinking anyway. Tossing one ounce would probably technically remove the methanol But you’re not drinking the first 500ml anyway.( are you?) And worse comes to worse the solution to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol. You’re fine either way. Stay away from the first 500ml ( they taste like shit anyway... why would you drink it?)
This was pretty awesome, thank you. It’s great to know temp ranges that helps tremendously. I’m green at this and trying to figure it out and got a bunch of blue stench and had to figure that out as well. Hopefully I’ll get something out of this that won’t kill me!
Great video 👍👍. I did have to rewatch the part from Foreshots to Heads then jumping into the hearts, confusing. Then your comment popped up correcting your comment. QUESTION- From Hearts to Tails u showing the steady flow and u said Still working well and start tadting and smelling. How far into Hearts do U start smelling and tasting????
Did my first run today. Thanks George for all the info. I'm learning from a MASTER !!! This was a fun day, and I even got a little sumpin to show for it :)
i wish i could express my gratitude for you and all the work you put into making these videos but words cant do it justice im so happy i found your channel im getting a turbo 500 and a small alembic onion dome still with a thumper soon
Fantastic! Please keep up the great work. You have a wonderful approach to these videos. Exceptionally informative and to the point. I enjoyed watching this all the way through without getting bored or finding myself fast forwarding.
Sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time... GREAT ADVICE THEIR... You hit the nail on the head with explaining this process... I can't explain things like you just did... Thank you... Now I know where to send people who ask questions...
Thanks so much for the wonderful videos, I wanted to ask, in the third distillation I did not take out tails, is it allowed to drink the distillate? (The reason I didn't take the tails out was because I distilled with anise star plant and started to get oil)
Hi, I was wondering about the suitability of copper wool (maximising surface area & increasing reflux) in a still. Also would be possible to have a video looking at the role of copper in developing congeners and removing sulphurous compounds?
George Did you do all you can do in explaining your wisdom on home distilling. AKA as to why you being burn out to making more content. Your a great guy as to what you have given to all, and to those you got to know on a personal invite. I'm sure you getting after the things you enjoy. Cheers
Just found professor George, thank you so much for giving a clean and straight answer. Most people over complicate the explanation which tends to mean they don’t understand it. Not George though. THANKS AGAIN!
This is the video I've been searching for! Absolutely amazing job on it! This is the first video I've seen that is so thorough, most are very vague and leave a lot to interpretation. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for any more of your videos and checking out your website
Instead of pennies (and I know about copper scrubbers) - what about chopping copper water supply tubing into ~1/4" lengths to make rings (I believe they're called Raschig rings?). You get a ton of surface area with excellent vapor flowthrough, without the problem of "clumping" that you'd get with pennies to some degree.... Just a thought, sorry if it's duplicated elsewhere....
The point of having a packed distillation column is so you can increase the available surface area for vapor to condense on so you can fractionate the heavier liquids out of the vapor you are distilling. There wouldn't be anything wrong with using the zinc core pennies because the outer surface is still copper. However, what you really want is lots and lots of surface area and you can get that on the cheap by just going to the store and buying copper scrubbing pads. They will work much, much better.
You can avoid the matching boiling point by removing the last 5% of water from the ethanol by using a molecular sieve. The sieve will absorb the water molecules and not the ethanol because the molecules are too big to fit inside. After that you filter and re-distill to remove and sieve residue. The molecular sieve can then be baked to remove the water and are completely reusable. There are many different sieves out there to try.
George, great conversation. Let me ask a question. In a reflux still, let's say you ran in 100% reflux from the start (180f) and didn't allow any spirits to come out for like 10 mins. This means all the ethanol would have been returned to the boiler, now let's say you crack open the spirit collection valve, the methanol would be mixed into the ethanol right? How would you handle this? Would you close the collection valve and lower the temps to 168 and let it run for 30 mins to normalize and then crack the collection valve and collect the methanol until it stops producing? I think I answered my own question just my asking it, DOH.. man I need a PID controlled dual element boiler. I am old school fire.
I wish I could like this video for each time I come back to it. Tons of information, Thank you again as always..looking forward to the next video it's like watching the bubbles. Soo what is your hobby? Uhhh I'm usually watching water boil in anticipation for the next step. Next step what's that? Huh watching more water boil...congrats on the 30k ... 100k soon.. I'm sure,,... I think I seen a bubble. Lol I hope you get my south LA humor. Keep ON doing all you do. As you should well know by now you are much appreciated.. I need a 3XL tshirt that says Barley and hops I did it George's way! Yes that's right look me in my good eye!! Lol sorry that was a joke to. Love your authentic Pall mall cough you should really look into rolling your own. I been rolling my own for a year now and cough far far less plus 5 cartons is only 52 a month. Comes in tubes with a filter not like gambler.lol cause you still call a breaker a fuse. Old school its OK tho but any hoo I mix OHM blue With OHM bold 50/ 50, I mix it and use tube cut kings filters just like a Marlboro medium. Shit maybe I should have just called you. Lol
Is it possible just to blend them all together? And if not, please explain why. New to this, but taking it all in. Thank you for the informative videos!
Some of the clearest explanations I've encountered, you make great videos! One question - something that has confused me is why you'd take the tails and put them into your next batch. What does that accomplish? Won't that simply force you to redistill them, leading to an even higher percentage of tails in your next batch?
The advice to "Never take a sleeping pill and a laxitive at the same time." May well prove very useful some day. I shall keep it on file for future reference.
you have any table that shows the depressed boiling points based on altitude? Yes, I live at altitude. We have always used pressure cookers for making potatoes :)
At 11:00 as you demonstrate with the tube, you show that it stops dripping as you wait your 10 minutes. And you say that as you raise your temp it will begin to drip again and that's now your heart's. Wouldn't those drips still be your foreshot/head because of what was stuck in the coil? you explain early on that even though foreshot is boiled off and starting to move, it doesn't have the steam pressure behind it to fully send them through the coil. So after you wait your 10, you aren't through with your foreshot immediately as it starts dripping again... am I correct on this?
George is one of the greats. At the top of the brewing food chain along with popcorn sutton! I would pay cash to spend a week with George getting some 1 on 1 brewing lessons.
the azeotrope story explains why you cannot get 100% vol from a still. Working with temperatures makes sense when you observe temperature changes, just because your mash isn't a mixture of ethanol and water, there are other products in there which affect the evaporation temperature. The firts stuff you may get isn't methanol but acetone
thank you for the tips. by the way lot of the info, you gave will go over the heads of some folks who do not understand math and science. still work is a great science and math and lots of love.
He must be talking pot temp, instead of vapor temp. My 3 inch column pot still starts producing foreshots around 175 to 180 F vapor temp. That's my guess, and I'm sticking with it.
bravo seeing this video for second time and now with much more experience i am able to better appreciate it. Although controlling the temperature is easier said than done.
One question please, if you have boiled the methanol off first at the lower temp, is it possible any more methanol can come off if you continue to boil at that temp? thanks for any reply :-)
on a different topic whiskey mash, everyone pushes cove pail, buckets, barrels, and use an air lock. I was down in Gatlinburg TN and no one covers their mash. friends of mine work at Hiram Walker and some mashes aren't covered. is their an advantage/ disadvantage to covered or not, besids bugs and insects. thanks Jim
Mr George I have a question just based on curiosity that I have wondered about for some time. Using an 8gallon pot still and doing a second distillation of spirits. But during the first run both heads and tails were removed. Is it still necessary to perform those same cuts on the second distillation?? The finished spirits from the first distillation are on average are 120 proof or above. Normally I wouldn’t do a second distillation but with higher proof I’ve had better results with recipes like apple pie and peach cobbler moonshine. Those better results being lots of flavor but also maximum ABV after the final mix.
I wish I would have been asking these questions sooner I can’t tell you the pints of foreshots I’ve thrown out even while thinking to myself is this necessary, but choosing to proceed on the side of caution. Once again sir your advice is greatly appreciated.
I know this is an old video. I know you been doing this for decades. I have no idea how you have tolerated the General Public as long as you have. I am glad you did, and I am very thankful for all of the hard work you have done over the decades. I have been watching your videos off and on over the years since you first acquired your beer store. I do not know why you are on vacation, but I can assure you I fully support your complete withdraw from society in general. Sometimes... you just gotta take care of YOU! :)
Ive been distilling spirits for 7 years. First time i've ever heard it explained so well.
I agree.
He knows his shit
Great video. I went to school for applied sciences of brewing, and a teacher was kind enough to teach the finer points of shine, after hours of course. You hit most of the important points - solidly. Very informative, and way cheaper than my tuition.
Where is that school and how much does it cost? Do they have a website?
Your a bloody legend mate. This video has made life so much easier. Your the Walter White of spirits.
Time to get cooking i reckon. ;)
Iany beany p
Jonny Hawkins you from the U.K?
@@highhat5229 I'd guess Australia. The "legend" gave it away.
Where ever his from his Right.
Just purchased a still and have been having a devil of a time trying to get some consistent easy to understand info on the concept of Heads, Hearts and Tails. First time hearing where the boundaries are for these phases of distilling. THANKS!!
Pick yourself up a water regulator pump works great
I'm new to the craft and a chemistry graduate, this is about the best advice I have seen on separating the different cuts I have seen. I have been watching the temperature in my column to guage when to make cuts and have noticed that there is a clear relationship between the temperature and the proof of my liquor during distillation. On my next back I am going to hold at 168 as George recommended
This chap takes passion to a whole new level... Well done you.
That's the thing of it!! Teachers who have a passion for something, make thee best teachers. We learn the best from them!! Cheers to George mate!! (I like to refer to him as Dr.Distiller😉) Love learning from him!!
This has just answered a years long question. Thank you for tellinging me how the moonshiners know the difference. I'll probably never distill my own spirits but the wife and I love knowledge.
Haven't got a still yet, just learning but I greatly appreciate your down to earth and technical approach. Thanks mate, you are helping the community!
I love your no-nonsense, humble approach to sharing your expertise. Thanks for sharing your experience with us novices. Ive seen too many people swearing too many different ways are the ONLY way and they are all a little different.
Great teacher....he’s so easy to watch that the info he gives goes straight to long term memory....it’s like charisma, a natural gift from god
I learn so much from these videos. My product has become the subject of campfire conversations whenever the topic comes up. Thank you for all of your wisdom!
Great to hear!
Great explanation of heads, hearts and tails. You make it simple and easy to understand. Appreciate it, George!
I've done a half dozen runs on my setup and I am constantly coming back to the video's I watched when I was starting to build my setup. It's good to confirm that what I am seeing is pretty close to what you were seeing or learn what I need to tweak.
This guy is dope. I have been taking my homemade wine and running it threw my still. It is comes out tasting so good. I just have an electric water still. This guy has inspired me.
I apologize , I gave you a lot of grief in the way you were disseminating the information you posses. The problem is you have to much info for us beginners and made it to complicated. This video is gold, you gave me numbers to follow, you told me what to look for, thank you for your help.
I love the science basis you use to back up your choice to watch the temperature. I remember from high school chemistry that different substances boil at different temps and if you collect at certain temps you get specific substances. I know that with experience you can become more I TH-cam about things but as someone who wants to get started with home brewing/distilling, this is a great guide. The joke at the end sealed the deal. You’ve got a new subscriber.
This is my 8th video I've watched from this guy. I'm very thankful for the info. I love his attention to detail. Thumbs up!!
Awesome, thank you!
Very informative video on the distillation topic. You were as clear as any of my chemistry professors that I’ve taken in college.
bleddy great! makes life so much simpler! you truly are a man amongst men
You are like the Bill Nye the Science Guy of distilling and brewing. There is science for little kids, then there is science for adult kids. Nice vid.
bill nye is a idiot and an actor,not a scientist ya dip!
I would bet bill has forgot more about science than you or I have ever known...
Bill Nye is not a scientist but he plays one on TV. Nye is a just a actor selling the NWO agenda B.S.
You're all right, that haze in just about every city with more than 300k people is causing nothing. Youre so smart...Is the earth flat as well?
YUP!
It seems that with my steel, one pint per hour is much smoother than one pint every 45 minutes. Thank you Dave you are the Sultan of shine.
Sorry George I don't know why I said Dave I guess I was just thinking about my buddy that's in bad health.
Another 'spot on' video , easy to understand and to the point, first rate mate, keep up the good work sir.
Thanks heaps George !
I was a bit despondent after purchasing a T500 and all the negative stuff on the net until i found you !
I watched this video 3 times and finally got it lol
Thank you sir. I am now a better person after watching this video. Better/smarter/happier.
Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge George!!!
Hope you're doing well.
I just did my very first 1 gallon SugarWash with a stainless steel pot still on a rainy saturday while keeping a close eye on what was happening.
The first 250ml was 70% ABV and crystal clear like distilled water.
The next 900ml was 60% ABV but looks cloudy and tasted weird (need to carbon filter).
The last 200ml was 10% ABV.
After that I only got water out of it.
I'm very happy with the first results.
Thank you George , I burnt my oats . I was in the middle of replacing my Meal worm farm bedding( baking to kill possible mites ) . then got sucked into your videos , Kinda don't want to go blind. I am very green .. I am learning so much from you . I come from a old shine family , how ever never was aloud to brew. Even found my Uncle old still first time Deer hunting in Parker PA. It was all you're apart , that is how he kept it untill needed. Was told " no you still can't take it " by my father . Rest his soul. My Uncle just kept insisting. AAAaaa good memories. Thank you.
With respect, it's not true that only some things are evaporating at 168 leaving everything you want in the pot till you have a higher temperature. The ratios change, but everything is evaporating (including ethanol and water) when you hit the boiling point of the total mixture. What's important is not to push too hard at that stage, because the vapors are no longer in the mixture and they begin to stratify within the column so you can condense and draw off the vapors stratifying at the top leaving the heavier vapors. Also just in case anyone is confused, this is only for a column still, and doesn't apply to a pot still at all. For that you make no attempt to control temperatures and just use heat input to control output rate.
Yeah whom do I trust more? Well I've watched a bunch of his vids. Who are you? See my point?
Omg so simple... I’ve been struggling with all this stuff until I saw this. You are the best.
Glad I could help!
wow, i'm online watching college classes all the time, and i'll tell you, this is high level instruction. previously, i was just hammering on heat and using math to cut out the methanol. i hadn't even considered fine tuning the temp points, but i can immediately see that your method will both make the cuts easier, but it will also improve the quality/quantity of the hearts run.
Your method is very correct, I work at a distillery and our methods match up, great video.
Great to hear. Thanks for the comment. Too often people get the wrong ideas from questionable sources.
Happy Distilling
George
First I've found that gave a coherent answer to finding the cuts between the different parts. Well, aside from those recommending the perpetual taste testing. TYVM
Thank you for explaining this in a clear straight forward way.
Man you must have been a Prof, you nailed it so many docs on this subject speak to those without a scientific mind something many of us need. thanks again
Worked like a charm George, thank you so much for making this easy and fun.
Thanks for the videos George. I really appreciate it when you also include metric temperatures. Keep it up.
Clearest explanation I've heard yet. Thanks so much.
Thanks for continuing to enlighten the masses. Many good videos and great explanations about the functioning of tools and processes.
I'm visiting all your videos, George, saving as I go. It's great knowing as much about process techniques using the science of heat transfer and not relying solely on taste and smell!
This is so helpful George, thank you for sharing your knowledge
OMG where were you a week ago!!! I am new to this. I do 20 gallons at a time. My first run EVER!!! so much i need to learn. Thank you for teaching us newbie some things. I will message you with some other questions that i have tomorrow morning. Again Thank you
I've been setting here for almost 2 hours only 200F before I even feel heat close to my slobberbox. First time and I'm sure this comment shows it. I thought after all of the hours I've prepared, it would be much easier. You make it look easy,
Finally! What a great explanation and one of was looking for. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
Brilliant video. Such a nice chap to make a complicated process sound easy.
Awesome video. not too hard to understand but just technical enough to explain the needed points. thanks!
Got my first wash down this was the video I needed to make foreshots and cuts make sense. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 Appreciate y'all
O my gosh, my wife was walking by when you made the comment on sleeping pills and a laxative at the same time. Thank you we needed a good chuckle.
For a 5 gallon wash, 250ml of foreshots are discarded, that's 8.4 ounces. In another video you said for a 5 gallon wash you'll discard 2 ounces of foreshots and have 2x that in heads.
Which amount of foreshots is correct for a 5 gallon wash, 2 ounces or 8.4?
Thanks for the great videos. 🇺🇲
There is almost no methanol produced in a sugar wash.
There is a tiny amount that come off a grain wash and even more with a fruit wash.
Generally the first 500ml are not even worth thinking about drinking anyway.
Tossing one ounce would probably technically remove the methanol
But you’re not drinking the first 500ml anyway.( are you?)
And worse comes to worse the solution to methanol poisoning is drinking ethanol.
You’re fine either way.
Stay away from the first 500ml ( they taste like shit anyway... why would you drink it?)
New to stilling. Just picked up a keg to turn into a still. Great video, thank you!
This was pretty awesome, thank you. It’s great to know temp ranges that helps tremendously. I’m green at this and trying to figure it out and got a bunch of blue stench and had to figure that out as well. Hopefully I’ll get something out of this that won’t kill me!
Great video 👍👍.
I did have to rewatch the part from Foreshots to Heads then jumping into the hearts, confusing.
Then your comment popped up correcting your comment.
QUESTION-
From Hearts to Tails u showing the steady flow and u said Still working well and start tadting and smelling.
How far into Hearts do U start smelling and tasting????
Did my first run today. Thanks George for all the info. I'm learning from a MASTER !!!
This was a fun day, and I even got a little sumpin to show for it :)
Great job!
You are a great teacher man. I live in south africa and whant to start to stilling. Your videos helps a lot. But i still need a still
sluit by die moonshine mampoer groep op fb aan
i wish i could express my gratitude for you and all the work you put into making these videos but words cant do it justice im so happy i found your channel im getting a turbo 500 and a small alembic onion dome still with a thumper soon
Simplest cuts explaination ever. Thank you Sir!
Fantastic! Please keep up the great work. You have a wonderful approach to these videos. Exceptionally informative and to the point. I enjoyed watching this all the way through without getting bored or finding myself fast forwarding.
Sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time... GREAT ADVICE THEIR... You hit the nail on the head with explaining this process... I can't explain things like you just did... Thank you... Now I know where to send people who ask questions...
Thanks so much for the wonderful videos, I wanted to ask, in the third distillation I did not take out tails, is it allowed to drink the distillate?
(The reason I didn't take the tails out was because I distilled with anise star plant and started to get oil)
Hi,
I was wondering about the suitability of copper wool (maximising surface area & increasing reflux) in a still. Also would be possible to have a video looking at the role of copper in developing congeners and removing sulphurous compounds?
Thank you so much someone finally explained it to where it's easily understood you are the man
George
Did you do all you can do in explaining your wisdom on home distilling. AKA as to why you being burn out to making more content.
Your a great guy as to what you have given to all, and to those you got to know on a personal invite.
I'm sure you getting after the things you enjoy.
Cheers
So more helpful than all the other drivel I've found. Thank you so much!
I would love to get into this hobby, but I live in Mississippi.
Great video man.
Just found professor George, thank you so much for giving a clean and straight answer. Most people over complicate the explanation which tends to mean they don’t understand it. Not George though. THANKS AGAIN!
Thanks. I appreciate that.
George
You are most welcome, (Just made my first ever rum wash, can’t wait!)
Outstanding!! Thank you for the missing pieces i was looking for! Very informative!
Is there an induction cook top that allows us to separate heads/foreshots and hearts? I'm having a hard time finding one.
This is the video I've been searching for! Absolutely amazing job on it! This is the first video I've seen that is so thorough, most are very vague and leave a lot to interpretation. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for any more of your videos and checking out your website
I really enjoy your videos. Thanks for all your great content
Instead of pennies (and I know about copper scrubbers) - what about chopping copper water supply tubing into ~1/4" lengths to make rings (I believe they're called Raschig rings?). You get a ton of surface area with excellent vapor flowthrough, without the problem of "clumping" that you'd get with pennies to some degree.... Just a thought, sorry if it's duplicated elsewhere....
Great information there George, gives us novices a lot to think about. Keep up the great work. Cheers
The point of having a packed distillation column is so you can increase the available surface area for vapor to condense on so you can fractionate the heavier liquids out of the vapor you are distilling. There wouldn't be anything wrong with using the zinc core pennies because the outer surface is still copper. However, what you really want is lots and lots of surface area and you can get that on the cheap by just going to the store and buying copper scrubbing pads. They will work much, much better.
no need of all this, just use stainless steel pot scrubbers. Use copper mesh a little to eliminate sulphur components if you use fruits for your mash
Thank You it’s clear to me I have a lot more to learn but what you say coin-sights with my knowledge from my experiences. Thank You
Another great video. You took a topic I was confused about and made it easy to understand. Thanks George.
+Adam Larson Anytime I can help let me know
George
Thanks man I'm really learning a lot from you thanks for all your hard work you do on TH-cam
You can avoid the matching boiling point by removing the last 5% of water from the ethanol by using a molecular sieve. The sieve will absorb the water molecules and not the ethanol because the molecules are too big to fit inside. After that you filter and re-distill to remove and sieve residue. The molecular sieve can then be baked to remove the water and are completely reusable. There are many different sieves out there to try.
Yeah but the alcohol will suck water vapor out of the air and drop back down to 95 real fast
How is that relevant to home distilling liquor
How is that relevant to home distilling liquor?
How is that relevant to home distilling liquor?
How is that relevant to home distilling liquor?
George, great conversation. Let me ask a question. In a reflux still, let's say you ran in 100% reflux from the start (180f) and didn't allow any spirits to come out for like 10 mins. This means all the ethanol would have been returned to the boiler, now let's say you crack open the spirit collection valve, the methanol would be mixed into the ethanol right? How would you handle this? Would you close the collection valve and lower the temps to 168 and let it run for 30 mins to normalize and then crack the collection valve and collect the methanol until it stops producing?
I think I answered my own question just my asking it, DOH..
man I need a PID controlled dual element boiler. I am old school fire.
Love these vids so much I watch them like 50 times each 😅
I wish I could like this video for each time I come back to it. Tons of information, Thank you again as always..looking forward to the next video it's like watching the bubbles. Soo what is your hobby? Uhhh I'm usually watching water boil in anticipation for the next step. Next step what's that? Huh watching more water boil...congrats on the 30k ... 100k soon.. I'm sure,,... I think I seen a bubble. Lol I hope you get my south LA humor. Keep ON doing all you do. As you should well know by now you are much appreciated.. I need a 3XL tshirt that says Barley and hops I did it George's way! Yes that's right look me in my good eye!! Lol sorry that was a joke to. Love your authentic Pall mall cough you should really look into rolling your own. I been rolling my own for a year now and cough far far less plus 5 cartons is only 52 a month. Comes in tubes with a filter not like gambler.lol cause you still call a breaker a fuse. Old school its OK tho but any hoo I mix OHM blue With OHM bold 50/ 50, I mix it and use tube cut kings filters just like a Marlboro medium. Shit maybe I should have just called you. Lol
Awesome Tobey. I did get the south LA humor.
Your comment made me laugh and smile all the way through it.
Cheers.
Happy distilling
George
Is it possible just to blend them all together? And if not, please explain why. New to this, but taking it all in. Thank you for the informative videos!
Some of the clearest explanations I've encountered, you make great videos!
One question - something that has confused me is why you'd take the tails and put them into your next batch. What does that accomplish? Won't that simply force you to redistill them, leading to an even higher percentage of tails in your next batch?
Can you use heads for hand sanitizer?
Thanks, just getting into distilling and you get it down to simple to understand terms
This is an old video, but it is the most helpful one on the topic I have found.
Thank you so very much!
The advice to "Never take a sleeping pill and a laxitive at the same time." May well prove very useful some day. I shall keep it on file for future reference.
Your sign off was very funny. I laughed for a good thirty seconds. Was not expecting that.
you have any table that shows the depressed boiling points based on altitude? Yes, I live at altitude. We have always used pressure cookers for making potatoes :)
At 11:00 as you demonstrate with the tube, you show that it stops dripping as you wait your 10 minutes. And you say that as you raise your temp it will begin to drip again and that's now your heart's. Wouldn't those drips still be your foreshot/head because of what was stuck in the coil? you explain early on that even though foreshot is boiled off and starting to move, it doesn't have the steam pressure behind it to fully send them through the coil. So after you wait your 10, you aren't through with your foreshot immediately as it starts dripping again... am I correct on this?
Love your videos sir! Best on line!
George is one of the greats. At the top of the brewing food chain along with popcorn sutton! I would pay cash to spend a week with George getting some 1 on 1 brewing lessons.
Thanks for the help George...
the azeotrope story explains why you cannot get 100% vol from a still. Working with temperatures makes sense when you observe temperature changes, just because your mash isn't a mixture of ethanol and water, there are other products in there which affect the evaporation temperature. The firts stuff you may get isn't methanol but acetone
thank you for the tips. by the way lot of the info, you gave will go over the heads of some folks who do not understand math and science. still work is a great science and math and lots of love.
Are you measuring temperature of the liquid in the pot or vapor in the column?
He must be talking pot temp, instead of vapor temp. My 3 inch column pot still starts producing foreshots around 175 to 180 F vapor temp. That's my guess, and I'm sticking with it.
bravo seeing this video for second time and now with much more experience i am able to better appreciate it.
Although controlling the temperature is easier said than done.
George, You are an Ace!
One question please, if you have boiled the methanol off first at the lower temp, is it possible any more methanol can come off if you continue to boil at that temp? thanks for any reply :-)
Good video. Thanks. I usually dump some during the initial strip and some more when distilling the recovered ethanol down farther.
on a different topic whiskey mash, everyone pushes cove pail, buckets, barrels, and use an air lock. I was down in Gatlinburg TN and no one covers their mash. friends of mine work at Hiram Walker and some mashes aren't covered. is their an advantage/ disadvantage to covered or not, besids bugs and insects. thanks Jim
Mr George I have a question just based on curiosity that I have wondered about for some time. Using an 8gallon pot still and doing a second distillation of spirits. But during the first run both heads and tails were removed. Is it still necessary to perform those same cuts on the second distillation?? The finished spirits from the first distillation are on average are 120 proof or above. Normally I wouldn’t do a second distillation but with higher proof I’ve had better results with recipes like apple pie and peach cobbler moonshine. Those better results being lots of flavor but also maximum ABV after the final mix.
Heads and tails are a one time event. You should not have to make those cuts again.
Geogre
I wish I would have been asking these questions sooner I can’t tell you the pints of foreshots I’ve thrown out even while thinking to myself is this necessary, but choosing to proceed on the side of caution. Once again sir your advice is greatly appreciated.
@@michaelwood1098 My pleasure. I am glad you find these helpful and informational.
Happy distilling
George
Indeed a one time event, but if doing 2 runs I'd do it on the second one.
Never a laxative at sleeping time ..... n true and honest man