Detune For Flavour

pez
edited March 2021 in Configuration

I’ve been having a lot of success with my baby dragon for neutrals with some long packed sections and only minimal defleg, but now I want to knock it back almost to pot mode.

Aim is to produce a UJSSM for my best mate, but with the boiler size and qty of fermenters I have I would like to do a single spirit pass.

I’d appreciate anyone’s experience to one-shot this for when he visits.

Current config is 60L boiler, short copper packed section, 4 plate baby crystal, no defleg, no parrot. Planning to run the 50L really slow.

Suggestions?

Comments

  • IMO, start with pulling off the packed section and run with 4 plates. Minimal reflux. Maybe no reflux if you are concerned about smearing. Then think like a pot stiller.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • edited March 2021

    For single pass we’ve found best performance to run reflux at startup, take heads off at about 180-185pf, cut back reflux when you transition to hearts, and start adding back reflux as you approach tails.

    Hearts reflux ratio will let you dial in flavor.

    However, you’ll need to vary your cut points using this method, because if you cut for clean hearts, you’ll still end up with a lighter overall spirit, even if you cut off reflux through hearts. So think dirty cuts. It’s misleading because you are concentrating heads and tails by increasing reflux.

    This gives you best of both worlds - single pass flavor profile, but with the yield improvement of strip/spirit.

  • So does using reflux cause smearing? Thanks

  • edited January 2022

    Hi @Rosie,

    I wondered what that meant too.
    Nah it should be the opposite.
    You are looking to compress the heads but the cutoff should be more evident.
    Suggest 400ml-600ml-400ml-400ml cuts for your sized boiler and then choose carefully.
    For UJ we would do a strip first then raw wash with strip mix, 3/4 plates variable RC flow to suit.
    Our Uj is nice but typical of what most will make. We do use a CD and 4" no real difference in quality.

    Rossco

  • Ah thanks @rossco I got a bit confused, I also thought I had Les chance of smearing with plates and RC but still learning

  • edited January 2022

    Yes @Rosie the plates should reduce smearing. Use more reflux at the start and keep output low to compress the heads into the first few cuts. If you go faster it will smear heads into the later cuts.

    The four small cuts I suggested will give you a good spread to work out where the hearts started. Once you are sure the heads are gone reduce the flow to the RC to push more flavour through as the output speeds up.

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