When you do your spirit run in a pot still, do you add additional water to the alcohol?

[GeekSpirits]

Hi, I am just wondering what other do when they run their spirit run?

[Sherman]

I have never gone into a pot higher than 45% abv. A bad accident in the 90's from a leaking condenser connection makes me paranoid of really high proof in a pot. A flash fire burned me pretty bad. I still have a hole in the right ear drum. Never higher than 45%.

[bradocaster]

ouch...i said OUCH.

[bluestar]

Typically dilute to between 35% and 40% for whiskey, especially if adding any head feints from prior run to the stripped wash.

[Jedd Haas]

I have never gone into a pot higher than 45% abv. A bad accident in the 90's from a leaking condenser connection makes me paranoid of really high proof in a pot. A flash fire burned me pretty bad. I still have a hole in the right ear drum. Never higher than 45%.

hi Sherman,

Your comment is timely, as this is a topic of discussion at our distillery. Can you elaborate on how you decided on 45% as the maximum? Is this just an amount you're comfortable with from experience, or are there additional factors you considered?

I'm interested in hearing from everyone else what you consider the maximum ABV for the still charge. Obviously, there are numerous factors which might make one decide on a different number, so feel free to add as many caveats or additional explanations as necessary.

[Sherman]

The reasoning is that even with a simple pot still, your initial out put using 45% in the pot is going to be as high as 165P and that is plenty high enough for a flavored distilled spirits. It is also enough alcohol to feed a well built vodka column. My accident was the result of bad testing on new fabrication and inattention to the still itself.

I have only run at a higher proof once since but it was while assisting someone else at their distillery.

[GeekSpirits]

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate everyone's input !

[Jedd Haas]

hi Sherman, can you say what proof the higher proof run was at?

[Sherman]

The distillation was done in a vendome 30 gallon, oil bath, electric pot still and was charged with 150 proof. With no cooling water to the dephlegmator the spirit still came off starting at 180 proof. the plum flavor was still pretty intense in the middle of the run though. This was at Fiore Vineyard in Maryland.

[bluestar]

For some things you must run at higher proof in the pot, like making absinthe.