Should i care about cuts in this situation

fxaddicted

my goal is to dilute the final spirits to 15%ABV or 10% ABV
should i really care about cuts ?

6-Row-Joe

What are you making?I don't drink alcohol, I drink distilled spirits.
Therefore I'm not a alcoholic, I'm spiritual.

fxaddicted

low alcohol sparkling / flavored beverage . something like hard seltzer but with 15% ABV
i don't want go direct with hard seltzer method because i don't want bother with filtration process

Steve-Broady

I’ve never tried to make it, but my gut says that yes, cuts will be important. It’s amazing how bad flavors seem to survive dilution. Why make an inferior product out of sheer laziness? If you’re going to do that, just buy the junk in the store.Steve, you’re way behind time. This is not 38, but it’s old 97. You must put her into Spencer on time.

Salt-Must-Flow

Apparently you intend to make a clean neutral in order to make drinks. YES you absolutely want to keep the Hearts, cut out Foreshots, Heads and Tails. Heads & tails are absolutely awful.
Once you have only the hearts from the spirit run, you can dilute the hearts to 15% if you like.

still_stirrin

Lazy cuts will reveal themself MORE as you dilute the alcohol because your sensitivity to the off flavors will be less neutralized by the higher proof.  As you approach pure water (seltzer water in your case), your taste threshold will be more acute.  So, yes … you should care about (good) cuts MORE.
ssAttention new distillers: Cranky's spoon feed info
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still:  stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K

6-Row-Joe

low alcohol sparkling / flavored beverage . something like hard seltzer but with 15% ABV
i don't want go direct with hard seltzer method because i don't want bother with filtration processTHen you need something a little more pure to do it. A handle of Tito's would be a better bet.Last edited by 6 Row Joe on Mon Dec 05, 2022 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.I don't drink alcohol, I drink distilled spirits.
Therefore I'm not a alcoholic, I'm spiritual.

6-Row-Joe

Exactly!!!!!I don't drink alcohol, I drink distilled spirits.
Therefore I'm not a alcoholic, I'm spiritual.

HDNB

i'm a bit confused by this thread. can you post more about the anticipated recipe you are hoping for?
A hard seltzer to me would be....make the cleanest neutral spirit you can, meaning it would be in the range of 95% and add your preferred pre-flavoured sparkling water to dilute to 15% (or whatever % you are going for)
commercially i think most of them are 5%, but i don't drink em so that's a guess.
how are you planning on getting to a finished product?I finally quit drinking for good.
now i drink for evil.

jonnys_spirit

I’d suggest like others that yes the cuts will make a difference.
On the other hand strong beers, meads, ciders, and wines are carbonated without cuts.
Just depends what you want to make and how much of it you’re gonna dring?
Cheers,
-j————
i make stuff i break stuff
water into whiskey into water
just getting started in home distilling - been drinking for decades
16g copper pot still, 10l alembic, and a column or two
————

Stonecutter

+1
Fxaddicted you’ve literally given us nothing to answer your question with. I know some new members can get upset when they hear this but you need to go and read till your eyes bleed.Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
-Thomas Paine

fxaddicted

90% of commercially hard seltzer doesn't go through distillation . fermentation > filtration > flavored > carbonation so it has all the heads tails  just like beer / wine
i was thinking to go through distillation only because i want avoid the filtration process with standard hard selzter method and then dilute the final spirits to 15%ABV or 10% ABV

fxaddicted

Great answer . thanks mate

Steve-Broady

Seems like there was a thread on this very subject here not too long ago. I recall reading then that the filtration is rather complicated and designed to remove the heads and tails as far as practical. There’s more to it than just stripping out the dead yeast cells and flavoring what’s left. I got the impression that it’s not really practical on a hobby level, or even a micro brewery level. Far better to do what the big boys can’t for legal reasons, make a super clean neutral, then mix in whatever else you like.Steve, you’re way behind time. This is not 38, but it’s old 97. You must put her into Spencer on time.

NZChris

15% ABV in cold, fizzy, sugary, harmless looking RTD bottles is a recipe for trouble.  If you want it to start even quicker, add some caffeine.

HDNB

they actually have laws here (Canada) for %alcohol in a given serving. if it's RTD, vs a resealable package...the kids were getting these 1 litre pop tops with a bunch of guarana and caffeine in like 15%....and were suffering the consequence of alc poisoning and i believe a few cases of death.
I had no idea. everything i've seen i just assumed it was NGS with flavoured water. a popular one around here is called NUTRL which is, as the name suggests voddy and seltzer. I just thought the white claw et.al. were the same.
do you have any outside resources and maybe some brand names we could look at that does this filtered ferment thing? seems like a complicated way to get there.
I wonder why they call it seltzer? what you describe sounds more like filtered bubbly wine of various fruits.
seltzer to me has always been club soda.I finally quit drinking for good.
now i drink for evil.

Stonecutter

There is no easy path to quality product. I suggest you make a clean neutral and stir up a cocktail spritzer with the flavors you’re after.
I’ve never worked with an airstill but from what I’ve read the process is the same. You’ll have to strip and spirit run with your airstill(if that’s what your still using) in order to get a decent amount of neutral. I’m not trying to discourage or dog pile on you but…
Again there’s not a lot to work with here. What type of flavoring are you after? It sounds like maybe you don’t really know what you’re after. You didn’t want to bother taking the time and effort to make a clean hard seltzer so you thought you could fudge it by not taking the time and effort to make a clean neutral but all you’re really doing is bastardizing the whole kit and caboodle. The shiners here like to make quality spirit just like the home brew guys like to make quality beer. It’s a labor of love. I stand by my previous statement to get some reading in. It may help guide you on a solid path to what it is you’re after.Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
-Thomas Paine

Salt-Must-Flow

So then then ferment > do a stripping run > do a spirit run with a packed reflux column > make proper cuts  to make a very clean neutral (otherwise it will feel like shit and taste like shit when you drink it) > dilute it & flavor your hearts cut > carbonate and have a great night.
Do you want to consume the Foreshots which is literally toxic (want to drink Acetone)? Do you want to consume Heads (which home distillers remove with their cuts because they make you feel like shit)? Do you want to consume Tails (which smells and tastes like shit)? Why wouldn't you want to ONLY consume the Hearts cut which is clean and pure? Have you EVER ONLY consumed Hearts at least once in your life?  Have you ever felt/sensed the difference between store bought crap (which contains foreshots, heads, hearts, tails) vs home distilled/clean product? I suspect you may not have. If you did, then that's the ONLY thing you would ever want to consume especially if you have ANY intent to home distill.
Sounds harsh? That's not my intent. I'm only pointing out what you may not know. There's a bit to learn, but it is not that difficult if you don't mind reading and asking questions.

Sporacle

That's because it has basically the same abv as beer and is generally hombrewed in the same manner as beer, there is basically two choices home-brew a hard seltzer in a beer fashion WITH A BEER ABV, or make a good neutral with cuts and work down to your 15 abv base. Hang on there is a third make no cuts and see how bad it turns out, it'll be bad

vnzeu2mpr3d.gif

" you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends; but you can't always wipe your friends off on your saddle" sage advice from Kinky Friedman

still_stirrin

If I was going to make a “seltzer water” alcoholic beverage, I’d first brew a sugar wash (Rad’s all bran is my favorite).  But, choose your favorite neutral recipe.
I’d brew it to 8 to 10% ABV potential and then filter it through a 3 micon fiber filter.  That will pull out the color and flavor and leave the alcohol with a little acidic tartness.  
Then, if you want flavors, fruit or spice, etc., then add a drop or two of artificial flavorings.  
Then, force carbonate it to 2 or 2-1/2 volumes of CO2 in a keg.  Counter-pressure fill into bottles from the keg.  
Bingo!  Seltzer water … clear and bubbly.
ssAttention new distillers: Cranky's spoon feed info
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still:  stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K