Second Layer – Heads – High Alcohol

Second Stage:   This is next highest light layer after the foreshots. It is the high concentration of Ethanol alcohol layer that is light and has floated to the top of the mash. It will have a harsh smell and strong bite taste of alcohol.

Slowly maintain a consistent heat so that the condenser produces one or two drops a second, 176F to 196F.  Any higher heat and your higher boiling point oils will also be condensed.  It is a slow process that you can’t speed up.  The only way to speed up your production is to have a huge capacity pot full of mash.  It is just a matter of scale.  

NOTE: If you run your pot too hot or bring up the temperature too fast you will get tails with your alcohol, a cloudy look, and instead of having a clear as water alcohol. You will get undesirable chemicals and material that should be in the tails.

You have alcohol mixed with other substances in the mash. So if you have a mash that is 50% water and 50% alcohol then the alcohol evaporation into steam will start to occur at approximately 180 deg F instead of the theoretical pure alcohol evaporation point of 172F. You slowly increase the temp from 172F (78C) to 180F (82C) then the drips will start coming out.

These temperatures are theoretical.  When alcohol is mixed with water the boiling point of the combined liquid changes and becomes higher.  All the combined ingredients in a mash will affect the boiling point of that particular mash liquid.  When water is mixed in with Ethanol the boiling point of Ethanol is reduced based on it being an azetorope mixture.

This layer will have a proof of around 160 proof or 80+- ABV. It will need to be watered down or mixed with the hearts so as to be 80 to 100 proof.

It is best to collect the heads separately. When you see a drop of 3 proof points, a drastic drop, then you know you are out of the heads and the hearts have started. The drop happens within 30 seconds to one minute.