how big of a batch were you running ? i usually dump 250 ml on a 6 gal run. i would cut the temp back when you start getting distillate

how much drinkable liquor do you yield from your 6 gallon pot? and what recipe do you prefer?
AND Thanks alot for putting up with my dumb questions you and everyone else on this site is very very helpful

ok HERE goes...the 160 proof came from me useing the tralles from 3 other runs i had made..dumped the first 50 or 60 ml...tok a wiff( not a smell that makes you jerk your head back) but very strong. Dipped my finger in tasted very powerful...(DOES NOT SMELL LIKE THE 50 ML I POUR OUT, WHICH SMELLS LIKE TURPENTINE....I have made one batch of apple pie( which i got from the shine off the second quart of a run i made...120 proof......taste good or delicious...i do collect in pint jars now....i check every pint for smell and proof....but by NOT SAFE i meant the 150 and up...i know i can cut it, and make lower proof...out of all of this i think my question was should it have such a powerful smell and taste at 160? And if the temp on the pot is getting to 200 degrees and the temp on the head at my condensor is at around 180 is that ok?

Hi Bama, is the smell on that 150/160 a clean smell or does it smell kind a funky? If you've already cut the fores and heads then most likely everything is Ok to drink. At 150/160 proof that's 75/80%, consider that most store bought is 40%/80 proof yours is going to have a lot stronger bit. Water it down with distilled water 60/40 hooch/water and it should put you right around 85-90 proof.
If the hooch clouds up when water is added that usually means you've gotten tails smeared across your hearts. That's a sign of you running your boiler to hard/hot/fast. If you don't like the taste you should run it again. Just add the same amount of water as hooch to your boiler to be safe and run it again.

I use pint jars and only collect 1/2 jar at a time while keeping the boiler at a simmer and product flow as slow as possible.I usually quit collecting for drinking when things start to smell like something I don't like, or up to about 186-190 head temp. From there I may or may not collect tails to throw into the next batch. I will cover the mason jars with a coffee filter and screw the lid ring on and let them sit for two days before I check the smell and taste.

Hope this helps.

"

Bama, I hope you dont think you pissed me off or offended me in any way, you didn't and I appoligize if it seemed that way. I have issues typing also and sometimes I loose words in there too. Sometimes we have to infer that we know what someone is asking and it may seem like a snippy answer but I'm not offended and I hope I didn't offend you.
The only way to learn is trail and error unless you ask ??'s and get answers to them. You mentioned on other sites they say this or that..well I wont say anybody is wrong but I think everybody has their way of running their still and you will too very soon. Now with that said gathering info just makes sense, so asking is the right thing to do. After you've made 10 or 15 runs you WILL develope your own way of running ur unit and of the particular mash you like to construct."

Im not talking about you or anyone else on this site. But i can understand that people get tired of the same ole questions over and over and over.....But the reason i am here is to get the best possible answer to my question, that is agreed on by a most of a group. Because i can go to GOOGLE and ask a question ...im going to be sent to 12 different sites and each site has a different opinion. Im just trying to perfect a hobby that i am very interested in and everyone of you have been a great help to me on my way to perfection:)..But no, no hard feelings here at all. I am thrilled to be excepted into this community.