"Ok, let me preface this by saying i am BRAND NEW to distilling. i understand the mechanisms of it all, but am getting confused about the foreshots, heads, hearts, & tails.

I've been planning to do a very simple corn sugar wash. My recipe is pretty much:

30lbs Dextrose Corn Sugar
10 gallons water
2 package Alcotec 48 hour turbo pure.
Split between 2 fermenters

So here is where i am getting confused. I am planning to run this through a PSII reflux column attached to a 15.5 Gallon keg packed with copper mesh.

The foreshots, from what i understand, will be about the first 100ml-150ml that comes out. I was originally under the impression that this was the only dangerous part, and would be discarded no matter what.

In doing further research, i have seen a lot of people talking about getting rid of some of the heads too? as well as getting rid of the tails? But then some folks say keep the heads and add it back in later, and the same with the tails? and then some folks say only some of each?

I realize that there are probably many possible answers to this - but does anyone have reasonably sound experience with a PSII and could give me some advice?

Thanks in advance for your patience with my total ignorance haha"

I would nix the turbo and use a bread yeast. It won't give you as high of an ABV but won't give off as much nasties either. I throw away 250 ML which will include the fores and some of the heads and save the tails for the next run.You just need to know how to run your still.The more you run it the better you will get . That includes cuts.The slower the better imho

"I think that recipe is gonna produce lots of nasties to begin with,......as to the cuts question, all the posts above are right on in my opinion as well.
I understand that cuts for someone new can seem like a oh shit moment but remember get rid of the first 100-150ml's just like you said and then collect every drop after that ====== now the confusing part===== collect in small quantities like 5-10 oz jars, WHAT YOU SAY???? Thats right if you collect in lots and lots of small jars and then tomorrow when you make your cuts you will be able to pick out where each cut is gonna fall.
Again your thinking....what the hell is he talking about?????? Well the heads may fill 2 jars and the hearts may fill 12 jars, but you wont know until some time later like tomorrow when you go to sniffin those jars to make your cuts, cause thats how you make em, ---- with your nose, in 24-48 hours or so.

If you turn on your still and start collecting in big jars your gonna get smearing, I'm sure you've heard that term and it means collecting different parts of the run and NOT seperating the good from the bad. Thats the reason for the small jars, so once your done stilling you can use your nose to find which jars are the good stuff and the not so good. There's no mistaking whats what after they sit for 24 hours or so. Unless you put all your distillate in a few big jars then its too late, unless you wanna run it again and then seperate it.
Then comes the ? of when do I quit, well at this time in your learning let the abv or proof be your guide. I only keep down to 80 proof or so and that may be about 200 degrees F. Your at the tails around there, you can keep collecting if you want or just turn it off and call it good enough. But if your still collecting in small jars it will be seperated anyway and you'll be able to smell the difference in the tails and hearts. Smell is your guide."

How come this recipe will produce lots of nasties? too much sugar up front? wrong yeast?

Thanks for all the help everyone! This will give me a lot to read up on before i make my first run

Fair to say that this has been by far the most helpful thread i could have asked for. Thanks everyone for getting a newbie rolling!

Cheers!