I started with a small stainless teapot still. I used recipies that I found online and I was getting 140 proof from it. I bought a 12 qt stainless pot and made a still out of it and the most I can get on an initial run is 90 to 100 proof. I don't have any leaks and the only thing I have changed is the pot. My wash is 5 lbs of cracked corn, 5 lbs of sugar and two packs of 3/4 oz Fleischmann's yeast. I boil the corn for 15 mins, add the sugar and stir. I let it set until it reaches 70 degrees and then add the yeast. I let it set until my SG is 1.00. I run it a second time and I get 140 proof.

By the time I get enough to test it with the hydrometer its 90 to 100, but when you tast the first few ounces it's pretty stout.

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Read up on making cuts and different parts of a run, that sounds like foreshots or heads!!! Remember when we distill something we are seperating water form etoh and the ratio of seperation is what gives us the percent of volume ---or higher or lower proof. If we use a really good tower on our still we get really good seperation and hence a higher proof of likker.
Higher proof likker means less water ( a higher [COLOR=""#FF0000""]concentration[/COLOR] of etoh) and lower proof likker means more water ( a lower [COLOR=""#FF0000""]concentration[/COLOR] of etoh) or other components in your distillate. The distillation device or tower either concentrates it or it dosen't and thats how you get higher proofs of likker."