Log every still run with charge, cuts, ABV and notes. Saved in your browser — no account needed.
Every still run is different. Charge ABV shifts as your wash ferments to varying final gravities. Heat input varies. Cuts decisions depend on smell, taste and temperature readings that change run to run. Without a log, you are making the same decisions blind every time.
A distillation log lets you build a reference for your specific still and setup. Over time you will see patterns: where your still typically starts producing hearts from a given charge ABV, how much foreshots and heads your setup generates per litre of charge, and what still temperature corresponds to your preferred hearts-to-tails transition.
The most valuable data in a distillation log is cuts information. Foreshots volume (typically 50–100 mL per 20 L of wash), heads volume and ABV at the heads-hearts transition, hearts volume and average ABV, and tails volume and ABV at the tails cut — all of these together let you calculate yield efficiency and compare runs.
Still temperature at each cut point is worth recording even if you do not use temperature as your primary cut method. Over multiple runs you will see whether your transition temperatures are consistent or shift based on charge strength, fill level or heat input. This calibration data is specific to your still and cannot be found in any guide.
The yield summary calculates automatically once you enter hearts volume and charge details — it shows hearts collected, total spirit collected and run efficiency as a percentage of theoretical yield.
Pot still runs produce a single-pass distillate with a wide cuts window and significant congener carry-through. Logging is particularly important for pot still work because every run degrades the boiler charge ABV, and the rate of that degradation determines how long your hearts window lasts.
Column and reflux still runs produce higher-ABV distillate with a narrower cuts window. The log fields for still temp and cuts ABV are especially useful for column runs — a small change in reflux ratio or heat input can significantly shift where hearts begin. Recording these parameters run by run lets you dial in a repeatable setup.
Yes. All entries are saved in your browser's localStorage only. No data is sent to any server. DistilCalc cannot see your run records. The data exists only on the device and browser you use — clearing browser data will erase it, so export regularly.
The log calculates this automatically. Efficiency is expressed as total spirit collected (all cuts combined) divided by charge volume, shown as a percentage. A typical pot still run on a 10% ABV wash collects total spirit in the range of 8–12% of charge volume. Lower efficiency usually indicates a stuck fermentation, too-low charge ABV, or cutting hearts too conservatively.
A common guideline for spirit runs is 50–100 mL per 20 L of wash. For stripping runs, foreshots discards are typically smaller. The purpose of discarding foreshots is to remove acetaldehyde and other very-low-boiling congeners that concentrate at the very start of the run. The volume is a starting point — sensory evaluation (sharp, solvent smell) is the definitive guide.
Enter the same batch name in the Linked Batch field that you used in your Mash Log. Both logs are independent — there is no automatic link — but matching names let you cross-reference your fermentation data with your distillation results when reviewing your CSV exports.
Yes — log them as separate entries with the run name indicating the type (e.g. "Corn Mash #4 — Strip" and "Corn Mash #4 — Spirit Run"). Stripping runs typically have no foreshots/heads/hearts breakdown — just record total distillate volume and ABV. For the spirit run, log the full cuts data. This lets you track how many stripping runs fed each spirit run and compare low wines ABV across batches.
In-depth guides written for home distillers and craft producers — from reading a hydrometer to making clean spirit cuts.