Spirit Yield Estimator
Results update on calculate — adjust inputs for different scenarios
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View on Amazon →Yield Quick Reference — Common Scenarios
Estimated hearts yield at 40% ABV (750 mL bottles), assuming 88% still efficiency and a pot still spirit run with standard cuts.
Understand heads, hearts and tails volumes to plan how much hearts you can expect per run.
| Wash Volume | Wash ABV | Total Distillate | Hearts ~65% | Bottles @ 40% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 gal (18.9 L) | 8% | 1.8 L | 1.1 L | 1.5 × 750 mL |
| 5 gal (18.9 L) | 10% | 2.2 L | 1.4 L | 2 × 750 mL |
| 5 gal (18.9 L) | 12% | 2.7 L | 1.7 L | 2.5 × 750 mL |
| 10 gal (37.8 L) | 10% | 4.5 L | 2.9 L | 4 × 750 mL |
| 25 L | 10% | 2.9 L | 1.9 L | 2.5 × 750 mL |
| 25 L | 12% | 3.5 L | 2.3 L | 3 × 750 mL |
| 50 L | 10% | 5.9 L | 3.8 L | 5 × 750 mL |
| 100 L | 10% | 11.7 L | 7.6 L | 10 × 750 mL |
How Yield Is Calculated
The total available alcohol in a wash is simply its volume multiplied by ABV. Still efficiency represents what fraction you recover as distillate before alcohol concentration drops below a practical collection threshold.
Total distillate (L) = Available alcohol × Efficiency ÷ Target distillate ABV
Bottles = Hearts volume (L) × Hearts ABV ÷ Target bottling ABV ÷ 0.75
Know exactly which jar each cut happens in before you start your run.
Cuts fractions in the bar chart are based on typical pot still percentages: foreshots ~1%, heads ~15%, hearts ~65%, tails ~19% of total distillate. These vary considerably by spirit type — brandy and rum tails are often larger; neutral spirit runs are often cut more aggressively into hearts.
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What Affects Still Yield
Yield is determined by three things: how much ethanol is in the wash, how efficiently the still extracts it, and how far you run the still before stopping. These factors interact in ways that are worth understanding before your first run.
Wash ABV is the starting point. A 20 litre wash at 10% ABV contains 2 litres of pure ethanol. A pot still at 88% efficiency will recover approximately 1.76 litres of that ethanol as distillate. If you collect down to 25% ABV cutoff, the total distillate volume works out at around 4 to 5 litres depending on your cut points. Running further increases volume but adds increasingly dilute tails to your collection.
Still efficiency varies by design. Pot stills typically run at 85 to 92% recovery of available ethanol. Reflux and column stills run higher, typically 92 to 96%. The efficiency figure in this calculator defaults to a mid-range value for each still type. If you consistently find your actual yield is higher or lower than predicted, you can adjust the efficiency slider to calibrate the estimate to your equipment.
Cut points are the biggest practical variable under your control. Running hearts all the way to 55% ABV instead of cutting at 62% adds meaningful volume but also adds more tails character. Running tightly cuts volume and improves spirit quality. The yield calculator shows total distillate, hearts yield and bottle count so you can see how cut decisions trade off against volume.
From Yield to Bottles
The calculator shows bottle count at your target bottling ABV. This accounts for the water addition needed to bring hearts down from still strength to bottling strength. A litre of hearts at 70% ABV diluted to 40% produces approximately 1.75 litres of finished spirit at bottling strength. This volume increase means more bottles than you might expect from the raw distillate volume.
For planning purposes: a typical 25 litre sugar wash at 10% ABV running through a pot still with standard cut points will produce approximately 600 to 800 mL of hearts. Diluted to 40% ABV that gives 1.0 to 1.4 litres of finished spirit, filling one to two 700 mL bottles. This is the realistic baseline for a small home pot still run. Larger washes, higher fermentation ABV, or wider cut points increase the yield proportionally.