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In this Discussion
- Al_Q January 2014
- bentstick July 2013
- captainshooch February 2015
- Chef July 2013
- Clickeral November 2022
- CothermanDistilling November 2022
- crozdog March 2023
- Davidksa January 2019
- DonMateo May 2023
- ElectricEd June 2016
- Elvis July 2018
- FloridaCracker March 2015
- FullySilenced May 2016
- GD50 March 2023
- geoff400 July 2018
- googe February 2015
- grim January 2023
- Homebrew November 2022
- jacksonbrown June 2016
- jbierling February 2023
- Kaisa February 2023
- Kapea January 2019
- Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co September 2016
- laconnings February 2022
- Lloyd March 2015
- luckyliqueur February 2015
- mark85 June 2016
- Moonshine February 2023
- mtnspirits June 2016
- Myles February 2015
- needmorstuff November 2018
- PÄÄ August 2022
- punkin March 2023
- richard May 2023
- Rocky_Creek July 2018
- rossco June 2018
- rumdog April 2016
- Sam February 2021
- SDeurope June 2013
- SingleMaltYinzer January 2022
- Smaug March 2023
- squeakyclean November 2017
- Sunshine January 2018
- TheMechWarrior August 2022
- Unsensibel January 2022
- unsub January 2014
- XEIP July 2018
- zymurgybob August 2017
Comments
Did one of @CothermanDistilling ground coffee distillations 1 litre 50% abv distilled to get 0.5L final distilled product then diluted to 1L. Was a bit bitter. I added 1.5 teaspoons sugar per 100ml and is now near "extremely nice".
Getting better, just added some almond essence.
wow, mine was not bitter at all... I wonder why.... I used roasted columbian supremo coffee beans from this place in town... cannot beat them for the price of the quality beans roasted that day!
@minime used to put coffee in his boiler during a spirit run...for carry over into his rum...
I took the distilled coffee (with sugar added) over to my brother in law's house yesterday. A massive smash hit. A lovely sipping coffee liqueur. Came back with an empty bottle. Hat off to @CothermanDistilling.
I am referring to some past comments where they talk about the still being a bitch to clean after oils have fallen back to the still (for botanicals placed in the column).
My subsequent question is this .... If you are using a SD Gin basket (with drain) and you allow its condensed liquid at bottom to drain back to the still then surely we have this contamination effect.
I am think here about a permanent drain back to the still. Is it worth it or not or better still, just send it down to drain (for discard).
I use a an SD gin basket in a modified pot still head. All the oils that don't go over the top drain back to the boiler. As not all alcohol is taken out of the boiler in a gin run these oils are diluted by the remaining alcohol and are easily washed out with water. I have never had a problem with gin oils tainting a following neutral or rum run. Not a problem. :)
Gin Related Heard an interview with Bill Lark from Kangaroo Island Spirits on radio last night. I must admit to be heavily influenced by his gin largely as the local botanicals he uses are growing in my area as well and i think he makes great stuff. He uses Native Juniper - myoporum insulare and coastal rosemary - olearia axillaris. I got a small plantation of boobialla ( native juniper ) planted but it grows mad all around town. Two questions. Does anyone know if he makes his base spirit ? He is getting a new still shortly. Anyone heard what he is getting? I know he only makes 60 bottles at a time at the moment - sometimes two runs a day. Also it was stated his business is now 7 figures so it is doing OK. It was a good radio talk.
Hey @jacksonbrown would you mind sharing your excel sheet? Not asking for proprietary stuff or even herb lists. Was just hoping for "standing on the shoulders of giants" moment like @CothermanDistilling did to compare "lab" algorithm techniques and save myself some equation solving time ;)
sure, when I get around to it.
Here's where I am being VERY stupid and this comment is aimed at @cothermandistilling as I need his help.
I have done an amount of distilling using the lab still using seperate distillations for coriander, juniper, liqurice, cinnamon etc.
Okay so based on the Excel spreadsheet where start diluted alcohol was 50% and 1 litre, the end combined distilled product was at approx 81%. Final distilled product was at approx 550ml to 600ml.
The seperate botanicals were as per 100g/l, 10g/l and 1 g/l, this depending on the botanical.
Using a pippette I have done some mixes of the above and it tastes awsome.
But I now need to work backwards for the all in one combined dry botanical mix and get dry g/l portions and here is where I am being VERY VERY stupid and need some help.
Please can I get some practical examples based on above.
That is great! So happy to help!!!!!!
if you are at less than a gram or two of dry, I would just use the pippette...
that is, you make a 50L batch and need:
Obviously the first two are dry, but with the 2nd two, the botanical may have some shell/husk/leaf/root that is not 'uniform', so best to use the pippette or graduated cylinder or syringe:
I let the initial distillation air for a couple days before adding the extractions....
I mix and test for rough guess, but let my nose rest overnight or even wait a few more days before doing a side-by side comparison with my previous batches to see if it is the same or going in the direction I want...
Sorry not quite there and quite lost.
Say of the mixtures that I have made up using the lab still which are all at approx. 81% abv at lab still ratios of
Juniper (100g/1l), Coriander (100g/l), Cinnamon 10g/l, Liquorice (10g/l), grains of paradise 1g/l)
I take the following EXAMPLE liquid amounts to make a glass of G&T
30 ml Juniper 15ml Coriander
5ml Liquorice 5ml Cinnamon
1ml GoP
So, say I am happy with the above liquid mix and I wish to now make a 50L batch of such EQUIVALENT mix using DRY botanicals mixed in a gin basket.
This is where I am going wrong in trying to determine dry mix ratios in g/L. ...... obviously (X 50) for the 50L batch.
Sounds like you're saying the same thing I was.
@richard You need to get a calculator out and work out the grams per liter for your new blend. Using your example above:
Juniper pre blending = 100g/L
You used 30ml in a 56ml blended gin which turned out very delicious.
30/56 X 100 = 53.57
Juniper spirit makes up 53.57% of the blend.
(53.57/100) X 100g/L = 53.57g/L.
For your combined recipe you would need 54.57g/L of dry juniper.
Liquorice pre blending = 10g/L
You use 5ml in 56ml blended gin and you loved it...
5/56 X 100 = 8.92%
Liquorice spirit makes up 8.92% of your blend.
(8.92/100) X 10g/L = 0.89g/L
Your new recipe needs 0.89g/L of dry liquorice.
Many thanks, I will give it a go based on the lab still and it diluted so that the final distallate is at approx 45%. Quite keen to give this method a go.
But this begs another two questions .............
In normal circumstances
I am of the impression that some measure botanicals (g/L) based on final distilled volume and there are others that are basing it on the volume within the pot prior to distillation. ????
The next question is regarding the botanicals added in g/L is ..........
Some are diluting the the pot with spirit down to approx 35% to 45% for the final infused spirit run. The resultant distillate is then diluted down the the preferred value say 43% or whatever.
Others and I think it is @Kapea are diluting further so that the final distillate is approx 43% or whatever.
And here's the question .... .... How are you basing botanicals in g/L for each of the two options. ????
My g/L numbers are based on finished product volume.
I dilute my gin infusion runs down to 18-20% in the boiler. This gives a finished product of 50-52% (drinking strength). I do not dilute after the botanicals infusion run. I dilute the spirit in the boiler to achieve the finished spirit proof right off of the still.
I taste the product dripping off of the still during the run. I use this to decide when to stop collecting, not run time or parrot readings. I've done it enough times now that I pretty much know when I'm reaching the end of the run by volume collected and taste of the distillate as it drips.
I do not dilute after the botanicals run to the point of not even putting ice in my drink. I keep my gin bottles in the freezer and drink my gin straight up. No vermouth, no tonic, no rocks, no water.
I'm more like I am now than I was before.
That's how I do mine too.
@mark85 - great explanation above to @Richard. Reckon you'll have helped a heap of people with that.
Hi and many thanks.
There was an error in @mark85 's explanation where he took the percentage and multiplied it by the extract volume. i.e. if you removed some component then the dry amount increases. I went back to @CothermanDistilling and reworked / rearranged the spreadsheet to as follows.
Please check and see if what I have done holds true: Gin Recipe (XLSX)
My little sum is correct if you want to know g/L of 50%abv neutral before distillation. If you want to know g/L collected froduct, or g/L diluted finished product that would be an extra little step.
Or you could just put your desired numbers into that snazzy little spreadsheet. I do enjoy a nice spreadsheet :)>-
That's what I was intending, thanks ^:)^
well, if you added no neutral... 30 ml Juniper, 15ml Coriander, 5ml Liquorice, 5ml Cinnamon, 1ml GoP = 56ml...
so you are at (30/56) * 100g/L or 53 g/L that is a LOT of Juniper....
similarly, you are at 26.5g/L coriander , etc...
I made 500ml at a time in a 750ml bottle to have enough to compare the next several batches to and to reference, that is my my spreadsheet works so well for me... now I have a case with 100-400ml in each bottle to use as a reference library... if you are making one glass at a time, and you don't already know what numbers you like, how will you be able to compare .004g/L of GoP or Sweet Orange to .008... you may not notice it tomorrow from today, but I can tell you it is a huge difference side by side!!!
Also... that is a shit-ton of GoP, I add 1ml/L, not 1mL per glass, if I double it it is way too strong and takes over...
Got to agree with you.
Some mods to the table is further / definitely required for neutral addition and also as both @CothermanDistilling and @mark85 have pointed out .... another table needs to be added just for in glass mixing.
How about this now: Gin Recipe (XLSX)
looks good @richard. Looks to me like it will taste like a big juniper punch with subtle hints of the other botanicals? You gonna try it out as a combined recipe sometime soon?
What have you done your botanical ratios at by comparison to had you started the boiler off at say 40% - 50%. In other words have you halved your botanical because you have not diluted the final distillate.
For example I have my final Juniper distillate sitting at 80% where I had used 21g/l in a 50% infusion run.
Calculation example:
50g/2L = 25g/L
Botanical charge is based purely on empirical data:
repeat until you find your liking
Got the idea off of a shampoo bottle:
Wet hair.
Apply shampoo.
Create a lather.
Rinse.
Repeat...
I'm more like I am now than I was before.
Got to agree with the tasting results and adjusting accordingly.
Dropped Juniper three times because of back of throat dryness and increased orange as well as lemon grass. Juniper now at 17g/l.
Now tasting great.
Question to the gin cracks: Have you ever stopped mid-run and then re-started a day after without touching the botanicals? Reason for me asking is that I seem to have undersized my hot plate and stopped a run yesterday after 5 hours and about 120ml collection. Planning on swapping out the plate today for a higher power one and finish off...
never had a gin run go past 2 hours...