Gin Flavours and Speed of Run?

Duncan1963

OK I have had great fun so far running the SD GB with a 50L boiler filled with approx 15L water and 1.5L 95%. My output after fores/heads cut starts at 92% and ends at 40% and I get a really good tasting gin.

However as I am just a beginner I want to know more. To date I run real slow, with 3 pro plates and dephleg.. Even though manual says pot still run method I ran with 3 plates, thinking, perhaps lacking confidence, that my wash was not great, and needed distilled more. The Gin has been good tasting, but I do wonder if going slow and with higher alcohol vapours %age results in a different taste.

Does a lower ABV% at the parrot but higher output, more water in vapour, improve the flavour of botanicals coming through??

So my question really is if I run faster will my Gin taste better?? What effect does output and ABV have on taste?

jacksonbrown

I'm interested in this too. I think the big difference will be in the temperature of the vapour that's stripping the volatiles out of your botanicals.
High ABV vapour will be 20° cooler than a pot at the end of its run so will probably leave some components behind.
Better or worse is a bit subjective but it's certainly worth experimenting around.

Duncan1963

thanks for quick reply, you have hit my point more clearly. the temp of vapour is so markedly different. The SD lets me run slow, controlled and at high ABV and I m thinking this is good. However whilst slow seems good .... am i missing out and leaving something behind??

jacksonbrown

It can be quick with high ABV too. You just need a more efficient column.
More plates (or a packed section) = Higher efficiency.
So you'll get the same ABV by using a lower reflux ratio i.e. much higher output.

crozdog

put the effort in to making good if not great neutral as your base. Do that and you wont need to run plates and do cuts during the run (you're removing botanical flavours doing this) and will be able to push it hard through the GB4 in pot mode.

Simplest way to better neutral (apart from multiple runs) is to add a packed section on top of your plates.

FYI, I run down to 10-20%

jacksonbrown

I agree, don't use a single run, straight wash on a gin batch and don't make cuts either but by running down to 10%ABV you're stripping volatiles out of the botanicals with 99°C vapour.
By using a few plates (or a packed section) the vapour will be around 79°C. This lower temp will leave the heavier volitiles in the botanicals and completely change the flavour profile of the gin.

Kapea

Agreed on using post cuts neutral for your base spirit. All the rest will be a function of your particular machine and how you drive it. Practice and repeat the things that make gin the way you like it.

Mistakes can be rerun. That's how I discovered that using juniper/coriander infused neutral as my base spirit makes a more complex tasting finished gin.

Also, due to the need to elevate my GB4, I mount it on top of a torpedo that is mounted to my sanke keg boiler. I put a bubble plate in the torpedo just to put some copper in the vapor path. There is no (minimal) reflux on the copper plate. Does it make a difference? I don't know, but it's easy enough to do. Does crossing your fingers make a difference?

Duncan1963

Guys thanks for input. I have not made my point clear, I am starting with a neutral at 95-96% that is fine. I have chosen to run this through 3 pro plate and then the GB4, slowly (in my mind to keep the first part of distil reaching Gin Basket as good as possible). And i am getting output starting at 94% and shutting down when it gets to 40% (maybe too soon).

My question is should i run harder and faster from the start so i am collecting at say 80-85% to start and run to 10-20% instead of the 94% slow to 40%. I was thinking slower distillation would be good.

I am wondering what higher throughput rates would have on pulling botanical flavours through?? Please keep your thoughts coming through as this is interesting. I feel the Stilldragon equipment can give the best result. Thanks.

Smaug

I think the answer is that your going to need to try for yourself to understand how those subtle differences affect the final spirit.

My thoughts are that pulling over with a high ABV will draw off the more acrid qualities of your veggies.

Kapea

I dilute my still charge to 20% in the boiler. It starts coming off at around 80%. I shut it down when it reaches 20%. I collect it all. Aggregate abv = 50-55%.

Duncan1963

Thanks for the feedback - will let you know what i find out - will do a run as @Kapea has mentioned and see if lower abs run makes a diff.

grim

What's the consensus on running a lower still charge to reduce the amount of product dilution required?

Kapea

I dilute to 20% in the boiler to get the finished spirit proof straight off of the still. No post run dilution.

CothermanDistilling

@Kapea said: I dilute to 20% in the boiler to get the finished spirit proof straight off of the still. No post run dilution.

I have yet to try that, but it is on my list... or at least get close and add a smaller amount of water, or keep a container of lower % at the end to blend in to get to desired % (I currently do 5 gal 95% and 9-9.5 gal water in the 15.5gal still, so no more room for water, that yields 4 cases, so do not want to drop the 95%)

I run hard and fast, as fast as PC will take it... nearly 100% of 5500W

Duncan1963

Thanks for sharing @CothermanDistilling - a few things for me to try out.

Kapea

I believe the exothermic reaction and effervesence that takes place when you dilute your spirit drives off some of the volatiles you've worked so hard to capture in your gin.

To my taste the botanical flavors in gin that has been diluted post infusion run taste muted compared to the botanical flavors in gin of equivalent proof that has not been diluted post run (finished spirit proof straight off of the still).

But I am a hobbyist and do not have to consider the financial impacts of my methods.