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Carter Head Gin Basket Beta Testing

edited June 2014 in Usage

Got parcel delivered on Friday. Now to play ;)

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Here I am playing with bits to try & get the height of the parrot output right

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Bench is still a mess after making a steam generator last weekend, while the rest of the shed is covered in dust from the work I've been doing on the timber you see. Torn between playing with these shiny new toys & working on these boards to make a new bed.

Comments

  • Drink gin until you pass out, you wont care about a new bed.....

  • Looks great Croz. Really keen to hear how the basket works out in the real world. There's been a lot of work go into it, mostly from Fester with a lot of inspiration from our customers. This is true development in progress, something the Fully Sponsored Development crew just don't have.

    Btw i love working with timber, there's something brilliant about the progress you can see taking place under your hands.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • edited September 2013

    hey @crozdog im leaning on the misus to get a GBK whats your thoughts and have you had a crack at running her hard yet?

  • Sorry Coops - I missed this post completely. :(

    Yeah I have given it a few good runs - awesome bit of gear!! i love it.

    Have a read of the manual i put together. Hope it convinces her ;-)

  • edited December 2013

    Hey all! Received my GB4 about 3 weeks ago and finally ran it last weekend,not for Gin but for a flavored vodka type product,using some sugar head wheat runs I had made months ago,on my 5 plate,twice run!

    Started with 4.5 gals/17l at 90 abv diluted to 35 abv,after boiler,column and GB4 where at temp,I put column in full reflux,opened top of GB and dropped in a basket 1/2 full of fresh pineapple,closed back up,opened the drain valve to empty what had collected in the bottom while warming up,set my reflux flow for collection and waited,for things to start flowing!

    Product flow started out in about 10 mins,and was dripping inside the basket first,then out product end,I believe it took some time for the pineapple get hot,and vapors were condensing off the fruit,at about 20 min it was running 400 ml every 15 min or so,I ran it slow!

    I will tell you all,this GB rocks and I was very happy once the first Jar was pulled and tasted 400 ml in 10 min,not super strong put the aroma was stronger,I replaced 3 jars and The bottom of the GB was getting a liquid level close to site glass! I emptied the contents in a jar and let it cool, and man oh mister the taste was there very strong and very good,so that was the way it went for 1.7 gals/6.8 l and 4.25 hrs,changed the basket out once 1/2 way though the run!

    So I figured I had enough pineapple,put in reflux,pulled basket washed them off,and added 6 large vanilla beans chopped to one of the baskets,followed same system as the pineapple,same result,product off condenser had the taste,not strong but there,GB product contents holy crap very flavored! Vanilla run was just over 1gal / 4l

    While doing blending and diluting I found what came off the product end was weak with taste,so yep added the stuff that came out the GB, BINGO, not a heavy or sweet taste like macerated but a nice mellow flavor,same with the Vanilla beans!

    Product off still was at 89 Abv ( corrected) and diluted to 45 abv. All told I think it was a winner,we shall find out when there are other opinions,I may be biased! This write up maybe missing some info ya want just ask,this took me a time to do,my thoughts do not come to words well.

    The GB4 is very well made,went together very easy,changing baskets was easier that I thought it would be(wear Gloves duh!), and just a very kick ass addition to my gear! Thanks!

    So much more to try,and the Holidays,working out of town keep getting the way! \m/

    I am having a time getting my pics right give me a bit of time and I will post them!

    It is what you make it!

  • Awesome work! sounds like its a winner! I was wondering on the Vanilla beans and a Rum….Hmmmm…...

  • Excellent write up mate.

    Did the juice add any colour to the product?

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Very little but there is some,more with the vanilla beans then the pinaapple!

    It is what you make it!

  • @bentstick - Did you use the washers?

    Yeah, my juice was dark brown, so I couldn't really use it. I was thinking of calling it "Gin Tea".

    Any thoughts on reducing the collected "juice" somehow? Preheating the basket? Directly heating the basket somehow? Reversing it so it goes down rather than up? Or maybe its not worth it -- anyone test the ABV of the juice?

  • Preheating the basket sounds like a good idea @jbierling

  • No I did not use the washers this time next time I will to see if there is any difference.

    I did not mind the little bit of color once everything was blended.

    I ran the GB empty until I had product coming out PC,then refluxed and put fruit in,

    The jucie was at about 88 abv!

    image

    GB added a lean so need some way of support from top but is not as bad as it looks,camera angle!

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    Out of GB(pineapple)

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    Out PC

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    Pineapple out of GB.jpg
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    It is what you make it!

  • Outstanding, Bent.
    Your journey has just begun. I say this because everytime I go to the vegetable market I look for veggies to run through the GB.
    Punkin says super hot peppers and maybe someday I'll be brave enough to try it.

    Great writeup, @bentstick

    Try the peppers to get @punkin off my back and save me from an early stroke ;)

  • Lookin at mango next,but the damn things are not cheap here this time of year!

    I will see what I can,on the peppers,sounds like a good go for some kickass Bloody Mary's!

    Need to get the wheat vodka supply built up again!

    It is what you make it!

  • I reckon szechuan peppercorns, not peppers.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • You could return the condensate in the basket back into the boiler. If you had a double valved refill port this would be an option. image

    When you see too much condensate / juice in the basket, just drain it back into the boiler.

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  • The whole point of having the Carter Head where it is is not to have the juice going back to the column/boiler or through the product condensor. It was one of the design considerations that made it a challenge, other wise we would have just used inline baskets.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Ah I see! I thought you were just trying to prevent it getting into the plates.

  • Ideally it's run on a neutral charge, so can be used on a pot configuration or plates to boost abv back up.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • I tried using Mulberry without any luck but Lemon grass worked nicely. Coffee beans are next.

  • Lemon grass does sound nice and please report the results of coffee. I figure it will be one of those things that is either spectacular or terrible but not in between. I've never heard of anyone using a gin basket to extract flavor from coffee beans so you may very well be blazing a new path @MickyMoonshine.
    Mulberry a flop? So was my foray with banana chips. There are literally scores of different leaves and flowers here that are used to make tea and the few that I've tried have all been very nice so an aromatic like coffee should also do well. Let us know about the bitterness if it carries over.

  • Very shortly about to try a gin run using the GB4. Usual thing, juniper, coriander, angelica, orris lemon peel and a few small extras. Does anyone have ideas on how much a full basket will flavour before it runs out of steam? I'd be running about 45% vodka from a 380L boiler + 8" glass column.

  • I have seen people say about 40litres mate, but you are about to find out. Keep dipping your finger under the parrot and let us know how it works out for you and your recipe.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • edited March 2014

    4-6 proof gallons at 60% has been my limited experience.

  • edited September 2014

    I finally used my GB4 yesterday, made 8L of stinky gin, smells great!

    Of cause i didnt set it up like the manuals says,

    I used a 4in filter disc to hold the basket in place.

    image

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhO8G42YWk

    2014-09-20 15.56.21.jpg
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  • Looks really good mate. Love the magic balancing cut's jar. :D

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • @crozdog said: Bench is still a mess after making a steam generator last weekend, while the rest of the shed is covered in dust from the work I've been doing on the timber you see. Torn between playing with these shiny new toys & working on these boards to make a new bed.

    Any chance on expanding on the steam generator?

    The day you quit learning is the day you start dying!

    "I am an incurable gadgeteer, and I like enormously to set up a theory and then track down the consequences" Murray Leinster youtube.com/watch?v=08e9k-c91E8

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