|
| |||
|
|
Gin Still HeadsDavid writes ..A Gin head is a large separate
compartment that sits above the boiler on a gin still in which the
botanicals (juniper berries, coriander etc.) from which gin gets
its unique flavour are placed and through which the the alcohol
vapour must pass before it enters the column. As such gin stills
are pot stills rather than reflux. They are still specifically
designed for making gin although they are and can be used for
making other similar drinks. As such they have mostly been made by
one British company for the last two centuries although I dare say
there are now other companies that make similar stills elsewhere.
Steam or vapour distillation is better at extracting essential oils
and other more soluble components as compared to steeping which
tends to extract tannins, phenols and the more harsh bitter
components.
UPS adds .. A gin head still is a pot still
that has a basket like arrangement just at the start of the "lyne
arm" (the part of the condensor coil that is coming out of the top
of the boiler, but has not yet entered the cooling tank yet). In
the basket goes the botanicals that turn what is essentially a
vodka into a gin. This is the method that Bombay uses among others,
and is thought to give a more delicate style of gin. Nothing really
fancy, just a basket sitting on top of the boiler before the
condensor- if you lookat some commercial distilleries pics, you
often see a swollen bulb at the top of the still where the
condensor line runs out from - if a basket arrangement was put
there it would be a gin head still - appearantly, many scotch
distilleries use a gin head still - they just don't put any
botanicals in it. This is a holdover from the days in England when
gin was the most common (cheap) drink to be found- when gin's image
crashed the scotch distilleries bought the surplus
stills.
Ted also adds .. A gin head is a pot or column that
steam travles through enroute to the condenser. A thumper works
rather well. Just pack it with the herbs and run clean drinkable
60% ethanol in your still for gin. Pack it with peppermint to make
schnappes. Pack it with... well you get the picture. Put just water
or varying amounts of ethanol in the still for making oils from
mint or whatever has an oil contenet.
| ||
