Infusing botanicals

[Swampgin]

I’m running a 50l boiler with a 2” reflux column and controlling the heat with a PID. I’m new to this and the first couple of batches I ran straight with no botanicals. Last night I dropped a little bag of juniper, coriander, citrus etc in the top of the column just below the outlet. Dres off a quart and changed the bag for a different mix but maybe over loaded it as it puked when I wasn’t looking and resulted in a pinkish cloudy output. (I guess this is what happened). I’m running it again now and seems to be going fine.
Question- This doesn’t seem to be be how most people here do it. I gather it’s more common to put the botanicals at the base of the column rather than the top? Is what I’m doing OK?
Also does carbon filtering strip out this flavour? If so do I just skip the filtering?
Thanks

[NZChris]

You've assumed that we know what you are doing, but I sure don't and from what you did tell us, I suspect most of what you have done is nothing that would ever happen in my shed

Slow down and do some research before you start your next project. (Hint: watching Youtube is entertainment, not research).

[Swampgin]

Hello Kiwichrismasterdistiller
My experience has taught me that the best research is ‘doing’. Reading really makes no sense until it has a context ie how does a still behave? What do fore shots smell like etc. I’ve never gone on a forum before because they seem to me to be populated by people dying to prove their superiority.
Not sure how long I’ll last on this one.

[NZChris]

I managed to survive the non-existence of the internet for quite a few years without any major distilling disasters, so it can't be too difficult. The hard thing for newbies nowadays is the amount of misinformation available on the likes of Youtube and forums. Neither have anyone policing the quality of the the postings, so tread carefully.

[Bushman]

Good threads on this topic as you will see there are different opinions on where to place the gin basket:
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=69130
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=75087
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=71388

[Saltbush Bill]

I think you need to re access your whole method.
Most people dont use a reflux still to make gin.
They use the reflux to make the neutral base sprit for the gin.
Most around here use a pot to make the gin.
You will also find that a pid isnt a great choice for heating a still.

[Swampgin]

Thanks Saltbush
I’m using the reflux to get a neutral and then running it again as a pot still (without reflux) to infuse the botanicals. Seem to be different camps on this but this is what I’m trying at the moment.
Interested in your comment re PID. Why do you say a bad choice?

[Swampgin]

Thanks for the threads Bushman. I reckon I’ll persist with this setup for a bit but maybe try making a small pot still to create a concentrated brew at some stage. Ie seems fine to have the basket at the top of the column. As I’m not really trying to make this work as a pot still I wonder if packing in the column has any bearing on the outcome...
Sorry thinking out loud!

Question though. Should I filter after the spirit run than after infusing?

Thanks again

[Saltbush Bill]

nterested in your comment re PID. Why do you say a bad choice?

Currently typing on phone......its difficult to post links
Search PID or maybe other members will post links to recent PID threads.

[Corsaire]

Question though. Should I filter after the spirit run than after infusing?

I wouldn't filter it.
Make sure your neutral base is good with no off flavors. Do your gin run and cut for flavors. Different botanical flavors come over during different parts of the run.
Try odin's gin for starters. It's an ideal way to get started in gin making.

[Bushman]

Plus one on what Saltbush said, I make a neutral then take the packing and do not run the dephlagmater thus basically making it a pot still when later running the botanicals.

[Swampgin]

I think you need to re access your whole method.
Most people dont use a reflux still to make gin.
They use the reflux to make the neutral base sprit for the gin.
Most around here use a pot to make the gin.
You will also find that a pid isnt a great choice for heating a still.

So I’ve read everything I can find about PID’s on this forum and think I understand the issue though imagine this will become clearer to me. I’m looking to change my power controller and have a ‘Variac’ auto transformer. People seem to mostly talk about using PWM but is there any reason I can’t use this? Sorry my understanding of electronics is limited and most of my bandwidth at the moment is concerned with trying to absorbed and relate varying opinions about how different still setups should run!
Thx

[NZChris]

If you already have one you can use it should do the job. If you don't, there are cheaper options.

[KayDog]

Problem is no gin basket. ☹
I have a reflux still (home built) 1.5M tall 50mm diameter column, packed with stainless steel scrubbers mounted on top of a stainless steel beer keg.
I have a condensing coil offset and connected to the column via a tee piece, with a needle valve and copper tube returning condensate down the center of the column, some forced reflux.
A second needle valve is used to take off product for bottling, comes off at around 94%abv. Nice thing about this system is I can control the taste and abv beautifully.
I found that hanging a botanical bag in the column can cause issues, mainly with pressure build up and vapour being forced up through the reflux needle valve with liquid buildup in the condensing coil.
Without a gin basket there is always risk.

What I do is simply infuse the botanicals, including some grated lemon skin, in a glass with offtake while I finish the run. Then strain through a coffee filter twice and blend in the alcohol and cut to 43abv. Gives a nice light green colour with a slight bitterness, people love the stuff.

[NZChris]

Hello Kiwichrismasterdistiller

Ha ha. I'm a bit slow. I just realised where you got that from. ASFAIK, those Master Distiller/Swill Maker designations are an automated thing based on post numbers, not on skills, experience, intelligence, personality, qualifications, etc..

Stick around. I've found a lot to be learned here from the old hands, plus I've picked up some very good ideas from clever newbies.

[kiwi Bruce]

(Hint: watching Youtube is entertainment, not research).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WEDuLeJrxQ
This is here on HD Forums from way-back, It's from a Brit Reality Show "Oz and James, Drink To Britain"
in the episode they visit the Plymouth Gin Distillery and the head distiller lays out the ten botanicals used by them in their gin. I posted jeps of this a years or so ago and tried to figure out what they were...but I can't find it, sorry

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!!!

[NZChris]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=48594&start=720#p7560339

[Swampgin]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=48594&start=720#p7560339

Thanks Chris
It seems to me that I need to build a separate smaller 'gin still' to get these botanicals across? The setup I'm using to create the neutral is just a bit big, the element too far off the bottom and also I wonder if the 40" column (without packing) is less than ideal when trying to run as a 'pot still'? I wonder if there is a simple design on this forum using for this. Will have a look
Also you mentioned Louche in that link Chris. Is this just a aesthetic issue? My gin tends to Louche when ice added, I kind of like the effect...?

[Swampgin]

Problem is no gin basket. ☹

Yep I've move away from this idea of infusing i the column. I think 2" column too small for this and using Odin's approach of botanicals in the boiler more efficient. KiwiChris had a setup using a pot that looked interesting but not sure I fully understand this setup.
Thx

[SaltyStaves]

I used a second hand 5L pot with a steamer basket and found another lid that was slightly too big and grinded it back to give a very tight fit (but still allow for expansion). Sealed with flour paste. Soldered a 1" tri-clover fitting to the top.

Made a riser, expansion chamber and an offset gin basket all with 1" tri-clovers and unions that are compatible with my existing condenser.

I can use pretty much any combination I desire and I've since built a smaller stainless steel condenser for it. Best of all, it was cheap and lots of leftover parts from my main still build went into making it.