This run of mine has turned into a bit of an experiment. I am fully prepared for the incoming flames, but here goes.
With 2 pretty successful 4L Odin's Easy Gin runs under my belt, complacency set it in and noob mistakes were made.
My standard run consists of a 20L Birdwatchers Sugar Wash stripping run through my 2" reflux column on a 30L beer keg. I dump 175ml of foreshots and heads and end with about 1.75L of 86% ABV. I add 1.75L of bottled water and end up with 3.5L of 43% in which I mascerate the standard Odin's botanicals for one week, strain and then a slow spirit run in potstill mode. I repeat the bottled water dilute and end up with a very tasty, clear gin which has been appreciated by friends and family.
Until this time !!!
Like an absolute idiot I mascerated the botanicals in the full strength 86% ABV and after 6 days noticed that the spirit was a LOT darker than usual. Realizing my mistake I added bottled water to prepare for a spirit run and ended up with a "mess" of cloudy liquid, which I strained and ran through the still hoping for a miracle.
Everything looked good coming off the still during the spirit run and tasted fine. The moment of truth was the addition of the water to get down to 43% !!!
Sure enough, it came out REAL cloudy. It didn't taste too bad though.
Seeing that I'd messed it up, I decided to experiment. I ran about 750ml through an activated carbon filter with an interesting result.
My questions are as follows;
- Chemically, what exactly happened?
- Shall I dump the whole lot, put it back through the still or leave it as is?
Synaptoman