Hi everybody so I took all information together and I will gonna ask you again guys just to make sure.. so I want to make my first gin I have 3.5l 96% spirit I am planning to dillute it to 43% so around 7.5l~ macerate it for 2 weeks and distill it on this column from picture it's have liquid management so I can stabilise column for 1h and have 96% alcohol or open valve fully and it's working as a pot still I been doing 1 time Calvados on this from Apple Juice (well we can't really call it Calvados becouse it's been not from apples buy it's been 3 years ago experiment) and tasted quite good but again I couldn't compare how anybody elses tasted so it could be sh** aswell but I liked it and my wife anyway if it's possibility that will gonna work ? Could I have good gin on it or only option would be compound (infused one) with tonic, second option I can buy this but (look pictures) I need save quite abit of money 1 thing what is wierd the company what I been buying it's saying on the current column what I have I can make brandy,gin,whisky and on that pot still (picture below ) aswell so what's the difference better product ? The only cool thing what it's have and reason I would buy it it's Gin basket attachment and probably would make better product ?
Or another option is a 15L pressure cooker then probably I could put herbs and juniper Inside preassure cooker (am I right ?)
Please help me guys choose becouse I don't want throw 200£ to the bin and what would be the best choice
It's difficult to make bad gin. As long as you have nice base spirit and matching botanicals you should be ok.
Having a gin basket doesn't magically make better gin. They are good for keeping botanicals away from elements, but then they need to be much larger than that tiny thing someone wants to sell you.
They are also good for making specific styles of gin, but you don't need to make one of those for your first gin. My latest gin was run with nothing in the gin basket except for some extra copper.
Virandell wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:51 am
this column from picture it's have liquid management so I can stabilise column for 1h and have 96% alcohol....
No, refluxing gin botanicals causes to sink down to the boiler and not end up in your product.
Virandell wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:51 am
... or open valve fully and it's working as a pot still
Wouldn't recommend this either, even wide open a Bok will be returning distillate to the boiler and gin flavors go with it
Most appropriate tool for the job (for most people) is a true pot still.
NZChris wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 2:27 pm
It's difficult to make bad gin. As long as you have nice base spirit and matching botanicals you should be ok.
Having a gin basket doesn't magically make better gin. They are good for keeping botanicals away from elements, but then they need to be much larger than that tiny thing someone wants to sell you.
They are also good for making specific styles of gin, but you don't need to make one of those for your first gin. My latest gin was run with nothing in the gin basket except for some extra copper.
Right so that's mean I can do it on that column you think? if I would grab ine scrounger out and place there muslin cloth with all botanicals in it ? And run it ?
Virandell wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:51 am
this column from picture it's have liquid management so I can stabilise column for 1h and have 96% alcohol....
No, refluxing gin botanicals causes to sink down to the boiler and not end up in your product.
Virandell wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:51 am
... or open valve fully and it's working as a pot still
Wouldn't recommend this either, even wide open a Bok will be returning distillate to the boiler and gin flavors go with it
Most appropriate tool for the job (for most people) is a true pot still.
I am confused af people on polish forum saying it would work and here not really but they mostly make brandy on that column u can make brandy rum or 96% I tried rum and apple brandy and it's worked but I never tried on potstill so I don't know how it would taste on it but maybe gin is diffrent and would not work on that column ? What is I would macerate for 24h in 43% then take 1 scourge out from column and put muslin cloth instead with all botanicals ?
Virandell wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 3:05 pm
Right so that's mean I can do it on that column you think? if I would grab ine scrounger out and place there muslin cloth with all botanicals in it ? And run it ?
That sounds like a really bad idea.
Also, I don't recommend running gin in a reflux column, but go ahead and try anyway, then adjust your method and botanical bill each time you run until you are happy with your product.
You should be able to build or buy a simple pot still head to fit your still. If you can't solder or braise, find someone to do it for you, like I often do.
Virandell wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:51 am
this column from picture it's have liquid management so I can stabilise column for 1h and have 96% alcohol....
No, refluxing gin botanicals causes to sink down to the boiler and not end up in your product.
Virandell wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:51 am
... or open valve fully and it's working as a pot still
Wouldn't recommend this either, even wide open a Bok will be returning distillate to the boiler and gin flavors go with it
Most appropriate tool for the job (for most people) is a true pot still.
I am confused af people on polish forum saying it would work and here not really but they mostly make brandy on that column u can make brandy rum or 96% I tried rum and apple brandy and it's worked but I never tried on potstill so I don't know how it would taste on it but maybe gin is diffrent and would not work on that column ? What is I would macerate for 24h in 43% then take 1 scourge out from column and put muslin cloth instead with all botanicals ?
It might technically work, but the results will be bad, which is the results. The flavor might be there but it would be weak.
Virandell wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 3:05 pm
Right so that's mean I can do it on that column you think? if I would grab ine scrounger out and place there muslin cloth with all botanicals in it ? And run it ?
That sounds like a really bad idea.
Also, I don't recommend running gin in a reflux column, but go ahead and try anyway, then adjust your method and botanical bill each time you run until you are happy with your product.
You should be able to build or buy a simple pot still head to fit your still. If you can't solder or braise, find someone to do it for you, like I often do.
@NZChris Eventually I can sell my current column what I have safe some money and ... Buy something like that
NZChris wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 12:38 pm
All that bling might impress the ladies, but it's not going to help you make better gin.
I been just researching and one person reccomend copper alembic I have two option 10 or 15l (I think I would go for 10) I could also buy copper sieve at the bottom of it so nothing would burn I think that would be the best idea what you think ? Also I could experiment with apples plums and other stuff
Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 2:11 pm
You dont need a seive in the bottom for gin making.
Ohh that would save me 11£ then one what is suspicious that site have the cheapest alembics which is quite suspicious on one site is 230£ the other 330£ which is quite abit of difference the more expensive site I seen already quite a few people buying but that's way to much money for me to spend and Odin said in Europe there is alot of fake sellers so I would have to make some research .. aswell still not sure should I buy this alembic or pot still for my 30l keg with gin basket..
Before I built my first still I did months of research to find out what still types I needed to make the products I wanted, then did research to find out what materials were safe and best to use, meanwhile getting to know my local tradesmen who had the skills I didn't, then scouted out the local scrap yards for suitable materials to build them out of. A small tabletop alembic costs more than I've spent on all my stills in thirty years, but if I could pick up a cheap second hand one, I'd use it to have a gin or ouzo running in the middle of the table as guests arrived, timed to finish when it's required.
NZChris wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:35 pm
Before I built my first still I did months of research to find out what still types I needed to make the products I wanted, then did research to find out what materials were safe and best to use, meanwhile getting to know my local tradesmen who had the skills I didn't, then scouted out the local scrap yards for suitable materials to build them out of. A small tabletop alembic costs more than I've spent on all my stills in thirty years, but if I could pick up a cheap second hand one, I'd use it to have a gin or ouzo running in the middle of the table as guests arrived, timed to finish when it's required.
To problem is buddy I life I na flat I don't have welding machine I never welded anything so it's quite harder for me if I would have a shed atleast and a house I could do some experiments
NZChris wrote: ↑Mon Aug 17, 2020 1:09 am
I can't weld either, but I drink in a pub frequented by tradesmen who can
I get response from Odin he said it should be fine on my LM column the one problem is that I cant dillute to less than 30% so I will have to make big batches of gin at one time. I wonder aswell if I would throw botanicals to my keg if the would not burn from the boiler
Macerate herbs in neutral spirit.
Run with the botanicals in the boiler, maybe put them in a muslin bag suspended above the element so they don't touch it.
Run with your needle valve wide open.
Use Odin's Easy gin as a good place to start.
See if you like the results.
Personally I run a smaller dedicated pot still for gin runs.
Corsaire wrote: ↑Mon Aug 17, 2020 2:22 am
Then do as Odin does.
Macerate herbs in neutral spirit.
Run with the botanicals in the boiler, maybe put them in a muslin bag suspended above the element so they don't touch it.
Run with your needle valve wide open.
Use Odin's Easy gin as a good place to start.
See if you like the results.
Personally I run a smaller dedicated pot still for gin runs.
I know it's defenetly better to have smaller container for that I agree, I have 2kw heating element but not regulator for that so I can't control the Watts I wonder I should buy it ? (Like on the pic), also you mean to tie muslin under the column to scourer ? Do I have high possibility of burning the botanicals If
I don't know if it will scorch. I run my gin still on a modified hot plate.
Run it and find out
I mean tie the muslin bag so that the botanicals are suspended in liquid but the bag doesn't touch the heating element.
Far as I can tell Odin doesn't remove his column packing.
I'm confused by the power regulator. Do you mean you run your still at a constant 2kw now?
Corsaire wrote: ↑Mon Aug 17, 2020 2:43 am
I don't know if it will scorch. I run my gin still on a modified hot plate.
Run it and find out
I mean tie the muslin bag so that the botanicals are suspended in liquid but the bag doesn't touch the heating element.
Far as I can tell Odin doesn't remove his column packing.
I'm confused by the power regulator. Do you mean you run your still at a constant 2kw now?
I think I will try it it eventually I will distill it back to 96% , about the bag if I will decide to do it I have to tie it to something right ? One option is probably to tie it to scourer or there's any other option? And yes I am running constantly on 2kw becouse I am doing only 96% so I wonder if I would have to buy that regulator from the picture so I can lower the heating power when I will be making gin ?
Corsaire wrote: ↑Mon Aug 17, 2020 3:15 am
Yes I'd recommend a power controller. But I don't know what the specs are on the one you pictured.
I don't know your still so I don't know where you could tie the bag on. I'm afraid you'll have to figure that one out on your own.
And I do hope your first gin will be good enough that you won't have to redistill it.
Follow Odin's recipe. It's tried and true for good reason.
Ohh 1 more question I could get something like that but... It's a preassure cooker I will speak with the guy if he could use something else for me some other pot or maybe small keg 1 question is. Do I really need gin basket ? Or in the future could I modificate that potstill to have one ? Or botanicals in the keg/pot will give me good results aswell ? That pot still from the picture is not that expensive just the pressure cooker is the problem but I will speak with the guy as I said if you could make me some different pot or small keg
You don't really need a gin basket. Botanicals in the boiler, follow Odin's recipe. Easy, really.
Any simple pot still will do.
Of course you can get creative with vapor infusion and carter heads and what have you but you can make gin without it.
The pressure cooker idea seems dodgy to me. It looks like the design where there's no gasket, but the lid acts like a spring to keep it shut.
I may be wrong but I think that design relies on steam pressure to keep it properly sealed. That would be a terrible idea in a still.
Do you already have a reflux column and boiler for making the neutral? You might want to check out a modular ccvm column system for that.
Cheers!
-jonny
We can say yes yes I do have reflux column with LM do I can do 96% and brandy but it's probably not good as pot still
That alembic is more 18£ more expensive +(postage is like 30£) than that 1 defenetly big bonus of that alembic is that is small and. Nice and I don't have to make massive amounts
That 10 liter size is ideal in my situation for doing macerations and infused spirits plus it has the fairly large (for the stills total size) infusion or botanical chamber above the boiler. Using pre-cut barrel strength (about 125 proof) it's a perfect size for about 1 gallon spirits or less when using a hotplate or gas fired. There's probably other small stills that would be appropriate but I enjoy the look, the copper, and the tradition of this hardware. I haven't done any real neutral and I like to blend and maximize flavors so this works well for that kind of approach. I do have a larger modular pot still that I use to make the base spirits and a CCVM column so maybe one day i'll make some neutral too.
jonnys_spirit wrote: ↑Mon Aug 17, 2020 6:31 am
That 10 liter size is ideal in my situation for doing macerations and infused spirits plus it has the fairly large (for the stills total size) infusion or botanical chamber above the boiler. Using pre-cut barrel strength (about 125 proof) it's a perfect size for about 1 gallon spirits or less when using a hotplate or gas fired. There's probably other small stills that would be appropriate but I enjoy the look, the copper, and the tradition of this hardware. I haven't done any real neutral and I like to blend and maximize flavors so this works well for that kind of approach. I do have a larger modular pot still that I use to make the base spirits and a CCVM column so maybe one day i'll make some neutral too.
Best luck!
-jonny
Yee I know what u mean that's look amazing I found one but the price is very suspicious cheap, I read somewhere here Odin been saying in Europe it's alot of fake alembic like that and they might leak
It's the same like you sended me but like 100£ cheaper including postage https://www.coppermasters.com/prod_deta ... &iOffset=0
anyway if it's possibility that will gonna work ? Could I have good gin on it or only option would be compound (infused one) with tonic, second option I can buy this but (look pictures) I need save quite abit of money 1 thing what is wierd the company what I been buying it's saying on the current column what I have I can make brandy,gin,whisky and on that pot still (picture below ) aswell so what's the difference better product ? The only cool thing what it's have and reason I would buy it it's Gin basket attachment and probably would make better product ?
