Odin's Easy Gin

Refined and tested recipes for all manner of distilled spirits.

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frunobulax
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by frunobulax »

+2 I made this a few weeks ago. It tastes awesome and does not get any easier!!
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by guysmiley54 »

Odin wrote:Congrats! If it gets cloudy, it means you get all the taste oils over. If you dilute, they get out of solution. Add 43% neutral until it lifts. You will know when you get there, because the cloudiness lifts in seconds, when you add enough neutral. Then give it 5 weeks of rest. Okay, try sipping after a day or three if you can't wait that long.

Regards, Odin.
Nice one! Great info as always 8) PS Your cornflake whiskey recipe is aging up quite nicely too...
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

Wow! Tried & True, right? May this recipe bring joy to likker lovers all around the world!

Thanks,
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Jimbo »

Odin wrote:Wow! Tried & True, right? May this recipe bring joy to likker lovers all around the world!

Thanks,
Odin.
Yessir! Congrats! It has brought joy to this likker lover.
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by S-Cackalacky »

Would this recipe work if I put the zest, juniper berries, and corriander in a thumper while doing the spirit run of the neutral (Wineo's sugar wash)? Or, would adding them at this point make the cuts too difficult?

Or, an alternative - redistill some already finished neutral with the flavorings in the thumper mixed with just plain water - pulling the recommended small fores cut and keeping the remainder.

Edit: BTW - Congrats on it becoming a T&T. And Jimbo, good job on the editing of the condensed version.
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

Hi S,

You want to cut your drink first, otherwise you "cut" out too much of the tastes from berries & herbs. Thumper ... no experience there. You could put most of the herbs & zest there, for sure. Berries ... not sure, but please try!

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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by S-Cackalacky »

Thanks for the response Odin. I'll definitely give it a try with the thumper and will use a finished neutral as suggested.
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Halfbaked »

Congrats Odin!!!!!!!!!1
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

Thanks Halfbaked! Much appreciated.

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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Beerbrewer »

Finally cut my Birdwatchers, got 1.5ltrs of 45%, added ingredients and scaled up accordingly, may have a little taste of this but the majority of it will go to damson gin, still have a few that I froze last Summer.

Will be making a few more of these for the forthcoming months :D
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

Good for you, Beerbrewer! I am actually ... out of gin and genever. Darn ...

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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Jimbo »

Odin wrote:Good for you, Beerbrewer! I am actually ... out of gin and genever. Darn ...

Odin.
May 30th approacheth Mr. Odin. If you are bare cupboarded upon your arrival, your passport may (will most certainly) be confiscated until you put that fancy iStill 5000 to work and craft up some of this Genever of yours you been teasing us about for years.

So if youre not bringing Genever you better bring a satchel of juniper berries and some maltwine. :esad:
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

Can't bring my own, I am affraid! What I can do is bring some Bols Genever. From 1575 ... Pretty okay.

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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Jimbo »

Odin wrote:Can't bring my own, I am affraid! What I can do is bring some Bols Genever. From 1575 ... Pretty okay.

Odin.
Afraid of what? Dump that crud out and fill the bottle with some of your own :D

wait.... what?.... youre going to bring some 438 year old Bols? yes that will suffice. :mrgreen:
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

I will ship you some when my new batches are done, Jimbo. Can't take them with me on the plane though. Has to be bought at the airport ...

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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Beerbrewer »

Odin wrote:Congrats! If it gets cloudy, it means you get all the taste oils over. If you dilute, they get out of solution. Add 43% neutral until it lifts. You will know when you get there, because the cloudiness lifts in seconds, when you add enough neutral. Then give it 5 weeks of rest. Okay, try sipping after a day or three if you can't wait that long.

Regards, Odin.
This just saved my cloudy gin, had to add 1 ltr of birdwatchers but it came out nice and clear. I know I should be leaving this longer but I'm going to have a few tonight since it's been such a warm day :thumbup:
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

Let us know how it worked out for you!

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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Beerbrewer »

On my second G&T with a nice cigar before dinner, it's working out rather well. :D
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

I envy you! Drinking a glass of nice red wine, though!

And grilling some meat at the same time!

Not too bad either.

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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Steep-n-Rocky »

Odin: Based o your experience with Juniperus communis and J. virginiana, would you alter the proportions based on type of juniper berry? I recently tried J. virginiana and found the taste nice but much weaker than J. communis. Would you combine berries for the best of both worlds?

Steep-n-Rocky

P.S. Not long until green walnuts are ready!
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

Green walnuts or walnut palinka/brandy is awesome! Please pluck prior to June 21st. You need the fresh nuts, not the dried, edible nuts from autumn. Darn, I have like half a liter of two years old. It is a blasphemic 70%. I use it to convey the message to people coming by: if you make great cuts, a drink is not harsh on the palate. Even at 70%. Now, I don't poor them! I give a few drops and ask for what abv they think it is. "About 25 or 30%" is the usual answer.

On J. Virginiana ... I feel they have a taste of their own ... but mostly they are just less in taste intensity than J. Communinis. I recomend J. Communis. The fresher the better. Not the younger the better, but berries that, if you squeeze them, give up some oil.

Combining different berries ... I wouldn't do. I remember one person answering a Q like that and stating: "combine multiple varieties for extra taste complexity", but - guys - it ain't grains, it is berries. In general: do not experiment with other species, since most Juniperus family plant berries are toxic to very toxic. And from the few that are not, you want the biggest and juiciest ones. And that'is actually always J. Communis. The juicier they are, and the bigger they are, the better the ratio of oils vs. tanins. Dried/smaller berries work, but quite easily give astangent tastes (astringant?).

Glad to see so many people enjoy this recipe. That was my goal: to show that a gin is not that difficult to make. But there is another part, I hope you will want to check. And that's "real" gin. The stuff you buy at the store. Not at first, but after you made this recipe. And after you tried it at room temp and neat for once or just twice. Then, just buy "the best of the best gin", so Bombay Saphire will do. Try it at room temp. Try it neat. From that moment on, I can asure you, you will never drink anything but homemade gin. Easy win? Probably. Please know most store bought gins are made from grain neutral spirit. We, as homedistillers, making our own base likker, have the advantage.

Odin.
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Steep-n-Rocky »

I made walnut palinka based on some of your posts and it was the best spirit or liqueur I have made thus far. Family love it and a brother in law aptly called it "liquid pastry." I'm upping production this year.

Thanks for the Juniperus advice. I have easy access to J. virginiana but have difficulty getting J. communis when I need it. My thought was to extend the J. communis berries I have by mixing part of the berries with J. virginiana. However I do like good gin so I'll hold off.

Odin, I really appreciate your posts. Keep up the good work!

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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Ormlår »

Thanks Odin for this recipe! I scaled it up to 10liters. After filtrating away the herbs, the batch was stored for apx. 6 months, or even more due to lack of time. Actually I forgot it.. Today I found it, cleaned my still and got started.
I used a "lab-master" (pretty common in the scandinavia) which is a strange kind og CM. Ran with copper scrubs up to the 1. Cooling pipe, which was not connected to the cooling water, nothing abowe. Ran at apx. 800w.

Collected 4 liters, 88% strength. Dilluted to 45. 8.3ltrs total.

Had to mix a gin tonic just to test. And it tastes wonderfull!!

Cheers from Norway!
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

HI Ormlar,

Congrats on your result!

Odin.
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Paularis »

Hi Odin,
Thanks for the recipe
I try your recipe, tasted like I have to much orange skin inside, No worry, try 2e time with less skin, for me the juniperus where to dry, buyed in brew store ( europe ) maybe more juniper and destil tomorrow.
Cheers from Belgium
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by AfricaUnite »

Hey Odin finally made a 4L test batch the other day, had some as it was coming out of the still and was happy. Now a couple of days later I couldnt be happier. Great flavours and theres a lot of beauty in simplicity thanks a bunch.

-AU
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by MAD AL »

Hi Odin i've now made four 2.5 ltr batches of your excellent and very easy gin recipe thank you for posting it.
regards alan
Last edited by MAD AL on Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Loosely »

I can certainly recommend resisting the temptation to slurp your batch down before it has a chance to settle down a little.

I made my first attempt at this something like four months ago now and it's just getting better and better. I had a few more botanicals in the mix than in Odin's basic recipe (not as much coriander as I wanted, but I did have liquorice/orris/angelica/orange and lemon peels and a New Zealand native called kawakawa) and at first all I could really smell was juniper, but the smell and taste have really developed complexity over time. I have a supply bottled at 43% as Odin recommends, but I still have the remainder of my bulk supply in a big jar at 83%. When one of the small bottles runs out, I mix up another litre of 43. Life is pretty good when one has one's own gin to drink!

Odin, one minor technical question, if you don't mind: I like the 'soak 24 hours then distil with the botanicals in the boiler' technique, and I've read the advice about removing the peels before firing up the boiler, but I'm not certain whether the intention is to take the peels out completely or suspend them above the boiling liquid. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I now have close to three litres of rye vodka after an experiment with Odin's pumpernickel rye wash which is destined for a Genever. Woo hoo!
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by chocdoc »

I'm going to suggest something sacrilegious here - I've made 3 batches of Odin's easy now - the first right to spec - the second two with the addition of some rose petals and kava kava root.

I collected the first 10 ml in a little graduated cylinder, then the next 400 ml per litre as instructed. Then I changed collection vessels and collected the next 200 ml per litre. That gave me 200 ml of 43% (the magic percentage as per Odin) - I added a couple of ml of the 10 ml first collected to this 200 ml to boost the flavour a little.

That last 200 ml, with its addition of some of the early oils, is almost as good as the 400 ml diluted down to 43%.
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Re: Odin's Easy Gin

Post by Odin »

sounds good!
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