Strawberries

Information about fruit/vegetable type washes.

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Shine0n
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Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

My friend called me today and told me she had a bunch of berries for cheap, so I went there to take a look and ended up with 40lbs of fresh picked strawberries. My question is about brandy, I see alot about maceration and infusion. I've looked since I got the fruit, not finding alot of helpful Infor on brandy. From what I've read there isn't very much sugar in them. I'm thinking a 10gl ferment for my 2"pot still, will the addition of sugar help or should I go for a low abv and try and capture flavor? To date I've only run corn and sf. But I couldn't pass up the berries so now I'm committed to doing something new. I don't want to waste them or do a not so good run or just flounder, although I could freeze them till I do further research but while I'm researching any helpful advice is welcome. I have a sf ferment almost ready to go and thought about shooting them in the thump keg after foreshots and heads??? Or a shit load of spd and have every chick I know come and party. Lol nah I want to try new and better ways so I myself can progress in this hobby. Thanks
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cranky
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Re: Strawberries

Post by cranky »

I pretty much do all fruit the same way. My advice is freeze them, thaw them, juice them, see what the SG of the juice is, ferment with 1118. No sugar. I never get enough of them to do a strawberry only ferment so they usually wind up in a mixed fruit. In my experience you get a lot of sediment in a strawberry ferment so straining the juice might be a good idea.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Yummyrum »

Strawberry wine is devine ...did add sugar though...never had enough to distill.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

Received a call this morning as well, 30 lbs more Free this time:) it's going to be a long day today. I think I'm going to juice them and strain, take a reading and go from there. I need a press badly, from what I tasted for the most they're nice and sweet. I'll post a sg when I'm finished tonight and go from there.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Bushman »

Shine0n wrote: I need a press badly
Build one for under $200 and it will have multi uses.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... pple+press
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der wo
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Re: Strawberries

Post by der wo »

I have read often (in other forums), that strawberries loose much aroma while fermentation. So it's important to ferment cold and slow. Generally many prefer vapor infusions or redistilled mazerations with strawberries because of that. It's always the question, if the magic fermentation tastes outmatch the original fresh tastes. It's different for every species. Mostly the fermented way is more interesting. With strawberries I fear not.
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Shine0n
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

The og was only 1.020 ish so I added sugar to get to 1.045 they were lower than expected sooo. I also added dap and oyster shells to stabilize ph with no heat so it should go nice and slow. I only had dady, 5 tsp. Will update asap.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by dieselduo »

I usually use pectic enzymes when fermenting strawberries. Really brings the flavor over.
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der wo
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Re: Strawberries

Post by der wo »

Your OG sounds like way too much water.
I would use the enzyme too. Mainly because the mash gets thinner without using more water.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

All the berries totals 8.5 gl. I added roughly 4 gl. of water to make a full charge on the still. 15.5 gl keg, 2" to thump keg, 1" reduced to 5/8" OD worm. Shot the thumper with 2 gl low wines and fresh berries. Foreshots were thrown out at a half qt, collected 1 qt heads, after that started taking pint cuts. The first pint mixed 50/50 with h20 had a nice berry after taste, feint but there. This is my first time ever even trying brandy, hell I can't remember ever trying it from the ABC store. Not quite sure what I'm supposed to be tasting but it tastes pretty good so far. I was a Jim beam man until I found sf on this here forum. Peaches will be the next for sure, 2nd pint is almost up.
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cranky
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Re: Strawberries

Post by cranky »

I'm thinking you may have lost some flavor taking such a generous fores/heads cut. a lot of flavor in brandies tends to hide in the heads. Where did the 2 gallons of low wines come from?
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

Some neutral I ran 5 or 6 months ago. The heads now thinking I should've also done pint cuts. They smell really sweet to me but as I said I don't really know what to expect. I have another batch of 50 lbs coming Thursday or Friday, I will look for the pectic enzyme for this one as mentioned above. I'm also thinking doing all berry no sugar this go around. Still putting out but tails are starting to come through, at 150/ 148 proof now. Just checked the last pint it's at 135. I thought I read the tails had some desired flavor as well.? I'll let it set for a couple days then do some blending as I'm only making 1 run only. I'm a keep reading up on brandies and learn me something, oh yeah my friend said she'd have some peaches by mid June so peach brandy it is.
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cranky
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Re: Strawberries

Post by cranky »

Like I said, I've never done a strawberry by itself, I have yet to do an all grain either but when I do a whiskeyish cereal wash I find the grain flavor in the tails, not so much with the fruit, at least the ones I've done. I don't care for the fruit tails myself so I have started compressing the hell out of them (flute) but you never know where the flavors you want might be hiding. That's why I always do small cuts when I do a single run.

If you can freeze then thaw the berries they will release their juice more readily. I would like to see the results of a true strawberry brandy run.
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der wo
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Re: Strawberries

Post by der wo »

ShineOn,

the peach brandy will turn out much better. It's the better fruit for mashing and distilling.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

Cranky,
I did freeze the berries then thaw. I learned that from the panty dropper recipe. I was also thinking of my new colum build, was going to go with a double slant Boka and now thinking a flute since more reading and research. So I'm told the flavors are much better that way and I have alot of materials at my disposal from work. My pipe shop foreman loves my sf so I lucked out.

Der wo,
I think peaches as well will be a much better drop than the berries and I'm looking forward to the task. Now I need to start research on them so it will be. Thanks for the replies, much appreciated!!!

All of the run had a nice smell and feint taste of the berries. Tails are tails but the beginning of them may get some attention to the final blending along with some heads. Should it be aged on some type of wood or let set white for a period?
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der wo
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Re: Strawberries

Post by der wo »

Shine0n wrote:Should it be aged on some type of wood or let set white for a period?
I would wait and decide in a few weeks. Or put only a small part of it on oak.
If you have only few different homemade spirits, you will like to have variations.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

I'll take that advice and let it sit for a while and see what happens. I'm in no hurry so sitting aside for a while will be best imo. Will post again once blended and some more reading.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by cranky »

Wood can really dominate a spirit and brandy flavors can be very subtle, I like Der Wo's suggestion there.
Shine0n wrote:I was also thinking of my new colum build, was going to go with a double slant Boka and now thinking a flute since more reading and research. So I'm told the flavors are much better that way and I have alot of materials at my disposal from work. My pipe shop foreman loves my sf so I lucked out.
It all depends on what you want to make. A boka is great for neutral but may be a bit slow. A flute is great for flavor and one run and done. I think mine actually runs a bit different than many others, or maybe I run it differently. Running fruit in a flute can be real tricky. It took me most of 55 gallons of cider to finally think I have the hang of apple on this thing. One thing worth considering for something like strawberries or peaches is a steam stripper. That would let you ferment on the pulp then use steam to cook it off so you don't have to worry about scorching or straining. In fact if your thumper is big enough you essentially have the ability to steam strip already.
Shine0n wrote:Tails are tails but the beginning of them may get some attention to the final blending along with some heads.
In my case I find that all tails are not the same. As mentioned above my flute seems to run a bit odd or I run it oddly. If I don't re-stabilize it to compress the tails it has a point where the ABV will suddenly drop to around 40-45% then it will stabilize itself and sit there pumping out a very nice grain or rum flavor for several jars (1/2 pints), then it will drop to 35% and the cloudy bluish wet dog will come in. I tend to keep nearly every bit of these nice grain flavored tails because I go by flavor and not ABV to do my cuts.The flavor of these early tails on the rum I just did is absolutely amazing and will definitely be going into the blend. With fruit I don't like the taste of these early tails so I re-stabilize it at the slightest hint of an ABV drop and compress the tails to get more hearts. When a normal 10 gallon apple run is done I have about a half pint somewhere around 70%ABV that I don't like the taste of and a pint of heavy tails that dropped from 75% all the way to 15-20%.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

I will continue to run my pot still as my primary while learning to play with the flute. My local scrap yard has a ton of kegs and they will let me bring my test rig for pressure. I usually will go 2 psi for ten minutes with no drop, Only 30$$$. my thumper is 5 gal but thought of upgrades to a 1/4 keg for 15$. I'd just tig a 2" ferrule to the keg with my low pipe and add the 1" to couple to my worm. Hmmm yup I'm doing it! The strawberry season is mostly done plus all the rain has been hard on them as well but still have at least 1 maybe 2 picks left. My flute build will start very soon and I'll post pics on the colum build thread as they come along.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

After the run I've ended up with a gl and a half uncut. Should I make my blend now or wait? Some jars smell of the berries some just smell sweet. I should've taken a smaller head cut but what is done is done, they still smell great compared to others I've smelled. Again though, should I blend and sit or leave as is uncut then later make my blend?
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Re: Strawberries

Post by cranky »

I usually blend a day or two after running. It's a problem with fruit because often the smell and flavor developes weeks or months later.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

Thanks cranky good to know, I did blend yesterday. It seemed right since it had set for a couple days and smelled and tasted really good. I filtered through white felt again as well, and cut to 80 proof. Tried 100 but that's a little much for this one imo. Smooth, sweet, nice hint of the berries. I'm pleased with this one! Now only if I can keep my son and myself out of it long enough for it to sit a few months. We'll see!
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

It's been a few weeks and now I can see why to wait, I've sampled only a very small amount "2oz" and the flavors are starting to come through alot better now. The temps fluctuate between 95°f day and 68°f night and the brandy is in my shed, I think I'll bring it in the house now to a more consistent temp. Still going to let it sit for a few more months and see what happens. Thanks for all the help along the way.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

Took another sample tonight after supper and I can smell the berries 10xs over 2 weeks ago and the taste is amazing. I'm wondering if I should air out for a day then close back up and so on and so on. It's kinda out of sight out of mind so I'm not dipping so often but how long should I leave it? Will it get better or loose any flavors with time?
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Re: Strawberries

Post by cranky »

Don't think it will lose flavor over time, any time you want to enjoy it is a good time to drink it :D . I've actually had a blackberry brandy change many times over the course of a couple years. I personally find it interesting to see how things progress over time.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Shine0n »

Did you keep the brandy white or age it on wood? I can't get many blackberry due to the pesky birds around here :x plus my cat is too fn lazy to Chace them although he will get the moles because they are slow lol
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Re: Strawberries

Post by jay963 »

I have a strawberry mash fermenting right now and I have the same question. Should I age it on oak? I also see you guys use a lot of vanilla beans should i add one to my strawberry brandy

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Re: Strawberries

Post by MDH »

Second Der Wo's suggestion. I have made strawberry brandy three times out of Mignonette and Yellow Alpines. It's good, but the yields are tremendously low. Given the time of year, I'd made a liqueur out of it, with a minute amount of cardamom, elderflower and pear juice to enhance the general flavor.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by glenlyon »

After reading about the collection of strawberry efforts - and with a new crop imminent - I cleaned out the freezer from last year's harvest and ran them through the food processor and generated a mash of about 6 gallons. Tossed in a couple pounds of sugar, some baker's yeast, a little gypsum and splash of nutrients. Took off right way. Potential ABV of approx. 6%. Smells great. Fermenting happily in a cool basement.

I recently acquired a delightful copper alembic still from Portugal - 20 L. Works really well for fruit based musts and I think will be ideal for the impending strawberry wash.
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Re: Strawberries

Post by Kareltje »

When I made wine I was warned: strawberries taste and smell very good, but the wine is disappointing. Standard recipe was 2 kg of berries plus 1,25 kg of sugar in 5 litre ferment.
Raspberries worked the other way around: when eaten the taste is subtle, but in wine the taste is strong.
Never made a brandy, in those times.

Pecto-enzyme releases methanol, so I would prefer two cycles of freezing and thawing.
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