Grape brandy tastes like whisky

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Karooboy
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Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by Karooboy »

So I made a 25 L L wash using 1 of giant raisins and 1kg of fresh grapes with 50 yeast and 10 g nutrients and a starting gravity of 1.060, 8 days later it had dropped to 0.9 then did a strip run followed by a store run and ended up with 2lof 65% ABV. I used oak wood chips to give it colour and a bit of a smoky woody taste yet it still tastes more like whiskey and lacks that distinctive brandy flavour, how can I make this taste more like a brandy and make it more distinctive from my whiskey
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JellybeanCorncob
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

Karooboy wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2020 9:54 am So I made a 25 L L wash using 1 of giant raisins and 1kg of fresh grapes with 50 yeast and 10 g nutrients and a starting gravity of 1.060, 8 days later it had dropped to 0.9 then did a strip run followed by a store run and ended up with 2lof 65% ABV. I used oak wood chips to give it colour and a bit of a smoky woody taste yet it still tastes more like whiskey and lacks that distinctive brandy flavour, how can I make this taste more like a brandy and make it more distinctive from my whiskey

Give it time. I know it’s hard to do but a year from now, if you did everything right, you’ll be glad you waited.
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Demy
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by Demy »

Maybe you used too much wood or too toasted wood which covered the flavor of your brandy. Every year I distil a little wine and if I use some wood, I add little and not too toasted. The result is exceptional.
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NZChris
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by NZChris »

I'm hazarding a wild guess that you added sugar because 1.060 is way too high for the ingredients you used.

To get decent grape flavor into your brandy, I suggest you use about 24kg more grapes.
Karooboy
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by Karooboy »

Yeah i added 3.5kg white sugar have you any experience using caramel or vanilla essence
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NZChris
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by NZChris »

Not with making brandy.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Good booze is made using time and patients.....not sugar, vanilla essence and short cuts.
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kiwi Bruce
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by kiwi Bruce »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2020 12:13 pm Good booze is made using time and patients.....not sugar, vanilla essence and short cuts.
+1 Bill, Your still repetitively new at this so don't be too discouraged. So it's not what you expected...it's still drinkable...we all learn from our mishaps, and you'll have a better go next time round...or not, that's the fun and joy of our hobby...the upside...we get to drink our mistakes and Flaunt our successes, so when you get it right "flaunt it baby flaunt it ! ! !"
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by Saltbush Bill »

A year on oak and it might be a completely different drink to what it is today.
The Baker
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by The Baker »

Never mind what group of spirits this batch tastes like; is it nice to drink?!

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cranky
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by cranky »

Karooboy wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2020 9:54 am how can I make this taste more like a brandy and make it more distinctive from my whiskey
To begin with sugar takes away flavor so don't add sugar.

Next, cuts on brandy are different than cuts on whiskey and it may take a little relearning cuts to figure it out if you have been making whiskey.

Then, saying "oak chips" isn't very specific but if you used oak chips made from whiskey barrels it will impart a whiskey flavor. I personally never use fresh oak on brandy because it imparts too much whiskey like flavor and can become the dominant flavor if you use too much.

Last, time is your friend when it comes to brandy, give it a good long rest and revisit.
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by Karooboy »

Thanks guys for all the feedback, will keep trying trying
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by Grappa-Gringo »

"So I made a 25 L L wash using 1 of giant raisins and 1kg of fresh grapes with 50 yeast and 10 g nutrients and a starting gravity of 1.060, 8 days later it had dropped to 0.9 then did a strip run followed by a store run and ended up with 2lof 65% ABV. I used oak wood chips to give it colour and a bit of a smoky woody taste yet it still tastes more like whiskey and lacks that distinctive brandy flavour, how can I make this taste more like a brandy and make it more distinctive from my whiskey"

I've never made brandy, but what is meant by "1 of giant raisins".... 1 kg? 1 pound? Directions seem a bit vague for me to follow, and I'm interested in making this.... Boil raisins and grapes? Is there enough to start to ferment with the 10g of nutrients? thanks
GG
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Setsumi
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Re: Grape brandy tastes like whisky

Post by Setsumi »

brandy to me is sweet while wiskey (scoth) is earthy. add some dried apricots and or peaches to it. it will help with the sweet profile and temper the wood.... i take from your name you are in RSA, i struggle to get real dried apricots these days. some are like jelly, pass them by.
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