Flavouring - using fruit/wine backset

[EricTheRed]

I've been wondering about this for a while, been searching, but cannot find anything on this

I have a Strawberry wine - about 5L which is going to be run through my 5L copper alembic - probably will be a one and done as i don't want to lose too much flavour.
My thought process is to take the backset, and render that down to get rid of the last of the nasties that might be there and to reduce it to concentrate the strawberry flavour. Then to blend this into the hearts to punch up the flavour of the liqueur.

Am i wasting my time, or should i give it a crack?

[Bushman]

You might try it on a small amount first. My guess is it won’t be very effective but not sure I know anyone that has tried it. Also not sure what you mean by render it down?

[EricTheRed]

Bushman
Render - reducing the quantity of water to concentrate it

[jonnys_spirit]

I would run the wine and make your cuts like normal - Then possibly treat it like a gin and macerate fresh strawberries in the brandy and run it again? If you're after a clear non sweet brandy..

Just an idea?

Cheers and good luck!
-j

[EricTheRed]

That was the plan with the cuts.
I'll try a small jar after blending, say 100ml @ 43% and test it out with the reduced backset.
Will report back soon .

[NZChris]

I don't know where people get the idea that a spirit run loses flavor.

The flavors you want are volatile, that's why I double distil, scavenging as much of the volatiles I can into the low wines and not leaving them behind in the backset. By the time I shut down, there is very little flavor coming over.

The backset from the spirit run will have some flavor left that can be scavenged using the Cousins Process and added to a subsequent spirit run. https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 01&t=70947

Adding sugar dilutes flavor, so if you followed a 'recipe' that uses it, you have lost some intensity already.

[EricTheRed]

Thanks nz
Will see how it goes later this week when we have enough sun
Solar powered here

[NZChris]

I suggest you get the stripping run finished before the sun goes down (I've only used a dish aimed at the still for distilling).

I use solar for making the lime salts for the Cousins Process. (Not from panels/batteries etc.).

For any product that you need to get every scrap of flavor out of, shutting the still down early will waste some, so that energy greedy last hour/whatever of the strip to get the low wines collection down to a murky 24-27% is important.

I make my strawberry essence by packing the still and a large gin basket with chopped fruit and running my finest neutral through it, no fermenting of the berries required. You can add more flavor to a strawberry spirit run by doing the same.

[EricTheRed]

Thanks Chris
That's how i have been doing it - this was a thought exercise in using the Backset
I'll try it - just so we can say it has been done!
If turns out ok - cool
if no, i'll only waste a small amount (which will just go into my feints runs)

as to power, i have 12.6kw of panels on the roof and 24kw li-ion batteries - and usually start 9am with the runs - finish up before sun goes down.

[EricTheRed]

The experiment went well.
https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 05&t=85489