First gin wash pot still.

[Mattmmmax]

Hey all! New to the craft and looking for my next project. I dove head on with my first distillation with a 100% peated whisky that’s now aging away. For my second go I’m looking to simplify a bit and want to go with a gin. My setup is a grainfather with an alembic pot still. Capacity is around 5-7 gals.

My plan that I’m looking for some feedback on is to do 15gals of TFFV, strip (in batches) everything twice! since I’m on a pot still and want a pretty neutral spirit, then go with an Odin’s style vapor infused gin on the spirit run using a botanical basket with a touch of lemongrass.

Why TFFV vs. TPW you might wonder if I’m going to strip twice on the pot still anyway? Well, this is where I need you. Coming from an all grain brewing background grain=good. Grain also adds to the mouthfeel and I imagine that TFFV, with bran instead of tomato paste would bring a bit more body to the spirit even after two strips.

So questions for the audience:
1. TFFV vs TPW for a gin if I plan to strip twice (or does one wash recipe do better if I simplify to a single strip?) remember, full on pot still here.

2. With the alembic pot still on grainfather is there anything I can/should do within reason to encourage more reflux with a goal to come out with a cleaner neutral and/or only one stripping run? (Can one pack the condensed arm?)

3. Anything else? All feedback welcome. Thanks!

[Mattmmmax]

I recall some additional questions after a couple home brews. I plan to vapor infuse roughly 3 gallons on low wines into my spirit run.

I’ve seen a lot of ratios of botanicals, but none of them seem to take into consideration a) the amount of distillate in the run b) any adjustment to vapor vs maceration.

Tldr; if I were to do something similar to Odin’s with 3 gallons of 40% abv lows with a botanical basket into a spirit run. Can someone give me an eyeball measure of each botanical I should be dropping in?

Thanks again!

[NZChris]

I've never done a true TFFV as I'm not big fan of wheat. My version used a lot less bran and fermented just fine.

Take a foreshot and don't be greedy with the strips. My low wines were 40%.
Don't be greedy on the spirit run. A narrow heart cut can be a good gin base spirit as long as it matches the gin botanicals.

I've made a lot of good OEG using TPW. Same technique, don't be greedy making the TPW, narrow heart cut, then only using the gin basket for the peels.

Don't infuse low wines. Follow Odin's method, using good quality base spirit that has been double distilled, at least.

[howie]

My plan that I’m looking for some feedback on is to do 15gals of TFFV, strip (in batches) everything twice! since I’m on a pot still and want a pretty neutral spirit, then go with an Odin’s style vapor infused gin on the spirit run using a botanical basket with a touch of lemongrass.


So questions for the audience:
1. TFFV vs TPW for a gin if I plan to strip twice (or does one wash recipe do better if I simplify to a single strip?) remember, full on pot still here.

2. With the alembic pot still on grainfather is there anything I can/should do within reason to encourage more reflux with a goal to come out with a cleaner neutral and/or only one stripping run? (Can one pack the condensed arm?)

3. Anything else? All feedback welcome. Thanks!

i didn't think odin's style gin is vapour infused.
i thought his recipe was specifically designed for a macerated/boiler type run.

[Expat]

My plan that I’m looking for some feedback on is to do 15gals of TFFV, strip (in batches) everything twice! since I’m on a pot still and want a pretty neutral spirit, then go with an Odin’s style vapor infused gin on the spirit run using a botanical basket with a touch of lemongrass.


So questions for the audience:
1. TFFV vs TPW for a gin if I plan to strip twice (or does one wash recipe do better if I simplify to a single strip?) remember, full on pot still here.

2. With the alembic pot still on grainfather is there anything I can/should do within reason to encourage more reflux with a goal to come out with a cleaner neutral and/or only one stripping run? (Can one pack the condensed arm?)

3. Anything else? All feedback welcome. Thanks!

i didn't think odin's style gin is vapour infused.
i thought his recipe was specifically designed for a macerated/boiler type run.

Odin mentions vapor infusion in his OEG thread however you're correct, its not a vapor infusion recipe. Botanicals bill would need to be tweaked and then its no longer OEG.

[Mattmmmax]

Thanks for the feedback all! Let’s simplify.

1. Any advantage of doing FFV over TPW if I’m striping twice in a pot still! Assumption was FFV would give a better mouthfeel. M

2. Yes, Odin’s is a mace ration gin. Does anyone have a good vapor recipe that they’ve found successful?

3. Does the ratio of botanicals to distillate matte? I’m working with 5 gal batches here. Ratios are helpful.

[NZChris]

1. Any advantage of doing FFV over TPW if I’m striping twice in a pot still! Assumption was FFV would give a better mouthfeel.

Your question makes me wonder if you know the difference between a stripping run and a spirit run.

[Mattmmmax]

Pretty sure I know the difference. I had planned to triple distill. Strip twice and make cuts on the third run. The idea is to ensure as neutral a spirit as possible prior to vapor infusion, which tends to impart a more delicate flavor than maceration from what I’ve read.

[Mattmmmax]

Also just reading in an old thread when using the botanicals basket that it’s difficult/impossible to make cuts. The direction was to strip, spirit, then infusion run. Does that sound more accurate?

[still_stirrin]

… to strip, spirit, then infusion run. Does that sound more accurate?

That’s the way I do it.

I make a neutral first: strip 3 ferments with the potstill, then do a spirit run with the VM reflux still, followed by a small batch gin run through the gin still, a 16 quart stock pot potstill. I usually make 2 liters of gin at a time with the neutral base spirit. The spirit run through the reflux column will give me 5 liters of high purity spirit for 30 to 35 gallons of ferment.
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[Yummyrum]

Pretty sure I know the difference. I had planned to triple distill. Strip twice and make cuts on the third run.

No point stripping twice and only doing cuts on third . You need to do cuts on your second distillation and your third if you expect it to be cleaner with each run .