Trying a grappa mix-match

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GreenEnvy22
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Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by GreenEnvy22 »

iI've only distilled Whisky so far, but I also make wine so I have lots of leftover pomace each year. I've given it away to distilling friends in the past, but am trying my own this year.
I picked our white Muscat grapes this week and after pressing (direct press, not fermented yet), i ended up with about 35lbs of skin/seed/pomace. I had mostly destemmed them before they went into the press. I also had a similar amount of frozen pomace from a wine I made last year, this was a red, Syrah. So the Muscat is non-fermented pomace, the syrah is fermented.
Combined this all into a 20 gal brute, with 8 gallons of RO water that had 2KG white sugar disolved in it. That brute is pretty full, just enough head room for fermentation.
Added some 1118 yeast and will see how it goes. I May adjust water levels if it doesn't thin out, it's a bit thick still right now.
After mixing and letting everything sit for a few hours, my SG is 1.026. I'll add another 4 kilos of sugar, should get me upto around 1.075, which in turn should ferment out to around 10%.

My question is, once fermentation is done, would you distill on the skins, or should I run it all through my grape press again to just get the liquids out?
I can run my still either electric or gas (false bottom for gas), so I'd do electric if just liquid, or gas if solids.
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I have a 50L pot still with dual Liebig condenser.
I typically make Whisky, grappa, and brandy.
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NZChris
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Re: Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by NZChris »

I press it. Always have. That doesn't mean it isn't better to run with the pulp in the pot or the thumper, just that it works well enough for me. I do have the ability to run with the pomace in the boiler, I just haven't done it yet because I usually do a sugar wash with the backset and pomace for gin, ouzo and Absinthe base spirits.
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GreenEnvy22
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Re: Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by GreenEnvy22 »

Thanks Chris
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I have a 50L pot still with dual Liebig condenser.
I typically make Whisky, grappa, and brandy.
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by jonnys_spirit »

If you like grappa once you do your spirit run and make your keeper cuts throw your feints on some spent pomace for next seasons spirit run. I think of grappa as Italian moonshine so rules are generally guidelines in my book. Whatever works...

Cheers!
-jonny
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Demy
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Re: Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by Demy »

Hi, I've been distilling for a few years so limited experience. To make grappa I do this: first I distil all the marc (pot still) quickly, once finished you will find yourself with "low wines" of marc, distil these with reflux but not as a neutral but with little reflux and quite fast. No added sugars in fermentation. I know, the marc will give you very little product but you will get a very refined aromatic grappa. This is my experience after many tests.
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GreenEnvy22
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Re: Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by GreenEnvy22 »

I think this turned out well. I had 47L after fermenting and pressing. I did a stripping run, then drained most of the backset out of the still, kept about 12L in there and added my first run back in.
Did a spirit run, took my cuts, and ended up with 3.5L at 56%.
I'll age in glass with some wine barrel staves. I'll compare with a friend's grappa which is a few years old but was made from excess wine.
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I have a 50L pot still with dual Liebig condenser.
I typically make Whisky, grappa, and brandy.
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DSmith78
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Re: Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by DSmith78 »

I thought it had to be distilled on the skins to be classed as grappa? Isn't it just brandy otherwise?
There are three types of people in this world - those who can do maths and those who cannot.
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Demy
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Re: Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by Demy »

DSmith78 wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:55 am I thought it had to be distilled on the skins to be classed as grappa? Isn't it just brandy otherwise?
Exactly, there is often confusion but real grappa is made only with pomace.
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NZChris
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Re: Trying a grappa mix-match

Post by NZChris »

As long as you’re not selling it, you can call anything whatever you want.
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