Fermenting with botanicals in the fermenter.

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Tony1964
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Fermenting with botanicals in the fermenter.

Post by Tony1964 »

Hi guys

Been distilling gin for some time, back in the day of my pot still it made some superb gins, unfortunately I only have room for one still.

I use a carter head attached to my reflux column and vapour infuse as you do, results are very good, but, not as good as my old pot still with botanicals basket thumper, happy days.

I’ve been meaning to try adding the botanicals to the boiler charge and steeping for 24 hours or so, heard good results form the forum on this method, with advise on leaving the botanicals more steeping time yields better flavour.

This got me thinking, why could I not steep the botanicals during fermentation period, no, at this point, I know most of you make a neutral first then run off a gin after using the pre made vodka.

I’ve always gone the one shot route with my gins and vodkas, don’t shoot me down, it’s my way, I make a good neutral sugar wash for gin with kale as the nutrient, Epsom salts and calcium sulphate. Ph at 5.5ish and a brix start of 18.

I always use my boiler to dissolve the sugar at some 65 degrees c.

So, what’s wrong with adding juniper berries, crushed, coriander, cracked, nutmeg, cinnamon you get the picture, it’s a London gin. In to the boiler at 65 degrees c to kill off any nasties, then into the fermenter, drop the temp to 28 degrees and add my hydrated bakers yeast?

Anyone tried this? Any obvious issues? I’ve already put this in fermentation today. So, the horse is out of the gates so to speak.

Thoughts? Reprimands? My initial thought could be that it may be over powering, but, I run calculations on the % of botanicals per expected litre of gin I get, so, if it becomes to strong in flavour, I can add some reflux during the run to dial back the flavour, or temper back with neutral, which I don’t have real neutral voddy, I’m a corn and barley guy for voddy.

What I can do is drop the ratios on the next ferment, if indeed this results in something better than my vapour approach.

Cheers

Tony
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still_stirrin
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Re: Fermenting with botanicals in the fermenter.

Post by still_stirrin »

Tony1964 wrote:...why could I not steep the botanicals during fermentation period...I know most of you make a neutral first then run off a gin after using the pre made vodka.

I’ve always gone the one shot route with my gins and vodkas, don’t shoot me down, it’s my way, I make a good neutral sugar wash for gin with kale as the nutrient, Epsom salts and calcium sulphate. Ph at 5.5ish and a brix start of 18.
Don’t want to get shot...you’d better duck!

When making gin, the juniper oils are dissolved in alcohol...the higher the proof, the quicker the oils are dissolved. Putting juniper berries in a 7-10%ABV wash would not properly macerate (infuse) the oils into the wash.

Also, when you make a gin, you want it free of foreshots, heads, and tails. But your sugar wash would still have a portion of them in it. Hence, the requirement to start with a clean neutral...so you don’t have to make cuts on the gin run, when your botanical flavors come through.

Some questions may seem reasonable if you don’t consider what actually is happening in the processes. Ignorance is innocence....or, is it the other way around?

If you don’t have time to make a clean neutral first before making a gin run, then go ahead and try to macerate in the ferment. But don’t be surprised if it doesn’t produce a quality gin.
ss
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Tony1964
Swill Maker
Posts: 179
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:21 am
Location: England

Re: Fermenting with botanicals in the fermenter.

Post by Tony1964 »

Thanks for a response ss, this is a trial for myself, as was my ageing vessel concept.

I spend about 16 hours a week on this hobby my friend, this is not a time to make quality base to start, I try to make as good a base as possible and push the boundaries of what I know.

Ignorance is not my problem to be fare, I am aware of the solvent nature of high alcohol, my point is, that I’ve never done this method before, I have with fruit in fermentation, and the flavours carry over well.

I’d like to think of it as curiosity, rather than ignorance, what I would say is that 7 hours in and by ek it smells good. My interest is 24 hours at say 30 abv v say 2 weeks at a lower abv, I am aware of the cuts downside.

Let’s see. I take it you have tried this ? Or would the lack of high proof plus the cuts be enough not to be inquisitive.?

Thank you for your input anyway

Cheers

Tony
Hotcat
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Re: Fermenting with botanicals in the fermenter.

Post by Hotcat »

I have been wondering about the same thing. Very curious to know how this turned out? Please tell us what your results were?
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Durhommer
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Re: Fermenting with botanicals in the fermenter.

Post by Durhommer »

Ive got .5 gallon wposw at 82% with a brewsock of crushed juniper coriander cardamom and star anise with some lemon zest macerating...thinking ill use it as a gin flavor bomb after I get enough wposw stripped.thinking 25 gallon ferment of wposw break it up into 5 5 gallon strips once those strips yield my low wines (5 5 gallon strips should give me gallon a pop so end with 5 gallon low wines)put it in my boiler with the 'ginbomb' dilute to 40 and boom a gallon of gin....HOPEFULLY
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