Damson Brandy

Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
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Tbird61
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Damson Brandy

Post by Tbird61 »

Hi all, I did mention this in the Welcome place but I thought I'd be as well mentioning it here too.

We have just bought our first still and wanted to try it out, we have a sugar wash brewing but that won't be ready until just after Christmas. As luck would have it we have been making wine for many years and we had a couple of demijohns of some Damson wine we made some years ago which had a pectin haze that we just couldn't shift. It smelt so good I just didn't have the heart to throw it out so it sat on the shelf in the garage ever since. The bubble traps had long since dried out and I fully thought they would have long since turned to something to put on your chips but smelling them again they were as good as the last time I smelt them. So we decided we had nothing to lose:

The still we have bought is the T500 but we also bought an Alembic pot head to do stuff like this so we (I) did a stripping run which was straight forward enough then a spirit run. The stripping run started OK, the foreshots were unmistakeable, the heads were split into two jars and they two were distinct from the hearts but the tails were really indistinct until the very end which surprised me as I was expecting the wet dog/carboard smell/taste to be quite distinct as I had read.

In the end I blended half the second cut of heads and the first jar of tails to the hearts and diluted to 60%, added some roasted European oak to a demijohn and it's going to sit there now for some time (advice on how long will be taken). From the outset it smelt and tasted comparable with some cheap brandy we have for cooking but two days later it smells very nice and a drop on the end of my finger this morning was very good too.

So my very first go at distilling worked out quite well, more by luck than judgement, it might yet make us very ill when we try and drink it but I have my fingers crossed. Now for lots more reading on converting the Kale/sugar wash into something resembling Gin
Christine
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thecroweater
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Re: Damson Brandy

Post by thecroweater »

How long it will take depends a great deal on your cuts, heads and tails of plum brandy can be pretty nasty.
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cob
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Re: Damson Brandy

Post by cob »

I see in your intro post that you did a vinegar run on your equipment but there is no mention

of a sacrificial alcohol run. did you do a sacrificial alcohol run or is your damson the first

alcohol you've run through your still?
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Tbird61
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Re: Damson Brandy

Post by Tbird61 »

I put some meths in with the vinegar was as I didn't expect to get any vinegar coming through the still
Christine
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thecroweater
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Re: Damson Brandy

Post by thecroweater »

Denatured alcohol is not what most will recommend, not that it won't work but it might leave some nasty residue. I would expect that your fores and early heads should have cleaned that up though.
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin
Pikey
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Re: Damson Brandy

Post by Pikey »

been readin' this thread as it progressed and I just realised - somewhere around the place I have a couple of gallons of plum wine which I have the same problem with (Haze) - Guess I'll be looking for it after Xmas ! 8)
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Damson Brandy

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I had about 10 gallons of a lost pear wine that i ran a year or so ago and was hazy. Put it on oak and it turned oit very good. Just about gone now. I also make wines and only keep the best stuff in the cellar for wine - otherwise I run it.

Cheers!
-jonny
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Tbird61
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Re: Damson Brandy

Post by Tbird61 »

A week on and it smells and tastes even better, I think it's going to be very good in a month or six. I think I might well be picking some more Damsons this autumn (fall) we have lots around here. I haven't bothered for years after that last lot wouldn't shift the haze. I wonder what Blackberry brandy might be like? The wine is very good
Christine
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