Kumquat brandy?!

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Hillbilly Popstar
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Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

I got about 14 gallons of kumquats and juiced them.
This yield around 4.5 gallons of kumquat juice. I added a little water to thin it out, baker yeast, nutes, and letting er rip. Total ferment is about 6 gallons.

Fermentation seems quite slow. I'm guessing pH is low. My google-fu tells me diluted orange juice has a pH of around 4. I add a couple tsps of calcium carbonate and some baking soda.

So we shall see what comes of it.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by 8Ball »

You can make some great preserves with those squeezings too. Good luck with the ferment!
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

8Ball wrote: Tue Feb 22, 2022 11:36 am You can make some great preserves with those squeezings too. Good luck with the ferment!
Yup! I'm sending a half gallon of juice and a pint of berries to my mom for some homamade marmalade (hee hee... it rhymes..)
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

Just a lil update. This was fermenting slowly.
I went out and got some pectin enzyme and some ec-1118 yeast. Within 1 hour it took off and is bubbling like crazy compared to what it was doing before.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by squigglefunk »

werd up
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

VideoCapture_20220228-120431.jpg
Running the brandy today.

Racked the ferment into the boiler this morning.
I got about 3.5 gallons of clean fermented juice and another 2.5 gallons of pulpy, yeasty must. .
The clear.stuff went into the boiler. The pulpy stuff went into the thumper along with a half gallon of fresh squeezed kumquat juice.
It's coming over insanely cloudy, but the smell is amazing. I'm not even sure if I will get anything drinkable out of this, but at least I cam up with a damn fine recipe for some kumquat essential oils.

I'm real hoping it clears up before the hearts come over.

Maybe I can seperate the oils and alcohol and make some kind of essence of aroma therapy or drink flavorings.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

Just ordered this bad boy.
QWORK 1000ml Separating Funnel with 24/29 Joints and PTFE Plug
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

So I'm just drawing the oil off the top of the distillate as it seperates. An infants Motrin dropper works perfect for this.
The liquor is SLOWLY clearing and its so damn delicious.
Like chewing on an orange peel. It's a bit bitter, but I mixed some of it with some simple syrup and it's in another world! Tastes exactly like candied Oranges.

It's so strong tasting, cuts are damn near impossible to make. I drew off a quart in the beginning and I've liked everything else since then. Doesn't look like I'll be making a tails cut at all. Runs nearly done and I got maybe 2 quarts of juice.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

Seems kumquat essential oil goes for around $2/ml


Looks like I have around 100 ml. :shock:

I have no idea what to do with the stuff though.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

Got a little over a half gallon around 80 proof.

Set it out in the sun for a few hours and all the oils cleared up perfectly.

Now it goes up in the attic for 2-3 weeks.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by 8Ball »

Hillbilly Popstar wrote: Tue Mar 01, 2022 12:38 pm Got a little over a half gallon around 80 proof.

Set it out in the sun for a few hours and all the oils cleared up perfectly.

Now it goes up in the attic for 2-3 weeks.
20220301_142456.jpg
HP, Looks good and good on you for making it. 👍
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

8Ball wrote: Tue Mar 01, 2022 12:40 pm
Hillbilly Popstar wrote: Tue Mar 01, 2022 12:38 pm Got a little over a half gallon around 80 proof.

Set it out in the sun for a few hours and all the oils cleared up perfectly.

Now it goes up in the attic for 2-3 weeks.
20220301_142456.jpg
HP, Looks good and good on you for making it. 👍
I'll deffinitely be making this one again. It's amazing as is, but there is room for improvement fo sho.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Northsouth »

Hey, that was cool. Have a tree in my backyard which is a hybrid between Kumquat an probably lime (was there when I moved in). Limekuat? Since we already have more Limekuatchello? than anyone could possibly want, the fruits are now dropping unpicked. The thing produces 30 kg/ 50 pound a year if picked, we make marmelade, we use it for cooking, we don't know what to do with it all. Untill now:-)

I will try squeezing, neutralizing a bit with baking soda, bakers yeast and may I suggest DAP? A little sugar, maybe?
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Chauncey »

I thought adding baking soda to a wash was not recommended.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by bluc »

This looks good I have a small tree I preserved some in in various spirits with spices. I also squeeze some add some sugar and its delicious mixed with lime and rum. Maybe when my tree is bigger I can do this.
The sweetness is in the skin and the fruit is best eaten whole skin and all. Pectinase probably a good idea.
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by The Baker »

Chauncey wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 7:23 pm I thought adding baking soda to a wash was not recommended.
Some might be a good idea with a citrus based wash.
I assume that would be a bit more acidic than most washes/ ferments.

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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Chauncey »

Yea but can't it cause blue distillate among other things
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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by The Baker »

Not sure if it is acid or alkali causes blue distillate.
But I am just talking about correcting an excess of acid.

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Re: Kumquat brandy?!

Post by Northsouth »

So I tried it, but it didn't work out. That is mainly for 2 reasons:

1. I have no clue how to make a fruit ferment, and less so with an acid fruit, never done it before.
2. I am a lazy optimist.

Anyway, did the ferment, but in retrospect, should probably not have tossed it all in, but kept the peel out:-)
Also added a little sugar and water to neutralize a bit the PH and get some extra density. Also, being clueless, used baker's yeast, the stuff off the shelf in local grocery store.

Then removed and blinded the heating element and used a hotplate instead, since there was solids in there. Used 2 homemade bubble plates over the pot, hoping that this would keep the oils down.

The ferment smelled marvelously, and the distillate even better. Just wonderful. But the taste was horrid, I am afraid.

Next time, I will read up on how to distill fermented juice, maybe get some proper yeast, and perhaps use one plate only, if any.
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