appreciation of your spirits

belialNZ · Post by **belialNZ** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 7:57 am

OK, this is totally unrelated to HOW to distill or anything.

But, in this single weekend, I have had some nice experiences with people enjoying my product.

My Vegan friends were VERY happy with their vegan Irish Cream, personally I thought it was a bit "thin", compared to a real baileys/similar. Next time I think I'll use a coconut cream, or find a vegan friendly thickener for the base.

However, tonight, I had a wrestling show (I work as a pro-wrestler), and came home to discover my younger sister and 4 of her friends completely trolleyed on the various liquours and spirits I'd made.

Everyone REALLY loved the apricot brandy (note, this wasn't a REAL brandy, was a sugar wash distilation flavoured).

Partly from the alcohol, and no doubt, significantly from my sisters many friends, a lot of the other wrestlers ended up indulging in my second batch of creations, and where VERY VERY happy with the results.... my vodka got called rocket fuel though :-(

Just wanted to stimulate some conversation about how friends/family/workmates react to your product.

Post by **bronzdragon** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:11 am

Since I've started the hobby, my friends all make more excuses to stop by.

I've had comments similar to the rocket fuel comment, but these usually relate to "new" spirits that I let them taste. And I always tell them that it's new and not aged much.

But the greatest majority of feedback is that they like my spirits better then store bought.

~r~

grainhopper · Post by **grainhopper** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:24 am

But the greatest majority of feedback is that they like my spirits better then store bought.

Yeah your hootch is cheaper

Naw but yeah we make lots better product than you can buy, in most cases.

I think some people like the novelty of drinking our booze.

And funny how alot of people seem to think that "moonshine" taste like rocket fuel or always burns. I always try to educate them.

Post by **bronzdragon** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:26 am

Well, I can say that my rum will stand up against a $30 bottle of rum in the store with no problem. Still working on my whiskey though.

And my brother is the type that would tell me if my stuff blew, lol.

~r~

grainhopper · Post by **grainhopper** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:36 am

I was shocked at how good my first spirit run of UJSM was after oaking.
Way better than the bought stuff that I have drank. Thought it would take years to get the process down to get the quality.

I believed you, I was just trying to be funny. Cheaper tends to be good for me as well, its just works out even better when its better quality as well.

I give some whitedog to some friends of mine and one said if it wasnt the best it was up there with the best they had

and I'm new at this.

Post by **Uncle Jesse** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:01 am

I had made UJSM for a few years and liked what I was doing. So did my pals. But being in Northern California I wasn't exactly surrounded by people qualified to taste and critique moonshine.

When my best friend got married I was at the wedding with some of my best UJSM in hand. Turns out my pals dad was raised in the hills of Northern Georgia and his family had been there for many generations. He told me he was "eminently qualified" to taste and judge moonshine.

I was pretty nervous but I gave him a glass. He took a swig, knocked it back and said "that's an extremely high quality moonshine."

Never felt better about my product than that moment when I finally knew I was doing things right.

byacey · Post by **byacey** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:21 pm

Most of my friends don't say much after downing a shot of my homebrew, at least not until they get their voice back.

defcon4 · Post by **defcon4** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 7:45 pm

I just did a blind taste test of my vodka compared to Ketel One. The tasters said my vodka tasted more like whiskey, it smelled different, and they said it was much stronger and not as smooth as Ketel One. I'm disappointed in myself, I just hope my UJSM turns out better.

Notes: My Vodka
Potstilled Potato washes and molasses washes
Distilled 4 times, discarding heads by smell on the 4th run
Collected and kept only distillate from 88%-81% ABV

Diluted to 50% ABV and carbon filtered 6 times

Diluted to drinking strength 40% ABV and still about one week old (maybe it needs to age, should I take it out of the freezer?)

Post by **bronzdragon** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 5:01 am

I'm surprised that it has any flavor what-so-ever after carbon filtering 6 times.

~r~

Post by **Usge** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:11 pm

Well, I took a bottle of my UJSM to a party. Most everybody wanted to try it. Most liked it..but had no experience to judge it against anything.

I'm still working on it. I like my drink smooth (but strong). I usually end up getting one or the other. Some of my friends actually like the stronger, more heady sweet stuff. I had a whole run that came out mostly 85%. I made a cut at 75%..so I had a good bit of the 85%. I put it in a bottle to save..but some of my friends really like it. So, I let them water it and drink it. It has good flavor..is smooth in your mouth..but burns and wiggles all the way down your gullet. They love it.

My other friend is from Venice, It. He keeps telling me to smooth things out. (grappa). My last batch, I cooked up some mixed wine, I cut all the heads into the start of the hearts..then let it run out more in the tails for flavor. It was very, very smooth and he liked it a lot. But, my other friends..hated it. Said it gave them a stomach ache (after drinking it).

Anyway, the only real drag is...how much work goes into it..and it's gone so quickly. But, such is life.

cL!ck It · Post by **cL!ck It** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:01 pm

defcon4 wrote: Diluted to 50% ABV and carbon filtered 6 times

I think that's way too much carbon filtering personally. I'm only new to stilling (in fact I only have 1 brew under my belt) but I made a good vodka with 2 carbon filters, good flavour. I have been told anything over 2 filters is just taking the flavour away and 2 is enough to remove the contaminants, I certainly don't get hangovers from my produce.

Remember each carbon filter is stripping away some flavour, it's purifying it back to something we wouldn't want to drink when done too many times.

voorhuid · Post by **voorhuid** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:57 am

cL!ck It wrote:I think that's way too much carbon filtering personally. I'm only new to stilling (in fact I only have 1 brew under my belt) but I made a good vodka with 2 carbon filters, good flavour. I have been told anything over 2 filters is just taking the flavour away and 2 is enough to remove the contaminants, I certainly don't get hangovers from my produce.

Remember each carbon filter is stripping away some flavour, it's purifying it back to something we wouldn't want to drink when done too many times.

Since vodka is considered a neutral spirit (the word is actually a diminuitive for 'water' in many east-european languages), stripping away flavour can sometimes be you only choice. It is not ment to remove contaminants. If you make your cuts right, you don't have to worry about those.

grainhopper · Post by **grainhopper** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:06 pm

But being in Northern California I wasn't exactly surrounded by people qualified to taste and critique moonshine.

That give me a laugh.