Grappa Options?

TheGinz · Post by **TheGinz** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:19 pm

have a wash made from raisins that I want to distill into a grappa.
I am needing suggestions of what to do with it after I distill it
(before drinking it, that is). Is grappa usually aged on oak? If so,
how long is good for a home distill? Also, I was thinking of adding
some raisins to the bottle for additional flavor. Should I add grape
skins instead? Or perhaps whole graps? Iws it a good idea to sweetn
it a bit as well or maybe to add glycerine or both? I would
appreciate any help here.

punkin · Post by **punkin** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:39 pm

Grappa is traditionaly drunk clear in the communities i've shared it with.
That's aussie Italians and aussie Macedonians.
Aged in flagons and produced with very little in the way of cuts, if you can't beat it on your first go, you're not trying

Keep some plain for a reference and play around with the rest till you find what you like.

TheGinz · Post by **TheGinz** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:50 pm

punkin wrote:Grappa is traditionaly drunk clear in the communities i've shared it with.
That's aussie Italians and aussie Macedonians.
Aged in flagons and produced with very little in the way of cuts, if you can't beat it on your first go, you're not trying

Keep some plain for a reference and play around with the rest till you find what you like.

Aw come on, that's not an answer to my question!

I know all that stuff already. I was wondering what to do with it after. okay, the part about few cuts was helpful for my first try.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:11 pm

then you probably know that Grappa is made from pomace. not raisins. You should be making it by distilling fermented grape skins with enough wine or brandy to make it work in your boiler rig. (hope you have a double boiler or steam rig...much easier to distill and not burn.)

If you have a raisin wine then I would wait till it was distilled and aged a while before I tried anything with it. It might be nice white, or adding back raisins, grape juice might help... I'd steer clear of glycerin. I haven't cared for what it did to anything I tried it with. Give it some time first... It will change a lot with only a few weeks of aging.

TheGinz · Post by **TheGinz** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:17 pm

junkyard dawg wrote:then you probably know that Grappa is made from pomace. not raisins. You should be making it by distilling fermented grape skins with enough wine or brandy to make it work in your boiler rig. (hope you have a double boiler or steam rig...much easier to distill and not burn.)

If you have a raisin wine then I would wait till it was distilled and aged a while before I tried anything with it. It might be nice white, or adding back raisins, grape juice might help... I'd steer clear of glycerin. I haven't cared for what it did to anything I tried it with. Give it some time first... It will change a lot with only a few weeks of aging.

Yes, I know it is made with pomace, but I ain't got no pomace. Grapes don't grow in Miami unfortunately.

punkin · Post by **punkin** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:24 pm

TheGinz wrote:
punkin wrote:Grappa is traditionaly drunk clear in the communities i've shared it with.
That's aussie Italians and aussie Macedonians.
Aged in flagons and produced with very little in the way of cuts, if you can't beat it on your first go, you're not trying

Keep some plain for a reference and play around with the rest till you find what you like.
Aw come on, that's not an answer to my question! I know all that stuff already. I was wondering what to do with it after. okay, the part about few cuts was helpful for my first try.

Actually, it is an answer to your question.

I am needing suggestions of what to do with it after I distill it
(before drinking it, that is). Is grappa usually aged on oak?

I answered that it is usually (to my knowledge) aged only in glass and drank clear.

As for the rest, it is produced (as JD said and you already know) from grape skins or whole squashed grapes. It is distilled and then drank. that's all.
No sugar or glycerin (although the Macedonians make a sweet yellow breakfast liquer like limencello to be drunk hot with sugar and grappa), no raisins, no oak, no grape skins or whole grapes.

But that's not to say you can't do it if ya want.

As far as grapes go, surely you have a fruit market where a couplea boxes of whole red grapes can be sourced?

TheGinz · Post by **TheGinz** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:28 pm

punkin wrote:
TheGinz wrote:
punkin wrote:Grappa is traditionaly drunk clear in the communities i've shared it with.
That's aussie Italians and aussie Macedonians.
Aged in flagons and produced with very little in the way of cuts, if you can't beat it on your first go, you're not trying

Keep some plain for a reference and play around with the rest till you find what you like.
Aw come on, that's not an answer to my question! I know all that stuff already. I was wondering what to do with it after. okay, the part about few cuts was helpful for my first try.
Actually, it is an answer to your question.

I am needing suggestions of what to do with it after I distill it
(before drinking it, that is). Is grappa usually aged on oak?
I answered that it is usually (to my knowledge) aged only in glass and drank clear.

As for the rest, it is produced (as JD said and you already know) from grape skins or whole squashed grapes. It is distilled and then drank. that's all.
No sugar or glycerin (although the Macedonians make a sweet yellow breakfast liquer like limencello to be drunk hot with sugar and grappa), no raisins, no oak, no grape skins or whole grapes.

But that's not to say you can't do it if ya want.

As far as grapes go, surely you have a fruit market where a couplea boxes of whole red grapes can be sourced?

But I have seen bottles of grappa with either (memory fails me now) whole grapes or squashed grapes or just skins in it. Did they do that for flavor or for pretty?

punkin · Post by **punkin** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:08 pm

Don't know mate, i'm only speaking from my experience (limited to what i said it was) not yours.

Someone else might have your answer.

Aidas · Post by **Aidas** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:55 pm

TheGinz wrote:But I have seen bottles of grappa with either (memory fails me now) whole grapes or squashed grapes or just skins in it. Did they do that for flavor or for pretty?

For pretty marketing.

Grappa is poor peasants' spirit -- it's getting everything you can out of the winemaking process, and leaving nothing to waste. To this day, it is much more prevelant to drink grappa white, even the high end chardonnay and pinot grappas (also a marketing gimmick for the most part).

However, both commercially and on the ground in italy's winemaking areas, people who make grappa sometimes do age on oak. As to how long you want to age, that depends on what flavor you want to get from the oak.

Take a look at my thread on flavoring and aging oat whiskey -- it'll give you some ideas.

Aidas

P.S. What you will be making is NOT grappa. It will be a raisin brandy.

wineo · Post by **wineo** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:09 am

Well,what ever you call it,This is what I would do.Save a quart or two of the raisin wine,and use it for flavoring if the booze taste like crap.Make some good cuts on the booze first.{Raisin wine can be real good.}

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:00 pm

how did you make the raisin wash in the first place? Is it a good wine?

TheGinz · Post by **TheGinz** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:02 pm

junkyard dawg wrote:how did you make the raisin wash in the first place? Is it a good wine?

5 kg of raisins frapped in boiling water, water to 5 gallons, turbo yeast. No, i am sure it is bad wine even if I have yet to taste it.

Ricky · Post by **Ricky** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:18 pm

when i started this hobby i tryed all kinds of flavorings. now that i have a clue as to what i am doing i try my best to make some thing that taste good right off the tap with a little well water to get the proof right. as your experiance grows i feel that you will be the same. if you stick it out. nothing more satisfying than an unadulterated drink. if you have to add all that other stuff it must not be fit to drink to begin with. good luck to ya.

wineo · Post by **wineo** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:39 pm

I use raisins in wine quite a bit.I usually add other fruit with them.Soak the raisins in a 1/2 gallon jar with a tsp of vanalla and hot water for a week first before you use them.It makes a huge difference.The yeast eats them up much better.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:03 pm

turbo yeast might be a mis-step in making any wine or grappa. that stuff produces lots of off flavors. I hope your starting sg was low. A basic red wine yeast might be a better choice, but just see how it goes. I'd be sure to double distill and take it slow in each distillation. You will want to make good cuts to get the most "heart" you can. good luck

TheGinz · Post by **TheGinz** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:07 pm

junkyard dawg wrote:turbo yeast might be a mis-step in making any wine or grappa. that stuff produces lots of off flavors. I hope your starting sg was low. A basic red wine yeast might be a better choice, but just see how it goes. I'd be sure to double distill and take it slow in each distillation. You will want to make good cuts to get the most "heart" you can. good luck

Yeah, I got that feeling about the turbo yeast. I agree with you there especially since I had to take a week between the fermenting and the distilling anyway. I will double distill it, for sure. Thanks again.