Have I made a mistake?

[Roobrew]

Did my first ever spirit run and collected around 5 litre spirit total the highest being 138 proof tailing off as it went along. The product tasted really good but I am not sure if I have made a mistake as I cut it down to 80 proof with bottled water which I am not sure is the best to use? Also I had no oak but a had some lovely seasoned sweet chestnut which I cooked in the oven until slightly browned and added this to the litre jars of spirit. I have had the jars in the freezer and out a few times and the product tastes like whiskey. It doesn't have a deep colour but is a pale golden colour but it tastes extremely smooth without the harshness of the whiskeys I have bought in the past. Do you think I will be ok with what I have done or should I have aged it at a higher proof and used ok? If so what can I do to improve the final product

Thanks Roo

[thatguy1313]

Aging at lower proofs will just bring out different flavors. If you like it I say good job. 80p is a little low for me but to each his own. Bottled water is usually fine. Distilled water is what I prefer.

[S-Cackalacky]

80 proof is a little low for aging. I usually go with about 120 proof. But, if it's tasting good, who's to say. The Chestnut sounds good. We don't have much of that around where I am - unless you can find an old barn being torn down. It used to be one of the most plentiful hardwoods around and then there was a blight that all but wiped it out.

If it taste good to you, just enjoy it. When it comes down to it, you're really the only one you need to please.

[Roobrew]

OK thanks for your reply. I will try and get some distilled water and I might also get some oak and try that in a jar too. Are there any other things I can add to the spirit ? and when you say too low do you mean to drink or for the purpose of aging? And would it be ok for me to add more higher proof spirit at a later date?

[NZChris]

Only if you haven't kept a good record of what you did.

[firewater69]

120 Is what most age at, then cut with distilled water to the proof yhat you like. there is tons of info on ageing here, search and you will find it. cheers!

[S-Cackalacky]

You would usually want to age at a higher proof - 110 to 120 proof. After aging you would want to dilute to drinking proof - 80, 90, 100 proof. I use distilled water for diluting and always add the spirits to the water. You will find dilution calculators on the "Parent" site that can help with accurate dilutions.

[planethax]

I have read about aging on higher proof but never have yet. I like what I make but doesn't mean higher abv wouldn't taste better.
I just did it this way my first time before reading about it and have stuck with it for now.

I dilute with distilled water to 50%. Then nuke/age on JD chips.

One reason I have stayed with this is that I am going for a nice consistent colour.

Worried that after I get desired colour it will become to light/clear

[Roobrew]

80 proof is a little low for aging. I usually go with about 120 proof. But, if it's tasting good, who's to say. The Chestnut sounds good. We don't have much of that around where I am - unless you can find an old barn being torn down. It used to be one of the most plentiful hardwoods around and then there was a blight that all but wiped it out.

If it taste good to you, just enjoy it. When it comes down to it, you're really the only one you need to please.

Fair point, if it tastes good it is indeed ok. I was reading last night about aging with other woods. Apparently one of the reasons oak is used is for cheapness of barrel wood and also due to laws in some countries. I read that wood such as apple and birch can just be cutter from the tree with the bark on, allowed to dry then roasted then used as oak is.

[NZChris]

Aging advice you see here is for specific woods, none of them chestnut. You might be doing exactly the right thing for chestnut and be making better product than our 'experts' are with other woods. By all means, take advice and make changes, but try to make only one change at a time to make it easy to identify what works and what doesn't.

Don't try to fix what ain't broken.

Cheers
Chris

[thatguy1313]

One of my favorite things about this hobby is experimenting with flavoring and aging. Next time try a higher proof and take notes! I've got plenty of notes that say "tastes like shit" and that's OK! Play around until you get something you really like and do that! Then, when you get tired of that, play around some more and maybe make something even better! Good luck and stay safe!

[RevSpaminator]

So to test how clean your cuts are, have a few good sized drinks and tell us how you feel tomorrow morning.

[Roobrew]

So to test how clean your cuts are, have a few good sized drinks and tell us how you feel tomorrow morning.

I am hoping good cuts....as I saved a few batches of low wines and did one spirit run , collected in 250 mil jars , ditched all the nasty smelling sharp heads into a run run pot and kept only the really smooth stuff, but as you say time will tell. It certainly surprised me that it didn't have the sharp smell or taste that many of the commercial spirits do.

[RevSpaminator]

It doesn't take too much to realize just how bad most commercial liquor is.

[planethax]

So to test how clean your cuts are, have a few good sized drinks and tell us how you feel tomorrow morning.

I sure wish this worked for everyone as I still have a tough time distinguishing Heads/Hearts cut.

[Truckinbutch]

So to test how clean your cuts are, have a few good sized drinks and tell us how you feel tomorrow morning.

I sure wish this worked for everyone as I still have a tough time distinguishing Heads/Hearts cut.

You are not alone . Most difficult task for me to learn , too . I just continue to err on the side of caution as I make cuts . May be rerunning what would have been good but what I'm drinkin is great .

[RevSpaminator]

My true test on cuts is how I feel after a night of fun. If I don't feel like I've been drinking Potter's all night then I know I'm doing it right.

[planethax]

Well I am not sure if it's a Gift or a Curse,
but I don't get hangovers.
I can drink 28 Beer or over a Litre of JD etc and be falling down stupid drunk,
remembering F'all in the morning about the previous night Yet no Hangover head ache or stomach issues lol.

[sltm1]

Damn planethax, I thought I was the only guy around who never got hungover. It's been the bane of my drinkin' buddies since I was in my teens !! However, you've got me beat all to hell with the quantities you can consume and I've pulled some good all nighter's that ended with scrambled eggs and Bloody Mary's at 6 in the morning (used to live at lake Tahoe during it's wilder days). BTW, smell and taste, (I think smell is the more important of the 2), when cutting in 1 or 1/2 pint containers will tell you what you like and what you don't.