Vodka Questions

[Rotavap]

Greetings everyone. I am an experienced all grain beer brewer with a 30 gal setup, multiple
cooled/heated conicals etc that made the plunge into distillation a few
years ago and am very happy with my UJSSM, then rum, then variations of
bourbon all grain recipes.

I have a few pot stills and a hillbilly stills fractionating column. I have
some cute 1 liter oak barrels I want to make a vodka infusion by inserting vanilla
beans to give as gifts this Christmas. There is a LOT more information to
be found about making whiskey/rum/bourbon on here than neutral/vodka, so I
have some questions:

1) What would the flavor difference be between using a sugar wash versus an
all grain wash? For example, I have both a large batch of UJSSM wash and a
mostly Rye whiskey wash that I could run (And low wines from the last
batches, plus feints). I don't want a totally neutral, but more of a craft
spirit that carries a little more than just the vanilla flavor. Plus, I
have some vodka connoisseurs that I would like to make something that blows
them away.

2) I am good at telling heads/hearts/tails apart by smell and taste with
whiskey (I can get up to 80% with my pot), but does it change a lot going
to the column? I get the cuts are "easier" to make with the equipment, I
guess I am just looking for pointers.

3) Speaking of pointers, if you (The experienced vodka craftsmen) were me
when you started, what would you have wish to have been told?

Thanks!

[Brutal]

Great start to a thread. Looking forward to reading the responses.

[DAD300]

You meant Xmas 2015?

1) It should be easier to get neutral (lighter or less flavor) in a sugar wash. Rice is fantastic. You may not have time to ferment the rice, but use it as a nutrient.
2) At higher ABV it is harder to make cuts. Heads, at 95% are tempting to keep. Be conservative!
3) Most anything coming off the still at 95% can be called vodka. But there are flavors in that last little bit. There is a huge dif between 90% and 95%.

For me, I'd just as soon have a little, good flavor at 90% off the still than true neutral.

If you're going to flavor the end product, think vanilla bean, citrus (orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit), cherry, herbs (rosemary is very good) in very small amounts! You'll not impress too many people with your version of cherry pie moonshine. Or, maybe you will!

[Boda Getta]

Rotovap:

I make a lot of vanilla extract and use a lot of my charred and aged SF and UJSSM to make it. But IMHO, and what I have started doing, is if I am making a simple vodka based vanilla extract is to go the liquor store and buy the cheapest vodka I can find. For a basic simple vanilla extract, the alcohol (vodka) is simply a vehicle to extract the vanilla favor from the beans and adds no favor to the extract. I go to way too much time, labor and expense making a first class neutral to waste it making vanilla extract.

OTOH, I also make some a really nice vanilla extract from my charred and ages SF and UJSSM and this is another matter. The "bourbon" favor really adds another favor profile and richness to the extract not possible using a neutral. I also make it using a good inexpensive brandy (Christian Bros, Taylor, ect) and it makes an outstanding vanilla extract. In fact, this is usually my advice for making a special vanilla extract for a gift.

As said, I make a lot of vanilla extract and my biggest problem is finding a source for affordable vanilla beans; I usually go to Ebay and find the best buy for 100 bean lots of extract grade beans, but I'm convinced there are better sources, I just haven't found one. There are many "boutique" sources that sell a few beans at outrageours prices.

Good luck,
BG

[Boda Getta]

Just realized the OP was asking about vanilla infused vodka and not vanilla extract. Sorry, maybe my post will be helpful to someone looking to make homemade vanilla extract.

BG

[S-Cackalacky]

Someone else mentioned rice. The "Uncle Remus Rice Vodka" recipe might be a good base for what you're looking for. The recipe was developed for pot stilling, but it might also work well with a reflux still if kept at a lower ABV - 80 to 85 percent. That recipe can be made either as a sugar head or an AG.