Odin's Easy Gin

[rad14701]

I want to see this magic pot still that can turn 43% into 95% after two runs...

[workpress]

Hi NZCHris

I originally distilled some craft beer that was in a keg I wanted to use for my new boiler for my still. I ended up with just under 2L at 55% (110 proof ). With this what I decided to use to try Odins gin recipe with. So I gathered the ingredients and I added them to soak in a jug with 2300ml of this beer wash adjusted to 43% (86 proof ). After the two week wait I ran it in my pot still low and slow . When I tested the proof of the product at the 1/2 way point of the run I got a reading of 190 proof and that number seems way to high for something I could come up with.in my pot still. I susposed my Point is perhaps my proof & tralles meter is broken? I hope clarifies my method as I am just starting out with this adventure, and I will accept all the critique I can get
Thank you

Workpress

[still_stirrin]

workpress,

Did you temperature correct the spirit when taking a reading? If it was hot, or even warm, the density reading will be incorrect, giving you a reading of much higher proof than actually exists in the spirit.

Typically, I can only get up to 160, maybe 170 proof off of a potstill run when charged with 40%ABV low wines. I can only get to 95%ABV with my reflux head, never the potstill.
ss

[workpress]

Hi again

I did not even think about temperature what a bone head move eh. I checked the spirit again and corrected for temp and came up with a reading of 165 proof that sounds better. So there is no magic still in my kitchen... Just a forgetful bum who was making Odins gin.

Thank you guys for all the help

Workpress

[bitter]

At 82.5 should be really nice and dry. My last batch I made for Xmas my FIL is still raving about. He reported "its the best gin I have ever drank and I have drank a lot of gin in my time"

He keeps asking when Odin is visiting me again so I can get more the Gin. I told him a friend Odin brought it to me He does not know I made it thanks to Odins recipe

The last batch was soaked longer than I wanted.. was about 3 weeks on things. I had cut the Tangerine in 1/2 and it is still very strong.. Might cut it to 1/4 and maybe mix a small piece of lemon peal in there also. Once I run this 42g 10% wash will be a big batch of odins on the way. I think I will get clear bottles and print labels this time.

EDIT: Odin, I am wondering how much angelica root I should use if I wanted the benefits of it but not much change in taste.

B

[65imp]

Made my first batch of Easy gin last fall, and it was great but I would like to improve.
I followed the recipe Odin set out roughly as follows:
My neutral that I started with was just a double pot stilled sugar wash that I diluted to 80 proof.
I macerated the Juniper berries, corriander, Tangerine skin, and added some zest from an orange as well as a grapefruit from my yard for 2 weeks, then I ran it through the still again, and diluted the result to 93 proof (similar to Bombay). As I said, an overall acceptable result (especially for my first gin).
Here were a couple issues:
1. I believe my berries were more dry, so the juniper notes were on the weak side. I got my berries through amazon, and they are smaller and somewhat more dehydrated as compared with what I have read. TO resolve this I'm hitting up a local organic market to get something on the fresher side. Anyone found a good source for berries through the mail, in case I can't find a local source?
2. My neutral had some residual taste of sugar - not sweetness mind you, just what you smell when pouring white granulated sugar into a dish. That carried slightly into the flavor of the neutral and correspondingly my gin. Recently I ran my first successful spirit run yielding 195 proof neutral, so I hope to resolve this issue.
Couple questions from the pros:
1. Does the above sound like I am on the right track?
2. Is it better to macerate in 80 proof neutral, or should I keep the proof higher during the maceration process to draw more flavor from the botanicals? Shoot I have a bunch of 195 proof stuff at this point, so it is not hard to use it as is, then dilute later.
3. With the citrus, is it better to zest them, or just scrape the pith off the rind and drop the peel in during the maceration period?
4. Is it still the best idea to remove the citrus before stillin'?
5. I may try and add a couple of the more popular herbs you guys seem to like: fennel, cardemon, grains of paradise, angelica root. Is there a rhyme or reason for the amount of each?
6. I have not played with a botanical basket, since the maceration method hs been working well. Is there a notable difference in product if I run my macerated stuff through the still anyway?

Thanks guys, you have led me down the path that rocks.

[Ma Flodder]

Hello 65imp,

I'm in a bit of a hurry but to answer at least some of your questions:

4. either macerate all of the botanicals for one or two weeks and filter them out before distilling OR dump all botanicals in the boiler with your neutral and distill it directly
5. See this list:

The total amount of botanicals used is about 20-35 grams/litre. If we take the dominant botanical juniper as 'x', the proportions of the botanicals used is:
x = juniper
x/2 = coriander
x/10 = angelica, cassia, cinnamon, liquorice, bitter almonds, grains of paradise, cubeb berries
x/100 = bitter & sweet orange peel, lemon peel, ginger, orris root, cardamon, nutmeg, savory, calamus, chamomile.
If we use x = 20g then x/2 = 10g, x/10 = 2g, x/100 = 0.2g (200mg)

6. Just macerate or "boil" (see 4) - you will need A LOT more botanicals to get the same amount of flavor using a basket, waste of money. Many, many great gins are made using maceration.

Ma - who has just returned from Odin's excellent gin class

[Odin]

I'd go x/100 on the liquorice or its replacement: cloves.

x/10 will make you a very spicy gin. Think Indian Curry.

Regards, Odin.

[NZChris]

I'm having an x/10 licorice root gin right now. It's more subtle than overpowering.

[Odin]

Means you either got lucky, in my experience, or maybe you worked with liquorice powder? Liquorice powder has a better disttribution of the sometimes too hot / too concentrated tastes ...

Regards, Odin.

[NZChris]

This one was powdered, but the next two I made were root and I only have root in my apothecary now. If there is a difference, nobody has commented on it.

[Ma Flodder]

I use liquorice root which I powder (a bit) by taking the thinnest roots and putting them in a blender. 1/10, not overpowering at all.

Ma.

[Odin]

Okay. Maybe I need another liquorice supplier!

If everybody is happy with x/10, so am I.

Regards, Odin.

[mlenhardt]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm not a big fan of licorice, so I'll leave it out.
Any thoughts on maceration at higher proof?

[NZChris]

Any thoughts on maceration at higher proof?

Try low and high and keep good records to refer to next time.

Treat Odin's method as the first step of an adventure and try different methods and herb bills and see what you like. It's pretty hard to get it wrong. Every run I do is an experiment for one reason or another, each batch evolving from previous runs. My last batch made 4.5 litres of fine gin from a 1300ml charge. I would never have dreamed that was possible when I built my first mini gin still and did an Odin's Easy Gin with a maceration time of minutes while I set the still up.

[ShineRunner]

My last batch made 4.5 litres of fine gin from a 1300ml charge.

Did you forget a zero there NZChris??

[NZChris]

My last batch made 4.5 litres of fine gin from a 1300ml charge.

Did you forget a zero there NZChris??

No. I tripled the amount of botanicals and ran very slow. The essence made had enough flavor to make it up to 4.5l of finished gin by adding neutral. It's a trick used commercially to save on transport costs.

[Ma Flodder]

Not only is gin essence made to save up on transport cost but to save on equipment, time and energy as well. Some craft distillers buy GNS (alcohol in bulk) and make their essence with a small still like a modified T-500. Dilute with water and GNS and you can make 100+ bottles a week with minimal investment...

Ma.

[Odin]

Ma Flodder is the genuine Dutch Ma Baker!

Ma, loved working with you on gin (and on your gin - please share how it progresses). And you are right on the addition on gin making. Still ... call me old fashioned ... I feel that if you go cloudy on - say - a liter of gin and add like up to a liter of diluted GNS to lift the cloud, you are still making gin ... but if you make an essence so concentrated that one ends up adding more GNS than gin ... yeah, that's concentrate territory.

Now, my gut feeling tells me there is a boundary, maximum to concentration.

Not saying it is bad at all, just that it would be fun to investigate at what levels of herbs (grams per liter) we'd loose out. And would it be loosing out on all departments, or do some flavors come over less (floral?) sooner?

Not sure it is "Odins Easy Gin" if we investigate that, but I'd be curious to find out.

... so that's what I will be doing tomorrow and the day after, here in Edinburgh, Scotland, where I am setting up a rum & gin distillery.

First thing is go from 30 - 35 grams to around double. Customers wanted to go triple, but I adviced against it for now.

I'll keep you posted.

Odin.

[NZChris]

I've done double and triple. 4* next time.

[Ma Flodder]

I've done triple successfully, but am back at single now - my six gallon still makes more than enough gin in one run. For personal consumption that is...

[Wiz of Oz]

I find this whole topic utterly fascinating and have been following this post closely and can't wait to get started on my gin adventures!

I only have a pot still and my boiler is a 52Qt/50L/14 gal stainless stock pot so the process of making a neutral is a time consuming one. I am working on some All Bran neutral and so far I have stripped and done one spirit run on 225 liters of wash and I am sitting on about 12.5-13 liters of 78% abv that I am hoping to dilute and run another spirit run next weekend. Hopefully I'll be able to get onto the gin from there as I already have most of my botanicals.

Guess it will all depend on what I am left with as I figure I'll need at least 15-20 liters of neutral as a minimum charge for my pot as the last thing I want to do is scorch any of my botanical's as I heat my rig with propane.


Sorry I digress. I really just wanted to thank everyone, especially Odin, for contributing all this information for the rest of us. It really does mean a lot!

Cheers guys! I look forward to posting my gin results in the not so distant future!

[NZChris]

Guess it will all depend on what I am left with as I figure I'll need at least 15-20 liters of neutral as a minimum charge for my pot as the last thing I want to do is scorch any of my botanical's as I heat my rig with propane.

If you stick to Odin's method the pot won't run dry, which is the only way you can get scorching. You should be able to do a couple of liters with no problems.

[Wiz of Oz]

Really?! That's so good to know NZChris! I just figured that with my pot being so big I needed more. This makes my gin making days that much closer!

Thanks!

[bitter]

Making a big batch of this

Thanks Odin.. Just 20ml cut for 26l worth?

I have cut the tangerine down a bit, I find too much tangerine/orange at 1 skin per l

The pic with the botanicles was for 1 the carboys. Had another for the second one.

Going to run this in 2-3 weeks (last time was delayed so was 3 week soak).

Hopping this will last me for a good bit so it will age some and really come together.

B

[Stringduster]

Yes, with herbs in the boiler goes faster. I didn't put it in, since most have an electrical elelement, but if you can heat indirectly, macerate for just 12 to 24 hours and distill with herbs in the boiler. It will get you over a bit more taste compared to maceration (2 weeks) and filtration.

Odin.

What about using a strainer bag(hop bag) and tie it up so it doesn't make contact with the element? That way you can add the herbs to the boil without risking scorch? Has anyone tried that?

[Wiz of Oz]

Hey String,
If I remember correctly in watching the video that Odin posted in this thread that he does indeed use hop bags for that very purpose.

Cheers

[bitter]

I could not wait. So running this today with coriander and juniper in the boiler. Smelling really good already. Also making water to cut it with (RODI)

Run is done! First big Gin run ever... shoudl keep me going for a year or 2.

B

[Odin]

Dilute it, then give it a few weeks of rest. Then ... enjoy!

Regards, Odin.

[bitter]

Thanks Odiin. Diluted to 45% I have 18 to 18.5 liters of Gin. so about 24 750ml bottles.

Thanks for an awesome recipe!

B