Looking for sipping pleasure... but stuck with neutral...

[Mario84]

Hey guys,
not really sure where to put this, but this subforum section seemed fitting.

So I've set up my stilling hobby again after a couple years hiatus.

The issue is I'm stuck with neutral for a while right now... and I really want that sipping pleasure I get from brown liquor.
With neutrals I just make screwdrivers (mix with orange juice)... but that proves to be a drink which goes down a bit too fast. It's not the type of drink you can lean back, sip / drink slowly and enjoy the warm complexities of each sip.

I'm looking for a quick solution to turn this neutral into a more interesting drink. Something I can steep or mix into the spirits and begin enjoying more or less from day one.
Or another quick fix I'm open to, is adding some ingredients and redistilling the spirit with those ingredients inside.

Or any other ideas really. Maybe there's something I haven't thought of.

Thanks for any input!

[Swedish Pride]

have you thought of making whiskey from scratch.
It's the only way to get the complexity in the bottle that I know of, not that I'm any kind of expert at all.

also, the problem with smooth home made whiskey is that it goes down as quick as screwdrivers and gets you to face plant quicker in my experience.

[Mario84]

Yes, absolutely, I have a big old plan for making batches of whiskey and rum... I'm just waiting for the right ingredients to come through the mail, and I'm making neutral now in the mean-time.
I don't agree that smooth whiskey goes down as quickly as a screwdriver though, lol. I mean... it's just a completely different way of drinking.

Anyway, I came up with a good idea:
I live in figs and dates country, so I thought of infusing 50% neutral with dried figs and dates... and just enjoy a few drinks a day of it along the way, like I wanted to anyway, and then just about when the infusion flavor gets heavy (estimating about a week), I will redistill it to 80% (hopefully some of the fruit flavor will carry over), cut it down half with water to ~45%'ish, and infuse that with roasted pistachio shells to give it some wooden accents (drinking along the way until optimal result is achieved). In my mind this recipe sounds delicious, and I can't wait to try it out. One of my inspiraitons is this link:

https://moonshiners.club/infuse-vodka-w ... ich-taste/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

But I'm still open to any input or ideas. Hell... what do you guys think of my idea?

[Distillernz]

If you are only interested in Neutral variations I can't help, But I started there and have worked my way to UJSSM and pretty glad I did. Doubt I will drink a flavoured neutral ever again..

[Mario84]

Really? You think it's that bad, huh?
The only reason I'm making it myself, is to have some alcohol around while the rum/whiskey ingredients come through.
Screwdrivers are fine (and sometime a god-send) for a quick wind-down after work, but I could never really dig the whole sipping vodka neat or on the rocks thing.
That being said, this is the first time I'm making the Birdwatchers Sugar Wash recipe... and the hearts from this stuff is the damned finest vodka/neutral I've ever tasted. Sipping it might just about work... at least until it becomes a full fledged infusion wonder.

[Distillernz]

Hey Mario, I guess it does not taste bad, But for me the UJSSM tastes much better. You are getting your flavours directly from the corn and with a bit of nuclear ageing the wait time is minimal, And from what I read proper ageing is even better.

[Yummyrum]

Guess the quick answer is adding essences .
Unfortunately most Brown essences taste like crap but there are a few that might get you sipping again. If you like Scotch then this ones pretty good . I drink it on the rocks

Gin...either just add essence or try adding botanicals and redistilling .....I love Gin and Tonic ...but then thats probably as tasty as a screwdriver

You could try making some Liqueurs ...say something like a Cointreau . But most Liqueurs are loaded with sugar so you'll be fat as house in no time .

Gee if you think the Birdwatchers is going to be a good Neutral , check out TEDS FFV .....you might just enjoy sipping a Vodka

[Mario84]

Gin is exactly the type of route I was looking for. Or something like that... with dried fruits... or (roasted?) nuts. Something where I can just put ingredients in the still and re-distill that way. Do you know of any simple straight forward recipe for that? For Gin? I've looked around and only found a complicated mess of recipes which involve all kinds of methods which are irrelevant to me. All I need to know is how many grams of what to put in the still.

Gee if you think the Birdwatchers is going to be a good Neutral , check out TEDS FFV .....you might just enjoy sipping a Vodka

Thanks for the tip! I will definitely look into that!

Update:
I went to the store and said I have neutral I'd like to flavor somehow, and they sold me Schweppes Russchian and Ginger ale, lol...

[still_stirrin]

Gin is exactly the type of route I was looking for...Do you know of any simple straight forward recipe for that? For Gin...

Here you go, Mario...viewtopic.php?f=14&t=48594#p7092919

This recipe includes ingredients AND process. If you follow it precisely, you will be blessed with a fantastic gin. And learn something along the way.
ss

[Pikey]

Yes, absolutely, I have a big old plan for making batches of whiskey and rum... I'm just waiting for the right ingredients to come through the mail, and I'm making neutral now in the mean-time.
I don't agree that smooth whiskey goes down as quickly as a screwdriver though, lol. I mean... it's just a completely different way of drinking.

Anyway, I came up with a good idea:
I live in figs and dates country, so I thought of infusing 50% neutral with dried figs and dates... and just enjoy a few drinks a day of it along the way, like I wanted to anyway, and then just about when the infusion flavor gets heavy (estimating about a week), I will redistill it to 80% (hopefully some of the fruit flavor will carry over), cut it down half with water to ~45%'ish, and infuse that with roasted pistachio shells to give it some wooden accents (drinking along the way until optimal result is achieved). In my mind this recipe sounds delicious, and I can't wait to try it out. One of my inspiraitons is this link:

https://moonshiners.club/infuse-vodka-w ... ich-taste/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

But I'm still open to any input or ideas. Hell... what do you guys think of my idea?

What a great site !

Went to the Dom REp once and had a drink we thought they called "Mamaguano" - we bemoaned th size of teh "nip" - around 30 ml perhaps - Then staggered home along the beach - barely able to keep upright by leaning on each other :

https://moonshiners.club/mamajuana-heal ... -republic/

I do like the sound of that pistaccio stuff as well !

[Mario84]

Here you go, Mario...viewtopic.php?f=14&t=48594#p7092919

This recipe includes ingredients AND process. If you follow it precisely, you will be blessed with a fantastic gin. And learn something along the way.

Thank you so much! Gin it is then! And my middle eastern pistachio project. I have a plan for what to do with my neutral spirits now.

Pikey: Mamaguana looks pretty exotic! Never seen or heard about anything like that before. Looks like a voodoo drink, but I'm crazy enough to try it! I see it's also possible to order pre-packed bags of ingredients for infusion...

[6 Row Joe]

I got started on Uncle Josh's sour mash and love it. I am on my 6th batch so far. It has a bit of a sweet taste along with the corn flavor and good mouth feel. I dilute the 150 proof down to 75 and add a half cup of medium toasted oak chips. In a few weeks ther's a nice color and a nice whisky flavor with the vanilla tones and the like. Rarely do I mix it with anything other that a couple ice cubes.

[Yonder]

I heartily recommend Honey Bear Bourbon over oak for a real nice flavor. Been runnin UJSSM this past month and its okay but not as rich as all grains.

[Mario84]

It's been years since I made some UJSSM (due to moving and stuff). I'm itching to make it again. It was my favorite recipe; that and Pugirum. It just gets better for every time the backset get's re-used, doesn't it?
I had bad luck with oak chips though. I also aged on 40-50% ABV... 2 days later it tasted like pure wood (even with the tiniest amounts). I could never get it right. Maybe because they were french... and possibly meant for wine? I'm looking into the bigger, charred, bourbon barrel staves this time around.

Yonder: Honey Bear Bourbon sure sounds good... but all grains projects seem like quite the project! A lot of cooking with huge pots and what not. My recipes need to be finished and cleared from the kitchen before wife and kids come home in the afternoon. AG-projects seem too messy for all that stuff. I'd sure like to one day though.

When we buy a house, the wife says I can set myself up in a shed in the yard, and do whatever I want with large stills and messy recipes
For now I stick to clean, "quick" and simple methods with my kitchen counter airstill.

[Yummyrum]

For now I stick to clean, "quick" and simple methods with my kitchen counter airstill.

hell dude .......a few posts back you were talking neutral ....but you got an Airstill ....thats one mean task you're taking on .
Hope your house with a shed option happens soon

to be honest , an air still will take the best part of a day just to make a mediocre pot stilled voddie ......which you would need to rerun several times to get something palatable.

surely it woulds be more time effective to run a reflux still or a decent power potty while the kids are away

[Mario84]

Nah, a reflux still is just not gonna work here.
But yeah, I can actually make better vodka than anything storebought that I've ever tried anyway (and confirmed by friends)... but it does take a lot of re-destilling. I don't mind that though. Maybe cause I'm used to it, lol ^^

an air still will take the best part of a day

Try weeks, actually... but I produce more quicker than I can consume it anyway, it's still way cheaper than storebought, obviously, and I'm always happy with my results. With some patience and diligence I'm beyond satisfied. Seriously, I've made some amazing stuff with this airstill!

[Hoosier Shine9]

if you like cinnamon.......aka Fireball, Hot Damn.......or the like
this only takes about a month.
warning it is addictive,
oh and you will NOT like Fireball any more either.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=51580

or you could put fresh/frozen fruit of your choice in and let it sit for a week or more. Kind of like the dates you mentioned.

gives you something other than Vodka.

.

[Mario84]

Here you go! This looks awesome!

[cdd]

I made something that tastes like whiskey in one week.
1. Cooked a whole grain flour and corn flakes with enzymes then filtered into fermenter.
2. Added malt extract and granulated sugar. This fermented dry in 3 days.
3. Racked into another fermenter then turbo clear and 24 hrs later racked again (into a boiler this time)
4. Stilled to around 88% dilluted to 45% then a slight carbon filtration.
5. Oak chips and Stillspirits whiskey essence.

[Mario84]

That looks nice for a quick fix.

What I've found out in the mean time is how a little splash of Martini helps the neutral a long way! Hehe

[Mario84]

Update:

My date/fig infusion aged on pistachio shells turned out pretty weird. It has a quality character due to containing less (or no) heads, compared to storebought stuff. But the flavor profile is so random. It can't pass for a sipping drink, a mixing drink, a dessert drink... or anything. It's sweet like a liqueur, but dry... like spirits are. It's almost like some weird cognac actually. I can't explain it. I'm redistilling it with a neutral wash.

It was actually really good before I redistilled it (post-infusion). When it was just this sticky 50% "liqueur". But after distilling it clean and adding the shells... it flopped completely.

Anyway. I am rich on UJSSM bourbon now, so it was all just a matter of patience, lol.

[Copperhead road]

That looks nice for a quick fix.

I don’t think there is a quick fix for good sippin whiskey, time on Oak is your friend!