Beefer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:29 am
Odin, Just finished variation number 5 (cumquat and lilli pilli) and as I'm running low on safe storage glassware - does diluting to 45%abv change how fast the flavours mellow, or will it rest just the same at the still strength? Apologies if it's been answered previously, had a look but couldn't find an answer.
Question for you Beefeater...what did your gin collection come off the still at?
If you follow Odin’s recipe, you should collect it at 45-50%ABV, maybe as high as 55%. So you won’t have much “tempering” to do, at least I don’t usually. And I like to serve the gin at 45% like most of my spirits. You can store it at higher proof, but typically the gin is very close to the final purity when collected.
As for aging, I often make up a bottle or two when I need it, so it doesn’t get much aging. Some ingredients do benefit from a little “time in the bottle” such that what you use may need the delay to service.
Hi SS,
Followed the recipe pretty closely and it comes off the still (5litre pot still) at just under 80%ABV. I make up 2litres at a time using 43%ABV Neutral (all bran) macerated for 24 hours and then run it through the pot nice and slow, discarding the first 10ml and collecting the next 800ml. This is aired for 24 hours and then diluted back to 45%ABV. My question is - would the gin "mellow" differently if left at the 80% straight from the still??
I don't recall reading to air OEG for 24 hours. Why would you let all those lovely flavors waft out of the door when you could have them in your finished product?
As long as you make enough that you don't run out of older stock, you don't have to worry about resting it. Most of mine sits around at 80% for months before it gets made up and bottled. I can't tell you that it's better for it, because I've never noticed that it is.
I've been doing OEG for a few months now. Started with the basic recipe and then started doing 1L batches with one new botanical at a time before waiting 5 weeks to see what it tastes like. It's going well and I'm having a lot of fun. Up to batch #15 now.
Had a great win last night. Missus and I decided to buy a bottle of Hendrick's to compare with my OEG. We tried it just with tonic, didn't have any cucumber (which I prefer in my salad, not my drink). I was pleasantly surprised when after the missus tasted Hendricks's said "yours has way more flavour, it's much better". I had to agree with her, Hendrick's was rather bland and tasteless.
We'll be keeping the rest of the Hendrick's for blind taste tests with friends
Thanks Odin for all of the knowledge you have shared
Its been several years since i first made this gin, and when i came back for the recipe to make it again, its not as i remember it. Did you simplify this recipe from when you first posted it ? thanks
Hello guys right so I macerated today 5.3L 43% Odin easy gin I decided to do it on LM column in potstill mode I will be macerating it for 24-48h and disttling on my column without sources and without filtering just want to make all process clear and your thoughts
So
First
guy what I bought column reccomend to pull out all scourers out as essential oils will mess them up when I will be doing in the future 96% spirit is he right ?
Or should I leave them in ? I read somewhere Odin is not unpacking he's column for doing it and stabilise it for 15min(should I do stabilising for 15min aswell if I will decide to unpuck it completely?) but I wonder if on that column he's doing anything else than gin
Second
I decided I will be not filtring the botanicals as the heating inside the boiler should not burn them.
Thanks alot guys and hope I will get some help
I have been using a pot still with no packing at all.
If you're not straining the botanicals, there is no need to steep for any length of time. I steep mine the full 2 weeks and strain.
I would recommend you remove the citrus and put it in the vapour path if going this way. It can come through as bitter if left in the boiler, many people have said in the thread.
MartinCash wrote: ↑Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:00 pm
I have been using a pot still with no packing at all.
If you're not straining the botanicals, there is no need to steep for any length of time. I steep mine the full 2 weeks and strain.
I would recommend you remove the citrus and put it in the vapour path if going this way. It can come through as bitter if left in the boiler, many people have said in the thread.
I am using potstill mode on LM column I think you calling it BOKA column Odin is saying to not unpack it (but the guy told be if I will gonna do run with packed column the essential oils will mess up my scourers column) so I am not sure who's correct
That what I found also.
Then there is a final benefit you may want to try out. I use it to great success. And - again - so do my customers. Stabilize at the beginning of the gin run. It will concentrate any residual small heads faction as well as the overconcentrated, very rancid first juniper oils perfectly. Say you leave the normal packed column on and you now stabilize for 15 minutes. Then (and only then) open up the needle-valve quickly and completely. You toss the first little bit (away with some remaining heads and rancid first juniper oil), and you get very nice very fruity transition from 95%+ to say 80% for the beginning of the rest of the run (slowly dropping of).
Virandell wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 12:45 am
I am using potstill mode on LM column I think you calling it BOKA column Odin is saying to not unpack it (but the guy told be if I will gonna do run with packed column the essential oils will mess up my scourers column) so I am not sure who's correct
That what I found also.
Then there is a final benefit you may want to try out. I use it to great success. And - again - so do my customers. Stabilize at the beginning of the gin run. It will concentrate any residual small heads faction as well as the overconcentrated, very rancid first juniper oils perfectly. Say you leave the normal packed column on and you now stabilize for 15 minutes. Then (and only then) open up the needle-valve quickly and completely. You toss the first little bit (away with some remaining heads and rancid first juniper oil), and you get very nice very fruity transition from 95%+ to say 80% for the beginning of the rest of the run (slowly dropping of).
I'm not sure what this has to do with OEG except for the choice of botanicals. I suggest you start something like a 'Virandell's LM column Gin' thread to direct your customers to.
Virandell wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 12:45 am
I am using potstill mode on LM column I think you calling it BOKA column Odin is saying to not unpack it (but the guy told be if I will gonna do run with packed column the essential oils will mess up my scourers column) so I am not sure who's correct
That what I found also.
Then there is a final benefit you may want to try out. I use it to great success. And - again - so do my customers. Stabilize at the beginning of the gin run. It will concentrate any residual small heads faction as well as the overconcentrated, very rancid first juniper oils perfectly. Say you leave the normal packed column on and you now stabilize for 15 minutes. Then (and only then) open up the needle-valve quickly and completely. You toss the first little bit (away with some remaining heads and rancid first juniper oil), and you get very nice very fruity transition from 95%+ to say 80% for the beginning of the rest of the run (slowly dropping of).
I'm not sure what this has to do with OEG except for the choice of botanicals. I suggest you start something like a 'Virandell's LM column Gin' thread to direct your customers to.
I had couple of questions before tonight distillation and I thought that would be the best place to ask about gin
I will just read abit more and I will go with the flow tonight I will probably unpack it completely no stabilisation at all and we will see what will come out
MartinCash wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 2:49 am
Thanks Virandell, I don't have a Boka, I have a VM, and I think I'd rather not contaminate my column with flavours that might taint my neutral.
My pot still has worked well and has enough space for vapor infusion, should I want to do some that way.
Yep so I will gonna take packing out just incase like you saying that should do the job, I will start saving some money slowly for some potstill so I will don't have to do it everytime when I am making gin
Thanks alot
Then there is a final benefit you may want to try out. I use it to great success. And - again - so do my customers. Stabilize at the beginning of the gin run. It will concentrate any residual small heads faction as well as the overconcentrated, very rancid first juniper oils perfectly. Say you leave the normal packed column on and you now stabilize for 15 minutes. Then (and only then) open up the needle-valve quickly and completely. You toss the first little bit (away with some remaining heads and rancid first juniper oil), and you get very nice very fruity transition from 95%+ to say 80% for the beginning of the rest of the run (slowly dropping of).
I'm not sure what this has to do with OEG except for the choice of botanicals. I suggest you start something like a 'Virandell's LM column Gin' thread to direct your customers to.
Then there is a final benefit you may want to try out. I use it to great success. And - again - so do my customers. Stabilize at the beginning of the gin run. It will concentrate any residual small heads faction as well as the overconcentrated, very rancid first juniper oils perfectly. Say you leave the normal packed column on and you now stabilize for 15 minutes. Then (and only then) open up the needle-valve quickly and completely. You toss the first little bit (away with some remaining heads and rancid first juniper oil), and you get very nice very fruity transition from 95%+ to say 80% for the beginning of the rest of the run (slowly dropping of).
I'm not sure what this has to do with OEG except for the choice of botanicals. I suggest you start something like a 'Virandell's LM column Gin' thread to direct your customers to.
This last bit seems like a quote from Odin.
It is quote from Odin you are correct, I just done my gin run without filtering and botanicals didn't burn in a keg so a success next time defenetly more junipers (also it's came out abit bitter ?) I think but I will see in a few days how it will gonna taste, also I think I will get small potstill or potstill attachment to my keg with that BOKA column one minus the liquid is going out very hot and I can't check the % and I have to unpack it everytime .
I made a batch of Shady's Sugar Shine just for this recipe.
I ran it the other day, and I kept the middle of the run. I diluted in down to 43%, which gave me ~7 1/2 Qts.
I tried to follow Odin's recipe, but was unable to find any tangerines, so I used Mandarin oranges instead. I also increased the juniper berries by just a little, and added 3-4 cardamom pods.
It's been setting for almost a week (another week to go before I run it), and I've been checking it every other day (just can't keep my hands off it). I was expecting to be overwhelmed with citrus from the Mandarins, but that's not the case at all.
Looking forward to when it's in my glass.
I ran a batch of watermelon shine this summer, and after the stripping run I did not like it. I held onto it for a month wondering what I was going to do. I came across this thread and said sure this could work. I have a 5 gallon pot still, and have found 3 stripping runs to 1 spirit run works very well. I stripped 3 batches of watermelon then scaled up the oeg x9.
Yes I understand this is not the tried and true recipe.
I am sharing my experience.
I added the spices and steeped it for 2 weeks. Just finished my spirit run. The spice blend for this gin is simple, but perfect. It is blendinding very nicely with the watermelon shine.
We are making our cuts tomorrow and then tempering it.
I am going to try a small amount with a very light syrup to temper it. Any thoughts on this?
Being a new distiller, you should have used Odin's method and not put the botanicals into the low wines. Odin makes it quite clear that that is something you shouldn't do and he says that for very good reasons.
Yes, it should be spirit run, then, and only if it tastes and smells like a match for the botanicals you are going to use, you should follow Odin's method on the first page of this thread.
If your making gin for Dry Martinis, I found that Odin's is OK but if you drastically reduce the citrous (like by the power of X10) it's quite good in a dry martini...so cut back on the amount and the maceration time of the orange and lime peel for martinis but use as is for G & T's
I’m a newbie. I’ve got my first batch of Deathwish wheat germ bubbling away downstairs. But my wife is from Schiedam, NL and likes Jenever, gin, etc... so I will be trying this out in the not to distant future.
I happen to have a giant juniper tree in the front yard that produces A LOT of juniper berries. Can anyone give any guidance as to how to prep berries from my tree for use in making gin?
Do they need A certain amount of time to season or dry?
Thanks!
Last edited by HodyMac on Sun Sep 20, 2020 6:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.