Feijoa Brandy

[jw890]

Hi There,

I am hoping to make a Feijoa (Pineapple guava) brandy some time soon.
Last Year I made a fantastic Feijoa wine which I really enjoyed.

Would it be best to recreate this Feijoa wine and distill it?
I struggled to locate any recipies on Home Distiller for Feijoa brandys.

Thanks for the help in advanced!

[NZChris]

If there is a reliable method of capturing feijoa using distillation, I've failed to find it after several attempts. When I have succeeded, the feijoa had disappeared 24 hours later. My feijoa experiments have been used as base spirits for some very nice gins.

So, good luck, I wish you well, and I do hope you can find a method that works and tell us what you did.

[SaltyStaves]

+1

If you find a way that doesn't either vanish or taste like fly-spray, let us know.

[NZChris]

I always get 'fly spray' during a feijoa distillation. I suspect it comes from the peel and that the variety makes a lot of difference.

Peel to pulp ratio is important when making feijoa wine, so I expect that it is also relevant when distilling. When making wine, less is more, so I cut the ends off and only tread the middle. I haven't made feijoa wine for many years.

[jw890]

Thanks for the responses Chris and Salty.

My gut would be to run the wine that tastes good - it doesn't use any skin so hopefully I can avoid the "Fly spray" taste however that doesn't address the other issues.

When making a brandy wash (this would be my first brandy). Do you do much different to a wine to bring out certain flavors post distillation?

Would prefer not to waste my fiejoas on base spirits sugar wash options available!

[NZChris]

Would prefer not to waste my fiejoas on base spirits sugar wash options available!

Feijoa and ginger jam is very nice and would probably impress your friends more than feijoa liquor that didn't taste like feijoa.

[jw890]

Might have to get a recipe off you for that!
I will have enough for some Jam and a years worth of wine!

[azeo]

If its not specifically a brandy you're after then a masceration with netral and some sugar (optional) makes a nice feijoa surprise.

[azeo]

Or perhaps infusion with another base spirit such as a gin or a fruit brandy of some type....

[NZChris]

Feijoa season is nearly upon us Kiwis, so start making a plan already.

I've bought a still for the first time in my distilling adventure. It's a copper alembic from a local online auction website and one of the reasons I bought it was so that I can make a feijoa gin, on the dining table, over a gas burner, in front of the guests, and the gin tastes like feijoa on the night. I don't expect the gin to still taste of feijoa the next day, but I remain ever hopeful

[azeo]

Do post the results NZChris, it will be interesting to hear!