55 Gallon Plum Brandy Project

[CoogeeBoy]

Great video. They are distilling the entire must. Fascinating and thanks for that.

Coogee, what kind of nasties do you mean? I have heard some worry about cyanide fromt he stones but that clearly isn;t a problem. Do you mean infection type nasties?

I did have cyanide in mind

Nobody should worry about kernels.

Try telling that to Sergeant Schultz!

[cranky]

I myself often go a little deeper than I should and it needs to age out. Leave it white.

So your saying contrary to what some believe , that white left in glass or stainless can and will improve / change for the better with time Cranky ?

Yes, I guess that is exactly what I'm saying. Oak or other wood isn't necessary for the reactions between molecules...or whatever it is you want to call what happens in the aging process. Stuff still bonds together and changes. The ghost of the fruit still finds it's way out of hiding. Oak is really just an added flavor. Change is going to happen regardless of the container, although it may be different if air isn't present because oxidation changes things too.

[stillanoob]

I myself often go a little deeper than I should and it needs to age out. Leave it white.

So your saying contrary to what some believe , that white left in glass or stainless can and will improve / change for the better with time Cranky ?

They certainly believe that aging white helps in the slivovitz world. The bottle I got is 5 years old.

Great series of posts here! I am so bummed it was a poor plum year here. That is how they are here, boom or bust. I hope the Damson will do well in my area, I am a little short of the chill hours.

For my next attempt for sure I will ferment on the stones. Then depending on how the low wines taste might throw it back on the stones and pulp. I should have been bookmarking my research as I can't find the reference to that now. Alas, although I might get a few last minute plums this year, all of this will pretty much have to wait a year. Sigh.

[CikCikCikPogodi]

[CikCikCikPogodi]

I myself often go a little deeper than I should and it needs to age out. Leave it white.

So your saying contrary to what some believe , that white left in glass or stainless can and will improve / change for the better with time Cranky ?

They certainly believe that aging white helps in the slivovitz world. The bottle I got is 5 years old.

Great series of posts here! I am so bummed it was a poor plum year here. That is how they are here, boom or bust. I hope the Damson will do well in my area, I am a little short of the chill hours.

For my next attempt for sure I will ferment on the stones. Then depending on how the low wines taste might throw it back on the stones and pulp. I should have been bookmarking my research as I can't find the reference to that now. Alas, although I might get a few last minute plums this year, all of this will pretty much have to wait a year. Sigh.

Aging is done very rarely, it mostly adds to a value of the drink.
Only thing we age here is rye whiskey.

[Saltbush Bill]

Yes, I guess that is exactly what I'm saying. Oak or other wood isn't necessary for the reactions between molecules...or whatever it is you want to call what happens in the aging process. Stuff still bonds together and changes.

Thank you, I believe you are correct.

[stillanoob]

@cikcikcikpogodi Another great video. Sure wish I knew what they were saying.

[cranky]

Yes, I guess that is exactly what I'm saying. Oak or other wood isn't necessary for the reactions between molecules...or whatever it is you want to call what happens in the aging process. Stuff still bonds together and changes.

Thank you, I believe you are correct.

I figured you knew my answer before you asked that question but were asking for the benefit of others.

[CikCikCikPogodi]

@cikcikcikpogodi Another great video. Sure wish I knew what they were saying.

You have to come somewhere in Western Balkans to see how it's made.
One plum brandy maker won competition in New York this year.
The secret is that we just use same old plums native to our region and cold water from mountain springs that is provided by counties,for cooling spiral boilers, which have become illegal everywhere except here because of water usage, just like moonshiners do in West Virginia.

[greggn]

anjKIURsnJU

Look at all the dead flies in his distillate at approximately 9:05 !

[jonnys_spirit]

anjKIURsnJU

Look at all the dead flies in his distillate at approximately 9:05 !

Some of em are still alive!

[stillanoob]

@cikcikcikpogodi Another great video. Sure wish I knew what they were saying.

You have to come somewhere in Western Balkans to see how it's made.
One plum brandy maker won competition in New York this year.
The secret is that we just use same old plums native to our region and cold water from mountain springs that is provided by counties,for cooling spiral boilers, which have become illegal everywhere except here because of water usage, just like moonshiners do in West Virginia.

I sure would love to. Not just to learn but to hang out with those guys in their shed while doing it. I'm a country boy and I can see those are my kind of folks. The food looked good too!

[cranky]

Look at all the dead flies in his distillate at approximately 9:05 !

Fortunately flies don't drink much.

[cranky]

CikCikCikPogodi, I'm curious, Do you/they do any cuts when distilling Rakia? I know in a lot of places they make it they don't and understand in some cases it can be a pretty rough drink.

Do Ya'll only distill once and not twice?

[Slivovitz]

Generally speaking it is distilled twice. Some people enjoy it distilled only once. I have had it both ways in Hungary and Croatia.

Everyone I know in the region distill it twice.

[CikCikCikPogodi]

CikCikCikPogodi, I'm curious, Do you/they do any cuts when distilling Rakia? I know in a lot of places they make it they don't and understand in some cases it can be a pretty rough drink.

Do Ya'll only distill once and not twice?

We distill it twice, that makes it better to drink.

[CikCikCikPogodi]

@cikcikcikpogodi Another great video. Sure wish I knew what they were saying.

You have to come somewhere in Western Balkans to see how it's made.
One plum brandy maker won competition in New York this year.
The secret is that we just use same old plums native to our region and cold water from mountain springs that is provided by counties,for cooling spiral boilers, which have become illegal everywhere except here because of water usage, just like moonshiners do in West Virginia.

I sure would love to. Not just to learn but to hang out with those guys in their shed while doing it. I'm a country boy and I can see those are my kind of folks. The food looked good too!

I have a guy who has plantation of blackberries and makes wine and brandy from them.
The owner of the pub where I hang out, he owns vineyard, makes wine and brandy.
I mean every person has someone who makes brandy or makes it themselfs.

[CikCikCikPogodi]

Look at all the dead flies in his distillate at approximately 9:05 !

Fortunately flies don't drink much.

Flies are not the problem. Real problem are hornets. They made a nest in my garden.

[CikCikCikPogodi]

Generally speaking it is distilled twice. Some people enjoy it distilled only once. I have had it both ways and Hungary and Croatia.

Everyone I know in the region distill it twice.

If you are from Hungary, you are close to Subotica. You can go directly to still factory in Subotica and buy still cheaper.

[Saltbush Bill]

I figured you knew my answer before you asked that question but were asking for the benefit of others.

Pretty much what I was up to
You and some others may find this interesting if you haven't seen it before, The first part is about gin,,,, not relevant to this thread , but at about the 4.40- 4.50 mark he starts to talk about fruit brandies and the effects and reasons for aging in glass as white dog.
I believe this fella has won quite a lot of awards in his time as a distiller and makes a very popular gin.

[CoogeeBoy]

I figured you knew my answer before you asked that question but were asking for the benefit of others.

Pretty much what I was up to
You and some others may find this interesting if you haven't seen it before, The first part is about gin,,,, not relevant to this thread , but at about the 4.40- 4.50 mark he starts to talk about fruit brandies and the effects and reasons for aging in glass as white dog.
I believe this fella has won quite a lot of awards in his time as a distiller and makes a very popular gin.

Thank you Saltbush, that was a great find.
We had a night out in Perth a few months ago and drank the bar dry of Monkey 47 gin (Print Hall). It was recommended to us by the bar manager and it was a great, great hit with my colleagues. Just for the record, they only had 3 or 4 bottles, we then had to change to something else, not sure what it was now, but the Monkey 47 was/is a great gin.

[Saltbush Bill]

We had a night out in Perth a few months ago and drank the bar dry of Monkey 47 gin

I'm told its a good drop but not cheap, one day if I see a bottle around I will buy n try.
Time to get back on subject.