Question on Odins gin and other spirit recipes

[sampvt]

2 questions..............

1, when using the 24/48hr maceration and dropping the mix into the boiler of my t500 alembic pot still system, can a muslin bag be used to keep things tidier and easier to clean.

2. What would be the minimum amount of distillate in a 25 litre boiler. Can relatively smaller runs be done for experimentation purposes or does the boiler have to have a minimum amount of liquid in it.

[Saltbush Bill]

can a muslin bag be used to keep things tidier and easier to clean.

Ive used a T500 boiler for gin making and other small experimental batches for years, a muslin back is not necessary, clean up is easy by just giving the boiler a quick rub with a rag and a rinse with water.

Can relatively smaller runs be done for experimentation purposes or does the boiler have to have a minimum amount of liquid in it.

I often run as little as 4 Liters.

[howie]

i recently tried the OEG in my brewzilla 35l, with a supposed minimum of 4l.
this has concealed elements (similar to yours?)
i macerated 2.5l for 24hrs, then put 2.5l into the boiler, botanicals as well (juniper & coriander), but the mandarin skins in a gin caddy.
i was worried about scorching but everything went fine.
although i have a voltage controller wired into my 1900w element and i seemed to get the required flow with about 110v.
i have since done a second run with 2.5 litres with great results and no scorching.

the OEG was supposed to be left for 5 weeks, but i don't think it's goinng to last that long lol.
i have bought, and i'm waiting for delivery of, a $100 fleabay chemistry glass distillation set for experimenting with more botanicals.

image.png (8.36 KiB) Viewed 2992 times

note to brewzillas users and those with pumps - those juniper berries fall into the pump lines.
i thought i had purged them out before a subsequent rum run but a last minute check found more hiding in the lines.
i nearly had juniper rum
a small heavy SS tea strainer will go over the pump inlet next time

[Saltbush Bill]

i was worried about scorching but everything went fine.
although i have a voltage controller wired into my 1900w element and i seemed to get the required flow with about 110v.
i have since done a second run with 2.5 litres with great results and no scorching.

Also a non issue with T500 boiler ...even running at maximum power without a controller.

[JohnnyVegas]

Hi Bill, After many hours of reading I was finally able to find someone making Odins gin with the T500 Alembic Pot. You answered one of my questions in the forum around minimum quantity runs and power control. My last attempt was done following the Still Spirits method of just using the botanicals basket but thats the last time I'll be doing that. (I will use the basket to put the tangerine peel in and all the other ingredients straight in the boiler after 24 hours steeping.) So if I do a 4 litre run do I just do the same as I did with the basket run and maintain a good water flow and take off the spirit until it reaches 20 % ABV? Thanks for any tips.

[Saltbush Bill]

So if I do a 4 litre run do I just do the same as I did with the basket run and maintain a good water flow and take off the spirit until it reaches 20 % ABV? Thanks for any tips.

I'm not sure what you mean by water flow, The gin I make uses just a pot still head on a T500 boiler, everything including citrus zest go in the boiler, I'm not sure of the logic of putting the citrus peel only in a basket. Always been happy with mine thrown in with everything else.
If your worried about the citrus being over powering doing it that way, simply use less peel.
On a 4L run I use 0.4 of a gram of Lime zest....absolutely no pith.
Its worth buying a set of very accurate scales if you intend making a lot of gin.

[howie]

yep, make sure your digital scales can measure 2 decimal places.
i have a spare set of scales that only measure 1 decimal place
SB - you only use 0.4gm of zest in a 4L?

[Saltbush Bill]

Correct.

[JohnnyVegas]

Thanks Bill. I'll post results.

[Mares]

... and take off the spirit until it reaches 20 % ABV? Thanks for any tips.

If you are doing spirit run pay attention to stop it at approximately 70% ABV if you want pure and clean taste and aroma, 20% ABV will be full of tails resulting in bad taste and smell.

[Andrew_90]

... and take off the spirit until it reaches 20 % ABV? Thanks for any tips.

If you are doing spirit run pay attention to stop it at approximately 70% ABV if you want pure and clean taste and aroma, 20% ABV will be full of tails resulting in bad taste and smell.

Does this still apply if your neutral was 96% diluted to 42%?

[Mares]

... and take off the spirit until it reaches 20 % ABV? Thanks for any tips.

If you are doing spirit run pay attention to stop it at approximately 70% ABV if you want pure and clean taste and aroma, 20% ABV will be full of tails resulting in bad taste and smell.

Does this still apply if your neutral was 96% diluted to 42%?

Of course

[Rrmuf]

Not to be too pedantic about it, but OEG is pretty clear about the cut for the spirit run is volume based and the first 40% of the boiler load. After quite a few runs of OEG with variations/additions of botanicals, I keep testing this, and while I might have gone a bit further than 40%, I never ever reached 45% by volume.... and I hoped. The lowest ABV jar that I've put into the Gin was this very last one at 62%... but all proven results so far were above 67%. (The Last 5 runs' cut-off jars were at 62%, 69%, 66%, 71%, and 69%)

SO, while I will continue to be guided by taste and smell, I do find the 40% BY VOLUME guidance from Odin to stand up pretty well. So much so that with repeat runs of known boiler loads, I can literally drop the jars and distill directly into jugs and stop at 40% of the boiler load. I revert to jars when I've altered the botanicals or boiler load in terms of recipe...... then I make sure there is a jar that catches the 40th% by volume, and I make small cuts thereafter.

[higgins]

I've done 6 1 Liter runs of OEG and followed the instructions very closely (other than maceration time).

• 1L 43% neutral
• macerate the botanicals 24 hrs
• dump in gin still and add 500 ml bottled water
• discard first 10 ml distillate
• collect next 400 ml
• add 350 ml bottled water

This method has resulted in a 750ml bottle at 43-44% abv, and has worked perfectly for me every time. I use a blade coffee grinder and grind rather finely.

On batch 3 I decided to try collecting additional distillate, so collected another 50 ml in a new jar. There was a bit of funk in it, so down the drain with it. Stick with 400 ml.

On batch 4 I put the orange peel in the vapor path, which resulted in a gin that louched a bit when diluted. I diluted with 43% neutral till it cleared (about 100 ml added).

So far the one that was the favorite of friends (mostly drunk neat) had:

• 25g juniper berries
• 5 g coriander
• 1 g orris root
• 1 g angelica root
• 1 g dried orange peel
• 1 g dried lemon peel
• 1.5 g dried lime peel
• 1 star anise pod
• 3 black peppercorns

I am a believer in the OEG method.