1st grappa

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jonnys_spirit
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

This did not turn out well. Burned the skins with the element. Small wisps of smoke were coming out of the PC. The distillate was slightly brown. Shut it down and will dump this batch. Gonna hafta clean the still to get rid of that smoke contamination.

I have about 10 gallons of fermented pomace left. Without a thumper or steam setup it's likely to burn. Not sure why I was able to run full skins in the boiler last time without issue.

Cheers!
-j
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by zach »

I made a grappa without a burning the skins and seeds in the still. Also did a Țuică in a similar manner.

I have an induction hot plate to heat my 5 gallon stock pot still. The bottom is a triple layer which heats evenly on a medium heat.

I think you're on the right track with the steam thumper.
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

So I let that first run air out for a week. It’s 128 proof. Bottled it into 2x 1/2 gallon jugs with three large fingers of heavy toast heavy char white oak. No cuts. Cork stoppers are loose for some air. Long term aging. I might stick another heavy char oak finger in there.

I figure I can at least let it sit around for several years as an experiment instead of chucking it. The smoked pomace flavor sorta remimds me of smoked peat - in a way. Maybe time and char will make it spezial.

The remaining brute w/pomace sugar and water - i added more water and more sugar. It fermented over the past week. Ran it through the grape press and have about 15galloms now in carboys. I’m going to take these pressed skins - well used now - and top up with maybe six gallons of cheap white grape juice and some sugar. Ferment. Start stripping this last batch and utilizing the backset into low wines for spirit runs. Shooting for two strips and anything left over added to low wines for final spirit run fully charged.

I have made this into a grappa sugarhead to stretch it a bit but also plan to utilize backset protocol to concentrate the grappa flavors. Maybe i can bump the backset pH and develop an infection too. I’ll see. No huge hurry.

Cheers!
-j
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I ran two grappa strips this weekend. I let it clear for a week so no scorch on these strips - got about eight gallons or so low wines. I have taken three gallons of stillage, added the lees into that, bumped pH up to 5.5, threw in a handful of malted barley and about two cups or so of infected bourbon backset. I’ll give that a week or two to fester and I’ll mix with the grappa low wines with some sulphuric acid for the spirit run. Backset was about pH 3.30 so i added calcium hydroxide till it was too much (pH 6.8+). Then I dumped the approx 1 gallon yeast trub in there and went back down to pH 5.5’ish. I might mesh bag some of the pomace and stick that in the backset or low wines.

Cheers!
-j
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Ok. I did a quick test tonight.

100ml infected backset. Pellicle started and pH has dropped from 5.5 to 5.1
100ml grappa low wines @ 40% abv and pH of 4.03
10ml sulphuric acid 10.0N standard

Mixed all those and pH measured 1.07

Smell was a bit musty and not too pleasing before adding the sulphuric. After adding the sulphuric it really opened up and was much more fresh fruity. Set in a hot water bath for a couple minutes and yum! Very nice! Need to learn to identify these smells better but definitely good.

I’ll be letting this infected grappa stillage do it’s thing for a while till pH drops into the 3’s or so. It won’t be the same ratios when I do the spirit run but I’m feeling very good with this test and looking forward to the final product cuts and sampling.

Cheers!
-j
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Spirit run last weekend. Aired out for seven days and sampled a couple glasses during the week and really enjoy it white. Making cuts today. Should net about two gallons of grappa maybe 2.5 or 3g feints.
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Time for more grappa!

Fall wine pressing is approaching rapidly and i’ll have skins and some press-juice from 150# of pinot noir grapes to use this season. I also have about 2-3gallons of infected and aged grappa backset from this past springs grappa and I also saved the skins in a bucket. I bumped ph of that backset to promote infection and left the skins alone in a sealed bucket which appear to have preserved nicely. Grappa feints from spring batch are also available so i think i’ll add the feints to the old skins to macerate for a while as I press the new wine this weekend and start the second ferment on new skins.

Ciao mi bella!
-jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

So as I prepare for the fall grappa Pressed the grapes very lightly to get my one carboy + top-up wine. This left the skins with a good amount of wine left behind. After pressing I put the skins back into the brute can and added about 2g water to meep them well hydrated. I also mixed almost three gallons of feints with last seasons skins and that has macerated for a couple days. I picked up two cheap wine kits (pinot noir also) this morning and i’ll pick up some sugar.

Plan is to split the skins into two brutes and rehydrate the wine kits, top up with total about 12 gallons liquid each brute including splitting three gallons infected grappa backset split and then use some sugar to get the SG where i want it. 1.090’ish.

Once ferment is done I’ll mix in the feints/skins mixture then press after a day and let some sediment drop.

Shooting for two stripping runs and one spirit.

I’ve had good luck using sugar to boost the abv a little and I know that this comes at an expense to flavour. I am now reincorporating infected backset, feints, and spent skins into the protocol to experiment a little. Not sure whether the skins and feints are going to make it into the stripping run this time due to potential aceter bacterial infection.

Cheers!
-jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

This batch is done fermenting. I think close to 24 gallons of juice in it but I’ll find out when I rack and press the skins.

The feints / skins maceration from last season actually smells amazing. I’m going to try to squeeze the liquid out of that to add it into spirit run or if the squeezing is an issue am thinking about wrapping and suspending into the stripping runs like a tea bag (and keeping the skins off the internal element). I’m definitely mixing feints from this season with spent and pressed skins from this season. It’ll have a good six to 12 month maceration depending when I do next batch of wine.

Next step is to prepare for spirit runs. Rack and press.

Ciao!
-jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Prepared for a spirit run Sunday tomorrow. This is what I’m charging the boiler with -

8 - 9 gallons grappa low wines stripped from fall pinot noir pomace, pinot noir wine kit concentrate, and sugar. Low wines abv is about 30-35%abv.
1.5 gallons infected backset from spring chilean grape pomace grappa.
2 gallons grappa feints macerated in spring grappa pomace left overs for a couple months then squeezed.
50-100ml sulphuric acid to enhance the infected backset esters.

I’m planning a nice leisurely spirit run fractioned out into probably 24-30 jars. I’m going to blend this with a slight lean towards more select heads and tails cuts added into the final blend for oak and age. At this point I’ve also got a dedicated aging jug with solera grade grappa additions back to my first batch so that’ll get a nice top-up too.

I’m going to experiment with incorporating the feints maceration protocol also into my whiskey production and just macerate whiskey feints in some grain (maybe spent maybe fresh) until the next spirit run. Let it macerate for a period of months between runs. I’m expecting very satisfactory results from adding that protocol based on how these macerated grappa feints smell now which is friggin amazing.

Cheers!
-jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

This seasons grappa turned out very well and I’ve got plenty to age now.

Two things of note that I am experimentin with on this batch -

*** I have about 3-4 gallons of grappa feints that I am macerating on the used pommace for the next year to then include in next seasons spirit run. That adds a good amount of pomace flavor and boosts output slightly of course.

I also took about 600ml of the used pomace and added to one gallon of cut grappa @ 128pf along with a couple oak fingers to age and will filter prior to bottling. That stuff is already a nice red with the oak also tinting brown as usual - gives a deep red hie to the brown - bery attractive colour. I think this one will be pretty good if I can keep it around.

I age this stuff in gallon jugs with different oak treatments and also keep some white for each batch. It all turns out different and I’ve also started a solera grappa and top up with some of each batch since my first batch.

I met another grappa enthusiast and he told me that his old man in law (or someone) will take his after dinner grappa and run it through the espresso milk steamer thing to warm it up - that’s sorta like a hot grappa sake and is a perfect after dinner digestive.

Cheers!
-jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Spirit Run: Low Wines, Pomace Macerated Feints, Low Wines, and infected grappa backset from last season.
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Putting down another “grappa head” this season.

Over the past couple seasons I saved pressed pomace.

5x five gallon buckets. Each full of pressed pomace. Fairly dried. It didn’t get infected or turn to vinegar. One of those buckets is from fall 2022 wine pressing so I’m keeping that to the side and will use it to macerate the hearts from the larger run and re-run in the small still a few times.

4 buckets of varied pomace into the 55g blue hdpe drum.
2x winekits - merlot juice. 12 gallons worth of merlot.
25# sugar.
Top up the barrel with water about 2/3 full.
Ec1118 yeast plus slurry/trub from last wine ferment. BM4x4 and D254 yeast bed.

Step feed 25# more sugar + water over approximately one week until barrel is about 4-6” from the top with must.

Punch down daily and maintain approximately 80*F ferment temp. It swings 78-80*F depending where the probe is and how often I punch/mix.

I’ll press this once AF is complete to strip off the pomace. Then spirit run & cut. I’ve got three gallons of brandy feints + three gallons of chardonnay that I won’t be bottling to top up the spirit run. I might be able to get two spirit runs from this all said and done.

Hearts cut will get proofed down and mixed with remaining 5g pomace for maceration before a final 3 or 4 “infusion runs” on the fresh pomace through the small alembic with false bottom.

I’ll be using this for straight white grappa, a badmo full for aging, and for use in a solera port, some rakki, etc..

Cheers!
-j
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by The Baker »

I guess if you add a lot of sugar it is not a true grappa.
Some here seem to do it, some not.

To me it does not matter but it is interesting;
I would probably go with little or no sugar as a first attempt.
And maybe set up my (not yet set up or used) thumper for steam distillation.

I thought of making grappa last year but didn't get around to it.
It's coming up summer here so I should set things up; and get in touch with
one or two of the local wineries for a supply of pomace.

Good luck to the grappa makers.

Geoff
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I call it a “grappa head” since it’s not traditional. I am taking an extra step to infuse with fresh pomace.

Cheers!
-j
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

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Strippin Sunday! I thought of maybe putting some pomace in the onion head on the strip but think i’ll wait for the hearts to infuse.

Cheers,
jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

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11 gallons of low wines, 3 gallons of 18mo old brandy feints aged in oak = approximately 50%abv. Topped up with almost 3 gallons chardonnay brings it to just above 40%abv.

Jar 2 is reading 90%abv on the mini P&T.

My Saturday is set and the pomace still has some flavor so running another ferment with 50# sugar for a second spirit run on this.

Cheers!
-j
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by Deplorable »

That patina on the still. :clap:
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

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The spirit run yielded approximately 2.5 gallons @ 120pf of grappahead after cuts.

Now proofing down to about 30%abv and running that hearts cut through the alembic column. Filling the boiler about half full of fresh pomace and the column also loosely filled with fresh pomace.

I made the grappahead hearts slightly wide so I’d have some heads and tails to cut out of this run. I did one maceration/infusion run already and it came out very smooth and flavorful.

I’ve got another barrel of grappahead fermenting so i’m expecting net yield to be about 4-5 gallons total @ 120pf. Enough for a badmo plus some white.

“Grappahead-Geist”

Cheers,
Jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

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Racking free run 3rd wine with the vacuum pump before final pressing. One full boiler charge provides approximately six gallons of ~40%abv low wines. Prepping for about 11g low wines, 3g feints, and about 2g “wine” for spirit run in the next couple days.

Happy NYE to all!
Cheers,
-j
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by Deplorable »

Looks like a good way to spend the day Jonny.
I'm mashing more HBB today.
Happy New Years Eve.
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Happy New year’s Deplorable! I’m iff to work the NYE event and got the strip completed so will catch up next year :) Enjoy the HBB!

Cheers,
Jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by ecir54 »

sweet Happy New Year!!!
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Second spirit run in this series yielded almost 2.5 gallons of hearts @ 120 proof.
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I took half of the hearts and proofed down to maybe 40%abv, spread it out into three gallon jars, and then added more pomace to macerate and monitor for a couple/few days before distilling on the pomace a third time with some also loaded into the infusion chamber on the alembic.

I did this on the first spirit run also except without macerating fir a couple days. Should turn out about the same but hoping the maceration adds a bit more flavor.

I’ll break these hearts up into two further spirit runs like this.

Triple distilled grappa-head-geist. Strip run I cut fores, first spirit run I cut fores/hearts/feints. Third spirit run will also cut fores/hearts/feints.

Total yield expected on the two spirit runs = one once used bourbon BadMo filled and aging, and about 2.5g white grappa @120 proof for other things. Approximately 4.2g total 120proof.

Cheers!
-jonny
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Re: 1st grappa

Post by jonnys_spirit »

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You’re supposed to pack this kind of reflux column with grape skins right? Lol 😂

I’m running this config with about 10-15% more power (approx 70% of 1k5W) than I do in straight pot still mode with enough reflux to be right on the edge between drips and a pencil lead sized stream. Approximately 8-900ml/hr.

Whatever heads/fores that were there compressed nicely into first fraction. Very smooth clean and fragrant.

Happy Saturday!

Cheers,
-j
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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