To macerate or not to macerate?

[tchib]

I've gotten identical (to my palette) results from maceration and boiling fresh out of the packet. I boil on-grain.
I can understand why maceration and then filtering the macerated liquid into a pot for distillation off grain would be important but boiling on grain seems to yield the same results no matter how long I macerate. Arguably worse tannins on a maceration followed by a boil without filtering.
Does a wise person on here have an explanation? Preferably with some science to back it up?
Peace
T
Clarification: I'm using the term on the grain to describe distilling with the botanicals inside the boiler. Perhaps the wrong term but it stuck.

[shadylane]

I've gotten identical (to my palette) results from maceration and boiling fresh out of the packet. I boil on-grain.
I can understand why maceration and then filtering the macerated liquid into a pot for distillation off grain would be important but boiling on grain seems to yield the same results no matter how long I macerate. Arguably worse tannins on a maceration followed by a boil without filtering.
Does a wise person on here have an explanation? Preferably with some science to back it up?
Peace
T

I'm confused as normal.
Are you distilling on the grain with the botanicals mixed in?

[Saltbush Bill]

I'm confused to, what exactly are you trying to make?

[shadylane]

Customarily, folks will first distill a clean alcohol.
Then redistill with botanicals.

[tchib]

Sorry gents, i meant distilling with the botanicals in the pot, not boiling grain. It's a whisky term i suppose.

[MooseMan]

I've gotten identical (to my palette) results from maceration and boiling fresh out of the packet. I boil on-grain.
I can understand why maceration and then filtering the macerated liquid into a pot for distillation off grain would be important but boiling on grain seems to yield the same results no matter how long I macerate. Arguably worse tannins on a maceration followed by a boil without filtering.
Does a wise person on here have an explanation? Preferably with some science to back it up?
Peace
T
Clarification: I'm using the term on the grain to describe distilling with the botanicals inside the boiler. Perhaps the wrong term but it stuck.

I've come to pretty much the same conclusion with my OEG recipes.

All I do now is, on any given day I decide to run a small batch I just put the chosen botanicals in the boiler (I do put peels in a mesh ball under the riser) with the neutral and turn the heat on as I'm setting up the rest of the still and gathering all the bits I need.

It seems to work so well that I haven't felt the need to change it.

When I've left a maceration for 2 or 3 days then distilled, (Tried boiling both on and off bots) it's not made a difference to my pallette or the people I share it with.

[NZChris]

I've never bothered with doing side by side comparisons because they all make nice product. Many of my gins are made using an overnight maceration. I've never noticed a great difference if I've had to put off the run for a day.

My Bombay clones get no maceration and the contents of the Carter Head never come into contact with the spirit in the boiler, only with the vapor.

[Demy]

I've never made a comparison .... but I think it depends on the botanicals used .... maybe