Macerating botanicals - In a bag or not ?

[Turbo6ta]

I have got these small muslin cheesecloth bags that have a tie string on them for closure

Is it worthwhile placing my gin botanicals in one of these bags instead of just dumping the botanicals into the 80 proof neutral spirits for a couple of days of maceration ?

Thanks,

[Tammuz]

Would 40% be strong enough for your botanicals?

[Turbo6ta]

Would 40% be strong enough for your botanicals?

From what I have read, any neutral spirits between 40-50% ABV (80-100 proof) is what is normally used.

Maybe using 50% ABV spirits would be better than 40% ?

[NZChris]

Why would you?

I just chuck them in the pot overnight and turn the heat on in the morning.

[Turbo6ta]

Why would you?

I just chuck them in the pot overnight and turn the heat on in the morning.

Why would I ?

I don't have a clue ... I have never distilled a damned thing in my life. This is just what I read on the internet. I am just trying to figure out some of this stuff before I completely ruin my first batch of gin.

[Saltbush Bill]

40% abv is strong enough, and as Chris has stated you can throw the botanicals straight in the boiler.
Also overnight to 24 hours is quite long enough.

[shadylane]

Oden uses 43% and macerates at room temperature for two weeks before filtering out the botanicals and distilling.


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[Saltbush Bill]

I think Odin is the only person on earth who suggests macerating for that length of time.
It would be interesting to do a side by side experiment to see the difference between a 24 hours and two weeks maceration and final product.

[shadylane]

Another difference is he calls for removing the botanicals before distilling.

[NZChris]

Odin wrote that 12 years ago. Do you think he still does that, himself, now?

[The Booze Pipe]

I know I don't do that!

I mostly vapor infuse. But when I do a macerated infusion I throw the botanicals into the pot and turn on the heat... no need to wait any bit longer than that!

And no need for a bag.

[shadylane]

May ways to skin a cat.

[The Booze Pipe]

May ways to skin a cat.

But you always end up with a skinned cat! or gin...

[SouthwestAl]

I vary from recipe to recipe. For two of my gins, I leave botanicals in the bag, and macerate for 72 hours at 60% abv (120 proof) and then remove the bag/botanicals, proof down to 45% and distill just the liquid, with a further 4 to 8 boanicals divided between two botanical baskets. I have other recipes where the botanicals go straight into the boiler, which is charged with 45% alcohol straight off, heated to about 40C and then left to cool for 12 hours, before distilling. Each method will produce a diferent flavour product, and I don´t think there is a right or wrong answer.

If you are doing multishot runs, macerating and distilling just the liquid will save on significant volume in the still.

I am not sure about 2 weeks macerating - it would really depend on the botanicals, as I would imagine you would be extracting almost everything from the botanicals, and not necessarily the flavour compounds you want?