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OK, couldn't wait a week for the first sample...

After 2 days I mixed up a tiny G&T to monitor the flavor. Wow, very tangeriney, comes across much more in the mixed drink than straight. Juniper is still a bit light, maybe should have crushed the berries more. Coriander about right. My first couple batches had the citrus flavor fade more than the other flavors as they aged, will see if the same holds for this batch. Still getting a louche when diluted with tonic and ice, not a problem for me; I'm thinking maybe it's the citrus oils coming out of solution, which may explain the difference in the sipped straight vs. mixed tangerine intensity.

The tangerine taste is very sweet and spicy, none of the pith bitterness I had in the first batch. Next batch I'll have to cut the citrus skin back more or take it out of the boiler before running it.

I'm gonna do a tangerine vodka, just use one tangerine skin per liter of 43% starter, no other spices with this recipe. Should be awesome for fruity tropical drinks.

FL Brewer, the "5-week rest" also moderates and subdues some of the more potent flavors.
What works for me with the coriander & juniper is put the measured amounts in a blender
and hit 'em once with the momentary Ice Crush spin. Comes out not too fine & not too whole.

Fizzix - yeah, I noticed on my first couple of batches that the citrus flavor faded more than the other flavors after the 5 week rest, hopefully that will be the case for this one as well. I really like the tangerine flavor, it's just a bit strong for a gin, will post on how it develops over the next few weeks.

I crushed the juniper berries with the back of a soup spoon in a ceramic bowl... will do the blender thing the next batch I run.

Just bottled some 2-3 month old Gen 5-7 that was nuke aged 6 times with a few charred sticks and red wine barrel chips. Incredible. This is just a sugar head corn liquor, and it's equal to Wild Turkey Revival...

Sure you are posting in the right tread?



Regards, Odin.

One of "our" gins now hits the Hong Kong market. Great movie. They even put me in it, somewhere near the end:

https://www.facebook.com/topaau.hk/vide ... 7997149310" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

Odin wrote:One of "our" gins now hits the Hong Kong market. Great movie. They even put me in it, somewhere near the end:

https://www.facebook.com/topaau.hk/vide ... 7997149310" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

Is that you sitting on the floor, with the happy face?
Folks, we have a star in our midst!

Odin you live a golden life!

Not complaining Fiz. Its a picture of me indeed. A month and a half ago during product development and templating. I think these jerry cans where the first 25 liters of their gin. We are making a few thousand liters per month for them now.

Regards, Odin.

Good pic... Odin!

Yes, that satyr is me. No denying it! And it is indeed fun to be part of all of those remarcable stories. If you've seen the Hong Kong video you understand ... even without understanding a word of what they say. The pride, the dedication, the creativity, the entrepreneurship ... its all there and they put me center stage, because some 10 1/2 years ago, I found an interest in distilling and that bug bit me hard.

And today another great meeting is planned. With a Belgium customer that wanted to make a gin, came to our courses a year and a half ago, then ordered a 500 liter still from us and started making it, and now needs extra capacity for a new gin ... and very soon a ultra premium organic wheat vodka as well. So today they come and pick up the first 665 liters of their new gin. First batch of many. And next week or the week after, we'll make his first trial batch of 400 bottles of vodka.

At the same time there is another batch of 500 liter of single malt whisky beer ready to be distilled. We'll use that batch (and especially the backset) to grow that into a 2000 liter and then 5000 liter run. We'll take one of the new 5000 liter stills we are building into our contract distilling center and will start to push out 2.5 barrels of whisky per week, using the still for mashing, fermenting and distilling in a leisurely, non-hasty way.

Regards, Odin.

Here's a picture of our Belgium customer picking up his 665 liters (160 gallon) gin at 45%. To be continued ...

Regards, Odin.

I only have a reflux still so I can make the neutral spirit. However how can I alter the recipe so that I can add it into my reflux still and it will come out as gin?

Newcastle1996 wrote:I only have a reflux still so I can make the neutral spirit. However how can I alter the recipe so that I can add it into my reflux still and it will come out as gin?

Short answer is no. You may end up with some flavor but it's mostly being refluxed into the boiler.

Last batch of Odin's gin one week tasting report: Tangerine flavor has definitely faded, getting a little bit of bitterness in the background (residual pith), not enough to be objectionable, makes a more complex flavor. Better balanced flavor, I still think it's a bit light on juniper. I can just taste the coriander, which is how I like it. I think that with the final tweak to juniper prep (more crushed/lightly chopped) this recipe is dialed in to my tastes.

Newcastle1996 wrote:I only have a reflux still so I can make the neutral spirit. However how can I alter the recipe so that I can add it into my reflux still and it will come out as gin?

Depends a bit on the style you have. VM won't do it. But if you have an LM, just open up the output valve, so reflux is minimized. Its basically how I make my gins, and any other product, since my stills are basically LM designs. The packing creates a little bit more resistance in the column, leading to some passive reflux. But if your column is insulated, its ok. Imagine a potstill with a riser without insulations: the column cools the gases and you also get some passive reflux. In fact the packing in your column helps compact heads / juniper heavy first oils compress even better, since the packing takes time to heat up, leading to a sort of stabilization effect that allows (more) heads and headsy flavors to concentrate in the first part of the run.

So the real Q is: do you have an LM?

Odin.

Thanks for that Odin. I’m currently using the t500 which is LM! When you say open up the output valve do you mean less water going through??

Newcastle1996 wrote:Thanks for that Odin. I’m currently using the t500 which is LM! When you say open up the output valve do you mean less water going through??

I've had a lot of success making OEG through my T500. I just run it through nice and slow, after the 2 weeks masceration time, leaving all the botanicals in the boiler.

I get heaps of flavour coming through

Hi the T500 is a CM still you can detune it to run as a pot still if you still have the instructions run it the same as it says for making distilled water. If you're unsure I can help further.

Hope this helps
Lee

So if I run through my t500 as reflux how much should I be looking to collect?

Thanks again for the easy steps in this recipe, Odin. I brought my botanical, small boiler and condenser to father in laws house for Christmas. He's a big gin fan. We had fun putting the recipe together with your amounts as a starting point.

I knew he had a bottle of Bombay Sapphire in the cabinet which lists ingredients on the side so I anticipated that he would look at it to see what to put in and brought those herbs in addition to the basics. We started maceration yesterday and will do the run today. He's psyched and I'm enjoying the activity with him.

OK, the 4+ week report on my last run of Odin's Gin....... Very aromatic, juniper and citrus, nicely citrus forward, coriander is there if you're trying to taste it. Just a tiny hint of background bitterness from residual pith on the tangerine peels, not enough to be objectionable. Very nice recipe in the original, I like it even more dialed in to my tastes. Another happy customer for Odin's recipe!

Good to hear that!

Our Chinese customers are back for more, by the way. Their first batch sold out in days. We are now making batches 2, 3 and 4. They all came over for bottling. A merry party it is, laughing and having fun while filling 6,000 bottles.

Regards, Odin.

Looks great Odin! I am working on a mini still, just to be able to make this recipe!

No need of a mini still to make my gin. Use a bigger one for bigger stash!

Odin.

And here is the first gold medal of our Chinese customers!

45 % oat vodka
3 ltrs mixed mixed with spice
Distilling tomorrow night
Cannot wait to sample

Hi Odin,
I've tried to work my way through all the comments from everyone, they have reminded me how much I don't know. I need help, I have had a information overload and don't know if i'm coming or going. Here goes, I have made a 24 litres of 20% neutral wash, I have the T500 still spirits still with botanical basket, what I want to do is use your OEG recipe, I want to suspend a muslin bag with the Juniper berries in the wash( suspended away from the element) and put the botanical's in the basket.
1- Do I need to macerate the juniper berries and the botanical's?
2- How do I work out amounts of juniper and botanical's?
3- Do i need to crush juniper and coriander?
Thanks in advance
John

Odin wrote:And here is the first gold medal of our Chinese customers!

Highest marks Odin. Kudos.
ss

tojjm wrote: I have made a 24 litres of 20% neutral wash,

Let me get this straight ....you have made a wash that has an abv of 20 % ?
If this is correct , your starting off the wrong way right from the start.

tojjm wrote:Hi Odin,
I've tried to work my way through all the comments from everyone, they have reminded me how much I don't know. I need help, I have had a information overload and don't know if i'm coming or going. Here goes, I have made a 24 litres of 20% neutral wash, I have the T500 still spirits still with botanical basket, what I want to do is use your OEG recipe, I want to suspend a muslin bag with the Juniper berries in the wash( suspended away from the element) and put the botanical's in the basket.
1- Do I need to macerate the juniper berries and the botanical's?
2- How do I work out amounts of juniper and botanical's?
3- Do i need to crush juniper and coriander?
Thanks in advance
John

I think you will find that all of your questions, plus most of your potential mistakes, are covered in Odin's first post in this thread.