Home Distiller

So I am finally done with my first distillation and I ended up with a fantastic neutral spirit ... thank you all so much for sharing the knowledge and for your patience with my many questions. I will age some of it in pear for myself but my girlfriend wants a batch with some sweet to it.

What would be the best type of sugar to add to a spirit ?

I thank pears Id use refiend sugar.you dont want anything to cover the taste.
if using spices posably a cinnamon stick and a tea spoon of lemon.

I just finished some pear in a brandy and didn't add any sugar at all. The pear gave up enough sweetness to make it delicious. I know that sweetness is a personal thing, but I recommend that you wait until the maceration is complete and then decide about the sugar addition. Just an opinion.

Look through this thread. Strawberry panty dropper.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =14&t=2199

Prairiepiss wrote:Look through this thread. Strawberry panty dropper.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =14&t=2199

Very interesting !!!!

Could not find the answer to this question: Would you know how much lemon juice to add to 500ml of 40% for a test batch I will do for my girlfriend ? when do I add the lemon juice ?

Thanks

Experiment with mason jars rather than infusing all of it in one container. I know a lot of distillers coming up with new brandy's do this until they decide on the flavor they like (of course it is all personal). I would put some in a jar with just pears, another jar add small amount of sugar, etc. Taste it after it has time to infuse a bit, let set for a while longer, take notes along the way so when you find something you really like you can try to duplicate it.

Bushman wrote:Experiment with mason jars rather than infusing all of it in one container. I know a lot of distillers coming up with new brandy's do this until they decide on the flavor they like (of course it is all personal). I would put some in a jar with just pears, another jar add small amount of sugar, etc. Taste it after it has time to infuse a bit, let set for a while longer, take notes along the way so when you find something you really like you can try to duplicate it.

I will experiment for sure but I`m still not sure how much lemon juice to add to 500ml of 40% for a test batch and when to add it ?

Did you go read the strawberry panty dropper thread? It goes over that kind of stuff.

one thing I do when working with a different fruit is to go to cooking recipes,pies,cobblers,crisps .
that gives me an idea what goes with what and that gives me a starting point.
then with most flavors you want to "enhance" not over power.

yes I read the thread and it does not appear that anyone agreed to an official way to do it. it seems the lemon juice should be added to the syrup and the quantity is to the liking of each person. that`s where I don't get it as I wonder why it would be desirable for the flavor to add lemon juice so how to determine when it's to your liking ?

It actually counter acts the bitter tastes created. Your not really looking for a lemon flavor. It just enhances the flavor of the fruit you are working with. And it also keeps the color better.

Prairiepiss wrote:It actually counter acts the bitter tastes created. Your not really looking for a lemon flavor. It just enhances the flavor of the fruit you are working with. And it also keeps the color better.

I see. I will go with 1TBSN of lemon juice for every 500ml jar of neutral. the lemon juice will be added to the syrup just before I add it to the neutral and I will go from there !?!

acids add "sparkle" without it can be "flat"

naeco wrote:

Prairiepiss wrote:It actually counter acts the bitter tastes created. Your not really looking for a lemon flavor. It just enhances the flavor of the fruit you are working with. And it also keeps the color better.

I see. I will go with 1TBSN of lemon juice for every 500ml jar of neutral. the lemon juice will be added to the syrup just before I add it to the neutral and I will go from there !?!

Are you just going to add straight syrup? Or are you going to add the sugar to the fruit after you pour off the alcohol? So more juices and flavors come over? If your going to add sugar to the fruit. Add the lemon juice to the fruit shake it up before you add the sugar.

Dnderhead I like your description.

Prairiepiss wrote:

naeco wrote:

Prairiepiss wrote:It actually counter acts the bitter tastes created. Your not really looking for a lemon flavor. It just enhances the flavor of the fruit you are working with. And it also keeps the color better.

I see. I will go with 1TBSN of lemon juice for every 500ml jar of neutral. the lemon juice will be added to the syrup just before I add it to the neutral and I will go from there !?!

Are you just going to add straight syrup? Or are you going to add the sugar to the fruit after you pour off the alcohol? So more juices and flavors come over? If your going to add sugar to the fruit. Add the lemon juice to the fruit shake it up before you add the sugar.

Dnderhead I like your description.

After +- 1 weeks of having the fruit soaking 500ml of neutral 80 proof spirit, I will rack to another mason jar and keep only the fruits in the primary. I will then add 1 TBSN of lemon juice to the fruit mason and shake it as you suggested. Then, I will add sugar to cover the fruit and shake the mason every day for 1 week. The syrup will then be added to the initial spirit that soaked in the fruit the previous week. Does this plan sound OK to you Prairiepiss ?

Sounds really good. Let me know when I can come pick mine up.

They say the pears are better the longer you let them go? Like peaches and apples. But I have 2 qts of both of them going now. They have been in there for a month. I don't know if I can wait 2 more weeks? That I told myself I would wait.

Prairiepiss wrote:Sounds really good. Let me know when I can come pick mine up.

They say the pears are better the longer you let them go? Like peaches and apples. But I have 2 qts of both of them going now. They have been in there for a month. I don't know if I can wait 2 more weeks? That I told myself I would wait.

You can pick your fair share when its ready I`m going for 3 different recipe to see what I like best.

1- raspberry panty dropper for the girlfriend
2 - apple and cinnamon stick. I will simply put a couple cinnamon stick with a sliced apple into my 80 proof for as long as it takes to be real tasty. I read the apple might turn brown in the jar so I might have to put a new apple in there every week ?
3 - simple but just pear in the spirit. My favourite eau-de-vie is poire william so I don't mind waiting to make it right.

I don`t think I will do the syrup thing with the apple and pear as I don't think it needs sweetness but simply lots of fruit flavor and aroma.

Citric acid is a nice alternative to lemon juice. I've used it in biscotti baking and nothing says sparkle like citric acid. Bright as day, it is.

The apples will turn a brownish color. But they are fine like that. That's just an Apple for you. Just like Apple cider its always brownish. I would just leave them in there and not add any. I sliced up 4 red delicious and 4 granny smiths put them in a 2 QT mason jar and covered them with 1 qt of 95% a month ago. It just gets better every day. They are brownish. But they won't go bad in the alcohol.

Watch the cinnamon sticks. They can sneak up on you and bite. I would pull them early. Check it daily and pull them out when you think they are getting close.

I have a qt of 95% I put 8 cinnamon sticks in 2 weeks ago. Whew it will light you up. But that's what I'm going for with it.

Prairiepiss wrote:The apples will turn a brownish color. But they are fine like that. That's just an Apple for you. Just like Apple cider its always brownish. I would just leave them in there and not add any. I sliced up 4 red delicious and 4 granny smiths put them in a 2 QT mason jar and covered them with 1 qt of 95% a month ago. It just gets better every day. They are brownish. But they won't go bad in the alcohol.

Watch the cinnamon sticks. They can sneak up on you and bite. I would pull them early. Check it daily and pull them out when you think they are getting close.

I have a qt of 95% I put 8 cinnamon sticks in 2 weeks ago. Whew it will light you up. But that's what I'm going for with it.

OK sounds good. thanks again for all your help and info Prairiepiss.

No problem. Be sure to let us know how it turns out.