Home Distiller

I managed to get my Absinthe done today and am very happy with the results, sampled side by side with a CO my HG holds it's own.

Ok, it's not perfect and needs a bit of tweaking in the recipe area and tails recycling but is still a very tasty drop with a lot of the subtleness of flavours of some expensive bottles I have previously bought.

I'm like a proud new dad today. (except the missus is now busting my balls about tea towels or some bullshit )

Anyway I did say pics.









good quality herbs, slow distil.

Sweet

Damn straight brutha -- that's a nice looking louche. I haven't made Absinthe yet but intend to. I bought my first bottle (Vieux Carré) to get an idea of how Absinthe should be represented. The louche you have is every bit comparable. Congratulations.

Thanks Wakingwolf, I appreciate that.

I should mention I didn't use any Star Anise or essential oils in my recipe. Only Green anise and other herbs.

Cheers.

devotus wrote: I should mention I didn't use any Star Anise or essential oils in my recipe. Only Green anise and other herbs.

If I might ask -- would you mind posting the recipe you utilized?? Then the steps in the process you used??

. . . . . and send me over a bottle just to make sure your swill is fit for human consumption

I intend to post the recipe and the steps but after perhaps my second or third batch so I can adjust it a little.

A couple of things I learnt were;

Most recipes and methods you find say to water the macerate down to 60% before distilling and then water the final distillate down to the traditional 68%. I watered my macerate to 40% and the distillate when all parts blended (I blended the first part of tails in) ended up being 72% so when cooled a bit around the 68% mark.

Secondly the dreaded colouring step, after a lot of reading of different distillers methods I came to the conclusion that colouring 1/16th of the total distillate is a good fraction. I chopped/ground my colouring herbs finely and was under the impression that the colours would release at about 65°c and would take about 30 mins. My mix was put into a glass jar and that glass jar put into a water bath. The water bath temp was at 60.8°c and the colours all released in about 10 minutes. I wouldn't want to leave it much longer. I then strained the herbs out and blended the mix into the rest (that was really satisfying it is a great sight)

I would even like to separate each and every colouring herb and see exactly what temp and time is best for each. I've read Joe's thread and he claims it's between 65°c-68°c I think that would vary depending on plant material quality and how they were cut.

Greetings.
I completed my first attempt at absinthe yesterday, and I am also very pleased with the results.
I had to jump in on the coloring issue. I colored with pontica, hyssop, and mellissa in a water bath, using about 1/8 of the distillate, but I limited the temp to 140f (60C) because I read that more heat causes unpleasant grassy taste. Actually, as soon as it hit 140 I cut the heat and let it cool so the whole process took less than 30 minutes. I originally planned to let it steep for several hours, but I couldn't stand to wait. Anyway, I got a nice light jade color, darker than Mansinthe, almost identical to Vieux Pontarlier. (I've been doing heads up comparisons.) I also read that more wormwood makes it darker and more hyssop gives you "the color of autumn leaves."
That's everything I know, except that it's totally possible to make a homegrown absinthe that can stand right up with the best. Ain't it great?!

Congratulations, can't wait to start making some myself, you guys are leading the way for the rest of us that enjoy absinthe!

Congrats, it looks delicious.

What do you mean to water the macerate down to 40 percent? It’s my understanding that an ABV that low will not draw the needed oils out of the absinthe herbs. The book I read says you need 85 ABV for that.

devotus wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:32 am
Most recipes and methods you find say to water the macerate down to 60% before distilling and then water the final distillate down to the traditional 68%. I watered my macerate to 40% and the distillate when all parts blended (I blended the first part of tails in) ended up being 72% so when cooled a bit around the 68% mark.

jacobacro wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 5:00 pm What do you mean to water the macerate down to 40 percent? It’s my understanding that an ABV that low will not draw the needed oils out of the absinthe herbs. The book I read says you need 85 ABV for that.

devotus wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:32 am
Most recipes and methods you find say to water the macerate down to 60% before distilling and then water the final distillate down to the traditional 68%. I watered my macerate to 40% and the distillate when all parts blended (I blended the first part of tails in) ended up being 72% so when cooled a bit around the 68% mark.

Don't hold your breath this thread is over 10 years old. Start a new thread with your own questions.

I macerate overnight, then add the water just before distilling.

acfixer69 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 5:12 pm Don't hold your breath this thread is over 10 years old. Start a new thread with your own questions.

Well, we can never say this guy didn't read until his eyes bled

There are older threads.
I don't have any issues with learning from old threads and members that have moved on.

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