Home Distiller

I guess I haven't bought commercial spirits in awhile. Anyway, on vacation and didn't want any trouble so didn't bring ant spirits. Let me preface this by again saying I'm in vacation mode and swealting with the heat wave. Had JAcks with honey and actually enjoyed it. Usually not my cup of tea to have something sweat. I think it's the heat. Anyway, it seems like they added honey to the Jd to sweeten it up. Now, what do you guys think of decreasing some sugar from ujssm, adding so honey to ferment, then after distilled and some honey to taste. Do you think the honey in the wash will add anything?

Well Sir, I think if you added it to the fermentation the yeast would jes convert it to alcohol. From what I understand, sugar has more sugar in it than honey does, ,don't know the ratio sorry, but you would hafta add more honey than you normally would sugar but the yeast would jes convert what sugars were in it. Also, honey can /does contain wild yeasts, so you're be infecting yer wash with different strains unless you boiled it first. On the other hand, you would get some of the honey flavors and maybe a little help withe yer allergies... I have bee's, I like to drizzle tha girls makins on top of me ice, then pour in some UJ er SF, damn good stuff!!!

I'm a big advocate of honey AFTER distilling. It smoothes out the liquor somehow. One of the best pieces of advice given out on this site is "find what YOU like and do that!"

I know honey contains glucose and fructose and they will be fermented. However, it's more complicated than that with regard to flavor since it also contains acids, that probably won't be carried into distillate. Anyway, will try adding some to some aged spirits and see.

I would save it for the distilled spirits. That shite ain't cheap.

Edited to add.

I have tried adding honey to some aged whiskey. I found you want a honey that has a heavy flavor. Most everything around here is either clover or wildflower. The wildflower is darker and has a stronger flavor. I found that the clover honey added to much sweetness before you got good honey notes. The wildflower didn't take as much to get the hint of honey I was looking for. And it wasn't nearly as sweet after all mixed up.

Just something to think about.

Prairiepiss wrote:I would save it for the distilled spirits. That shite ain't cheap.

Edited to add.

I have tried adding honey to some aged whiskey. I found you want a honey that has a heavy flavor. Most everything around here is either clover or wildflower. The wildflower is darker and has a stronger flavor. I found that the clover honey added to much sweetness before you got good honey notes. The wildflower didn't take as much to get the hint of honey I was looking for. And it wasn't nearly as sweet after all mixed up.

Just something to think about.

That's my taste too Mr P, I really like wild honey from tha woods best... even better than my own... on occasion, I get some outta the woods, good stuff, very dark, lots a flavor. Mine is darker than I've ever seen on the store baught shelf, prolly because of my girls environment, its very good, but still not as good as coming outta big ol tree...

i agree on the honey after distill and dilution...i have access to hive and honey from a friend and i think the best luck ive had with honey was a 1/2 gallon mason jar with a 3" x 3" honey comb...just plop it in...they have a lot of berry honeys to that might be good(they specifically allow the bees access to blackberrys or some type of fruit nectar only )...they also use the combs to garnish drinks and add that sweetness

Honey comb is a cool idea. Make for a nice gift bottle.

Prairiepiss wrote:Honey comb is a cool idea. Make for a nice gift bottle.

Heck Yeah! That would be Awesome!

It's the southern (well northern) version of Mexico's Worm in the tequila...and the honey left after the booze is excellent in small doses on vanilla ice cream

Gotta agree with the guy's here. Use your honey when the distillation process is over...

Whiskey with honey ... might come close to Drambuie, a Scottish wishky based liquer. With honey and herbs. Great. Maybe a bit too sweet, but that is a problem one can solve by using ones own whiskey (and/or honey).

Odin.

Bärenjäger is a popular honey liquor but they also offer a honey and bourban mix and they are both very good for sippin or mixed shots...you put down a half a bottle and your hangover will be diabetes

FantsGrove wrote:i agree on the honey after distill and dilution...i have access to hive and honey from a friend and i think the best luck ive had with honey was a 1/2 gallon mason jar with a 3" x 3" honey comb...just plop it in...they have a lot of berry honeys to that might be good(they specifically allow the bees access to blackberrys or some type of fruit nectar only )...they also use the combs to garnish drinks and add that sweetness

This may be a dumb question but I am just a simple cityboy. Will the honeycomb hold up over time in a bottle full of 50% ABV or will it just disentegrate into a waxy mess?

okay so honeycombs (wax-fatty acids and fatty alcohols chained together) is slightly soluble in ethanol at warmer temps...talking hotter than room temps 80+ so i wouldn't distress age just final package...if you see it start really dissolving you know you've got acetone in the mix however if it is kept around room temp your good to go

and don't forget if you got the fruit tree in the back yard toss a clear bottle over the young fruit(especially peaches) for the peach to grow into the bottle then cover in oaked UJSSM for Peaches and corn, works great for 1 gallon jugs, be the only person in your neighborhood with jared fruit on the tree

ex. with pear

Sounds great, Thanks!

Has anyone added honey into the barrel during aging?

rumfarmer wrote:Has anyone added honey into the barrel during aging?

I'm going to take a guess at why this wouldn't be a good idea. Don't take it as the only answer. Just a problem I see in it.

The honey could clog the pores of the wood. Causing it not to work as good? Or you could really get a great product? I think I would try it with sticks. Before I tried it in a barrel.

and if did work id bet as soon as that barrel emptied you get an infection from that honey no matter how hard you clean