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I have some 92% super smooth neutral that I would like to turn into Gin. Has anyone put the berries and herbs into the column and let the vapor pick up the flavor instead of steeping it then distilling? Im sorry if this is common knowledge and im late to the party but I looked all over this sight and Im getting nothing.

Search "gin blends".

poormechanic wrote:I have some 92% super smooth neutral that I would like to turn into Gin. Has anyone put the berries and herbs into the column and let the vapor pick up the flavor instead of steeping it then distilling? Im sorry if this is common knowledge and im late to the party but I looked all over this sight and Im getting nothing.

That is a perfectly acceptable way to infuse the spirit. It is the way Bombay Saphire is made. And, coincidentally, the way I make gin too. Do an HD Google search on "gin basket" and you will turn up several threads on the subject.

Multiple ways to make gin including where to put the gin basket, hang it in the boiler, after the reflux condenser, or just before the product condenser. I would search some of the methods Odin recommends as I have tasted his product and it is as good as it gets. He gives very detailed instructions on Jenever which is very close to gin so also use that in your search.

Thank you all, Im going to try this.

It went great!

I added dried Juniper berries, coriander seed and orange peel to a gin ball and dropped it into my valved reflux column just under the condencer intake. It turned out as good if not better than the New Amsterdam that im use to. Thanks for the help!

Thanks for the followup. So often we never hear back from the original poster (one of my pet peaves).

Braz wrote:

poormechanic wrote:I have some 92% super smooth neutral that I would like to turn into Gin. Has anyone put the berries and herbs into the column and let the vapor pick up the flavor instead of steeping it then distilling? Im sorry if this is common knowledge and im late to the party but I looked all over this sight and Im getting nothing.

That is a perfectly acceptable way to infuse the spirit. It is the way Bombay Saphire is made. And, coincidentally, the way I make gin too. Do an HD Google search on "gin basket" and you will turn up several threads on the subject.

Braz
I thought everything was fine but after my clear Gin sat for a week it got a little cloudy, have you had this issue? I thought that mabie it was the oil sepperating but im not sure.

Congratulations! Cloudiness should not be considered bad, it should be considered a bonus! Why? Because it means you got over lots of tasty oils. Now make use some neutral of the same strength to dilute your gin. You will know when you hit the sweet spot. It will clear in a few seconds. After that, give it three days of rest, and it will even be better than before.

Odin.

PS: not sure I understand where you put those herbs. If you put them in the condensation part / product cooler, you may also have particle contamination. Is it foggy all the way or do you have particles/smudge at the bottom of your bottle?

Odin wrote:Congratulations! Cloudiness should not be considered bad, it should be considered a bonus! Why? Because it means you got over lots of tasty oils. Now make use some neutral of the same strength to dilute your gin. You will know when you hit the sweet spot. It will clear in a few seconds. After that, give it three days of rest, and it will even be better than before.

Odin.

PS: not sure I understand where you put those herbs. If you put them in the condensation part / product cooler, you may also have particle contamination. Is it foggy all the way or do you have particles/smudge at the bottom of your bottle?

Odin, Thank you for the time.
I am using a valved reflux CM and I put the herbs in a mesh ball just below the offset of the condenser. The vapor passes through the ball then condenses. However there are white particles that settle at the bottom. I filtered these out with a coffee filter. How ever it is still a little foggy all the way through. I would love to know if I did something wrong to cause this and can I avoid it in the future. I did run it in reflux a little to get the ABV up then cut it with water

Cloudiness can sometimes be caused by going too far into tails and picking up oils from the botanicals.

I'd try Odin's suggestion.

PM,

I am still not sure on the design of the still and where the herbs were. Not saying they were not in the right place, but maybe they were.

Let me put it this way: if there's reflux touching the herbs in the column, while that reflux is going down thru that column ... that's fine. No reflux needed, it will give you a very dry gin, but okay.

But ... if reflux is to be collected as product (LM?) touches the herbs and is then further chilled ... that can cause particle contamination.

Same with gasses already traveling towards the product cooler touching the herbs: they can transfer particles as well.

I am affraid something like this is happening, because of the "white particles".

I never get this. But I always distill with herbs in the boiler (not in the vapour path) for even more taste transfer. What comes over is cloudy in a consistent, foggy way. It does not have particles.

Reason I feel particles are not okay, is because some herbs and berries (especially non-European juniper berry varieties) can be poisonous while ingested. Talking about the cell structure, not about the tasty oils. Juniper is part of the coniferae family. Look at these trees/plants. They poison the near by environment to get the most room for themselves. By their root system, but the same poisons are present in certain juniper berries as well (Ashagi especially). Juniperus Communis is okay, so is Juniperus Virginiana.

Braz, maybe you can help me understand the design he is running and where vapours/reflux touches our OP's herbs? I understand CM. Ran one myself until half a year ago. But valved CM? I am just having difficulty seeing the picture of still & herbs and where gasses/liquids meet.

Odin.