Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Discussions of fruits, veggies and grains other then just mashing

Moderator: Site Moderator

User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lilli Pilli

Post by cranky »

CoogeeBoy wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:26 pm
Trapped-in-Oz wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:42 pm
CoogeeBoy wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 7:51 pm
ever fermented any Lilli Pilli

the lilli pilli (Syzygium) I know would not have any fermentable sugar.
Oh, thank you for that.
I thought that they make jam from it so it should have some.
The best way to know is test them and see how much sugar they have and go from there.
CoogeeBoy
Rumrunner
Posts: 573
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:56 pm

Re: Lilli Pilli

Post by CoogeeBoy »

cranky wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 6:37 pm
CoogeeBoy wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:26 pm
Trapped-in-Oz wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:42 pm
Saltbush Bill wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 4:18 pm ever fermented any Lilli Pilli
Thank you all, I just tasted some, they are not sweet at all.
Taking a break while I get a new still completed....
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lilli Pilli

Post by cranky »

CoogeeBoy wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:17 am Thank you all, I just tasted some, they are not sweet at all.
lack of sweetness doesn't necessarily mean no sugar. The best way to test for sugar is a refractometer or hydrometer.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

The other day I was up in my attic looking for my AMC oil pump priming tool because I had to remove the timing cover to fix a coolant leak, which is a long complicated story that belongs on a different forum but it lead me to be in the attic, where as fate would have it, last summer I had moved all my alcohol. Once I found the priming tool I started back down but took the time to sit and look at my alcohol collection. One jar of 90 proof apple brandy from 2018 (?) stood out because there was something weird about it. There was something inside the jar. Upon closer inspection I found a small domino of Japanese maple that I thought I had added to a jar from 2021. So I picked up the jar and had a sip and man is that one tasty brandy! The wood flavor is a little heavier than I prefer for my brandies but that Japanese maple just makes everything so good I can't complain. So I just sat there and sipped and enjoyed the moment before going outside in the cold to continue putting the truck back together feeling much happier than I had started.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

I nearly had a catastrophe today. I walked in the garage and saw this
Shelf colaps #6 - C.jpg
I guess 6 full carboys was a bit too much for the screws in the one corner.

Fortunately some paint cans seemed to be preventing total collaps but the carboys looked like they could slide off at any second so I had to spring into action... after thinking about what to do for a while...and eating dinner :roll: Then I sprang into action :mrgreen:

I got my bottle jack, placed it under the front board and gently raised it up to where it should be and added a jack stand just in case.
Shelf colaps #7 - C.jpg
Then I found some better screws and re-secured it to the wall.
Shelf colaps #9 - C.jpg
and the crisis was averted :D
User avatar
Fredistiller
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 253
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Somewhere in Europe

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Fredistiller »

It seems that the angels enjoy their share, they saved their future booze!
User avatar
NZChris
Master of Distillation
Posts: 13062
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2013 2:42 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by NZChris »

Lucky catch, Cranky.
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

Whoa! That is an SPF 5 situation! Glad you managed to avert disaster. And hope you un-pucker soon.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

It was a very close call. As much as it was sloping I'm kind of surprised nothing fell off. I could have very easily lost half of my carboys and a lot of work.

Most of that is actually destined for bottling as is and should have been bottled months ago, I have just failed to get it done. Maybe I'll bring my bottles to work to de-label them and prep them so all I have to do is prime and bottle at home.

Right to left is 2 carboys of "Cranberry cocktail", 2 carboys of apple cider made from canned apple juice, a carboy of Sugarplum Fairy wine that needs racked and checked, behind that is a carboy of probably apple juice that I'm not certain where it came from, than a half 7gallon carboy of apple brandy feints that still contain a lot of good. Behind that is a 12 gallon carboy of old IPA that may never actually get run off just because I don't want to clean the still afterwards.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Yesterday and today I took those 5 cases of beer bottles to work and de-labeled them then ran them through the dishwasher and placed a small square of aluminum foil over the mouth to keep them clean. I also got what I could out of the dumpster and added those to the mix. I now have enough bottles cleaned and ready that I can empty out 2 of those 6 carboys :D

Now I just have to start looking for the rest of my bottles to see if I can find enough to do the other 8 carboys that need emptied. At least one of them will be wine bottles which only required 24 bottles or so and somewhere I know I have a case of 22 oz bottles somewhere...maybe two.
User avatar
MichiganCornhusker
retired
Posts: 4527
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:24 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by MichiganCornhusker »

4B69F499-7D05-43A1-9B25-24E8207AE79F.jpeg
Well here I sit, Cranky, with 3 of your vintages!
You sent me one several years ago, and two more recently.
I wanted to taste them together and give you my impressions.

First of all, you have really upped you bottle game! :D

The one you sent me years ago is has a strong bright flavor, like young juicy fruits. Almost a candy like sweetness, like a jolly rancher. Apple, pear, peach even, all fresh picked. I think you mentioned this one might have had some Asian pear in it, that would definitely make sense. Kind of a desert brandy, really.

The 2018 vintage is more strongly Apple, and darker, more like apple pie filling. And just a little bit of oak flavors, light caramel, light vanilla, but the star is the apple, no doubt this is apple brandy. Tastes like fall.

The 2019 tastes like you fermented whole apple pies! There is a cereal or pastry note that really sets this one apart from the other 2. It’s similar to the 2018 apple flavors, but then has this extra layer of bakery flavors. If 2018 is a French horn then 2019 is a bassoon. I guess the first bottle, then, would be a silver trumpet!

Curious if you have ideas about why the 2018 and 2029 would be so different, where that pastry dough character might be coming from? They’re both very nice.

It’s pretty amazing how different the three are. It is a real privilege to be able to taste these together, thank you for sharing. These will all be special occasion bottles, savored over the years with friends and family.

My first attempt at this apple brandy thing will be coming out of the barrel soon, after two years in a well used Gibbs, I’ll be sure to get a sample out to you then.
Shouting and shooting, I can't let them catch me...
User avatar
Hillbilly Popstar
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1396
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:02 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

About 6 gallons of ripe Kumquats.
I have no idea what imma do with them yet.
20220220_125333.jpg
"Making likker with a hydrometer and thermometer is like measuring the length of a 2x4 with a clock"
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

Bottled up the raspberry wine that I made last year. Crystal clear and really good. I bet it will be even better after a few months in the bottle. I have been drinking some St. George raspberry brandy and it is fantastic! I'd like to try to make some but they say there is 40# of raspberries in each bottle. It was a lot for me to collect the 20-25# I used for my wine. So I guess I'll be buying the brandy.

Tasted some of last year's distilling cider and it still has some sweet to it so it will be a while yet before I can distill. Sure hope the plums are better this year, last year was a bust across the entire county. I planted two Damson plums this year so maybe in a few years I'll be getting some of those.
The Baker
Master of Distillation
Posts: 4659
Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:48 am
Location: Northern Victoria, Australia

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by The Baker »

About 6 gallons of ripe Kumquats.
I have no idea what imma do with them yet.


Kumquats in brandy.
Or another spirit if you don't have the brandy.
Can't remember the details...
Sugar (or simple syrup) added to the fruit which has holes poked in it with a wooden skewer.
And the spirit...
And you can eat the fruit later.

But you get the full flavour, which you would not get if you tried to ferment the fruit. That would be a waste.
Makes a nice gift too.
Look up how others have done it.

Geoff
The Baker
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

MichiganCornhusker wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 10:21 am 4B69F499-7D05-43A1-9B25-24E8207AE79F.jpeg
Well here I sit, Cranky, with 3 of your vintages!
You sent me one several years ago, and two more recently.
I wanted to taste them together and give you my impressions.

First of all, you have really upped you bottle game! :D

The one you sent me years ago is has a strong bright flavor, like young juicy fruits. Almost a candy like sweetness, like a jolly rancher. Apple, pear, peach even, all fresh picked. I think you mentioned this one might have had some Asian pear in it, that would definitely make sense. Kind of a desert brandy, really.

The 2018 vintage is more strongly Apple, and darker, more like apple pie filling. And just a little bit of oak flavors, light caramel, light vanilla, but the star is the apple, no doubt this is apple brandy. Tastes like fall.

The 2019 tastes like you fermented whole apple pies! There is a cereal or pastry note that really sets this one apart from the other 2. It’s similar to the 2018 apple flavors, but then has this extra layer of bakery flavors. If 2018 is a French horn then 2019 is a bassoon. I guess the first bottle, then, would be a silver trumpet!

Curious if you have ideas about why the 2018 and 2029 would be so different, where that pastry dough character might be coming from? They’re both very nice.

It’s pretty amazing how different the three are. It is a real privilege to be able to taste these together, thank you for sharing. These will all be special occasion bottles, savored over the years with friends and family.
Wow MCH! You do reviews so much better than I ever could. You make me blush :oops:

I assume that older bottle is the one that got the Shinseiki pear brandy mixed in which may have given it a sweetness and floral notes. I personally really liked that one and if I dig my little pot out I hope to duplicate that with the 2021...I guess that may actually wind up 2021/22. I also think I aged that one on a heater vent and at least partly on apple wood. I wonder if I also uses a little bit of Japanese maple :problem: I'm so bad about not taking notes :roll:

The 2018 is a actually 2017 & 2018 combined. 2017 was run off on the flute which makes cuts quite difficult and I wasn't very happy with the outcome but by the time 2018 rolled around it had improved enough that I decided to combine it with the 2018. I guess it has aged out quite well :D I have one jar that somehow found a Japanese maple domino in it and I like the results very much. I was sitting in the attic sipping on it the other day when I discovered it.

I'm not sure what may account for the differences between 2018 & 2019. Maybe it's that the whole thing was run off in the pot still and not half of it done on the flute. I also have a tendency to go deeper into tails sometimes which I think may account for that pastry dough character after a long aging. Maybe the wood? Barrel aged in a well used barrel with a couple of oak sticks toasted to 2 different temps (380 &400 I think) but there were only 2 sticks in a 5 gallon barrel and they were probably pre soaked in neutral overnight then dried before being added.

If I recall 2019 also had a huge variety of different apples. Perhaps the particular mix played a part in the differences. I think that was the first year for the Blacks. Or maybe the yeast, Looking back I used US-05, Safcider, 1118 and D47 that year, 2017 &18 would have been 1118, D47 and 1122.

Reading back I think I may have hit on the answer. In the final ferments of the year I got 3 different infections going in different fermenters. I believe this probably accounts for the differences and likely accounts for that pastry like taste.
MichiganCornhusker wrote: Sun Feb 20, 2022 10:21 am My first attempt at this apple brandy thing will be coming out of the barrel soon, after two years in a well used Gibbs, I’ll be sure to get a sample out to you then.
I look forward to trying it. Everything you've ever sent me has been exceptional but I'm afraid I won't be able to do nearly as eloquent a job of reviewing them as you.
User avatar
Fredistiller
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 253
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Somewhere in Europe

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Fredistiller »

I distilled my berry brandy 3 moth ago. One run with thumper filled with water. Even if, as usual, the outcome had an unpleasant smell almost through the all run, the final result smells terrific already. A subtle flower aroma dancing with a strong vegetal smell. Vegetal like that grape seed smell and taste you find in good grappa's. By this winter it'll become a fine drop. I believe that weird smell comes from the use of rowan berries (I used more of them than I use to). If you bite on a rowan berry you'll understand what I mean.

Next season has already started with the rowans, the elders, and black currants starting to bloom. The grapes comes slowly to life. Spring is coming....

20220409_124005.jpg
20220409_123816(1).jpg
20220409_123849.jpg
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

I finally got around to tempering and bottling my 2018 apple brandy.
2018 APPLE - C.jpg
I got 13 750ml bottles and 1 one liter bottle plus a little bit. The monkey bottles in the middle are destined as gifts once the brandy adjusts to being tempered and bottled. I find that like wine it needs time to adjust.

In other fruity goodness news, everything but the apples have already bloomed. The pears look very promising this year and the apples are just starting to bloom :D I like when all the fruit trees are blooming, the world seems so full of joy.
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

Just about time for this thread to wake up...

I went to keg some cider last week and saw the white floaters of a lacto infection on two carboys. Tasted them and they were fine but nothing I would keg and drink. So I broke out the still and stripped. Had the still full to the brim and it puked a little. The hearts of the low wines tasted good. This got me to taste the 40 gallons of brandy cider and it is done and ready to still. We'll go for it this week or next probably. We'll see if we can do 4 strip runs in one loooong day.

All the fruit trees have finished blooming here. My plum set isn't looking great but I hear things are looking promising around the county for a good year. I'm really going to try hard to collect as many as I can. Cherries set well. Apple and pears too early to determine the set. Rasberries are doing really well and with how the raspberry wine turned out from last year we are making more of that!
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Today I got the 2019 batch of brandy tempered and removed from the barrel and into temporary bottles.
APPLES 26 APR 22 #3A - C.jpg
All the bottles are 1 liter and most are Woodford reserve, which have painted on lettering that I've never managed to remove successfully and I want nothing but my own labels on them. The reason I used those is I have them and since I don't have enough of the bottles I prefer to use I went for uniformity as much as I could and so they won't get mixed up and confused with other stuff.

I think the total came to 15.6 liters, which I suppose isn't terrible considering it's been in the 5 gallon barrel for (I think :problem: ) 2 years now and I've taken several sample bottles out of it, including possibly 2 bottles I've sent to MCH at barrel strength and another that went to Oldvine Zin, but that may have been a 2018 bottle :problem:

Of the two vintages I think the 2019 is the better one, but the 2 bottles of the 2018 that were finished on Japanese maple may be as good as the 2019.

I may plat around with a few bottles with some cherry wood I have and see if I like it finished on cherry.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Today I took the time to cut up the Rainier cherry wood I have been letting cure for 2 years now.

I started out with a box of logs
CHERRY WOOD 30 APR 22 #2 - C.JPG
and cut them up on the bandsaw
CHERRY WOOD 30 APR 22 #4 - C.JPG
When it was all done I had 2 bags of aging sticks
CHERRY WOOD 30 APR 22 #5 - C.JPG
CHERRY WOOD 30 APR 22 #6 - C.JPG
and an overflowing box of BBQ wood
CHERRY WOOD 30 APR 22 #1 - C.JPG
I'm planning on doing some experimenting to see what they add to the apple brandy :D
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Today I had some free time at work so I hauled in my vintage Toastmaster 5560 "De Luxe Home Shop" and a big hunk of cherry wood and proceeded to make a new bung for my barrel.

I want a cherry bung that is long so it extends into the brandy and imparts just a bit of cherry wood into it. So I set my "De Luxe Home Shop" up on a table in the shop and proceeded to make a huge mess with my vintage Craftsman gouges until this big piece of cherry wood looked like something I really like.

At some point my boss walked in and asked what I was doing. I said "I'm making a new plug for my bung hole" and he turned around and walked out :problem: He knows better than to ask me that sort of thing :lol:

So, after a little while and a lot of wood chips my new bung looks like this
BUNG 01 MAY 22 #2 - C.JPG
BUNG 01 MAY 22 #1 - C.JPG
Which I really like and when installed it gust gives a really nice finished look
BUNG 01 MAY 22 #3 - C.JPG
User avatar
Bushman
Admin
Posts: 17987
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:29 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Bushman »

Looks great cranky, again your description put a smile on my face.
OtisT
Master of Distillation
Posts: 3179
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 11:59 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by OtisT »

As always, nice work Cranky. And I’m still laughing at the bung hole plug conversation you had with your boss. :lolno:
Otis’ Pot and Thumper, Dimroth Condenser: Pot-n-Thumper/Dimroth
Learning to Toast: Toasting Wood
Polishing Spirits with Fruitwood: Fruitwood
Badmotivator’s Barrels: Badmo Barrels
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Thank you Bushman and Otis :D

I like the new bung but I would like it a little longer so... :think:

So I started thinking, "I have plenty of this cured cherry so why not go ahead and make another longer one?" So that's what I did today :D

I didn't plan on doing anything different from the first one but I tend to go with the flow and I like using my vintage Toastmaster lathe :D I did want the top to be rounded rather than flat so I was working on that when an idea formed about possibly making a captive ring. I've never done one before but the same can be said about everything until I did it so I started focusing on that idea. The problem being I don't have a gouge suitable to do it, so I dug through the random metal I have access to and found a piece of round stock which I quickly ground into a captive ring tool
BUNG 06 MAY 22 #1 - C.JPG
It worked pretty good too
BUNG 06 MAY 22 #4 - C.JPG
Finished it looks like this
BUNG 06 MAY 22 #2 - C.JPG
Here is one in the barrel
BUNG 06 MAY 22 #5 - C.JPG
and one showing how much longer it is and how much more brandy will be exposed to the wood.
BUNG 06 MAY 22 #6 - C.JPG
Now, I actually have an ulterior motive for all of this.

Back in the earliest days of my marriage I carved a wooden spoon for Mrs Cranky. It was actually pretty complicated. It had a spiral handle, was attached to a carved chain, with the other end attached to a hollow spiral piece with a captive ball inside ( ball and chain :mrgreen: ) all made out of a single piece of wood. Mrs Cranky loved it but sometime during a move it got broken. I'm using the bungs to hone my skills to make a replacement as a surprise for her. Of course that will be something best talked about on the goofy things thread :D
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

Just started the first stripping run of last year's apple cider. Broke out the distillery log and the level of detail I used to record in the beginning is just so cute! I put EVERYTHING in there at first. As I leaf through the pages I see I have gotten more and more laconic as time went on. Today I did manage to put the date and start time. Should have three strip runs of about 10 gallons each today. Hearts of the first strip run tastes good.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

stillanoob wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 7:48 am Just started the first stripping run of last year's apple cider. Broke out the distillery log and the level of detail I used to record in the beginning is just so cute! I put EVERYTHING in there at first. As I leaf through the pages I see I have gotten more and more laconic as time went on. Today I did manage to put the date and start time. Should have three strip runs of about 10 gallons each today. Hearts of the first strip run tastes good.
I gave up on logging or record keeping early on. I rely on my photographic memory for everything... That's right, I have a photographic memory... it needs developed :roll: So in reality I have no idea about any of the specific details of previous runs.

The other day while cleaning the garage I found an entire case of quart jars full of mysterious probably feints that I can't remember where they came from...I think someone may have broken into my garage and planted it there. I also found a barrel strength bottle of probably 2018 brandy I intended to sent to MCH that I had forgotten about.

While working on the garage I noticed the 7 gallon carboy of cider from Cousin is starting to show signs of an infection so I should probably run all of Cousin It's cider soon. Maybe that will be the final run with my old liebig before I retire it in favor of the new shotgun condenser.
User avatar
Saltbush Bill
Site Mod
Posts: 9675
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:13 am
Location: Northern NSW Australia

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Saltbush Bill »

cranky wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 5:39 pm I gave up on logging or record keeping early on. I rely on my photographic memory for everything... That's right, I have a photographic memory... it needs developed :roll: So in reality I have no idea about any of the specific details of previous runs.
We buy our Record keeping log books from the same shop Cranky. 99% of my records are kept in bottles or demijohns with labels that tell me most of what I need to know, wash / mash ingredients, date distilled, type of oak or not, char, toast or not, date oaked
stillanoob wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 7:48 am Broke out the distillery log and the level of detail I used to record in the beginning is just so cute! I put EVERYTHING in there at first. As I leaf through the pages I see I have gotten more and more laconic as time went on.
Having said that I do have one old book laying around from back in my T500 days......recorded EVERYTHING.....just as you did Stillanoob.......... :lol: :roll:
ABV of every last jar, condenser water exit temps, taste and smell of jars, times recorded for each jar.......its a wonder I had any time left to watch and run the still. Makes me shudder when I look back at it.....overthinking something so simple so much that you make it harder than need be.
If all that record keeping taught me one thing .....it was that the time would have been better spent smelling , tasting and watching/ learning what effects various adjustments to water flow have on a CM reflux still........That could have been easily achieved without pen and paper.
Bryan1
Swill Maker
Posts: 475
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:55 am
Location: South Oz in the hills

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Bryan1 »

I don't bother keeping records and I just force my self to think back when I put the spirit down to age and some times it does make some fun :mrgreen: remembering from the taste, Now with that apple ferment I made from crushing 20 kg's of Pink Lady apples for making cider and when I opened it up it looked like it had an infection so it went over 4 plates and spend 2-1/2 years of aging. I do have to say when taking a dram I do start to munch my jaw and I got the girls down at the local restaurant to try it where they said it was the best apply brandy they had tasted.

Got 2 other apple brandies aging and they won't be touched until the 2 year mark as apple does take a very long time to get to the point of a good drop.

I also have done a heap of other fruit, the pleach tree we put in a decade ago gave me enough fruit for a 30 litre ferment and after 18 months of aging it is a nice drop. Got gifted 3 buckets of quinces so they went down for 16 months before tasting and decanting a bottle or 3.

My Manzano Chilli tree provided it's first harvest and it has taken well over 12 months to get it established and as I only did a 10 litre ferment I stripped it and did the spirit run in my 5 litre pot still. Put a large moccano jar down for aging and tasting this white dog is my go to drink aswell as that Pastis/Ouzo run I did where the reports of tasting has said this is better then zambuba :crazy: and just moresum.

I gave the chef at this restaurant 6 samples of my brandies and the last time I saw here I was asked what is your favorite birthday meal Bryan ?

I simply said a carpet bag love 1/2 a kg of rib eye fillet with a pocket to fit a crayfish wrapped in bacon with some of my home grown chilli diced then cremated. The response back was when is the date as this sound like a nice meal fit for a king.

Cheers Bryan
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

cranky wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 5:39 pm
I gave up on logging or record keeping early on. I rely on my photographic memory for everything... That's right, I have a photographic memory... it needs developed :roll: So in reality I have no idea about any of the specific details of previous runs.
Aha! I'm gonna swipe that one!
Saltbush Bill wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 9:37 pm Having said that I do have one old book laying around from back in my T500 days......recorded EVERYTHING.....just as you did Stillanoob.......... :lol: :roll:
ABV of every last jar, condenser water exit temps, taste and smell of jars, times recorded for each jar.......its a wonder I had any time left to watch and run the still. Makes me shudder when I look back at it.....overthinking something so simple so much that you make it harder than need be.
If all that record keeping taught me one thing .....it was that the time would have been better spent smelling , tasting and watching/ learning what effects various adjustments to water flow have on a CM reflux still........That could have been easily achieved without pen and paper.
Haha! Exactly! I even recorded temp AND ABV. Super important to be able to temperature correct each and every jar! And then of course you can graph it all!!

Strip went well. Will do the spirit run next week. I had one little bit of the run from 2019's apples, the first I ever did. Diluted it to bottle strength and man is it good! Not saying that Calvados needs to be worried but for our first attempt I am super happy and would serve it to anyone with pride.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Back in my earliest days I tried to keep a log but got tired of it quickly so just quit doing it. Now I just wing everything.

Today I looked at the 7 gallon carboy from the end of the year last year and the infection had gotten to the point of covering the entire surface so since I was going to spend most of the day cleaning the garage I went ahead and transferred the two carboys into the boiler and stripped it while I cleaned. I got a whole lot done in the garage. I have this habit of when I clean up after working on stuff I take all the tools and hardware and put them in buckets, boxes and plastic bags with the intention of putting them away later but never do :? Today I got to the point of cleaning out those buckets, bags and boxes and getting things put away. Hopefully soon I will have the garage clean.

So next I guess I'll go ahead and strip the two buckets of juice I keep having to move out of my way. Then maybe I'll find the time and space to bottle all the stuff that needs bottled. I'm pretty sure I have enough bottles at this point.
Post Reply