In my limited experience, rum and sugarhead whiskeys seem to improve with age just sitting in a mason jar. I've aged some jars with oak chips, but the jars without oak seem better after a few months too.
What's happening inside of the jars that improves the flavor over time? Whatever's going on chemically, would that also happen in low wines kept in a carboy for a few months? If I kept a carboy of low wines in a closet for a few months before the spirit run, would that be similar to doing the spirit run right away and aging the 2nd distillation for a few months?
Aging low wines
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yakattack
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Re: Aging low wines
No. Don't waste your time. When you distill something you are ripping the liquid apart at a molecular level.
When you allow a spirit to age the different chemical elements are exchanging electrons and binding together. This is what aging is. So aging low wines is just a waste of time as you are going to be ripping those bonds apart on your final run.
Now as to your question about aging with wood. A few months isn't aged. You've made oak tea out of alcohol
. Leavening for at least 6 months is the minimum recommended as that is when the spirit and the vanillens and other chemicals from the wood have hit a point where a vast majority of the bonds have been created.
Where as when it's white it only has its own chemical bonds to make.
I hope that makes sense
Yak
When you allow a spirit to age the different chemical elements are exchanging electrons and binding together. This is what aging is. So aging low wines is just a waste of time as you are going to be ripping those bonds apart on your final run.
Now as to your question about aging with wood. A few months isn't aged. You've made oak tea out of alcohol
. Leavening for at least 6 months is the minimum recommended as that is when the spirit and the vanillens and other chemicals from the wood have hit a point where a vast majority of the bonds have been created.
Where as when it's white it only has its own chemical bonds to make.
I hope that makes sense
Yak
HDNB wrote: The trick here is to learn what leads to a stalled mash....and quit doing that.
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m314
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Re: Aging low wines
I'm not wasting my time doing this on purpose. I have some older batches of low wines sitting around because I haven't had time to run them yet. I keep getting excited about starting new recipes before I finish all the old batches. I was wondering if they were improving somehow sitting around for a few months before the spirit run.
My first few batches of brandy are now 6+ months old. I've noticed improvements with some batches after just 2 or 3 months. A smoother deeper flavor. It might just be in my head.
My first few batches of brandy are now 6+ months old. I've noticed improvements with some batches after just 2 or 3 months. A smoother deeper flavor. It might just be in my head.
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yakattack
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Re: Aging low wines
Brandy takes significantly longer to mellow out and get the complexity that you are after compared to an all grain whiskey. Not all alcohol is the same or can be treated the same.
It's not in your head :p
It's not in your head :p
HDNB wrote: The trick here is to learn what leads to a stalled mash....and quit doing that.
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m314
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Re: Aging low wines
How should brandy be treated differently than an all grain whiskey? I was planning on trying some all grain batches next. One with oats and one with wheat and rye. Corn and barley after that.
My first couple brandy batches started out as apple cider. I wasn'y happy with the results as cider, so I distilled thrm and put them in the cabinet in jars with oak chips. My second batch turned out really well somehow. The whole room smells like apples when I open the jar. I'm not that experienced with brandy, but this one tastes better than any apple brandy I've bought at a store. I want to do a big batch at some point when I have time for it.
My first couple brandy batches started out as apple cider. I wasn'y happy with the results as cider, so I distilled thrm and put them in the cabinet in jars with oak chips. My second batch turned out really well somehow. The whole room smells like apples when I open the jar. I'm not that experienced with brandy, but this one tastes better than any apple brandy I've bought at a store. I want to do a big batch at some point when I have time for it.
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GrassHopper
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Re: Aging low wines
+1 Yak.
Here's some good reading to help understand the process of oak aging and the transformation that takes place chemically.
White gets better with age, but it needs to be decent to start with. Aging your low wines will still leave the heads in there.
You don't want that, so more the reason to run a spirit run. Some have said that they have had tails clean up considerably with time. Haven't tried it, prolly won't.
The better the cuts, the better the aged product in my opinion......whether kept white or oaked.
http://www.drinkingcup.net/understandin ... our-casks/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
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Here's some good reading to help understand the process of oak aging and the transformation that takes place chemically.
White gets better with age, but it needs to be decent to start with. Aging your low wines will still leave the heads in there.
You don't want that, so more the reason to run a spirit run. Some have said that they have had tails clean up considerably with time. Haven't tried it, prolly won't.
The better the cuts, the better the aged product in my opinion......whether kept white or oaked.
http://www.drinkingcup.net/understandin ... our-casks/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://www.drinkingcup.net/understandin ... he-detail/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://www.drinkingcup.net/understandin ... -location/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow