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Been reading a lot of topics about folks out there making their own recipes and am playing with the idea of making a wash/mash using various fruit and berries that are growing near my yard such as apples and Saskatoons as well as some barley and corn that a local farmer has given me. So far through regular google research and scouring the forum It doesn’t seem like anyone has done this (or at least documented doing this) if successful what would one call this brandy/whiskey type spirit?

müsmilk wrote: ↑Wed Aug 28, 2019 8:28 am...if successful what would one call this brandy/whiskey type spirit?

MOONSHINE.

In all honesty I wouldn't waste the fruit mixing with grains. They are hard enough to find the fruit flavor alone without additives so if you add another dominant flavor I believe you will never get anything other than the grain flavor.

I myself wouldn't "waste" fruit with a grain wash either as the grains will overcome the fruit just as ShineOn mentioned and even if it didn't they may not be complimentary depending on the fruit.

Now a rum/whiskey type mixture if you want to play and that's another story. RumSkey can appeal to both Rum and Whiskey lovers.

When you start mixing different types of sugars you have to be extra concerned with the potential ABV as yeast will typically eat the sugars in a specific pattern and you can easily get stuck a fermentation and other weird problems especially with fruit/grain combinations.

Would I throw a can of leftover fruit syrup from my desert into a new mash just getting started rather than waist the left over syrup? Absolutely. Would I intentionally try to do a 50%/50% mix or similar? Nope, I'd first make a wine from the fruit and see how it tastes by itself, then decide if I like or would rather make a brandy from it.

Often times even with "lite" fruits making a wine the fruit smell/taste flavor doesn't carry over and you have to back mix the fruit for the flavor. Now add a distillation process or two on top of the wine making and the fruit flavor be all but gone, but a tiny bit of base fruit mixed back in bring it back around.

Concentrate a few batches of Whiskey, Rum and Wine/Brandy first to get them under your belt before you play trying to combine things. That will also help you get a feel for how the flavors come over being distilled as the heads/tails will definitely be different than what you are used to with grains or sugar washes.

Another thing you can do to play a bit is distill things differently like your Whiskey, Brandy, Rums then try blending them after they have been distilled and/or aged.

Keep in mind that depending on what you start with usually will dictates what type of yeast you will want to use. For example you won't use the same type of yeast for grains as you do for fruits. I suppose you could but you normally wouldn't want to.

I want attempt this I’ve been researching but I want know if it’s ok to pectic my fruit and amylase my grains so I don’t have to use no sugar or less sugar in my mash

There are no rules, Redz, but to maximize the flavors and yield from fruit and grains requires different cuts, so to get the best of both, ferment and distill separately and blend later.

Thanks Chris I thought about that I was wondering if it was possible to mix enzymes as a faster route. And I’m running a 5 gallon pot so I run 2 low wines run. Then a spirit run making 200ml cut. Because I’m still learning and it’s a good way to test different flavors

NZ’s suggestion is a good alternative. I have blended with good results in the past but can’t say I have blended fruits and grains. If you do give us an update on your results.

Bushman and Chris props to you guys I tried this idea twice once with the strawberries and the next with a apple pie brandy. I used my collection of ujsm and blended them.

With the strawberries not much of the corn flavor pulling through so I blended lightly it was like a brandy bourbon almost I save 750ml to sit and marry and French oak the rest.

With the apple pie it was beautiful it was like a cross between sweet and sour apple pie someone great grandmother put her foot in it. I really can’t express how awesome this taste.

Put foot in is a expression to how amazing it is. I’ll like to thank y’all for nudging me in this direction cause I like I’ll be creating and posting a recipe I haven’t seen nor read about.

The suggestions given are correct but personally I tell you .. go on with your experiment, experimentation is an important part of these hobbies, as home stills we can experiment without losing a lot of money .. generally I have enough fruit to ferment on my own so I don't i never did.

True facts experimentation, but one part I hate is how some stuff comes out bad. But I save it use as feints sometimes or go bad and test months later and it’s beautiful.