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I am having a problem with my Nocino from this year. ( Italian walnut liquer)
As far as I know no I done everything correctly. I collected the walnuts before june 24th, cut them twice, put them on 65% for a fortnight. Shaked every day.
Then infused it with inverted sugar, diluted it to 25% ABV and shaked it again for a fortnight.

After this I put it away in the attic and only yesterday retrieved it for a taste.
The liquor is solid brownish and not transparent yellowish like my batch from 2019.
On thr bottom of the jar sits a very pitchblack sediment. Comes out with hot water making the sink also pitchblack. Taste is very bitter.

What went wrong?

hi there,
I've made this several times. Each time it comes out darker than squid ink! The oxidization of the green nuts makes everything go from a murky green to a dark color. So far so good. What other "ingredients" have you put in? I usually put cinnamon, cloves, star anise seeds in in along with the inverted sugar. I've heard of putting brown sugar in there as well. I keep the nuts in the container longer than the "recipe calls for"... supposed to be 39 days...not 38, not 40. Same as the amount of nuts... 39 only. Not 40, not 38 lol... Old wives tail from days gone by??? who knows. I start the procedure in June/July as the nuts don't come till then around here. Then filter out around the first week of December. Try again next year my friend.

WaWalky wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 7:26 am
Then infused it with inverted sugar, diluted it to 25% ABV and shaked it again for a fortnight.

What went wrong?

So it's difficult to measure ABV after you added sugar with a hydrometer, next time dilute first and then add the sugar.
Keep learning
and stay safe
OVZ

Thanks for the advise, Oldvine. I already did that. And it's not something of an answer to my question.

Hi GrappaGringo, the recipe i followed for some years now did not mention any witchtcraft, anyway not the magic number 39. I did involve the fact that the nuts had to be harvested before St John/ Jacob or something, that would be before 24st June. Has the do with the nuts ripening & turning to wood.

Maybe I forgot to put in other ingredients, the year before last I also added some citrus next to the cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Citrus might lighten the whole because its acid.

Indeed, better next year. Keep on evolving ourselves!

WaWalky wrote: ↑Sat Jan 23, 2021 2:46 am Thanks for the advise, Oldvine. I already did that. And it's not something of an answer to my question.

So sorry that I couldn't help. The way that you worded it was that you sugared it first and then took a reading, Oh well stay safe

OVZ