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Anybody else experimenting with this? I just ran my first two batches after reading the Alt Whiskey's book. The flavors definitely carry over into the new make! I have just put them on oak so won't know for some time what the final flavor will be. My base recipe is 2-row barley and adding some specialty grains depending on the recipe. I have been experimenting with just specialty grains for a while now so decided to add a level of complexity!

First batch I made I put Citra hops into the boiler just as the hearts started coming off. I am using frozen whole hops. My experimental batch boiler is just a 6 gallon pot with lid connected to 2" pot still. Easy enough to turn off heat, slide over the lid, drop in the hops and close up, turn the heat back on and dripping again in a few seconds.

Right away I got the floral citrusy notes in the hearts flavor but a ways in it was changing over to more of a bitter flavor. This was what I was going for- based on an IPA recipe from the book. As in beer brewing the longer boiling hops are bittering. I ended up going deeper into the tails than usual because there were some really great flavors in there.

Second batch I wanted a lighter, more flavorful whiskey- it was basically 2-row and honey malt. This time I waited until half the hearts were collected, then added in Cascade hops. Very strong hops aroma in the hearts that continued on into the tails. Hops were in the boil only about 30-40 minutes. Just got his batch on oak today. After mixing the hearts and doing cuts there is a much stronger flavor/smell of the hops in the fresh make.

Now to wait a few months and see what happens!

I am also planning a recipe from the Alt-Whiskey book with hops, wormwood, orange peel, etc. but added to a gin basket.

Well, not exactly.

But I have distilled a couple of kegs of old beers (IPA’s) that were assertively hopped. The beers were left over from a private party and as such, unreturnable. So I stripped them. The hops did indeed carry over into the distillate. I did not care for the product at all. I oaked the spirit on charred oak thinking that would help, and it did a little. Still, it was not a good whiskey. So, I reran it again. And this did help reduce the acidic hop bite, it did not eliminate it. Back on charred oak, I continued to age it but ultimately I just gave it away.

So, you may like your results. I don’t care for a “hopped whiskey” at all.

I have since this “IPA endeavor” stripped a couple of kegs of Bud Light. It was acceptable in the finish, although the slight presence of hops is still notable. But aging in charred oak does make this a tolerable whiskey.

I guess as long as there are beers left to dump down the drain, I will try to salvage the alcohol from it. But, the hoppy beers do not produce a drink that I prefer. YMMV.
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I've only distilled finished beers like @still_stirring. I ran a Belgian blonde and a brown IPA. I actually really liked both. Kinda like a gin/whiskey hybrid. The hop notes were a bit too grassy and oxidized in the new make, but mellowed after aging. I'm planning on doing what you did next time and dumping the hops through a valve once the hearts start off like the Alt Whiskey book says. I don't have a gin basket, or I'd probably try that. May try just hanging a bag. Did you drop the hops into your low wines, or do a single run through a column of some sort?

I've thought about trying hops but am way behind on an extended list of grain bills. I would be interested to learn what your process is for removing hop oils from your still and in particular, your condenser.

Twisted

PS: Have to thank you again for the RD lead. For the time being they have since opened their doors to the public due to COVID-19 and its a joy to go load up.

bluedog wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:27 am I've only distilled finished beers like @still_stirring. I ran a Belgian blonde and a brown IPA. I actually really liked both. Kinda like a gin/whiskey hybrid. The hop notes were a bit too grassy and oxidized in the new make, but mellowed after aging. I'm planning on doing what you did next time and dumping the hops through a valve once the hearts start off like the Alt Whiskey book says. I don't have a gin basket, or I'd probably try that. May try just hanging a bag. Did you drop the hops into your low wines, or do a single run through a column of some sort?

Yeah, I put them into the boiler with the low wines for the spirit run on my pot still. I figured I would try it in the boiler first and if I liked it I would actually get around to finishing the build of the carter head attachment I have sitting in pieces on my workbench! Pretty sure I will go ahead and finish it up now based on these results- something very nice about the citrussy notes in the whiskey. It would be nice to get that without the hassle of opening the boiler and be able to spread it out over the whole spirit run.

Twisted Brick wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:51 am I've thought about trying hops but am way behind on an extended list of grain bills. I would be interested to learn what your process is for removing hop oils from your still and in particular, your condenser.

Twisted

PS: Have to thank you again for the RD lead. For the time being they have since opened their doors to the public due to COVID-19 and its a joy to go load up.

Hi Twisted,
So... there really don't seem to be any hop oils to remove... I just did my usual rinse of the still and condenser after running and everything was clean and ready to go again. I will have another look though now that you mentioned it. I wonder if they spend so little time in the boiler they don't get up into the still? Or maybe since they are only in the spirit run not the stripping run?

Glad to hear RD (Restaurant Depot) is working for you... I was sure I was going to raise some eyebrows on my last visit. 4x50lb bags of corn meal, 2x50lb bags of sugar and 8 gallons of blue agave nectar. Figured I may as well stock up for a few months since I made the trip haha!

StuNY wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 3:27 pm
Hi Twisted,

I was sure I was going to raise some eyebrows on my last visit. 4x50lb bags of corn meal, 2x50lb bags of sugar and 8 gallons of blue agave nectar. Figured I may as well stock up for a few months since I made the trip haha!

Nah, you were makin' cornbread, for your drive-up restaurant customers! That's an honest grain run, though, what with the pandemic and everything. At $14 for a 50lb sack of restaurant-quality cornmeal, there's too many grain bills not to use it! Distill on!

StuNY wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 3:17 pm

bluedog wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:27 am I've only distilled finished beers like @still_stirring. I ran a Belgian blonde and a brown IPA. I actually really liked both. Kinda like a gin/whiskey hybrid. The hop notes were a bit too grassy and oxidized in the new make, but mellowed after aging. I'm planning on doing what you did next time and dumping the hops through a valve once the hearts start off like the Alt Whiskey book says. I don't have a gin basket, or I'd probably try that. May try just hanging a bag. Did you drop the hops into your low wines, or do a single run through a column of some sort?

Yeah, I put them into the boiler with the low wines for the spirit run on my pot still. I figured I would try it in the boiler first and if I liked it I would actually get around to finishing the build of the carter head attachment I have sitting in pieces on my workbench! Pretty sure I will go ahead and finish it up now based on these results- something very nice about the citrussy notes in the whiskey. It would be nice to get that without the hassle of opening the boiler and be able to spread it out over the whole spirit run.

Nice, I think I'm going to try to do it in a single run through some plates. I have a 2" port on top of my boiler that usually has a temperature probe. I'm going to put a valve on it and a section of tube on top of the valve I can load with hops then cap off with the temp probe and open the valve. Hopefully the hops fall into the pot without too much trouble without me having to open the boiler. Thinking of using two hops. One right when hearts start as a "bittering" addition, and then a different hop in the middle of the hearts as a "flavor" addition. With a Carter head you could put your "aroma" addition there.