Thank you!

New to distillation, or simply new to the HD forums.
** Your first post MUST go here. Introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your interest in distilling. Any posts asking distilling questions will be deleted. **

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
Empty Flask
Novice
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 7:07 am

Thank you!

Post by Empty Flask »

New member here, first I wanted to thank all of the contributors to the forum, I know several of you take a lot of time and effort responding to new members just getting started in the craft and I appreciate it.
I’m from the Washington DC capital region area in the USA and have just started distilling as of a week ago! I used my new 5l alembic still last weekend to run through the cleaning process and this weekend I intend to fuse gin botanicals into a bottle of cheap “military issue” vodka. Wish me luck!
I’m looking to understand how to grow in the craft eventually and am here scouring the forum like all newbies do for the breadcrumbs leading to good spirits!
User avatar
Bushman
Admin
Posts: 17986
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:29 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Thank you!

Post by Bushman »

Welcome, we have some great recipes for making gin. Make sure you check them out in the Tried & True recipe section.
Empty Flask
Novice
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 7:07 am

Re: Thank you!

Post by Empty Flask »

Just checked out the Odin’s Easy Gin thread and looks like I have ten years of posts to review :). I may try his original measurements this weekend, I also have a “Craft Gin Making” book that I’ve been reading that has a few recipes/recommendations.
The Baker
Master of Distillation
Posts: 4659
Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:48 am
Location: Northern Victoria, Australia

Re: Thank you!

Post by The Baker »

Never tried OEG but a lot of people found the citrus a bit strong.
Might be worth going a bit easy on it at first?

Geoff
The Baker
Archee72
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 292
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:58 pm
Location: Queensland

Re: Thank you!

Post by Archee72 »

Follow Odin recipe to the letter and you won’t fail. And welcome
User avatar
EricTheRed
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1108
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:49 pm
Location: South Africa

Re: Thank you!

Post by EricTheRed »

Archee72 wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 8:39 pm Follow Odin recipe to the letter and you won’t fail. And welcome
+10
My fekking eyes are bleeding! Installed BS Filters - better! :D
Life has gotten interesting!
Empty Flask
Novice
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 7:07 am

Re: Thank you!

Post by Empty Flask »

Success! Followed Odin’s recipe with a few small additions/changes and it came out great! Put the botanicals in the path rather than maceration (couldn’t wait). I quit distilling too early so I didn’t really have any low proof/water tails to mix so my gin is a bit stronger than commercial gin at 120 proof. Still very smooth. I didn’t want to dilute with water since I don’t want to mess up the clarity.
Lots of lessons learned in just that simple run. I kinda want to try making absinthe now since it seems like it would be similar. I wonder if there is an Odin’s Easy Absinthe thread ;).
Full Flask
howie
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 627
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 7:34 am

Re: Thank you!

Post by howie »

if you read the posts in the odin thread, there's no long waiting time for maceration.
overnight will do the trick.
the odin method doesn't have any tails as such, you stop around 400ml collected per litre of original charge.
i don't worry about clarity, some of favourite gins louch when i dilute them.
Q 120proof (60%abv) is lowish for the end product?
my starting litre of 40%abv is usually about 400ml of 78%abv (156proof?) after i've run it.
did you just run the cheap vodka through?
Empty Flask
Novice
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 7:07 am

Re: Thank you!

Post by Empty Flask »

howie wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:37 pm did you just run the cheap vodka through?
It was a budget “Military Special” at about $10 a handle. Not bad vodka for the price point though. My first 400ml was around 80 as well, but once I got over a liter it was closer to 60. I wasn’t as efficient with my condenser (I was caught off guard by how quick it started to distill, and I was manually doing the cool water fill) so I’m sure that I lost some prime abv.
User avatar
bitter
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1999
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 4:51 pm
Location: Great White North

Re: Thank you!

Post by bitter »

The Baker wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 8:38 pm Never tried OEG but a lot of people found the citrus a bit strong.
Might be worth going a bit easy on it at first?

Geoff
Yeah OEG is great I cut back the Citrus in the version I use it a base for..

Mmmm gin!
NormandieStill
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1737
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:17 pm
Location: Northwest France

Re: Thank you!

Post by NormandieStill »

Empty Flask wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:18 pm
howie wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:37 pm did you just run the cheap vodka through?
It was a budget “Military Special” at about $10 a handle. Not bad vodka for the price point though. My first 400ml was around 80 as well, but once I got over a liter it was closer to 60. I wasn’t as efficient with my condenser (I was caught off guard by how quick it started to distill, and I was manually doing the cool water fill) so I’m sure that I lost some prime abv.
The idea with OEG is to cut the first 10ml, collect 400ml and then stop. It's worth collecting small amounts after the 400ml to see if the flavours are ones you want to include. Then you proof down to 45%.
"I have a potstill that smears like a fresh plowed coon on the highway" - Jimbo

A little spoon feeding *For New & Novice Distillers
Empty Flask
Novice
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 7:07 am

Re: Thank you!

Post by Empty Flask »

NormandieStill wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:21 am
Empty Flask wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:18 pm
howie wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:37 pm did you just run the cheap vodka through?
It was a budget “Military Special” at about $10 a handle. Not bad vodka for the price point though. My first 400ml was around 80 as well, but once I got over a liter it was closer to 60. I wasn’t as efficient with my condenser (I was caught off guard by how quick it started to distill, and I was manually doing the cool water fill) so I’m sure that I lost some prime abv.
The idea with OEG is to cut the first 10ml, collect 400ml and then stop. It's worth collecting small amounts after the 400ml to see if the flavours are ones you want to include. Then you proof down to 45%.
The stop at 400ml in OEG was based off running just one liter. I ran two liters.
Post Reply