Gin in a Reflux

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Shark
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Gin in a Reflux

Post by Shark »

Looking for a Gin recipe to run in my Reflux Still. I like the botanicals in Odins recipe. Like a recipe to either run in the boiler or add to infuse the vapor. My boiler is a 50l keg. Like to infuse in the column or ad to boil.
OtisT
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by OtisT »

Don’t make gin in a reflux column. Use the column to make a good neutral first. Then use a pot still filled with your neutral and botanicals to make your gin.

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Salt Must Flow
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by Salt Must Flow »

Even IF you were to use a reflux column to make a vapor infused gin ... you would have to have a large enough gin basket between the vapor takeoff and the product condenser. Do you want to do that to make a vapor infused gin during a spirit run? Before doing that, I would first read up on the difference between vapor infused gins and the botanicals inside the boiler.
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by OtisT »

Unless you have a carter head and are doing an all vapor infused gin, you will have trouble with the oil from the botanicals in your fractioning column. Oil from the botanicals in the boiler will stick to your packing on the way up. Botanicals between your packing and RC will wash the oil down your column from the liquid reflux. Depending on you packing, you may never wash that oil smell/taste out of it and everything you make after that will taste of the oil. Even with a packing that is relatively easy to clean, like marbles, you will have to clean everything. It’s not just a cleaning mess. All that oil you are cleaning off of your packing is oil not in your spirit, which is not only a horrible waste but it makes any recipe you read useless because your balance will be way off from how it should taste. Sometimes no is the best answer. Just my opinion of course.
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Salt Must Flow
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by Salt Must Flow »

Tell him OtisT.
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by OtisT »

That was for you too.
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Yummyrum
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by Yummyrum »

Shark , commented in your other topic

viewtopic.php?p=7726316#p7726316


I also moved this one as it was in Tried and true section .
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NZChris
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by NZChris »

Any good recipe will make good gin as long as you know how to run your still. If you can find out how to maximize getting flavor out of your still, it will work on any recipe. If you can't, you might need a Plan B.

Personally, I only use a reflux still to make the neutral, then use small pot and Carter Head stills so that I can experiment with various ingredients, protocols and still types.
Shark
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by Shark »

Ok so I get it about not using packed reflux for gin. What I need to know is after my spirit run I have 94%. So can I unpack column, go to 40% and ad botanical in boiler?
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Try the OEG and go from there. Consider a small batch. Lots of folks make smaller gin stills (perhaps a gallon or less) for smaller maceration batches and experiment with the botanicals and use a larger reflux to make the clean neutral to use in a few gin recipes...

The OEG recipe calls for a maceration period before racking and pot-stilling the gin but I feel like chucking everything in the boiler and running it is similar.

Cheers!
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Shark wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 10:49 am Ok so I get it about not using packed reflux for gin. What I need to know is after my spirit run I have 94%. So can I unpack column, go to 40% and ad botanical in boiler?
Simple answer Yes.
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Yummyrum
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by Yummyrum »

More difficult answer, you have a VM head .
It will be a slow as there will be a lot of reflux return . It would be interesting to see how the oils split in the vapour split .

It all sounds like another good reason for you to just make yourself a dedicated Pot still head .
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Gin in a Reflux

Post by Saltbush Bill »

I'll retract my "yes " answer .....I forgot that we were talking about a VM here.
Easier and better to use the VM for neutral , and make a small dedicated pot still for the gin making.
It doesnt need to be fancy......a 4-5 L stainless saucepan with a small liebig....seal the lid with flour paste.
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