Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

It was whole cloves Maheel , just crunched up a bit in the mortice and pestle

Can anybody tell me where I can get some bitter almonds for gin making, I can find the fukkers anywhere :( :(

A quick google reveals this

The bitter almond is a cousin to the sweet almond and contains traces of lethal prussic acid in its raw state. Although the toxicity is destroyed by heat, the sale of unrefined bitter almonds is prohibited in the United States. Fifty unprocessed bitter almonds can be lethal to a human. Yet, bitter almonds are successfully processed to make almond extract and almond-flavored liqueurs.

The toxicity is probably why you're having issues sourcing them

I can only find the extract in AUS http://bakingpleasures.com.au/s/bitter-almond#/ via a google

Cheers

Brigand,
I reckon that is the problem too, but it just makes me want'em more :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

bakingpleasures has supplied me a few things over the years (dont ask) , trusted vender/store

Thanks for the link Andy
will check it out when time allows
and I'm askin'

wtf are YOU doin' in a cake decorating shop ?? :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

I was a baker/pastry chef in a past life :o

Maheel - I have to make a small apology here, earlier in this thread I said doing a maceration the product is never as good as the distilled or vapour infused.
Well, it looks like I let my point of view get in the way of the facts there. I have just tried a cold compound gin called "Bathtub Gin", a cold compound is just a maceration in neutral product, exactly as you were doing it - this gin is a really nice drop, so it looks like it is possible to get very good results - but I'll wager its tougher to get it right.

Just wanted to clear that up.



Al

Try This one Maheel
It's a bom...saph knock off
Ingredients from a website, but I changed the method a bit

30g Juniper berries
15g Coriander seed
2g Angelica root
2g Cassia bark
2g licorice root
.5 ml almond essence
2g grains of paradise
2g cubeb berries
0.2g lemon rind
0.2g orris root powder

put all in spice grinder and course grind everything
macerate in 1 litre of 45% abv neutral for 24 hrs, add 1 litre of 45% abv before adding to still pot
run through pot still
chuck out first 100 ml
collect all up to 82 deg C
using distilled water ( I used tap water 1st time and it went smoky ) dilute to 42% abv

Edit: Changed method a little coz the experiment continues :geek:

I have been doing some more experimenting and amended the above recipe
this is my best yet, it's very very very close to bom saph :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Tried one of Drainos Gins the otherday with Tonic water......Ive never liked gin and never thought I would.........the first few mouthfulls caused a lot of face pulling and comments such as " This tastes like shit....how do people drink this stuff"
Much to my supprise by the time i was half way through the glass I was begining to enjoy it :? If he wasnt so tight with the stuff i woulda had another one.
Keep at it mate.......that stuffs got potential for sure ;-)

SBB wrote: If he wasnt so tight with the stuff i woulda had another one.

as I remember it ,the offer for more was made but someone was tired and wanted to go to bed :teasing-neener:

Hey Stubs,what's the chances of flicking through a pic of your micro still and a list of 'ingredients' to construct? Sound like a worthwhile project for a wet weather day,or a 'in the shit with the missus weekend' and safer being in the shed and out of harms way :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: I don't mind an occasional gin (drink that is) :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Tired or drunk? :handgestures-thumbupleft:

BOTH :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
try this BD
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=824

I'll chuck the tape measure at it and see what is say's for ya BD, will report back :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cheers Stubs :handgestures-thumbupleft:

your info awaits you BD

Done Stubs,have all the necessary ingredients in the shed, even managed to 'liberate' one of the dearly beloveds SS boilers....let's just see how long it takes to notice it's missing :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: I know the first place she'll look :shhh: Will be a nice little project for the weekend
Thanks Stubs :handgestures-thumbupleft:

no worries BD, glad to help :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Just be careful "liberating" things from the kitchen cupboards, it has a way of " biting you on the arse" :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
it did here :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: turned out to be a fucking expensive exercise :angry-banghead: