Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

The basket was before the 90 over the pot? The only way you should have terpenes (or oils) in the spirit is if the caddy is downstream to the vapour allowing it to drip to the collection vessel.

I never thought it'd make it over the bend as these are heavy compared to vapour and should be returning to the boiler.

The oils aren't a problem, in some gins it is preferable to have louching when mixed ;-)

My setup is like thishttp://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/download/file.php?id=12259&mode=view, with the addition of a 6 inch section above the pot, with a botanical basket in the bit directly over the pot.
Surprising that heavy turpenes came over in the first fractions. Makes me think it might not be turpenes? Still tastes OK tho.
T

If it bothers you just put the botanicals in the boiler instead :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Gday shiners.

I'm currently running a hearts run of TPW to collect the hearts of hearts for my gin run on sunday.
I'll be running it through the 4 plater with gin basket above the RC.
What could i get away with in regards to how much booze i need in the boiler to have it run well. I don't really want 10+ litres of gin lying around cause I don't really drink it but want to give it a crack.
Recipe will be as per below.

100g juniper berries
8 almonds
8 strips orange peel
8 strips lemon peel
4 strips lime peel
1.5 teaspoons angelica root
1.5 teaspoons orris root
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 star anise
13g cinnamon bark
1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
8 black pepper corns
1/2 teaspoon dill
6 cloves

Would like to throw in some rose petals but i ain't buying some from the florist at this time of year! !! And i haven't seen any neighbors growing any.

:text-thankyoublue:

7evan wrote:Gday shiners.
Would like to throw in some rose petals but i ain't buying some from the florist at this time of year! !! And i haven't seen any neighbors growing any.
:text-thankyoublue:

Try your local Asian grocery, they often have rosebuds. They are what I use. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Each bud is about 0.5g.
In a 20 litre gin run I use 6 buds. The rose flavours and oils start to come through when the ABV drops below 30%.
They really give Hendricks a run for their money. :teasing-neener:

7evan wrote:Gday shiners.

I'm currently running a hearts run of TPW to collect the hearts of hearts for my gin run on sunday.
I'll be running it through the 4 plater with gin basket above the RC.
What could i get away with in regards to how much booze i need in the boiler to have it run well. I don't really want 10+ litres of gin lying around cause I don't really drink it but want to give it a crack.
Recipe will be as per below.

100g juniper berries
8 almonds
8 strips orange peel
8 strips lemon peel
4 strips lime peel
1.5 teaspoons angelica root
1.5 teaspoons orris root
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 star anise
13g cinnamon bark
1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
8 black pepper corns
1/2 teaspoon dill
6 cloves

Would like to throw in some rose petals but i ain't buying some from the florist at this time of year! !! And i haven't seen any neighbors growing any.

:text-thankyoublue:

WOW!
Half way through this run. Thought I'd try some watered down to 40%.
As i said earlier, I'm not a massive gin drinker but this shit is off the charts!
I found some dried rose petals so added 2 tablespoons of them and 5grams of liquorice root.
Ive got high hopes for this gear once its all blended up.
Glad i went with 10L of 40%. :dance:

Man this is trippy.

I've read it from heaps of other lads but to actually see/smell/taste it for myself i didn't believe it.

How the botanicals come out at different times is just bloody weird! Started with heavy Juniper berries. Just had the rose, now I'm getting the cinnamon bark.
Friggin cool.
Glad i got 250 grams of all the hard to get botanicals from Austral Herbs. Can see myself experimenting with gins now. :think: :drool:

Haha sounds like the excitement of the very first run again :laughing-rolling:

Good stuff mate, I have slightly amended the recipe to suit my taste but yes homemade gin is killer

I was bored at work today and still excited about my new found love for Gin so I knocked up a label.
Only had paint to work with but it came up alright.
Was technically 17 botanicals but sweet 17 doesn't sound as good.

Yummy :D :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Just love this story...much underrated is the old Gin. It a challenge to get right, rarely two runs are identical and with blending you can end up with two or more distinctly different drinks...not a bad outcome for a hobby distiller by any means.

So 7evan, now you got the basic one done, might want to try a Hendrick's or Tanqueray10 clone...both are bloody lovely to drink...setting the scene...

It's 40c outside, sweat pissing from every exposed piece of skin...
Salt stings the eyes into a blur...
Work for the day is done...
A quick trip home in the blistering heat...
Need a pick me up and a refresher in one...
Get a shot of a well made Gin and mixer on crushed ice into ya :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Later that night wanting a bigger drink... 7 slips into a couple of Genevers...the perfect whisky/gin combo for a drinker who knows the good life :handgestures-thumbupleft:

You'll never see summer as a hassle again :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Inspired and happy for u
bt1

Urrazeb wrote:The basket was before the 90 over the pot? The only way you should have terpenes (or oils) in the spirit is if the caddy is downstream to the vapour allowing it to drip to the collection vessel.

I never thought it'd make it over the bend as these are heavy compared to vapour and should be returning to the boiler.

The oils aren't a problem, in some gins it is preferable to have louching when mixed ;-)

I've had this problem twice now, running through my boka with the packing taken out. First gin run was great, second went all cloudy when watered down to 40% and the third time came out with a feint yellow tint then went cloudy again. Haven't changed anything obvious in the runs. Going to re-distill the last two and see what the end product is like, hope a nice light clear gin, otherwise might chuck the packing in the column and try it as a slow neutral run.
I've been putting the botanicals at the top of the column, just below the boka head, might try lower down next time see if that helps keep the heavy oils out of the final product.

Top of the column? Like in between the condenser and the plates? Or below the plates?

I would think that if it is below the plates you should have no problem unless you're running it pretty hard.

Try have it closer to (just above) the column/boiler connection and see how that goes, I reckon that'd be the go :handgestures-thumbupleft:

G'day guy's,
Well decided to have a go at a maceration for making a gin and this morning made a 150ml sample with some 40% TPW neutral. Man did the taste come thru pretty strong and both my mate and SWMBO said it was yummy but too strong on taste.


OK the ingredients
20g of juniper berries, got 10g from the juniper bush in the front garden and got a 10g pack from the supermarket
20g of 'mulling spices' - Whole Allspice, Cassia, Cinnamon, Cloves and Black pepper.
3 logs of licorice root (from the vege patch had to pull out metres of it)
1/2 a star anise
3 pinch's of dried rose petals
lemon and orange peel ( had no lime peal)
10g of orris root ( stole a 50g pack off SWMBO)

Used my TPW hearts 75% and mixed in a glass jar



Made up a 700ml vodka bottle with the 150ml sample and the rest 40% hearts. Then filled several 150ml sample bottles for mates tastings

Well now the taste is just plain yummy



Cheers Bryan

I tried this recipe this week. Ran 100L of TPW.

That got me about 7.2L of clean 95%.

Ran 5L of that back through with 20L of water.

I ran 2/3rds of this recipe in botanicals due to not having 25L of 40%.

Got 5L of 85% back out...

Verdict:
This is amazing. That is all.

I' m having not bad success with a maceration of the original recipe,(in 4 Ltrs at 80 % ) run through the pot with twice distilled TPW. It comes out very light but seems to lack the juniper flavour, I then do a second maceration with about 100 grams of coriander, 1 lemon worth of lemon peel, 100 grams of juniper, 6 almonds, 1 star anise and 6 cardomon pods ...and 1 scroll cassia. 5 or 6 cloves.....this sits in 2 Ltrs for 4 days minimum then the strained product goes into the still with everything from my first run( except fores) topped up with water and neutral to ensure sufficient for the element...I take careful cuts the second run and you really can blend the cuts to give the flavour you want...I have a good stockpile of this now and I need it as I don't drink beer any,ore. A gin + tonic or 4 does the trick! Can't wait to do a proper infusion when I get the kit for it, but till then, I'm astounded just how good this is...considering I'm using an eBay pot still and guessing... :))

Just a quick hint for all those who are having trouble sourcing rose petals... we grow old fashioned and David Austin roses ...you can pick the petals and dry them they will last for ages after they are dry, in a jar with a boveda 62% humidity pack they stay supple and do not loose too much oil & terpenes...it is not as good as fresh but is infinately better then most of the rubbish you buy dried. Only use old fashioned or David Austin roses as many of the modern roses e.g. icebergs are bred without consideration of the terpene content and lack aroma.
Cheers
Doc

Any suggestions on drying?

I'd assume low temperature and long time?

Roses, hard yards to grow in Darwin...
Could just see the look on wifies face if I come home with a dozen roses then pluck em for the gin....
Maybe I need to grow Cassia and do swapsies?
That'd be cool...a botanical's swap thread.
Tropical, temperate + cold climate

Darwin award wrote:Roses, hard yards to grow in Darwin...
Could just see the look on wifies face if I come home with a dozen roses then pluck em for the gin....
Maybe I need to grow Cassia and do swapsies?
That'd be cool...a botanical's swap thread.
Tropical, temperate + cold climate

Good idea!
Tasmanian Pepperberry anyone?