So I took some photos of me making my gin....

[Richard Jack]

Glen suggested that some of you might be interested in this. It was written for a non-brewing audience, so I've kept it pretty simplistic. No sneering now at the sugar ferment, it's getting stripped to neutral anyway :)

 

Link is here.

 

Anyone in Auckland is welcome to come around and try some! It'll knock the socks off most commercial gins.

 

If anyone is curious, the botanical bill was:

110g juniper

15g coriander seed

4.5g orris root

0.75g licorice root

1.3g caraway seeds

2g almond

0.8g cinnamon bark

0.2g dill tips

1.6g lemonade lemon zest

3.6g tangelo zest

3 cardamon pods

6 black peppercorns

2 sweet basil leaves

2 rosemary leaves

1 uncompacted teaspoon of nepeta petals

 

 

[Pilgrim]

Excellent write-up. I watched a doco on the Travel Channel a few days ago about the Hendricks Gin distillery in Scotland. They use Angelica root, cucumber and Rose petals in their Gin. They have two massive copper stills and produce Gin by different methods. With the oldest one they steep the botanicals for 24 hours in the wash and then distill. The newer one uses the infusion method similar to your technique. They then blend the two Gins to make the finished product. Interesting video and awesome web site: http://www.hendricksgin.com/#/gl/home/

Check it out.

[Richard Jack]

Yeah, I like Hendricks. It's about the only commercial gin I've tried that I feel inclined to clone. I understood that they do the cucumber and rose with maceration / distillation, and the gin base with the vapour infusion. Could be wrong though? The two different distillation styles do suit different flavours. I like distilled gin for heavy, aromatic gins, and vapour infusion for light, floral numbers.

[Stu McKinlay]

thanks Richard... good pics, and interesting to see someone as into another type of drink as we are into our beer.

 

I'm not sure you'd get past customs, the council and OSH if you want to go commercial. Shoes would be a good start.  Have you tried running the bike on the heads and tails?

[Richard Jack]

Shoes? Really? Sounds too much like work! No, you're quite right, and taking one of those photos I managed to shatter an alcometer all over the floor, so yeah. I now wear shoes.

 

Not my bike :) But the heads have been used for a lawnmower before, runs well. Also good for lighting charcoal bbqs and running my fish smoker, and getting stains out of the kitchen bench!

 

I'll be doing a set of scotch runs soon, I guess that will be closer to the hearts of you beer guys, so I might take some snaps of that too.

[Stu McKinlay]

i've always wondered what it'd be like to distill a darker wash... like a brown ale or porter/stout mash.  Any idea if it has been tried?

[Andrew]

I've not heard of it, but in theory you shouldn't get any of the color carry over. In Whisky (or Whiskey) making etc all of the colours come from the barrel and what you do after distillation. Distilleries use a proper mash to make Whisky but still get crystal clear wash. You can effect the flavour by the cut off points of your distillation (slightly) by carrying through higher alcohols but colour (and mostly flavour) all come from the aging process in barrel or whatever you do to them next.

EDIT - this is in Whisky making - rum distilleries can use sugar, some vodka is made from potatoes etc  etc. they still get clear wash

 

[Richard Jack]

I've never heard of it being tried, but it would be a very interesting experiment. Maybe the reason it isn't done is in the value of the 'single malt' name. I'm going to beef up my upcoming one with amber to see if I can get that biscuit flavour carrying over, will also take my phenols down a notch, I don't want 20L or whatever of Islay to battle through.

[Andrew]

"Scotch: - don't let the Scots hear you saying that. You have to distill it there and age it for 3 years within Scottish borders to call it that!!

I've heard the Japanese built an entire town called "Scotland" around a distillery there to try and get through that little piece of legislation.

Anything for a wee dram o Whisky

[Richard Jack]

Yeah, I'll preface any instructions I write with "First, take your still to Scotland" :)

[Chris Mills]

Nice!

[martin w]

where did you get the design for your still? iv'e been toying with the idea of making one and research on homedistiller sounds like a vm/pot still combo is the way to go

[Richard Jack]

I learned my basics on homdistiller - my handle there is kiwistiller. With a VM and pot you can make pretty much anything. I really like being able to detune my VM for rum - I use just the top half and restrict the vapour flow to the reflux condenser to keep things flavourful, but you can reflux it for ages to start with to get it nice and estery. Definitely build yourn own if you want to get into it - Most of the stills available for sale are rubbish.