Gin Basket or not

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Gin Basket or not

Postby garouda » Tue Jan 26, 2016 4:45 pm

I'm about to build a still and I'm wondering whether I should add a "Gin basket" or not. I'm living in Thailand and we have lots of fruits at home, papaya, jackfruit, rambutan, lychee, various mangoes, bananas, pineapple, coconut, orange, pomelo, lime... I will also grow sugar cane, grapes, strawberries and corn...
I searched the forum but could not find that much information about gin baskets. What is better, infusing (macerating) in high abv alcohol then distillate (German Himbeeren=Raspberry Geist), or put fruit into a gin basket? The design would be an 8”x250mm gin basket (stainless steel asparagus cooking pot from Germany) just above the boiler, then several (7) 6”x230mm similar pots as bubble plates, and the last one as dephlegmator. Just imagine a pot upside down, the bottom being the plate, with a Ø 3" copper cap as 'bubbler', a Ø 2" riser and a Ø3/4"x150mm downcomer.
There will be 5" sight glasses, does someone know how to draw the Elliptical section on the 6” pot for the junction with the 5” sight glass? Hopefully 5" spud ferules are long enough, otherwise, I'll need to reduce to 4" sight glasses.
Beside this there will be a 3" packed column to produce clean vodka (hybrid Bokabob+VM), the column could also come above the 8" gin basket (tri-clamps reductions and fittings).
garouda
 
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Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby wiifm » Tue Jan 26, 2016 5:12 pm

I'd be concerned about some fruits going soggy and 'plugging' your column if the basket is in the vapor path. A lot of those fruits you mentioned sound perfect for sticking in the freezer then soaking in neutral to make a nice flavoured drink.

If you could figure out what spices go in sang som and if they need to go in a basket, I'd be really keen to hear!
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Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby garouda » Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:20 pm

Hi,
Thanks for replying.
I'm afraid you may be right, fruit will go soggy. On the other hand, it's like a heavy fruit mash, vapour must find its way through it anyway.
I got an asparagus cooking pot at home and came to the idea to use it as a module, roughly +/- 6"Ø.
I found the others on a German version of Ebay and got them for a cheap price (auction). A friend of mine took them from Belgium to Thailand, I got the last one last December, the whole story started in July 2017... Amongst them there was a nice larger pot with a strong SS inlet which I could place right above the boiler with a Ø8" ferule and clamp, then an adapter 8"- 6", and further either 6" pots or my 3" column... Anyway, it's a project for the future, when I will retire in a remote place within a year or so. I'm struggling with silver soldering, could not find the right flux. I bought some phosphoric acid and will try that one.
I don't think they put any spices in Saeng Som which is rum in fact, may be some caramel for the colour and some flavour.
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Location: Born in Belgium, living abroad
equipment: 100l boiler 3" column VM - 6" and 7 plates with dephlegmator (in progress - target, first run december 2022)

Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby scythe » Thu Jan 28, 2016 8:28 am

I think the main components in silver soldering flux are; hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride and water.
Also i have learnt that you can apparently make a flux by mixing sodium bicarbonate with water to make a runny paste and that will work (so the old bloke at work reckons, i have not tried it yet).
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Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby garouda » Sat Aug 03, 2019 2:11 pm

Well, a long time ago since this post...
Moving to Loei and building a new house means a change in priorities as well as in available budget... Currently my 6" project has been put on ice and I first aim at finishing my 3" reflux column LM/VM and pot still. I think I will use one 80cm section of my Ø 3" column as a gin basket. I intend to place it horizontally right after the VM valve, with some pot scrubbers inside to keep the bag with the botanicals in the vapour flow. I met some expats from NZ and the UK here and one mate is keen on making Gin, he made some when he was working abroad and knows how to find the major ingredients (botanicals). Target is end of this year, one of the reasons is temperature. Yeast do not feel well above 35°C.
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Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby Arismac » Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:13 pm

I intend to go a somewhat different road with the gin which I think will give me better management over the final taste.

My new avatar shows an essential oil (EO) still of the type frequently used in making cosmetics. I intend to add my choice of botanicals to this EO still which will then allow me to use an eye dropper to add a measured amount of the EO still product and add it to a small quantity of quality spirit.

This then allows me to try a range of botanicals and amounts in small taste quantities and fine tune until I get exactly what I want.

A botanical s basket is a "shot gun" approach and does not permit variations in the final product. It should be remembered that ethanol is a very good emulsifier for the vast majority of essential oils so therefore minor taste adjustments are completely uncomplicated. Simply add a bit more or add a bit less.
Last edited by Arismac on Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:15 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby garouda » Tue Aug 06, 2019 6:49 pm

Hi Mac, looks good, but you need some more equipment. I'm considering using one 80cm section as gin basket where I could place a bag with botanicals. You're right, no fine tuning but who can claim their first run got a gold medal. I'm still missing some parts, but this is the idea.
Mumbay Bombay That's the Question.png
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garouda
 
Posts: 51
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equipment: 100l boiler 3" column VM - 6" and 7 plates with dephlegmator (in progress - target, first run december 2022)

Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby garouda » Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:38 pm

In the meantime I changed my mind and built this one.
I'm about to do my third stripping run (T'FFV) 3 x 69 litres and will then do my spirit run. Some neutral will be used for Pastis, some for making Gin, it's a vodka recipe, but I'm not going to make vodka this time.
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Last edited by garouda on Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
garouda
 
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Location: Born in Belgium, living abroad
equipment: 100l boiler 3" column VM - 6" and 7 plates with dephlegmator (in progress - target, first run december 2022)

Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby garouda » Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:28 pm

In fact I did not use that setting, but my pot still setting with gin basket...
I got a very interesting Gin, I must say, not the real London Dry, but something a bit more flavoured with more fragrances.
A friend of mine is a real Cockney, I'will give him a bottle, wait and see... or wait and listen...
:handgestures-thumbdown: or :handgestures-thumbupleft: That's the Question
garouda
 
Posts: 51
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Location: Born in Belgium, living abroad
equipment: 100l boiler 3" column VM - 6" and 7 plates with dephlegmator (in progress - target, first run december 2022)

Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby garouda » Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:03 pm

Well my Cockney friend likes my gin... He and my wife are the only ones who know about it. :law-policered:
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garouda
 
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Location: Born in Belgium, living abroad
equipment: 100l boiler 3" column VM - 6" and 7 plates with dephlegmator (in progress - target, first run december 2022)

Re: Gin Basket or not

Postby howard » Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:14 pm

garouda wrote:Well my Cockney friend likes my gin... He and my wife are the only ones who know about it. :law-policered:

interesting collection of botanicals there Mr G.
some are obvious, some i don't recognise.
list?
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