Great Gin Recipe Discussion

[the Doctor]

As somone who uses roses in a number of products, and after much testing we have isolated the best petals as being David Austin and old fashioned roses...fresh is best...dehydrated just do not have the heady aroma of fresh rose terpenes.Frozen is the second option...but fresh is best by far especially if you can pick them immediately before use. Cheers.
Doc

[bt1]

How do you age a rose bush? got me F'd

I reckon these round here are early 70's style of work at a guess

Cheers Doc fresh it is then.

bt1

[bt1]

Chef guru Urrazeb,

I don't use a lot a recipe work cos i'm still growing the art of gins.

What I do however is have a couple litres of azeo or 65%, when I see something that might be a goer, check on web to make sure it's not toxic, bang a small piece in azeo in 100ml test jars and taste it after a week or so.

There's this general outline...
http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=6358&hilit=+gins

let's recall here a bit then...
I use the same basics of the style and use in all my gins so save repeating these core go in all...
Juniper, Orris and Angelia root

Optionals anise, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cassia, worm wood, gingers, cloves, dill, orageno, dried chilli

2 citrus and all florals, rose, banksia, wattle, lavender, fruit blossoms, violets,callistemons was a nice one
3 peppers /grains of paradise is real good
ginger, cinnamon, cardamom all double doses was ok

Genever's I can't do with out...make these first.

Hendricks clone was a stunner... doing that again in a few weeks

bout all I can recall... I should start writing it down but I like the random by the taste buds approach... the creative side.

bt1

[BIG D]

How do you age a rose bush? got me F'd

I reckon these round here are early 70's style of work at a guess

Cheers Doc fresh it is then.

bt1

Bt I could be wrong but I think you will find that in regards to age it is the variety age not the age of the actual rose bush. :think:

[Urrazeb]

Thanks bt1, some interesting options there.

Probably need to start writing your recipes down in case you hit a magic concoction.

Not that I can talk :oops:

[the Doctor]

Just to clarify ...when i refer to Old Fashioned Roses...I am refering to the older style of rose, which were bred more for aroma ...these harbour the best oils for extraction.... David Austin is a breeder who is trying to breed back these attributes into the modern rose... I am lucky that Australias only David Austin rose farm is just up the road, here in Kentucky.
Cheers
Doc

[BIG D]

Just to clarify ...when i refer to Old Fashioned Roses...I am refering to the older style of rose, which were bred more for aroma ...these harbour the best oils for extraction.... David Austin is a breeder who is trying to breed back these attributes into the modern rose... I am lucky that Australias only David Austin rose farm is just up the road, here in Kentucky.
Cheers
Doc

Thanks for clearing that up Doc. Just as I thought. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bt1]

ok I reckon I might be in luck here...

Of the 15 or so roses I use only the same 2, full flower head, deep crimson full bloom types very fragrant.... just selected on the basis of strongest fragrance nothing scientific there.

geez I'll give em a prune and a tub up, might even use some fertiliser....

thanks Doc

bt1

[the Doctor]

BT the best way to tell if they are good for gin is by fragrance, as this is the greatest of rose's contribution to gin...so sounds like they will be perfect.
Doc

[peterhobit]

So how many grams of fresh rose petals would you use in say 10 liters of Azo diluted down with water to 40% in a Gin run? My partner is a rose nut and grows lots. Went to David Austin nursery in the UK just a few month back. Have losts of strong scented old variety roses in the garden as well.

[RefluxEd]

Hi peterhobit,
the dried rose buds that I use are very fragrant. I use 3 grams (6 buds) with 40 litres of of clean spirit that has been diluted back to 40%.
The rose fragrance comes through last after the product ABV drops below 30%. It is easy to over do it.

[the Doctor]

we work in kg per run with mulrtiple baskets in a carter head still so our volumes will not relate to your experience...what I suggest is that like me, you just try a volume and adjust up or down as required by taste. If you are making a gin and want to gain max control when adding a new ingredient, you can make an azeo tincture of the rose petals for example to test the strength you require. That is if you are mascerating your gin...we vapour extract so for those who use a carter head just add the ingredient to one basket to test.
Doc

[dogbreath vodka]

Did some gin last night.... the rose didn't carry over.
Really wanted to taste the rose.
Was using rose petals from Austral Herbs.
Not a complaint as they are great at the service and products they provide.

So I filled the botanical basket to the brim with dried rose petals and then added some more.
Made a nice rose vodka. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Only got a litre and a half of azeo before the flavour faded though. :sad:

Glad I bought 3/4 of a kg :-D :-D

DBV

[MacStill]

if any Perth members want some roses you're quite welcome to come pick some, we have a couple of large rose gardens with very nice smelly roses..... the bush's are at least 20 years old and there's a few different varieties...... not that I know what they are tho.

Cheers.

[dogbreath vodka]

Those roses do have a lovely scent.... my Missus couldn't stop smelling the ones Mrs Mac gave her. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

DBV

[templeton]

Ran this through my new potstill yesterday.
Made up an extension about 6 inches long above the pot and before the elbow to the condenser, with gin basket insert from copper mesh just rolled in a tube with the bottom folded over.
Didnt have powered ginger so sliced up a knob of fresh and put that in. No rosebuds, so left out.
ran about 6 litres of low wines through.
I was expecting a bit more flavour to come through from the botanicals. Havent done a proper taste test yet, but next time might put the extension after the elbow and before the PC.
on my stripping runs i was pretty agressive cutting the foreshotss and heads. Given we are trying to keep lots of aromatics, should i let the product breathe for a day or two, or just age it a bit before blending?

[bt1]

temp,

Let it sit for two days to air at least. The bigger flavours (cloves and heavy juniper in you end of run cut jars heading towards tails) take a good 3 -4 days to settle down...worth the wait. Just about every second cut jar will have noticeable different blend of botanicals. Here's the fun part blend to get the one you like or blend to make several versions.

enjoy
bt1

[Urrazeb]

I always go to the effort of running hearts for gins, I still cut as this allows blending of the right amount of botanical fractions :ugeek:

Strip, spirit run, cut, load her up and run the hearts through with the botanicals :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[templeton]

thanks for the advice.
T

[templeton]

Started blending my collections last night, and the first jar went really milky as I diluted it with water, but all the rest stayed clear. Harold McGee "On Food and Cooking" (my go to book on all things consumable) indicates its terpenes. Any further info? Should I chuck that jar? To be expected?
T