Visited a commercial distillery

[Tesla101]

On our way back from Sydney me and Mrs Tesla dropped by a micro gin distillery for a bit of a taste and so I could check out their operation.

Taste wise they do a very nice dry gin, a really nice aniseed gin and also a very interesting "Grain Jenever" which was infused with eucalyptus honey.


According to the distiller, gin was originally invented by the Dutch and called Jenever, which the English called Jin, then gin. Apparently the Dutch stuff was pretty rough originally so the English refined it into what we know today.

Here's a couple of pics...

image000000.jpg

2000L fermenter on the left used to be a milk vat. Wash gets pumped from the fermenter to the boiler. On the right is the grain storage which is barley and malt.

image000001.jpg

400L boiler running on gas through to a 6 plate glaser (8"). Then a series of ball valves sends the vapour path to either a pair of product condensers for a stripping or spirit run, or through the botanicals basket on the left.

When we were there he'd just about finished a stripping run which takes about 5 hours.

[Sam.]

What name do they trade as?

[Tesla101]

What name do they trade as?

Hurdle Creek Still in Milawa, VIC

[db1979]

So looks like they're not just getting in IBCs of ethanol and re-distilling it. Nice to see.

[Sam.]

So looks like they're not just getting in IBCs of ethanol and re-distilling it. Nice to see.

Yep quite rare these days, wonder if they are putting any whisky away...

[Tesla101]

So looks like they're not just getting in IBCs of ethanol and re-distilling it. Nice to see.

Yep quite rare these days, wonder if they are putting any whisky away...

He did have a few oak barrels with some "experimental" things in them. Forgot the name already but I do remember they were aging at 58% abv

[Chocko6969]

What name do they trade as?

Hurdle Creek Still in Milawa, VIC

Yep just out the road from me, nice little spot and they produce some nice stuff too.

https://www.hurdlecreekstill.com.au/

Chocko

[wynnum1]

So looks like they're not just getting in IBCs of ethanol and re-distilling it. Nice to see.

What would it cost to buy an IBC could be a big expense if starting out and not flush with money.

[The Stig]

Keep this on topic please no need to veer off into IBC buying territory

[Tesla101]

I was pretty impressed with their efficiency and use of resources.

Spent grain gets fed to the local cows. (and his chooks cleaned up what he spilled on the ground) The juniper comes from a local supplier not far from him and even the eucalypt was from the tree next to the barn.

Uses recirc water from a 10kL tank (you can see in the background pics). All hand bottled and labelled. A nice little operation that seems to keep the distiller happy enough and busy enough too. He's been doing this for only 4 years.

Oh and his dogs were very welcoming too :)

[bluc]

He used eueclypt :shock:

[db1979]

Very small amounts of eucalypt are considered acceptable, some cough lollies have it in them.

[db1979]

No good for aging :naughty:

[scythe]

Only see eucalyptus mentioned in relation to honey.
No mention of the wood being used...

[Tesla101]

Only see eucalyptus mentioned in relation to honey.
No mention of the wood being used...

Right you are scythe...

From the label of "Grain Jenever":

An homage to the traditional Oude (old) Jenever style, with 33% malt-wine. The malt-wine is lightly aged in oak and blended with a triple distilled grain spirit, infused with juniper and a combination of local and native botanicals, including, pink peppercorns, ribbon gum leaves, three Australian myrtles: lemon, cinnamon and aniseed, and eucalyptus honey.

[fredshere]

Simon has a degree in distilling and teaches at Melbourne University. I think he has a bit of a handle on it. While his distillery has been operating 4 years don't let that confuse you that he's only been practising 4 years.

[Tesla101]

What? There's a degree in distilling? Why didn't my high school careers teacher ever tell me that? :o