PeterC wrote:The oils coming out of solution on dilution with water and causing clouding is called louching (also called the ouzo effect). Some here say that Gin is better at 45% abv so you could try that. If the flavour is plenty strong you could add some neutral back to it to see at what abv it clears, but sometimes it does not easily reverse and go clear. Better to go the other way. The 40% abv spirit rule is more to do with tax and labeling declarations. For brown spirits, I oak at 65% (which they say is optimum) and don't bother diluting just use a bit less when making mixers (or not!)
Craiguzzi wrote:Where is the oriss Angelica and grains of paradise available in Adelaide?
Hull brew wrote:Gentlemen, I'd Appreciate any thoughts regarding quantities of botanicals on the following, my first attempt at Blond chaps gin.
I have 4 litres of double distilled 94% neutral.
I plan on diluting this down (30%?) and running it through my pot still with the botanicals in a suspended muslim bag before the product condenser.
If I read correctly (page 9 of this thread), I should be aiming for approx 20-35g of botanicals per litre of finished product.
The thing I cant get my head round is the amount of finished product I might end up with, so cannot calculate the quantity of botanicals.
Also if this post is in wrong place, don't spare the abuse!
Hull brew wrote:Thanks, unsure what defines charge here.
4l at 94% being equal to 9.4l at 40%, i.e. the finished product, would require 9.4 x 20/22g botanicals?
Is this correct?
In reality, I'd be diluting to 30% in the still, but this isn't relevant is it?
Hull brew wrote:Well that was fun.
Total charge was 9.3l at 40%.
Multiplied all botanicals by 5 as per PeterC recipe above.
In weight this was approx 80g, well short of the 'recommended' amount.
Unsure what to do so pressed on. When its your first time, ones as good as another.
First lesson learned - I should have run just a litre as a trial. I now know I need more juniper in for my personal taste and it took all day to learn this!
Ran the still very slow - only 500W, for the most part temps stable at 81C, only rising as alcohol content diminishing.
Anyhow, ended up with 4.55l at 78%.
Is it best to leave this for a while before diluting down to drinkable strength?
I'm also wondering if my botanical bag was a tight enough fit.
I was concerned that it might swell and block the still, so wound a restraining spiral of copper wire around, just to be on safe side. Not needed I reckon.
As can be seen, there was a small gap between the botanical haggis and the still's pipework.
Should I have jammed it in good n proper, or am I worrying too much?
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