StillSmart

Hi,
Fairly new to distilling buy thoroughly enjoying the process of learning and improving.
I've now distilled 4 different gin recipes and am finding that the corriander taste is coming through really strong and this keeps happening despite a process or reducing the amounts in each recipe change I go through. I don't think it's just me potentially being sensitive to it either as others have noticed this.
My first few runs I was using quite a lot of botanical quantity, I.e 35g or so per litre, of this about 10g was corriander. The gin that came out was really pungent in corriander to the point I didn't enjoy it. I reduced it a little in the next run but didn't make much difference.
Laterly I've made a few more runs and reduced the total quantity of botanicals down to 25g per litre and of that the corriander quantity down to about 3 or 4g. However, albeit I need to let both variants sit for a couple weeks, there is still more pungency to the corriander than I like / notice in commercial gins.
I should say I let the juniper, corriander etc masserate for 24 hours in sugar wash distilled spirit (40%) before distilling. Comes out clear etc.
Anyone else have similar issues / any advice?
Thanks

I can only point you back to Odin's Easy Gin which is Googleable.
Seems to me that you are loading too much botanicals.
Take a read, you may learn something to your advanage.
Good luck with it.

Robert.

Gin is all about listening to the ingredients.
A new batch of juniper berries can throw you off if they are really fresh.

You are right that the flavours will change over time.

25-35g per L is about right.

Are you using fresh coriander or seeds?

PS Odin's gin is great but OMG is takes a long time.

Odin's recipe states
12g Junniper
3g corriander seed
And the peel of a Tangerine
Per litre of neutral.
Sure it takes a week or so, but it works for me.

Not aware that "fresh" Corriander has been mentioned previously, I just pound the seed.
I know that sounds so wrong!

Robert.

I do hope Garfield doesn't read that... lol

Just wondered about the coriander. If it was transposed it would explain the issue. I have been asked "seed or fresh" in the past.

A question we need answered ... How are you making this? Host soak or cold soak for 24 hours? Recipes are not the same, because flavours extract differently in different liquids.

If they are seeds, to what extent have you crushed them "cracked" or "ground to flour"

Better answer.

Can we have the full recipe please? Weights, times and temps.

The relationship between coriander and juniper is important - this might not be too much Coriander it could be too little Juniper.

Erm, don't over recipe this recipe..
Odin's Easy Gin works.
Do your own tweaks as you progress,according to your own taste, but don't let anyone tell you the ONLY way to progress.

Robert.

ED I know you keep sayin "odins gin" have I missed something in the OP. Didn't know this was odins?

Me?
Just trying to point people back to something that works
From there they can add the tweaks that may float their boats.
And for me, make a Gin too strong in any flavour that you don't feel can be improved by dilution, then simply re-distill and start again.
Fairly ferkin' simple as I see it.
There is a lot of bolleaux in the world of Gin recently,(commercially, and on this site) and as you might have guessed, it irk's me.

Robert,.

With you there. An incredible amount of bolleaux in the world of Gin recently.

....and complete and utter bolleaux prices.

Thanks for responses, my last two recipes are as follows:
Juniper – 15g/l, Coriander – 4.3g/l, Angelica – 2.2g/l, Cassia – 1.1g/l. orange peel – 1.1g/l and Lavender – 1.1g/l

and also:
Juniper – 15g/l, Coriander – 4.3g/l, Angelica – 2.2g/l, orange peel – 1.9g/l and lemon peel – 1.9g/l

Interested in the 'just redistill it if you dont like it comment...would that remove all the flavour of botanicals? I've always assumed it would only remove some of it?

Thanks again

Yes I read it Mash, just cant think of a printable
reply, not before the watershed anyway.
You know what they say Mash. All good girls should
be in bed by nine......
And home by midnight.

calumrobertson wrote:Thanks for responses, my last two recipes are as follows:
Juniper – 15g/l, Coriander – 4.3g/l, Angelica – 2.2g/l, Cassia – 1.1g/l. orange peel – 1.1g/l and Lavender – 1.1g/l

and also:
Juniper – 15g/l, Coriander – 4.3g/l, Angelica – 2.2g/l, orange peel – 1.9g/l and lemon peel – 1.9g/l

Interested in the 'just redistill it if you dont like it comment...would that remove all the flavour of botanicals? I've always assumed it would only remove some of it?

Thanks again

]

Depending upon the still,you should end up with good as neutral.
I find your Angelica,Cassia and particular Lavender levels high.
But hey hoh, nothing wrong with personal taste.

Robert.

calumrobertson wrote:

Thanks for responses, my last two recipes are as follows:
Juniper – 15g/l, Coriander – 4.3g/l, Angelica – 2.2g/l, Cassia – 1.1g/l. orange peel – 1.1g/l and Lavender – 1.1g/l

and also:
Juniper – 15g/l, Coriander – 4.3g/l, Angelica – 2.2g/l, orange peel – 1.9g/l and lemon peel – 1.9g/l

Interested in the 'just redistill it if you dont like it comment...would that remove all the flavour of botanicals? I've always assumed it would only remove some of it?

Thanks again

Lets get on and sort this out for you.

Angelica is a pinch per litre, but not sure thats it. TBH I would expect this recipe to be quite tame.

Has anyone else tasted this - what do they say?

What still are you running this on?

IS this fresh or seed coriander?

What method are you using to make this? Tell us the steps you go through inc times and temps.

I am sure we can get to the bottom of this with a little more info.

Cheers for reply...might be angelica..not sure..will do a bit more of a taste test now i've let them rest a few weeks. I'll have the ingredients to hand when tasting..but yeah i toned down to this recipe after a few other attempts.
I'm making this on a spirit still, first using t500 to make the neutral spirit then use an alembic head for the gin making.
I maserate for 24 hours, at room temp. One thing i've not done the last few times was grind the juniper (or coriander for that matter) as didnt have a pestel and mortar..not sure whether that would mean the juniper isnt coming through enough?
It is coriander seed.