AirStill Gin

[chill]

One of the few advantages of an AirStill is the ability to experiment with small quantities. This is a good thing as I have yet to really nail a gin and the wide misses go down the sink. That said, this is getting close. I don't let the botanicals macerate at all, I found that was yielding tastes that I did not like.

10g Juniper berries
4g Coriander seed
4 Grains of Paradise
4 Cubeb berries
1 Cardamon pod
Grind/crush/break the above items, I use a mortar and pestle. You don't want powder, you just want to release the aromatics.

1/2 tsp dry bitter orange peel
1 sm piece of cinnamon (small like a fingernail unless you want cinnamon gin!)
1 gm Angelica powder
1g Liquorice root
1/8 tsp real Almond extract
1 pinch ground Orris root
1 small strip of fresh lemon peel
1 g Myrrh (just because I found it, no Frankincense though)

1 L 45% ABV neutral (as close to neutral as you can get)
? L water to reduce ABV to 30-35%

Toss all of that into the AirStill and turn it on. Collect in small jars, especially at the start and end when some strong tastes come over. Decide for yourself which of these you do and do not want. The middle of the run is fairly consistent in flavour.

I taste and blend by mixing 1/2 tsp from each jar with 1 tsp warm water, this makes the flavours stand out better. When you have decided what to keep, blend/combine and dilute to 45% or so. If you go too much below this, it can louche.

Now have a gin!

Chuck

[John51]

After making the gin, do any flavours come through when doing a neutral run?

[chill]

No, they don't. I do run some water through the head to flush it.

Chuck

[John51]

Thanks. My brother wants me to do a gin run but I've been worried about carryover flavours.

I'll print out your ingredients for him and if he wants a gin, he can get the botanicals.

[Jimmy]

In case you missed it on another thread, the Capt provided a list of botanicals suppliers, might be useful!

http://www.purplesage.org.uk/
http://www.justingredients.co.uk/
http://www.cotsherb.co.uk/index.php

[Capt-Cudellez]

Thanks. My brother wants me to do a gin run but I've been worried about carryover flavours.

I have had carry over with the T500, I think the ceramic saddles were the culprits.
Don't have that issue now when pot stilling, but I do still wash out the condenser afterwards.

[Normski]

1 g Myrrh (just because I found it, no Frankincense though)

Hi Chuck
One of the links above, - purple sage - has Frankincense tears (Boswellia spp.)
Some of that and pour into a Gold Bottle for Christmas eh.

Norm

[chill]

That sounds tempting Norm. My friend asked to make something that tastes like Christmas. No idea what Frankincense tastes like.

Chuck

[mozr]

Christmas tastes like the feeling of regret from going into debt over a day that was once a religious festival and is now a commercial marketing campaign to get us to give each other shit we don't want.

Bah humbug.

Sorry, I have run out of pills.

[chill]

LOL @mozr. I opted out of Christmas by the time I was 16. Just did not see the point anymore.

On a happier note, here is one that turned out rather well. I was trying to get a little close to this local gin: http://www.victoriaspirits.com/our-gin/


8g Juniper berries
5g Coriander seed
4 Grains of Paradise
3 Cubeb berries
1 Cardamon pod
Grind/crush/break the above items, I use a mortar and pestle. You don't want powder, you just want to release the aromatics.

2.5g dry mandarin orange peel
1 sm piece of cinnamon (small like a fingernail unless you want cinnamon gin!)
1 gm Angelica powder
2 "legs" of Star Anise
1/4 tsp real Almond extract
0.6g ground Orris root
1 small strip of fresh lemon peel
2 g Myrrh
1.5g Rose Petals

1 L 45% ABV neutral (as close to neutral as you can get)
? L water to reduce ABV to 30-35%

When it is done soak 6-8 threads of real saffron in it for one day and then strain. Next time I might try 6g of Juniper.

[RoboStill]

I've been reviewing a few Gin recipes lately, and this one piqued my interest. I love the Victoria Spirits gin!

The problem I have is getting my hands on all the botanicals. Cubeb, grains of Paradise, myrrh? How critical are some of those? The rest I think I can find locally (in Canada), but those few seem elusive, and buying online seems like I'll end up with a significant quantity.

[chill]

I had no trouble finding them locally. Cubeb and Grains of Paradise I found in gourmet food/spice shops. The myrrh I found in the seeds, spices, berries, and twigs :-) section of a local organic grocery / hippie store.

That said, I think they are not all that important. I have lately been playing with minimal ingredient gin without these and there is not a "missing" area that I notice.

Chuck

[RoboStill]

Where I live now, there is a drastic shortage of "gourmet" anything, but I will be sure to have a look around.

I used to live in Victoria (hence the penchant for Vic Spirits), and definitely miss the abundance of "craft" grocery shops!

I have a batch of VodkaStar neutral fermenting out now, should be ready for stripping in a week or two, I'll be acquiring my botanicals in the meantime and will be sure to post back here when I give it a try.

[Capt-Cudellez]

These guys ship to Canada if your stuck.
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com

[chill]

I have more than I need (you don't use much). If you want to PM me an address, I can drop some in the post for you.

Chuck