StillSmart

Thinking about trying brandy
Plan to get a couple of mid range 30 bottle kits of Sauvignon blanc do a simple ferment and sparkaloid clear then give it a go
Ain't gonna be that cheap but worth a go I think
Anyone tried something similar or am I barking up the wrong grape vine ?

I've just run 2 galls of rhubarb wine through the airstill...it's very moreish, the rhubarb has carried over nice. It does come across very much like a brandy....I do have 2 galls of grape wine that I'm not too sure about so I'm thinking of doing the same....will let you know.

I've not tried this, but it is on my near-term To Do list. It think it should work well with some aging on oak.

Chuck

Speaking of ageing on oak hugely impressed by the oak staves I kindl recieved as a freebe from SDE
Think ii'll try the no. 1 French oak with the brandy experiments

I'm toying with this idea, I have some SD French oak no 4, I'm gonna use a couple of budget 5 gallon wine kits, the only thing in not sure of with a brandy is how to make the cuts, do you go for clean hearts like a neutral or would you recycle fients and follow similar methods to making a whisky, I suspect the latter but I'm open to suggestions as I have no idea!

@Anavrin: If you aim for a neutral, you might as well go for a cheaper wash. A good neutral is exactly that - pure ethanol.

Follow the whisky making direction and you should arrive at a much more brandy like result. Make enough so you can sit it aside to age for a few years. It will be worth the wait.

I haven't done this,but RJ's advice sounds good to me.

Robert.

Admiral Toad wrote:Speaking of ageing on oak hugely impressed by the oak staves I kindl recieved as a freebe from SDE
Think ii'll try the no. 1 French oak with the brandy experiments

2nd that - I have 'made my own' staves and also tried french and american oak dominioes. Really good results.

Bought a kit of white today and started it. I used a fruit schnapps yeast instead of the EC-1118 that was included with the kit. Details to follow as this progresses. I need to get back in the shop and start sawing up more Oak.

Update
stripped and did spirit run with one plate
Got 4.5 litres at 72% on some distilling dominoes
Initial taste was encouraging

In the autumn if you know chaps who make wine from grapes. They normally throw their skins away (black or white) - this and a few bags of sugar would make a very palatable brandy.

Good Thinking

... and they are drenched in free yeast !!

I've got a 5 gallon savigon blanc kit going, it's only a few days old so it'll be a couple of weeks before it ready for stripping but I'm planning on the same idea, although my other half has her eye on it! She wants a gallon for drinking! How rude! lol

@Admiral Toad did you use two 5 gallon kits? Or are your results from just one? I'm guessing two and that's my plan at the moment.

Finished my cuts tonight from a single kit, I ended up with about 2L @ 67% from an AirStill and I have 800ml of tails and over 1L of heads that will re-run and see if there any anything worth keeping from them.

Initial tastes are not that encouraging. It is OK but I was hoping for more flavour. I have it aging on 5g of heavy toast and 5g of medium toast oak chips. I need to get back in the shop and start sawing up more oak.

Chuck