Sputnik Gin - Louching

[hampk]

I've started playing with my Sputnik in anger - all sorts of small volume experiments going on. Tea last week - been fiddling with spices this.

One problem I seem to have consistently is louching - pretty much most of my output will louche when tonic is added - the latest (which I diluted to 40% from 55) even has a cloudiness in the bottle. I'm not too worried about this one for,other reasons - far far too much cumin in it!!

I assume I'm running too long and bringing over too many oils towards the end? Or am I thinking wrong?

Cheers

Hampk

[Capt-Cudellez]

It's most likely oils that come over at the very beginning of the output.

I run 1 gallon batches, 1 gal DJ of 64% cut neutral goes in with 10l of water. And I collect 1gal at about 60% for cutting down to drinking strength, so I'm collecting most of the alcohol.
I take off the first 40-50 mls and don't include them in the end produce as it causes the issue you spoke about.

[Mash]

Yes indeed.

I also upped the % and that seems to make a difference too.

Is it something to do with the saturation point?

[gaza the instructor]

Someone said oils from the friut
element in the 1st 15mls.
I think Mash said to keep above
40% to avoid louching .

[gaza the instructor]

If its any help I shut off at 45%.

[Mash]

I upped it to 50% and that 'seemed' to cure it.

I think the oils in the first bit is key - but I don't like the idea of removing that flavour....and the original heads had been removed in the spirit run.

After all these experiments, I found cleaning up the spirit again a challenge. Carbon filtering gets say 3/4 of the botanicals flavours out, but back to neutral no way. I am going to test diluting it to 20% and then freezing it out.

[hampk]

Thanks for the suggestions. I do chuck the first 10ml, but shape try upping this a bit to see if that improves things.

Let me know how your freeze-cleanup experiment goes, Mash, though I suspect ther is no easy way to clean the stuff back up again. Definitely less cumin next time - much less!

Cheers

Hampk

[Mash]

I think it might work. Dilute it down and see if the water will hold a bit of the flavour.
2 litre pop bottle I think.
Invert when frozen. Redistill.

If not, is gin scented screen was soo bad
"No officer it's the screen wash."

[gaza the instructor]

These oils are they coming from the
fruit content or the berries.
The only reason I say this it doesn't
happen with tea gin, no fruit in that

[Mash]

That's a good observation. Whats your tea gin recipe?

[hampk]

My tea gin experiments have so far revolved around the three basic gin staples (juniper, coriander and angelica root) and varying quantities of different types of tea extracted from tea bags! I still get louching though, so I think my issues probably stem from the juniper.

Mash, I tried freeze-jacking the stuff I made over the weekend. I diluted it right down to about 20%, froze it for 24 hours, and inverted as you suggested. The resultant liquid (roughly 500ml) looks even more louched than before, although I had to leave things to get to work, so couldn't measure ABV etc.

I suspect that I have actually concentrated the oils in the alcohol, rather than stripped them out, although without knowing what ABV I've got out, that's only a theory.

Cheers

Hampk

[Mash]

I was trying to establish if they are from Juniper or the citrus. I think we have the answer.

The idea was to freeze hard, invert and then re-distill the drainings ... but it sounds like thats not gonna work either.

So are we back to gin scented washer fluid (or buy a column)

[hampk]

That's a great justification for buying a column! Sadly I've only contaminated 1 litre of neutral, so SWMBO is't going to sign off on it I fear.

I'm going to try discarding a little more than the 10ml I was slinging at the start of the run, and cut off sooner as well. And I'm also going to leave out anything that might add extra oils (citrus etc) until I have the juniper under control!

Cheers

Hampk

[gaza the instructor]

Mash my tea gin recipe

10g Juniper
4g coriander seed
1 only Cardamon pod
3 only cuberb peppers
pinch Orris root
Lrg pinch Angelica
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
1 opened teabag.

Lightly crush all seeds
1.5 ltrs 45% neutral
1 ltr tap water
Use Sputnik & discard 1st 15ml
Collect down to 45%
Dilute to 45% with good bottled water
Drink !!!
Haven't suffered from louching so far.

[gaza the instructor]

Will post this and a favorite
of mine(Plymouth) on the recipe
page.