My first gin run.

[Bru_Dog]

So yesterday, I finally got round to making my third batch of spirit in my little 8 gallon chinese knock off still!

I know I'll probably get shot down for not spending days re stilling, and charcoal filtering a spirit, until it's as pure as angel tears, before running it one last time with the botanicals stuffed in the pipe thingy. But I've used the time and equipment that I've got.

Firstly, the other week I made a 20 ltr sugar wash with 6kg of sugar and added a packet of alcotek vodka star - should have been 25 litres but I misread or disregarded the instructions. After 4 days i had a wash that was way below 1.00 - worked out at 15.75% abv in the end and 19 litres once racked off the lees.

At the same time I bought a packet of Still Spirits Gin Botanicals and Herbs - London Dry Gin Style. I decided to maturate the contents in some high proof spirit and add them to my thumper when I ran the wash. I had a jar containing 387ml of 78%abv neutral so popped the botanicals in that and shook it every day - i meant to run this in about 5 days, but due to the wife ending up on hospital for a bit, it was 12 days that the wash and bots sat there.

I bunged the 19 litres into my pot and the bots along with about 200ml of water into my thumper, kicked the whole lot off, and over the next 7 plus hours watched a lovely clear spirit drip into my jars.

I tested every 100ml for abv and added it into 400ml jars starting at 86% abv all the way down to 20% abv.

Today, I tasted and smelled all 14 jars and was most impressed with all but the last 3 - 42% abv down to 20% as they were cloudy and had a bit of an off taste and smell. I think from 42% down i was getting impatient and bollocked it through at full throttle! (As opposed to the drips I'd ran up until this point) looking in my thumper today, I'm guessing I puked into it! Anyway, these jars will go into my next wash so won't be wasted.

The first 11 jars, from 86% to 50% all went into the bucket and when mixed came out at 70%abv on the button. I tempered to 48% (this gave me 7.5 litres) with spring water and the botanicals really started to shine through!

I then bottled some and kept a gallon aside to make sloe gin out of later this week.

Now, I'm sure many will be suggesting that a one run and done, through a cheap Chinese knock off, with botanicals that had the shit steeped out of them, lobbed into the thumper, would result in some poor quality Gin!

Well, myself and the wife just tried it. Neat on ice it's really hot (to be expected at 48%) but all the botanicals are present. Mixed 50/50 with tonic it really comes alive! So smooth and very little heat . Tbh, it's as good a gin as I have ever bought - I'm really surprised as I thought it would be mediocre at most! I'm going to let a friend who really enjoys their gins try it this week, to get their opinion too but I'm well happy with it. Worked out at only £1.35 a liter too excluding the lecky used to boil it.

So there you are, a one run and done Gin, that to my personal taste (and that of the wife) is pretty damned good!

As it only came out the still yesterday and was only tempered today, is it likely to get even better if left a while?

[WelshGin]

I am impressed with your effort.

Nuetral spirit, you will not create it beyond 93/94% Abv. That's it.

Then add botanicals, do not distill the shit out of them. Should I do that in capitals? DO NOT, .... no, I am sure you have understood. Thumpers etc not required. You need to extract the flavours FROM THE BOTANICALS and ensure they are then within the tasteless nuetral.
Easy.

GIN.

We all have different Kit but Gin is simple. If you want to create something different, you also have the Kit. It may not be Gin. It may taste better it may taste tasteless.

As our good friend Robert used to say, 'There is not only one right way'. Make your own juice, I make GIN.