Adding Gin/Infusion Basket

[DWmobile]

Hi All. I am probably getting a little ahead of myself as my first run hasn't been put through yet but I have a 20 gal pot with a thumper. If I were to add an inline gin/infusion basket would it be best to have it before or after the thumper or is it more person preference? After would be the easiest as it would take the least modification based on how everything is set up.

 

[Birrofilo]

You would normally obtain your neutral first, and only after that you would do the "gin run" with the gin basket. That's the normal procedure.

Or you would obtain your neutral first, macerate the botanicals, and then run the macerate through a still.

 

[DWmobile]

Hi Birrofilo. Thank you for the help and insight. I am looking more for where the basket itself would be positioned. Positioned inline before or after then thumper or if it would make a difference? I was thinking of ordering a prefabricated one and with some of the lead times though it might be good to get the process started.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Each way will give a different product. You could also put your botanicals in the thumper. I'd lean towards putting it after the thumper. If it's before the thumper I'd assume the thumper will take out some of the flavour, but might lead to a more 'refined but subtle' flavour. Ideally it'd be modular so you could try both ways, as well as putting botanicals in the boil, and see what your preference is. I run my botanicals in a 2" column of a pot still, and it gives a noticeably different product to a friend who runs the same botanicals with a 24hr maceration then boil.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

If you run it after the thumper, make sure the vapour still has to move upwards before condensing. If the botanicals are on a horizontal or downward slope to the condenser, you'll end up with discolouration of your gin from liquid leeching out of the botanicals.

 

[DWmobile]

Thanks Gnomebrewer. This is helpful. I guess in reality it will still be modular, with an extra stand under the pot, as there are union fittings. The pot will just end up being pretty high up. I guess I will have to try configured both ways.

 

[Birrofilo]

I would just dismount the thumper. The thumper only aids you in obtaining the alcohol you want, the degree of flavour and purity you want. When you have the final alcohol product, you begin adding the botanicals to it. For this, you only need a basket.

You should already have your alcohol in its definitive form/shape before you begin the aromatization.

 

[DWmobile]

Thanks again Birrofilo. That should also end up being an option with some very light modification.

 

[Birrofilo]

I was thinking of ordering a prefabricated one and with some of the lead times though it might be good to get the process started.

You can go with a "modular" still, with elements mounted and dismounted according to the need.

What i discovered though, is that the gin making requires a small still while the neutral production requires, for decent efficiency, a larger and different still.

My still has a 35 litres (to the brim) kettle and a column which is more than one meter high. This I use for neutral, and will use for whisky and rum in the future.

For gin and amari and bitters and liquori, and for the preparation of essences, and for any "liquoristic" need, I will buy a separate, small, fast to clean, little still (3-litres kettle) which I will put on the gas stove. That small still will be used with a gin basket, or I will just put the botanicals in the kettle, or I will put in the kettle the maceration after filtration. The small column and the small copper basket will be easy to clean deeply after each use, to avoid cross-contaminations of flavours.

I can produce 10 litres of 95% alcohol in a run, but I will not produce 10 litres of amaro or of mistrà etc. in a run. Not until I have a firm and well-tested recipe at least...

 

[DWmobile]

The still I bought is modular in that it has 4" cap logic/ferrule on top so I can add a reflux column later. The gin basket is modular in that it is made to fit inline by removing a stretch of copper without any modification. I am already committed on the stills itself 20gal/75ltr.

This is all brand new to me. I will probably use the basket to infusion other things until I step up to gin. Will definitely keep the addition small unit in mind as something to get a more refined product down the line.

 

[Orval]

After the thumper which main role is to increase the ABV. I have a Ø 3" stainless steel still which is flexible, pot still VM reflux still. I made my gin basket using some left over Ø 3" SS pipe with some sanitary fittings (tri clamp)