Orange peel + Too much vodka in Secondary?

[jrlepage]

Hey all,

So I'm worried that I did something really dumb and I'm hoping the batch isn't ruined. I brewed the following recipe, doing 10 days in primary and 20 days in secondary:

http://store.homebrewden.com/scary-spice--recipe-kit-p271.aspx

I soaked 1 oz of sweet orange peel in vodka and added that when I racked to secondary. I intended to use "just enough vodka to cover" the peel, but it's like it swelled up and absorbed the vodka, so to "cover it," I probably added a lot more vodka than I should have (around 10 oz).

I tasted it on bottling day, and there's a fairly strong vodka smell and taste to it. It's been 7 days since I bottled and I couldn't resist trying one today, and again, strong vodka aroma and taste. It's a bummer because it masks all of the great flavors this recipe was supposed to have.

My only other concern is that it could be fusels. Does anyone have experience adding around 10 oz of vodka to a secondary and ending up with a vodka taste/smell? If so (or even if it's fusels), is there any chance that taste/smell will mellow out? Thanks!

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I did the same thing. I took several weeks to mellow out but eventually it came around.

 

[jrlepage]

I did the same thing. I took several weeks to mellow out but eventually it came around.

Thanks man, that's good news. Do you think it was fusels in your case or the actual vodka taste/smell coming through? I'll give it a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I think it was the vodka. I used about 3/4 cup to infuse the orange peel (dried and fresh). It was only a three gallon batch.