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Gin
Nov 17, 2023 10:00:04 GMT 12
eri likes this
Post by GO30 on Nov 17, 2023 10:00:04 GMT 12
A big day at the town office today. One I'm actually here which is unusual but the biggie is I'm running my first full botanical Gin. Never done a full botanical before but so far so good. The 1st litre out came in at 71%, ya hoo! but no I'm not contracting to Rocket Labs fuel supply, it will decrease. Smells nice and trying hard not to taste test at 10am. Lt 2 at 61% Lt 3 at 42% dropped hydrometer so sent lad on an emergency procurement.
Must say this distilling stuff is fun. One downside is I gave some to The Great-grandmothers of Devonport/Bayswater gossip group. I think I've created a monster, man oh man can they pack the Gin in and they are quite to pester for more. Anyone had to tell their 86yo mother to stop being such a lush and teaching her grandkids bad drinking habits? 
My rum has had many great comments. The Lemoncello went down very well.
I think my Gin is nearly run it's run by the looks. The target is 5lts of full botanical at 40%, I think I'm going to hit that spot on. A different start to the day than chasing bovines.
Very shortly we'll be fully solar powered and use
exclusively spring water, along with fun things like swapping out
Juniper berries for Manuka berries and other such fun experimentation.
If anyone has an green Limes I'm hunting for 15 odd of them. By green I mean ripe but not turned yellow, the green colour is important.
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Gin
Nov 17, 2023 11:17:49 GMT 12
via mobile
harrytom likes this
Post by dutyfree on Nov 17, 2023 11:17:49 GMT 12
Can’t help with limes but I am a very experienced gin taste tester 😂
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Gin
Nov 17, 2023 12:10:50 GMT 12
Post by fish on Nov 17, 2023 12:10:50 GMT 12
We used to have a lime tree, and I used to give limes away. Even to Black panther, who was gobsmacked that we would actually give them away.
Then last summer / autumn it curled up it's leaves and died. Basically too wet for it / too humid.
I am very annoyed, as I've since discovered ceviche and regularly need limes, of which we had and didn't need all of, and now we don't have and do need.
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Gin
Nov 17, 2023 12:59:11 GMT 12
Post by harrytom on Nov 17, 2023 12:59:11 GMT 12
We have a lime tree that buds ,gets fruit,next minute gone. Found it was the neighbour thinking they were lemons.
Gin lime bitters.Oh must that time of the day??
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Post by GO30 on Nov 17, 2023 14:24:14 GMT 12
I found some at Maungi 4 Square. Ripe, green and only $13 a kg so I grabbed some.
Sadly a bit later that evening the neighbour popped over and some Tequila came out.
By morning all we had was the dearly departed.
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Gin
Nov 22, 2023 9:28:44 GMT 12
Post by GO30 on Nov 22, 2023 9:28:44 GMT 12
So Fridays Gin went down a treat, it was bloody good. One of my tasting panel, all expert gin swillers, rated mine above Tanqueray which was very flattering. I was aiming for a full botanical London dry style and succeeded by the sound of it. So I did another run yesterday and added a bit of lemon zest into the botanical basket. Holy crap is that tasty. I loaded my tasting panellists last night so will hear more over the next few days. Got the base botanicals sorted now to play and tweak a little. Any suggestion of what could be worth a suss to add into the Gin? Cucumber is on the list as it Manuka berries, what else? Come up with a goodie suggestion we try and we'll send you some. Many a liver is going to suffer thru Xmas as my stocks grow. Currently sitting on 14.2lts of Gin alone...and not the pussy 37% shit, mines sitting at 41%. At one stage yesterday I have 3lts sitting at 65%, very tasty with a distinct air 'this will fuck you right up' |
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Gin
Nov 26, 2023 9:15:21 GMT 12
via mobile
Post by Fogg on Nov 26, 2023 9:15:21 GMT 12
I really enjoyed this Gin the other day in Wellington - can’t remember the fruit addition but some kind of berry. Combined with the Fever Tree tonic is was a great drink. Or two. 😊  |
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Gin
Nov 26, 2023 9:45:06 GMT 12
Post by harrytom on Nov 26, 2023 9:45:06 GMT 12
Gin Hmm never tried the home brew concoctions but Gordans Bombay sapphire then Seagers only with water
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Gin
Nov 26, 2023 12:29:04 GMT 12
Post by GO30 on Nov 26, 2023 12:29:04 GMT 12
Gordons and Seagars are flavoured, Bombay is botanical as far as I'm aware. With water? Don't about that.
Next botanical I'm running will be based around cucumber. The basic botanical came out bloody good, the second with a wee added lemon also bloody good so things bode well currently.
What flavours do you thing would be nice in a Gin? Let me know and I may have a crack at them, whomever suggested the flavour can be the crash test tester.
Also most store brought run at 37% ABV, Alcohol by volume. My botanicals are sitting at 41-42%. How important is the ABV level?
I ask as towards the end of the last botanical I was sampling ever 750mls to watch alcohol content, the 1st came out at 74% then faded. The last one I took out was around 9%. Add them all together and they averaged 41%. But then I let the still run on a bit so sussed what came out. About enuff to lift it off 0% but not by much. But you could still taste the berries, cardamom etc so next botanical I'll run on and make a run of 'Hangover Free Gin'. Yes basically gin flavoured water but market it right and people will go for it.
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Gin
Nov 26, 2023 14:30:59 GMT 12
Post by harrytom on Nov 26, 2023 14:30:59 GMT 12
Use to make a peach wine by the barrel until peaches became out of reach,even seconds/rotting. 15 yrs on still keep being asked wheres the next batch. red wine was easy till neighbour riped out the 50yr old vine. So just beer in the making,not sure if I could trust myself making spirits. Have tried a moonshine that was in Wellsford  |
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Gin
Nov 26, 2023 20:44:07 GMT 12
Post by fish on Nov 26, 2023 20:44:07 GMT 12
I ask as towards the end of the last botanical I was sampling ever 750mls to watch alcohol content, the 1st came out at 74% then faded. The last one I took out was around 9%. Add them all together and they averaged 41%. But then I let the still run on a bit so sussed what came out. About enuff to lift it off 0% but not by much. But you could still taste the berries, cardamom etc so next botanical I'll run on and make a run of 'Hangover Free Gin'. Yes basically gin flavoured water but market it right and people will go for it. Mate, the hangover free gin market is big and growing. I'm a bigly hangover free gin drinker. I'm glad to hear you've finally caught up with the trend. Ecology & Co is easily the leading distiller. Devonport based. A couple of staples, but they are always putting out some fancy new botanical concoction... |
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Gin
Nov 26, 2023 21:16:27 GMT 12
Post by fish on Nov 26, 2023 21:16:27 GMT 12
Ecology & Co's standard drinks are London Dry & Asian Spice. They are currently doing limited editions of Hanoi Dry, Desert Rose and Juniper Garden. I haven't tried the Limited Editions, but the Hanoi Dry sounds most appealing: The beautiful fusion of Vietnamese pandan and lemongrass with traditional juniper and coriander makes Hanoi Dry a unique and must-try blend. It's the perfect balance of familiar and exotic flavours, taking you on a culinary adventure with every sip. As a note GO30, if your smart, I reckon you'll be into the Hangover Free gin. This stuff goes for $67 / 700ml bottle, there is no excise tax and bugger all regulatory coin pinching. If you've already got the still, you just need some fancy graphic designer and marketing wonk to come up with a name and label (mind you, I reckon you could DIY the name and label while sampling some of your fully leaded gin). You could make a fortune out of it, and none of the compliance costs of trying to retail ethanol based products. ecologyandco.com/collections/shop |
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Gin
Nov 26, 2023 23:05:17 GMT 12
Post by harrytom on Nov 26, 2023 23:05:17 GMT 12
Gordons and Seagars are flavoured, Bombay is botanical as far as I'm aware. With water? Don't about that. Next botanical I'm running will be based around cucumber. The basic botanical came out bloody good, the second with a wee added lemon also bloody good so things bode well currently. What flavours do you thing would be nice in a Gin? Let me know and I may have a crack at them, whomever suggested the flavour can be the crash test tester. Also most store brought run at 37% ABV, Alcohol by volume. My botanicals are sitting at 41-42%. How important is the ABV level? I ask as towards the end of the last botanical I was sampling ever 750mls to watch alcohol content, the 1st came out at 74% then faded. The last one I took out was around 9%. Add them all together and they averaged 41%. But then I let the still run on a bit so sussed what came out. About enuff to lift it off 0% but not by much. But you could still taste the berries, cardamom etc so next botanical I'll run on and make a run of 'Hangover Free Gin'. Yes basically gin flavoured water but market it right and people will go for it. The old man brought me up on water with gin/whiskey/rum etc its the carbonated fizzies that create the hang over. Good party trick to take a bottle of Gordans thats been suitably watered down and drink straight from the bottle.Get weird looks. Last time at a tens party the comment was."your old mans a tough bastard drinking that straight". Last time we had teens here.I produced the water bottled gin and they still wanted it watered down with lemonade,tough boy none here. |
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Gin
Nov 28, 2023 7:11:48 GMT 12
fish likes this
Post by em on Nov 28, 2023 7:11:48 GMT 12
Plug for our twilight series sponsors , very good gin . Bit of inside info , if you are paying more than $60-70 for a bottle of local you are being ripped . Gin is very simple to make commercially . Some of the locals use very elaborate bottles which most likely drives the price point . Black collar also makes a smoked northland pineapple Rum which is meant to be very very good if you can get hold of it . Attachments:
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Gin
Nov 28, 2023 12:47:36 GMT 12
Post by GO30 on Nov 28, 2023 12:47:36 GMT 12
They are literality less than 100m from where I'm scribbling this.....off for a suss once I finished this. The problem I have is it was thin so I'll grab a bottle of theirs for a suss. At $67 for 700mls someone is making a absolute killing.
Botanicals, $20 there abouts. Buying poncy water, if they are, say $10 then a little power, $7.30 was the cost of my last run. So say $40 and for that I produced 5-6lts of Gin. The cost of the actual 'gin' not included obviously (that would add another $35 odd). So cost price per 700ml bottle will be around $8 plus packaging. I'd be confident in saying the bottles and caps would be less than $5 each so assuming 5 onto the 8 and cost price would be 13 notes + gst.
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