"Forgive my ignorance but I need to learn, hence, I will ask the question.

Do we buy ""essence"" in a bottle and then after the ""run"" is finished, we add essence (flavoring) to give our neutral sprit a flavor to our liking or MUST it be added during the distillation process?"

I'm not trying to "make" anything. I would simply like to know how one goes about using an essence. Is it used during the fermentation process? Is it used during the distillation process? Is it used after the distillation process? Is it used after the spirit has been proofed? How is it used; I have never heard of this until I saw it advertised.

"Thanks Bayou.

KGB"

"This looks like a good place to put my 2 cents worth in the forum.
after my spirit run,I put a ( small amount ) of medium toasted chips in a quart jar and seal tightly,place in a chicken incubator at 100 degrees.
This expands the distillate and forces it into the chips.
Then place in freezer to suck the fluid back out. Of course here in Texas just put out in the sun during the summer.
Repeat this process as many times as you like,it ages the mash the same as being in barrels .Then I add a little smoked scotch essence from Brewhaus.:)
I will leave this Texas heat and come to Alaska next August."

"Bayou ruler,
I agree with you 100 %
Am still experminting with the recipe.
Some times it turns out so good that my head hurts the next day,other times not so good.
KGB
Go to home distiller .org and you can get a lot of info.:)"

"


Bushy: You have caught me with my pants down. I do not have an air lock. My large pot, having all the solids on the bottom, has a lid but it's not air tight and there is no way to add an air lock if I had one. What now?

Yesterday evening, after posting to big-wheel, I pitched one pack of EC 1118 yeast into the big pot, stirred vigorously prior to and after adding yeast to oxygenate the mix, placed the lid on the pot and I'm letting it work. I've checked several times and the liquid is quite ACTIVE. My mixture has formed a thick ""Barley cap"" that cannot be easily penetrated with the finger. Don't get me wrong; you can poke your finger through the cap but the finger does not go through the cap as it would if it were nothing but foam.

I plan to let this work for 80 hours then seperate the solids by placing the solids into a fine mesh bag, squeeze the bag dry of liquid, let everything set for another 24 hours in my pot, and then carefully transfer every ounce of clear liquid into my cooker.

I hope I have't messed up anything.

KGB"

"KGB, sounds to me like you need to get another 5 or 6 gal bucket. A plastic food grade one with a lid that seals. Most of them come with a hole for an air lock and rubber cork already drilled in them. If your pot lid is loose your co2 can escape fine while fermintin but that also means that air carrying nasty growin things can getin when fermintins done and cuase bad smells and flavors. If you leave your liquid on your solids for settling the yeast will sometimes give off some bad flavors also. Get another bucket w/ lock and transfer it after there after it stops working or at least slows down.
You can cook yer uncleared liquid if you want to. It might scorch in your pot and that don taste to good, cooking yeast don't help either. Especially when useing a gas burner. Done that."

"

I haven't the least idea. I'm about to give it a try for the first time. I have ""proofed"" my spirits to 90 proof and will introduce essences to a liter this weekend.

My initial thoughts are, a range of 80 to 100 proof will likely be the best but I have no experience to back this up ...... only a SWAG.:)

KGB"

"Eubank6
Like some one just said every one to their own taste.
I am always expermenting but the last time I cut my spirits to 40=50 proof,
added a spoonful of chips,sealed in quart jars and this time of year put it in a chicken incubator ( temp of 100 degrees F) for 24 hours ,that expands to solution then put in freezer for 24 hours that contracts solution and pulls flavor from the chips.
Here again it is for a taste that you enjoy."

Well Sparky I disagree.

If you can't produce a clean neutral with a reflux distiller, then one or a combination of three things is the cause. Either the design of the distiller is inefficient, You are not running the distiller properly or, You are not making proper cuts. ( Fores, Heads, Hearts, Tails)

Of course it helps if you start with a good wash or mash. Good meaning a reasonable beginning Specific Gravity, proper nutrients and fermented with good temperature control.

Now I'm not trying to take shots at you, I just disagree with you on this point. Though I produce Ethanol for fuel, I know that I can produce a clean neutral that don't need carbon filtering.