Macerating and distilling with Plates

[flyhigher87]

Howdy guys,

   So I was at a gin distillery the other day and they macerate for 24 hours.  throw everything in the kettle.  And then distill with 4 plates in their column and use a dephlagamator(not sure what the output was set at).  

So I was wondering doesn't using plates after a maceration take away the flavor of the gin?  I get why you would use plates before a gin basket, if you think the vapor should be a certain ABV before it runs through the gin basket.  But I don't get why you would increase ABV/ increase rectification with plates after macerating.  Wouldn't you basically be rectifying your flavor out of your gin?

If anyone does this or has any thoughts on it let me know. I'm really curious.

[bluestar]

We find that if we are going to put all of the botanicals in the pot, that yes, running 4 plates and dephleg would remove much of the botanical flavor. So, if we are running a redistilled gin with fairly clean base spirit, we will run without plates. But we do a distilled gin off of beer with 4 plates and dephleg, and while we put some juniper in the pot with the beer, we place the rest of the botanicals in a makeshift gin basket above the plates below the dephleg, and that turns out to be very efficient in extracting flavors and aromas from the botanicals. Keep in mind, any change of where and when you introduce the botanicals will change the flavor profile, and not in a uniform way, since different botanicals extract differently. So, you must test and determine what works, adjusting botanical bill as you see fit.

[Patio29Dadio]

Quote

 

Keep in mind, any change of where and when you introduce the botanicals will change the flavor profile, and not in a uniform way, since different botanicals extract differently. So, you must test and determine what works, adjusting botanical bill as you see fit.

 

Variables:

- Type of base

- Botanical selection

- Quantity of all

- Masceration, over-boiler basket, vapor basket, post distillation infusion

- Extract blending

- Other blending

- Filtering

- Water qualities

- Proofing

Basically it seems that there is an infinite number of combinations to get to a final product.  It is a big puzzle and only for those that like puzzles.  

What am I missing? 

[Eud]

Seems like if you put all those botanicals in your column or in the boiler with plates you will have to do a lot of cleaning to get all of that flavor and aroma out of there unless you have a dedicated column.

[bluestar]

On 8/15/2018 at 5:48 PM, Eud said:

Seems like if you put all those botanicals in your column or in the boiler with plates you will have to do a lot of cleaning to get all of that flavor and aroma out of there unless you have a dedicated column.

You need to do an aggressive clean, but PBW followed by citric acid at elevated temperature seems to do the trick. Real problem with everything in pot and using plates is just not getting enough volatile oils across.

[Chris Ober]

On 8/17/2018 at 11:34 AM, bluestar said:

You need to do an aggressive clean, but PBW followed by citric acid at elevated temperature seems to do the trick. Real problem with everything in pot and using plates is just not getting enough volatile oils across.

Do you run these in a circular manner via: CIP only or do you heat and ever push cleaner through deflag's and condensers?

[SlickFloss]

On 10/15/2020 at 7:55 PM, Chris Ober said:

Do you run these in a circular manner via: CIP only or do you heat and ever push cleaner through deflag's and condensers?

On pot we've found that condensors need little cleaning if there is no copper on a downward angle of a Lyne arm. All of our deflegs and plates are CIP'd