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What is the best way to store botanicals for gin-making?
Hi Everyone,Back to distilling after a year later cleaning my still and arranging my botanicals, the problem is when I opened the cupboard where I store my botanicals, the smell has permeated all over, then I realized that it was mainly cassia bark which created this, I store my juniper in the freezer but the rest in cubbord such as: Cassia Bark, Grains of Paradise, Cubeb Berries, Coriander seeds, Cardamom, Angelica Root and Licorice root, this time I will put them in a sealed Jar would it be ok to do so what do you think ? I only keep Juniper berries in the freezer and the rest in the cubbord is that ok ?How do you store your botanicals ?
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9 Replies
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Welcome back, it will be good to have your input again.I store all mine in screw top jars out in the garage, usually also still in the bags they came in.Make Booze, not War!
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Mine all came in heavy lined Kraft paper Ziploc bags. Which all live in a plastic Ikea box in my office.But I think that the correct answer is “in alcohol”! “I have a potstill that smears like a fresh plowed coon on the highway” – JimboA little spoon feeding *For New & Novice Distillers
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I use airtight containers of different sizes – the type with the rubber seal and locking clips in the lid. The containers live in the pantry. I try to use the juniper within a few months rather than storing it for long periods, but if I have leftovers I’ll put them in the fridge.
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Airtight screw jars
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I also store this way! But I’m wondering how long is too long to store these botanicals before they’re no longer fresh enough? My juniper, coriander, and cardamom are about four years old ( as I’ve been a hiatus) stored as stated. It still seems fairly good but what do you think?13.5g/50L keg modular 3″ pot/VM copper&stainless w/offset gin head26g 4″ stripping still5500watts of fury
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I also store this way! But I’m wondering how long is too long to store these botanicals before they’re no longer fresh enough? My juniper, coriander, and cardamom are about four years old ( as I’ve been a hiatus) stored as stated. It still seems fairly good but what do you think?If you could get fresh bots to compare with that’s the ideal, then if the older ones are a little more dull, you can increase the additions to the gin to compensate. I’d personally try a small test batch and see how it comes out. Worst case you either blend it into another, stronger gin, or re run it.Make Booze, not War!
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I also store this way! But I’m wondering how long is too long to store these botanicals before they’re no longer fresh enough? My juniper, coriander, and cardamom are about four years old ( as I’ve been a hiatus) stored as stated. It still seems fairly good but what do you think?If you could get fresh bots to compare with that’s the ideal, then if the older ones are a little more dull, you can increase the additions to the gin to compensate. I’d personally try a small test batch and see how it comes out. Worst case you either blend it into another, stronger gin, or re run it.Good ideas. Thank you13.5g/50L keg modular 3″ pot/VM copper&stainless w/offset gin head26g 4″ stripping still5500watts of fury
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Frozen in ziplocks. Freezing will do far more to protect from oxidation and volatile loss than pretty much anything else you can do.Brewer for decades, dabbler in distilling trying to get better at the craft.
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Screw top jars an a dark apothecary, juniper in the freezer.Some improve with age, some I replace when they are in season rather than when their jar is empty.
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