🍉DO THIS! Watermelon Moonshine into GIN!

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Bearded's Watermelon Gin -
Amounts listed are per liter of spirit
1/4 tsp Orris Root - amzn.to/45EwjJz
0.75g dried Thyme - Olive Nation - bit.ly/33cdUqn
14g Juniper Berries - bit.ly/33cdUqn
1 Raw Almond - bit.ly/33cdUqn
1 peppercorn - bit.ly/33cdUqn
0.1g Cardamom - bit.ly/33cdUqn
1/4 tsp Chamomile - amzn.to/46GdI1i
1/4 tsp linden flower - amzn.to/3tKuzRQ
1/4 Bay Leaf - bit.ly/33cdUqn
4g coriander - bit.ly/33cdUqn
Citrus zest - 1/2 lemon, 1/2 lime
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Disclaimer: This video may contain a simulation of the process of distillation filmed for entertainment and educational purposes only. The equipment depicted is solely for the production of distilled water, essential oils, and brewing. The information on the process is provided for its entertainment and educational value only. Distillation of alcohol is currently illegal at the U.S. Federal level if done without a license, even for the sole purpose of personal consumption. Understand and follow Federal and State laws when making alcoholic beverages. If you attempt this project, you assume all risk. Please drink responsibly.
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[@BeardedBored]

Get 20% OFF Olive Nation products - bit.ly/33cdUqn Use Coupon Code *BB20* for 20% OFF your entire order!

[@kingmaybus8409]

Ive been told by a candy chef that i should try invertase enzyme...is anyone familiar with using it in brewing?? He says its amazing at breaking down most starches and complex carbs to fructose.also being he's in the food business its fine for consumption he knows his shit i just dont want to ruin a mash over food versus alcohol production techniques. According to Him, I could get another up to fifteen percent of sugar after the analyze 😅 id love to get some feed back from other experienced brewers/distillers

[@nellynelson965]

Guys. Dont wory about louching. Its cloudy gin. Just say you made, cloudy Gin.

[@BeardedBored]

This is my Citrus Cumulonimbus Gin:-)

[@jeremylastname873]

..with a silver lining! 🎉

[@Generalleeawesome]

thanks for talking george into coming back, i feel like you had a hand in it! ❤

[@JanVdV]

When my gins get cloudy after diluting, I just add some higher ABV neutral alcohol until it turns crystal clear again. That always works. But often I just leave it as it is. It don’t bother me all together. To me after all, it’s a proof that my gin is packed with flavour.

[@BeardedBored]

Indeed!

[@wiseguysoutdoors2954]

Also, a few oz of glycerin will also clarify it and soften the punch of new make.

[@bluesfishes8491]

Total gin head here. I always keep some high proof on hand for just this reason.

[@belo2999]

Bottle at 45% so it's clear and let it louche in the glass. Ouzo/Sambuca/Pastis etc. all louche normally, I just don't see what the issue is if it tastes better.

[@BeardedBored]

Agreed:-)

[@swirlingabyss]

That's some strong eye contact.

[@whiskeywookie2758]

Loving that intense awkward eye content! Lol

[@gregcoram6974]

As a commercial distiller making a lot of gin I find that I simply leave in a glass carboy and it clears over time, the more head space the quicker it clears. Usually ten days in sealed container does the job. Sometimes I even bottle it and just wait for it clear before selling them.

[@bluesfishes8491]

Hey man, going to try that! Question if you've got the time. Have you ever had a heavily botanical loaded gin leave a white film on inside of bottle once it was empty?

[@eddiedinel4260]

My favorite bit of trivia is that the part of the zest of the citrus you want is called the "flavedo"

[@PoppaLongroach]

That domok and picard shirt rocks man❤❤ ........shaka, his arms wide!

[@bigrudy91174]

The way clouded up reminds me of absinthe

[@Pecanhead]

As a lifelong Houstonian I noticed the Karbach Crawford Bock container in the background there. Always love the content keep em coming. Much love from the H.

[@MrNoodlebaby]

A massively underrated method to reduce louching is time! Find the lowest ABV that the Gin can stand before it louches and let it hang out in glass at room temp (away from direct light) for a couple of weeks (more is better). Then try and proof down again to where you need it.

[@colonelangus7535]

Nice to see you save that failed watermelon shine from this summer.

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, so glad it worked:-)

[@RiggerBrew]

When making Sambuca, it is clear. Add some ice or water, it's cloudy white.

[@tylertapp131]

So damn cool, personally i think havin it that white color gives it more character, especially if youre showin it or havin it with friends. Put that shit over a sphere of and let it show in a clear glass, think itd be cool especially with tonic water, get some bubbles in there. Lol look like a damn lab experiment, very cool.

[@johannbadenhorst8906]

I usually use coffee filters. Also if you dry your zest it helps

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks for the tips!

[@gardencompost259]

I’m just getting back into the craft. Recently made a gin that’s packed with juniper and citrus. Yeah, it Louched . That said, it makes a great gin and tonic. Imho, ice proofing is a great way to get past the cloudy perception of guests. I mean absinthe is supposed to, so why not a flavorful gin.😁

[@FlatwoodsCellars]

Good way to save that likker! I proof my gins down very slowly over weeks. No louching. There's some craft gin makers that are selling cloudy bottles now.

[@BeardedBored]

Interesting. Didn't know timing was that much of a factor. Cool!

[@BEAVERDIY]

Now this is how to save a product.. while you distill let it drop into so charcoal and coffie filter it catches some of the extra oils if you went over on the oils.

[@BeardedBored]

I definitely should have done that. The beads of oil on top were ridiculous, hahahahaha!

[@fabbricaitalianaautomobili5859]

Goed omte weet 😅

[@garykuchan8371]

Using a air stone helps remove the cloudiness of over proofed down spirits. Ive done it with gin before

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks for the tip!

[@DropBear69]

Almost all of the gins I make are cloudy when proofed down to 43% ABV because I make fruity gins exclusively. All my gins will clear naturally if left sitting at drinking strength for a month or two (depending on the season). My limoncello is always cloudy for the same reason. I tint some of my gins with a tiny drop of food colouring, the colour of which is based on the fruit used. BUT, there's nothing wrong with cloudy gins! There are some commercial gins sold specifically as "cloudy gin". They're usually sold in fancy bottles and for a premium price so people think it must be special 🙂

[@ubuntupokemoninc]

I always leave my gin louched, it has a really nice silky texture then, kinda like drinking milk.

[@jimrozelle8569]

Cloudy has never mattered to me. But...the liquer gnome I have in the basement was making a gin for my girlfriends dad. The base was made with light juniper and citrus. Then, vacume stilling the oils to make a concentrated tincture, the flavors where added after. About 50% ABV and no louching. The gnome did a lot of work but it was a great gift for the girlfriends dad. The second thing I have done was milk wash. A slight milk was didn't lose as much flavor as I thought it would and tasted great. This was a concentrated amount of botanicals to keep the flavor but it worked pretty good. As always thanks for the content!

[@kevin_ninja_jones2363]

Surve it like a absinthe with a water drip

[@BeardedBored]

Oh fancy:-)

[@DaveK385]

I hung out with a lot of Middle Easterners at one time who drank a lot of Arak (high proof anise liquor). It's similar to Ouzo because turning milky when ice water is added is part of the drinking "process". If it doesn't turn milky, it's considered no good. Ouzo does the same thing when ice water is added.

[@BeardedBored]

Arak is on my list;-)

[@Miata822]

@@BeardedBored Glad to see that. I've been thinking of making some Ouzo. Fond and somewhat fuzzy memories of Greece.

[@SA12String]

Wearing Jesse's shirt today. Awesome! As far as the heavy citrus and louching, try filtering a small amount of your gin to suck some of that oil out. Just play with it until you find the balance between the oils and maybe avoid louching. IMO, this is the fun part. Brings out the mad scientist in me. The other option is to just call it something like "milky gin", made by a secret recipe, and show guests the louch transition and sell it as a positive sign of excellent, oily and flavorful gin, which, in truth, it is.

[@BeardedBored]

Excellent advice:-)

[@wiseguysoutdoors2954]

I made, (hypothetically) a strawberry watermelon shine, blending the fruit and fermenting, along with raw sugar, proofing down with actual watermelon juice, (100% juice from the shelf) and it came out tasting like a strawberry jolly rancher,, slowly morphing into a watermelon jolly rancher. I didn't use anything other than the red fruit part. None of the white part of the rind either.

[@ericenos1097]

You could always use a different type of bottle to conceal clarity if that"s the issue.

[@whiskeywookie2758]

Love how this turned out! Keep being awesome! Loved the video!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother!

[@user-hj8is3dc2w]

Love the content that You, Jesse, and George (Glad to have him back!) provide. I do not have any celebrities I like but if I was to meet any of you three, I would be like " A teenage girl at a NKOTB private concert". That gave up my age lol. Thanks keep up the good work for our community.

[@Isarico]

"As a former chef(...)" I just knew:D best regards!

[@Theerath-bn6sn]

Love your content from Thailand!❤

[@angrypastabrewing]

I don’t mind the cloudiness of gin as long it tastes good

[@jonathanbates4748]

Great video. Very informative. My liquor fairy made some gin awhile back. He will definitely try this recipe.

[@MultiTut69]

Thanks for following up on the “repair”. I have some of the same awful watermelon crap that I’ll try your gin recipe on. Thank you.

[@BeardedBored]

Happy to help:-)

[@TigerPat_9180]

Really Enjoyed Your Video , Thanks ! 🐯🤠

[@craig.n.gaylene]

I had a Waragi that louched, I just left it at full strength and used half nips. It tasted great.

[@BeardedBored]

Didn't know waragi would louch. I love learning new things:-)

[@craig.n.gaylene]

@@BeardedBored Not as bad as the gin, it was just slightly cloudy - it looked kind of like a stripping run. Now I test all my spirits before I proof them down to see if they louch.

[@Jake_B74]

I used to get louching in lemoncello. It is normal for lemoncello, but I wanted it clear. The way I stopped it was going for 100 proof instead of 80 proof, and that did it. Because the base spirit I use for it is so nutral, and my cuts selection is very picky, no burn at 100 proof, I just need to be careful not to over consume it. My gin comes out clear at around 90 proof, but turns slightly hazy when made into a Gin and Tonic. I find that acceptable...

[@the_whiskeyshaman]

But the loosh is real. All that oil attaching to the water. And separating you can try super slow proofing over a long period of time. Sometimes that works.

[@lilinguhongo2621]

heard of that as well, ABV measurement and water volume calculation first, same temperature for water and destillate, a "water dripper contraption" and the miracle of time...

[@martijnblokzijl1350]

Haha duuuuude… 😂 loved it again. Keep ‘em coming! ❤

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks! Will do!

[@naab007]

I don't care about looching, it settles after a week or 2 anyways, but i also like my spirits 160 proof or higher so I don't actually have to worry about it.

[@BeardedBored]

Good point!

[@fabbricaitalianaautomobili5859]

Thanks Broer, I am definitely going read others suggestions, as I have had a really upset tummy with those oils in my spirits, I have had it in tails also but have found it drops out of suspension after sitting for a couple of months,(I guess obviously) but I like to make Limon chello with the ugly stuff! Thanks again ciao ciao

[@GrayDoingStuff]

When I’m doubt gin it out!!!!

[@bluesfishes8491]

Hey hey Bearded, have you ever tried silicone tape instead of distillers bisquit? 100% silicone, super easy to use and NO cbipping and soaking away the baked on dough. I use the XFasten stuff. Good value.

[@Miata822]

I was originally told that it was pronounced "Loosh" but I may have been lying on the floor of a bar in New Orleans at the time. The louche is, of course, the desired outcome of a traditional absinthe presentation. To remove louche/Irish mist/Scottish mist from a bottled spirit just warm the bottle slightly and keep it warm for a while (the normal cautions about warming flammable volatiles in glass apply). That won't get rid of globs or oil, just the haze. Many wise and experienced people have told me that we can prevent louching in the bottle by bulk proofing very slowly over a period of days before bottling. They say words like "saponification" and seem quite confident. They are wrong, of course, but I respect them anyway. A slug of 170+% neutral will clear it right up. I also suspect that just the tiniest pinch of sodium citrate would clear a louche, but I won't be trying that. Somebody might see.

[@rushchaser]

Awesome video as always!

[@calebplanck9162]

Just put it in a dark colored glass bottle and then ice proof it!

[@kristoffer-robinlotze7273]

Tonics are usually (at least here in Sweden) a bit cloudy so no one would notice. Just did my first gin but since i don't have a liquor fairy i just let the botanicals infuse and boy does it look nasty. Dark brown, half translucent. 😂 Smell is good as well as the taste, i would dial down the licorice root a bit for next time though.

[@docr8197]

Great save idea 👌 how about a "gin gin" -- ginger gin ??

[@BeardedBored]

Did one. It was delicious 😋

[@misinformationwithrandy]

When you take over the world I hope you can do away with the hypotheticals 😂

[@the_nothing]

My gins end up around 83% after blending. It will opalize just looking at it wrong. I dilute down to 47% over the course of several weeks--reducing by about 1% per day. This has been the only way I've been able to control the color. I use a plant watering dripper to slowly add a couple hundred mils a day. I have a hypothesis that adding warm water might reduce the chances of opalization and potentially allow for faster dilution. That'll have to wait until my next gin run (or maybe some absynth!)

[@fatbuttbassett4732]

Im building a buckner funnel with a vacuum to filter your recipe for amaretto

[@the_whiskeyshaman]

Yea buddy sounds good. Yea you gotta watch citrus and mint because they can over power real fast.

[@brucekrisko4364]

Nice job Bearded! Next time try drying out your citrus rinds first. Thats where the oil is coming from.

[@mikedany4030]

I like to use paper towel dab try to suck off that oil make sure you got a nice and cold first

[@BeardedBored]

I might try that. There is definitely enough oil on top to test it:-)

[@devinodonnell]

Louching as a _negative_ has always baffled me, it's literally more flavor in a spirit.

[@BeardedBored]

I know, right?!

[@deanparker5548]

Freeze and filter a glass, try it out and let us know. Great video

[@SteveRix420]

You put quite a bit of ginger in there.....did that carry through at all? You mentioned spicy notes from the lemon/lime.....possibly from the ginger?

[@MrDikini]

I like pastis, so louching does not really trouble me

[@TigerPat_9180]

Who's First 🥇? Oooow You ! 🐯🤠

[@TheWolfster001]

Loved it... Little or a lot cloudy shouldn't be an issue if you have an awesome taste.. You're gonna be drinking it, not setting it on a shelf and stare at it for enjoyment.. I have a couple friends who recently went from hobby to 'LEAGALLY" making spirits, Both told me making a Watermelon liqueur, is not easy, it's better to make a sugar shine and add a good quality Watermelon extract to it, if Watermelon is what you want to taste.. I have experimented a lot, cause I love watermelon, I eat some at least 2x a week, LOL.. and I tried that method and it worked good for me.. I also am a lover of all things ~GIN~ So I am gonna try your version, by taking some of my watermelon (basically vodka) and turning it to a watermelon gin.. Thank you for sharing.. Have you tried using strawberries in making a spirit, Sounds good in my mind though..

[@BeardedBored]

I like your plan to use the infused vodka to make watermelon gin. I bet it'll taste even better. Haven't tried strawberries yet.

[@manicmedic6409]

I think I need to make my New Year’s resolutions to get into gin. They look fun to make but the pine tree flavor…

[@cagemaster6135]

I dont care for gin normally, love all your videos, what i really need more of is that shirt, many might not get it but i really hope it says Tanagra at the bottom

[@BeardedBored]

It does. Temba, his arms wide😉

[@ozziedudemike]

Just call it Lemellon-Lime Mist and pretend it was deliberate. ;) I can almost smell it. 😁

[@dickopolka2733]

If a liquor fairy was to start with NGS, how much watermelon would you add to the botanicals?

[@TheNumbers400]

Up next, me marketing my SKY GIn Cloud Edition, Hazy as fu@k

[@KTJackal71]

If you are chasing looks then watching the wrong channel. 100% about flavor and home distilling.

[@Rubberduck-tx2bh]

Hey Bearded, is this watermelon shine a nominee for "Tried & TERRIBLE" on HD forum??? 🤣 But seriously -- could you, err.. I mean THE LIQUOR FAIRY re-run it and put some watermelon slurry in the thumper?

[@McRootbeer]

Off topic, do you plan on making more videos with the my vodka maker? It seems like a cool device for water distilling and essential oil making.

[@BeardedBored]

That's the plan!

[@edwardbrown7571]

My grandfather, who was so poor that he wore hog rings in his brogan shoes, used to grow twenty acres of Watermelon back when a single watermelon sold for 50 cents to 75 cents depending on size. As I matured I wanted to make watermelon wine back in the 1960s. But all the recipes called for rine like it was just a way to save the throwaway parts of the melon. I hated it~!! It didn't taste watermelon`ie at all. So I started making watermelon wine with only the red juicy part of the melon. Loved it~!!... Around when I turned 50 years old, I met this brandy fairy back down at the ole homeplace. And the wine the mystical fairy cooked off for me was great, watermelon'ie, I loved it... I never use green-white rine in my wine or mystical fairy brandy's... But still... There are some people who will argue watermelon wine is not real watermelon wine if it's not made with only rine... But those same people will drink my red juice wine/brandy's while making that rine argument... People are just weird... Don't we just love'um...

[@BeardedBored]

That's bonkers. I can't imagine enjoying rind wine:-)

[@kingmaybus8409]

Ive been told by a candy chef that i should try invertase enzyme...is anyone familiar with using it in brewing?? He says its amazing at breaking down most starches and complex carbs to fructose.also being he's in the food business its fine for consumption he knows his shit i just dont want to ruin a mash over food versus alcohol production techniques. According to Him, I could get another up to fifteen percent of sugar after the analyze 😅 id love to get some feed back from other experienced brewers/distillers

[@donblack541]

Could you dehydrate the watermelon and then infuse the spirit?

[@BeardedBored]

I hadn't considered that. Interesting idea!

[@workhardplayhard801]

Can I just say , though it has nothing to do with this episode, if you have not made the Coconut Rum AKA Lambanog from a previous episode , it is incredible 😍, it is what I would serve to Jesus if he wanted a celebration beverage. In a single word it is, wow! I did things slightly different adding 1 can of sweetened condensed coconut milk to the initial fermentation probably around 8oz+/- and to the thump, I put a can also 8oz ish of evaporated coconut milk along with the coconut meat . I may have used more coconut sugar post proofn then he did so let's call it to taste +/- .25 cup oh and as for proofn I used coconut water in lieu of distilled water for lowering the abv. I also added a can of coconut milk post proofn but it separated & had the appearance of curdled milk so I filtered it out . Though when I make this again I will repeat everything even the can of coconut milk that was filtered out at the end because this is perfection literally the best thing I've tasted in a long time , he isn't joking when he says it kicks Malibu's ass . Like if Steven Hawkins fought Bruce Lee ass kickin ! Thanks beared and bored truely🙏from the bottom of my heart !! Absolutely Yummy 😋

[@isto1661]

Once a Chef, always a Chef. I don't think you ever lose the moniker, no matter what. You will always be Chef. Now you ever shave your beard off, you obviously can't be called Bearded any longer. BTW if you ever did shave the beard, you might want to think twice about calling yourself, SHAVED!

[@cutbaitkenny]

Hey Bearded would you ask the Liquor Fairy if my wash is still good, I have been delayed a couple weeks running it and it has a film on top now, wondering if I shouls just pitch it?

[@whiskeywookie2758]

Run it! A few weeks shouldn't hurt it, at most it may have some slight off flavors, if anything is a learning experience what does a few weeks do to flavor.... the film may be a lactobacillus infection and it won't hurt you and actually adds a nice mouth feel ... ask Google for pictures of lactobacillus and compare... It usually looking kinda like a spider web when I've come across it. A lot of professional distillers use Brett or Lacto intentionally because of the esterfication and what they can add to the distillate. Hope this helps!

[@cutbaitkenny]

thanks, i will @@whiskeywookie2758

[@BeardedBored]

Unless you have green or black mold, run it. Most infections are going to add beneficial acids that turn into delicious esters in distillation. RUN IT:-)

[@cutbaitkenny]

I have it loaded in the pot, gonna fire it up in the am, thank you for all your effort to help us learn this craft.@@BeardedBored

[@robertwithrow2900]

Thanks for the awesome videos! This is a hobby I would really like to explore and this makes it seem somewhat attainable. Would lean toward damning the appearance in favor of better taste!

[@kitobi10660]

a cloudy gin is a high quality gin, if you think about it, its only louching as there too much flavour.. which is no such thing

[@BeardedBored]

Good point!

[@elricthebald870]

If it tastes good but looks bad and your guests won't drink it? Their loss, more for you. 😉

[@danielferguson5563]

Louche/Louching is pronounced "loosh/looshing".... not "looch/looching". Just FYI.

[@brocktechnology]

Never liked gin, tastes like getting hit in the face by a cat spruce branch. You got me thinking i could make my own and leave out all the conifer cousins, maybe that won't be gin but I feel no obligation to care.

[@BeardedBored]

I always hated gin until I had one that was really heavy on citrus and light on juniper(very light).