Where would one procure Everclear? liquor store? lab supply store? I need it for extractions, but more immediately to try and brew some home absynthe!! i have fennel, wormwood, anise and calamus and a good recipe, but I need to get ahold of some everclear...

Thanks,

JBArk

You can get it at the liquor store at many states in the U.S, but it's banned in other states, mainly those with state-controlled liquor distribution. Have you tried the liquor store in Canada?

On the East Coast in the US, whether they're private or state controlled, you can get everclear at most liquor stores. In Canada i dunno.

Whoa, jbark! Go into more detail! What recipe are you using? Are you using a kit? Making absinthe is a hobby-soon-to-be-profession of mine, you should tell us more!

No kit. a recipe found on line (and added to by me )containing star anise, fennel, wormwood anise nutmeg coriander cloves and calamus.

Any suggestions?

JBArk

I've been expounding upon the Swiss and La Fee Verte recipes (Spanish- too anise-y, French- a touch too light and acidic) on the Absinthe Buyer's Guide website :

http://www.absinthebuyer...com/absintherecipes.html

as well as drawing on some historical texts on distilling. The original recipes in both cases are fairly simple, nothing too magick in their make-up, but solid. I also add calamus and coriander-- but I haven't experimented with nutmeg (I will try!).

My only recommendation is to NOT steep the coloring herbs more than two days! I made this mistake twice, and in both instances it made the absinthe a little too acidic.

Good luck, mate!

Funny, i found those recipes too!! I combined ingredients from several. Which would you consider the colouring ingredients?

JBArk

I think the "finishing herbs" is the other term for them-- the herbs you add after the primary maceration and distillation. Commonly on recipes they're set aside at the end and include lemon balm, maybe some hyssop, some mint, perhaps Roman wormwood, depending on the recipe.

I tried this once back in the day with no success. After much searching I came to the conclusion that absinthe homemade or otherwise is about 90% hype 10% reality. Its often times VERY alcoholic which explains most of what people experience. It has a very cool history but I found that a bottle of crown royal in the long run costs less and is more enjoyable/effective than DIY absinthe. I followed a recipe with the ingredients you listed and even added much more wormwood in mine. It tasted like grass and had no more effects than alcohol.

If you try it post your results. This is just my experience so yours may vary.

Well- it's not hallucinogenic in the same way that most substances in this forum are. But I find that it is a much more pleasant intoxication than many other alcohols... I think it really does have to do with more than just the wormwood by itself, rather the addition of so many other herbs like angelica, and calamus, combined.

While I've personally never gotten trashed on absinthe alone, I know people who have and generally swear never to touch it again because they'd suddenly find themselves walking naked through the snow in a different part of town, or some such.
I did smoke a wormwood resin once, and woke up the next morning in my bed. My table was covered with poetry I'd apparently written while under the influence... but I don't remember a damn thing. Either way, it was WEIRD.

Regardless of effectiveness, I still find it a damn tasty drink, and a number of other people do too... in the fall I'll be working at a absinthe salon/distillery in the south!

BananaForeskin - any advice for steeping times? I have read 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 months; also things like 2 weeks for the first steep and the 48hrs for the second, colouring steep...

Also, with the ingredients I have, can you break it down for me: which are the "colouring" elements?

Thanks,
JBArk

Absinthe produced in this manner will be practically undrinkable. You need to distill after you let the herbs soak. You wanna go for about 100 proof. Distilling is illegal in most places though and can be dangerous so make sure you have your facts straight.

Also, the green comes from the anise. You need specifically green anise though.

I would make my own by I don't trust myself to distill alcohol just yet. I've heard the kits suck and you can buy all the ingredients separately. Anyways, I've had two different European absinthe's and both are really fun to drink. Not only is there the whole sugar cube on fire thing, but you also get extra fucked up. I still hear homemade is way better though.

What is green anise?
I know a LOT about spices, and have never heard of it...

Do you simply mean green to distinguish from star anise, which to my knowledge, isn't even in the same family?

JBArk

I don't know what it is but... it is

http://www.amazon.com/Gr...efShop-com/dp/B000XB1HWG
http://www.supertoinette...isine/462/anis-vert.html

Its just plain anise except, well, greener.

Or you could just use copper sulfate like the old days

Alright... 1992, you should back this up with some sources. Copper sulfate?

TrustLoveMan is right that you need to redistill all this bejazzlement, otherwise you'll end up with something brown and BITTER. The redistillation process removes a lot of the more unpleasant flavors. But, jbark, it sounds like you're on board with that. If you're not, then I can give you tips on still-building or see the ethanol thread in the "Sustainable Nexus" subforum. My pot still cost about $20 and took an afternoon of soldering.

Also, green anise is really just another name for anise. Anise, as in pimpinella anisum. Star anise is illicum verum, if I remember correctly, and is still a damn good absinthe ingredient. And no, to my knowledge it isn't any greener, and isn't called green anise because the seeds are green. If you want to start spouting herbal knowledge-- throw in the Latin name when you're not sure.

Jbark, out of the herbs you have, I would say use none of them as the coloring herbs. The green color is achieved when the chlorophyll from green plant matter is extracted into the ethanol... and because you have to do this AFTER you distill it, the plant matter shouldn't have any harsh flavors. Mint makes for a nice coloring herb. I have a friend who sometimes just uses clover, because fresh clover won't impart much if any flavor, it'll just leave the green color. If you have access to fresh fennel foliage, that would work well too. 48 hours is a good amount of time...

As for the primary maceration, I'm just starting to really experiment with that. 2-3 days is the minimum, I usually go for 5 days and get a very fine product as a result!