Absinthe / Wormwood help ??

[Lookin 2 Grow]

Hey guys,

I came across this whilst cleaning my room 2day..

30 grams of Wormwood herb.

It was a present I got about a year ago after mentioning to mate I wanted to make some proper Absinthe & I stashed it & completely forgot about it.

I pretty much have no idea how to or what to do.

If you know any info about teks, alcohols, websites, ect on how to make Absinthe please let me know.. Any advice would be great.

Cheers guys,
L2G

[Beastmaster]

If you want to make 'proper' absinthe, you'll need distillation apparatus.

Check out Wikipedia, it'll tell you more than you want to know.

[sagiboy]

how about adding that to a good quality vodka and letting it sit?
though usually absinte is twice stronger than vodka.

[Lookin 2 Grow]

Originally Posted by Beastmaster

If you want to make 'proper' absinthe, you'll need distillation apparatus.

Check out Wikipedia, it'll tell you more than you want to know.

Cheers mate, I checked out 'absinthe' & 'wormwood'. Your right there's plenty of info there but nothing on using wormwood for any cause.

Originally Posted by sagiboy

how about adding that to a good quality vodka and letting it sit?
though usually absinte is twice stronger than vodka.

So do you think I could steep this 30gm of wormwood in high proof vodka (140-180proof / 700ml) for X amount of months & drink it like I would Absinthe?

[sagiboy]

ive read it somewhere..
ill try to find it.

anyway, i think there are absinthe fans here that could help ya.

[SilvrHairDevil]

It says on that package to add it to Pernod. You could try that...

[Beastmaster]

How is it that you read the wikipedia article on absithe yet still have questions?

The section on "Production" is where the information you are looking for is at:

With distilled absinthe, which is the proper form you will find for sale in countries where it is legal, the wormwood is soaked in a high proof distilled liquor and then is distilled again, sometimes multiple soaks and distillations.

"Cold mixed" absinthe, is wormwood soaked in high proof distilled liquor. This is done in countries where absinthe is still illegal, and is often mislabeled as 'distilled'.

I think the most important section for you to read, considering what you are still considering, is the section on absinthe kits.

The interest in absinthe has spawned a rash of "absinthe kits", which are claimed to produce homemade absinthe (not to be confused with hausgemacht absinthe, despite "hausgemacht" translating as "homemade" in German). Kits often call for soaking herbs in vodka or alcohol or adding a liquid concentrate to the same in the hopes of creating an ersatz absinthe.

Such practices usually yield a harsh substance that bears little resemblance to the genuine article, and is considered to be inauthentic by any practical standard. Some concoctions may even be dangerous, especially if they call for supplementation with potentially poisonous herbs, oils and/or extracts. Of particular concern is the use of the extract or oil of wormwood in a misguided attempt to induce alleged psychoactive effects. It should be noted that the consumption of oil of wormwood is directly linked to kidney failure and uncontrollable convulsions.

I think another section that would be of interest to you would be the one on the effects of absinthe:

Today it is known that absinthe does not cause hallucinations. Thujone, the active chemical in absinthe, is a GABA antagonist; and while it can produce muscle spasms in large doses, there is no evidence that it causes hallucinations. It has been speculated that reports of hallucinogenic effects of absinthe may have been due to poisonous chemicals being added to cheaper versions of the drink in the 19th century, to give it a more vivid color.

I myself have tried distilled absinthe. I bought a bottle on a visit to Japan, and brought it back with me. The absinthe was made in France, and was of the distilled variety, it was a fairly high proof, maybe 150? All I was ever able to get down was about 3 shots of the stuff. Besides getting drunk, I was sensitive to light the next morning. I think the effects are more pronounced in heavy drinkers who have a higher tolerance to the alcohol and thus can injest more. An ex drank half a bottle of the same brand and claimed everything was blue the next day, as well as extremely hungover.

[Lookin 2 Grow]

Originally Posted by Beastmaster

I myself have tried distilled absinthe. I bought a bottle on a visit to Japan, and brought it back with me. The absinthe was made in France, and was of the distilled variety, it was a fairly high proof, maybe 150? All I was ever able to get down was about 3 shots of the stuff. Besides getting drunk, I was sensitive to light the next morning. I think the effects are more pronounced in heavy drinkers who have a higher tolerance to the alcohol and thus can injest more. An ex drank half a bottle of the same brand and claimed everything was blue the next day, as well as extremely hungover.

Damn, that doesn't sound very interesting..

Right, I'm gonna do it the lazy mans way. I'll get some everclear or similar, throw it together & let it sit for a while..

I'll post a quick report here when I've drank the concoction.

I'm thinkin it'll probably not do much other than get me pissed, & taste like crap but ???? oh well, we'll see I guess.

Cheers guys,

L2G

[alicesamanita]

I love the stuff. The best thing about it is the ritual.
http://www.feeverte.net/
http://www.alandia.de/absinthe/index.php/language/en
One of my favorites is Absinthe Libertine Amer and the other is Sebor Absinth.

[SilvrHairDevil]

Maybe you should stick with smoking it. It won't taste anything like absinthe if you don't make it with Pernod.

[Lookin 2 Grow]

Originally Posted by alicesamanita

I love the stuff. The best thing about it is the ritual.
http://www.feeverte.net/
http://www.alandia.de/absinthe/index.php/language/en
One of my favorites is Absinthe Libertine Amer and the other is Sebor Absinth.

Thank you AliceA

That was exactly the info I was looking for,

Absinthe is a distilled product. You CANNOT make something approximating absinthe without distillation. Soaking barley in vodka won't give you whisky. Soaking wormwood in Everclear won't give you absinthe. It won’t taste like absinthe, and it won’t BE absinthe. All you’ll have done is turn a perfectly good bottle of neutral high proof alcohol into a disgustingly bitter, vile tasting mess.
Pastis isn’t absinthe without the wormwood. Adding wormwood essence to pastis won’t make it taste like absinthe. Undiluted wormwood oil is also a potentially dangerous substance, and can lead to severe renal failure if drunk neat. Stay away from it.
In short, unless you have access to a still, it is not physically or chemically possible to make anything remotely approximating absinthe.

I'm gonna smoke it 2night!!!!

I'll let you know if there's any noticeable effect!!

[jay-pheno]

tried recipe :

1 liter batch
20 grams of aromatic Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
6 grams Anise Star Pod (Illicium verum)
60 grams Anise Seed (Pimpinella anisum)
40 grams Fennel Seed (Foeniculum vulgare)
3 grams Coriander Seed (Coriandrum sativum)
2 grams Calamus root (Acorus calamus)
5 grams Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
0.5 grams Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
1.5 grams Angelica Root (Angelica archangelica)
5 grams Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)


1) Primary distillation of base spirit.
(I've heard that a neutral or almost-neutralfrom grapes is best)

2) Primary maceration
(including A. absinthium, Green anise, etc)

3) Secondary distillation.

4) Secondary maceration
(including A. pontica, etc)



1855 Pontarlier formula thats on the web:

Macerate 2.5 kilograms of dried wormwood, 5 kilograms of anise and 5 kilograms of fennel in 95 liters of 85 percent ethanol by volume. Let the mixture steep for at least 12 hours in the pot of a double boiler. Add 45 liters of water and apply heat; collect 95 liters of distillate. To 40 liters of the distillate, add 1 kilogram of Roman wormwood, 1 kilogram of hyssop and 500 grams of lemon balm, all of which have been dried and finely divided. Extract at a moderate temperature, then siphon off the liquor, filter, and reunite it with the remaining 55 liters of distillate. Dilute with water to produce approximately 100 liters of absinthe with a final alcohol concentration of 74 percent by volume.

[Tripp]

ahhh absinthe! Have sampled a few different varieties before.
Was thinking about it a few months ago and decided to have a go at one of these 'absinthe' recipies (I was under no illusion that it would be real absinthe, was prepared for some rancid tasting liquid and was not going to try distilling it).

I found a few recipies around the internet and decided to give this one a go:

Absinthe #1
1 pint vodka
2 tsp crumbled wormwood (dried)
2tsp anise seed
1/2 tsp fennel seed
4 cardomom pods
1 tsp majoram
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp chopped angelica root
1 2/3 cups sugar syrup

Place vodka in large jar with tight fitting lid. Add wormwood and shake
well; steep 48 hrs and strain out. Crush seeds and pods in mortar. Add them and all remaining spices to vodka and steep in a warm place 1 week.
Filter and sweeten. (The sugar syrup mentioned above is your standard
simple syrup.)

I chose this one mainly because of the use of vodka rather than everclear, which I couldn't find over here. I used a cheap 70cl bottle of vodka, so upped all the ingredients a bit (apologies for lack of actual measurements). Most of the ingredients are added to try and mask the flavour of the wormwood. I collected a couple of other recipies incase this one turned out putrid. Strangely enough, it actually tasted quite nice. Drinking the first couple of glasses fairly swiftly I noticed a slight numbing of the tongue and also 'more' of an alcohol inebriation than I would have normally, although this could have been placebo. Another of the recipies I found added vanilla, amongst other things. I might give that one a go next. Still, it doesn't even begin to compare to true absinthe. I've heard of bottles of the vintage stuff sell for 7000GBP.

[Soliver]

Absinthe is a myth.

It exists, sure, but you won't get ANY "effects" from it, unless you're very prone to
internal suggestion.

I can say this, as I went on an absinthe crusade a dozen years or so ago; it cost me
several hundred dollars and over a year before I realized the truth / myth.

Of course, no one ever listens to me, because media has hyped it so much, and the
ritual IS cool, but that's all there is to it. If you're looking for much else, get used
to disappointment coupled with severe intoxication / dehydration.



soliver

[field9]

I'm giving lot's of bad news to folks tonight... here's more. I assume that you are looking for the alcohol/thujone experience that one might expect from a proper absinthe. If you want a proper absinthe, spend 60+ euros and buy one. It'll get past custums, I'm sure.

Class is now in session:

You don't know what's in that bag, for starters. There's more than one type of wormwood, and the nicer "recipes" call for a couple different types. There is, for example, Roman Wormwood (artemesia pontica), and what you are no doubt after (artemesia absinthium). Do you see where they got the name absinthe from? Also, how old is it? Age and method of storage affect any chemical. -Know what you've got.

Pernod- Pernod was said to be best absinthe (by many accounts) (but then, many today would say Budweiser is the best). Pernod is in business to this day, but they don't use artemesia absinthium anymore (damn). Still don't ruin a bottle of this yummy stuff by dumping 30 grams of old-ass wormwood(?) into it. You may as well piss into a bottle of champagne before drinking it.

You don't don't need a metal or glass still to get a high proof. You can rig one with a Polyethylene milk jug and tubing using sunlight, room temp, heating pad, or hot water bath to move the alcohol along. It will take you forever (and a day), and there will be restrictions, but it will work.

There are many "recipes" for absinthe, and they all call for many ingredients. If you don't have proper ingredients and a proper still, you can't make it yourself... period.

Wickipedia may be a place to START looking for info, but don't ever let it be where you FINISH looking.

If you simply want to satisfy a curiosity in an inexpensive way, go to the Brewhaus website and type in a search for absinthe. They don't sell absinthe, but they do sell essences. You can get a wormwood essence, and an absinthe essence at that site. Stick those into a decent vodka. That should be close enough for you. If you want to spend more money, google "buy fine absinthe" and follow the leads. Just remember these two things- Pernod no longer uses artemesia absinthium, and don't but that cheap, nasty, fake shit from Eastern Europe.

Like to give a shout-out to Eastern Europe: fuck you!

Good luck, and enjoy.

[field9]

Oh, and as for Soliver up there... he's got a good point. It will not be what you may expect, regardless. And as for that narcotic claim on that baggy of yours, well, that's the myth. I prefer madness.

[mystic]

EWWWWWWWWWWWW severe dehydration and intoxication dont sound like that much fun to me ill stick to water and other substances TYVM.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOT for water.

[Lookin 2 Grow]

Originally Posted by field9

Still don't ruin a bottle of this yummy stuff by dumping 30 grams of old-ass wormwood(?) into it. You may as well piss into a bottle of champagne before drinking it.

LOL, None of those things are gonna happen!! Cheers!!

Originally Posted by field9

There are many "recipes" for absinthe, and they all call for many ingredients. If you don't have proper ingredients and a proper still, you can't make it yourself... period.

Well thanks to all for replying to this post on Absinthe. Looks like I got no chance of makin it myself so I'll keep toking it up!!

L2G