have you had or made this

[LordEoin]

and sugar beet

[LordEoin]

was looking for an episode of 'Hands' (great show) where an old fella in the middle of nowhere sprouts, malts and roasts his own barley, mashes, brews and distills, but cant find it anywhere.
Found this podcast though which is pretty good:
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/2011/0719/646836-radio-documentary-poitin-poteen/
also found this on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xv8B1N7zB4

[LordEoin]

that's some yeast starter at around 08:30

[Dr Horrible]

Never had a poitin I liked, always got a serious bang of an off-flavour that I could pick out even when it was thrown into punch or cocktails.  Was in the states last year and visited a craft distillery and tried a few of their rums, vodkas, etc and got the exact same off-flavour, kind of curious what it actually is now. 

[cruiscinlan]

There's plenty over 60%. it depends on how much it has been cut back afterwards.
I've heard old fellas talking about molasses being pretty common practice once upon a time.
There is some rough stuff out there, but some good stuff too.
I like the taste. Good poitin is like white tequila or mezcal.
There are plenty of commercial poitin's out there now, but it's debatable whether someof them are even poitin's or now whiskeys due to barrelling etc: http://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=poitin
The OP recipe sounds like it'll make pure crap potato wine.

A pot still won't produce much higher than 60~%, stuff thats higher than that is made in a column still similar to commerically produced neutral spirits ie vodka.

Molasses and other ingredients that were sources of sugar were used from the late 19th century onwards when it became more available on farms, but its use in producing poitín isn't traditional.  After all a spirit made from a base of molasses is rum. 

The PGO description for poitín that was submitted by the Dept. of Agriculture was written by industry and allows any form of still and ingredients: https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/foodindustrydevelopmenttrademarkets/geographicalindicationsprotectednames/IRISHPOTEENIRISHPOITiNTECHNICALFILEFINAL120315.pdf

[Bubbles]

Molasses and other ingredients that were sources of sugar were used from the late 19th century onwards when it became more available on farms, but its use in producing poitín isn't traditional.  After all a spirit made from a base of molasses is rum

According to the interview below, the use of molasses and treacle was quite common in poitin making. Depends what you mean by "traditional" though. This guy was making poitin in the 1930s. See 4:15

https://youtu.be/p4TM8Mxyui0

[dcalnan]

There's a new poitin distillery opened up in the back of the Oslo pub was on tg4 . Poitin Micil.

[cruiscinlan]

According to the interview below, the use of molasses and treacle was quite common in poitin making. Depends what you mean by "traditional" though. This guy was making poitin in the 1930s.

Indeed, and there's a debate to be had on the meaning of tradition for things like this.  But I'd argue that it should match the longer tradition of making it.  The product description for PDO for it is so broad there's nothing of value in it, the ingredients can be pretty much anything/strength/method (pot still or column).

[mac2k]

You get all sorts with Poitin.  The bro in law got me some of Fermanagh's best that nearly killed me with a sip... awful stuff.  I was Salmon fishing in Leitrim a few years back and got handed a 500ml water to "help me enjoy the weekend" Really nice Poitin, as Eoin mentioned, like a good white Tequila....  Almost made me think of distilling

[Leann ull]

But of course you never would declare you are going to distil on a public forum as that is illegal

[mac2k]

  Almost