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CONTENTS

Dedication

IntroductionWhatisdistillation?

Ishomedistillinglegal?

PART1UNDERSTANDINGTHEPROCESS

1.YeastNutrition

StressontheYeastYeastStorage

EffectsofYeastonFlavorTypesofYeast

2.FermentationYeastLifeCycle

FermentationEquipmentHowtoUseaHydrometer

HowtoUseanAlcoholmeterOtherSuppliesforFermentation

SugarFermentationNon-SugarFermentationAlternateMashingMethod

3.TypesofDistillation

TheEvolutionofDistillingDistillationMethodsTypesofDistillersToBuyorBuild?

4.DistillingSafetyFirst!

HeatingYourDistillerPotDistilling

YourFirstDistillation

5.FilteringYourSpiritsWhyWeFilterSpirits

Whatisactivatedcarbon?AlcoholFiltration

6.AgingandFlavoringAddingtheFinishingTouch

AginginBarrelsBarrelAlternatives

Atwhatproofshouldyourspiritbeaged?Flavoring

AFinalNote

PART2DISTILLATHOME

7.RecipesVodka

WhiskeyandMoonshineRum

BrandySchnapps

Liqueurs

8.DrinkRecipes

PART3RESOURCES

FrequentlyAskedQuestions

Problems/Solutions

Calculations

CommonSetupMethods

Record-KeepingLog

Glossary

Index

DedicationThe JoyofHomeDistilling is dedicated to all thosewiser than I,who took thetime to teachmealongmy journey, and toallof thosewhomay in turn learnfromthisbooksothattheymaycontinuetopassthisknowledgeontoothers.

I especially wish to thank my wife, Dawn, for her never-ending support andwillingnesstofollowmedowneverypaththatItake,regardlessofwhereitleads.Withouthersupport,thisbookwouldnothavebeenpossible.

Introduction

Whatisdistillation?THE COMMONMISCONCEPTION about distilling is that it actuallycreatessomething.Manypeoplewhodonotfullyunderstandtheprocessbelievethatwhenyoudistillaliquid,anewproductiscreatedintheprocess.Thisisnotatallthecase.Bydefinition,distillationissimplyameansofpurifyingaliquidbyboilingtheliquidandthencondensingthevapors.Therefore,iftheproductthatyouwishtocollect isnotpresentintheliquidthatyouaregoingtodistill,youwillnotbesuccessfulinyourendeavor.Thisistrueregardlessofwhatyouwishtodistill,beitwater,vinegar,fuel,perfume,oralcohol.Thepurposeofdistillingis to separate the vapors to collectonly thepartorparts that youwant. So, inreality, distillation is nothingmore than amethod of purification by boiling aliquidtoseparatethepiecesthatitismadeupof,collectingthosethatyouwant,and discarding the remainder. This is possible because the individualcompoundsboilatdifferenttemperatures,andthereforewecanberatherpreciseinwhatwearecollecting.

Because it is so effective, distillation is used to produce many products,includingwater, fuel, vinegar, perfume, essential oils, pharmaceuticals, and, ofcourse, alcohol. Naturally, one’s mind seems to immediately jump to alcoholwhenwementiondistillation.Tell someone that youhave a still, andyouwillofteninvokearesponseconfirmingthisbelief.Itistrulymagicalhowaperson’smindimmediatelyassumesthatyoumeanalcoholdistillationwhenyousaytheword“still.”Virtuallyneverdoyouhearinresponse,“Oh,youdistillwater?”orthemyriadofotherdistilledproductsthatyoucouldhavebeenreferringto.No,aperson immediately envisions anold copper still back in thewoods,with anaged man (complete with gray beard and denim overalls) standing beside acoppercoilwhileclearliquordripsintoagallonjug.Yes,thisstillgoesonbackin thehills, but it is notwhat youwere referring to.Youwere referring to farmore refined equipment and the hobby that is akin to home beer-andwinemaking, not a for-profit illegal enterprise. For our purposes, we will alsofocuson thedistillationof alcohol and,more specifically, smallproduction,or“hobbydistilling.”

Serioushomedistillinghobbyistsmayeventuallygathertheequipmentandknow-hownecessarytobuildasmallcommercialsystem,suchasthis,tomaketheirdistillations.

So,nowyouknowthebasicsofwhatdistillationisandthatyouneedalcoholpresentintheliquidthatyouintendtodistillifyouexpecttocollectanyofitasaresult of the process. But how do you create that alcohol in the first place?Alcohol is created through a process called fermentation, which is the sameprocessusedformakingbeerandwine.However,inthecaseofbeerorwine,itisnotputthroughtheadditionalstepofdistillation.Afterthefermentationofwineorbeer,itisgenerallycleared(toremoveallyeastandotherparticlesfloatingintheliquid),possiblyaged,andthenbottled.Inthecaseofspiritssuchasvodka,rum,orwhiskey, that fermented liquid,or “wash,” as it is commonly called, isdistilled.Butiffermentationishowalcoholiscreated,whydowebothertodistillit at all? The fermentation process is only able to reach rather low alcoholpercentages,which is suitable for beer andwine, but due to the limitations ofyeast—themagicallittlecreaturethatmakesthealcoholforus—itisnotpossibletoachievemorethanaround18percentalcoholbyvolume(thepercentageofa

liquidthatisalcohol).Thiswillsimplynotdoforvirtuallyanyalcoholicbeverageother than beer or wine. Therefore, to increase the percentage of alcohol, weneedtoseparatethealcoholfromthewaterandothercomponentsinthewash.This ismost effectively done throughdistillation. So creating spirits is really atwo-stageprocess—fermentationfollowedbydistillation.

Ishomedistillinglegal?Nextbegsthequestion,isthislegal?Inmostcountriesintheworlditislegal

to make wine and beer, however, it is not legal in many countries to distillalcoholforpersonaluse.However,beyondthat,thelawsonhomedistillingvarygreatly fromcountry to country, and in somecases, even laws from individualstates or provinces in a countrymay be at odds with a federal law regardingdistillation. Youmay notice that I did not say “alcohol distilling.” This is forgoodreason.Thevast arrayof laws indifferent countries ranges from itbeingillegal to so much as possess equipment capable of distilling alcohol (whichwouldbeverydifficulttoenforce,unlessyoumakestockpotsandmixingbowlsillegal,butmoreonthatlater)tobeingentirelylegaltodistillalcoholathomeforpersonal use. Some countriesmaynot evennecessarily disallowhobby alcoholdistillation, but simply have no law that covers it. Obviously, we cannot evenbegintoofferalistthatwouldcovereverycountryintheworld,andifwetried,thelistwouldlikelybeoutofdateasquicklyasanewcomputer,aslawscananddo change. I will, however, cover a few of the major countries where hobbyalcoholdistillationappearstobeverymuchgaininginterest,ifnotlegalground.

Aproperhomedistillingsetup.PhotocourtesyPhilipShaner

Thebestplacetostartiswhereitismostnotablylegal,namelyNewZealand.Why New Zealand, of all places? Back in 1996, the law surrounding homedistillationchangedinNewZealand.Thishappenedinstages,actually.Itstartedin the 1980s, when the Labour Government decided to sell off many of thegovernment departments to be run as private enterprises, converted to state-owned enterprises, or, for those where neither was a feasible option, thedepartmentwouldberunasabusinesswiththe intentof turningaprofit.TheCustomsDepartmentisanexampleofthelatter.ThiscreatedaquandaryfortheCustomsDepartment, as they were taskedwith checking on all licensed stills,even though many were not used for alcohol distillation, and therefore norevenue would be collected. This would create a large operational cost, withreduced revenue—hardly an optimal situation when they are expected to beturningaprofit.Inresponsetothisconcern,thegovernmentremovedasectionfromtheactthatmadeownershipofanunlicensedstillillegal.Thisstillcreatedanissue,however,asitwasnowlegaltoownadistiller,butnottodistillalcoholwithouttheappropriatelicense.Nowthatowningastillwaslegal,therewasanexplosionofstillsbeingsoldforhomeuse,andwhiletheCustomsDepartmentcould require you to have a license and pay excise tax for the privilege ofdistilling alcohol at home, they found the very thought of the process to bepotentially overwhelming andnotprofitable, so they largely ignored it.This is

much the same stage that many countries, including the United States andCanada,areattoday.Distillationofalcoholisillegal,butpolicingitwouldbeanoverwhelming and ultimately very costly task. When the liquor laws werechangedagainin1996, theactwaschangedbyaddingthetermspirits intothesame section that covered the making of beer and wine, and legal homedistillationofalcoholinNewZealandwasborn.

So,whyonlyinNewZealand?Whynotinothercountries,suchastheUnitedStates or Canada? The government will justify their stance by saying that thereasonformakingalcoholdistillationillegalisforyoursafety.Theysuggestthathomemade spirits are less safe than those produced commercially, despite thefactthat,inmanycases,ahomedistilledspiritcontainsfewerimpuritiesthanitscommercial equivalent. In the book Spirits Unlimited—A Complete Guide toHome Distilling by Wheeler and Willmott, they show home distilled spiritsactuallytobeconsiderablycleanerthancommercialspirits:

“Home distilled spirit (untreated): methanol 0.0067 percent, ethanol 99.632percent,fusils0.361percent”

“Commercial vodka: methanol 0.013 percent, ethanol 99.507 percent, fusils0.48percent”

Thegovernmentmayalsosuggestthattheactofdistillingisdangerous,astheproduct is flammable, and ifproper care isnot taken it can result in injuryordeath.However,inourresearchofNewZealand,wherehomealcoholdistillationislegal,wehavebeenunabletofindasingleinstanceofinjury,illness,death,orevendamage to a structure to substantiate this suggestion.As therehavebeensuch issues in the United States and Canada, albeit few, that would tend tosuggest that legalizing thehobby,whichallowspeople todiscuss itmore freelyandbringsitoutoftheshadows,wouldactuallymakethehobbysafer.Anotherclaimmay be concern over alcoholism and increased alcohol use. After all, itonlystands toreason thatwhenyoumakealcoholas freelyaccessibleashomedistillationdoes,alcoholconsumptionisboundtoincrease.BasedontheWorldHealthOrganization’sdata,the2003–2005adultconsumptionofalcoholinlitersofpurealcoholstoodat9.4LintheUnitedStates,comparedwith9.8LinCanadaand9.6LinNewZealand,placingNewZealandsquarelyinthemiddle.Possiblyanevenmoreimportantfigureisthatforalcoholusedisorders.Accordingtothesamedata, thepercentageof thepopulacewith alcohol-relateddisorders is 3.7percent in the United States (5.48 percent amongmales, 1.92 percent amongfemales), 3.675 percent in Canada (5.43 percent among males, 1.92 percentamongfemales),andonlyacombined2.85percentinNewZealand(3.5percent

amongmales, 2.2 percent among females). This would appear to be in directcontrast to conventional thinking, but instead it creates onemore example ofhow allowing distilling of alcohol as a hobby does not cause the catastrophiceventsthatmostgovernmentswouldhaveusbelieve.

So,withallofthisevidencetothecontrary,whywouldthegovernmenttellusthatthelegalstanceonalcoholdistillationisforourownprotection?Thatisverysimple—taxes. The government makes a tremendous amount of money bytaxing alcohol. According to the World Health Organization’s Global HealthObservatoryDataRepository,theexcisetaxfromalcoholintheUnitedStatesin2009standsatmorethan$9billion!Thatiscertainlyasubstantialtaxtoputatrisk.Breakthatdownoverthe305millionpeopleintheUnitedStatesin2009,and it equates to approximately $29.84 in excise tax for every American.Canadianfiguresareevenmoresubstantialonaper-capitabasis,withover$5.3billioninrevenueforapopulationofapproximately33.5million,for$158.21percapita.AndwheredoesNewZealandsitincomparison?Withhomedistillationofalcoholbeinglegal,thegovernmentmustseedramaticallylowerrevenuefromalcohol,right?Notso—roughly$591million inexcise taxoverapopulationofapproximately4.4millionpeoplegivesthemapproximately$134.32perperson.Ah yes, but what would it have been if they had not legalized home alcoholdistillation?Itsurelywouldhavebeenmuchhigher.Toknowthis,wemustlookbackto the figures justprior to legalization in1996.So, in1995,herewere thenumbers:

Excisetaxfromalcoholin1995:$378.34millionPopulation:4.3millionExcisetaxpercapita:$87.99

Wait aminute, this cannot be correct!Arewe to believe that the excise taxfrom alcohol actually increased by more than 50 percent per capita sincelegalizationofhomedistillingtookeffect?Yes,itappears,basedonthedata,thatlegalizing alcohol distillation not only had no substantial negative impact onrevenuesfromalcohol,butitmayhaveevenplayedaroleinincreasingthem.Tofurthersubstantiatethis,let’slookatthe1995figuresfortheUnitedStates:

Excisetaxfromalcoholin1995:$7.52billionPopulation:266millionExcisetaxpercapita:$28.27

So, in the same timeperiod that saw a growth in tax revenue on alcohol ofmorethan50percentinNewZealand,thegrowthintheUnitedStateshasbeenjust over 5 percent. While this is certainly not meant to suggest that thelegalizationofhomedistillingofalcoholinNewZealandwasberesponsibleforthesubstantialgrowthinalcoholbasedrevenue,wecansafelysurmisethatithashadnodeleteriouseffectonthoserevenues.Withthisbeingthecase,whywouldothercountries,suchastheUnitedStatesandCanada,whosupposedlyhavethegreatestdegreeofpersonalfreedomintheworld,notfollowsuit?Thatremainsamystery,butundoubtedlyitissimplyamatterofeducatingourelectedofficialsandmakingthemrealizethattheirconcernoverthepotential lostrevenuethatlegalizinghomedistillingwouldhaveissimplyunfounded,andinfact,possiblyat contrary to the actual results that legalization would bring. We must alsoremember that our representatives are not necessarily well informed on thisparticularsubjectandmostlikelyhavethesamebeliefsthatthevastmajorityofpeople do, believing that the distillation process actually creates somethingdangerous. They need to be informed that what is created is done during thefermentation process, which is already legal in most places and that thedistillation process actually removes many of the unwanted and potentiallyharmfulcomponents.

Tothatend,atthetimeofthiswriting,thereiscurrentlyalegalizationeffortongoing in theUnitedStates, headedby still producerBrewhausAmerica Inc.andafewenthusiasticparticipantsfromtheirdiscussionforum.Muchtimeandefforthasbeenputintotheendeavor,andjustaswiththecaseinNewZealand,itwill not happen overnight. Fortunately there are a few involved who willcontinue to press for legalization at a hobby level, and they will not be easilydeterred.Iexpecthobbyistsinothercountries,whomustcontinuetostayintheshadows with their hobby, to follow the lead that those involved in thelegalizationeffortintheUnitedStateshaveforged.

PART1

UnderstandingtheProcess

1.Yeast

INTHEBEGINNING there was yeast. Then came hic alcohol!Well, thatmay oversimplify things just a bit. The actual origins of fermentation go backroughly 5,000 years to ancient Egypt, when it is said that some grainwas leftoutsideintherainaccidentally(andingeniously,Imightadd).Wildyeastonthegrain resulted in fermentation, and the chain of events had some awfullyinteresting results. So, alcohol’s roots are not exactly movie-worthy, but theprogression to today’s refined alcohol—be it beer, wine, mead, whiskey, rum,vodka, etc.—aremuchmore interesting. But, you are not here to learn aboutancientEgypt,areyou?So,let’sgettoit!

Yeast isproperlydefinedasa fungus,and it isa single-celledorganismthat,for our purposes, consumes sugar in an aqueous solution and converts it intoalcohol.Itissomewhatmorecomplexthanthis,whichIshallexplainshortly,buttheimportantfacthereisthatsugar+water+yeast=alcohol.Itisimportanttonote that there are many different types of alcohol, but the one that we aregenerallyreferringtowhenweusethetermalcoholisactuallyethanol.Methanolis another alcohol that is often formed in small amounts during fermentation,and for our purposes, it is not desirable. In fact, we strive to make as muchethanolandaslittleofotheralcoholsaspossible.Knowingthisbasicfact,wecannowlookatthelifecycleoftheyeastcellandhowtogetwhatwewantfromit.

Yeastunderamicroscope.

NutritionWhile yeast is a simple organism, it still has rather complex nutritional

requirementsifitisgoingtoperformtothebestofitsabilities.JustlikeyouandIrequirenutrition togo aboutourdaily tasks, yeastdoes too.Yes, yeasthas farsimpler nutritional requirements than we do, but it still requires adequatenutritiontodoitsjob.Ifyouaddyeasttoasimplesugarandwatersolution,youcansitback,relax,andwatchtheyeastdonothing.Itisreallynotallthatexcitingtowatch.Addthepropernutrients,vitamins,andmineralstothatsamemixture,however,andyouwillseetheyeastcometolifeandhappilyconsumeallofthesugarinthesolution,replacingitwithalcohol.

Adequatenutritionisgenerallyachievedinoneoftwoways:eitherbyaddingtheindividualnutrients,minerals,andvitaminstoasugarwatersolutionorbyusing nutrient-rich ingredients, such as grains or fruit. Both options haveadvantages and disadvantages. While adding all of the necessary nutritionalpiecestothesolutionwillallowyoutofermentasimplesugarandwatersolution—the simplest wash to create—unless you have both a chemistry degree andaccesstoalloftheindividualingredients,itisnotasimpletask.Well,thatisnotentirely true, but it certainly wasn’t just a few years ago. Nowadays you canpurchase“turboyeast,”which isamixtureofhighlyalcohol-tolerantyeastplusallofthenutrientsthattheyeastneeds.Thismaysoundlikeagreatsolution,butitdoesnotcomewithoutitsdrawbacks,whichwillbediscussedlater.

Thesecondoption is touse ingredients likegrain, suchas thoseused in thebrewing industry. These grains will provide the nutrition that our little yeastfriendsneedtodotheirjobs,aswellaspotentiallyprovidingsugarfortheyeastto consume and turn into alcohol for us. I say potentially providing sugarbecauseingrains,thesugarscomeintheformofstarches,whichareessentiallylong-chained sugars, and theymust first bebrokendown into shorter-chainedsugarstobefullyutilizedbytheyeastduringthefermentationprocess.Anotheroption for nutrient-rich ingredients is fruit, although many types of fruit arelackinginsomeofthenutrientsthattheyeastrequires.Inthecaseoffruit,mostofthemicronutrientsareprovided,soyoucanaddnormalwinemakingcomplexnutrients(commonlysoldasYeastEnergizer)orselectoneoftheyeastmixturesthathasbeendevelopedspecificallyforthistypeoffermentation.

Withadequatenutritionhavingbeenconsidered, there isanother importantfactorthatweneedtoconsider:oxygen.Yeastwillconvertthesugarintoalcohol,butonly if it isstarvedofoxygen.This isknownasanaerobic fermentation.Inthepresenceofoxygen,yeastisveryinefficientatfermentation.However,yeastdoes require oxygen at the onset of fermentation. In the presence of oxygen,yeastwill bud and reproduce,makingmore yeast cells. This is actually a veryusefulpieceofinformation,asitallowsyoutocontrolwhattheyeastisgoingtodo once you combine it with your nutrient-rich sugar solution. If you do notpitch (toss in) enough yeast to do the job, then fermentation will be verysluggish, as there are simplynot enoughyeast cells to consume the sugar veryquickly.Theyeastneedsmorefriendsandfamilytohelpout.

By stirring themixturevigorously,wecanusuallydriveenoughoxygen intotheliquidtogivetheyeasttheopportunitytouseasmallamountofthatsugartomultiply.Duringthispartoftheprocess,theyeastwillconsumetheoxygenandtakeupmanyof thenutrients in thesolutionwhile itmultiplies,which itdoesthroughaprocesscalledbudding.Once theoxygen is exhausted, theyeastwillgettoworkconvertingyoursugarintoalcohol.Thetimeduringwhichtheyeastismultiplyingisknownasalagphase.Youwillgenerallyseelittlevisibleactionduring this timeaside, froma slightheadof yeastbuildingon the topof yourwash,anditcanrangefromlessthananhourtoasmuchasaday,butisusuallylessthan12hours.Infact,ifyoucontinuetodriveoxygenintoyourmixtureforthe entire process, you canmake yourself a nice big bucket of yeastwith verylittlealcoholproduction.Butobviouslywedon’twantthat.

StressontheYeastWiththatsaid,itdoesgetalittlebitmorecomplex.Differentstrainsofyeast

have slightlydifferentnutritional requirements.Withoutpropernutrition, thatis,thecorrectbalanceofthedifferentminerals,nutrients,andvitamins,theyeastwill not perform to the best of its ability. Lack of proper nutrition will causestressontheyeast.Stressedyeastwillproducebyproductsthatresultinnotonlyafoul-smellingandfoul-tastingproduct,butforeverybitofsugarthattheyeastconverts into byproducts, there is less sugar being converted into alcohol.Thereforeitisinourownbestinteresttogotheextramiletokeepourlittleyeastfriendshappy,andtheywillmakeushappierinreturn.

Lack of nutrition is only one potential stress on your yeast. You will alsoalwayswant tomaintainawatchfuleyeoveryour fermentation temperature toensure that it remains within the “happy zone” for your particular yeast. Theoptimal temperature range varies by yeast strain and type, so there is no one-size-fits-all range to recommend.Most yeast packageswill specify the optimaltemperature range both for pitching (which is often higher than the optimaltemperature range to maintain during fermentation) and the recommendedtemperature range for fermentation.The temperature range listedon theyeastpackageisveryimportant.Fermentingatthelowerendofthetemperaturerangewill usually result in slower fermentation, and falling below the minimumrecommendedtemperaturewillseeextremelyslowfermentationorevenresultinfermentation ceasing altogether. As you near the top end of the temperaturerange,yourfermentationspeedwillincrease.However,theelevatedtemperaturecanalsostressoutourlittleyeastfriends,andinreturnforyourneglect,theywillproduce increased byproducts in place of a small amount of alcohol. Alwaysrememberthatifyoudonottakecareofyouryeast,theywillgetrevenge.

Yet another stress on the yeast that is often overlooked is the optimalmaximumalcoholtoleranceoftheyeast,whichcanbefurtherdividedintotwosections—before and after. In the before zone, we have to consider the stresscreated as you increase the sugar content in your mixture. With a greaterconcentrationofsugar,youcreategreaterstressontheyeastcells. It isactuallypossibletoincreasethesugarcontenttothepointwheretheyeastsimplycannotfermentit.Evenasyounearthismaximumsugarconcentrationyouwillcreateanever-increasingstressontheyeast.Thisstresswillincreasetheproductionof

byproductsduring fermentation.The “after” stress is thepercentageof alcoholthat you are requesting of the yeast. Each strain of yeast has a limit on thepercentage of alcohol that it can survive in. Yeast does not start outwith thistolerance,butratherbuildsitasthealcoholcontentinthewashrises.Thereforeyoucannotputyeastwithatoleranceto18percentalcoholintoamixturethatalready contains 15 percent alcohol and expect it to perform. This suddenimmersionintothealcoholicmixturewillkilltheyeast.Whenwerefertoyeast’salcoholtolerance,weareactuallyreferringtothepercentageofalcoholthatitcanbuild its tolerance to. Sound confusing? It is actually very simple. As yeastconvertsmore andmore sugar into alcohol, and the percentage alcohol in thewash rises, so does the yeast’s tolerance to alcohol. It will hit a certain point,however,where thepoor little yeast can takenomoreandwill cough, sputter,anddie.Youcanactuallyhear itbeggingfor its life(well,notreally,but ifyouhave indulged a bit too much, you may at least hear the coughing andsputtering).Iguessyoucouldsaythatyeastisalmostlikeaguppy;itwilleatandeatuntilitliterallydiesofitsownoverindulgence.Ihaveseenthispersonallyandcanassure thatyou that it isnotapretty sight. So it is important toknow themaximumalcohol toleranceof theparticular yeast strain you areusing and tostayalittlebitbelowthistoavoidaddedstress.

Combined stress. So you know the optimal temperature range of the yeaststrainanditsalcoholtolerance.Whatifyounearthelimitsonjustoneofthose?Thentheyeast’stolerancefortheotherisreduced.Forexample,ifyougetverynearthetopendoftheyeast’stemperaturelimit,itwillnotbeabletosqueezeoutquiteasmuchalcohol.Thecombinedstresswillbetoomuch,anditwilldieoutbefore achieving its normalmaximum alcohol potential. So it is best to avoidpushingtheextremesof theyeastwithoutknowingexactlywhatyouaredoingandjustwhattherepercussionswillbe.

YeastStorageA very important factor in how viable your yeast will be is the storage

conditionsoftheyeast.Althoughdriedyeastis“sleeping”andfarlessvulnerabletopoorstorageconditionsthanhydratedyeast,itisstillsusceptibletoavarietyof factors. Because most yeast you purchase for fermentation will be eithervacuum-packedornitrogen-flushed(wherethepackageisflushedwithnitrogentoremovetheoxygen),youwillnotgenerallyhavetobeconcernedwithspoilageduetoairhavingaccesstoyouryeast.Airisofconcernfortworeasons.Firstisoxygen.Evenindryform,yeastissusceptibletoharmfromoxygen.Oxygenwillgreatly reduce the shelf life of the yeast by accelerating the loss of viable yeastcells.Therefore,when youpitch your yeast into thewash, youwill actually beusingfewerliveyeastcells,resultinginalongerlagphaseandfeweractivecellstoconvertthesugarintoalcohol.Thisresultsinaslowerfermentation.Inaddition,astheyeastcellscanonlydosomuchworkbeforetheysettle tothebottomofthe vessel and go dormant or die, under-pitching can result in an incompletefermentation.Air is also of concern because it carries bacteria andwild yeast,whichwouldthenbeaddedtoyourwashwhenyoupitchyouryeast.Thesecancause spoilage, bad flavors, and amultitude of other fermentation issues. Forthesereasonsitishighlyadvisedtoavoidpurchasing“bulk”formatyeast,unlessyouwill be using it all within a very short time frame. I especially discouragepurchasingbulkformatyeastthathasbeenrepackedwithoutproperequipment.With the increased interest inhobbydistillation, some suppliershave taken topackagingbulkyeastforresaletoreducecostandincreaseprofit.Generally,ifitisnotvacuum-packedorpackedinfoilpoucheswithwideseals,thenithasmostlikely been repacked by hand by a resellerwithout proper equipment. In suchcasestheyeasthasalreadybeguntoloseviabilitylongbeforeyoueverpurchaseit.Ifyouhavepurchasedbulkyeast,thenitisbesttostoretheopenedpackagebyrolling it tightly to remove as much air as possible and keeping it in therefrigeratortoslowtheeffectsofairontheyeast.

Anotherimportantstoragefactoristhetemperaturethattheyeastisstoredat.While properly packaged yeast can be stored for extended periods at roomtemperature, or indeed even at a somewhat elevated temperature, storing at acoolertemperaturewillhelpextendthelifeoftheyeastcells.Keepinmindthattheexpirationdateor “bestbefore”dateon thepackage is taking intoaccount

standard storage conditions. That is, the manufacturer assumes storage at orbelownormalroomtemperature.Ifyouryeastisstoredatahighertemperature,thenitwilldeterioratemorequicklyandmaynothaveanyviablecellsremainingeven before the date printed on the package. Similarly, storing your yeast at alower temperature will help extend the life of the yeast, meaning that it mayremain viable well beyond the expiration date on the package. It is alsorecommended to try tomaintain a consistent temperature when storing youryeast,astemperaturefluctuationscanaffectitsviability.Storingyouryeastinarefrigeratorisanexcellentoption,however,extraplanningmustbeundertakenbeforeyoucanuseyouryeastifithasbeenstoredthisway.Thethermalshockoftaking your cold yeast and pitching it directly into a warm wash will almostalwayskill theyeast. It isnotatalluncommonforapersontomix theirwash,taketheyeast fromtherefrigeratortopitchintothewash,andendupwithnofermentation.Toavoidthispitfall,alwaystakeyouryeastfromthefridgeseveralhoursbeforeyouplantouseittoallowittoslowlycometoroomtemperature.

EffectsofYeastonFlavorIt hard to believe, but this little package of yeast actually has a rather

significantimpactontheflavorandaromaofyourfinishedproduct.Aspartofthe fermentation process—or actually, more correctly, the stage before activefermentationbegins—yeastwill produce flavor and aroma compounds.This isdonewhiletheyeastistakingupoxygenandsomeofthenutrientsinthewashandasitmultipliesandbuildsitscolony.Althoughtheamountofyeastpitchedappearstobeverysmallgiventhevolumeofliquidthatyouareinoculating,itisone of the greatest contributors of flavor and aroma, with only the primaryingredients (type of fruit, grain, etc.) having a greater impact on thecharacteristicsofthefinishedproduct.Becausetheyeastthatyouselecthassuchagreatimpactontheflavorandaromaofyourfinishedproduct,itisimportanttoselectthemostappropriateyeaststylefortheproductthatyouwishtomake.An entire book could be dedicated to listing all of the different characteristicsbetweenindividualstrains,suchasdifferentstrandsofwhiskeyyeast.Thatisbestleft forcommercialdistillerieswhoare trying tocreatespecialnuances in theirproducts to make them stand apart from that of their competitors. For ourpurposes,Iwillonlydiscussthemajoryeastgroupsandnotthedifferentstrainsofyeastwithineachofthosegroups.

TypesofYeastWhilevirtuallyalltypesofyeastwillconsumesugarandcreatealcohol,given

proper nutrition and the right set of conditions, there are several yeast stylesavailable commercially that have been optimized for fermentation. The mostcommonly used yeast types for brewing, winemaking, and distilling areSaccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces bayanus. Even within these twogroupsfallseveraldifferentstrains,eachwithitsowncharacteristicsandflavor-producing profile. I will not go into detail about the differences betweenindividual yeast strands, however, it is important to discuss how the differentyeastchoiceswillaffectyourfermentationand,ultimately,yourfinishedproduct.

NeutralFermentingYeastsAs the name implies, this group of yeasts will generally have the smallest

contributiontoflavorandaroma.Theirpurposeistoproduceafermentedwashwith as little flavor as possible and aremost suited for vodka or other neutralspirits that will then be flavored, either with the addition of essence or byinfusion. Neutral fermenting yeasts are also themost commonly used type ofyeastinfuelalcoholproduction,astheyoftenhavethehighestalcoholtolerance.

FruitYeastsAlthoughyouarenotreading thisbook to learnhowtomakewine,youare

ultimatelymaking just thatwhen you intend to produce brandy, schnapps, orany other fruit-based spirit. Quite simply, what you have made prior to thedistillationofafruit-basedfermentationiswine.Ifyouwantedto,youcouldstopafterfermentation,bottletheundistilledproduct,andhaveagoodbottleofwine.At least I hope that it is goodwine. If it isn’t, then itwill not produce a gooddistilledspirit.Remember,distillationdoesnotmakeanything.Soifyoudonothave good flavor to startwith, then youmight aswell go straight to a neutralspiritdistillation,asyouwillbesorelydisappointedwiththeflavorofyourspiritotherwise.

So,withthatsaid,wineyeastisintendedforusewithfruitandshouldenhancethe flavorandaromaof the fruit thatyouareusing.Now, inwineproduction,whereyourintentisnottodistilltheproductbutinsteadtobottletheproductaswine, therearenumerousdifferentstrainswithin thewineyeastcategory,eachofferingdifferentnuancesandflavornotes,andoftenevenrecommendationsofspecificgrapespeciesthattheybestcomplement.Forourpurposes,however,itissufficienttoconsiderallwineandfruityeastsasasinglegroup.

In short, fruit yeasts are intended to enhance and bring out as much fruitcharacter as possible, and to that end the yeast will produce fruity esters andflavorcompounds.

WhiskeyYeastBasically, whiskey yeast is simply a high alcohol tolerant type of beer yeast.

Whiskeyis,inslightlysimplifiedterms,distilledunhoppedbeer.Ofcourse,mostwhiskeyisagedinorwithoakorsomeothertypeofwood,butthebasicsarethesame—it ismade from a grainmash orwash comprised ofmalt extract. Thisbeingthecase,theyeastsusedtomakewhiskeyareverysimilartothoseusedformakingbeer,butgenerallywithhighertolerancetoalcohol.However,thebasicflavorandaromaprofilesproducedbytheyeastwillbeverysimilartothosefrombeer yeast. As with wine yeast, there are many different styles of beer yeast,however,mostbeeryeastshavealowertolerancetoalcoholthanwhiskeyyeast.

RumYeastNot really a yeast group, the yeasts used to produce rum are again selected

based on the type of substrate that they are best at fermenting and the flavorprofilethattheyproduce.Asrumisaspiritdistilledfrommolasses,itisbesttouseayeaststrainthatisproficientwithfermentingmolasses,whilemaximizingflavorcarryoverintothefermentedwash.

Baker’sYeastBaking yeast is not intended for the production of beverage-grade alcohol.

However, it isusedbysomeasacost-savingmechanism.While itwill fermentyourwashandproducealcohol,aswillanyyeast(itisyeast’spurposeinlife,afterall),thealcoholtoleranceandespeciallyitsflavorproductionprofilearenotwellsuitedtodistilledspiritproduction.

TurboYeastWhile this is not actually a type of yeast, with the immense popularity and

substantial difference in format versus standard yeast, it really deservesindependent discussion.Turbo yeast, also known as super yeast, has grown toincludevirtuallyallyeastandnutrientmixes,but inreal terms, turboyeast isamuchlargerthannormalvolumeofyeastcombinedwithacomplexmixtureofnutrients,minerals,andvitaminssuchthatitwillprovideanextremelyfastandcomplete fermentation. The idea behind the development of turbo yeast wasoriginally to provide a fast fermentation, saving time for the commercial andhobbydistiller.Youcanimaginethatinacommercialoperation,thissavingsoftime can result in increased profit, asmore product can be producedwithouthaving to increase space or the number of fermenters being used in theoperation.At the hobby level, it is simply amatter of convenience. The otherthingthatturboyeastwasdevelopedtodowasprovideallofthenutritionthattheyeastneedssothatawashcompletelydevoidofnutritionfortheyeast,suchassimplesugarwater,couldbefermented.Theadvantagestosuchaleapforwardinfermentationvirtuallygowithoutsaying.

Nowyouknowtheprosofusingturboyeast:itwillprovideyouwithaquickandcompletefermentation,evenwhenyourwashislackinginnutrition.Sowhywouldn’teveryoneuseturboyeastforeverywash?Turboyeastisnotwithoutitsdisadvantages, andwhen coupledwithmost people’s lack of understanding oftheprocess,itiseasytofindsomeonewithanegativefeelingtowardturboyeast.Firstandforemostiscost.Althoughhobbydistillingisfarlessaboutcostsavingsthanhomebrewingor homewinemaking, that doesnotmean that people arenotcost-conscious.Whileyoucaneasilyfindbrewer’sorwinemaker’syeastforadollarorless,turboyeastsgenerallycostupwardof$3to$5,andsomeplacesasmuchas $10.Having learnedall about the importanceofnutritionandhowalackofnutrition impacts your fermentation, though, youarenot about to riskyourentirebatchforjustacoupleofdollars,right?Well,thereismore,somaybewaitonthatdecisionjustalittlelonger.

Anotherreasonthatsomepeoplehavenegativefeelingstowardturboyeastisbecause theydonotunderstandexactlywhyyeastproducesbyproducts,whichpresent themselvesas“off” flavorsandaromas.Sulfur isaperfectexampleandcertainlythemostnoticeableofthebyproductsformedduringfermentation.Inmost cases, a person using turbo yeast is doing so with a simple sugar wash,therefore there are no outside flavor and aroma profiles to help mask the

byproductsproduced.Withagrainwash,fruitwash,molasseswash,etc.,thereissufficient flavor and aroma tomaskmost of the byproducts produced duringfermentation.Asaresult,somepeoplethinkthatthesenaturalyeastbyproductsare caused by using turbo yeast. Basically, you can smell and taste them (bytastingthewashduringorafterfermentation)muchmoreeasilyinasugarwashbecausethereisnothingelsetotaste.Trythesamethingwithafruit-basedwashor molasses wash, and many of these byproducts, while present, will bepracticallyunnoticeable.

Another issue is that, inmany cases, people will push the limits of a turboyeast farmore thananon-turboyeast.What Imean is that theywillaimforahigheralcoholcontentwhenusingturboyeast.Thisisstressornumberone.Andwithanon-turboyeast,thefermentationisslower,thusthewashgenerallystaysatalowertemperature.Stressornumbertwo:asyouknowbynow,pushingthelimitsoftheyeastwillincreasethestressonit,andwhenyouincreasethestresslevel on the yeast, itwill increase theproductionof byproducts.With a good-qualityturboyeast, ifyoudonotcauseunduestress(i.e.,keepthetemperatureandspecificgravityfromtheupperrangefortheyeast),thenyouwillgetaveryclean,complete,andrapidfermentation.

Now,with all of this said, youwill oftenget slightlymoreoff flavorswith atraditionalturboyeastbecauseoftheuseofureaasamajorcomponent.Ureaisalso a concern, as it can increase the production of ethyl carbamate, which isbelieved to be a carcinogen.While some ethyl carbamate will be produced inalmostanyfermentation,anewlineofurea-freeturboyeastsisbecomingmoremainstream, resulting in a slightly cleaner-tasting finishedproduct that shouldhavereducedlevelsofethylcarbamate.

Anotherconsiderationwhenoptingforaturboyeastisthatunusednutrientswillremaininthewashattheendoffermentation.Whiletheycanberemovedduringdistillation,theycertainlycancontributetoanunpleasantsmellandtasteinthefermentedwash,andtheyarealsocostingyoumoneyneedlessly.Alloftheingredientsinyourpackageofturboyeastaddtothecost,soifyouareleavingnutrientsunused,youaresimplythrowingmoneyaway.

Thereisonefinalthingtorememberifyouareusingturboyeast.Whilemanyhome brewers and winemakers will rehydrate the yeast in a small amount ofwaterpriortopitchingitintothewash,doingthiswithaturboyeastisnotonlyunnecessary,butmustactuallybeavoided.Whileallofthenutrientsintheturboyeastpackage arenecessary for theyeast toperformwell, they are toxic to theyeast in high concentrations. This means that the best intentions of an

experienced winemaker or brewer, intending to keep their little yeast friendshappyby rehydrating, as they are soused todoing,will actually kill the yeast.Thisleadstofrustrationandcanevenleadtoruinedbatchesbecauseawildyeastorbacteriacouldgetholdofyourwash.Thebestadviceisalwaystofollowtheinstructions on your yeast package, and if it doesnot recommend rehydratingyouryeastpriortopitching,thendon’t.

Finally,rememberthiswholelistofyeaststylesandhowtheyaffectflavorandaroma.Giventhatturboyeastwasprimarilydevelopedtoworkwithsugarwashfermentation, theygenerallyuseaneutral fermentingyeast style.Thismakesastandardturboyeastlessthanoptimalforfermentingotherwashes,suchasfruitorgrain.Tocombatthis,therearenow“specialtyturboyeasts.”Theseyeastsuseonly the nutrients needed to complete the fermentation for their specificpurpose, savingyoumoneyandhelpingavoidoff flavors fromresidualunusednutrients.Somealsousespecificyeaststrainsfortheirtoutedpurpose,meaningthataproductsoldforwhiskeyfermentationmayuseawhiskeyyeaststrainorafruityeast strain fora turboyeastmeant for fruit fermentation.Unfortunately,some brands may be less reputable and simply use the lowest cost strainregardlessoftheuse,sothisisacasewhereIdefinitelyadvisestickingtooneofthefewrecognizedbrandsandavoidingprivatelylabeled“housebrands.”

DriedActiveDistiller’sYeast(DADY)This is a general, “all-purpose” style of highly alcohol-tolerant yeast that is

commonly sold at homebrew supply stores, often to unsuspecting customerswhoaretryingtosaveafewdollarsoverpurchasingturboyeast.Givenitsname—“distiller’s yeast”—many people believe that it is a bulk turbo yeast, andunfortunatelymanyhomebrewstores that sell thisproductareunable toassistwhenyoupitchitintoyourwashandnothinghappens.Justrememberthatthisyeastispreciselywhatitsaysitis.Itisyeastandnothingmore.Now,thatisnottosaythatitdoesnothaveitsplace.Ifyourwashisprovidingsufficientnutritionfortheyeast,andyouareabletousealloftheyeastinareasonablyshortamountoftime,thenitcandefinitelybeaverycost-effectiveoption.Usuallysoldin1.1-pound (500g) bags, it is substantially lower in cost per use than turbo yeast.However, if yourwashdoesnotprovide adequatenutrition for the yeast, thenyouarebacktosquareone.Tocounteractthisissue,thereisaproductavailableknownasdistiller’snutrients,which,unliketheyeastnutrientsoryeastenergizersold by most homebrew supply stores, is basically a complete turbo yeastnutrientmix.Essentially,itisturboyeastwithouttheyeast.

2.Fermentation

JESUS TURNED WATER into wine. The rest of us have to usefermentation.

Asyouknowbynow,thefirststepofthedistillationprocessisfermentation.This process is the same whether you are fermenting to make beer, wine, ordistilledspirits. Inmanycases therecipe isevenverysimilaror, insomecases,identical tothatusedtomakebeerorwine.Forexample, tomakebrandy,youwillfermentagrapemashjustasyouwouldtomakegrapewineandthendistillthe finished wine into brandy.Whiskey is basically a fermented and distilledunhoppedbeer,andrumisafermentedanddistilledwashmadefrommolasses.Yes,moregenerallygoesintothesedifferentspiritsafterthedistillationprocesshasbeencompleted,suchasaginginwoodbarrels,butyougetthebasicidea.

Thefermentationprocesscanactuallybevery involvedandcomplex,so it isimportant to fullyunderstandwhat is goingonduring fermentation, things towatch for, how to avoid commonmistakes that can taint or ruin a batch, andhowtogetbackontrackifyouexperienceanydifficulties.Tothatend,let’sstartbackwithyeastandexactlywhatitisdoingthroughoutthefermentationprocess.

YeastLifeCycleMany people step into brewing and distillationwith amisunderstanding of

what really takes place during fermentation. Beginning brewerswho aremoreinterestedinthefinishedproductthanunderstandingtheprocesswilljusttakeamaltextractbeerkit,dissolveitinwater,pitchtheyeast,andexpecttheproductto turn out.Often it does. Sometimes it does not, and inmost cases a ruinedbatch could have been easily avoided with some basic knowledge of what isactuallytakingplace,asthiswillnotonlyarmthemwiththeknowledgeneededto ensure that they do things correctly from the start, but also the ability torecognize and correct an issuebefore it ruins theirproduct.Theydonot evenrealizethatthistinypacketofyeasttheypitchintothefermenterdoesmorethanswell up and disperse itself when it is introduced to the mash, but it will gothrough several stages, from multiplying and increasing the yeast cells in thewashtotheactualconversionofsugarintoalcohol.Thebasicstagesintheyeast’slifecycleareaerobicrespiration(orlagphase),fermentation,andsedimentation.However, before you evenmix yourwash, it is imperative that you clean andsanitize your fermentation equipment thoroughly to avoid ruining your washwith bacteria, wild yeast, or molds that are just as interested in your yummymixture as your yeast is. Because sanitation is not part of the life cycle of theyeast,itwillbediscussedlater.

AerobicRespirationCommonly known as the lag phase, this is what takes place when you first

pitch your yeast into thewash.With a dried yeast, which is what youwill beusinginmostcases,itwillfirstquicklyrehydrate(takeupliquid)andthenenterthe lagphase.This iswhenyeastrapidlyabsorbsoxygenandtakesupmineralsand nitrogen in thewash.Oxygen is extremely important at this stage, as theyeastwillutilizeit inreproductionandtheconstructionofcellwalls.Theyeastalso derives energy from the available oxygen and sugar,which itwill need tocarry it through the entire fermentation process. In addition to reproduction,yeastwill consume sugar and producewater, carbon dioxide, and some flavorand aroma compounds during aerobic respiration. However, no alcohol isproducedduringthisstage.Atthispointyouwillnoticealayeroffoam,knownaskrausen,buildonthetopofyourwash.Howlargethekrauseniswilldependonyourstrainofyeastandthecompositionofyourwash.Itdoesnotnecessarilydirectly correlate to theultimate speedof fermentation.The lagphasewill lastfromtwoorthreehoursanduptoseveralhours.Immediatelyfollowingthelagphaseis...

FermentationFinally, themomentyouhavebeenwaiting for!Your littleyeastbuddiesare

turning your big bucket of sugar, fruit, grain, or whatever into that deliciouselixirthatyouhavebeenworkingsohardfor.Thisstagecanbeveryinterestingforthenewbrewer,astheactivitiestakingplacecanbeseenfarmorethanthosein the lag phase. The krausen formed during the lag phasewill “fall” into thewash,andyourwashwillbecomenoticeablylighterincolorduetothegrowingnumber of yeast cells in suspension. Reproductionwill continue to take placeuntil theyeasthasreached itsoptimalconcentrationofaround50millioncellspermilliliterofwash.Yes,youreadthatcorrectly,andnowyoualsoknowwhyyouronce-clearwashwillbecomeextremelycloudy.Atthesametime,theyeastisrapidlyconsumingsugarandconvertingitintocarbondioxideand...alcohol.Yes, alcohol.At last,wearegetting somewhere!At this stage, youwill see andsmelltheactivity.Ifyouuseasealedfermenterwithanairlock,youwillseethebubblesracingthroughit.Ifyoulookatthetopofthewash,itwillbeveryactive,with the carbon dioxide that is being produced making it look like a bigcontainerofsodapop,andyou’llevenhearthefizzleasthebubblesbreak.Estersthat areproducedby theyeast, alongwithahostofotherby-products,willbecarriedoutby thecarbondioxide, soyoumaynoticeacideryoryeastyaromaduring this stage. Fermentation is an anaerobic process (i.e., without oxygen),therefore oxygen is no longer a requirement of the yeast, and any oxygenremaining in the solution at this pointwill be removedby the carbondioxidethatisbeingproduced.Itisimportanttoavoidtheintroductionofoxygenatthispoint,however,asitcanhaveseriouslynegativeeffectsonyourfinalproduct.Astheyeastcannotutilizeoxygenintroducedatthisstage,itcanpotentiallyleadtooxidation, depending on what exactly you are fermenting, which can comeacrossasastalecharacterinyourfinishedproduct.Fermentationcantakefromadayor twoforextremelyrapid typesof turboyeast toaweekormore forveryhigh alcohol–style fermentations. Certain types of fermentation can takeconsiderablylongerthanthis,butthosearegenerallyspecialfermentations,suchaswhenlageringbeerormakingmead.Inmostcases,fermentationofmorethanaweektotendayspointstoapotentialproblem.However,donotsimplygaugefermentation bywatching your airlock, as even once fermentation is completeyoumayseesomeactivity throughyourairlockdueto thecarbondioxide thatwasabsorbedintothewashduringfermentationslowlycomingoutofsolution.Itisalwayswisetocheckforcompletionoffermentationusingahydrometer.

SedimentationDuringthefermentationstage,yeastwillconsumesugarandslowlyuseupits

energystoresfromthelagphase.Asitsenergystoresdepleteandthefoodsource(sugar) has beenmostly consumed, itwill begin to flocculate and settle to thebottom of the fermenter. The yeast is not dying, but simply going dormant.Dependingonseveralfactors,includingtheoriginalnutritioninthewash,strain,and strength of the yeast and amount of stress encountered during thefermentationprocess,thiscanbeatanytimeafteraboutmid-fermentation.Thespeed of fermentation will decrease, and you may start to notice a layer ofsedimentbuildingon thebottomof your fermenter. If youare concerned thatfermentationhasnotfinished,youcancheckforcompletionwithahydrometer.Therearemanyfactorsthatcanleadtotheyeastsettlingprematurely,inwhichcase you may need to carefully stir the wash to rouse the yeast back intosuspension. If you do this, then be sure to stir gently so as not to introduceoxygenintothewash.Asfermentationcompletes,theyeastwillcontinuetosettle

tothebottomofthefermentationvessel, leavingaclearliquidtosiphonacrossintoyourkettlewhenyoumoveontodistillation.

Hydrometersandtestcylindersareessentialtoolsfortestingsamplesofyourwash.

Thereareseveralfactorsthataffectthespeedatwhichtheyeastwillnaturallyfall to the bottom of the fermenter, including the strain of yeast being used,temperatureoftheliquid,andamountofdissolvedgasinthewash.Duringthefermentationprocess, someof thecarbondioxide that is createdgetsabsorbedinto the liquid as microscopic bubbles. These bubbles can interfere with theyeast’sabilitytofalloutofsolution,soitisveryhelpfultode-gasthewashtoaidtheyeastincompletingitsjourneytothebottomofyourfermenterasquicklyaspossible. This can be done by agitating the wash several times and will workmuch like shakinga canof sodapop.Theagitationhelps release thedissolvedgas,clearingthewayfortheyeasttofalloutofsolutionunobstructed.Andjustasacanofsodawilltendtoloseitscarbonationmorequicklywhenitiswarmthanwhen it is cold, yourwashwill also release the dissolved carbondioxidemorequickly if it iswarm.Agitating thewash can be as simple as removing the lidfrom your fermenter and stirring with a sanitized plastic brewing spoon orpaddle.Wait30to60minutesandrepeatthisprocess.Youwillusuallyfindthatafterrepeatingthisprocessfourorfivetimes,youwillseeverylittleactivityandyouknowthatyourwashisadequatelyde-gassed.

While de-gassing is best done with the liquid on the warmer side, clearingtakesplacemorequicklywhenthewashiscool.Thispartoftheprocessisjusta

waitinggame, so if you areunable todecrease thewash temperature relativelyeasily,donotworry,asitwilljustaddacoupleofextradaystotheprocess.Youcanalsospeedthisprocessalongusingclearingagents,whichwillbediscussedlater.

Sothereyouhaveit.Younowknowmoreaboutyeastthanyouprobablyevercared to know.But youplan tomake superior spirits, right?You are going torivalthefinestcommercialproductsinthestoreandknockthosebigguysfromtheirperch!Ifyouintendtoproducesuchfineproducts,youneedtoknowwhatis taking place, and now you have a good basic understanding of what ishappeningduringeachstageofthefermentationprocess.Nowitistimetostartputtingthatknowledgetowork.

FermentationEquipmentBefore you can start to ferment, you first need to gather the equipment

necessarytogetyouallthewaythroughtheprocess.Therearemanyfine“starterkits” available through homebrew and winemaking supply stores that willinclude all of the basic piecesnecessary to complete fermentation andprepareyouforthenextstep.Ifyoudonothaveahomebrewsupplystorenearyou,therearemanysuchstoresonlinethatspecializeinthistypeofequipment.Althoughwe are focusing on fermenting for the ultimate production of spirits, andtherefore therearepieces insomeequipmentkits thatyouwillnotrequire,wewilldiscuss theequipment that isused inwinemakingandbrewing,aswell, soyouunderstandwhatthesepiecesofequipmentareandwhattheyareusedforandyoucandecidewhichkitwouldbebestforyou.

Fermenter: This is a fancyword for a food-grade bucket. Because there aregenerallytwostepsinwinemakingduringfermentation,youmayseethiscalleda“primary”or“primaryfermenter,”meaningthatitisusedinthefirststageofthefermentationprocess.Theymayhavealoose-fittinglidorasealedlidwithaholetoallowthegasesformedduringfermentationtoescape.Eitherisfine,althoughI am partial to a sealed fermenter, as it helps avoid surrounding air, whichcontains oxygen and contaminants that can spoil your wash. You will hearpeopletalkaboutusingtrashcansorahostofothercontainersasfermenters,butyouwanttoensurethatyouareusingafood-gradecontainerifyouaremakingfood-grade spirits. If your intention is to make only fuel-grade alcohol, thenobviouslyitisnotnecessarytouseafood-gradefermenter.Aproper,food-gradefermenterisaninexpensivepieceofequipment,usuallyunder$20,sohereisnotaplacetotrytocutcosts.Youwillgenerallywantaprimaryfermenterthatisatleast20percentlargerthanyourbatchsizetoallowspaceforthefoamthatwillbuildatthestartofthefermentationprocess.Forcertaintypesofproduct,suchasgrains,molasses,orfruit,itmayevenbenecessarytoallowmorespace,asthelayer of foam could grow to an inch or two. Using too small of a primaryfermentercanleadtooneheckofamess!

Carboy: This is a piece of equipment that is not generally used in spiritproduction.It isusedalmostexclusivelyinwinemaking,butissometimesusedinbeerbrewing,aswell.Acarboycanbeplastic,butglassisfarmorecommon.Ifyouhaveeverseenafive-gallonwaterbottleontopofawatercooler,thenyouhave seen a potential carboy. In fact, many a home brewer has used a watercoolerbottleasacarboyfortheirfive-gallonfermentations.Inwinemaking,youwillstartbyfermentinginyourprimaryfermentationbucket,andthenaftertheprimaryfermentationiscomplete(afterthefirstfewdays),youwilltransfer,orrack,thewashfromtheprimaryfermenterintothecarboy.Thereasonforthisisthat thesizeof thecarboymorecloselymatches thevolumeofyourwash,andbecauseoftheshapeandsmallneck,youcangreatlyreducetheairspaceinthecarboy, helping avoid oxygen and its deleterious effects. Some brewers willactually start their fermentation ina carboy specificallybecauseof the ensuingfoambuildup,astheycanremovemuchofthekrausenbyconnectingahosetothe top of the carboy that is routed into a container to collect the foam. Bycovering theopenendof thehosewithwater, youallowgases and foam tobereleasedintothecontainer,whileatthesametimeblockingairfromgettingbackintothefermenter.

Airlock:Anairlock,orvaporlock,isaninexpensivetypeofone-wayvalvethatuseswatertoactasthecontrol.Thereareseveralairlockdesigns,butallperformthesamejob,whichistoallowgasesformedduringfermentationtoescapewhileblockingoutsideair,whichcontainsoxygenandspoilageorganisms.

Hydrometer:Ahydrometer isusedto findthespecificgravity,ordensity,ofyourwashcomparedwiththatofpurewater.Purewaterisconsideredtohaveaspecific gravity of 1.000. If you take purewater and dissolve sugar into it, thedensityoftheliquidwillincrease,andthereforethespecificgravityincreases.Ahydrometerisacarefullycalibratedinstrumentthathasaweightinthebottom,anditwillfloatintheliquid.Mosthomebrewhydrometerswillhavetwoorthree

scales, but all give you essentially the same information. The reason for thedifferentscalesisbecauseofdifferentpreferencesbythehomebrewer.Themostcommon scales are specific gravity, potential alcohol, balling, and brix.ManyEuropeanhydrometerswillusetheOechslescale,whichisdirectlycorrelatedtospecificgravity.

Alcoholmeter: An alcoholmeter looks almost identical to a hydrometer, butthetwodoverydifferentthings.Whileahydrometeriscalibratedtothedensityof water and will read the density of a liquid relative to that of water, analcoholmeter is calibrated to thedensity of pure alcohol and reads the liquid’sdensity relative to thatofalcohol.Thismaysoundverysimilar inconcept,butjustbecausethey lookthesameandareusedinthesamemanner(i.e., floatingthemeter in the liquid to be tested), the difference in calibrationmeans thatthereisnocorrelationbetweenthereadings.Soifyouthinkthatyoucancheatanduseyourhydrometertoobtainanalcoholreadinginyourdistilledspirit,oryouralcoholmetertoreadthespecificgravity,youareinforasurprise.

Testcylinder:Quitesimply,atestcylinderisatall,narrowcylinderthatisusedto hold a sample that youwish to take a reading ofwith your hydrometer oralcoholmeter.Theycanbemadeofeitherglassorplastic,butifyouintendtousethe cylinder for testing yourdistilled spirits, then youmust use either glass orchemical-tolerant plastic. The clear plastic cylinders are usually made fromacrylic,whichisnottoleranttothehigh-proofalcoholthatyouwillbetesting.Asaresult,youcanconsideranacrylictestcylindertobeasingle-useitem,asitwillbe destroyedbyhigh-proof alcohol. Itmay also taint your test sample, so it issimply best to avoid acrylic in the distillation process. Many inexpensivehomebrewequipmentkitswill includeanacrylictestcylinder.Inthiscase, it iswisetopurchaseaseparatetestcylinderforyourspiritstesting.

Mixingspoon:Becauseyouwillbemixingingredientsinyourfermenter,youwillrequirealong-handledspoon.Thespoonneedstobemadeofeitherplasticor metal, so that it can be properly sanitized prior to use. A long-handledwoodenspoonmayseemlikeagreat,inexpensiveoption,butwoodistooporoustobe sanitized.Theyaregreat forcooking,where theywillbeusedat elevatedtemperatures,butintherelativelylow-temperaturewash,itistoorisky,asitcanintroducespoilageorganisms(suchasbacteria)thatwilltakeholdofyourwashandruinit.Mosthomebrewequipmentkitswillincludeaplasticspoon,buttheycancertainlybefoundatanyhomebrewsupplystoreandwillusuallycostonlyafewdollars.

Siphon: A siphon is used to transfer, or rack, liquid from one container toanother.Whileasimplepieceof flexible tubingcanbeused,ahomebrew-stylesiphon has a couple of distinct advantages.Unlike a simple piece of tubing, asiphonwillhavearigidcane-shapedpieceoftube(knownasarackingcane)thatcan be placed in your fermenter, ensuring that you reach the bottom of thevessel.Onthebottomoftherackingcanethereshouldbeaplastictip,knownasan anti-sediment tip. The purpose of the anti-sediment tip is to reduce theamount of sediment in the fermenter from being carried over during racking.Siphoningfromonecontainertoanotherisaratherregularoccurrence,sothissmall investmentwill save you a lot of headaches (and likely a few foulwordsalongtheway).Mosthomebrewequipmentkitsincludeasiphon.UsuallymadewithanacrylicrackingcaneandflexiblePVCtubing,theyarealsoavailableinamuchhigherqualityversionusingastainless-steelrackingcanethatispracticallyindestructibleandchemical-tolerantflexibletubing.

Startingtheflowofasiphoncanbedoneacoupleofways.Themostcommon,andobviouslyleastsanitaryway,tostartasiphonisbysuckingonit.Afarbetterwayistofilltheentiresiphonwithwater,clampitoffbypluggingtheendofthehosewithyourthumborbycrimpingthehose,placetherackingcaneintotheliquidtobetransferred,lowerthehoseintothereceivingcontainer(whichmustbeatalowerlevelthanthecontainerthatyouaresiphoningfrom),andreleasethehose.Becausethesiphonwasfullofwater,itis“primed”andstartsflowingimmediately.This isanespecially simpleway to startyoursiphonbecauseyoucan sanitize it, then run water through the siphon to rinse it.When you arefinishedrinsingthesiphon,youcanjustclampitoffanditisprimedandreadytogo.

Thermometer: There are several styles of thermometers that are used infermentationandsomedegreeofpreferencewhendecidingwhichtype(s)tousein your procedure. The laboratory thermometer is most commonly used forchecking the temperature of the wash to ensure that you achieve the optimaltemperature for pitching the yeast to keep your yeast happy. It is generallyaccurateandeasytoread,butitdoestakeafreehandtoholdasitdoesnotfloat.Thisbringsustothefloatingthermometer.Afloatingthermometercanremaininyourwashthroughouttheentirefermentationprocess.Thiscanbehandyforcheckingthetemperatureofthewashduringthefermentationprocess,butithasthedistinctdisadvantageofrequiringtheopeningofthefermentertocheckthetemperature.And,asdiscussedearlier,oncefermentationhasstarted,itisbesttoleave the fermenter closed to avoid the possibility of introducing oxygen orcontaminationfromtheair.Sohowdoyoukeepaneyeonthewashtemperatureduring fermentation?Usingastick-onthermometer, suchas thoseused in fishandreptileaquariums,isagreatoption.Althoughmostaquariumthermometerswill not show the temperature range that youwill beworkingwithwhen youferment, most homebrew stores carry one with the correct range. Thesethermometers simply stick to the outside of your fermenter so you can easilymonitorthewashtemperature.Whilenotasaccurateasalaboratoryorfloatingthermometer, theyareextremelyconvenientandgenerallyaccurateenoughforthispurpose.

HowtoUseaHydrometerAhydrometerisafragileandsensitiveglasslaboratoryinstrumentthatworks

by floating in a liquid at a specific level based on the density of the liquid. Inbrewing,theincreaseindensityisgenerallytheresultoftheadditionofsugar,sowecanusethehydrometertogaugetheapproximateamountofalcoholthatwewillcreatethroughfermentation.Inthebottomofthemeterisaweighttohelppullthehydrometerdownintotheliquid,andthisisbalancedwiththeweightofthemeter itself and theair in themeter to ensure that it isonly able to sinkacertain distance into the liquid based onhowdense the liquid is. In the stem,thereisapieceofpaperwiththescale(s)thatgiveyoutheinformationyouneed.Totakeahydrometerreading,placeasampleofthewashintoyourtestcylinderand carefully lower your hydrometer into the sample. Do not drop thehydrometer, as it canhit thebottomof your test cylinder andbreak.Give thehydrometer a slight spin todislodge anybubbles thatmaybe clinging to it, asthese bubbles can lift your hydrometer slightly, resulting in an inaccuratereading. Your hydrometer reading is taken by reading the number where thesurfaceoftheliquidcrossesthestemofthehydrometer.

Youwill now need to adjust your reading based on the temperature of the

liquid. Hydrometers are calibrated for a certain temperature,most commonly60°F(15.6°C).Thisisimportanttoremember,asthedensityoftheliquidwillchangewith its temperature.Takehoney as an example.As youheat it, itwillbecomethinnerinconsistency,or lessdense.Thesameistruewithyourwash,andalthoughitisnotanoticeabledifferencetoyouorme,itisverynoticeabletoa sensitive piece of equipment such as a hydrometer. For this reason, youwillneed to know the temperature of the wash when you take your hydrometerreading, as well as the temperature that your hydrometer is accurate at.Mosthydrometerswillhavethisinformationprintedonthepaperinsidethem.Agoodruleofthumbisthatforevery10°Ffromthecalibratedtemperature,add0.002to0.003totheactualspecificgravityreading.Forexample,ifyourhydrometerisaccurateat60°F,andyourwashisat90°F,thenyouwilladd0.006to0.009toyour actual reading (a 30° difference at 0.002-0.003 for every 10°). Somehydrometers will provide a more accurate correction table specifically for thebrandand styleofmeter,but adifferenceof even0.002or0.003 is less than1percentdifference inyour final fermentedalcoholpercentage, so it is certainlynothing to become extremely concerned about for anyone other thancommercialoperations,wherethattranslatesdirectlytothebottomline.

Ahydrometerreadingisofhelptoyouinseveralways,dependingonwhenitis taken.Youwill usually take a specific gravity reading once you havemixedyourwashandbeforeaddingtheyeast.Thisreadingcanbeusedtotellyouhowmuchalcoholyouwillpotentiallycreateifalltheaddeddensityisfromsugarandifitallfermentsout.Thismaysoundlikealotof“ifs,”butdon’tworry,itwillallmake sense as we continue through the fermentation process and take morehydrometer readings. Here is where a second scale on your hydrometer—thepotentialalcoholscale—canbeveryhelpful.Afterrecordingyourinitialspecificgravityreading,knownastheoriginalgravity(OG),youcanlookatthepotentialalcoholscaletogetanideaofhowmuchalcoholthisparticularwashmaycreate.The problem with having the potential alcohol scale is that it is commonlymisinterpreted by novices as the actual amount of alcohol present, and whentaking a reading after fermentation is complete, they will look at a potentialalcoholreadingthatisoftenatorbelow0percentandtheywillthinkthatthereisnoalcoholpresent, sending themintoapanic. Just remember that this scale ispotentialalcohol,whichistheamountofalcoholyettobeproducedfromwhenthe reading is taken until fermentation is complete. Therefore, a reading of 0percentmeansthatthereisnoalcoholyettobeproduced.

Ahydrometerreading.

Similarly,thosewhodonotunderstandthedifferencebetweenahydrometerand an alcoholmeter will sometimes use their hydrometer to test the alcoholcontent of a distilled spirit and immediately think that their meter is brokenwhen it drops out of sight. This is because a hydrometer is calibrated to thedensityofwater,whichismuchmoredensethanalcohol.Toobtainthealcoholcontentofadistilledspirit,youneedtouseanalcoholmeter.

Ahydrometer can alsobeused to confirm that fermentation is complete. Iffermentationhasslowed,orappearstohavestopped,butyouarenotcertainthatithascompleted,youcanuseyourhydrometertotestforthis.Todoso,takeahydrometer reading and then wait at least 24 hours before taking anotherreading.Ifthesecondreadingislowerthanthefirst,thenfermentationisnotyetcomplete. If the reading remains stagnant, then fermentation is complete andyoucanmoveontothenextstepintheprocess.

HowtoUseanAlcoholmeterAtfirstglance,analcoholmeterlooksidenticaltoahydrometer.Uponcloser

examination,however, youwill see that the scaleson thepaper in the two aredifferent.Addingtopotentialconfusionisthefactthatmanyhydrometershaveapotential alcohol scale, and an alcoholmeter has, of course, an alcohol scale(actually,itispercentageoralcoholbyvolume,or%abv).However,thetwoarecompletely different, and one cannot be used in place of the other, even in apinch. In fact, because alcohol is lighter, or less dense, than water, analcoholmeterwillnotcorrectlyreadanythingotherthandistilledspirits.Togoastep further, an alcoholmeterwillnot accurately readdistilled spirits thathavehad anything added to them. It is not uncommon for some distilled spirits tohave a small amount of glycerin or other similar ingredient added to helpincrease the body of the spirit, as straight distilled spirits can be very “thin.”Adding such a substance adds mouthfeel to the product, making it morepalatableanddenser.Youknowbynowthatthisincreaseddensitywillalterhowhighyouralcoholmeterwillfloat,resultinginanincorrectreading.So,toobtainanaccuratereadingofthealcoholpercentageinyourspirit,alwaystestonlythepure,unadulteratedspirit.

The procedure for using an alcoholmeter is the same as for a hydrometer.Simplyloweritintoyourtestsample,giveitaslightspin,andreadthenumberwherethesurfaceofthespiritcrossesthealcoholmeter.

Aswithhydrometers,mostalcoholmetersarecalibratedto60°F.Unlessyouralcoholmeter came with a specific correction table, you can use the standardadjustmentofsubtracting1%abvforevery5°above60°F,orsubtracting1%abvforevery5°below60°F,asshowninthetablebelow.

°F Adjust%abv

90 -685 -580 -475 -370 -265 -1

60 055 150 245 340 435 530 6

TablecourtesyBrewhaus(America)Inc.

OtherSuppliesforFermentationNowthatwehavediscussedthecommonequipmentthatyouwillneedwhen

settingupyourhomedistillery,weneed todiscuss theother supplies that youwillwant tohaveonhand.For thehomedistiller, this list is comprisedof justtwocategories—equipmentcleanerandequipmentsanitizer.

“Cleanlinessisnexttogodliness”—UnknownEquipment cleaner: This is more than soap and water, although you will

definitely want to use those to keep your equipment generally clean the old-fashionedway.Forobviousdirt,dust,orotherthingsthatyoucanactuallyseeonyour fermentationequipment,breakout thehotwater anddish soap.There isstill no substitute for good ol’ elbow grease. But be careful with your plasticfermentation equipment, as scratches can harbor bacteria and other nasties,which makes it extremely difficult to sanitize. It is usually the best course ofactiontoreplacebadlyscratchedfermenterstoavoidtheheadachesandtearsofdealingwithabatchthathasbeenruinedbynotbeingabletoproperlysanitizeit.

There are several branded and proprietary equipment cleaners, and allhomebrewsupplystoreswillcarryatleastoneortwogoodoptions.Unlikesoapand water, equipment cleaner is meant to remove some of the organic andinorganicbuildupontheequipmentthatyoucannotsee.

Equipment sanitizer: Not to be confused with sterilizing, which is bothunrealisticandunnecessaryinthehomebrewinganddistillinghobby,sanitizingyour equipment is a vital step that is often overlooked by home distillers.Whereashomebrewersandwinemakersaretaughtfromthebeginningabouttheimportanceofsanitizingtheirequipmentasthebasisforensuringgoodresults,many home distillers have not had this important step instilled in them. Thethoughtprocessisthatyouaregoingtoboilthewashanyway,whichwillkillanybacteria or other nasties, so it is not necessary. Unfortunately, that line ofthinkingcanresult in spoiledbatches,andwhile it is true thatyoucanat leastdistilloutthepurealcohol,ifyourintentionwastomakeaflavoredspiritsuchaswhiskey, well, that plan has just taken a backseat to trying to at least salvagesomething from all of your hardwork.And it all could have been avoided bysimplysanitizingyourequipment.Thisisequallyimportanttorememberduringthe fermentation process if youmust touch the wash. Any time that you willtouchthewash,suchaswhenyoutakeasampleorobtainahydrometerreading,

it is imperative that you sanitize the equipment prior to it touching yourfermentingwashtoavoidcontamination.

Thereareanumberofoptionsavailabletoyouforsanitizingyourequipmentand utensils, and it is not uncommon for a brewer to employmore than onedependingonthestageoftheprocess.Forexample,whileitmakessensetomixup a gallonor twoof sanitizerwhen starting a batch andyouneed to sanitizeyourfermenter,spoon,hydrometer,testcylinder,etc.,itisnotrealistictodothisif you are just sanitizing a hydrometer or thermometer for a test during thefermentation.While there are numerous sanitizing solutions available, wewilljustlookatthosemostcommonlyusedinhomebrewing.

Household bleach: Yes, the very same stuff that you accidentally spilled onthose new jeans, creating a new trend, is an excellent brewing equipmentsanitizer.It isveryinexpensive,handy(it iscommoninmosthouseholds),andworks well as both a cleaner and a sanitizer. Mixing one teaspoon (5ml) ofhousehold bleach in five gallons (19L) of water will provide approximately15ppmofavailablechlorine,whichissufficientforsanitizingyourequipment.Sowithhowhandybleachisanditslowcost,whyconsideranythingelse?Well,forstarters,chlorinebleachcantakeafairbitofrinsingtofullyremoveitfromyourequipment.Onceyourequipmenthasbeensanitized,youwillneedtorinsethechlorineoffofitusinghottapwater(hotwaterfromyourtapisgenerallysafetorinsewith.asithasbeenpartlysanitizedbyheat).Also,chlorineiscorrosivetostainlesssteelandcopper,soitsuseinsanitizingyourfermentationequipmentisbest kept to the plastic pieces. Finally, chlorine does not play well withmanyacidsorothercleaners,soyoudoneedtoexercisecautionwhenusingbleachtosanitizeyourequipment.Nevermixbleachwithanyotherproducts.

Chlorinated sanitizers: Slightly different than bleach, these powderedcleaners/sanitizers are often proprietary, and because they are designedspecificallyforsanitizing,theyoftenrinseoffmoreeasilythanchlorine.

CTSP:CTSPisshortforchlorinatedtrisodiumphosphate.TSPisaverystrongcleaner,andwhenchlorineisadded,youendupwithadual-purposecleanerandsanitizer.Anotherversion isavailableasacombinationofTSPwithpotassiumbromide,whichagainisastrongdual-purposecleanerandsanitizer.

StarSan:ThisisaproprietaryproductfromFiveStarChemicalsthatisofferedthrough most homebrew suppliers. Its combination of phosphoric acid anddodecylbenzenesulfonic acid is biodegradable and does not require rinsing. Itquicklysanitizesallhomebrewequipment,butbecauseofitsacidicnature,extracareneedstobetakenwhenusingit.Itisalsoratherexpensivewhencompared

withothersanitizers.Metabisulfites: Often sold in homebrew supply stores as a sanitizer, neither

potassiummetabisulfitenorsodiummetabisulfiteareeffectiveassanitizerswhenadded to water. To release the sulfur dioxide gas that will sanitize yourequipment,thesepowdersneedtobeaddedtoanacidicsolution.Simplyaddingthem to water will create a very powerful-smelling liquid, but nothing more.Theiruseinwinemakingisvalid,asaddingmetabisulfitetotheacidicwinewillresult in sulfur dioxide gas, which helps sterilize the wine must (the juicemixture)andcanhelppreservethewine.

Alcohol:Alcohol is anexcellent sanitizer foryourequipment, and ithas theaddedbenefitofbeingable to easily andquickly sanitize equipment, suchas ahydrometer, without having tomake up a whole batch of sanitizing solution.Using an alcohol-soaked piece of paper towel to wipe a hydrometer can beeffective. And, because of its nature, alcohol will quickly evaporate from yourequipment, leavingno residue, so it is not necessary to rinse.While isopropylalcohol isconsideredthebesttouseforsanitizing,ourgoodoldfriendethanolworks nearly as well. A concentration of 70%abv is optimal. At 100%abv thealcohol evaporates too quickly, which can result in some organisms basically“freeze-drying,”onlytoberehydratedwhentheycomeintocontactwithwater.So keeping a bottle of 70%abv around for sanitizing can be very useful inbrewing.

In addition to the sanitizers listed above, you will hear about iodine-andoxygen-based sanitizers.While these are perfectly acceptable alternatives, theyaresomewhatlesscommonamonghomedistillers.

It is important tonote that theeffectivenessofvirtuallyanysanitizerwillbedirectly related to the cleanliness of the equipment. So alwaysmake sure thatyourequipmentisproperlycleanedpriortosanitizingtoensurethatyoureffortsareeffective.

Clearingagent(fining):Clearingagents,alsoknownasfinings,areusedoncefermentation is complete to speed clearing of the wash. When we discussclearing,wearereferringtogettingamajorityofthesuspendedparticlesinthesolution todropand forma layerof sediment in thebottomof the fermenter.You can then siphon the cleared liquid into your kettle for distilling. I highlysuggest clearing your wash prior to distilling, as distilling a cloudy wash canresultincloudydistillate.Althoughtheyeastwillnotactuallyboilandbecarriedthroughthecolumnasvapor,itislightenoughtobecarriedonvaporsthatarecreatedduringdistillation.Theresultcanbeasomewhatcloudydistillatewitha

slightyeastbite.Byclearingyourwashpriortodistillation,youareremovingthispossibility.

Inadditiontocontributingtoacloudydistillate,boilingtheyeastcanrupturethe cellwalls, releasing smells and flavors thatwill be carried across into yourdistillate. A cloudy wash can also contribute to foaming of the boiling wash,whichwillcreateotherissueswiththedistillationprocess.

Clearingagentsworkonapositive–negativeattractionbasis.Aclearingagentholds a strong positive or negative charge, depending on the type of clearingagent being used. You will select your clearing agent based on what you aretryingtoclearfromyourwash.Ifyouaretryingtosettlesomethingsuchasyeast,whichhasanegativecharge,thenyouwilluseaclearingagentthathasapositivecharge. Yeast is very light and can take time to settle to the bottom of thefermenter,butbyaddingaclearingagentwithastrongpositivecharge,youwillattract yeast cells, and the increased combined weight will then drop out ofsolutionmuchmorequickly.Unlikebrewingandwinemaking,wherethereareanumberofdifferentthingspotentially insolutionthatwemaywishtoremove,and several clearing agents available to deal with them, hobby distillers aredealingoverwhelminglywithsettlingoutyeast.Whilethereareseveralpositivelycharged clearing agents available, two have become clear winners in hobbydistiller’seyes.

Sparkolloid:ThisisaproprietaryproductdevelopedbyScottLaboratories.Itisacombinationofdiatomaceousearth,amorphoussilica,andalginates.Whiletherearebothhotmixandcoldmixvarietiesavailable,inhomewinemakinganddistillingweuseonlythehotmixtype.Itisatan-coloredpowderthatisboiledinwaterandthenaddedtothewashwhilestillhot.Sparkolloidisveryeffectiveandwill often clear the wash sufficiently in 24 to 48 hours. Its popularity is alsoundoubtedly due in part to its low cost when compared with other similarlyeffectiveclearingagents.

Two-part clearing agent:Different varieties of two-part clearing agent exist,but they are all a two-step process that uses both a positively charged and anegativelychargedcomponent.Themostcommoncombinationiskieselsolandchitosan, althoughkieselsol and gelatin is also available.This is a great optionwhenyouneed tosettleoutbothpositivelyandnegativelychargedparticlesorwhenyouneedanextremelyfastclearingofyourwash.Thefirstpartofthetwo-part clearingagent is added,usually thenegativelychargedportion,whichwillattractpositivelychargedparticlesveryquickly.Afteraboutanhour,thesecondpositively charged part of the clearing agent is gently stirred into the wash,

attractingboth yeast cells and themolecules formedwhen the first part of theclearing agent was added. The combined weight of these particles is thensufficienttodropthemtothebottomofthefermenterveryquickly,oftenin24hoursorless.

Anti-foam agent: As its name implies, this is an ingredient that is used toreducefoaming,eitherduringfermentationordistillation.Anti-foamagentsarecertainlymore commonly usedduring the distillation process, but can also beused in fermentation where foaming may be of concern, either because youringredients lend themselves to larger, frothier heads of foam or because yourfermenter is not substantially larger than your current batch size. Fruit, grain,andmolasseswashesoftenfoamexcessivelyandcouldoutgrowthefermenterifsufficient head space is not provided. They will also tend to produce a largeamount of foam when being boiled, which can cause grief throughout thedistillationprocess.

Anti-foam agents work by altering the surface tension of the bubbles thatform,causingthemtobreakmorequicklythanifananti-foamagentisnotused.This reduces thebuildupof foamon the surfaceof the liquid and reduces theissuesthatcancomefromfoambuildup.

Water: Yes, I know that this is technically an ingredient in your wash, butgiventhat itcomprises90percentormoreofyourwash, it isavery importantingredient.Duetobeingsuchasubstantialportionofyourwash,itcanimpartitscharacter into your finished product. So if you do not like to drink thewaterfromthetap,donotuseittomakeyourwash.Whilemostmunicipaltapwaterisacceptabletouseforfermentation,asisalmostanywatersourcethatissafeforconsumption, you also need to be aware of certain issues that can arise. Theprimaryconcernwithmunicipalwateristhatitcontainschlorine.Ifthechlorinelevelsareveryhigh,thenthechlorinecancombinewithnitrogencompoundsinthewashtoformchlorophenolsandothercompoundsthatcantaintyourbatch.Inthesecases,youshouldconsiderusingfilteredorbottledwateror,betteryet,distilled water. And, seeing as you have a distiller at your disposal already,distillingwaterforyourfermentationsisaveryviableoption.

Nowthatyouhaveyourequipment,itiscleanedandsanitized,andyouhaveyourothersuppliesathand,youcangetontothebusinessofdoingsomethingwiththem.Solet’sgettomakingsomething!

SugarFermentationYes, I know that all fermentations use sugar. After all, that is what

fermentationis.WhenIsay“sugarfermentation,”Iamactuallyreferringtothesimplestofallwashes,whichisusuallyreferredtoasasugarwash.Asitsnameimplies, the sugarwash is simplya combinationof sugarandwater.Becauseasimple sugar wash provides no nutrition for the yeast, youmust either add acomplete nutrient complex or use turbo yeast. I highly suggest a simple sugarwashasyourfirststridesintofermentation,duetoitseaseandrelativelylowriskofmistakes.Becausedistillationisatwo-stepprocess—fermentationfollowedbydistillation—this canhelp troubleshoot theprocess if your final product isnotwhatyouexpectedonyourinauguralrun.

Thebasicsugarwash:

Ingredients:

14poundsgranulatedwhitesugar

6gallonsoffresh,filtered,anddechlorinatedwater1packageofturboyeast,sufficientfor6.6USgallons(25L)

Clearingagent

Equipmentrequired:8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglid

AirlockLong-handledplasticspoon

Thermometer

HydrometerTestcylinder(optional)

Clean and sanitize all the equipment using equipment cleaner according topackagedirections.Bring two gallons ofwater to a boil and add to fermenter.Dissolve sugar, adding more hot water if required. Top up fermenter with acombinationofice,coldwater,orwarmwatertoobtainatotalvolumeof6.6USgallons(25L)atastartingtemperatureof100ºF(38ºC)orothertemperatureasnotedonturboyeastpackage.Floatyourhydrometerinthewash,oraddsampletotestcylinder(theadvantagetomovingasampletothetestcylinderisthatyouareabletowaituntilthetemperatureisnearerthecalibratedtemperatureofthehydrometer before taking your reading. Record temperature and hydrometerreading.Addturboyeastandstirvigorouslyuntilallnutrientsaredissolvedandnoclumpsofyeastremain.Placelidonfermenter,fillairlockhalfwaywithwater,andplaceintolid.

Asidefromthenumerousvariables,suchasthestartingtemperatureandthespecific turboyeast that youhave selected, youcanusually expect to see someactivity within 2 to 4 hours. That’s it. That is about all there is to it untilfermentation has completed. Once fermentation has completed, you can addyour clearing agent, and once the wash has cleared you can proceed withdistillation.

Atthispoint,youcanalsoaddflavoringtotheclearedwashwithoutdistilling.Addingaflavoringsuchasaspecialtyliqueuressenceallowsyoutomakemanyofyourfavoritestylesofliqueur,fromAmarettotoIrishcreamtofruitschnapps.Ofcourse,thiswillnotofferthecleanbasecharacterorhighproofresultingfromdistillation,butisacompletelyacceptableoptiontosome.

Non-SugarFermentationWealreadyknowthatyeastfermentssugar,onlysugar,andnothingbutsugar.

Sowhatisallthistalkaboutnon-sugarfermentation?Bynon-sugarfermentationIamreferringtothefactthatwearenotsimplydissolvingbasicgranulatedsugarinwaterandtossinginourbelovedturboyeast,likeintheprevioussection.No,weareactuallygoingtohavetoworkforthesugarnow.

Sugarsaresimplyashort-chainedcomponentinthingsmuchlarger,suchasstarch.Yes,youheardright,andno,thatdoesnotmeanthatyoucanstealyourwife’s laundry starch and turn it into booze. Starch, such as that found inabundance in potatoes, corn, barley, and a host of other foods, is an excellentsourceoffermentablesugar,ifyouarewillingtogogetthem.Thesestarchesarejustlong-chainedsugars.Andyeastistoolazytofermentstarch,soyouhavetodopartof theworkfor itbybreakingthestarchdownintosomethingthattheyeastcanconsume.Todothis,yourequirespecialenzymestoactasahatchet,chopping the longchains into shortones.Theenzyme thatyouneed touse tobreakdownthestarches,orany long-chainedsugar for thatmatter, isamylaseenzyme.Tocomplicatematters,thereismorethanonetypeofamylaseenzyme,andtheirpurposesandhowtheyareusedaredifferent.

AlphaAmylaseEnzymeAlpha amylase enzyme is the heavy worker of the group. It breaks long-

chainedsugarsdownbychoppingthemintosmallerbits.Itisaggressive,rapidlybreakingbondsofstarchinthemiddle,producingrandomsugars(dextrins).Itcontinues tobreakthesechainsdownuntil theybecomechainsofone, two,orthree glucosemolecules, which can be fermented by the yeast. This process iscalledliquefication.

Alphaamylaseisobtainedeitherfrommaltedbarley,suchasthatusedinall-grain fermentation, or as a powder that is available atmost homebrew supplystores. It isgenerallyusedatahigher temperaturerange thanyeastcanhandle(130ºFto165ºF,dependingontheenzymesource),soliquefication,ormashing,mustbedonepriortofermentation.

BetaAmylaseEnzymeBeta amylase enzyme works by breaking small pieces from the ends of the

chains. This process is known as saccharification. As you can imagine, suchpreciseworktakestime,whichiswhyalphaandbetaamylaseenzymesworksowelltogether.Whilealphaamylaseisrapidlychoppingtheverylongchainsintoshorterones,betaamylasecanbreakpiecesoff theendtocreateone-, two-,orthree-chained sugars. Beta amylase will preferentially produce two-chainedsugars,knownasmaltose.Itspreferredtemperaturerangeis126ºto144ºF,butitcanwork for short periods (roughly 45 to 60minutes) at temperatures above150ºF,afterwhichitbecomespermanentlydeactivated.Betaamylaseenzymeisfoundinmaltedgrain,butunlikealphaamylase,itisnotavailableasapowder.Butthat’sallright,aswehaveanotherenzymethatcandomuchthesamejob,anditisavailablefrommosthomebrewsupplystoresinpowderedform.

GlucoAmylaseEnzyme(a.k.a.GammaAmylase,a.k.a.Amyloglucosidase)

Yes, that is a lot of names for one enzyme. It ismost commonly known asglucoamylaseenzyme,butyouwillalsooftenhearthenameamyloglucosidaseincertaincircles.Rarelydoyouhearthetermgammaamylaseinthehomebrewinganddistillingindustry.

Glucoamylaseenzymeworksmuchlikebetaamylaseinthatitbreaksthelongchains from the end, essentially biting pieces off. The advantage to glucoamylase,however,isthatitwillpreferentiallycreatesingle-chainedmoleculesofglucose,which are highly fermentable by the yeast.While thismaynot be thegoalinbrewing,whereyoudesiresomelongerchained,non-fermentablesugarsto give body to the product, in distilling you are primarily after the highestpossible alcohol yield, as this body cannot carry over through the distillationprocess.

Becauseglucoamylase enzymecanworkat slightly lower temperatures, andsaccharificationcanbeasomewhatslowerprocessbecauseglucoamylasebreaksindividualglucosemoleculesfromthelongerchains,itisoftenaddedatthesametimeastheyeast.Thisallowssaccharificationtotakeplaceatthesametimethatfermentationisgoingon.

Glucoamylaseenzymeisavailableinpowderedformthroughmosthomebrewsupplystores.

Gypsum(CalciumSulfate)Gypsumisusedto“harden”waterandishelpfulinachievingoptimalpHfor

mashing.Theenzymesmentionedabove, inadditiontoothers inthemalt thatarepartofthemashingprocess,workbestinapHrangeof4.2to5.8,dependingonthetypeofenzyme.ThismeansthatapHof5.2isoptimalformashing,andfortunatelyforus,thisoccursnaturallywhenyourgrainiscombinedwithwater.The addition of a small amount of gypsum is helpful in achieving an optimalmashingpH.

IodineIodine is used to confirm that all the starches in your mash have been

converted to sugar. This works because iodine will change color to black orpurpleinasolutioncontainingstarch.Thistestisnotcompletelyeffectivewhentheliquidishot,soitisbesttouseacooledsampleforyouriodinetest.Todoaniodine test, take a tablespoonof themash liquid andplace it ona cool saucer.Placeonedropofiodineintotheliquidandobservewhetherornotthesamplechanges color to black or purple. If there is a color change, then allow themashingtocontinueuntilarepeatedtestshowsnocolorchange.

AlternateMashingMethodWithallofthissaid,thereisasecondmethodofmashingusedinthedistilling

industry.Whereastheprecedingmethodisknownasa“cookermash,”becauseyou are using an elevated temperature to quickly convert all starches intofermentable sugars, a second “no-cook” mashing method works at normalfermentation temperaturewithout having tomaintain themash at an elevatedtemperature for an extended period of time. So why would you bother goingthroughalltheworkforacookermashifyoucanjusttossthegrainsintoyourfermenter, cover themwithwater, andpitch your yeast?Well, first of all, it isslightly more involved than that, and much of our alcohol is acquired fromgranulatedsugar.Butmostimportantly,thedifferentmashingmethodsproducefinishedproductswithasomewhatdifferentcharacter,sopreferenceisreallythekey here. The no-cook method is also most commonly used in “sour mash”recipes,whereapercentageoftheliquidremainingintheboilerafterdistillationisused ina subsequent fermentation.This liquid isknownas “backset.”Thereareanumberoffamouswhiskiesthatusethesourmashprocessandprobablyanequalnumberusingacookermash.Sogothroughtherecipeslaterinthisbookand compare for yourself. Experiment. Have fun with it, and you may juststumble onto something completely unique and wonderful. If you happen tomakesomething thatyoudon’t like, therearealways friendswhoarehappy totake it off yourhands, or you can redistill it intoneutral spirits, openingup awholelistofthingsthatyoucandowithit.

3.TypesofDistillation

Theevolutionofdistilling,(L–R):alembic,stockpot,“hillbillystylekettle”withworm,thumper,andrefluxcolumn.

TheEvolutionofDistillingIFTHECHARTabovetellsusanything,itisthathomedistillinghascomealong, longwaysince itbegan.Distillation isbelievedtohavestartedasearlyas3000BC.Obviously,thiswouldhavebeenaverycrudeformofthecraftthatweknow today, and little, if anything, is similar to the methods used literallythousandsofyearsago.Today’sdistillerisinformed,hasfarmoresophisticatedequipmentandrecipes,andahostofexcellentqualityingredientsavailable.

Anotherthingthatyouwillcometolearnfromthechartaboveisthatsomeofthe drawings can be moved from one place to another, and it will be just asaccurate. This is because there is no clear-cut order in which some types ofequipment came about, and it is likely that different styles of equipmentweredevelopedsimultaneouslyindifferentpartsoftheworld.Inaddition,somestylesofdistillationthatwereoncethoughttobedestinedforthehistorybookshaverecently made strong comebacks, most likely due to the renewed interest inhobbydistillingthatisbeingrealizedtoday.Onethingthatiscertainisthatthenewfoundinterest isnot likelytowanesoon.Theinterest inhobbydistillingisliterallybooming,bothamonghomebrewersandwinemakerswhofindittobethenextlogicalstepintheirhobbiesandthosewhohavelittleexperiencebutarehighlyinterestedinthehobbyofdistilling.Theexplosionofsmall-scale“micro”distilleries is clear evidence of this. How, you ask? Those are commercialbusinessesandhavenothingtodowithhomedistilling.That isnotreally true.Yousee,mostof thesemicrodistilleriesare theresultofahomedistiller takinghis or her hobby to the next level. And they are responsible for many of theunique andhandcrafted liquors and liqueurs that you find on the liquor storeshelf.Yes,theywentlegitandaremakingalivingdoingwhattheylove.Butitissafe to say thatmanyof them startedout rightwhere you arenow—tinkeringwithanewhobby.That isnottosaythatyouwillnecessarilywanttotakethisbeyondahobbylevel,butwhatitdoesproveisthatyoucanletyourimaginationrun wild. You can try new things—new methods, new recipes, differentcombinationsof ingredients,differentwaysofagingyourproduct. In fact,youhave more flexibility than those commercial operations, because they mustadheretoguidelineswithrespecttothedifferentcategoriesofspirits.Theyalsoneedtoappealtoabroadspectrumoftastesandcannotbeasoutrageousintheirideas,astheyneedtoconsiderthebottomline.You,ontheotherhand,cando

whateveryoulike.As you already know, distillation is a process in which you boil a liquid,

condense the resulting vapors, and collect specific part(s) of it to achieve yourdesired finished product. Sounds simple enough, right? But just as withfermentation, therearedifferentways togoaboutdistilling,andtheywillyieldvery different results. This is because different methods of distillation offer adifferentdegreeofseparationof thedifferentvapors.Whythenwouldyounotjustgowiththemethodofdistillationthatoffersthemostdefinedseparationsoyou can collect only the purest alcohol? Because if you collect only the purestalcohol, then you’ll end up with vodka. There is nothing wrong with vodka.Manypeoplelikevodka,anditisbyfarthemostpopularofalltypesofspirits.However, Iamsure thatyouhave interests rangingbeyond justvodka.And, ifpeople were only interested in vodka, which is supposed to be “neutral”(colorless, odorless, and flavorless), then there would be no reason to usedifferentrecipes,asnomatterwhatyoufermented,youwouldendupwiththesame finished product. By distilling different ways, though, you are able tocontrol what components of the wash you collect. This allows you to collectflavor and aroma compounds andmake virtually any typeof spirit or liqueur,frombrandytowhiskey,rum,and,yes,vodka.

DistillationMethodsWith all the different types of distilled spirits youwould expect there to be

manymethods of distilling, but in fact there are only two that are commonlyused—potdistillingandrefluxdistilling.Thismaysoundoversimplified,butasyoureadon,youwillfindthatitisalsoquiteaccurate.

PotDistillationPotdistillingisthemoretraditionalmethodofdistillation,andwhileitcanbe

used to produce neutral spirits, it is generally used formaking spirits such aswhiskey,brandy,andotherflavoredspirits.Thisisbecauselessseparationtakesplaceinpotdistillationthaninotherformsofdistillation.Whilethisisanolderandconsiderablylessadvanceddistillationmethod,itisstillconsideredtobethebest option for producing flavored spirits.During the distillation process, youwillbringtheliquidinthekettletoafullboil.Becausealcoholhasalowerboilingpoint thanwater, itwill vaporizemore rapidly than thewater in the solution,resulting in vapor containing a higher percentage of alcohol and lowerpercentage of water. The different flavor and aroma compounds have varyingboilingpointsbetweenthoseofalcoholandwaterandwillthereforealsoboiloffmorequicklythanthewater.

Apotdistillerdoesnothave a tall columnwhereyou can further refine thevaporandinsteadtakesvirtuallyallthevaporthatisproducedandcondensesitbackintoaliquid,whichisthenroutedintoacollectioncontainer.Althoughthissounds like a very crude and inexact method of distilling, by knowing thetemperatureofthevaporatalltimesandcollectingonlywithinacertainrange,you are able to capture the alcohol, flavor, and aroma compounds that youdesire,while leaving behindmuchof thewater and other by-products formedduringfermentation.Thisiswhereadvancementsineventhesimplepotdistillerhavereallyhelpedthehobbydistiller,asmanyofthenewpotdistillersincludeathermometer, enabling you to see the vapor temperature during the entireprocessandcontrolwhatyoucollectbasedonthechangesintemperature.

Fractional/RefluxDistillationReflux is basically a fancy term for the repeated recondensing of the vapors

that rise in a distillation column and are then returned to the system. Thisprocessisdoneinatallcolumnwherecomponentsofvaryingboilingpointswillseparateoutnaturally.Likepotdistilling,thelowerboilingpointliquidswillstillboilmorerapidlythanthosewithhigherboilingpoints.However, inacolumnweareabletoseparateeachofthosecomponents,orfractions,andcollectonlyindividualcomponents.Asthevaporentersthecolumnandbeginstorise,itwilllose heat.When an individual component falls below its boiling point, it willcondenseandthe liquidwillbegintofallbackdownthecolumn.This iscalledrefluxing.Thiscontinuesasthevaporascendsinthecolumn,untilatthetopyouachieve an individual, highly purified piece from the mixture boiling in thekettle.Yourgoalistocollectthispurevaporandcondenseit,leavingbehindasmuchofthewaterandby-productsasyoucan.Whilecertainlynottoscale,thediagram to the left shows how fractional distillation separates the differentliquids based on boiling points,making it possible to collect a highly purifieddistillateatthetopofthecolumn.

Bothtoimprovetheeffectivenessofthecolumnandallowyoutoworkwithamuch shorter column than would otherwise be necessary to achieve a highdegreeofseparation,therearecolumnswithadditionalcoolingbuiltinthatwillhelpforcetherefluxingtotakeplace.Theseareknownasforcedrefluxcolumns,althoughmostpeoplesimplycallthemrefluxcolumns.Somepeoplealsorefertothesecolumnsasfractionatingcolumns,butallnamesrefertothesamegeneraltypeofcolumn.Whilestillinuseonaverylargescale,columnstillshavealmostcompletelygivenwaytorefluxstillsatthehobbylevel.

TypesofDistillers

StockPotStillWhilefarfrombeingoneoftheoriginaldistillerdesigns,thestockpotdistiller

can be quickly assembled using items that many people already have in thehome. If you don’t have the necessary parts, they can be purchased veryinexpensively.Safetycanbeaseriousconcernforthistypeofdistiller ifpropercareisnottaken.Thestockpotdistilleralsoofferslittletonocontroloverwhatyou will collect, so it is a very raw method of simply increasing the alcoholpercentage fromyour fermentedwash.Withallof its shortcomings, it isnotadistiller that I suggest building or using, but with that said, it is certainlyfunctional.

Tobuildthestockpotstill,youwillneedalargestockpot(atleastafive-gallon(19L)preferred),astainless-steelmixingbowl largeenoughtositontopofthestockpot,andaslightlysmallerstainless-steelmixingbowlthatcanfitinsideofthestockpotwithatleast1/4to1/2inchofspaceallthewayaroundit.

Touse thestockpotstill,youwill fill thestockpotabouthalfwaywithyourfermentedwash and float the smaller stainless-steel bowl on top of the liquid.Moreofyourwashcanbeadded,butmakesurethat themixingbowlremains

severalinchesbelowthetopofthestockpot.Placethelargermixingbowlontopof the stockpot and fill itwith ice.Youcannowbegin toheat your stockpotuntilitissimmeringorboilinggently.

Becausethissystemisnotsealed,vaporisabletoescape,especiallyifyouareboilingveryaggressivelyand/orifyoudonothaveenoughiceinthetopbowltocondenseallthevaporthatisbeingproduced.Thiscanbeaveryserioussafetyrisk, especially if your heat source involves an open flame. Alcohol vapor ishighlyflammable,soitisbesttodothisinawell-ventilatedareaandalwaysbesuretohaveafireextinguishercloseathandifyoudecidetotrythismethod.

Thegeneralconceptisthatastheliquidboils,itcreatesvapor,whichrisesandmakes contact with the ice-filled bowl, causing it to immediately condense.Becauseoftheshapeofthemixingbowl,theliquidwillrundownthesideandtothebottomofthelargerbowl,drippingintothesmallerbowlfloatingbelowitonthesurfaceoftheliquid.Thisdistillateiscold,soitwillgenerallykeeptheliquidinthebowlfromrevaporizing,butevenifitdoesvaporize,itwillsimplyrise,hitthecoldbowl,andberecondensed.

Unfortunately, this typeof stilldoesnotoffer theability to tossawayanyoftheearlyvapor,suchasmethanolorforeshots(thesearethefirstbitstoboiloffandaregenerallyundesirableinthefinalproduct),nordoesitgiveyouanywayof knowing howmuch product has been distilled. Due to the safety concernsalreadymentioned, you certainly do not want to lift the lid to see howmuchdistillate has been produced! Suffice it to say that you will simply have toestimatethelengthoftimetodistillandlivewiththedrawbacksofthissystem.But,hey,itcostyoulittletonothingtobuild,sowehavetoexpecttheretobeanegativeintheresomewhere,right?

AlembicDistillerProbably the oldest true distiller design, the alembic still is definitely the

fanciest-looking of all distillers, and theymake great conversation pieces. Butmakenomistake, theyarealso fullycapable,andtheycomeina largearrayofsizes,fromassmallas1quart(1L)to10gallons(40L)ormore.Thesearealmostexclusively handmade from copper sheet, so they are as unique as they arebeautiful.However,theyhavetwosubstantialdrawbacks.First,justlikethestockpot still, there is no thermometer giving you the ability to read the vaportemperature,althoughonecouldbeaddedwithouttoomuchdifficulty.Secondistheprice.Thesemaybeworksofart,buttheyarepricedaccordingly.Ontheplusside, you can see distillate being produced as it drips from the end of thecondenser,soyoucanatleastcollectitinsmallcontainersandblendthefinishedproducttoyourliking.

The“Hillbilly”StillThisisthebackwoodsversionandismeantforlargeproduction,notpremium

quality.Thistypeofdistilleroftenhasakettleranginginsizefrom50gallonstoseveralhundredsofgallons,andit isfrequentlyheatedoveranopenwoodfire.Theywill sometimeshavea thermometerbuilt in,butmoreoften thannotnomind is paid to the temperature in the backwoods. The hillbilly type of stillworks much the same as an alembic still and is intended solely for potdistillation.Tocondensethelargeramountofdistillatebeingproduced,thistypeofstillusesalongcoilofcopper,knownasaworm,tocondensevaporusingthe

surroundingairasaformofheatexchanger.

ThumperStillAthumper,alsoknownasa“doubler”or“thumpkeg,” isanaddedpieceof

equipment between the kettle (generally a simple pot still) and the condenser.Thisisanold“hillbilly”method,butitismakingadistinctcomebackinhobbydistillingcircles.

Thename“thumper”actuallyoriginatedbecauseasthesystemheats,itmakesadistinctthumpingsound.Manymodernthumpersdonotdothis,astheyaremade from heavier gauge materials than those used in the backwoods manyyearsago.Athumpercanbemadeofanyheat-andchemical-tolerantmaterial,soyouwillseethemmadeoutofeverythingfromglassmasonjarstosmalldistillerboilers,andevenwoodenbarrels.Itisalsoknownasa“doubler,”whichcanbesomewhatmisleading.Manypeoplemistakenlybelieve thatdoublermeans thestill will double the purity of the distillate, but this is not the case. The term“doubler”referstothefact that itactsverymuch likeasecondpotdistillation,being similar to “double-distilling,” or taking the distillate from your first potdistillationandredistillingittoincreaseproofandpurity.

The concept behind a thumper is actually quite simple. You take the vaporthatiscomingoffofyourpotdistiller,butbeforeyoucondensethosevapors,yourun them into the thumper. The vapor runs through a tube that reaches verynear to thebottomof the thumper,which ispartially filledwith liquid (water,fermentedmash,or“tails”fromapreviousdistillation).Thevaporenteringthethumperisquicklycooledwhenitenterstheliquid,bothcondensingthevaporand heating the liquid in the thumper at the same time. As this processcontinues,thetemperatureoftheliquidinthethumperwillrise,andvaporwillbegintorisefromtheliquid,exittothecondenser,anddripintoyourawaitingcollectioncontainer.Asthetemperatureof the liquid inthethumpernears theboiling point of alcohol (approximately 173° F or 78.3° C), it will begin tovaporize,makingitswayintothecondenserandultimatelyintoyourcollectioncontainer. Because of the substantially lower temperature that this seconddistillation is taking place at, the distillate leaving the thumper will be of asubstantiallyhigherpercentageofalcoholthanthevaporenteringthethumper.Thisisbecauseatthislowertemperature,manyoftheby-productsandwaterwillremain in the thumper, as they are well below their respective boiling points.Thus you have just run something very equivalent to a second distillation, allwith minimal added time and heat being required, making this a far moreeconomicaloptionthandoubledistilling.

Thisallsoundsgreat.Butwhathappenswhentheliquidinthethumperheatsuptomorethantheboilingpointofalcohol?Won’tyouthenstart todrawoffmoreimpurities,seeingtheproofandpurityofyourdistillatedrop?Inshort,yes.Thisiswhysizeisofimportancewhenbuildingathumper.Ifthethumperistoosmall,orhastoolittleliquid,itwillresultinaveryshortactivelife,astheliquidwillquicklyreachatemperatureveryclosetothatoftheincomingvapor,andtheincomingvaporwillsimplybubblethroughtheliquidwithoutbeingcondensed,exitingthethumperexactlyas itentered.Inthiscase,yourthumper isnothingmorethanafancy-lookingpieceofuselessequipment.Theonlywaytocombattheissueofhavingasmallthumperisbyreducingyourheatinput,butthiswillalsoincreasethedistillationtimesubstantially.

If your thumper is too large, you may have other issues that can causefrustration. First, it is easy to put too much liquid into the thumper if thethumper is too large, and without substantial heat and a higher vaportemperatureand flow,your incomingvaporwillnotmanage toheat the liquidsufficiently,making your thumper act as a condenser. All the vapor from thedistillerwillbecondensedanddilutedbytheliquidinthethumper.Iftheliquidneverreachesasufficienttemperature,thenyouwillnotproduceanydistillate,potentially leaving you even further behind. But it is not as simple as justreducingtheamountofliquidthatyoustartwithinthethumperbecausealargethumperwillgenerallyhavealargerbasearea,meaningthatlessliquidresultsina shallower liquiddepth.A thumperworksbymaking thevapor flow throughtheliquidinthethumper.Thevapornaturallyrisesonceitenterstheliquid,soifthere is insufficient liquiddepth, then thevapordoesnothaveenoughcontacttimewiththeliquidtobecondensed.Theresultisthatthevaporquicklypasses

through the liquid and exits the thumper unchanged from when it entered,renderingthethumperuseless.Thefinalissuewithathumperthatistoolargeisthe surrounding contact area. Assume for a minute that you have a largethumper,butitistallandslender,allowingyoutoplaceanappropriateamountofliquidintothethumperandstillhaveenoughliquiddepthtobeeffective.Thisstillleavesasubstantialamountofsurfaceareaforvapor,leavingtheliquidtobecondensedon the thumperwalls, and vapor that is condensed in the thumperneverleavesthethumper—therefore,nodistillate.Theonlywaytocombatthiswouldbebyincreasingtheheatlevelonyourboiler,oftensubstantially.

Withallof this said,what is theoptimal size fora thumper,andhowmuchliquidshouldyouchargeitwith?Thereareseveralfactorsinplay,sothegeneralruleofthumbisaminimumthumpersizeequaltoone-thirdoftheamountofethanol in yourwash, and amaximum size of twice the amount of ethanol inyourwash.Tocalculatetheamountofethanolinyourwash,simplymultiplythevolume of wash by the percentage of alcohol. For example, if you have fivegallons of wash at 10 percent, you will take five gallons and multiply by 10percent:

5gallons(19L)ofwashx .10 (remember that percentage is always divided by 100 for use in

calculations)=.5gallons(1.9L)

This is a rather standard-sizewash and grain fermentation percentage for ahobbydistillerandmeansthatyouroptimalthumpersizewillbebetween0.167gallons(0.63L)andonegallon(3.8L).Rememberthatoptingforthehigherendofthisrangewillresult inaneedformoreheatontheboiler,whichultimatelytranslatesintoahigheroperatingcost.

ColumnStill(FractionatingStill)Asmentionedearlier,anycolumnstillisinfactafractionatingstill.Howwell

itseparatesthefractionsinyourwashisdependentonseveralfactors,includingthe diameter and height of the column, ratio of height to diameter, vaporproductionspeed,andeventhematerialthatthecolumnismadefrom.Theseareall intertwined, so it can be difficult to totally separate the discussion of onefactorwithoutconsideringhowitaffectsanother.

Firstwewill talkaboutheight.Heighthaspossibly thegreatest effecton the

separationofthecomponentsthananythingelse.Quitesimply,asthevaporsrisein thecolumn, theywill loseheat,partlydue to thecoolerair surrounding thecolumn,butevenmoresoduetotheexchangeofheatwiththefalling(refluxing)liquid. As the vapor temperature drops below the boiling point of a specificcomponent, thatparticular fractionwill condense andbegin to fall backdownyourdistillation column,while the remaining vaporwill continue to rise.Thiscontinuesallthewayupthecolumn,witheachfractionpullingitselfoutoftherisingvaporwhen the temperaturedropsbelow itsboilingpoint.As the liquidfalls, it will gain heat from the rising vapor while simultaneously cooling therising vapor (heat exchange).Theprocess is assistedbyhavingmaterial in thecolumn, known as column packing, that will stop the refluxing liquid fromsimplycollectingalongthewallsofthecolumnwhilethevaporrisesinthecenterof the column. Column packing pulls the liquid away from the walls of thecolumn, slows the liquid’s descent, and essentially closes off parts of the path,forcing the vapor and liquid to utilize the same space. The falling liquid willcontinue to increase in temperature until it again reaches its boiling point, atwhich time itwill turnback into vapor andbegin to rise in the column.Eachtime that this happens, the fractions become more and more defined.Components with similar boiling points will often not separate on their firstcycleofrefluxing,sothemoretimesthatthistakesplacethepurereachfractionbecomes.Thenumberoftimesthatthistakesplaceiscalledtherefluxratio,andit is relatively equal to a similar number of distillations with a pot distiller.Componentswiththehighestboilingpoint(whicharenearestthebottomofthecolumn,astheyarethefirsttofallbelowtheirboilingpoint)willusuallynotgainenoughheat to reach theirboilingpointbefore fallingback into theboiler.Aswaterandalcoholmakeupanextremelylargepercentageofthetotalvolumeofyourwash, this leavesplentyof roomforall theothercomponents,mostlyby-products of fermentation, to separate and remain in the distillation columnthroughouttheprocess.

Thegoalinacolumnstillisforyourcolumntobetallenoughtoseparateallthecomponents, leavingonlya single fractionat the topof thecolumn,whichyouwill thencaptureandcondense.This iswhycolumnheight(relativetothediameter)isconsideredthemostimportantfactorinpurity.Ifthecolumnistooshort,thenyouwillnotgetsufficientseparation,andtheresultingdistillatewillbeof lowerpurity. If thecolumn is too tall, thenyouwillneed to increase thespeedofvaporizationbyaddingmoreheat,whichincreasesthecostofoperatingyourstill.

Diameterof thedistillationcolumnprimarilyaffectstheamount,orvolume,ofvaporthatthecolumncaneffectivelyhandle.Considerthisatitsmostsimple—your columnhas adefined andunchanging capacity (volume). It takes timefortheseparationtooccurinthecolumn,soifyoufeedvaportoittooquickly,itisunabletoeffectivelyperformthistask.Toincreasethetimethatyourcolumn

hastocontrolxamountofvapor,youneedtoincreasethecapacity(volume)ofyour column. This can be done by increasing the height of your column, butmostofushavelimitsonthereasonableworkableheightofthecolumn.Ceilingsoften play a profound role in this. Also, as we are working with a cylinder,considerthevolumecalculationforacylinder:

volume=πr2h

Did you notice that the radius is squared? This means that increasing thediameter can have a far more profound effect on the column volume thanincreasing the height by a similar amount. In fact, increasing from a 2-inchdiameter to a 3-inch diameter (standard hobby still size) will increase yourcolumnvolumeby2.25times!Toget thissameincrease involume,youwouldneed to increase a 36-inch column to 81 inches. That is nearly 7 feet! Justimaginewhatthismeansonacommercialscale.Anoptimalheighttodiameterratiois15:1to20:1.Ifyoufallmuchbelowthebottomendofthisrange,youmayhavedifficultyobtainingadequateseparation,resultinginlowerpuritydistillate.Increasing the height to diametermuch above 20:1will result in the need foraddedheattogetvaportothetopofthecolumn,whichisquitesimplyanaddedoperatingcostontopoftheaddedcostofmaterialtobuildthecolumn.

Columnmaterialisofimportancebecauseofheattransferthroughthewallsofthe column. Without surrounding air being allowed to cool the walls of thecolumn, there will be little to no heat loss in the column and therefore noseparation.Toomuchheatlosscanbeanissue,asitwillresultinademandforincreasedvaporproductiontogetvaportothetopofthecolumn.However,littletonoheatlossmeansthatyouwillnotgetadequateseparationofthefractionsinthecolumn,andthereforeyouwilldrawoffalowerpuritydistillate.Neitheroftheseisaresultthatyouwillbehappywith.Foraproperlydesignedcolumn,itshould not be necessary to insulate the column unless the distiller is beingoperated in the presence of windy or very cold weather, such as an unheatedgarageinthewinter.

Oneimportantconsiderationwithcolumnstillsistherequirementforcolumnpacking.Togetthemostoutoftheseparation,itisextremelyhelpfultousesomeformofmaterial in thecolumnthatwill force therefluxing liquid tobespreadout so that it doesnot simply rundown thewalls of the column.At the sametime, we need to avoid only cooling the rising vapor nearest the walls of thecolumn.This isdonebyaddingsomeformofmaterial to thecolumntomove

thevaporawayfromthewalls,butitisimportanttostillallowrisingvaportheroom that it needs to continue its ascent. In large commercial columns it iscommontouse“plates,”whicharedesignedspecifically for thispurpose.Theycome inmanydesigns,but share in common the fact that theymoveboth thevaporandrefluxingliquidaroundrelativelyrandomly.

Platesarenotaviableoptionforsmallcolumns.Fortunately,thereareseveraloptions thatare suitable forhobby-sizecolumns thatareboth inexpensiveandveryeffective.Thetwomostcommonlysoldcolumnpackingproductsforhobbydistillers are copper mesh and ceramic raschig rings. Copper mesh is simplyknittedcopperwirethatisrolledandaddedtothedistillationcolumn.Itholdsadistinct advantage over other types of column packing because it is made ofcopper, which will naturally react with the sulfur that is formed duringfermentation.Theresultingcoppersulfidewillremainonthecopper,essentiallystrippingitfromthevaporsothatitisnotcarriedintoyourdistillate.However,theamountofcopperrequiredtoreactwiththesmallamountofsulfurinyourwash is quite minimal, so it can be achieved just as easily by adding a smallamountofcopperanywhereinyoursystem,butmosteffectivelynearthetopofthe distillation column. Therefore, the distinct drawback of copper mesh,specificallytheabilitytokeepcopper—especiallyknittedcopper—cleanandfreeoftarnish,canbeanever-endingjob.Forthisreason,manypeopledecidetouseadifferenttypeofcolumnpackingandaddsomeformofcoppernearthetopofthe column. Any form of pure copper is suitable for this purpose, but smallcoppercouplingsareagreatinexpensiveoptionandhavetheaddedadvantageofbeingmucheasiertocleanthanknittedcoppermesh.

Ceramic raschig rings are essentially tiny pieces of unglazed ceramic tubingthatareusually thesamesize indiameteras theyare in length(e.g.,¼ inch indiameterby¼inchinlength).Insmallcolumns,a¼inch(6mm)isanexcellentsize to use. Ceramic raschig rings aremuch easier to keep clean than coppermesh.However,extrathoughtmustbegiventocolumndesign,asraschigringsarea“loosefill,”meaningthattheyarehundredsofindividualloosepiecesthathavenowayofholdingthemselvesinplaceinthecolumn.Whilecoppermeshwillholditselfinplaceusingfrictionbetweenthemeshandwallofthecolumn,thisisnotthecasewithanytypeofloosecolumnpacking.Insuchcasesyouwillneedascreeninthebottomofthecolumnthatallowsthevaportoriseintothecolumn unrestricted, while at the same time holding the column packing inplace.

There are many other items used by hobby distillers as a form of column

packing,includingmarbles,brokentemperedglass,glassbeads(suchasthoseformaking homemade jewelry), and a host of other things. However, the bestcolumnpackingwill have a very high surface areawhile at the same timenotconstricting the flow of vapor up the column and refluxing liquid. Too littlesurfaceareadoesnotgiveadequateareafortheliquidtodescendon,whiletoolittlevoidspace(openspacebetweenthebitsofpacking)cancause issueswiththe distillation. Both coppermesh and ceramic raschig rings offer a very highamountofsurfaceareawhilestillgivingsufficientvoidspaceforthevaporandrefluxingliquidtocomingleandthereforeshouldbeatthetopofyourlistwhenyouselectyourcolumnpacking.

ForcedRefluxStillNowthatyouknowallaboutcolumndistillers,youmaywonderwhytheyare

rarelyusedindistillinganymore,atleastoutsideofextremelylargecommercialapplications. Quite simply, column stills have given way to a newer type ofdistillation column—the forced reflux column. While technically these arecolumnstills, theforcedrefluxcolumnhastheadditionofsomeformofvaporcoolingtohelpimprovetheefficiencyandeffectivenesstoensurethatmaximumdistillatepurityisachieved.

Arefluxdistillerwithabandheaterandendcapwithadigitalthermometer.

Therearemanydesignsofforcedrefluxstills,buttheyallshareonethingincommon,andthatisthattheyofferyouthecontroloverrefluxthatismissinginasimplecolumnstill.Thisisdonebycoolingthevaporandreturningaportionof the liquid to thecolumn. Inotherwords,youarecontrolling the refluxandwhat you allow to exit the system as distillate. Some designswork better thanothers,andsomedesignsaresimplymeanttolookdifferentasasalesgimmick.Unfortunately,thelatteroftendonotworkaswellastheyaresaidto,leavingtheuserupsetandsearchingforwaystomodifytheircolumntogivebetterresults.

Probably the most well-known and still most effective forced reflux stilldesignsisthe“coolingtube”design.Inthisdesign,tubesrundirectlythroughthecolumnand coldwater is run through them.The reason that this design is soeffective isbecausethecooling linesare indirectcontactwiththerisingvapor.When the vapor comes into contact with these cold lines, it is instantlycondensed,forcingittofalldownthecolumnuntilifvaporizesandrisesbackupfor another shot at getting past the cooling lines. This will take place severaltimesuntilonlythefractionwiththe lowestboilingpointremains.Thegoal inthis type of system is to force the maximum amount of vapor to come intocontactwiththecooling linesor to flowverynearthem,sothat the“coolness”that radiates from the line cools the vapor. The speed of distillation, andtherefore the reflux ratio, is controlled by the speed and temperature of thecoolingwaterbeingrunthroughthelines.

Inthepast,mostofthesedesignsusedtwocoolinglines,oneinthemiddletolower portion of the column and another directly above it near the top of thecolumn. The drawback to this design was that the lower cooling line affectedmostlythehigherboilingpointfractions,suchaswater,whichwouldnotreachthe upper portion of the column anyway.This lower cooling linewas actuallyonlyofvalueinasystemthatwasdrasticallyoverpoweredandproducingmorevapor than the column could effectively control.However, thiswas changed afewyearsagobyBrewhausAmerica,whentheyraisedthelowercoolinglinetobenearthetopofthecolumnandsubsequentlybegancrossingthecoolinglinesinanXformationtoincreasetheamountofvaporactuallyaffectedbythelines.They later increased the number of cooling lines in this formation to furtherimproveefficiency.Theresultisthataveryhighportionoftherisingvaporwill

either contact a cooling line or be affected by the cool temperature radiatingfromthem.Whenthistypeofcolumnisrunproperly,andthevapordoesfinallygetpastthecoolinglines,itisusuallyofveryhighpurity.

Asystemthatisoftenmarketedasanimprovementonthecoolinglinedesignisoneinwhichacoolingwaterjacketisplacedovertheoutsideofthecolumn,allowingcoldwatertoflowbetweenthejacketandthedistillationcolumn.Whilevisuallymoreappealing,thesystemisfarlesseffectivethantheinternalcoolinglinesonanythingbutaverysmalldiametercolumn,asvery littlevaporwillbeaffectedbythecoldwater.Infact,onlythevaporatorverynearthewallsofthecolumnwill be forced to cool, leaving themajority of the vapor to rise to thecondenserandexitthesystem.Increasingthelackofefficiencyisthefactthatthewallsofthecolumnareusuallymadeofaconsiderablyheaviergaugemetalthanthat used to build cooling lines in the more traditional design, dramaticallyreducing the heat transfer rate.As a result, this is in essence just a very slight

improvement on the simple column still, as little forced reflux actually takesplace.Themarketing for suchdesignsoftenboasts increaseddistillationspeed,butthisismerelytheresultofadecreasedrefluxratio,sotheresultingdistillateisusuallyoflowerpurity.

Becausethesystemsaboveare,tovaryingdegrees,controllingtherisingvapor,theyarecommonlyknownasvapormanagementstills.

ExternalValvedRefluxThis is an extremely popular design that is widely used by people building

their own columns. As the name suggests, the forcing of reflux takes placeoutsideofthemaincolumnbody.Thecolumnrisesfromtheboilerwitheithera90-degree elbow,ormore commonly a tee fitting, at the topof the column.Athermometer is installedat the top to read the temperatureof thevaporat thehead(top)of thecolumn.Thevapor,havingnowhereelse togo, travelsacrosstheteefittingtotherefluxhead.Therefluxheadconsistsofateefittingwithashortriseontheupward-facingsection.Thissectionhousesacoil,usuallymadeof copper,whichhas coldwater running through it.Thevaporwill come intocontactwiththecoil,andtherefluxingliquidwill thendripstraightdown intothe lowerportionof the tee fitting.This lowerportionof the tee fittingwillbecappedwithaneedlevalveinstalledinthecap.Theneedlevalveallowstheusertocontrolthespeedatwhichdistillateiscollected,andindoingsoalsocontrolhowmuchof the refluxing liquid is returned to the column.Leaving thevalveopen entirely collects all the distillate, with the only active reflux being thatwhichisinherentinanysimplycolumnstill,whileclosingthevalvecompletelywillreturnallrefluxingliquidtothecolumn.Whileitdoesgivecompletecontrolovertherefluxratio,thistypeofsystemisnotwithoutitsflaws.

Theprimaryissuewithsuchadesignisthatthelowerportionoftheteefitting(where thecondensatedrips into)hasa reservoir thatholds thedistillate tobecollected.Allrisingvaporthatreachesthetopofthecolumnwillbecondensedwhen it reaches the cooling coil, and that condensate will then drip into thereservoir.Thismeans thateven thevaporrequiring furtherpurificationwillbemixedwith theotherdistillate in the reservoir, reducing thepurityof the finaldistillatetoatleastsomedegree.Thiscanberemediedbyreplacingtheteefittingwitha90-degreeelbowsothatthiscollectionareaiseliminated.

InternalValvedRefluxWhile fundamentally thesameas theexternalvalvedrefluxstill, the internal

valvedrefluxstill isavariation inwhich the forcingof reflux isbrought insidethemain column. The result is a better, sleeker appearance, but this does notsubstantially alter theperformanceorbasicoperationof the column.With theinternal reflux design, you still control your distillation with a needle valve,which controls the speed at which you collect your distillate. Even the actualdesigninsideofthecolumnisalteredverylittle,despitethesubstantialdifferenceinappearance.Infact,asidefromaveryslightmodification,thatbeingthatyoumust create the reservoir for the condensate to collect, you can essentially justmovetherefluxheadofanexternalrefluxstilltothetopofthecolumntocreatethe internalvalvedrefluxstill.Becausethedesignis fundamentallythesame, ithasthesamebenefitsanddrawbacksoftheexternalvalvedrefluxcolumn.

Sincetheexternalrefluxandinternalrefluxdesignsallowyoutocontrolyourrefluxanddistillationthroughthespeedatwhichyoucollecttherefluxingliquid,thesesystemsaregenerallyknownasliquidmanagementstills.

Anoteonneedlevalves—theuseofbrassshouldbeapproachedwithextremecaution!Whileusingbrass is fine forwater systems, it canbeaconcern in thepresenceofhigh-proofethanol.Infact,accordingtotheAmericanCoalitionforEthanol(www.ethanol.org),softmetalssuchasbrassmaybedegradedbyhigh-proof ethanol. Any possible leaching of lead from the brass will contaminateyourdistillate.

GinColumnGin itself has gone through a change in productionmethod over time. The

earliest ginsweremadebypotdistilling a grainwash and then combining thespiritwithbotanicals(juniper,anise,coriander,etc.)andredistillinginapotstill.With advancements in distilling, so came about changes in gin productionmethods.Today,mostginismadebyredistillingahigh-proofneutralspiritwiththebotanicalssuspendedina“ginbasket.”Thehotalcoholvaporsextractflavorand aroma compounds from the botanicals, resulting in the flavorful finishedproduct.Thismethod isnowused formanytypesof flavor infusion, includingsomebrandsofflavoredvodka.

New column designs have been developed to reduce this infusion type ofdistillingtoasingle-stepprocessandeliminatetheneedforaseconddistillationsystem.Byplacingtheginbasketattheheadofthecolumnimmediatelybeforethecollectionpoint,youcanessentiallycreateyourhigh-proofethanolandrunthose hot alcohol vapors through the botanicals all in one process. Some gincolumndesignsareversatileenoughalsotobeutilizedasaforcedrefluxcolumnor pot distillation column, simply based on how you choose to assemble thecolumn.Whilethistypeofcolumnmaybeslightlyhigherincostthanasingle-use column, it isusuallymuch lower in cost than the combinedcostof all thedifferentcolumnsindividually.

Withthatinmind,alwaysconsiderthemoreversatilecolumnversionswhenpurchasingadistiller.Althoughtodayyoumaybelievethatyourinterestisveryspecific, as you advance in the hobby you will most likely want to try manydifferent typesofdistillation andmay come to regretpurchasing adesign thatlimitsyouroptions.This isnot to suggest spendingbeyondyourowncomfortzone. However, if you must choose between a more versatile column, largercolumn size, or larger boiler, rarelywill you regret the decision to putmoneytowardamoreversatilecolumndesignovereitheroftheothertwooptions.

FluteFlute columns are generally larger systems that are intended for increased

productionwell beyondwhat the truehobbyist produces.While these systemsaregreatconversationpiecesandbeautifultolookat,theyaremostsuitableforlarge production rates, often distilling at more than one gallon of high-proof(90%+abv)distillateperhour.Thismakesthesesystemsmostsuitableforsmall-scale commercial production, such as entry-level legal commercial distilleries.This level of production is also suitable formore advanced illegalmoonshineoperations.

Inadditionto theabovedesigns, thereareseveralothercolumndesignsandcountlessvariationsonthemthatarecommonlyusedbyhobbydistillers.Whilesomedesignsmaygive theuser the feelingofhavinganevengreaterdegreeofcontrol over the distillation process, every design comes with its benefits andshortcomings.Anentirebookcouldbedevotedtoallthedifferentcolumnstylesandvariationsandstillnottouchonallthedifferentdesignsbeingused.Thisisoneofthewonderfulthingsabouthobbydistillers—theyaredrivenbyaloveforthe hobby, and strive to constantly find improvements in efficiency oreffectiveness. Unfortunately,many do not understand the underlying physical

chemistry and make modifications that are ineffective or in some cases evencontrarytoimprovingadesign.Ultimately,wemustalllivebythesamelawsofphysicalchemistry,andwhilewecanworktoimprovetheeffectthatwehaveonthevapor,everychangethatwemakewillhaverepercussions,whether theybepositiveornegative.

Aflutedistillerona15.5-gallonkeg,heatedbyapropanecooker.

Aflutedistillerona26-gallonkeg,heatedwithanelectrickettle.

ToBuyorBuild?Youhavedecidedthatyouarereadytobeahobbydistiller.Yourfermentation

equipmenthasbeenassembled,andyouhavebeenresearchingall thedifferentdistiller styles and suppliers online. Maybe you have even been to your localhomebrew store to check out what distillers theymay offer, if any. But thereremainsanaggingfeelingthatyoucouldsavesomuchmoneybybuildingyourowndistiller.Howhardcanitbe,right?Well, thatdependsonhowhandyyouare,whatyouraccesstopartsis,andhowmuchfreetimeyouhavetodevotetobuildingthedistiller(orwanttodevotetobuildingyourdistiller!)versushavingtheequipmentandjustjumpingintodistilling.

Shouldyoubuildyourowndistiller?Therearecertainlymanyargumentsforbuildingyourowndistiller.Let’sstart

by consideringhoweasyordifficult it canbe tobuild adistiller.Muchof thisdependsonyourownabilities,thetypeofdistillerthatyouwishtobuild,andthematerialthatyouwanttobuilditfrom.Thekettlecanbeassimpleaspurchasinga used beer keg and removing the valve. The standard keg fitting used in theUnited States will actually mate up to a 2-inch tri-clamp ferrule, a prettystandard fitting that is easy to find.Youcanalsomodifya stainless-steel stock

potwithrelativeease.Thatwassimpleenough.Kettle,check!Thisisgoingtobeasnap!

Forthosewhoarenotextremelyhandy,youshouldstophere, findaretaileryou trust, and purchase your distiller. This is notmeant to discourage you orpromotestillsalesforanyone.Whatitismeanttodoissaveyoualotofwastedtime andmoney and ensure that you have a safe distiller. That last part is ofutmost importance. Obviously you do not want to endanger yourself or yourlovedones,anditiscertainlynotsomethingthatIwishtopromote.However,ifyouhavetheskillseithertosoldercopperorweldstainlesssteel,thenitisworthatleastconsideringthebenefitsanddrawbackstobuildingyourowndistiller.

Youhavenowdecidedthatyouhavetheabilitytoputthepiecestogether,buttruly,howdifficultisittobuildadistillationcolumn?Muchofthisdependsonthetypeofdistillerthatyouwishtobuild.It isobviouslyfarsimplertobuildabasicpot still column than it is tobuilda forced refluxorgincolumn.Soyoumustaskyourselfwhatyouneed from thedistiller andwhat typesofdistillingyouwishtodo,bothnowandinthefuture.Donotjustbuildyourcolumnfortodaywiththeideathatyouwill justbuildanothercolumninthefutureifyoudecidetoexpandonyourhomedistillery.Alotoftimecanbespentonbuilding,so it is something that youmaynotwant to tackle again andagain.Yourbeststep at this point is to search the Internet for a design that youwould like tobuild and find detailed building instructions. I do not suggest designing yourowncolumnatthispoint,asmostpeopledonothavetheunderstandingyettodosoeffectively,andthatcanleadtoalotofwastedtimeandmoney,aswellasdisappointmentintheentireprocess.

Thetimerequiredtobuildadistillationcolumnisoftenunderestimated.Onceyouhave readover theplansandcalculatedhow long itwill takeyou tobuildyour column,double it.Orbetter yet, triple it.No, I amnot apessimist. I amsimplybeingrealistic.Sure,ifyouwentintocommercialproduction,youcouldstart firingthosecolumnsout ina fractionof the time,butone-offsarealwaysmuchslowerandmoretedious.Ifyoufindthattherealbuildtimecomesinlessthan your revised estimates, youwill be pleased.But if youhit your estimatedbuild time and are only half-done, then youwill be upset andmay even startrushingtheremainderofthebuild,riskingyoursafetyintheprocess.

Nowthatyouhaveyourdesignlaidoutandknowthatyouhavethetimetodevote tobuildingyourcolumn, it is time to startacquiring theparts thatyouwillneedtoactuallybuildit.Hereisanotherpointwheremanypeopledecidetoabandon the idea of building their own equipment and opt for purchasing a

distiller.Accesstopartscanbearealeye-opener.Inmanycases,justpurchasingthetubingneededtobuildyourcolumncanstopyoudeadinyourtracks.It isnotuncommontoberequiredtopurchaseafull20-footlengthoftubing,whichcanbeveryexpensive,especiallywhenyouwillonlybeusingaround3feetofit.Andwe are not dealingwith inexpensive tubing.Themost commondiametertube used formaking hobby distilling columns is 2 inches, whichmost oftenrequiresatriptoaspecializedplumbingsuppliertoobtainthetubing.Ifyoudonothavecontactsthatareabletogetyoujustafewfeetofthetubing,oratleastacoupleoffriendstosplitthetubingwith,youwillbestuckpurchasingthefull20feetoftubing.Manyoftheotherpartsthatyouneedwillalsoonlybeavailablefromplumbingwarehouses,sothecostcanaddupveryquickly.

Once you have considered all the points above—complexity in actuallydesigningadistillationcolumn,theoftensurprisingcostofthepartsneededtobuild the distiller, and the amount of time required—it often changes one’sopiniononbuilding.Suddenlythoseprefabricateddistillersdonotappeartobequiteasexpensiveastheyoncedid.Thisisoftenwhenpeopledecidetobuildorbuy based on their interest in tinkering. They decide to build their distillersimplybecause theywant to, for thepureenjoyment that theyget fromit,andnotbecauseofcostoranyotherfactors.Othersdecidethatitistimetoabandontheideaofbuildingbecause,tothem,itissimplynotworththehassle,andtheydecidetobuytheirdistillerandputtheireffortsintodistilling,notbuilding.

One final considerationwhendecidingwhether tobuildorbuy adistiller isthe legal aspect.While it is nomore legal to build your own distiller than topurchaseone,thereisadifferenceinjustwhogetstoknowthatyouownastill.Atthetimeofthiswriting,manyofthedistillerproducersanddistributorsintheUnited States are required to report the sale of all distillers to the federalgovernment.Thosewhoarenotalreadyrequiredby lawtoreport thesalesarerequired to maintain a complete list of the distillers that they sell and thepurchaser’sinformationforaperiodofthreeyears,andtheymustsurrenderthatinformationif it is formallyrequested.Thisdoesnotexactlygiveawarmfuzzyfeelingtothepurchaser.Similarlawsareinplaceinmanyothercountriesaswell.Thisisaconsiderationthatsendssomepeoplerunningtothepartsstoresothatthey canbuild theirdistiller,whileothers areunfazed.At thevery least, it is apointthatmanyconsiderwhenmakingthedecisiontobuildorbuy.

BuyingYourdistillerHavingmade thedecision topurchaseadistiller,youmustnowconsiderall

the different designs, price points, materials, and a host of options offered indecidingwheretopurchaseyourdistillerandexactlywhattopurchase.Therearemany producers of distillation equipment with sizes ranging from tinycountertopunitstolargecommercialequipment.Inadditiontotherelativelyfewmajorproducers,therearemany“micro”producersbuildingandsellingunitsonvenuessuchaseBayortheirownwebsites.Sowheredoyoustart?

While I have nothing against the small producers, they have a couple ofdistinctdisadvantages, inmyopinion.Mostimportantlyistheconsiderationoflong-term service and parts. Things happen. If you drop your column anddamageit,willyoubeabletogetthepartsthatyouneedtogetyourdistillerbackup and running, or will you be stuck starting over completely? This is not asubstantial concern tomanypeople,but it is something that shouldat leastbeconsideredwhennarrowingyourlistofpotentialsuppliers.

Anotherconsiderationthatshouldbeatthetopofyourlististhematerialthatthe distiller is built from. Many people jump immediately toward copperdistillers,astheyhaveheardthatcopperdistillersarebetterandthattheyremove“something”thatotherdistillersdonot.Thisisbothtrueandfalse.Copperdoeshave a distinct benefit in that it will react with the sulfur formed duringfermentation,essentiallyremovingitfromyourdistillate.However,thereactivityofcopperisalsoadistinctdrawbackincertaintypesofdistillation(mostlynon-alcohol).Withacopperdistiller,youwillhavenowayofremovingcopperfromthe system. Copper’s other main drawbacks are cost and care. Copper isbecoming increasingly expensive, and while it can be beautiful when keptpolished,itoffersnodistinctadvantagebeyondthatnotedabove.

The othermaterial that iswidely used for building distillation equipment isstainless steel. Stainless steel is strong, takes little care to continue lookingbeautiful,andisconsiderablylowerincostthancopper.Fortunately,ifyouwantthe advantages that copper offers, specifically the ability to remove sulfurcompounds,thenyoucansimplyaddcoppertothedistillationcolumn.Ittakesverylittlecoppertocompletethisreaction,soanythingfromcopperpackinginyourcolumntojustahandfulofcopperatthetopofyourcolumnwillsuffice.

Having thrown the advantages of copper to the side, you cannow focus onfindingthedistillerdesignandpricethatyouarehappiestwith,withoutregardforthematerialusedtobuildit.

Asstatedpreviously, I suggest choosingversatilityover size if your financialbreakingpointrequiresit.Itiswonderfulifyoucanhaveitall,butformany,thatissimplynotrealistic.Thisisahobbywitharatherhighentrycost,soitiswisetosetalimitbeforeyoustartsearchingforequipmenttoavoidstickershockandregretfromoverpurchasing.Itisveryeasytostartjustifyingdifferentoptions,sogobacktowhatyouwantfromadistillerandhowmuchyouarewillingtospendandstaywithinthoseparameters.

Havingreadthepreceding information,youarealreadymoreeducatedthanmostbuyers.Thiscanbeextremelyhelpfulwhencomparingdistillerdesignsandthe figures touted by the respective sellers. Bewary of any company reportingquestionableordownrightunrealisticfiguresofdistillationspeedorpurity,andespeciallyacombinationofthesethatdoesnotseemreasonable.RememberwhatIsaidearlier—weallhavetolivebythesamelawsofphysicalchemistry.Nobodycan change that.When a company claims to have a newmagical design thatdrasticallyincreasesspeedwithoutalossofpurityversussimilarsizecolumns,Isuggestlookingelsewhereorattheveryleastproceedingwithgreatcaution.

Whetheryouchoosetobuildorbuyyourdistiller,doyourresearch.Findthedesign that best suits your needs, both for today and the future. Do notoverpurchaseoroverbuild,andmostimportantly,donotstress.Thisisafunandrewardinghobby,andyoujusthappentogetaprettyawesomeproductforyourefforts,soenjoythetimethatyouspendonyourhobby.

4.Distilling

ITISTIME totakeyourfermented liquidandrefine it.Youhaveallofyourequipmentcompiled,youhavefermentedawash,andnowyouwanttoturnthatintospirits.Youalreadyknowthatyouwillnotactuallybeproducinganythingnewinthedistillationprocess,butinawayyoukindofare.Youarestartingwitha beer, for example, and finishing with whiskey. Technically you are simplyremoving water and some other minor components from the wash andcollectingthealcohol,flavor,andaromacompounds,butitishardtositthetwoproducts beside each other and consider them to be so closely related.This iswhere the distillation process amazes me. Even with my long history in theindustry, Iamstill fascinatedwith thedistillationprocess. It isalmostmagical,howyoucantakeafewsimpleingredients likemaltedbarley,water,andyeast,letitsitforaweekorso,pourthatintoakettle,andthenwatchthiswondrouselixir drip from the end of your condenser. But there is a lot that goes intogetting from fermenter to bottle. It is not simply amatter of dumping in theliquid,firinguptheheat,andwaitingforthedistillatetoappear.

SafetyFirst!The singlemost important consideration in thedistillationprocess is safety.

Never, ever forget that you are distilling fuel and that it is explosive. I cannotevensaythatyouaredistillingaproductsimilartofuel,asethanoliswidelyusedas fuel. From the gasoline that you purchase for your car (which couldmoreaccurately called gasohol due to the ethanol content), which often containsaround 10 percent ethanol; to E85 fuel that is roughly 85 percent ethanol; tosome fuels that are 100 percent ethanol . . . this is very explosive stuff! Thiscannot be stressed enough. Exercise great carewhen distilling alcohol.Alwayshavea fireextinguishercloseathandandnever leaveyourdistillerunattendedduring the distillation process. Youwould notwalk away if distilling gasoline,andyoushouldfeelno lessconcerneddistillingthis fuel,either.Thedifferencebetween distilling gasoline and alcohol is that, if there is a fire, water canpotentially dilute the alcohol to a percentagewhere it is no longer flammable,

whereaswithgasolineitwill literallyexacerbatetheproblem.However,Inever,eversuggestusingwaterasyoursafetyblanket,soalwayshaveafireextinguisherhandyandoperateyourdistillerinawell-ventilatedarea.

NowthatIhavescaredyousufficiently,Iwillsaythatinawell-built,properlysealedandoperateddistiller,underrelativelystandardoperationandusingabitof common sense, the risk of a fire is almost nonexistent. Notice that I sayalmost. Do not become complacent or you will eventually find out just howdangerousthishobbycanquicklybecome.

I would say that the three most common causes of dangerous situationsduringdistillationarecarelessness,improperbuildingordamagetothedistiller,andapluggedoutput.Hopefully thepreceding information is enough to scareyououtofcarelessness,but invariablysomeonewillstartheatingtheirdistiller,walk away, and get involved in something else until it is too late. Once thedistillerbeginsproducingalcohol,youmustbecondensingthealcoholvapors.Ifthe alcohol coming from the condenser is hot or is still vaporous, you mustimmediatelyturnofftheheattostoptheproductionofalcohol.Thisisespeciallytrueifyouareusinganytypeofflametoheatthesystem,asthealcoholvaporscanquickly ignite.Any time thatyouareusingany typeof flame toheatyourdistiller,youneedtoexerciseextracare.Makesurethatyourdistillatecollectionhose is kept a sufficient distance from the heat to avoid melting, as is yourcollectioncontainer.Thismayall sound likecommonsense,butunfortunatelycommonsenseisoftennotcommonenough.

Ifyouhavebuiltyourowndistiller, thenyoushouldhavepressure-testedalljointstoensurethatthesystemisentirelysealed.WhileIwouldliketosuggestthatifyoupurchasedadistiller,itwouldhavebeendonebytheproducer,thisistooimportanttotakeforgranted.Ifindoubt,asktheproduceriftheypressure-testthepartsandhowtheyaretested.Noreputableproducerwillbeoffended,asthey realize the reason for the questions.Donot be afraid to pressure-test thepartswhenyoureceivethem,aswell,incaseofdamageinshipping.Leaksinthesystemareextremelydangerous.Youwillnotseeorsmellthealcoholvaporthatleaksfromthedistiller,buttheyareverydangerous.

Althoughveryuncommon,dependingonthedesignofthesystemandafewvariables,itispossiblefortheoutputofthedistillertobecomeplugged.Insuchcases there is nowhere for the pressure to be released, and the pressure canquicklybuildtodangerouslevels.Forthisreason,itisimportantthatthedistillerhave some form of pressure relief. This can be as simple as using a bung (ataperedcork)inthetopofthecolumnthatwillpopoutifpressurebuildsoras

complexasacommercialpressurereliefsystemwithapresetburstingpressure.Undernormaloperation,yourdistillerwillhavealmostnopressurebuildup,soevenafewpsiwillbeasignthatsomethingiswrong.Ofcourse,justasaleakinthesystemdoes,whenapressurereliefofanykindistripped,youwillbefillingthe air with dangerous alcohol vapors. Again, do not leave your distillerunattendedsothat,ifnecessary,youareabletoquicklyshutdowntheheattothedistillerandbepreparedforanyproblems.

HeatingYourDistillerIn order for distillation to take place, youmust heat the liquid in the kettle

until it isboiling.Thiscanbedonewithanysuitablesourceofheat,eachwiththeirownindividualbenefits.Itistruethatyoucouldliterallyrunyourdistilleroverawoodfire, likemanyold-timemoonshinersdid(andsomestilldo!),butasidefromverylargesystems,thisisnotgenerallythebestcourseofaction.Itisalsotheleastcontrollableheatform,andforoptimalresultsyouwantmaximumcontrolovertheprocess,andthatstartsatthebottomwithyourheatsource.Ifyourheatsourcecyclesonandofforisotherwiseinconsistentintheamountofheatthatitproduces,thenyouwillhaveaverydifficulttimegettinggoodresults.As the heat level changes, so does the speed of the boil, and while thetemperature of the liquid will not change (boiling is boiling—your liquid willneverexceeditsboilingpointunlessunderpressure),thespeedatwhichvaporisbeing producedmost certainlywill.Without consistent vapor production, youwillfinditverydifficulttohaveasmoothdistillationrun.

ExternalHeatThis covers virtually any heat source that heats the kettle from the outside,

includingawoodfire.Duetothe lackofcontrolmentionedabove,wewillnotdiscussitfurther.Thegreatestadvantagestoexternalheatarecostofequipmentand ease of use. Their biggest drawback is efficiency.With any external heatsource, the heatmust travel through thewalls of the kettle before heating theliquid.Eachmetalhasa“heattransferrate,”whichisbasicallythespeedatwhichheatpasses through themetal.Copperhas thehighestheat transfer rateof themetalscommonlyusedtobuildakettle,however,aluminumandstainlesssteelalsoboastratherhighheattransferrates,aswell.Asyoucanimagine,thefastertheheattransfersthroughthemetal,themoreefficientthesystemwillbe.

Common forms of external heat for operating a distiller are a householdstovetop, electric hotplates, and propane cookers (turkey fryers and Cajuncookers).Stovesarenotespeciallyportable,limitingwhereyouareabletodistill,andwithatallrefluxcolumntheyareoftensimplynotaviableoption.Electrichotplateshave theadvantageofbeingusedanywhere thatyouhavea standardpowersupplyandareeasilycontrolledratherprecisely,makingitsimpletofindthe optimal heat level and repeat the process every time you distill. However,mostpeople inNorthAmericadonothaveeasyaccess toanythingmore than110Vpower,limitingthehotplateoptionstoamaximumofaround1500W.Thisamountofheatisnotsubstantialenoughforlargekettlesorcolumns,althougha10-gallon kettle is the maximum weight that can be used on most hotplates,raising concern over stability of the system. Induction hotplates, while veryefficient, require that the metal used to make the kettle be compatible withinductioncooking.Thisleavespropanecookers.Theyhavethebenefitofhavingplentyofheattothrowatthedistiller,buttheymustbeusedinawell-ventilatedarea,andwiththeopenflameyoumusttakeextracareduringoperation.Manypropanecookershavereasonableheatcontrol,allowingyoutoincreasetheheatlevelandreducetheheat-uptime,aswellasbringtheheattoanoptimallevelforthedistillationprocess.Mostof thesecookersare robustenough tohandle theweight of a 15-gallon keg quite easily,making them a very suitable option forlargerstills.

InternalHeatJust as the term suggests, this form of heat is inside your boiler. It usually

requirestheadditionofsomeformofcouplingorattachmentthatwillallowyoutoaddaheatingelementthatwillbesubmergedintheliquid.Whilethisisthemostefficientmethodofheatingyourstillbecausethereisnometalfortheheattopassthrough,ithasalargedownsideaswell.Withaninternalheatingelement(suchasawaterheaterimmersionelement),youareaddingasubstantialamountofheat toa small surfacearea,whereaswithanexternalheat sourceyourheatwill be spread over the entire base of the kettle. As a result, the likelihood ofscorching yourwash and/or burning off some of themore delicate flavor andaromacompoundsismuchgreaterthanwithanexternalheatsource.Onewaytoreducethisrisk is to increasethenumberof internalheatingelementswhilereducing their individual wattage. This means possibly adding two 750 wattheating elements instead of one 1500 watt element. The result is an instantreductionof50percentintheheatdensityandareducedriskoftheissuesthataccompanyhighheatdensity.

A common, extremely effective, and efficient method of heating in foodmanufacturing is the steam or pressurized water jacket. This type of heatsurroundsa largeportionof thekettle,basicallywrapping it in steamorhigh-temperature pressurizedwater.The result is amuchmore gentle formof heatthat is alsohighly efficient.Unfortunately, this requires a special typeof kettlewithaheatingjacket,whichisnotpracticalformosthobbyists.

PotDistillingWhatcouldbeeasier that traditionalpotdistillation, right? Imean,you just

pourthewashintothekettle,heat,andoutcomesyourdistillate.Ithasworkedforhundredsofyears,soitcan’tbethatdifficult.Thisistrue,butjustwhatareyoucollectingifyoudonotpaycloseattentiontothedetails?Whiledistillationisarathersimpleprocess—theliquidvaporizes,andyoucaptureandcondensethevapor—whatyoudotocontrolwhatyoucollectmakesall thedifference intheworld toyour finishedproduct.Notonlydoes itmakeadifference in the tasteandsmellofyourspirit,butitalsoaffectsthesafetyofit.Withpotdistilling,weareintentionallytryingtocollectmorethanjustalcohol.Potdistillingofspiritsismost oftenusedwhen flavored spirits are being produced, sowe are trying tocaptureallthegoodflavorandaromacompoundswhilediscardingthebadby-productsof fermentationsuchasmethanol, fuselalcohols (alsoknownas fuseloils),andotheralcohols.Theseby-productsthatareformedduringfermentationare called congeners. Your goal as a pot distiller is to collect the alcohol and“good’”congeners that contribute positive flavor and aroma compounds,whileleavingbehindallthe“bad”congenersthatimpartbadflavors,solventcharacter,andanunrulyburnonthe tongue.Seeingasmostof thesecongenersboil inasimilar temperature range as our ethanol (the “good” alcohol) andour “good”congeners, it requires careful attention to what is going on in the distillationprocess at all times and oftenmultiple distillations to achieve the smoothnessandcharacterthatwedesire.Witheachdistillationthroughapotstill,youwillincrease the removal of congeners, but along with that are flavor and aromacompounds that, if removed,will leave youwith anear-flavorless spirit. It is agreatbalancingact—tryingtocollectasmuchofthegoodandaslittleofthebadsothatyouhaveaflavorfulspiritwithas little“burn”and“next-dayeffects”aspossible.

Before we get too far into the distillation process, let’s discuss some of thecongenersformedduringfermentation.

Methanol (wood alcohol): When you hear of someone going blind fromdrinkingmoonshine, this is undoubtedly the culprit.Whilemethanol actuallyhasause, it is in industryandmostdefinitelynot inyourspirit.Methanol isapoisonthathastheabilitytopermanentlydestroytheopticnerve.Itisoneoftheby-products commonly formed in small amounts during certain types of

fermentationandalsooccurrsnaturally (again inverysmallamounts) insomefoodsthatweeateveryday,suchassomefruitjuices.Fortunately,withalittlebitof care,methanol is rather easily separated from the other compounds in ourwashandthusfromourdistillate.

Fusel oils and other alcohols: These are generally less of a danger thanmethanol, but are also responsible for much of the “nail polish remover”characterindistilledspirits,andmuchofthe“morningafter”effects.Whiletheyarenotgenerallyconsideredtobetoxic,theyareresponsibleforabadflavororaromainthedistilledspirit.

Suddenly this simple little pot distillation has become considerably morecomplex,hasn’tit?Nottoworry—bypayingcarefulattentiontothetemperatureattheheadofyourdistiller,youwillhaveafairlyaccurateideaofwhatthevaporcontains,andthereforewhetherornotyouwishtodiscardthevapor,collect itforconsumption,orcollect it foradditiontoasubsequentbatch.Thisiswherepotdistillation reallybecomesalmostanart form,and inmanyways it canbemore difficult than reflux distillation, where we will work to pull one singlecompound from our mixture. Fortunately, we have reflux distillation as abackup,oradditionalpotdistillationruns,soyourworst-casescenarioishavingto redistill your spirit into a neutral product (vodka). Never throw out yourdistillate simply because you are unhappy with the results! That is literallypouringmoneydownthedrain.

Apotdistillerbeingoperatedinagarage.

Togainanunderstandingofwhyyouareperformingcertaintasksatdifferentpoints through the distillation, it is very helpful to knowwhat is taking placethroughout the process. This means knowing what components you cangenerallyexpecttobecollectingasthetemperatureincreases.

Before I break down the general temperature ranges used as a guideline forwhattocollectandnottocollectwhenpotdistilling,itisimportanttonotethisdifference betweenpot and refluxmethods.Manypeoplewill startwith refluxdistillationandareusedtohavingaratherstationarytemperatureattheheadofthe distillation column. Then, when they venture into pot distillation, theybecome concerned because the temperature does not remain steady at the

roughly 173º F (78.3º C) that they are accustomed to with reflux distillation.When we review the reflux distillation process, you will understand why thetemperaturedoesnotgenerallychangethroughoutmostoftheprocess,butwithpot distillation, this is not the case.With pot distilling your temperature willincrease.Again, if you are paying attention to the thermometer at theheadofyour pot distiller, it will not hold steady at one temperature throughout theprocess.Because thecomponentswith lowerboilingpointswillboiloffearlier,yourmixturewillgraduallygainahigheroverallboilingpointasyoudrawoffyourdistillate.

Manypeoplearealsoconcernedwhennochange in temperature is showingon their thermometer,despite thewashobviouslyheating.This isbecauseyouarereadingthevaportemperatureandnottheliquidtemperature,anduntilyourliquid reaches the boiling point for a component, nothing is vaporizing. Ofcourse,onceyoureach that critical temperature, thevapor rises to theheadofthe still and the thermometer reading suddenly jumps from the ambient airtemperaturetothatofthevaporthathasfounditswaytothetop.Thisusuallymeansanalmost instant increase fromaround70ºF(21ºC) toroughly150ºF(65ºC)asmethanol,whichhasthelowestboilingpointinyourwash,beginstoboil. The fact thatmethanol is the first component to boil off is helpful, as itmakes it a simple process to removenearly all themethanol by collecting thisfirstdistillateanddiscardingit.

Nowitistimetolearnthelingo,whatitrefersto,andwhattocollect.

MakingtheCutThe points at which you start and stop collecting the distillate is known to

distillers as “making cuts.” The different cuts listed below are guidelines only.Usesmellandtastetodecidewheretomakeyourcuts,andrememberthatyouarealwaysabletoredistill.Sodonotbeafraidofmakingmistakes.Potdistillingcan takesomepractice.Bycollecting insmallamounts,youcanalsominimizemistakesthatwillrequireredistilling.

Foreshots(upto176ºF(80ºC)):Thesearethefirstpartsofthewashtocomeoffduringthedistillationprocess.Theyconsistofmethanolandothervolatiles,suchasacetoneandaldehydes.Thesearepoisonouscompoundsthatyouwanttoseparatefromyourdistillateandcontainverylittleethanol,sosimplycollectanddiscard them. Never allow them to mix with the alcohol that you plan toconsume.Ifyouaccidentallycollectmorethanintended,tossit!Itissimplynotworththeheadaches(literally)orsafety.Foreshotsarenastyandwilltaintyourfinishedproduct,soitisnotworthtryingtocheattosaveafewpenniesworthofalcohol.

Heads(over176ºF(80ºC)andupto196ºF(91ºC)):Herecomesthehigh-proofstuff.Headsaremadeupprimarilyofethanol,butwillstillcontainsomecongeners. They are usually 80%+abv. It is a good idea to collect the headsseparately from the next stage, as you can combine them based on your owntastes.Somedistillerswillcollecttheheadsandmiddleruntogether,whileotherswillcollecttheheadsseparatelyandredistillthemlaterintoamoreneutralspirit.Thereisnorightorwronghere,butwhatyoudecidewilldefinitelyaffectyourfinishedproduct,soitisbesttocollecttheheadsintheirowncontainerfornowand make the decision after you have completed your distillation. In fact,collecting theheads ina fewsmallercontainerswillhelp,asyoumay find thatthe latter part of the heads are perfectly acceptable in your finished product,whilethefirstpartisbetterbeingseparatedandredistilled.

Middlerun/hearts(196ºF(91ºC)to203ºF(95ºC)):Thisiswhatyoucametodo.Youarenowcollectingthebulkofthedistillatethatyouwillbekeepingasdrinkin’ alcohol. Themiddle runwill have fewer congeners and be less harshthan theheadsandwill startataround80%abv,droppingdowntoaround60-65%abv.Somepeoplewillcontinue tocollectall thewaydownto40%abv,butregardlessofwhatyoudecideinthisrespect,itisadvisabletocollectinmultiplesmallcontainerssothatyoucankeeponlythebest,cleanest-tastingdistillatefordrinkingoraging.Smell and tasteeachcontainer todecidewhereyouwant to

makeyourcutandkeepalargercontainerforthefinalblending.Tails(over203ºF(95ºF)):Asthenamesuggests,tailsarethelastbitoftherun

thatareofanyvalue.Tailscontainthelastbitofethanolandarejustcollectedtoavoidwastingthealcoholthatyoucreatedduringfermentation.Theywillhaveaconstantly decreasing amount of usable alcohol and an increasing congenercontent.Collectionwill generally stopat around207º to208ºF (97º to98ºC).The tails are not kept as drinkable alcohol, but collected separately, oftencombinedwithallorpartoftheheads(iftheheadsarenotincludedinyourfinaldistillate),andredistilledasneutralspirits.

With experience, you will likely find yourself relying less and less ontemperatureandmoreonyourtastebudsandnosewhenmakingthecutsabove.Alwayscollectinginmultiplesmallglasscontainerswillaffordyoutheluxuryofblendingallthegoodspiritstogetherwhilekeepingtheharsherorlessfavorableflavoredspiritsseparate.Onlyuseglassorethanol-tolerantplastictocollectyourdistillate. Ethanol and many plastics do not get along well. Just place some95%abv ethanol in a standard acrylic homebrew test cylinder and see whathappens.Theethanolwilldestroytheacrylicandtainttheethanolintheprocess.Glassisalwaysthebestoption,andasluckwouldhaveit,pint-sizeglasscanningjarsarebothinexpensiveandagreatsizeforcollectingyourdistillate.

YourFirstDistillationThisisoneofthemostexcitingmomentsinthehobby.Youhavecompleted

yourfirstfermentation,yourwashhasbeencleared,andyouarereadytocreateyourmasterpiece.Unfortunately, this isalso themostnerve-wrackingmomentinthehobby.Fearofmessingeverythingupfillsyourmind.Thishobby,whichstartedoutsoundingsosimple,nowseemssoinvolved.Therearesomanyplacestomakemistakes.What ifyoudon’tgetall themethanolout?What if it tastesawful?

Relax.Takeabreath,realizethatyouhavebeenreadingandlearningwhattodoandwhatnottodo,andlastly,rememberthatintheworstofsituations,youcan always redistill your spirit, so there isnothing to getworkedup about. Solet’stakebabysteps,andeverythingwillbefine.

Step 1: Ferment and clear your wash. This has been covered well enoughalready,soitisnotnecessarytogointogreatdetailagain.Simplyfermentyourwashandallowittoclearnaturallyoruseaclearingagenttodosomorequickly.Ihighlyadviseclearingthewashtoreducetheriskofscorchingmaterialtothebottom of your kettle. Clearing is absolutely required when using internalheatingelementstoheatyourstill.

Step 2: Transfer the wash to your kettle. While you can use a funnel andsimplypourthewashfromyourfermentertoyourkettle,thiswillalsodrudgeupthesedimentandtransferitalongwiththeclearliquid.Itisfarbettertotransferthe wash using a siphon, which makes it much easier to move just the clearliquid,leavingbehindallthesedimentonthebottomofthefermenter.Neverfillyour kettle to more than 80 percent of its total capacity! This extra space isneededforexpansionandpotentialfoamingthatmayoccurduringheatingandboiling.Overfillingyourkettlecancreateissuesthatwillbeextremelyfrustrating.Toreduceissuesassociatedwithfoaming,itcanbeveryhelpfultoaddananti-foamagenttothewash.

Step3:Completetheassemblyofyourdistiller.Hopefullyyourdistillercamewith instructions, but regardless, this part should be rather straightforward.Drawings are provided in the Resources section for several popular distillerstyles,justincase.Youwillplacethepotstillcolumnontothekettleandensurethat it is fully sealed.Whenvapor startsbeingproduced isnot a good time tofindoutthatyourdistillerisnotsealed.

Step4:Startheatingthestillandbepatient.Dependingontheheatsourceandsizeofyourwash,theheatingprocesscantakeuptoacoupleofhours.Itcanbetempting to turn the heat up to the maximum to get the still producing asquicklyaspossible,butthisisnotalwaysawisedecision.Thisisespeciallytruewhenusing certain typesofpropane cookers.These cookers canbe capableofproducingaverylargeamountofheat,andwhiletheycangetyourwashboilingratherquickly,theycanalsoputoutenoughheattodamagethebottomofyourkettle and scorch any sediment that may have been carried across whentransferring the wash. Trying to rush any part of the distillation process willusuallyshowinthefinishedproduct,whilepatiencewillberewarded.Nowthatyou have started heating yourwash, you should not leave the still unattendeduntilthedistillationprocessiscomplete.

Step5:Startrunningyourcoolingwater.Whileyoudonotnecessarilyhavetostartrunningyourcoolingwaterimmediatelyafteryoubeginheatingyourstill,itis imperative that you start running coolingwater into your condenser beforeanyvaporstartsbeingproducedtoavoidanextremelydangeroussituation.

Distillateasitcomesfromacondenser.

Step6:Removeanddiscard the foreshots. Ifyouhavea thermometer in thestill head, you can use the vapor temperature as a guide.Once vapor starts toappear, the temperaturewill suddenly spike, anda fewmoments lateryouwillseedropsofdistillatebegin to flow intoyourcollectioncontainer.Continue towatch the temperatureuntil it reached175º to176ºF(79.5º to80ºC),oruntilyouhavecollectedatleast4ounces(125ml)ofdistillate.*Evenifthetemperaturehasrisentoabove175ºF(79.5ºC),continuecollectinguntilyouhaveatleast4

ounces(125ml)offoreshots.Donotbeafraidtodiscardalittlebitmoreofthefirst distillate.The total cost in doing so is literally pennies, and your finishedproduct will often be improved by doing so. Discard the foreshots. They arepoisonous,sothereisnoreasontokeepthem.

*Note:Thevolumeofforeshotsisbasedonafive-gallonwashsize.Youmustadjustthisvolumebasedonthesizeofyourwashtoensurethatalltheforeshotsareremoved.

Step7:Startcollectingtheheads.Changeyourcollectioncontainerandbegincollectingtheheads.Ifyouarewatchingthetemperature,itshouldnowbeover175ºF(79.5ºC).Thespeedatwhichdistillateiscomingfromthecondenserwillhaveincreased,andwillnowlikelybeamediumtofastdrip,butshouldnotbeatrickle.Continuetocollecttheheadsinpint-sizedglassjarsuntilthetemperaturerisesto195ºto196ºF(90.5ºto91ºC).Itishelpfultomarkeachjarwith“heads”andnumber themasyoudrawthemoff.Althoughyouwilluseyournoseandtastebudstodecidewhich,ifany,ofthesejarswillbeincludedinyourfinishedproduct,numberingthejarswillhelpyougetagoodfeelforthechangesinthedistillate as the process progresses. It is also a good idea to test the alcoholpercentage/proof of the distillate as the process progresses.Many distillers usethealcoholpercentageasaguideinsteadoftemperatureorusebothtobemoreexactinwheretheywanttomaketheircuts.

Thisiswhereadistiller’sparrotcanbeaveryhelpfultool.Adistiller’sparrotisconnectedbetweenthecondenserandcollectioncontainerso that thedistillateflows through it on its way to your container. The parrot holds youralcoholmeter,allowingyouto takereal-timereadingsof thealcoholpercentageas the distillate is being produced.While the readings in a parrot are slightlyinaccurateduetoconstantblendingofthedistillate,theyaregenerallymorethansufficientfordecidingonwhentomakeyourcuts.Becauseofthisblending,andtoavoidanycontaminationfromtheforeshots,alwayscollectyourforeshotsinaseparate container before attaching your parrot. Generally, you will find theheadstobeover80%abv(160proof).

Step8:Collectthehearts.Nowitistimetostarttasting!Yes,youcanuseyournoseand tastebudswith theheads,butespeciallyat thestartof theheadsyoumayfindthistobelessthanpleasant.Oncethetemperaturehitsaround195ºto196ºF(90.5ºto91ºC)and/orthealcoholpercentagedropsbelow80%abv(160proof), it is time tostartcollecting thehearts.Changeyourcontainer toanewcontainermarked “hearts,” and just as you didwith the heads, number them.Thedistillatewillbecomingoutmorequicklynow,asaveryfastdriporevenaslow trickle. This can result in a slightly less accurate reading on youralcoholmeterifyouareusingadistiller’sparrot,asthereisanoticeableflowfromthe bottom of parrot, where the distillate enters, to the top, where it is beingdrawn off. It is still generally sufficiently accurate to make the cuts betweenheads,hearts,andtails,asthesecutsarenotusuallyextremelyprecise.

Youcanrunanalcoholmetertestasdistillateisproduced.

Continue collecting the hearts until the temperature rises to around 202º F(94.5ºC)and/or thepercentagealcoholdropsbelow65percent (130proof). Ifyouwanttoensurethatyouhaveaverycleanmiddlerunthatwillnotrequireasecond distillation, then do not be afraid to stop collecting the hearts slightlyearlier.Thiswillmeanthatyouhaveslightlylessvolumeofheartsandalittlebitmore tails, but the tails can always be added to a subsequent batch to avoidwastinganyoftheethanolthattheycontain.

Step9:Collectthetails.Changeyourcollectioncontainerandbegincollectingthetails.Mostoftheethanolhasbeencollectedbythispoint,butthereisstillalittlebitremaining.Thepointofcollectingthetailsistoavoidwastingthisbitofalcohol.Continuecollectinguntilthetemperaturerisesto207ºto208ºF(97ºto98ºC)oruntiltasteandsmellreveallittletonoremainingalcohol.

Step 10: Shut down the still. Turn off the heat.DONOTTURNOFFTHECOOLINGWATER! Justbecauseyouhave turnedoff theheatdoesnotmeanthatthereisnovaporbeingproduced.Theliquidremaininginthekettleisstillveryhotandwellabove173ºF(78ºC)—theboilingpointofethanol.Thatmeansthat if there is any ethanol remaining in thekettle, itwill continue to rise andmake its way into the condenser. Keep the cooling water to the condenserrunning until you are certain that there is nomore vapor being produced, asevenalittlebitofalcoholvaporintheaircanbeextremelydangerous.Assoonasyou are sure that no more vapor is being produced, you should remove the

thermometer from the top of your still head or loosen the still head to allowadequate airflow back into the distiller. Just as expansion takes place whenheating the still,when the still is cooling, the vapor inside of itwill condense.Without adequate airflow, the still can literally implode!Once the still is coolenoughtohandle,youcanremovethestillheadcompletelyanddumptheliquidremaining in the kettle (or keep a portion of it for use as backset, if you arerunning a sour mash recipe). Wash and rinse your distiller as per themanufacturer’srecommendations.

Step11:Blending.Dependingonhowyouhavemadeyourcuts,youmaywishtoblendsomeof theheadswith thehearts,ormaybeyouarepleasedwith thehearts thatyoucollectedandyouwant tokeepall theheadsseparate.Either isfine,andyourdecisionwilldependon the flavor andaromaof each containerthatyoucollected.Ifyoudecidetokeeptheheadsseparate,youmayeitherusethispartofyourdistillateasitis,addflavoringtoit,orcombineitwithyourtailsandredistill.Anotheroptionistoaddtheheadsandtailstoyournextrun.Thechoiceonthisisyours.

Step12:Agingandcutting.Onceyouhaveblendedyourfinaldistillatetoyourlikingyouneedtodecideifyouwillagethespiritorleaveit“raw.”Agingyourspirit will allow the harsh bite of the distillate tomellow, and the flavors willbecome more complex. However, not everyone prefers this character, so thechoiceisultimatelyyours.Ifyoudodecidetoageyourspiritinoakcasksorwithalternatives such as oak chips, oak staves, or another type of wood, you willgenerally want to age your spirit at just over 60%abv (120 proof) and cut thespirit(diluteit)afterithasbeenaged.

Cutting,alsoknownas“proofingdown,”isafancywayofsayingthatyouaredilutingyourdistillate.Itisaverysimpleprocessofjustmixingwaterwithyourspirit.Thereareacoupleofreasonstocutyourspirit.First,reducingthealcoholpercentage makes the product noticeably smoother, reducing the bite andharshnessofa120proofspirit.Thesecondreasontocutyourspiritisthataromacompounds are more easily released at this lower proof, resulting in a morearomaticspirit.

SeconddistillationIt is very common in pot distilling to redistill your spirit to obtain amore

refinedproduct.The advantage tomultiple distillations is that it improves theremoval of congeners and increases alcohol content. However, with eachdistillation you will remove more of the flavor and aroma compounds(remember, these are congeners), resulting in a product closer and closer toneutralspirits(vodka)witheachrun.Ifyouaregoingtoredistillyourspirit,youshouldplantodoso inadvancetomakethemosteffectiveandefficientuseofyourtime.

One option is simply to collect your heads, hearts, and tails frommultiplebatchesandcombinetheliketypestogether(e.g.,combineonlytheheadsfromeachbatch)andredistilleachwhenyouhaveenoughtoreasonablyruninyourboiler. The advantage to thismethod is that you will get themost from eachcollection stage, andyourheartswill becomemore refined and smoother.Thedisadvantage,ofcourse,isthatyoumustmakemultiplebatchesbeforeyouwillhaveanyfinished,drinkablespirits.

Another method is to make your cuts somewhat less precise, starting yourmiddle-runcollectionjustslightlyintotheheadsandcontinuingitslightlyintothetails.Youcanthendilutethedistillatethatyouhavecollectedinthemiddleruntoreducetheprooftobelow80(below40%abv)andincreasethevolumetofillyourboilertoatleast50percentofitscapacity.Nevertrytodistillaproductthatisover40%abv(80proof)!Thehigherthealcoholpercentage,thegreatertheriskoffire.Ifthereisspaceintheboiler,addadditionalwatertofurtherreducetheproofwhile still leaving 20percent open space in the kettle for expansion.Theadditionalwaterwillseparateveryefficiently fromyouralcoholduetothedifference in theirboilingpoints, so thiswillnotadverselyaffectyour finishedproduct.Youcan then redistill theproduct,makingmoreprecise cuts.Asyouhave already tossed the foreshots, you shouldnot have any remaining in yourseconddistillation.

UsingaThumperThistalkaboutredistillingismootifyouhaveathumper,asyouhavealready

essentially double-distilled your spirit. This virtual second distillation helpsseparatesomeofthecomponentsthatareboilingoffatthesametimefromyourpotdistiller.However,youcannotmakecutsbasedontemperaturewhenusingathumper, soyoumustuseyournose, tastebuds,andalcoholmeter tohelpyoualong.

Tosetupyourthumper,youwillconnectitdirectlytotheoutputfromyourpot still. You must connect your thumper between your kettle and yourcondenser, as the thumper will only work if you supply it with vapor, notcondensate.Thevaporwillbetakendirectlyfromtheheadofyourpotstillandbe directed to the bottom of the thumper. Youwill generally fill the thumperapproximatelyhalfwaywith liquid,butdependingon thesizeandshapeof thethumper,youmayneedtoadjustthefilllevel.Assumingthatthevolumeofyourthumperisoptimalforyourdistillation,atallerandmoreslenderdesignismuchmoreeffective,asitgivestheincomingvapormuchmorecontacttimewiththecoolliquid,allowingitthetimeneededtobecondensedandexchangeheatwith

the liquid in the thumper. If your thumper is too shallow, then thevapormaynotgetcondensed,anditwillnotbeeffective.

Watching the temperatureat theheadof yourdistiller is still a goodway togaugewhereyouare in theprocess,but remember that thevapor entering thethumperisbeingcondensed,andjustasittakestimeforyourdistillertocomeuptoatemperaturewhereitwillbeginproducingvapor,sodoesyourthumper.Bepatient.Itwilltakesometimefortheincomingvaportoheatyourthumperliquidtothepointthatvaporwillbegintobeproduced.

That brings us to another point. What is the best liquid to use in yourthumper?Ifyouhavetailsfromapreviousrunavailable,thatisyourbestoption.Thisisbecausethereisalreadyareasonableamountofalcoholinthesolution,soastheliquidheats,youwillexpelthatalcohol.Ifyouchoosetousethetailsfromapreviousbatch,itisbesttouseonlythetailsthatarecollectedearliesttoreducetheconcentrationoffuseloilsandothertailscongeners.Yoursecond-bestoptionistousesomeofthewashthatyouaregoingtodistill,asthereisalcoholpresent,albeit far less than in tails from a previous run.Water is your last resort, andgiven thatyouhave thewashalreadyonhand, there is reallyno reason tousewaterinyourthumper.

Just as youwouldwith a pot distillation, always collect in small containers,such as glass pint jars, marking them according to when they were collectedthrough the run. Toss the first 4 ounces (125ml) as your foreshots. Smell andtaste each container to decide which jars should be included in your finishedspiritandwhichshouldbeheldasideforasubsequentdistillation.

RefluxDistillationWhilewithpotdistillingwearetryingtopullaspecificrangeofcomponents

from the wash, including flavor and aroma compounds in addition to ouralcohol,withrefluxdistillationwearegenerallyafterpurealcohol.Thatisnottosaythatrefluxdistillationcannotbeusedtoproducefantasticflavoredspirits.Infact,more andmore people are turning to reflux distillation as a way to gaingreatercontroloverwhatfractionstheycollect,makingitpossibletocollectonlyspecific flavor and aroma compounds along with the alcohol. This is becausecarefulcontrolofawell-designedrefluxdistillerwillgiveverydistinctseparationof the compounds in thewash. For our purposes here,wewill be focusing onrefluxdistillationforthecollectionofpureethanol.

Arefluxdistillerwithsightglassesonthecolumn.

Before we go any further, it is important to point out that no matter howcarefullyandpreciselyyoucontrolyourdistiller,andnomatterhowwonderfulthedesignisorhowslowlyyoutrytorunit,youwillnotbeabletoachieve100percentalcohol.Althoughpureethanolboilsat173°F(78.3°C)andwaterboilsat212°F(100°C),amixtureof95percentethanoland5percentwateractuallyboilsatalowertemperaturethaneitherofthesecompounds,boilingat172.7°F(78.15° C). The mixture of 95 percent ethanol and 5 percent water thereforecannotbeseparatedbydistillation.Thisisknownasanazeotrope.Throughveryprecisecontrol,itissometimespossibleto“jump”theazeotrope,achievingupto95.6%abv (191.2 proof). To increase the alcohol percentage further requires a

process called drying. Drying is simply a matter of removing the extra waterfrom the alcohol.However, it is not a simpleprocess.Generally, thedryingofalcoholrequiresuseofmolecularsievematerial,whichisaspecialmaterialthatabsorbswaterbutdoesnotabsorb thealcohol, thuspulling thewater fromthealcohol and leaving it at or near 100 percent. The primary reason to dry thealcoholisifyouintendtousethealcoholasafuel,suchasforacar,lawnmower,tractor,etc.Ethanolasa fuel isused insportssuchasracingandis the“85” inE85fuel.Theproblemwith95percentethanoland5percentwateristhat,whencombinedwithgasoline,thewatermayseparatefromthefuel,resultinginwaterinyourgastank.Thisisnotagoodsituation.

Animportant thingtorememberhere is thatyouarenotgoingtodrinkthealcoholat100%abv. In fact,youwillnotdrink itat95%abv,or90%abv.Whilestrivingtopurifythealcoholasmuchaspossiblethroughrefluxdistillationhasobvious foundation—that is, removing the maximum amount of congeners,resultinginthecleanest,mostneutralproductpossible—furtherdryingisofnovalue in beverage alcohol, as you will be diluting the product to a drinkablestrengthanyway.For thepurposeofdistillingneutralbeveragealcohol,wewillstriveforthehighestpuritypossible,andforthatwewilluserefluxdistillation.Becauseour goal is toproduce aneutralproduct,what you choose to fermentwill have little bearing on the final result.However, if you ferment a stronglyflavoredwash,suchasagrapewine,thenitwillbemoredifficulttoachievetheclean,neutralproduct thatyouseek.Withthatsaid,your finishedproductwillneverbecompletelyneutral. Ifneutralspiritssuchasvodkawere trulyneutral,thenallvodkaswouldtastethesame.Moreaccurately,theywouldnottastelikeanythingatall.Butifyouhaveevertastedvodkayouknowthattherearegoodvodkasandbadvodkas,buttheyallcarrytracecharactersthatdifferentiatethem.While you will not taste the base grain, fruit, etc., what was used in thefermentationwilldefinitelyaffectthefinalproduct,asdifferentmaterialstendtoproduceslightlydifferentcongeners.Althoughinmanycircles it is felt thatthebest vodkas aremade from a wheatmaltmash, there are alsomany perfectlyacceptablevodkasmadefromcorn,rye,potato,andevendextrose(cornsugar)andsimplegranulatedsugar.Ihighlysuggestthatyourfirststepsintothehobbyarewithasimplesugarwashandturboyeast,usingrefluxdistillation.Thiswilleaseyouintothehobbywiththeleastnumberofpotentialmistakesandhelpyoubuildacomfortlevelwithbasicfermentationanddistillation.Manypeoplenevermovebeyondthispoint.Thereisnothingwrongwiththat.Thisisahobbywithmanyinterestlevelsandmanydifferentwaystofermentanddistill.

Thefirststepsinrefluxdistillationarethesameasthatforpotdistillation,sothereisnopointinelaboratingonthem.

Step1:Fermentandclearyourwash.Step2:Transferthewashtoyourkettle.Nowthingswillchangeupalittle.Step3:Assembleyourdistiller.Thiswillincludeinsertingthecolumnpacking

materialintoyourdistillationcolumnandattachingittothekettle.Ifyouhavenotalreadydoneso,washyourcolumnpackingandrinseitverywell.Thebitofresidualwaterisnotofconcern.

If you are using a loose fill, such as ceramic raschig rings, youwillwant toassembleyourdistillationcolumnwithascreenatthebottomofthecolumntoholdthecolumnfillinginplace.Leanthecolumnatabouta45degreeangleandpourintheringsuntilyourcolumnisfilledtowithin1to2inchesofwherethecondenserattachestothecolumn.Donotfillthecolumnabovethispoint,asyoudonotwanttopotentiallyblockthevapor’saccesstothecondenser!

If you are using coppermesh columnpacking, cut pieces to an appropriatelength, depending on the weight of the copper “thread” and the size of yourdistillation column. For a 2-inch column, most copper mesh can be cut toapproximately4feetinlength,andfora3-inchcolumn,youwilllikelyneed10to12feet.Laythecopperonacounterandlooselyrollitalongthewidthofthemesh, resulting in amesh “plug” that is approximately 6 incheswide and theinsidediameterofyourcolumn.Therollshouldbelargeenoughtogripthewallofthedistillationcolumnsothat it isheldinplacebyfriction,butnotso largethatyouneedtocompressitsubstantiallytogetitintothecolumn.Doingsocanrestricttheamountofspaceavailablefortherisingvaporsandrefluxingliquid,resultinginasituationcalledchoking.Chokingoccurswhenthereisnotenoughopen space for both the rising vapor and falling liquid, and a “wall” will becreatedwithliquidononesideandvaporontheother.Novaporwillberisingtothe top of the column, so distillation will cease and the temperature will fall.However,theboilingliquidcontinuestoproducemorevapor,creatingpressurebelow the wall. The pressure will continue to build until the vapor burststhrough.Thiswillbeseenasasuddensurgeofliquidfromthecondenserandaspikeinthetemperatureattheheadofthecolumn.Thecolumnresets,andtheprocess starts all over.This canoftenbe correctedby reducing the inputheat,whichinturnreducesthespeedatwhichvaporisproducedbutwillalsoreduceyourdistillationspeed,oftendramatically.

Step4:Startheating the still.Now thatyour still is assembled,youcan startheating it. A stable heat source is extremely important in reflux distillation.Whileitiscertainlybeneficialinpotdistillationtohaveaconsistentheatsource,inrefluxdistillation,itisabsolutelynecessary.Ifthelevelofheatthatyouapplyto the boiler changes, so does the speed at which vapor is produced. For thedegreeofseparationofcompoundsthatyouarerelyingontoachievethehighlypurifiedalcoholatthetopofthecolumn,youmustgivethecolumnaconsistentflowofvapor.Ifvaporproductionincreases,thenallthefractionsgetpushedalittle bit further up the column. You are then forced to adjust your flow ofcoolingwateratthetopofthecolumntocontrolthisincreasedamountofvapor.Ifvaporproductionthendecreases,allthefractionsmoveclosertothebottomofthecolumn,andyoumaynothaveanyvaporreachingthetopofthecolumnatall.A consistentheat source, andone thatdoesnot cycleon andoff (asmanyhotplatesdo),willsaveyoualotofgrief.

Step5:Startrunningyourcoolingwater.Youwillhavealittlebitmoretimebefore needing to start running your cooling water when you are running arefluxcolumn,becausenotonlydoestheliquidhavetocometoaboil,buttherisingvapormustheatallthepackingmaterialandthedistillationcolumnitself.As the vapor rises, itwill givemuch of its heat to the distillation column and

packing, resulting in thevapor coolingandcondensing.Alreadyyouareusingtheheightofthedistillationcolumntoworkforyou.Astheprocessprogresses,youwillbeabletoliterallyfeelhowhighthevaporhasreachedbytouchingthecolumn but be careful, as it is extremely hot! It is neat to see how preciselylayeredtheheatis.Youcanliterallybetouchingcoldmetal,andlessthananinchlower is so hot that you instantly pull your hand away. This is where theexcitementandanticipationreallystarttotakeover,asyoucanvisualizewhatistakingplace inside the column and youbecome anxious forwhat comesnext.Onceyouareabletofeeltheheatbegintoriseinthecolumn,itisagoodideatostartthecoolingwater.Thisprocesswillstartveryslowlyandthenproceedmorequicklyasthevaporsrisefurtherinthecolumn,soyoumustbeveryattentiveatthispoint.

Dependingonyourcolumndesign,youmaywishtoholdthecolumnin“fullreflux”forashorttimeafterthevaporreachesthetopofthecolumnpriortothecondenseror takeoffpoint.Full refluxsimplymeans thatall thevapor isbeingrefluxed,orcondensedandfallingbackdownthecolumn,andnothingisbeingcollected.Theideabehindthisisthatitgiveyourcolumnadditionaltimeto“setup,” separating the fractionsmore precisely. If you have a distillation columnthatisverytallinrelationtothediameter,thenaverygooddegreeofseparationwill occur naturally as the vapor rises and heats the column and packingmaterial.Thisisespeciallytrueofrefluxcolumnswithcoolingtubesthroughthecolumnthatareplaced justslightlybelowtheconnectionfor thecondenser,asthesecooling lineswill forceanextra levelofrefluxbeforeanyvapor isable toexit.

Step6:Removetheforeshots.Justaswithpotdistillation,thetemperatureatthe head of the column will remain roughly the same as the ambient airtemperatureuntilvaporreachesthetopofthecolumn.Atthatpoint,thereadingon the thermometerwill rise almost instantly to thevapor temperature,whichwillusuallybearound148.5°F(65°F)—theboilingpointofmethanol.Withinafew seconds, drops of clear liquid will start slowly emerging from yourcondenser.Youmaynoticethatthetemperaturewillcontinuetorise,butmuchmore slowly after reaching this temperature. This is because there is generallyvery littlemethanol tobe removed,andgiven thedegreeof separation inyourrefluxcolumn,youwillquicklyexhaustthemethanolandwillberemovingothercongeners with boiling points below that of ethanol. Because of the relativelyhigher level of separation taking place in reflux distillation, you can generallydiscardfar lessof thefirstdistillateasforeshots.Whilediscardingthefirst1to

1.25 ounces (30-40ml) is generally considered sufficient in refluxdistillation, Ihighly suggest opting for a slightly larger amount (just as in pot distillation),closerto3ounces(90ml).Thefewpennieslostwillprovetobewellspentwhenyoutasteyourfinalproduct.

Step7:Start collectingyourdistillate.Yourcolumnshouldbe settling intoanice,steadypacenow.Thetemperatureshouldhaverisentoapproximately172°F(78°C)andshouldhopefullybeholdingsteady.Distillateshouldbedrippingfromyourcondenseratamediumtofastdrip,butnotatrickle(exceptforverylargecolumns).Unlikewithpotdistillation,therewillbenoneedtomonitorthetemperature to separate heads, hearts, or tails if you have equilibrium in yourcolumn and do not try to push the column beyond its capabilities. With acarefullyrunrefluxcolumn,theby-productscomprisingtheforeshotsandheadswillbeconcentratedintothefirst3to4ounces(90mlto120ml),andyouwillnotbegintocollect tailsuntilvirtuallyallof thealcoholhasbeencollected.At thatpoint,youwillsimplymovetothenextstep.Thismeansdonottrytodistilltooquickly! Patience is a virtue, and it will pay dividends in reflux distillation.Rememberthatpotdistillationisperformingasingledistillation,whereasrefluxdistillationisessentiallyperformingtheworkofseveraldistillationsinonerun.Thismeansthatwhileyouwillbegettingmuchmoreseparationandpurityfromyourrefluxdistillation,itwillbemarkedlyslower.Donottrytorushtheprocessbyturninguptheheat.Formosthobby-sizerefluxstills,youwillnotbeabletocollectmorethan1quart(most2-inch-diametercolumns)to2quarts(most3-inch-diameter columns) of distillate per hour. Yes, thatmay sound very slow,andwatchingthedripdripdrip,whileexcitingatfirst,quicklyleavesyouwantingto speed up the process. Doing so will result in a substantial decrease in thequalityofyourdistillate.Youwilldefinitelyberewardedforyourpatience.

If you are using a parrot, your alcoholmeter should hopefully be showing averyhighpercentageofalcoholinyourdistillate,atleast90%abvandhopefullycloser to 93%abv to 95%abv. If youdonot have a parrot, then start collectingyour distillate into your test cylinder and test it with your alcoholmeter. Thisdistillatemaystillsmell“raw,”andifyouwanttotasteit,dosoonlybygettingadrop onto your finger. Never try drinking such potent alcohol without firstdiluting it! Providing your input heat and your cooling water temperatureremainconstant,thenthetemperatureattheheadofthecolumn,yourdistillateflow,andtheproofofthedistillateshouldalsoremainstable.Thiswillcontinueforseveralhours,dependingonthevolumeofalcoholinyourwashandthesizeofyourcolumn.

Step8:Callingitquits—whentostopcollecting.Asthetimecontinuestopassandyourthermometerappearstobealmoststuckonacertaintemperature,youwill begin towonder if thiswill ever end.What startedout as a funproject issuddenlyfeelingveryboring.Admittedly,thereisnotmuchfuninwatchingtheconstantdrippingfromthecondenser,norincheckingthethermometeronlytofind that exactlynothinghas changed.Consider this a good thing. If you everexperience a constantly fluctuating temperature at the head of the column orsurging from the condenser and at somepoint youmost likelywill—then youwillsuddenlygainanewappreciationfortheboring,stabletemperaturereading.

Sohowdoyouknowwhenitistimetostopcollectingandshutdownthestill?Ifyourdistillerhasaverywell-balancedmatchbetweenheatinputandcooling,andawell-designedrefluxcolumn,thenoftenyouwillnoticeamarkeddeclinein the speed atwhich your distillate is being produced. The dripping of spiritfrom the condenserwill become slower, although the proofwill remain above90%abv.Theproductionratewillcontinuetoslow,youwillglanceathowmuchdistillateyouhavealreadycollected,anddecidethatenoughisenough.Oftenaquickcalculationoftheamountofalcoholcollectedversustheamountthatwasin the kettlewhen you startedwill show that youhave collectednearly all theavailablealcoholalready.Ifitdoesnotappearthatyouhavecollectednearlyalltheavailablealcoholthatyoustartedwith,thenyoumayneedtoincreaseyour

heatinputorreduceyourcooling,althoughthatisusuallyobviousfarearlierintheprocess. Sure, you can continue to collectuntil eitherdistillate stops beingproducedorariseinthetemperatureattheheadofthestillshowsthatyouhavemoved on to higher alcohols and fusel oils, but why?Distillate is likely beingproducedsoslowlyatthispointthatit isnotworththecostofheatingthestillanymore.Thisisagoodtimetoshutdownthedistillerandcallitagoodday.

Theotherscenarioisthatyouwillseethetemperatureattheheadofthestillincrease. Just asnotedabove, thismeans thatyouaremoving into tails,whichcan be collected and added to your next batch to ensure that there is no lostalcohol.However,inmostcasesthereissolittlealcoholremainingatthispointthatitisusuallynotworththecosttocontinueheatingthedistillertocollectthesmallamountofalcohol.

Step 9: Shutting down the distiller. Turn off the heat. do not turn off thecoolingwater!Asdiscussedpreviously,justbecauseyouhaveturnedofftheheatdoesnotmeanthat there isnovaporbeingproduced.The liquidremaining inthekettle is stillveryhotandwellabove173°F(78.3°F)—theboilingpointofethanol.Thatmeans that if there is anyethanol remaining in thekettle, itwillcontinuetoriseintothecolumn.Keepthecoolingwatertoboththecolumnandthecondenserrunninguntilyouarecertainthatthereisnomorevaporrisingtothe top of the column. Because you have stopped heating the distiller and arecontinuing to run the cooling water to the column, you will likely see animmediateanddramaticdrop in the temperatureat theheadof the still.Oncethetemperaturehasdroppedtowellbelow173°F(78.3°F),youshouldremovethethermometerfromthetopofyourstillheadorloosenthestillheadtoallowadequateairflowbackintothedistillertoavoidthepossibilityofimplodingyourdistiller. As soon as the kettle is cool enough to handle, dump the liquidremaininginyourkettle.Washandrinseyourdistillerasperthemanufacturer’srecommendations.

Step 10: Cutting and storing. Unlike with pot distillation, most refluxdistillation is done to achieve amore neutral spirit, such as vodka.Obviously,outsideofuseasafuel,youralcoholwillnotbeusedatthehighproofthatyouhavecollecteditat.Whileitcanbestoredinglasscontainersatthishighproof,itisbesttoreducetheproofofthespiritforsafety.Thehigherthattheproofofthespiritis,themoreflammableitis.Ifyouareafterthecleanest,mostneutralspiritpossible, then you will want to carbon filter the spirit, which cannot be doneeffectivelyatthehighproofyouhavecollected.Thisisanotherreasontoreducetheproofofthespiritatthispoint.

GinStillTheginstillisusedtoinfuseflavorandaromaintoyourspirit.Bybuildinga

ginbasket(thecontainerthatholdstheherbs,seeds,etc.)intoarefluxcolumn,directly before the collection point (where the condenser collects), you caneliminatetheneedforasecond“infusion”distillationwhileachievingthesameresults.Inthistwo-stepprocess,youfirstdistillyourspirits,thendilutethemandredistill in a pot distiller that has the infusion material suspended above theboiling liquid.The alcohol vaporswill pass through the ginbasket, pickingupflavor and aroma from thematerial in it. This distillate is then carried to thecondenser and into your collection container. On forced reflux columns thatemploy a system such as the internal cooling tubes below the condenserconnection, you can eliminate theneed for a second step by installing the ginbasket between the cooling lines and the condenser. In this design, the highlypurifiedvaporisforcedtoflowthroughthematerialintheginbasket,pickingupflavorandaromacompoundsonitswaytothecondenser.

Thedistillationprocessisvirtuallyidenticaltothatusedforrefluxdistillation,simplywiththeadditionoftheginbasketforaddedflavorandaroma.

Ginstill,assembled,onpropaneheater.

CountertopDistillerAvailableunderseveralbrandnames,thisdistillerissimplyamodifiedwater

distiller that is more adept at alcohol distillation than the original version.Generally, themodifications thathavebeenmade to thedistiller are to replacethestandardheatingelementwithalowerwattageversion,extendthecondenser(increasecondensingcapability),andclosethechlorinereliefvalve(toreducetheriskofalcoholvaporenteringtheair).Thesesystemsareextremelysimpletouseandareentirelyself-contained,so there isnoadditionalheatsourceorcoolingwaterrequired.Yousimplyaddyourwashuptothefillline,installthelid,andplugtheunitin.Theyareapotdistillerofsorts,butthereisnothermometertotestthevaportemperature,andbecauseofthesmallvolume(mostoftheseunitsonlydistillaboutagallonofwashatonetime), it isnearly impossible tomakecuts based on the alcohol percentage. It is still possible to successfully distillflavoredspiritsbycollectinginverysmallcontainersandusingtasteandsmell,butthesedistillersarebestusedfordistillingmoreneutralspirits.Themajorityof these distillers have a 4-liter capacity, so all directions are based on thisvolume.Ifyouhavealargerorsmallerversion,thenyouwillneedtoadjustyourvolumesaccordingly.

Thistypeofdistillerisalsostillcapableofdistillingwater,althoughitwilldo

so at a slower pace than an unmodified version due to the reduced wattageheating element. The primary difference between distilling water and alcoholusingthistypeofdistilleristhatyouwillallowtheunittodistilluntilitisentirelydrywhendistillingwater.Whendistillingalcoholwiththemodifiedcountertopdistiller, you must manually stop the distillation process by unplugging thedistilleronceapredeterminedamountofdistillatehasbeencollected.Youwillusuallycollectroughlyone-thirdoftheoriginalvolumeofwashinthedistiller,andthisproductwillusuallybealittlemorethandoubletheproofofthewash.Youshoulddiscardthefirstounce(30ml)ofdistillateasforeshots.

Ifyouareattemptingtodistillneutralspirits,thenyoucancollectthenext1.4litersasusablespirits.Alternatively,youcancollectonly1literasusablespiritsand collect the subsequent liter in a separate container for redistillation. Bycollectingonly1liter,youwillhaveacleanerspiritwithfewercongenersandahigheralcoholcontent.Thenextliterofdistillatecanbecollectedastailsandwillhaveareducedalcoholcontent,butmorecongeners.Youcanholdthissecondliter of distillate aside in a sealed glass container and combine itwith the tailsfrom other batches to be redistilled into a much cleaner spirit. This method,while requiring slightlymore effort,will reduce the loss of usable alcohol andgreatlyimprovethefinishedproduct.

Because this is a pot-distilled spirit, it is highly advisable to filter the spiritsthroughactivatedcarbontoremovemanyofthecongenersinthedistillate.

Calculating the Available Alcohol and CollectedAlcohol

Allofthistalkaboutcalculatinghowmuchalcoholyouhadavailableandhowmuchyouhavecollectedisnotveryhelpfulifyoudonotknowhowtocalculate

these things.First,wewill calculatehowmuchalcoholwasavailablewhenyoutransferredyourwashintothekettle.Thisiswhytakingspecificgravityreadingsisvery important.Without them,youare justguessing,andthatwillnotworkwell in thesecalculations.Second,wewillcalculatehowmuchalcoholwehavecollected. If you have collected a very high percentage of the original alcohol,thenitisusuallymosteconomicaltosimplycallitquits.Ifyouhavenotcollectedahighpercentageoftheavailablealcohol,thenyouneedtoconsiderthepossiblecausesandadjustyourprocedureaccordingly.

Tocalculatethepercentageofalcoholbyvolume(%abv)transferredintoyourkettle,subtractyourfinalspecificgravityfromyouroriginalspecificgravityandmultiply that number by 131.25. For example, if your original specific gravitywas1.095andyourfinalspecificgravitywas0.990,thenyourpercentalcoholbyvolume is 13.8 percent.Multiply this number by the volumeofwash that youtransfertoyourkettletofindthevolumeofalcoholavailable.

OriginalSG1.095-FinalSG0.990Difference0.105

0.105x×131.25=13.78%abvFor5gallonsofwash;abv0.1378×5gallons(18.9L)=0.689gallonsofalcohol(2.60Lofalcohol)Asyoucansee,forthesakeofgainingamoreusablenumber,itisusuallybest

to use liters for your volume and not gallons. To gain an accurate figure, youmust be as accurate as possible in all of your readings, including the actualvolumeofwashthatyouplaceinyourkettle.

Calculating the amount of alcohol that you have collected is a very simpleprocedure.Simplytakethevolumeofdistillateandmultiplyitbythepercentageofalcoholbyvolume.Forexample,ifyoucollect2.5litersofdistillateat95%abv,thenyouhavecollected2.375litersofalcohol.

Collected:2.5L×xabv0.95=2.375Inthisexample,youwouldhavecollectedjustover90percentoftheavailable

alcohol. It is common to collect closer to 95 percent or more, even withoutcollectingintothetails.

TemperatureVariationYou have probably noticed by this point that I refer to very precise

temperatures for making cuts and especially the temperature that you shouldexpect to seeat theheadofyourdistillationcolumnwhenyouareoperatingarefluxdistiller.Thismaynotexactlymatchthethermometerreadingatthetopofyour column, however, and this can be extremely concerning if you do notunderstand the reasons for this variation. The two primary causes are theelevationatwhichyouaredistillingandthethermometeritself.

Elevation likely has the greatest effect on the boiling point of a liquid. Theboilingpointsreferencedabovearethoseforspecificcompoundsatsealevel.Asyour elevation increases, the boiling point of all liquids, including ethanol,decreases. Similarly, if you are located below sea level, then the boiling pointincreases.Thismeans that ifyouaredistillingat3,000 feetabovesea level, theboiling point of alcohol will be reduced by approximately 5° F, or 3° C, toapproximately168°F(75.5°C).Aslittleasjustafewhundredfeetabovesealevelwillresultinanoticeabledecreaseintheboilingpoint.Sincemostpeopleliveatleast somewhat above sea level, it is common to reach an optimal headtemperaturebelow173°F(78.3°C).Theactualreasonforthechangeinboilingpoint with respect to elevation is that the atmospheric pressure is lower aselevationincreases.Asaresult,youcanevenhaveaslightincreaseordecreaseinthe boiling point based on the weather, as the atmospheric pressure changesalongwithit.

Anothercauseofanunexpectedtemperaturereadingistheinaccuracyofthespecific thermometer that you are using. Most thermometers supplied withhobby distillers in fact, most thermometers not specifically designed forextremely accurate readings will have a certain variance in their accuracy. Inotherwords,yourthermometeris likelynotsomethingthatyouwouldwanttorely on in an extremely sensitive situation. Many hobby-grade thermometershave a 1 percent accuracy, or nearly 2° F (1° C) accuracy at our standardoperatingtemperatures.

Thermometerplacement is a less commoncauseofunexpected temperaturereadings.Generally,thishappenswhenthebulbofthethermometerisplacedtoolow in the columnandyou are reading adifferent vapor thanwhat is actuallyreachingyourcondenser,oryouaretooneartherefluxcooling(especiallyinthecaseofinternalcoolinglines),resultinginalowerreadingthanexpected.

ThermometerPlacementThis leads us to another point—what is the best placement for the

thermometer?IfyouhavespentmuchtimeresearchingdistillersontheInternet,youhavesurelyseenmanydesignsandthermometerlocationsbothatthetopofthedistillationcolumnaswellasinthekettle.Ultimately,yourprimaryconcernisthetemperatureofthevaporthatexitsthecolumntothecondenser,whichisthen condensed and collected. Therefore, the optimal place for yourthermometer is at the topof your column.This is howyou are able todecidewhetherornotyouwishtocollectthedistillatethatisexitingthecondenser.

Why,then,dosomedistillershaveathermometerplacedinthekettle?Oftenthis placement of a thermometer gives the appearance of offering valuableinformation. Providing there is also a thermometer placed at the top of thecolumn,thentheplacementofathermometerinthekettleisnotactuallyhurtinganything.However,thereareafewsystemsthathaveathermometeronlyinthekettle, and thiswill leaveyourunningblindwith respect to the temperatureattheheadofthecolumn.

Basedontheplacementofthethermometerinthekettle,thereareessentiallytwo temperatures thatyoucanread.First is the temperatureof the liquid,andsecondisthetemperatureofthevaporbeingproduced.Readingthetemperatureof the liquidwill only tell you that your liquid is in fact heatingor that it hasreacheditsboilingpoint.Thisinformationisofverylittlevalue.Touchingyourhandtothesideof thekettlewillconfirmthat theheatyouaresupplying is infactheatingtheliquid.Knowingthatthemajorityofthewashisacombinationofwaterandalcohol,andknowingwhatpercentageofeachis inthewash,youcangenerallycalculateitsboilingpoint.Whatthisreadingwilltellyou,however,is approximately howmuch alcohol is remaining in the wash. As the boilingpointoftheliquidnearstheboilingpointofwater,youwillknowthatmostofthe alcohol has been removed. Of course, knowing how much alcohol wasavailableinthefirstplace,andlookingathowmuchyouhavecollected,youcanestimatethissameinformation,oftenmoreaccuratelyandfarmoreeasily.

Readingthevaportemperatureinthekettleisnotofsignificantlymorevalue.Therehasbeennosubstantialseparationofcompoundsthisneartotheboilingliquid,sothevaportemperaturewillnotbedramaticallydifferent.

ToStriporNottoStrip

No,thisdoesnotinvolveapoleanddollarbills.A“strippingrun”issimplyafastdistillationof thewashwithout concern formaking cuts, collecting all thedistillate until the output drops to around 20%abv. The resulting distillate isknownaslowwines.Youthenredistillthelowwinesasyounormallywouldforthespecifictypeofproduce,eitherbypotdistillationorrefluxdistillation.

The ideabehind thisprocess is that youwill removewater and someof theharsherhigheralcohols,leavingyouinapositionforaneasierseconddistillationwith a cleaner finished product. This is probably one of the more adamantlydefended practices in distillation, with strong opinions on both sides. Manyinsistthatthestrippingrundramaticallyimprovestheproductcollectedonthesubsequent distillation, while others suggest that a slightly slower and moreprecise single distillation is just as effective, with considerably less time andenergy cost spent on a slower single distillation. Because opinions run sostrongly,itisbesttotrybothmethodsandmakeyourowndecision.

CoolDown:Getting Rid of the Backset asQuickly asPossible

Whilewehavelistedthebasicstepsofsafelyshuttingdownthedistilleronceyou have collected all the distillate, we have not yet discussed why it’s soimportant to get the hot liquid out of your kettle as quickly as possible. Thefermentedwashisveryacidic,andthebacksetispotentiallyevenmoreso.Mostdistillerboilers aremadeof either copperor stainless steel, andbothare easilycorrodedbytheacidicwash.Allowingthewashtocoolbysittingovernightmaysound like the best alternative, as it is obviouslymuch safer to handle cooledliquid thanwhile it is stillhotenough to scaldyou, it isnotagoodalternativefrom the kettle’s point of view. So even if you are not saving the backset forfutureuse,gettingitoutof thekettleasquicklyas issafelyreasonabletodosowillhelpensurealongerlifeforyourkettle.

ANoteaboutDilutingThespiritcomingfromstraightoutofyourdistillerisgenerallytoopotentto

beconsumeddirectly.This isespecially trueofrefluxdistillation, inwhichyouoften distill in excess of 90%abv alcohol. Such a high proof is not onlyunpleasant, but also unsafe to drink. If for any reason you want to taste thisstrengthof spirit, just touchyour finger to the spirit and then to your tongue.Never try to drink high-proof spirits! There is simply no reason ever to dootherwise.

Reducingtheproofofthespirittoalevelwhereitcanbesafelyconsumedisoneofthereasonstodilutethespiritwithwater.Anotherreasonissafetywhenstoringthespirit.While90to95%abvethanolcanmakeagreatsolvent,itisalsoextremelyflammable.Reducingtheproofforstorageisamuchsaferalternative.Ifyouintendtostoreanyofyourspiritatahighprooftouseforcleaning,itisbest to store itwith your other poisonous and flammable items, such as paintthinner.

Diluting the spirit is simply a matter of mixing the alcohol with water.However, simply using tap water for dilution may result in a mixture thatsuddenly turns intoanunappealing,cloudyproduct.Theprimarycauseof thisissue isbasedoncertainminerals thatmayexist inyourwater.Thesemineralsaresolubleinwaterbutarenotsolubleinalcohol,sowhenthemineralsinyourwater are introduced to the alcohol, they immediately come out of solution,turningthespiritcloudy.Themineralswillsettletothebottomofyourcontainerovertime,ortheycanbefilteredoutofsolutionwithaveryfinefilter,suchasawinefilter.However,itisfarsimplertojustavoidthispotentialpitfallinthefirstplacebyusingdemineralizedwater.Anywaterwithaverylowmineralcountisusuallyacceptable.

Mostdistilledandreverseosmosisbottledwaterhasaverylowmineralcount,butbecareful,assomeof thesebottledwatershavemineralsaddedto themtogivethewatersomecharacter.Mostbottledspringwaterwillhaveamuchhighermineralcount,soitcanbeunacceptablefordilutingyourproduct.Ifpurchasingbottled water to dilute your spirits, check the mineral count and opt for thelowestpossible,usuallyunder10partspermmillion(ppm).Anotheroptionistosimplydistillyourownwater.Afterall,youhaveadistiller,andwaterdistillationisasimpleandrelativelyquickprocesscomparedtoalcoholdistillation.

The calculation to dilute your spirit to a certain finished strength is ratherstraightforward. There are multiple different calculations available, but I find

thatitishandledmosteasilybyusingathree-stepcalculation.First,youcalculatetheamountofethanolcontained inyourdistillate.Youthencalculate the totalvolume of product that this spirit will produce at your desired %abv. Thedifferencebetweenthetotalfinishedvolumeandthevolumeofdistillatethatyouarestartingwithistheamountofwaterthatyouneedtoadd.Aswithmanyofthecalculations,itiseasiesttouselitersorquartsasyoursystemofmeasure,aspercentagesofagalloncanbemoredifficulttocomputeaccurately.

Forexample, ifyouarestartingwith2 litersofdistillateat90%abv,andyouwouldliketostorethisdistillateat50%abv,thenyouwilladd1.6litersofwatertothedistillate,givingyou3.6litersofdilutedspiritsat50%abv.

2Lx0.90=1.8L(thisisthevolumeofethanolinyourundiluteddistillate)1.8L ÷ 0.50 = 3.6L (this is the finished volume of distillate that will be

produced)3.6L-2L=1.6L(thisistheamountofwaterrequiredtodiluteyourspirit)

5.FilteringYourSpirits

WhyWeFilterSpiritsFILTERING YOUR SPIRITS, also known as polishing, is a process inwhichyouremovecongenersremaininginthespiritevenafterdistillation.Itisusedalmostexclusivelyintheproductionofneutralspirits(vodka)andismostcommonly done by running the distilled spirits through activated carbon.Filteringflavoredspiritswouldbecounterproductive,asitwouldstripoutalltheflavorandaromacompoundsthatyouhaveworkedsohardtoachieve.However,inthecaseofvodka,thelesscharacterthebetter,sowefilterthespiritstoremoveasmanyofthesetracecongenersaspossible.

Unfortunately, filtration is a step that is often skipped by many hobbydistillers.Theyfeelthattheirspiritiscleanenough,andforthemitmaybe.Theirfriends say that it is the best vodka that they have ever tasted, but rememberthesearetheirfriends,andthisisfreealcohol.Veryfewpeoplearecriticaloffreealcohol.Ifyouwantthecleanestproductpossible,andonethatyourfriendswilltruly feel is thebest that theyhave ever tasted, then you absolutelymust filteryourspirits.

But you have fermented a wash destined to become the cleanest, purestproductthatyouhaveevertasted,makingsuretousethemostappropriateyeastandthatithadadequatenutritionandlittlestress.Youtooktheutmostcareindistillingthatwash,exercisinggreatpatiencedespitetheoverwhelmingdesiretospeedtheprocessup.Youtookalltheprecautionstomakesurethatyourspiritissafetodrink,anditsmellscleanenough.Sowhywouldyouneedtofilteryourspirit?Quitesimply,yourspiritisnotascleanasyouthink,andyouwillnotfullyappreciate this until you have filtered it. Only then will you realize just howmuch better your spirits can be and how many congeners were in the spiritneedingtoberemovedtohaveatrulyneutralproduct.

Whatisactivatedcarbon?Contrary to what many people believe, activated carbon is not charcoal.

Severaltermsarethrownaroundbypeoplewhoarereferringtothesamething,but in reality they are thinking of entirely different products. The mostcommonlymisusedtermsthatpeopleusewhentheymeantorefertoactivated

carbonarecarbonandcharcoal.Carbonisactuallyachemicalelement,foundonthe periodic table. Charcoal is essentially a porous form of carbon that is theresultofburningaproduct,suchaswood,intheabsenceofair.Thismaysoundlike nitpicking, but to avoid confusion and ensure that you have the correctproduct for filteringyour spirits, it is important that the correct termbeused.Someflavoredspirits,mostnotablysomewhiskies,areactuallyfilteredthroughcharredwood.Thisfilteringwillnotstripasubstantialamountofflavor,but itdoespulloutsomeofthemoreharshcongeners,resultinginasmootherproductthat still contains the desired flavor. If this same productwas filtered throughactivatedcarbon, itwouldstripmostof thecharacterand flavor, resulting inaveryupsetheaddistiller.Hopefullyyounowunderstandtheimportanceofusingthecorrectterm,andifinanydoubt,clarifyingwhatyouarereferringtosothatyouobtainthecorrectproduct.Activatedcharcoalisanothertermthatisoftenusedwhenreferringtoactivatedcarbon,butthistermistechnicallycorrect.Notethat the key word in all of this is the word “activated.” Activated carbon isproducedfrommanydifferentproductsthroughacombinationofcarbonizationand chemical activation to create a carbon with many tiny pores of differentsizes.

There are literally hundreds of types of activated carbon available, ofwhichonlyafewaresuitableforthefilteringofspirits.Itshouldgowithoutsayingthatyou should use only food-grade activated carbon. There are many types ofactivatedcarbonthatarenotintendedforuseinhumanfoodapplications,sodonotassumethatallactivatedcarbonishumanfoodgrade.Beyondsimplybeingfood-grade, there areother factors that affect the abilityof anygiven activatedcarbontostripcongenersfromyourspirit,resultinginaclean,neutralproduct.Choosinganinappropriateactivatedcarbonwillnotsimplybelesseffective,butit can actually reduce the quality of your spirits by leachingdeposits from thecarbonthatwillendupinyourfinishedproduct.

The type ofmaterial that the activated carbon ismanufactured from, alongwiththeexactactivationmethod,willresultinanactivatedcarbonwithdifferentporestructures.Notallactivatedcarbonissuitableforalcoholfiltration,orevenliquid filtration, for thatmatter. The optimal end use for the activated carbondependsgreatlyontheporestructurewithinthegrainsofcarbon,aswellastheformat of the carbon. The basic formats for activated carbon are powdered,pelletized,andgranular.Powderedcarbonisnotausableformatformostliquidfiltrationasitwillquicklypack,formingamud-likeproductthatwillnotallowliquid to pass through it in a manner that is conducive to spirit filtration.

Pelletizedcarbon,whichisformedusingpowderedcarbonunderhighpressure,is often used inwater filtration (e.g., fish aquariums),where thewaterwill becontinuouslycirculatedthroughthecarbonorotherwisehasanextendedcontacttimewiththecarbon.Itdoesnotofferalargesurfaceareaorprovidegoodaccessto the carbonporeswhenusing standard spirit filtrationmethods.While bothpowderedandpelletizedactivatedcarbonhavemanyuses,neitherofthesetypesissuitableforalcoholfiltration.

Nowyouknowthatyouarelimitedtogranular-activatedcarbon,buttherearestillmanytypestochoosefrom.Sohowdoyouknowwhichisbest?Ultimately,the“best”carbondependsonexactlywhatistoberemovedfromtheliquidandhow you intend to go about the filtering process.Whatwe do know is that alarger percentage of the molecules that we wish to remove from our spiritmeasurebetween2nanmetersand10nanometers insize.Thesemoleculeswillbecome trapped in the pores of the carbon, which is a process known asadsorption(nottobeconfusedwithabsorption).Thisbringsusbacktotheporestructureoftheactivatedcarbon.Totrapthesemolecules,wewillneedtohavean appropriate pore structure in the carbon. There are three types of porescreated in the carbon during the activation process: macro pores (larger than25nm),mesopores(1nmto25nm),andmicropores(smallerthan1nm).Giventhe sizeof themolecules thatweneed to trap, themacroporeswill have littleeffectonour spirit, asmostof thecompoundscan flowright throughwithoutbecomingtrapped.Attheoppositeendofthespectrumaremicropores,whichare too small to allow most of the compounds to even enter the pore. Mesopores, on theotherhand, areof great value.Thepercentageof eachpore typewithin theactivatedcarbon is controlledby the selectionofbasematerialusedandtheactivationprocessemployedinmakingtheactivatedcarbon.

The two methods of making activated carbon are chemical activation andsteamactivation.Becausemost chemically activated carbon iswood-basedandusually ground into powdered form, it neednot be discussed at length. Steamactivationisemployedformostofthematerialsthatareusedinspiritfiltration.The most common materials used for activated carbon intended for alcoholfiltrationarepeat,stonecoal,andcoconutshell.

Peat-based activated carbon has primarily micro pores and meso pores,makingitidealforalcoholfiltration.Unfortunately,itisdifficulttoobtainfortheaverage hobby distiller, and because it is a relatively soft form of activatedcarbon,itdoesnotholdupwelltoregeneration(thecleaningofactivatedcarbonforreuse).

Stonecoal–basedactivatedcarbonissimilartopeat-basedactivatedcarboninthat it has a high percentage of micro pores and meso pores. This type ofactivatedcarbonismuchmorewidelyavailablethanpeat-basedactivatedcarbonandcomesinavarietyofgrainsizes.Beingamuchhardercarbonitisalsobettersuited for regeneration,whichcanreduce thecostbyallowinguseof thesamecarbonmultipletimes.

Coconut shell–based activated carbon contains almost exclusively micropores,butitcanbeextremelyeffectiveinalcoholfiltrationbecausetheextremelylargenumberofmicroporesinthecarboncantrapmoleculesattheentrancetothepores.Thisisonlyeffectivewithveryslowfiltration,butitcanmakecoconutshell–activated carbonamong thebest choices for alcohol filtrationas a result.Coconut shell–activated carbon is also a physically hard carbon, making itsuitableforregeneration.

Grain size is another consideration that you must give thought to whenselectingyouractivatedcarbon.Grainsizeisoftenexpressedeitherasmeshsizerange(e.g.,20x40)orthephysicalsizeofthegranules(e.g.,0.4mmto0.85mm).Bothoftheserefertothesamething,thatbeingthesizeofthecarbongranules.Meshsizereferstothesizeoftheopeningsinameshscreen.Forexample,No.20meshhasopeningsthatareapproximately0.841mminsize,andNo.40meshhasopeningsofapproximately0.42mm.Thismeansthatallparticles0.841mmandsmaller are able to pass through the No. 20 screen, while larger particles areunabletopassthroughit.IftheparticlesthatpassthroughtheNo.20mesharefurther separated using a No. 40mesh, then all particles 0.42mm in size andsmallerwillpassthroughthescreen.ThegranulesthatpassedthroughtheNo.20mesh but could not pass through theNo. 40meshwill therefore fall betweenroughly 0.42mm and 0.84mm. Figures for this carbon are usually rounded to0.4mmto0.85mmwhendescribingthegranulesize.Thecommonmesh/granulesizes used in spirit filtration are 20x40 (0.4 to 0.85mm) and 14x40 (0.4 to1.4mm).Mostwoodorpeatcarbonareofsmallergranulesize,commonly18x60(0.25to1mm).

Althoughthesizeofthegraindoesnotaffecttheporestructure,itdoesaffecthowwemustgoaboutfilteringtogetthebestpossibleresultsfromfiltration.Alargergrainsize,suchas0.4mmto1.4mmversus0.4to0.85,candoanexcellentjoboffilteringandismoresuitableforin-homeregeneration,wherethegranulesmay get broken into smaller pieces. However, filtration must be done moreslowly tobehighlyeffective.Generallya smallergrain sizewill allow for fasterfiltration,butasthesizeoftheactivatedcarbondecreases,youcanincreasethe

risk of the filter becoming clogged, just as you will with powdered carbon.0.4mmto0.85mm(20x40mesh)isagoodmiddleground,wheretheriskofthefilterbecomingblocked isminimal, speedof filtration isgood,and it iswidelyaccessibleinexpensively.

CleaningtheCarbonOncefood-gradecarbonhasbeenactivated,itisacidwashedandthenrinsed

withwater toremovewatersolublemineralsremaining in thecarbon.It isnotuncommonforthecarbontobepoorlyrinsed,especiallywithactivatedcarbonmadefrombasematerialssuchascoconutshell,whichcanbemoredifficulttorinse.Thiscanresultinadepositremainingintheactivatedcarbonthatwillendupinyourfilteredproductifthecarbonisnotproperlyrinsedpriortouse.Thisisbestdoneusingatwo-stepprocess:firstsoakingtheactivatedcarboninwater,followedbyrinsing.

These instructions are for a standard hobby-size package of carbon(approximately104in3,1.7L).Ifyouareusingadifferentvolumeofcarbon,youshouldadjustallmeasurementsaccordingly.

Start by putting your dry activated carbon into a large container, such as amixingbowl.Besuretoallowroomforafewquartsofwatertobeaddedtothebowl along with the carbon. Bring approximately three quarts (about 3L) ofwatertoasimmerandpourthewaterintothebowl.Stirthecarbongentlyandallowittorestforafewminutes.Youwilllikelynoticeanoilyfilmontopofthewater.Oncethecarbonhassettled,pourthewateroffthecarbon,beingcarefulnot topour thecarbonoutwith thewater.Repeat thisprocessat least three tofourmore times.This processwill cleanmuchof thedeposit from the carbonwhile also saturating the activated carbon with water. By fully saturating thecarbon,youwillimprovetheefficiencyofthefiltration,asmoreofthedistillatewillbeforcedthroughthecarboninsteadofsimplyrunningaroundthecarbongranules. You can further improve the saturation and resulting efficiency byaddingsimmeringwaterafteryourfinalrinseandallowingittositundisturbedfor24hours.

Although it is not necessary to follow the entire rinsing procedure withproperly regenerated carbon, it is still necessary to add simmering water andallowthecarbontobecomesaturatedpriortothefiltrationprocess.Failingtodothis will dramatically reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of the activatedcarbonfiltration.

Secondaryrinsingisdoneaspartofthestartupprocessforthespiritfiltration,asoutlinedbelow.

AlcoholFiltrationThemosteffectivemethodforactivatedcarbonfiltrationistheonethatallows

youtoforcethemaximumamountofliquidthroughtheporesinthecarbonsothat the largest number of contaminants are trapped inside the granules ofcarbon. As discussed, activated carbon does not use ionic charge to removecontaminants.Activatedcarbonworksbytrappingmoleculeswithinthecarbonitself,sotobeeffective,wemustfindawaytoforcetheliquidthroughthecarbonasopposedtojustchannelingitaroundthegrainsofcarbon.Wettingthecarbonduring the rinsing process lays the groundwork, but we still must employ amethod that encourages the liquid to channel through the carbon and notaround it.Always remember thatmost particles are lazy, so theywill take thepathof leastresistanceastheymaketheirwaythroughyourfiltersystem.Thatpath isusuallyaroundthecarbon,unlessyousetupyouractivatedcarbonbedappropriately. This is preciselywhy tossing carbon into a containerwith yourspiritswill do very little.While a small amount of spiritwill flow through thecarbon’sporesthisway,theoverwhelmingpercentagewillnot.Mostofthespiritis quite happy to just flow around the granules of carbon as they settle to thebottomof thecontainer.Youmayhear that shaking thecontainer regularly torouse the carbon will help. Indeed, each time the carbon settles, some of theliquidwill flow through thecarbon insteadof around it.However,what aboutthe liquid that flows through the pores in the opposite direction from theprevious time? It can dislodge molecules that were previously trapped in thecarbon,releasingthembackintothespirit.Touseactivatedcarbontoefficientlyandeffectively remove the residual flavorandaromacompounds remaining inthe spirit after distillation, you must force the maximum amount of liquidthrough the carbon so that the congeners are trappedand removed fromyourproduct.Thebestwaytodothisisbycreatingalongfilterbedthatmaximizestheliquid’scontactwiththeactivatedcarbon.

Anotherconsiderationthatwemusttakeintoaccountistheproofofthespiritthat youwill filter. Inmost cases, if you attempt to filter undiluted spirit, say90%abvormore,yourfiltrationattemptwillproveunsuccessful.Thehigh-proofspirit has a lower density, and as a result this thinner consistency liquid willusually channel around the carbon granules, resulting in negligibleimprovement. To ensure consistent, effective results, you should dilute your

spirits to nomore than 55%abv prior to filtration.While you can dilute yourdistillatefurther,thereisnoreasontodosoatthispoint,asitsimplyincreasesthevolumeof liquid,andtherefore the time involved to filter.Youcan furtherdiluteyourfilteredspiritstothedesiredprooflater.Thisalsoallowsforthesmallamountofdilutionthatwilltakeplaceduringthefiltrationprocess.

Toobtainthemaximumcontacttimeandliquidinteractionwiththeactivatedcarbon, it is best to employ a long, narrow tube that you will fill with youractivatedcarbon.Thiscreatesthegreatestlikelihoodofspiritflowingthroughtheporesof the carbon,where the contaminantswill be trapped.The result is thecleanestpossiblefinishedproduct.

Incommercialdistilleries,itiscommontouseapumptopumpthespiritupthecolumnasopposedtousinggravitytofeedthedistillate.Thisallowsagreaterlevel of control over the speed of flow, as well as being optimal for steamregeneration,aspressurizedsteamcanbefedfromthetopofthefiltercolumn,forcingmany of the contaminants in the carbon out of the pores, vaporizingthem, and carrying themout to adrain.This is not economically feasible in ahobby-levelactivatedcarbonfiltersystem.Instead,weuseagravityfeedsystemand try to regulate the flow rate eitherby thenumberof filterpapersused (tocontrolresistance)orwithavalveontheoutput.

Abasicactivatedcarbonfiltersystemisbothsimpleandinexpensivetobuild.Therearealsoseveralcommercialfiltersystemsavailable,rangingfromlow-costplastic systems to high-end stainless-steel filters. If building or purchasing aplastic filter system,besure touseonly food-grade,alcohol-tolerantparts.Themost common types of tubing for hobbydistillation filtering systems arePVCandABS.Ifgiventheoption,youshouldselectABSplastic,asitismoretoleranttoethanolthanisPVC.Thisisimportantevenatthereducedstrengthinvolvedduringfiltration.

Shapeandsizeof the filter isofparamountconcern.Asquare filter—oranyfiltershapewithdistinctcorners—createsfartoomanyvoidspacesthatarenotfilledbythecarbon.Asaresult,thespiritwillchannelthroughthesevoidareasandnotbeforcedthroughthecarbon,orevenbetweenthegrainsofcarbon.Ifthefilter is toonarrow,thenthespiritwilloftenchanneldownthewallsof thefilter, bypassing almost all interaction with the activated carbon. In bothinstances, the result is that there will be no substantial improvement to yourspirits. Always opt for a round tube with a minimum inside diameter of 1.5inches(40mm).Anoptimalvolumeofactivatedcarbonfortwotothreegallonsof spirit (a common volume of 50%abv spirit resulting from a six-gallon

distillation)isaround100to110in3(1.6to1.8L).Toobtainthisvolumeusinga1.5-inch-inside-diameter tube,youwillneed the length tobeapproximately60inches:

Volume=πr2hVolume=3.14159x0.75”2x60”Volume=106in3Usinga larger-diameter filter tubewillallowyoutoreduce the lengthof the

tubeinrelation,asitwillstillprovidethesameamountofcontacttimewiththecarbon.Similartodistillation,increasingthediameterofyourfiltercolumncanallowforanincreaseinthespeedoffiltration,butonlyiftheoverallvolumeofactivated carbon being used increases accordingly. This is how commercialdistilleriesareabletofilteralargevolumeofspiritsrelativelyquickly.Justaswithdistillation, patience will pay off, as filtration is farmore effective when doneslowly.Agoodfiltrationspeedusinga105in3carbonfilteris1quart(946ml)perhour,althoughupto2quarts(1.89L)perhourisgenerallyveryeffective.

Buildingyourowncarbonfilterisverysimpleandcost-effective.Youalreadyknowthata1.5-inch(40mm)tubethatis60inches(1.5m)longwillactasaveryeffective filter tube.As luckwould have it, 1.5-inch food-grade PVC tubing isavailableatvirtuallyallhomebuildingsupplystoresandforjustafewdollars.

Ontopofthefilter,youneedsomeformofreservoir,unlessyouarewillingtostandbesidethefilterandconstantlyaddyourunfilteredspirit.Ididn’tthinkso.A great, low-cost option is a large, food-grade plastic funnel. Youmay find asuitablefunnelatadepartmentstore,butinalllikelihoodyouwillneedtogotoyourlocalhomebrewstoreforthisitem.Thereisnomagicalperfectsize,butthelargeryourfunnel,thelessoftenyouwillhavetocheckonitortopitup.Nextyouwillneedsomewaytoseal thefunneltoyourfiltertube.If theconnectionbetweenthefunnelandfiltertubeisnotsealed,thenliquidwillseepoutthroughthe connection. There aremany options for this step, from silicone gaskets topermanentlyconnectingthetwopartswithfood-gradeadhesive.

Younowhaveafiltertubewithreservoir,butyoustillneedsomethingtoholdthe activated carbon inside the filter tube, control flow rate, and filter the tinyparticles of carbon from the filtered spirits. All three of these tasks can behandledbyaffixing filterpaper(s) to thebottomof the filter tube.This ismosteasilydonebywrapping the filterpaper(s) around thebottomof the tubeandholdingthemtightlyinplacewithalargestainless-steelhoseclamp.Thenumberof filter papers to use will depend on the type of filter paper that you haveselected.Whiletwotothreecommercialfilterpaperswillusuallybesufficient,ifyoudecidetousecoffeefilterpapers,youwillrequireconsiderablymoretoavoidtearingandtodecreasethespeedoffiltration.Nowyoujustneedtodecidehowyouwill suspend the filter above your collection container (hint, standing thefilter in a colander that is situated above your collection containerworks verywell).

Congratulations!Yourfiltersystemisbuiltandreadytouse.Thefiltrationofspiritsisconsideredbymanypeopletobeaslowprocess,but

it does not need to be annoying or a hassle. You have already prepared youractivatedcarbon,andyourfiltersystemisbuiltandreadytogo.Filtration,unlikedistillation,isnotaprocessthatyouneedtobeconstantlypresentfor.Providingyouremembertotopupyourreservoirbeforeitiscompletelyempty,thiscanbearelativelypainlessbutveryworthwhileprocess.

Itisnowtimetomoveyourwetcarbonintothefilter.Becausethewetcarbontendstofalldownthetubeinheavyclumps,it isbesttosupportthebottomofthe tube by balancing it on a solid surface to avoid tearing the papers. Add

approximately1pint(473ml)tothefiltertubetoslowthedescentofthecarbonandhelpbuildaconsistentfilterbed.Begintransferringyourcarbontothefilterusingaservingspoonorladle.Aftereachaddition,tapthesideofthefiltertubelightlytoreducegapsinthecarbon.Onceallthecarbonhasbeenaddedtoyourfilteryoucanstartthesecondaryrinsing,followedbythespiritfiltration.

Thesecondaryrinsingservestwopurposes.First,itrinsesawaythelastofthedeposits in the carbon that may not have been removed during the previousrinsingandwettingprocedure.Second, ithelps toreduceanyairgapsbetweenthecarbongranules,whichreducesthechannelingof liquidaroundthecarbonand maximizes the flow through the carbon. To perform this step addapproximatelyonegallon(3.78L)ofhotwatertothereservoir.Thereasontousehotwaterwillbeevidentinamoment.

Whenthewater inthereservoirhasnearlydisappearedbelowthetopof thecarbon, start adding your unfiltered spirits. DONOT LET THEWATERORSPIRIT LEVELDROP BELOWTHE TOPOF THECARBON!Doing so willallowairtoenterintothesystemandrequireyoutoresetyourfilterbyrunningatleastagallonofwaterthroughthesystemtoriditofair.Alwaysstartaddingyourspiritsbeforethewaterhascompletelydrainedfromthereservoir.Yes,thiswillresult inaverysmallamountofdilution,butthat is tobeexpectedduringthefiltrationprocessandisoneofthereasonstofilteratahigherproofthanismeant forconsumption.Therewillnotbeanydilution in the filtercolumn,asboththewaterandspiritaremovingdownthetubeatthesamerateofspeed.

Collecttheliquidthatisdrippingfromthefilter,keepingasecondcontainerreadytostartcollectingyourspiritsseparatelywhentheybegintoemerge.Thisisthereasonforstartingthefilterusinghotwater.Yourspiritswillbecool—likelyaroundroomtemperature—sobytouchingthefiltercolumnyouwillbeabletoactuallyfeelwherethewaterandalcoholarelocatedastheymovedownthefiltertube.Whenthealcoholhasnearlyreachedthebottomofthefiltertube,changeyour collection container to begin collecting your filtered spirits. Discard thewaterintheothercontainer.Feelfreetosmellandtastethefilteredproductandnote thedifferencebetween it andyourunfiltereddistillate.There shouldbeamarkedreductioninsmell,flavor,andeventheamountof“burn”onthetongue.

Continue adding your spirit to the filter reservoir. When the last of yourunfilteredspiritshavebeenaddedtothereservoir,itistimetostartpreparingforthefinalstageoffiltrationbyheatingagallon(3.78L)ofwater.Justasyoustartedaddingspiritstoyourreservoirjustbeforethelastoftheprepwaterdisappearedbelowthetopoftheactivatedcarbon,addthehotwatertothereservoirbefore

youralcoholhasdisappearedfromsight.Thiswaterwillhelptopushthealcoholthroughthesystem,leavingprimarilywaterinthespentcarbonandnotwastingyourvaluablespirits.Youcanagainfeelonthefiltertubewherethealcoholandhot water meet as they progress down the filter column. Once the water hasreachedthebottomofthefilter,youshouldreplacethecollectioncontainerwithanother container. Your alcohol is now ready to be further diluted and aged,flavored,orusedasitis.

How to Know If Your Carbon Has Reached ItsCapacity

Asmolecules become trapped in theporesof the carbon, they alsobegin toblockthosepores,renderingthatportionofthecarbonunusable.Atthestartoffiltration, the carbon near the top of the filter will be actively removing thecontaminants, and as it becomes used to its full capacity, the active area offiltrationwill slowlymovedown the filter column.Theporeswill gradually allbecomeblockedbymoleculesthathavebeentrapped,andtheonlywayfortheliquidtoflowisbychannelingaroundthecarbon.Whenallthecarbonhasbeenused to its capacity, any further spirit will simply pass through the systemunfiltered. The goal, especially for those who do not regenerate their carbon(whichisthevastmajorityofhomedistillers), is toutilizethecarbontoits fullcapacity without going beyond that point and simply passing their spiritsthrough the filter needlessly. This is the most economical use of the carbon.Unfortunately, there is no magic number for gallons of spirit to volume ofactivatedcarbon.Thepurityof thedistillate (i.e.,howmanycongeners remainafterdistillation),thetypeofcarbonselected,thefiltrationprocess,andthespeedoffiltrationallplayvitalrolesinthisequation.Asaroughruleofthumb,youcanexpect to effectively filter two to fourgallons (7.56 to15.1L)of relatively cleandistilledspiritat50%abvthrough100in3ofgoodquality,appropriatelyselectedactivatedcarbon.

RegeneratingYourCarbonOnce you have used the carbon youmay choose to discard it, or youmay

decide to regenerate the carbon so that you can reuse it for future filtrations.Commerciallyactivatedcarbonismostoftenregeneratedandusedmanytimes,butthisisfarlesscommonamonghobbyists.Thisisingreatpartbecauseofthecost factor of activated carbon. Commercial distilleries have to be far moreconcernedwithcostthanthehobbydistiller.Thatisnottosaythatcostisnotofconcern tohobbyists, but they arenotdrivenby cost theway that a for-profitdistillery is. By regenerating and reusing their activated carbonmany times, a

distillery is able to make the activated carbon cost negligible. So why is thisprocesslesscommonamonghobbydistillers?Simplyput,regenerationcanbeahassleonasmallscale.Commercialdistillerieswillputupthecapitalcosttobeable toregenerate thecarbon,knowingthat itwilldramaticallyreducethecostimpactversusreplacingthecarbononceithasbeenused.Itiscertainlyfeasibletobuildthesametypeofequipmentonasmallscale,butthecostisnotjustifiedunlessvolumeissubstantial.It isdifficultforthehobbyisttojustifyspendingafewhundreddollarsjusttoenablehimorhertoregeneratetheactivatedcarbonthat costs under $10 per batch, butmuch easier for a commercial distillery tojustifyacostofafewthousanddollarsforthesamepurposegiventhattheywillreusethesamecarbonupto100timesormore.

With that said, it is not entirely unreasonable for the hobby distiller toregenerate activated carbon for at least a second or third use. The reason thatcommercial distilleries are able to reuse their carbon somany timeswhile thehobbyist is much more limited is because of the way that the carbon isregenerated. While the distillery will use steam to regenerate the carbon, thehobbydistillergenerallymustemployacombinationofboilinganddrying.Theprocesscanbeahassleandalsodangerousifpropercareisnottaken.Thisiswhymost hobby distillers simply discard the used carbon and buy new carbon foreachbatch.

Note:Regeneratingyourcarboncanbedangerous!Manyofthecontaminantsin the carbon are extremely flammable. Never attempt to regenerate activatedcarbonwithagasstoveoroven.Alwayshaveafanrunningtodispersetheairtodilutetheflammablevaporsandkeepafireextinguisherhandy.Neverleavethecarbon unattended. These instructions are for informational purposes only.Regeneratingactivatedcarbonisnotsuggestedandisdoneatyourownrisk.

If you decide that you are going to reuse your carbon, you will start byemptyingthecarbonfromyourfiltercolumnintoameshsieve.Usingastandardkitchencolanderwillnotwork,astheholesarelargerthanthecarbongranulesand they will simply flow through and down the drain. Rinse the carbonextremelywellwithhot tapwater.Next,place thecarbon ina largepoton thestoveandaddatleasttwicetheamountofliquid.Bringthewatertoaboilandallowittocontinuetoboilforaminimumof15minutes.Youwillliterallysmellthe contaminants that are being removed. Continue to boil until there is nolonger a noticeable smell in the vapor. The boiling process breaks the carbondownslightly,sothegranuleswillgenerallybeslightlysmallerafterboiling.Thisis themain reason why the carbon can only be reused once or twice. As the

carbonbreaksintosmallerpieceswitheachboiling,itquicklybecomestoosmalltobeused inacarbonfilter tubewithoutcausingablockage inthe flowof theliquid.

Atthispointyouhaveremovedmostofthecontaminantswithaboilingpointof212°F(100°C)orless.However,therearestillfuseloilswithahigherboilingpointthatremaininthecarbon.Toremovetheremainderofthecontaminantsyouneedtodrythecarboninanelectricoven.Neverattempttodrythecarboninagasoven,assomeof thecontaminantsremaining in thecarbonarehighlyflammableandcanigniteinagasoven.Heattheovento300°F(150°C).Placethecarbononacookiesheetorothershallowbakingpanandallowtoregenerateforapproximatelythreehours.

It is importantnot to rush theprocess by increasing the temperatureof theoven.Mostof the impurities remainingafterboilinghaveavaporizationpointbelow285°F(140°F),butasthetemperatureintheovenincreases,sodoesthepossibilityofvapors(oreventhecarbonitself) igniting,soneverexceed300°F(150°C)whenregeneratingyouractivatedcarbon.

6.AgingandFlavoring

AddingtheFinishingTouchUNLESSYOUARE using your filtered spirits as vodka, then you are notdone justyet. It is true thatvodka is themostpopularof thedifferentdistilledspirits, but it is still only one of many. Whether you have just completeddistilling a barleywash destined to become the next greatwhiskey, or the fulldepthandcharacterofyourbrandy is justwaiting tobecaptured, there isonefinal step necessary to realize the full potential of what your latest spirit canbecome.Thatstepmaybeaginginanoakbarrelformonths,orevenyears,oritmaybe flavoringyour spiritwith fruitor evena commercial flavoring.At thispoint, thesky is the limit,andwhatyouchoose todoat thisstepcanmakeanunbelievabledifferenceintheproductthatfinallymakesittoyourbottle.

First, we should separate into the two rather distinct groups—aging andflavoring.Whileyoudocertainlyenhanceandaltertheflavorsduringtheagingprocess, when we use the term “flavoring” we are referring to the intentionaladditionofspecificflavors,suchasisfruitornaturalextracts,nottheflavorsthatarecontributedbyaginginanoakbarrel,forexample.Thisisnottosaythatonemethod is better than theother. In fact,many commercial spirits aremadebyflavoringneutralspiritsinsteadofbypotdistillingasecretmashrecipeandagingthe distilled spirit. Commercially, it is all about consistency. The consumerexpectstheproductthattheypurchasetodaytobeexactlythesameasthebottlethattheypurchasedsixmonthsago.That isoftenmosteasilyattainedwiththeadditionofflavoringessences.However,manywillarguethatthisdoesnotofferthe depth of character that can be achieved by carefully crafting a recipe,distilling with accurate cuts, and then aging the spirit to bring out the subtlenuancesandcomplexity.Whetherthisistrueornotisalwaysupfordebate,andultimately, it is probably as much a matter of individual taste preferences asactualdifferencesincharacter.

One thing that is certain is that there are requirements, both legally andconceptually, that regulatewhatmakes up each group of spirits. For example,rumismadefromsugarcane,mostoftenmolasses,whilewhiskeyismadefromgrain,mostnotablycorn,barley,andrye.Whiskeyisthenfurtherbrokendownintomanydifferentcategories,suchasScotchwhiskey,Irishwhiskey,bourbon,etc. One thing that nearly all whiskies are known for is the character derivedfrom aging in oak barrels. In fact, many spirits achieve at least part of theircharacterfromaginginwoodenbarrels,sothatiswherewewillstart.

AginginBarrelsNo, I did not specify oak barrels. This was intentional. While oak is the

overwhelmingwinner, other types of wood are sometimes used to craft agingbarrels.Thetypeofwoodselectedwillhaveabearingonthefinalcharacter,astheporestructurewillbedifferent,aswilltheactualflavorcompoundsthatcanbeextractedfromthewood.Evenamongoakbarrels,youwillgenerallyhavetoselect the type of oak. Themost common options are American, French, andHungarian.Fromthese,youwillneedtoselectwhethertheinsideofthebarrelischarred (literally burned)or toasted (heateduntil thewoodbegins todarken),and even the level of charring or toasting. Each option contributes slightlydifferent characteristics to the final product. This is where the complexity ofmany commercial whiskies comes from. They often employmultiple types ofbarrels at different stages in the aging process to capture characteristics frommorethanonetypeofbarrel.Thisisnotgenerallyreasonableforhobbydistillers,whowillselectasingleoakbarrelfortheagingprocess.

Anentirebookcouldprobablybedevotedtothedifferencesbetweenthetypesof oak, region or forest that the wood was derived from, level of toasting orcharring,conditionsofstorage,andahostofothervariables.Forthehobbyist,itreallybreaksdownintoafewbasicconsiderations.

HowtoSelectYourBarrelTypeofwood:Americanoaktendstocontributeaslightlystrongerflavorand

aromatothespiritthanFrenchoak,whichismoresubtle.ThismayleadyoutoselectAmericanoakoverFrenchoak,butastrongerflavorisnotnecessarilythebestflavor.Thisisamatterofpersonalpreference.HungarianoakisverysimilarincharactertoFrenchoak,butatconsiderablylowercost.Alsonotethatwhenwe are discussing aging any type ofwine or spirits in oak,we are referring towhiteoak.Redoakisprimarilyusedforfurnitureproduction.

Charred or toasted: In general, toasted barrels are used primarily for wine,while charred barrels are used for spirits. While this is often regulated forcommercial spirits, the hobbyist is not under the same requirements and canselectabarrelbasedonthedesiredcharacter.Theleveloftoastingorcharringisbasedonhowlongtheoakbarrelisexposedtofire,startingwithalighttoastandprogressing to a heavy char, often referred to as “alligator char” because thesurfaceofthewoodcracks,creatinganappearancereminiscentofanalligator’sskin.Asthewoodisheated,thesugarsinthewoodwillcaramelizeanddifferentlevelsofvanillinsandtanninswilldevelop.Thecarboncreatedbycharringthewoodwillremovesomeoftheharshcongenersinthespirit,whichiswhyaspiritaged in a charred barrel tends to bemuch smoother in character than a spiritthathasnotbeenaged.

Sizeofbarrel:Thehobbydistillerisnotinterestedinthelargebarrelsusedbycommercial distilleries. These are far too large for the small batches that thehobbyistproduces.Instead,thehobbydistillerwillusuallyselectbarrelsthatarea fewgallons in sizeor smaller.Common sizes available to thehobbyist rangefrom1/4gallon (approximately1L) to5gallons (19 to20L). It is important toselectabarrelthatyouwillbeabletofillcompletely,sodonotsimplyoptforalargerbarrelbecauseitseemstobeabetterdeal(smallbarrelscancostnearlyasmuchas largerbarrels).Agingwill generallyprogressmuchmorequickly in asmallerbarrelthaninalargerbarrelandalsomuchmorequicklythefirsttimethatthebarrelisusedthanonsubsequentuses.

Barrelquality:Donotskimponqualitywhenyoupurchaseabarrelforagingyourspirits.Ifcostisadecidingfactor,thenitisfarbettertooptforoneofthealternatives discussed later than to purchase a “cheap” barrel. Some low-costbarrelsmay utilize used furniturewood or a host of other tricks to be able tokeep the price of the barrel down. Theymay also reduce the thickness of thebarrel staves, shortening the life of the barrel and compromising its strength.

Premiumqualitybarrelsaremostoftenworth thedifference incost.Youhavecometoofartoriskthequalityofyourspiritsnow.

CuringtheBarrelNo,yourbarrelisnotsick,althoughitmayhaveabitofaleakageissue.When

barrels are produced, thewood still has somemoisture, the staves fit togetherverytightly,andthebarreldoesnotleakifitisfilledwithliquid.Whenabarrelisin this state, it is called “tight.” If thebarrel is storedwithout liquid in it, as itoften is between uses, then thewoodwill dry and gapswill formbetween thestaves.At thispoint, ifyouadd liquidtothebarrel, itwillrunrightout.Don’tworry—in all but theworst cases your barrel is not ruined, it just needs to betightenedbackup.This isactuallyaprettysimpleprocess,but itvariesslightlydependingonwhetherornotyourbarrelisvarnishedornot.Ifyourbarrelhasnotbeenvarnished,thenyoucansimplyfillatubwithwater,removethebungfromthebarrel,andsubmergethebarrelinthewater.Dependingonhowdrythewood is, it can take anywhere from an hour or two to a day ormore to fullytighten.

Tightening a varnished barrel can be done using the sameprocedure, but awater-based varnish will be destroyed using thismethod. Instead, remove thebungfromthebarrel,placethebarrelinanopensink(nopluginthesink),andfillitwithhottapwater.Thewaterwillleakoutofthebarrelanddownthedrain,avoidingabuildupofwateraroundtheoutsideofthebarrel.Continuallytopupthebarrelwithhotwatersothat itcontinuestobeabsorbedbythewood.Youshould quickly see a reduction in thewater draining from the barrel.When itappears that the barrel has stopped leaking entirely, fill the barrel completely,placethebungtightlyintothebunghole,drytheoutsideofthebarrel,andallowittositinthesinkovernighttoensurethatitistightenoughtoholdyourspirits.

SterilizingYourBarrelWhilethisisnotofsubstantialconcernwhenagingdistilledspiritsbecauseof

thehighproofinvolved,itisstillgoodpracticetokeepallequipmentcleanandsanitized.Priortouse,youcanburnasulfurstickinthebarrel(youcanalsousesulfursticksasawayofkeepingyourbarrelsterileduringstorage),ensuringthatno spoilage organisms grow in the barrel. This is especially important forwinemakers.However,thehigh-proofethanolinyourdistilledspiritwillsterilizethebarrel.Beforeuse,youshouldrinse thebarrelextremelywellwithwater toensure thatnothing is inside thebarrel that shouldnotbe there.This includesmoldthatmayhavebuiltupifthebarrelwaspoorlystored.Onceyouarecertainthatthebarrelisclean,thenyoucanaddsomeboilingwatertothebarrel.Thiswillheat-sterilizethebarrel.Letthewatersitinthebarrelforaboutfiveminutes,thendrainitandaddyourspirits.

BarrelAlternativesOftencalled“oakalternatives,”thegroupofproductsusedtoreplacewooden

barrels are more accurately called “barrel alternatives,” as many of these“alternatives” are in fact oak, just in a slightly different format. The mostcommon options are chips, staves/sticks, cubes, and spirals. Aside from oakchips,allofthealternativesofferverysimilarbenefits.Sowhywouldyouwanttouseabarrelalternativeinsteadofanactualbarrelifbotharemadefromthesamewood?Theanswer isprettysimple—cost.A largepartof thecostofabarrel isnotthewood,butthetradesman(calledacooper)thatactuallymakesthebarrel.Therefore,youcanpurchasethewoodatamuchlowercostifitisnotpreciselycut,curved,andbandedtobecomeabarrel.Sowhywouldyoupurchaseabarrelinsteadof thealternatives?Therearea fewanswers to thatquestion, includingtraditionand character.Tradition is self-explanatory.Character,however,mayneed further discussion, because it takes into account exactly what happensduringthebarrel-agingprocess.

Whenyouage inawoodenbarrel, there is someevaporationofalcoholandwaterthroughtheporesofthewoodandmicroscopiccracksbetweenthestaves.This loss is known as the “angels’ share.” This loss of volume is replaced byoxygen,whichblendswiththespiritinaformofmicro-oxygenation.Agingwithbarrel alternatives is most often done in a sealed container, eliminating thisexchangeandoxygenation.Theresultisaslightdifferenceinthefinalcharacterbetweenabarrel-agedproductandoneagedwithbarrelalternatives.Thereareseveralmethodsofcontrollingthisonacommerciallevel,suchasaddingbarrelalternativestoabarrel thathasbeenusedmanytimes(theexchangeofoxygenfor evaporated spirit still takes place, while new oak is added to the barrel toobtainthecharacter),oraginginstainless-steeldrumswithoakalternativesandcontrollingtheoxygenlevelsinthedrum.Obviouslythesearenotfeasibleonahobbyscale.

Oneofthegreatestadvantagestobarrelalternativesisthevastarrayofoptionsavailable.Whereasyouroptionsforagingbarrelsarealmostentirelywithintheoak family, barrel alternatives come in many different woods, including fruitwoods suchas apple,pecan,hickory,mesquite, andothers.Each typeofwoodwill lend adifferent character to the finishedproduct, andyou can evenuse amixtureofdifferenttypesofwoodtoaddmorecomplexityandcharactertoyour

spirits.Theformatofthewoodalsohasaslightbearingonthefinalcharacter.Wood

chipstendtobethelowestcostoption,buthaveadistinctdrawbackinthattheyareallbutimpossibletocharwithoutdestroyingthewoodentirely.Thismaybeable to be offset somewhat by combining the charred chipswith some toastedchips. Sticks, staves, cubes, and spirals all offer the advantage of being able tochar the surface of the woodwhile leaving the underlying layers of the woodintact.Thiscangiveacharacterveryclosetothatachievedbybarrelaging,butatafractionofthecostofabarrel.

HowMuchtoUseAndthatisthemilliondollarquestion.Theproblemisthatthereisnosingle

answer to thequestion.The typeofwoodbeingused, the formatof thewood,andahostofothervariableswilldeterminethefinalcharacterderivedthroughthe aging process.As the surface area of thewood increases in relation to thevolumeofspiritbeingaged,thetimerequiredtoachieveagivenresultdecreases.Thatmeansthatyouwillgenerallyagemorequicklyinasmallbarrelthaninalargeone.Youwillageevenmorequicklyifyouusewoodstavesorcubes,andfaster yet with wood chips. By increasing the amount of wood used, you willdecrease the aging time as well. Of course, the character also varies, so it is amatterofbalance.Weallwanttoageourproductasquicklyaspossiblewithoutcompromisingthequalityorcharacterofthefinishedproduct.Thisisprobablyeventruercommercially,wherestoragespaceisatapremiumandthelongerittakestogetaproducttomarket,themoretheproductcosts.Fortunately,thereisonemethodofcheatingtime,atleastonasmallscale,andtosomedegree.

CheatingTimePartofthebarrel-agingprocesscomesfrommovementofthespiritinandout

ofthewood.Asthetemperatureincreases,theporesofthewoodopenandthespirit is brought into the wood. As the temperatures cool, the pores tighten,pushingthespiritbackout.Thinkofthewoodasasponge.Ifyousqueezeawetsponge, the holes in the sponge close and thewater runs out of it.When youreleasethesponge,theholesopenandwillsuckwaterintothem.Youobviouslycannotsqueezethewoodhardenoughtodothis.However,youcanstillcontrolthisactionbycontrollingthestoragetemperature.Thesechangesintemperaturehappennaturallyforlargecommercialproducersthatarestoringtheirbarrelsinlarge warehouses. As the seasons change, so do the temperatures. On a smallscale,youdohavetheabilitytoplayMotherNature.Bymovingyourspiritintoacoldarea,suchasafreezer,youhavecreatedwinter.Theporesonthewoodwillcloseandsqueezethespiritout.Afteracoupleofweeks,itisspringtime,andyoucanmoveyourspirittoawarmerarea,suchasaclosetorpantry.Repeatingthisafewtimeswillhaveanastoundingeffectonyourspirit.

This brings us to another question—how long should you age your spirits?Justasthereisnorightorwronganswertohowmuchwoodtouse,orevenwhattypeofwoodorformat,thereisnoperfectanswertohowlongyoushouldageyour spirit.Thebestway toachieveyourdesired result isby takingvery smallsampleseveryweekortwo,andwhenyouaresatisfiedwiththetaste, thenit istimetoremoveitfromthebarrel/removethewoodfromit,andbottleit.

Withallofthesevariables,itmayseemlikeIamavoidingspecificanswerstothe questions that you have regarding aging your spirit. Youwanted to knowwhatthebestmethodofagingwas,whattypeofwoodtouse,howmuch,andforhowlong.Unfortunately,theonlypersonwhocananswerthosequestionsisyou.Aginghasaprofoundeffectonyourfinishedproduct,andallofthesevariablesworktogether.However,thereisonethingthatcanbeansweredspecificallyforyou:

Atwhatproofshouldyourspiritbeaged?Agingproof: 124 (62%abv).Does thathelpmakeup for all of theperceived

evasiveness in the previous information on aging? This number is not anarbitrary one that I simply pulled from thin air. It is shown to be the optimal

proof to use when aging in wooden barrels (or with barrel alternatives, ofcourse). At a range of 120 to 124 proof (60%abv to 62%abv) the alcohol canextract more of the desirable character from the wood. It also takes up lessvolume than aging at, say, 80 proof (40%abv), and storage space can be ofconcerntoevenhobbydistillers. Increasingtheproofbeyond124canresult intheextractionofharshtanninsfromthewood,impartingabitter,drybitethatisnotconsideredapleasantadditiontomostbarrel-agedliquor.Whileaweedramofcaskstrengthmayprovideanicewarmingeffectonacoldevening, it is toostrongforregularconsumption,soyoucanfurtherdilutetoamorestandard80proof(40%abv)priortobottling.

FlavoringIwould bet that you are nowmore ready to hear about flavoring than you

thoughtyouwouldeverbe.Whileyoumayhavecomeoffoftheprevioussectionthinking that aging in barrels or by adding oak chips or the like is far morecomplexthanyouhadeverimagined,itisnot.Thereisnoarguing,however,thatsimplyaddingflavoringtoyouralcohol isa fareasierprocess. Itcanprovideafinishedproductthatrivalstraditionallyagedspirits,anditdoessoinafractionofthetimeandwithfarlessfuss.Sowhyhasitnotbecomethemethodofchoicefor virtually all hobbydistillers and commercial distillers alike?Many feel thatyou cannot capture the subtle nuances of traditional aging with the simpleaddition of flavorings such as extracts and essences. However, flavor is just acombination of chemical compounds. No matter how complex one wants tomake it out to be, virtually anything can be analyzed and replicated.Many oftoday’s liquor essenceshave captured these characteristics surprisinglywell. Inoneblind test, three out of five people picked the spiritmadewith vodka andessencetobethecommercialproductoverthecommercialproductitself.Thatisnottosaythattheynecessarilypreferredit,butitatleastshowshowwellsomeessenceshitthemark.

Of course, there isnoonebrand that excels across theboard, andall of themajor brands have at least some flavors that they do particularlywell.Not allessencesaremeanttoreplicateaspecificcommercialproduct,either.Manyareacombination of commercial equivalents blended with themanufacturer’s ownpersonal taste preferences. The result is a selection of literally hundreds ofoptions, and almost an infinitenumberof combinations createdby you as themasterblender.

Onethingthatdoesremainconsistentamongnearlyallliquoressencesisthemanner inwhich they are used. The flavoring is added to your neutral spirit,sugarmay be added to sweeten the product, and the product is bottled.Moststylesofliquorproducedusingessencewillimproveoverthefirstweekortwoastheflavorsmeld,creatingasurprisinglycomplexandappealingproduct.

Theadditionofsugarnotedabove,andincludedintheinstructionswithmanyessences, has two effects on the finished spirit. The first effect is obvious—itsweetenstheproduct.Thisismostoftenrequiredaspartofmakingliqueurs.Thesecondeffectisthatasmallamountofsugarcanimprovethebodyofthespirit.

Evensomecommercialspiritswillhaveaverysmallamountofsugarorglucoseaddedjusttoimprovethebodyofthefinishedproduct.

Thefirststepinmakingliquororliqueurwithanessenceistocalculatehowmuch of your spirit is needed. To do this, we use the calculation previouslymentionedfordilution.Assumethatyourspiritisstoredat50%abv,andyouaremakinga750mlbottlewithadesired finishedalcoholcontentof30%abv.Youwillneed450mlofyourspirit.

Desired:750ml@30%abv750 x 0.30= 225ml (this is the amount of pure alcohol needed in 750ml to

resultina30%abv)Nowtaketheamountofpurealcoholneededanddivideitbythepercentage

ofalcoholinyourexistingspirits:225ml÷0.50=450mlWhenadding sugar to your spirit, the simplestway todissolve it is toplace

youralcoholandsugarinablenderandblendonhighspeedfor1to2minutes.Ifmakingacreamliqueur,neveraddheavycreamtotheblender,asyoumayendupwithchunksofwhippedcream,makingaveryunappealingproduct.Nevertrytodissolvesugarinalcoholthatexceeds140proof(70%abv),asthesugarwillnotdissolve.Addthesweetenedspirittoyourbottle,alongwiththeessence,andtopupwithde-mineralizedwater.

Ofcourse,liquoressencesarejustonewayofflavoringyourspirit.

AlternateMethodsofFlavoringYourSpiritOnealternativetoflavoringusingessencesistoflavorusingingredientssuch

asfruit.Youcandothisbysimplysoakingthefruitinthefinished,filteredspiritand allowing the alcohol to absorb the flavor and aroma compounds and thecolorfromthefruit.Thismethodisbestusedformakingliqueurs,asthealcoholwillalsoabsorbthefruitsugars,resultinginasomewhatsweetfinishedproduct.Somefruitsthatareespeciallywellsuitedtothismethodofflavoringarepeaches,manyberries(strawberries,raspberries,blackberries,blueberries,etc.),andevenapples.Thequalityofthefruitthatyouusewillhaveatremendouseffectonthefinalproduct,souseonlyripe,cleanfruitthatisfreeofvisibledamage.Cutthefruittoallowthealcoholtopenetrateit,placeinaglassjar,fillthejarwithyourspirit (80 to 100 proof is optimal), seal the jar, and set it aside.Give the jar ashake every few days. After about two weeks, open the jar and drain off theliquid,pressingthe fruit toremoveasmuchof thespiritaspossible.Strain thespiritthroughafilter,suchasacoffeefilter,toremoveanybitsoffruitandsolids,

andbottleyourliqueur.AgreatAmerican-styleschnappscanbemadethisway!Anotherwaytogetflavorintoyourspirit isthroughinfusion.Infusiontakes

usbacktothedistillationprocessandutilizesagincolumn.However,insteadofthehostofingredientsusedtomakegin,youwillsuspendyourchoiceoffruitorothermaterial intheginbasketandallowthehotalcoholvaporstoextract theflavor and aroma compounds from thematerial.The resultingproductwill bemore like flavored vodka or German-style schnapps than the sweet productproducedbysoakingfruitinthedistilledspirit.

Finally, remember that everything in thisbook ismeant toguideyou in themethodsusedtoproduceyourownspiritsasahobby,butnothingcanstopyourimagination. After all, this is a hobby. Enjoy it. Do not be afraid to try newthings, new recipes, or different methods. But always remember that you aredealingwith flammableandpotentiallydangerousvapors,andexercisecautionaccordingly.This can be a fun and enjoyable hobby, and it evenprovides youwithsomethingtorelaxwithattheendofyourdistillingday.Cheers!

AFinalNoteKeepingrecordsisoneofthemost importantandoftenomittedstepsinthe

entire distillationprocess.Without complete records, younor anyone else canevertroubleshootaproblemthatyoumayencounteratanystageintheprocess.Almostallbrewersanddistillershavehadanissueatsomepoint,whetheritisastuckfermentationoranunsuccessfulfiltration.Onlywhenyouarearmedwiththefullrecipe,specificgravity,temperature,etc.,willyouhavetheinformationtoresolvetheproblemandavoidrepeatingit.Withoutrecords,youcanalsoneverexpecttoreplicateyourresults,sowhenyousampleyourlastbatchandfindittobethefinestspiritthatyouhaveevertasted,youhadbetterenjoyitwhileitlasts,as youwill be unable to reproduce it.Maybe that last batch needs just a littlechange,buthowmuchcorndidyouaddagain?Yougettheidea.

It takes only a moment to record the information for your batch. Keeprecords.Attheveryleast,itcanbefunsharingitwithyourfriendsasyousampleyourlatestconcoction.

PART2

DistillatHome

7.Recipes

YOUMADE IT! It is finally time to start turning theory into practice andmakesomespiritsandliqueurs.Rememberthattheserecipesonlytouchonthevastnumberof variations, so feel free to change thingsup and experiment. Infact, I encourage it.That ishowvirtuallyeverywell-knownbrandcameabout.Homedistillingisafunandrewardinghobby,evenif itdoesrequirekeepingalow profile in most countries. So, without further adieu, let’s get to makingsomething!

Disclaimer:Havingreaduptothispoint,itisassumedthatyouknowtofullycleanandsanitizeyourequipmentpriortouseandhowtousethefermentationequipment required tocomplete theprocess. It is thereforeassumed that thesestepsdonotrequirerepeatingineveryrecipe.Thefactthattheyarenotspecifieddoesnotmeanthattheyarenotofutmostimportanceandarequiredpartoftheprocess.

Note:Inallrecipes,Iwillbesuggestingthemostappropriateyeaststrainforthewash.Bynowyouknowtheimportanceofusingthecorrectyeast,andthosesuggested can be easily found at most homebrew supply stores that carry

distillationsupplies.

VodkaWewillstartwithacoupleofrecipesforvodka,asitisboththemostpopular

spirit and the simplest to make. Originating in Russia, vodka is generallyconsideredtobeodorless,colorless,andflavorless.Inotherwords,itissupposedtobeasclosetoneutralincharacteraspossible.Becausevodkaissupposedtobeflavorless and therefore is not supposed to carry any flavors across during thedistillation process, it does notmatter what you ferment tomake vodka. Thecontrol is in thedistillationprocess.Vodka is generally distilledusing a refluxmethod,asthisallowsforthepurestspirit,althoughsomevodkasareproducedbydistillingmultipletimesusingpotdistillation.

Becausevodkaisneutral,itisextremelyversatile,whichislikelythereasonforitspopularity.Beingneutralincharacteralsomakesitidealforflavoring,making

itveryusefulintheproductionofothertypesofliquorandliqueurs.BothhomedistillersandsomecommercialdistillerieswillusevodkaorNGS(neutralgrainspirits) toproduceproducts suchasgin,whiskey, and rum,aswell as liqueurssuchascoffee liqueur,amaretto,andIrishcream.In fact,manyhomedistillersaremorethancontentstayingwithasimplesugarwash,whichwillbedistilledtohigh purity, carbon filtered, and flavored using essence, and they may neverventureoutfromthere.Thisshouldnotbefrowneduponbythosewhowishtobemoreinvolvedintheprocess.Thisisahobby,andeachpersonislimitedbyadifferentleveloffreetimeandinterest.Tostart,wewillrepeatthesimplesugarwash,followedbyanall-grainvodkarecipe.

SimpleSugarWashThis is a basic recipe that should be almost everyone’s first wash. The

simplicity creates little risk for error, allowing you to focus on the distillationprocess.Forthosewhodonothaveexperienceinhomebrewingorwinemaking,thisoffersaneasyentryintothefermentationprocess.

Ingredients:14pounds(6.3kg)granulatedwhitesugar6USgallons(23L)offresh,filteredordechlorinatedwater1packageofturbo

yeast,sufficientfor6.6USgallons(25L)Clearingagent

Equipmentrequired:8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglidAirlockLong-handledplasticspoonThermometerHydrometerTestcylinder(optional)

Bring two gallons of water to a boil and add to fermenter. Dissolve sugar,addingmorehotwaterifrequired.Topupfermenterwithacombinationofice,coldwater,orwarmwatertoobtainatotalvolumeof6.6USgallons(25L)atastarting temperature of 100° F (38°C) or other temperature as noted on turboyeastpackage.Readandrecordthespecificgravityusingyourhydrometer.Addturboyeastandstirvigorouslyuntilallnutrientsaredissolvedandnoclumpsofyeast remain. Place lid and airlock on fermenter and allow to ferment in

recommended temperature range until fermentation has completed. Read andrecordfinalspecificgravity.

Once fermentation has completed, add the clearing agent as per packageinstructions.Onceproducthascleared, siphon tokettleanddistillusingrefluxdistillation.

PremiumGrainVodkaAlthough vodka is considered to be an odorless, colorless, and flavorless

distilledspirit,inreality,sometracecongenerswillremainafterdistillationandfiltration.Were this not the case, all vodkaswould taste exactly the same, andyou would not prefer one over another. Generally, those made from winterwheatareconsideredthefinestquality,andiswhatmanyofthe“ultra-premium”vodkas aremade from. The recipe below uses a combination ofmaltedwheatand flaked wheat. The malted wheat contains the enzymes necessary forconverting the starches in the grain into fermentable sugars. Flaked wheat iswheat that has been run through hot rollers, which gelatinize the starches forrapiddispersion in thehotmashwater.Youcansubstitute the flakedwheat inthe recipe with a different starch source, such as corn (another very populargrainusedintheproductionofvodka,duetoitslowcost),potatoes,rice,etc.,oracombinationofthese.Eachvariationwillresultinaslightlydifferentcharacterinyourfinishedvodka,soexperiment—whatisgenerallyconsideredtogivethemostfavoredmaynotbeyourownpreference.

Ingredients:2.2pounds(1kg)wheatmalt(crushed)8.5pounds(3.8kg)flakedwheat1.5teaspoon(7.5ml)gypsum6 US gallons (23L) of fresh, filtered or dechlorinated water Equipment

required:8-to10-gallonstockpotwithlid8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglid1packageofvodka

yeastwithgluco-amylaseenzyme,sufficientfor6.6USgallons(25L)AirlockLong-handledplasticspoonThermometerHydrometerTestcylinder

Pourallofthewaterintoyourstockpotandheatuntilthewaterreaches160°F(71°C).Stiringypsum,thenaddflakedwheatandstiruntilgrainhasabsorbedwater and becomes soft and themixture resembles oatmeal. If temperature isbelow152°F (67°C),addheat to raise temperature tobetween152°F (67°C)and155°F(68°C),stirringmixturetoavoidscorching.Iftemperatureisabove155°F(68°C),allowmixturetocooluntilitreaches155°F(68°C).Addwheatmaltandstirgentlytofullydistributegrain.Placelidonthepotandallowittorestfor60to90minutes.Keepaneyeonthetemperatureandstirgentlyevery10to15minutestoensurethatthetemperatureremainsbetween149°F(65°C)and155°F(68°C)duringtheentiremashingprocess.After60minutes,doaniodinetesttocheckforcompletionofstarchconversion.Ifstarchesarenotcompletelyconverted, continue mashing process until an iodine test confirms that allstarcheshavebeenconverted.

Allowmashtorestuntiltemperaturefallsto90°F(32°C).Alternatively,youcan rapidly cool themashwith awort chiller, such as a copper coilwith coldwater circulating through it. Remove a sample of the liquid and take ahydrometerreading.Thespecificgravity(adjustedfortemperature)shouldbeintherangeof1.065.

Transfermashtoyourfermenter.Pouringthemash,allowingittosplashintothefermenter,isagoodwaytohelpintroduceoxygenintothemash.Itishelpfultopourthemashbackandforthseveraltimesandtostirvigorouslytodriveinasmuch oxygen as possible. Alternatively, you can use an aquarium pump andaerationstoneinthewashfor30to60minutestofullyaeratethemash.

Add the yeast as per package directions and allow wash to rest untilfermentationhascompleted.Oncefermentationhascompleted,strainthemashusingastrainingbagorothermeansofseparatingthesolidsfromtheliquid.Thegoalistocollectthemaximumamountofliquidpossible.Youcanevenrinsethegrainwithasmallamountofboiledandcooledwatertomaximizecollectionofthe fermented liquid.Add the clearing agent per package directions and allowthewashtosituntilcleared.Siphonthecleared liquidtoyourkettleanddistillusingrefluxdistillation.

WhiskeyandMoonshineSay what?What’s the difference? Let’s clear up the spelling concerns right

now. Both “whisky” (without an “e”) and “whiskey” are technically correct.

Thereisnodifference,exceptpreference,whichisoftenregional.

Whiskey really encompasses almost any flavored spirit made from grain.Thereareseveraltypesofwhiskey,whicharemostlydistinguishedbythetypeofgrain that is used, but can also be dependent on the method of aging. Forexample, bourbon is a whiskey that is primarily made from corn. Scotch is,obviously,awhiskeyofScottishorigin(andmadeentirelyfrombarley),andryewhiskey is made using predominantly rye grain. Corn whiskey is actuallydistinguishedfrombourbonbasedonthepercentageofcornusedinthemash.Generallyaminimumof80percentcorn isrequiredforcornwhiskeyversusaminimum of 51 percent corn for bourbon. There are some additionalrequirements fromgoverningbodies (theAlcoholandTobaccoTaxandTradeBureau,orTTB, intheUnitedStates)thatmustbemettouseagivennametodescribe the spirit type. But as we are not dealing with spirits producedcommercially,wewillusethegenerallyacceptedtermstodescribethespiritsthatwearemaking.

DMEWhiskeyNamed for theDME,ordriedmaltextract, that this recipe isbasedon, it is

nearlyaseasyastheSimpleSugarWashrecipeusedtomakevodka.

Ingredients:12poundslightdriedmaltextract(note:15poundsoflightliquidmaltextract

may be substituted) 6 gallons of fresh, filtered or dechlorinated water 1packageofwhiskeyyeastwithgluco-amylaseenzyme,sufficientfor6.6USgallons(25L)Clearingagent

Anti-foamagent

Equipmentrequired:8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglidAirlockLong-handledplasticspoonThermometerHydrometerTestcylinder(optional)

Bring two gallons of water to a boil and add to fermenter. Dissolve maltextract,addingmorehotwaterifrequired.Topupfermenterwithacombinationofice,coldwater,orwarmwatertoobtainatotalvolumeof6.6USgallons(25L)atastartingtemperatureof90°F(32°C)orothertemperatureasnotedonturboyeast package. Add yeast and stir vigorously until no clumps of yeast remain.Place lid and airlock on fermenter and allow to ferment in recommendedtemperaturerangeuntilfermentationhascompleted.

Once fermentation has completed, add the clearing agent as per packageinstructionsandallowthewashtoclear.Donotconfuse“clear”with“colorless.”Theyareverydifferent.Thewashwillretaincolorfromthemaltextractandwillnot become colorless. As the yeast settles to the bottom of the fermenter, theproductwill lookmuchdarker,butwillbedistinctlymoreclear.Onceproducthascleared,siphontokettle,addtheanti-foamagentasperpackagedirections,anddistillusingpotdistillation.

Scotch-Style Whiskey/Malt Whiskey The recipe belowwillproduceanicesmokycharacterSingleMaltScotch-style whiskey. You can increase or decrease the peatedmalt basedon yourpreferences by substitutingwith thesame amount of Golden Promise malt. You can alsosubstitute theGoldenPromiseandpeatedmaltsentirelyfora standard2-rowor6-rowmaltedbarley toproduce

anAmerican-styleMaltWhiskey.

Ingredients:9pounds(4kg)GoldenPromisemalt(crushed)1.5pounds(.65kg)peatedmalt(crushed)1.5teaspoons(7.5ml)gypsum6 US gallons (23L) of fresh, filtered or dechlorinated water Equipment

required:8-to10-gallonstockpotwithlid8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglid1packageofwhiskey

yeastwithgluco-amylaseenzyme,sufficientfor6.6USgallons(25L)AirlockLong-handledplasticspoonThermometerHydrometerTestcylinder

Pourallofthewaterintoyourstockpotandheatuntilthewaterreaches160°F (71°C).Stir ingypsum, thenaddGoldenPromiseandpeatedmaltsandstirgentlytoevenlydistributegrain.Iftemperatureisbelow152°F(67°C),addheatto raise temperature to between 152° F (67° C) and 155° F (68° C), stirringmixture to avoid scorching. If temperature is above 155°F (68°C), add ice orcoldwatertocoolmashto155°F(68°C).Placelidonthepotandallowittorestfor60to90minutes.Keepaneyeonthetemperatureandstirgentlyevery10to15minutestoensurethatthetemperatureremainsbetween149°F(65°C)and155°F(68°C)duringtheentiremashingprocess.After60minutes,doaniodinetesttocheckforcompletionofstarchconversion.Ifstarchesarenotcompletelyconverted, continue mashing process until an iodine test confirms that allstarcheshavebeenconverted.

Allowmashtorestuntiltemperaturefallsto90°F(32°C).Alternatively,youcan rapidly cool themashwith awort chiller, such as a copper coilwith coldwater circulating through it. Remove a sample of the liquid and take ahydrometerreading.Thespecificgravity(adjustedfortemperature)shouldbeintherangeof1.065.

Transfermashtoyourfermenter.Pouringthemash,allowingittosplashintothefermenter,isagoodwaytohelpintroduceoxygenintothemash.Itishelpfultopourthemashbackandforthseveraltimesandtostirvigorouslytodriveinas

much oxygen as possible. Alternatively, you can use an aquarium pump andaerationstoneinthewashfor30to60minutestofullyaeratethemash.

Add the yeast as per package directions and allow wash to rest untilfermentationhascompleted.Oncefermentationhascompleted,strainthemashusingastrainingbagorothermeansofseparatingthesolidsfromtheliquid.Thegoalistocollectthemaximumamountofliquidpossible.Youcanevenrinsethegrainwithasmallamountofboiledandcooledwatertomaximizecollectionofthe fermented liquid.Add the clearing agent per package directions and allowthewashtosituntilcleared.Siphonthecleared liquidtoyourkettleanddistillusing pot distillation. If the distillate that youhave collected is above 62%abv,thendiluteto62percentandageinacharredoakbarrelorwithanalternativeagingmethod,suchasoakchipsoroakstaves.

Moonshine (a.k.a. No-Cook Mash) While the termmoonshineactuallydescribesanyillicitlydistilledliquor,itismorecommonlyconsideredtobeanunageddistilledspirit made from a primarily corn mash, making it fitnicelyunderthewhiskeycategoryforourpurposes.

Ingredients:8pounds(4kg)flakedmaize(inthisrecipe,youmaysubstitutewithcracked

corn)6pounds(3.6kg)granulatedsugar1.5teaspoons(7.5ml)gypsum6 US gallons (23L) of fresh, filtered or dechlorinated water Equipment

required:8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglid1packageofwhiskey

yeastwithgluco-amylaseenzyme,sufficientfor6.6USgallons(25L)AirlockLong-handledplasticspoonHydrometerTestcylinder

Bringtwogallonsofwatertoaboilanddissolvesugar.Stir ingypsum.Pourmixtureintofermenterandstirinflakedmaize.Topupfermenterwithwarmorcoolwatertoobtainatotalvolumeof6.6USgallons(25L)at90°F(32°C).Drawoffasampleoftheliquidandtakeahydrometertest.

Add the yeast as per package directions and allow wash to rest untilfermentation has completed (approximately three to five days). Oncefermentation has completed, strain the mash using a straining bag or othermeans of separating the solids from the liquid. The goal is to collect themaximumamountofliquidpossible.Youcanevenrinsethegrainwithasmallamount of boiled and cooled water to maximize collection of the fermentedliquid.Add theclearingagentperpackagedirectionsandallow thewash tosituntil cleared. Siphon the cleared liquid to your kettle and distill using potdistillation.

SourMashSourmashingisamethodinwhichapercentageofthefermentedandboiled

washfromapreviousbatchisaddedtoasubsequentwash,usuallyataminimumof 25 percent of the totalwash volume. Thismeans that in a 6.6 gallon (25L)washyouwilluseatleast1.65gallons(6.25L)of“backset”inyournewwash.Theamountofbackset thatyouusewillhaveadistinctbearingonthecharacterof

thefinalproduct,soyoucanplaywiththevolumestogettheflavorprofilethatyouprefer.

Whilethesourmashmethodcanbeusedwitheitheracooker-mashorano-cookmashrecipe,itismorecommonwithno-cookrecipes.Thebasicsforeachareoutlinedbelow.

UsingtheSourMashMethodwithaCookerMashIngredients:2.2pounds(1kg)6-rowpalemalt(crushed)8.5pounds(3.8kg)flakedmaize1.5teaspoons(7.5ml)gypsum2USgallons(7.5L)ofbackset(liquidremaininginboilerafterdistillingprior

batch) 4 US gallons (15L) of fresh, filtered or dechlorinated waterEquipmentrequired:

8-to10-gallonstockpotwithlid8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglid1packageofwhiskey

yeastwithgluco-amylaseenzyme,sufficientfor6.6USgallons(25L)AirlockLong-handledplasticspoonThermometerHydrometerTestcylinder

Pourthebacksetandwaterintoyourstockpotandheatuntilitreaches160°F(71°C).Ifthisisyourfirstbatchandyouthereforedonothaveanybackset,thenuse6gallons(23L)ofwater.Withoutbackset,thiswillnotbeasourmashrecipe,butyoumuststartatsomepoint.Addflakedmaizeandstiruntilthegrainhasabsorbedwaterandbecomessoft,andthemixtureresemblestheconsistencyofoatmeal.Iftemperatureisbelow152°F(67°C),addheattoraisetemperaturetobetween152°F(67°C)and155°F(68°C),stirringmixturetoavoidscorching.Iftemperatureisabove155°F(68°C),allowmixturetocooluntilitreaches155°F(68°C).Add6-rowpalemaltandstirgentlytofullydistributegrain.Placelidonthepotandallowittorestfor60to90minutes.Keepaneyeonthetemperatureand stir gently every 10 to 15minutes to ensure that the temperature remainsbetween149°F (65°C)and155°F (68°C)during the entiremashingprocess.After60minutes,doaniodinetesttocheckforcompletionofstarchconversion.If starches are not completely converted, continue mashing process until aniodinetestconfirmsthatallstarcheshavebeenconverted.

Allowmashtorestuntiltemperaturefallsto90°F(32°C).Alternatively,you

can rapidly cool themashwith awort chiller, such as a copper coilwith coldwater circulating through it. Remove a sample of the liquid and take ahydrometerreading.Thespecificgravity(adjustedfortemperature)shouldbeintherangeof1.065.

Transfermashtoyourfermenter.Pouringthemash,allowingittosplashintothefermenter,isagoodwaytohelpintroduceoxygenintothemash.Itishelpfultopourthemashbackandforthseveraltimesandtostirvigorouslytodriveinasmuch oxygen as possible. Alternatively, you can use an aquarium pump andaerationstoneinthewashfor30to60minutestofullyaeratethemash.

Add the yeast as per package directions and allow wash to rest untilfermentationhascompleted.Oncefermentationhascompleted,strainthemashusingastrainingbagorothermeansofseparatingthesolidsfromtheliquid.Thegoal is tocollect themaximumamountof liquidpossible.Place lidandairlockonthefermenterandleaveit torest for12to24hourstoallowanyremainingsolids to settle. Siphon the cleared liquid to your kettle and distill using potdistillation.

Afteryouhavecompletedthedistillation,taketwogallonsofliquidfromtheboilertouseasbacksetforyournextbatch,followingthesameprocedureabove.

No-CookSourMashRecipe

Ingredients:8pounds(4kg)flakedmaize(inthisrecipe,youmaysubstitutewithcracked

corn)6pounds(3.6kg)granulatedsugar1.5teaspoons(7.5ml)gypsum2USgallons(7.5L)ofbacksetfrompreviousbatch4USgallons(15L)offresh,

filteredordechlorinatedwaterEquipmentrequired:8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglid1packageofwhiskey

yeastwithgluco-amylaseenzyme,sufficientfor6.6USgallons(25L)AirlockLong-handledplasticspoonHydrometerTestcylinder

Bringthebacksettoaboilanddissolvesugar.Ifthisisyourfirstbatchandyoudonothaveanybackset,thenreplacethebacksetwith2gallonsofwater.Stiringypsum.Pourmixtureintofermenterandstirinflakedmaize.Topupfermenter

withwarmorcoolwatertoobtainatotalvolumeof6.6USGallons(25L)at90°F(32°C).Drawoffasampleoftheliquidandtakeahydrometertest.

Add the yeast as per package directions and allow wash to rest untilfermentation has completed (approximately three to five days). Oncefermentation has completed, strain the mash using a straining bag or othermeans of separating the solids from the liquid. The goal is to collect themaximumamountofliquidpossible.Placelidandairlockonthefermenterandleaveittorestfor12to24hourstoallowanyremainingsolidstosettle.Siphontheclearedliquidtoyourkettleanddistillusingpotdistillation.

Afteryouhavecompletedthedistillation,taketwogallonsofliquidfromtheboilertouseasbacksetforyournextbatch,repeatingtheprocedureabove.

RumRumisadistilledspiritmadefromsugarcaneorsugarcaneby-products,most

notablymolasses.Duetotheavailabilityandsubsequentlowcostofsugarcaneandsugarcaneby-products,suchassugarcanesyrupandmolasses,rumisthemostcommonlyproducedspiritinCaribbeancountries,andwhenonethinksofrum, theyoften associate itwith itsCaribbean roots.While there are certainlymanystylesofspiritsthatmakeupgeneralcategoriessuchaswhiskeyorbrandy,the range of flavor and character among the different styles of rum is muchwider.Theprimarystylesofrumareasfollows:White/lightrum:Thesearethe“raw”rum,ifyouwill.Whilesomecountriesrequiretheserumstobeaged,theyare often filtered to removemost of the flavor and color gained by aging. Inmany countries, white rum is fermented, distilled, sometimes filtered, andimmediately bottled and sold. As you can imagine, these rums have the leastamount of character, although theywill contain some character, therefore notqualifyingthemasvodka.Lightrumismostoftendistilledinacolumnorrefluxdistiller.

Gold rum: Sometimes called “amber rum,” these rums are, as the nameimplies,darkerincolorthanlightrums.Thecolorandmuchofthecharacterina gold rum is achieved by aging the distilled rum in charred oak barrels. Inaddition to adding color, the barrel aging contributes flavor and aroma to therum,aswellasasmoothingormellowingoftherum.Goldrumisoftendistilledinacolumnorrefluxdistiller,butmayalsobedistilledinapotdistiller.

Dark rum:Generally aged fora longerperiod thangold rum,dark rumwill

pick upmore color and character from the barrel-aging process. In addition,manydarkrumswillhaveasmallamountofcaramelizedsugardissolvedintherum,furtheraddingtothedeepcolorandsugarcanecharacter.Darkrumcarriesamuchstrongercharacterandisoftendistilledinapotdistiller.

Spiced rum:As its name implies, spiced rum is a rumwith the addition ofdifferent spicesadded,mostcommonlycinnamon,orangezest, cloves,allspice,andpepper.Spicedrumsaremostoftenbasedongoldrum.

The recipe formaking rum is very basic—sugar cane juice/molasses, water,andtheappropriateyeast.However,thereareacoupleofvariations.

MolassesRumThisproducesthemostflavorfulrum,althoughitisalsoslightlyhigherincost

thanthebrownsugarmethod.Still, ifyouaregoingtogothroughtheworktomakerum, isn’t itworththeslightlyhighercost toproduceasuperior finishedproduct?

LightRum

Ingredients:1gallonsugarcanejuiceorlightmolasses5gallonswater1packagerumturboyeast1packageclearingagentAnti-foamagent

Equipmentrequired:8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglidAirlockLong-handledplasticspoonHydrometerTestcylinder

Heat two gallons ofwater to 170° F (77°C) and add to fermenter.Dissolvemolasses.Addthreegallonsofwatertoobtainatemperatureof90°F(32°C)orother temperature as specified on the yeast package. Stir vigorously or use anaerationstonetooxygenatethewash.Takehydrometerreading.Pitchyeastandstiruntilallnutrientsarefullydissolvedandnoclumpsofyeastremain.Allowto

ferment within the temperature range noted on the yeast package untilfermentationhascompleted,usuallythreetofivedays.Addclearingagentasperpackagedirectionsandallowwashtoclear.Siphonclearedliquidtoboiler,addanti-foamagent,anddistillinarefluxdistiller.Youcanoptionallycarbonfiltertherum,butthiswillleavethefinishedproductmorelikevodkathanrum.

BrownSugarRumBrownsugarissimplywhitesugarwithsomemolassesremaining,orinmany

cases, it iswhite sugarwith somemolasses addedback to it.Therefore,brownsugar is capableofmakinga light-bodied rum. Itwillnotmakea full-flavoredrum, as you are diluting your character by using what is essentially dilutedmolasses. However, it will produce a perfectly acceptable light rum for manypeopleandisalowercostwashtoproduce.

The procedure is identical to the recipe above, with the exception of themolasses.Forbrownsugarrum,youwillsubstitute15poundsofbrownsugarforthegallonofmolasses.Onceyouhavedissolvedthebrownsugar,youwillfollowtherecipeexactlythesameway.

GoldRumorDarkRumThe recipe for gold rum or dark rum is the same.How you distill and age

determinesthefinaltypeofrumthatyouwillendupwith.

Ingredients:1gallonsugarmediummolasses5gallonswater1packagerumturboyeast1packageclearingagentAnti-foamagent

Equipmentrequired:8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglidAirlockLong-handledplasticspoonHydrometerTestcylinder

Heat two gallons ofwater to 170° F (77°C) and add to fermenter.Dissolve

molasses.Addthreegallonsofwatertoobtainatemperatureof90°F(32°C)orother temperature as specified on the yeast package. Stir vigorously or use anaerationstonetooxygenatethewash.Takehydrometerreading.Pitchyeastandstiruntilallnutrientsarefullydissolvedandnoclumpsofyeastremain.Allowtoferment within the temperature range noted on the yeast package untilfermentationhascompleted,usuallythreetofivedays.Addclearingagentasperpackagedirectionsandallowwashtoclear.

Forgoldrum:Siphonclearedliquidtoboiler,addanti-foamagent,anddistillinarefluxdistiller.Agetheruminacharredoakbarrelorwithoakalternatives(charredoaksticks,etc.)at60to62%abv.Agingtimewilldependonthemethodofaging,so takesmall samplesonaregularbasisuntilyouachieve the levelofcharacterthatyouprefer.

Fordarkrum:Siphonclearedliquidtoboiler,addanti-foamagent,anddistillin apotdistiller.Age the rum in a charredoakbarrel orwithoak alternatives(charredoaksticks,etc.)at60to62%abv.Agingtimewilldependonthemethodofaging,so takesmall samplesonaregularbasisuntilyouachieve the levelofcharacter that you prefer. Once aging is complete, add a small amount ofcaramelized sugar to the rum to add additional color and the slight sweetnessandburntsugarcharacterreminiscentofCaribbean-styledarkrums.

SpicedRumSpicedrumismadeusinganalreadycompletedrum,addingyourspices,and

allowing the rum to extract the flavors from them.The recipe below is for anindividualbottleofspicedrum,whichisagoodvolumetostartwithuntilyouhavefoundarecipethatsuitsyourowntastes.Ofcourse,itcanbeafunjourneyfindingjusttherightblendofspices!

Ingredients:125-ounce(750ml)bottleofgoldrum1vanillabean(splitlengthwise)¾ cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces or ground ⅛ teaspoon fresh

nutmeg(ground)3cloves3allspiceberries3peppercorns(cracked)1staranisesegment

2tablespoonsorangezest(orangepeelwithnopith)Combineallingredientsin a 1-quart jar and seal. Shakemixture daily. Taste daily after two daysuntildesiredflavorhasbeenreached.Strainrumthroughacoffeefilter toremoveallspicesandsediment.

BrandyBrandyissimplyafermentedanddistilledfruitjuice.Inotherwords,brandy

isjustdistilledwine.Whenthetermbrandyisnotfurtherqualified(e.g.,peachbrandy), then it is generally considered a grape brandy. Brandy is usuallydistilled using a pot distillationmethod and then aged in charred oak barrels,whereitwillgaincolorandcharacterfromtheoak.

The simplest option for making a brandy is to purchase an inexpensivewinemakingkitandfermentasperthekit’sdirections(excludingaddinganyoakandstabilizerpackages).Thiseliminatestheneedtocrushandde-stemgrapesorto findgrape juice thatdoesnot containany stabilizingagents, as thesewouldinhibitfermentation,justastheyaremeanttodo.

(Grape)Brandy

Ingredients:6.5 gallons (25L) white grape juice (without stabilizers or preservatives) or

frozengrapejuice,mixedaspercontainerdirectionstomake6.5gallons1packagepecticenzyme

1packageschnappsyeast1packageclearingagentAnti-foamagent

Equipmentrequired:8-gallonorlargerprimaryfermenterwithtight-fittinglidAirlockLong-handledplasticspoonHydrometerTestcylinder

Pourgrape juice into fermenter and stir inpectic enzyme.Takehydrometerreading. Add schnapps yeast and stir until all nutrients are dissolved and noclumps of yeast remain. Allow to ferment in the recommended temperaturerangeuntilfermentationhascompleted(usuallyfivetosevendays).Addclearingagentandallowwash toclear.Siphonwash toboilerandaddanti-foamagent.Distillusingapotdistiller.Dilutedistillateto60to62%abvandageincharredoak barrel or with comparable alternative, such as charred oak staves, untildesiredcharacterhasbeenreached.

FruitBrandyTomakeafruitbrandy,youwill followthesamerecipeasforgrapebrandy,

but you will replace the grape juice with another fruit juice. Peach, pear, andappleareamongthemostcommonfruitbrandies.

SchnappsSchnappsisacompletelydifferentproductdependingonwhereyouarefrom.

In Germany andmuch of Europe, schnapps is a strong, flavored, vodka-typebeverage. It ismade the sameway that brandy ismade, but the cleardistillate

that is collected is simply diluted to “consumption strength,” which is usuallyaround40%abv(80proof).

TheAmericanversionofschnappsismorelikealiqueur,whichisoftenmuchheavier infruitcharacter,dilutedtoa loweralcohol level,andsweetened.Theyaregenerallymadebytakinganeutralspiritsuchasvodkaandaddingfruitorfruit flavoring.Obviously, the simplest option here is to purchase commercialliqueuressences,butincaseyouwanttotryyourhandatmakinganAmerican-styleschnappsfromscratch,Ihaveincludedarecipebelow.

PeachSchnapps

Ingredients:5ounces(450ml)40%abvvodka1cupdistilledwater1cupsugar2largepeaches

Slice peaches and place in a 2-quart canning jar. Bring water to a boil anddissolve sugar. Allow mixture to cool, then add vodka. Pour mixture overpeachesandsealjar.Allowmixturetorestfortwotothreeweeksoruntildesiredflavorhasbeenachieved.Filterliqueurthroughacoffeefilter.

As an addedbonus, you comeoutof thiswith someawesome spikedpeachslices!Don’twastethem.Believeme,theywillbeahitatanyparty!

LiqueursOkay,sotheprecedingrecipeforPeachSchnappsistechnicallyaliqueur,but

therearemanyotherliqueursthatyoucanalsomakeathome.Mostliqueursaremadeusingyouralreadydistilledspirits,usuallyvodka,andflavored.Ihaveonlyincludedafewhere,asacompletebookcouldbedevotedjusttohomeliqueurrecipes.

CoffeeLiqueurWhat coffee lover does not love coffee-flavored liqueur? This is one of the

mostcommonliqueursmadeathome,andtherearecountlessvariations.

Ingredients:3cupswater3cupsvodka2cupsturbinadoorrawsugar½cupfreshlygrounddarkroastcoffee1vanillabean,sliced

Heatwatertoaboil,removefromheat,andaddcoffee.Coverandallowtositfor30minutes.Returnpot toheatandaddsugar,stirringuntil fullydissolved.Add vanilla bean, cover, and allowmixture to cool.Add vodka and pour intoquart jars. Seal and allow to rest for 2 weeks. Filter through coffee filter intoliquorbottles.

IrishCream2cupsIrishormaltwhiskey1½cupsheavycream1cansweetenedcondensedmilk1teaspooninstantcoffee2tablespoonschocolatesyrup1teaspoonvanillaextract

Combine whiskey, sweetened condensed milk, coffee, chocolate syrup, andvanillaextract inablender.Blendonhighest speed for30seconds.Addcreamandshaketomix.Pourintosealableglassbottlesandrefrigerate.

AppleJack(ApplePie)This has become an extremely popular liqueur among home distillers, with

variationsfoundonalmosteveryhomedistillingforumontheInternet.Belowisonebasicrecipe,butfeelfreetoadjustquantitiesoftheingredientstotailorittoyourowntastes.

1.25quartsapplecider

1.25quartsapplejuice

½cupsugar

5cinnamonsticks

1.5quartsvodka

Heatciderandapple juice inastockpot.Addsugarandstiruntildissolved.Add cinnamon sticks, remove from heat, cover, and allow mixture to sit forapproximatelyanhour.Addvodkaandfilterthroughcoffeefilterintobottlesorcanningjars.Sealandallowtoagefortwotofourweeks.

8.DrinkRecipesNOWTHATYOUhaveallofthisliquorandliqueuronhand,youneedsomethingtomakewithit.In

additiontosomeofthebasic,run-of-the-millstuff,wehaveafewuniquedrinksto

tryout.

FuzzyNavelThis old classic seems to have been disappearing. It is a simple drink, but

deservesaplaceherebecausemanypeoplehavelikelyneverheardofitorhaveforgottenaboutitovertime.

3ouncespeachschnapps

3ouncesorangejuice

Pour peach schnapps into a highball glass with crushed ice. Top up withorangejuice.

For an added twist, you can turn thisdrink into aHairyNavel by adding1ounceofvodka.

CandyAppleForthosewholikeafruitydrinkthatvirtuallymasksthealcoholentirely,this

isforyou.

1ouncevodka

3ounceslemon-limesoda

1½ouncesbarlimemix½ouncegrenadineCombineallingredientsinatallglasswithcrushedice.Stirandenjoy!

Creamsicle

1ouncevanillavodka

½ouncetriplesec3ouncesorangejuice

1ouncehalf-and-half

Combineingredientsinacocktailshakerwithcrushedice.Shaketomix,thenpourovericeintoatallglass.

Mudslide1ouncevodka1ouncecoffeeliqueur

1ounceIrishcreamliqueur

Combineingredientsinacocktailshakerwithcrushedice.Shaketomix,thenpouroverice.

SexontheBeach1½ouncesvodka

1ouncepeachschnapps

1½ouncecranberryjuice1½ouncesorangejuice

1ouncepineapplejuice

Mixallingredientsinacocktailshakerwithicecubes.Pourovericeintoatallglassandgarnishwithanorangesliceandmaraschinocherry.

LongIslandIcedTea½ouncetriplesec1ouncelightrum1ouncevodka1ouncegin

1ouncetequila

½teaspoonlemonjuice

2ouncecola

Combineallingredientsexceptthecolainacocktailshakerwithice.Shaketoblend,thenpourintoatallglassandtopwithcola.

CherryBomb

Notadrink,butagreatadditiontoanyparty.Soakfreshcherries,peachslices,etc.,invodkaforatleast24hours.Pouroffvodkaandserve!

Jell-O Shots 1 3-ounce package of Jell-Omix,flavorofyourchoice1cupwater1cupvodka

Pour gelatinmix into a bowl. Bringwater to a boil and add to gelatinmix,stirringuntilfullydissolved.Stirinvodka.Pourintoabakingpanandrefrigerateuntilthegelatinhasfullyset.Cutintocubesandserve.

NuclearJell-OShotsMixgelatin asnotedabove,butpour into ice cube trays.To each cube, add

oneCherryBomb.Refrigerateuntilfullysetandserve.

WhiteRussian2ouncesvodka1ouncecoffeeliqueur

1ouncehalf-and-half

Blendall ingredientsinacocktailshakerwithicecubes.Pourovericeintoashortglass.

Franklin Thank you, Franklin, forintroducing this simpleyetdeliciousdrinktomywifeona trip toCostaRica. Itmayhavebeenjustyouconjuringsomethingup,butitbecameoneofherfavorites.

2ouncescoconutrum4ouncesfreshpineapple1tablespoonsugar

2ouncescrushedice

Combineallingredientsinablenderandblendonhighestspeeduntilsmooth.It may be necessary to add more coconut rum to get this to blend properly(darn!).

MojitoMadewell,thisisthemostrefreshinganddangerousdrinkthatIhavefound.

Itisdangerousbecauseitissorefreshing,andbecausealargepartofthevolumeisalcohol—sotheycandisappearquicklyandputyouontheflooralmostasfast.

1½ounceslightrum

1lime

8-10freshmintleaves

1teaspoonsugar

½-1ounceclubsoda½-1 ounce ginger aleCut the peel from the lime and cut into quarters. Put

limeandmint leaves into a sturdy glass and crushusing amuddler.Addsugar and muddle again. Fill the glass approximately three-quarters fullwithcrushedice.Addrum.Topwithequalamountsofclubsodaandgingerale.Stirtomix.

TequilaSunrise2ouncestequila

4ouncesorangejuice

½ouncegrenadine

Addthetequilaandorangejuicetoatallglasswithiceandstir.Tilttheglassandpourashotofgrenadinedownthesideoftheglasssothatitgoesallthewaytothebottom.

BrownCow1½ouncecoffeeliqueur

4ouncesmilk

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour over ice into old-fashionedcocktailglass.

PART3

Resources

FrequentlyAskedQuestions

Ishobbydistillinglegal?

Inmostcountries,no.Insomecountriesyoucanobtainlicensingtodistillfuelalcohol.Somestatesorprovincesinyourcountrymayallowit,whilethefederalgovernment does not. In short, do your homework and check with yourmunicipal,state/provincialgovernment,andfederalgovernment.

Isdistillingdifficult?

Distilling is not difficult, but it does require multiple steps, some specialequipment, and patience. If you have ever made beer or wine, then you arealreadyhalfwaythere.

Howmuchdoesitcosttomakemyown?

That depends onmany factors, such as the ingredients you select and howmuch work you are willing to do to get the necessary sugars used to makealcohol. Generally, the more refined the sugar source (e.g., granulated whitesugar fromthesupermarketvs. feedcorn), thehigher thecost.Mosthobbyistsconsiderqualityfirstforbeveragealcoholandcostfirstforfuelalcohol.

HowmuchdistillatewillIget?

This is a question that gets asked more times than I can count. Whatpercentageofalcoholwasinyourwashafterfermentation?Howmuchwashareyoudistilling?Areyoudistillinginpotmodeandgettingaround60%abvwheneverythingiscombined,orareyoudistillinginrefluxandgetting90to95%abv?Despitewhatpeoplewanttohearwhentheyaskthisquestion,therearefartoomanyvariablestojustspoutanumber.

Howlongdoesittaketodistill?

Therearefartoomanythingsthatneedtobeconsideredtogiveevenaremotetimeestimate.Theheatsource,amountofalcoholinthewash,volumeofwash,anddistillationmethodallplayarole.

Problems/Solutions

Problem PossibleCause Solution

Stuckfermentation

Lackofnutrientsforyeast Adddistiller’snutrients

Washistoocold Increasetemperature

Washgottoohot Yeasthasbeenkilled.Ifspecificgravityishigh(verylittlefermentationhastakenplace),tryaddingmoreyeast.

Toomuchsugarforstrainofyeast

Reducesugarconcentrationbyaddingwater.

Fluctuatingtemperatureduringreflux

Heatsourceiscycling Useanoncyclingheatsource

Distillingisbeingaffectedbybreezeorwind

Protectdistillerfromwind

Coolingwatertemperatureorflowrateischanging

Keeptemperatureofcoolingwaterandrateofflowconsistent

Risingtemperatureathead(reflux)

Allalcoholhasbeencollected Stopcollectingandshutdowndistiller

Toomuchheat Reduceheatinput

Inadequatecooling Reduceheat,decreasetemperatureofcoolingwater,orincreaseflowofcoolingwater

Lidlifting Overfilledboiler Turndistilleroffandallowto

(countertopdistiller)

cool.Removesomeliquidtoreducefilllevel

Foaming Turndistilleroffandallowtocool.Removesomeliquidtoreducefilllevel.Addanti-foamagenttoreducefoaming

CalculationsCalculate%abvinthewashafterfermentationhascompleted:(Original

S.G.-FinalS.G.)x131.25=%abve.g.,OriginalS.Gof1.100,FinalS.G.of0.990

(1.100-0.990)x131.25=14.44%abv

Calculatevolumeofalcoholinwash:Volumeofwashx%abv÷100e.g.,5gallonsofwashat14%abv5gallonsx14%÷100=0.70gallons

Howmuchwatertouseforcuttingtospecific%abv:(Volumeofdistillatex%abvof distillate ÷ desired%abv)—Volume of distillate e.g., 1 gallon of distillate@90%abv,andyouwishtodiluteitto40%abv(1gallonx90%÷40%)-1gallon=1.25 gallonsHowmuch spirit to use to get X amount of product at a certain%abv:Desiredvolumeof spiritxdesired%abv÷original spirit%abve.g.,Youdesire 2 gallons @ 40%abv and are starting with spirit at 90%abv 2 gallons x40%abv÷90%abv=0.89gallons

CommonSetupMethods

Record-KeepingLog

Glossary

Activated Carbon: (or activated charcoal) is used to filter spirits afterdistillationtoremoveflavorandaroma.It isproducedfrommanydifferentmaterialsthroughacombinationofcarbonizationandchemicalactivation.

Aging: theprocessofstoringdistilledspirits inwoodbarrels—mostcommonlymade of oak—to enhance and alter the flavor. The aging process can lastfromafewweekstomanyyearsdependingonthedesiredeffect.

Airlock:(orvaporlock)aninexpensivetypeofone-wayvalvethatuseswatertoact as the control. During fermentation, it allows gases formed to escapewhileblockingoutsideairthatcontainsoxygenandspoilageorganisms.

Alcoholmeter: an instrumentused to read thealcoholpercentageofadistilledspirit.

Alembic Distiller: one of, if not the oldest true distiller designs almostexclusively made from copper sheet, making them as unique as they arebeautiful.

AlphaAmylase:anenzymethatbreakslong-chainedsugarsdownbychoppingthemintosmallerbits.Itisaggressive,rapidlybreakingbondsofstarchinthemiddleandproducingrandomsugars(dextrins).Itcontinuestobreakthesechains down until they become chains of one, two, or three glucosemolecules,whichcanbefermentedbytheyeast.

Anti-foam Agent: an ingredient used to reduce foaming, either duringfermentation or distillation.Anti-foam agentswork by altering the surfacetensionofthebubblesthatform,causingthemtobreakmorequicklythanifan anti-foam agent is not used. This reduces the buildup of foam on thesurfaceoftheliquidandreducestheissuesthatcancomefromfoambuildup.

Beta Amylase: an Enzyme that breaks small pieces from the ends of sugarchains. This process is known as saccharification. Beta amylase will

preferentiallyproducetwo-chainedsugarsknownasmaltose.

Carboy: a piece of equipment that is similar in shape to that of a five-gallonplastic water jug, although it is more commonly made of glass. While acarboy is not generally used in spirit production, it is used inwinemakingandbeerbrewingwheresecondaryfermentationisemployed.

ClearingAgent: (or fining) an agent used once fermentation is complete tospeed clearing of the wash, by rapidly settling suspended particles to thebottomofthefermenter.

Congeners: substances other than ethanol alcohol, such as methanol, fuselalcohol, and other alcohols, produced during fermentation, which cancontributepositivelyornegativelytotheflavorofthefinalspirit.

CoolingWater:coldwaterthatisrunthroughthestilltoforcerefluxactionortocondensethealcoholvaporthatisdrawnfromthestill.

Distilling:issimplyameansofpurifyingaliquidbyboilingtheliquidandthencondensingthevapor.Therefore,iftheproductthatyouwishtocollectisnotpresent in the liquid that you are distilling, it will not be present afterdistillation.

Equipment Cleaner: specially designed chemicals that remove some of theorganic and inorganic buildupon the equipment that you cannot see. It isusedinadditiontoregularsoapandwater.

EquipmentSanitizer: chemicalsused toremovespoilageorganisms fromyourfermentationanddistillationequipmentwhichcouldotherwisecontaminateyou wash, such as household bleach, alcohol, Star San, and CTSP, just tonamea few.However,donotconfusesanitizingwithsterilization,which isnotnecessary.

Ethanol:thespecifickindofalcoholbeingreferredtowhenthetermalcoholisused in regards to distilling.While there aremany other kinds of alcohol,ethanoliswhatwewanttoconsumeinanalcoholicbeverage.

ExternalValvedReflux:anextremelypopularstilldesignthatiswidelyusedbypeople building their own columns. As the name suggests, the forcing of

refluxtakesplaceoutsideofthemaincolumnbody.Thecolumnrisesfromtheboilerwitheithera90-degreeelbow,ormorecommonlyateefitting,atthetopofthecolumn.

Fermenter: (orPrimary) a food grade container used tomix ingredients andholdthewashduringthefermentationprocess.

Fermentation: the process where yeast consumes sugar and converts it intoalcohol.

Flavoring: the intentional addition of specific flavors, such as fruit or naturalextracts,nottheflavorsthatarecontributedbyaginginanoakbarrel.

ForcedRefluxStill:acolumnstill thathastheadditionofsomeformofvaporcoolingtohelpimproveefficiencyandeffectivenesstoensurethatmaximumdistillatepurityisachieved.

Foreshots:thefirstpartsofthewashtocomeoffduringthedistillationprocess.Theyconsistofmethanolandothervolatiles,suchasacetoneandaldehydes,whichshouldbeseparatedfromtherestofthedistillateanddiscarded.

GlucoAmylase: (orGammaAmylase orAmyloglucosidase) an Enzyme thatbreaks the long pieces of sugar chains from the end of the chains. Theadvantagetoglucoamylaseisthatitwillpreferentiallycreatesingle-chainedmoleculesofglucose,whicharehighlyfermentablebytheyeast.

Heads:Theyaremadeupprimarilyofethanol,butstillcontainsomecongeners.Theyareusually80%+abv. It isagood idea tocollect theheadsseparatelyfromthenextstage,asyoucancombinethembasedonyourowntastes.

Hydrometer:ahydrometerisusedtofindthespecificgravity,ordensity,ofyourwashcomparedtothatofpurewater.

Infusion: a method used to add flavor to your spirits during the distillationprocess by suspendingmaterial in the vaporpath and allowing the alcoholvaporsextractflavorandaromacompounds.

InternalValvedReflux:avariationoftheexternalvalvedrefluxstillwheretheforcingofrefluxisbroughtinsidethecolumn.Theresultisabetter,sleeker

appearance, but this does not substantially alter the performance or basicoperationofthecolumn.

Krausen: a layer of foam that forms on top of the wash during the aerobicrespiration phase.How large theKrausen iswill depend on your strain ofyeastandthecompositionofyourwash.

LagPhase: theperiod inwhichtheyeast ismultiplying in thewash.Generally,youwillseelittlevisibleactionduringthisphase,asidefromaslightheadofyeastbuildingonthetopofyourwash.Itcanrangefromlessthananhourtoasmuchasaday.

MakingCuts: the point atwhich you start and stop collecting the distillate inordertocollectspecificcomponents.

MaximumAlcoholTolerance:thepercentageofalcoholthatyeastcanbuilditstolerance to. As yeast convertsmore andmore sugar into alcohol and thepercentage of alcohol in the wash rises, so does the yeast’s tolerance toalcohol.

Middle Run: the bulk of the distillate that you will be keeping as drinkingalcohol. Itwillhave fewercongenersandbe lessharsh than theheads, andwillstartataround80%abv,droppingdowntoaround60-65%abv.

Parrot:atoolconnectedbetweenthecondenserandcollectioncontainersothatthedistillateflowsthroughitonitswaytoyourcontainer.Theparrotholdsyour alcoholmeter, allowing you to take real-time readings of the alcoholpercentageasthedistillateisbeingproduced.

Polishing:(orfiltering)aprocessinwhichyouremovecongenersremaininginthe spirits even after distillation. It is used almost exclusively in theproduction of neutral spirits (vodka) and is most commonly done byrunningthedistilledspiritsthroughactivatedcarbon.

PotDistilling:themoretraditionalmethodofdistillationthatisgenerallyusedformakingspiritssuchaswhiskey,brandyandotherflavoredspirits.

Racking: the process of transferring the wash from one container to another,suchasfromaprimaryfermenterintoacarboyorkettle,usingasiphon.

Reflux Distilling: the process of distilling using a tall distillation column tofacilitate greater separation of the components in the wash, which allowsmorecontroloverthecompositionofthefinalspirit.Refluxdistillinghastheabilitytoproduceahighlyrefined,verypuredistillate.

Sedimentation:thesettlingofyeastandsuspendedparticlestothebottomofthefermenter.

Siphon: A siphon is used to transfer, or “rack,” liquid from one container toanother. A homebrew-style siphon will have a rigid cane-shaped piece oftube (known as a racking cane) that can be placed in your fermenter,ensuring that you reach the bottom of the vessel. On the bottom of therackingcanethereshouldbeaplastictip,knownasananti-sedimenttip.Thepurposeoftheanti-sedimenttipistoreducetheamountofsedimentinthefermenterfrombeingcarriedoverduringracking.

SugarWash:asimplewashthatisacombinationofsugarandwater.However,since a sugar wash provides no nutrition for yeast, youmust either add acompletenutrientcomplexoruseturboyeast.

Tails:thelastpartofthewashtocomeoffduringthedistillationprocessthatareofanyvalue(over203°F(95°C)).Tailscontainthelastbitofethanolandareusuallyaddedtothekettlealongwiththenextwashinordertorecovertheethanol.

TestCylinder:atall,narrowcylinderthatisusedtoholdasampleofliquidfortestingwithyourhydrometeror alcoholmeter.They canbemadeof eitherglassorplastic,butifyouintendtousethecylinderfortestingyourdistilledspirits,thenyoumustuseeitherglassorchemical-tolerantplastic.

The“Hillbilly”Still: thebackwoodsversionofapotdistiller that ismeant forlargeproduction,notpremiumquality.Thistypeofdistilleroftenhasakettleranging in size from 50 gallons to several hundreds of gallons, and it isfrequently heated over an open wood fire. They will sometimes have athermometer built in, but more often than not no mind is paid to thetemperature in the backwoods. The hillbilly type of still works much thesame as an alembic still and is intended solely for pot distillation. To

condensethelargeramountofdistillatebeingproduced,thistypeofstillusesa long coil of copper, known as a worm, to condense vapor using thesurroundingairasaformofheatexchanger.

Thumper Still: (or “doubler” or “thump keg”) an added piece of equipmentbetweenthekettleandthecondenser.Itisusedasaneconomicalmethodofachievingsimilarresultstotheprocessofdoubledistilling.

Wash:aliquidmixturethatcontainsyeastandsugarforthepurposeofcreatingalcoholthroughfermentationthatcanthenbedistilled.

Yeast:properlydefinedasafungus,itisasingle-celledorganismthatconsumessugarinanaqueoussolutionandconvertsitintoalcohol.

Index

Aactivatedcarbon,119,127,128–133,139–140,196.seealsofilteringspiritsactivatedcharcoal,128agingspirits

agingandcutting,103–104alcoholproofrecommended,151barrelalternatives(oakalternatives),148–149barrels

agingtime,andpersonalpreferences,150–151“angel’sshare,”lossofalcoholinmicro-oxygenation,148–149curing(tighteningadrybarrel),147flavor,152overview,145sterilizing,147–148timeneeded,andcontrolofstoragetemperatures,150

defined,196overview,147–148selectingyourbarrel

charredortoasted,146quality,146–147size,146typeofwood,145–146

airlock,35,196alcohol.seealsoagingspirits;ethanol;flavoredspirits;SpiritRecipes

calculations,69–70,120–121,153,191creationof,5diluting

forbeverageuse,108,113,115–116,124–126highproof,andeffectivefiltration,134,138forstorage,124–125

drying,108infermentationprocess,29flammability,8,61,87,94–95,116,124,154glasscontainersandequipment,34,36,96–97methanol,13,91,92,95,112percentagesofalcoholbyvolume(%abv)

anddistillationprocess,96,100,101,103,104,113highest,107–108andhydrometerreadings,39

purity,8,65,66,69,85,108

sanitizers,45andtestcylinders,36vapor,102

AlcoholandTobaccoTaxandTradeBureau(TTB),163alcoholmeter,35–36,40,41–42,100,101,113,196aldehydes,95alembicdistiller,55,61–62,196alphaamylaseenzyme,51,196amylaseenzymes,51–52,196,198amyloglucosidase,52anaerobicfermentation,30anti-foamagents,47–48,98,196AppleJack(ApplePie),178–179azeotrope,108

Bbackset,53,123,124,167,168baker’syeast,21barrels.seeagingspiritsbeeryeast,20–22betaamylaseenzyme,50–52,195bleach,43boilingpointsofliquids,107–108,123bourbon,163brandy

fermentationprocess,27potdistillation,57–58recipes

(Grape)Brandy,176FruitBrandy,176–177

winebaseof,175–176yeastfor,21

BrewhausAmericaInc.,10,42,73–74BrownCow,185BrownSugarRum,173buildingadistiller,80–83,87buyingadistiller,84–85,88by-productsoffermentation.seecongeners

Ccalciumsulfate(gypsum),53calculations,69–70,120–121,153,191CandyApple,180carbon,128carbondioxide,29–30,32

carboy,34–35,197ceramicraschigrings,71–72,109charcoal,128chemicallyactivatedcarbon,130CherryBomb,182chitosan,47chlorinatedsanitizers,44chlorine,44,48chokingdistillercolumns,110cleaners,forequipment,43,197clearingagents(finings),46–47,97,164–165,197coconutrum,184coconutshell-basedactivatedcarbon,131CoffeeLiqueur,178columnpacking,68,70–72,109columnstill(fractionatingstill),67–72commercialdistillation,8,78,134–135,136,149,150commonsetupmethods,192–194congeners.seealsoethanol

defined,197offermentationprocess,23,24,29–30,91–92filtering.seefilteringspirits(polishing)fuselalcohols,91,92methanol,13,91,92,95,112removalof,byagingincharredbarrels,146removalofindistillationprocess(makingcuts),95–97,99–102intails,106

coolingtube/water,73–74,98,102,111–112,115,116,197copper,71,84copperdistillers,62,84,89coppermesh,incolumnpacking,71,72,109–110corn,163,167countertopdistiller,117–119Creamsicle,181CTSP(chlorinatedtrisodiumphosphate),44–45cuttingspirits(diluting),103–104

DDarkRum,172,173–174de-gassingthewash,32demineralized,fordilutingalcohol,125dilutingalcohol.seealcoholdistillation

anti-foamagents,47–48assemblyofdistillers,98boilingpointsofliquids,107–108,123calculatingavailableandcollectedalcohol,120–121

clearingthewash,46–47,97costconsiderations,188defined,3–4,5,56,197evolutionofdistilling,55–56firstdistillation.seepotdistillationheatingdistillers

consistentheatrequired,88–89indistillationprocess,98externalheat,89–90,98internalheat,90–91,97

hobbyistsandmicrodistilleries,56infusionofflavorduring,77–78,154,198legalissues,6–7,83makingcuts,andcollectingdistillates

foreshots(upto176ºF),112,119tails(over203ºF),usablealcoholforredistillation,119,200temperaturevariations,121–122

methods.seefractional/refluxdistillation;potdistillationoriginsof,55overview,67–72record-keepinglogs,154–155,195safetyissues,andpotentialdangers,86–88,98,102,104,113,115,124seconddistillation

inpotdistillation,104–105strippingrunsand,123–124unnecessarywiththumperstill,64–65

stepsin,97–104strippingrun,123–124troubleshootingguide,190ofwater,119

distilledwater,125distillers

buildingyourown,80–83,87buyingadistiller,factorstoconsider,83–85,88commonsetupmethods,192–194cooldown,andbacksetremoval,124copper,62,84,89countertopdistiller,117–119pressurerelief,88stainlesssteel,84,89thermometerplacement,122–123typesof

alembicdistiller,55,61–62,196columnstill(fractionatingstill),67–72externalvalvedreflux,75–76,197flute,78–79,80forcedrefluxstill,72–75fractional/refluxcolumns,58–59,67–72gincolumn,77–78,116–117hillbillystylekettledistiller,55,63–64,198

internalvalvedreflux,76,198stockpotstill,55,59–61thumperstill,55,64–65,105–106,200

versatilityforhobbyists,78–79,84–85distiller’snutrients,26distiller’sparrot,100,101,113,199DME(driedmaltextract)Whiskey,164–165doubler,64–65driedactivedistiller’syeast(DADY),25–26DrinkRecipes.seealsoSpiritRecipes

BrownCow,185CandyApple,180CherryBomb,182Creamsicle,181Franklin,184FuzzyNavel,180Jell-OShots,183LongIslandIcedTea,182Mojito,184–185Mudslide,181NuclearJell-OShots,183SexontheBeach,181TequilaSunrise,185WhiteRussian,183

dryingalcohol,108

Eelevation,effectontemperature,121equipment.seealsosupplies;specificrecipes

airlock,35,196alcoholmeter,35–36,40,41–42,100,101,113,196carboy,34–35,197cleaner,43,197distiller’sparrot,100,101,199evolutionof,55–56fermenters,food-grade,33–34,197–198funnels,136–137hydrometers,30,35,36,38–41,198mixingspoon,36siphon,andrackingcane,36–37,98,199–200forsugarwash,49testcylinder,36,38,113,200thermometers,37–38tubing(PVCandABS),135,136

ethanol,13,45,67,86–87,95–96,97,102,107–108,124–125,197ethylcarbamate,24excisetax,9–10

externalheat,89–90externalvalvedreflux,75–76,197

Ffermentationprocess.seealsoSpiritRecipes

anaerobicfermentation,14–15defined,198de-gassingthewash,32equipment.seeequipmentflavorofdistilledproduct,20flavorings,50“no-cook”alternatemashingmethod,53–54non-sugarfermentation(“cookermash”)

alphaamylaseenzyme(liquefaction),51,196betaamylaseenzyme(saccharification),51–52,196glucoamylaseenzyme(gammaamylase,amyloglucosidase),52,198gypsum,toachieveoptimalpH,53iodinetestingforstarches,53,169starchesassugarsource,50–51

originsof,12overview,5,27–28oxygenavoidance,14–15,29,30,38problems/solutions,190by-products,23,24,29–30,48,91sugarwash,48–50,160–161,198andtemperatureofyeast,16,17timeline,30understanding,28yeastlifecycle

aerobicrespiration(lagphase),15,28–29,198carbondioxideproduction,29–30,32fermentation,29–30,31sedimentation,31–32,46–47,199

fermenters,33–34,197–198filteringspirits(polishing)

activatedcarbon,119,127,128–132capacity,andusedcarbon,139–140choosingappropriatefood-grade,129,130cleaningthecarbon,132–133,138commonmaterialsforalcoholfiltration,130–131definition,andrelatedterms,128,196dilutingspiritspriortofiltering,134,138gravityfeedsystem,135mesh/granulesize,131–132porestructures,129–130,133–134powderedandpelletizedtypes,129,130regenerating,141–142

spiritflowingthroughporesof,trappingcongenermolecules,133–134,138,139wetting,133

buildingacarbonfilter,136–137collectingfilteredspirits,138–139filterpaper,137filtrationspeedrecommended,136,137purposeof,127–128,199secondaryrinsing,138sizeandshapeoffiltertubes,135–136,137transferringcarbontofiltertube,137–138usinghotwatertotorinsecarbon,138,139

finings(clearingagents),46–47,164–165,197firstdistillation.seepotdistillationFiveStarChemicals,45flakedwheat,161flameheating,87flavoredspirits.seealsoSpiritRecipes

addingsugar,152,153aging.seeagingspiritsblendingandaddingflavors,102–103incommercialoperations,143–144countertopdistiller,118extractsandessences,151–153filtering,128fruit,13,14,153–154ginstill/basket,77–78,116–117,154infusion,77–78,154,198potdistillationasprimarymethodused,57–58,91requiredamountofspirit,calculating,153andseconddistillation,104

flavorings,50,198flutecolumns,78–79,80forcedrefluxstill(vapormanagement),72–75foreshots,95,99,100,106,112,119fractional/refluxdistillation,106–116,107

columnscolumnpacking,68,70–72,109–110diameterof,69–70ginbasketsin,77–78,116–117,154heightof,67–68,69,111

cylindervolumecalculation,69–70defined,199differencebetweenrefluxandpotmethods,93–94materialofcolumn,70overview,58–59,106refluxratio,68–69Step1:fermentandclearwash,109Step2:transferwashtokettle,109Step3:assembledistiller,109–110Step4:heatingthestill,stableheatsource,111

Step5:runningcoolingwater;fullreflux,111–112Step6:removeforeshots,112Step7:collectdistillate,patiencerequired,112–113Step8:callingitquits;whentostopcollecting,114–115Step9:shutdowndistiller,115Step10:cuttingandstoring,115–116temperature,59,67–72,94,112–113

Franklin,184FrequentlyAskedQuestions,188–189fruit,13,14,153–154fruityeasts,21fuelalcohol,20,108,115,188fullreflux,112funnels,136–137fuselalcohols,91,92FuzzyNavel,180

Ggelatin,47gincolumnandbasket,77–78,116–117,154glasscontainersandequipment,34,36,96–97glossary,196–200glucoamylaseenzyme(gammaamylase),52,198GoldRum,171–172,173–174GrapeBrandy,176gravityofliquids,35,38–41,120gypsum(calciumsulfate),53

Hheads,inpotdistillation,96,99–100,198heatingdistillers,89–91,97,98,111hillbillystylekettledistiller,55,63–64,198hotplates,89–90hydrometers,30,35,36,38–41,198

Iinductionhotplates,90infusion,77–78,154,198internalheat,90–91,97internalvalvedreflux,76,198iodinetestingforstarches,53,169IrishCream,178–179

isopropylalcohol,45

JJell-OShots,183

Kkieselsol,47krausen(foam),29,34–35,47–48,198

Llagphase,15,28–29,198legalissues

alcoholdistillationillegal,7–9buyingorbuildingdistillers,83excisetax,9–10FAQ,188legalizationeffortsintheUS,10NewZealandlaws,7,8,9,10overview,6–7

LightRum,171,172–173,182liquefaction,51liqueurrecipes,177–179,180,181,183,185liquidmanagementstills(external/internalvalvedreflux),75–76,197,198LongIslandIcedTea,182lowwines,123

Mmacropores,inactivatedcarbon,130makingcuts.seepotdistillationmaltedwheat,161meshsize(ofactivatedcarbongrain),131mesopores,inactivatedcarbon,130metabisulfites,45methanol,13,91,92,95,112micropores,inactivatedcarbon,130microdistilleries,56middlerun/hearts(196ºF-203ºF),101–102,104,199middlerun/hearts,inpotdistillation,96Mojito,184–185molassesrum,172

Moonshine(No-CookMash),167–168Mudslide,180

Nneedlevalve,75,76neutralfermentingyeasts,20neutralspirits,108NewZealand,7,8,9,10No-CookMash(Moonshine),167–168No-CookSourMash,170–171NuclearJell-OShots,183

Ooakalternatives,148–149oakbarrels,145Oechslescale,35originalgravity(OG)reading,39–40oxygen

airexposureandyeaststorage,18infermentationprocess,14–15,29,30,38,162,169

Pparrot,100,101,113,199PeachSchnapps,177,180,181peat-basedactivatedcarbon,130,131plates,incolumnpacking,70–71polishingspirits.seefilteringspiritsporestructures,ofactivatedcarbon,129–130potdistillation

controlofvapor,91–92defined,199differencebetweenrefluxandpotmethods,93–94firstdistillation,97–104

overview,97recommendations,109andseconddistillation,104–105Step1:fermentandclearwash,97Step2:transferwashtokettle,97–98Step3:completeassemblyofdistiller,98Step4:heatingthestill,98Step5:runningcoolingwater,98Step6:removeforeshots,99

Step7:collectheads,markjars,testalcoholpercentages,99–100,101Step8:collecthearts,andtaste-test,101–102Step9:collecttails,102Step10:shutdownstill,safetyissues,102Step11:blending,102–103Step12:agingandcutting,103–104

garageoperation,93makingcuts,andcollectingdistillates

containers,96–97,99–100,101,102defined,199foreshots(upto176ºF),removingcongeners,95,99,100heads(176ºF-196ºF),95–96,99–100,198middlerun/hearts(196ºF-203ºF),96,101–102,104,199stoppingtemperature,96tails(over203ºF),usablealcoholforredistillation,96,102,106

overview,57–58forproductionofflavoredspirits,57–58,91removalofunwantedcongeners,91–92safetyissues,andpotentialdangers,86–88,98,102,104,113,115,124seconddistillation,105–106temperature,58,94–95vaportemperaturereadings,94–95

potentialalcoholscale,39–40,41premiumgrainvodkarecipe,161–163pressurerelief,88primaryfermenter,33,34,197–198Problems/Solutions,190proofingdown(cuttingspirits),103–104propanecookers,90,98

Rrackingcane,36–37recipes.seeDrinkRecipes;SpiritRecipesrecord-keepinglog,154–155,195refluxcolumn,55,58–59.seealsofractional/refluxdistillationrefluxratio,68–69,73,75regeneratingcarbon,141–142rum

fermentationprocess,27molassesrum,172naturalflavoring,144recipes,foralcoholdistillation

BrownSugarRum,173GoldorDarkRum,173–174LightRum,172–173SpicedRum,175

varietiesof,171–172

yeast,22

Ssaccharification,51–52safetyissues,andpotentialdangers,86–88,98,102,104,113,115,124sanitizers.seesuppliesschnapps,154,177Scotch-StyleWhiskey/MaltWhiskey,165–166ScottLaboratories,47sediment,31–32,46–47,98SexontheBeach,181simplesugarwashrecipe,160–161siphon,andrackingcane,36–37,98,199–200“sourmash,”54SourMashwhiskey

cookermethod,168–170no-cookmethod,170–171

Sparkolloid,47SpicedRum,172,175SpiritRecipes.seealsoDrinkRecipes

basicsugarwash,49brandy

(Grape)Brandy,176FruitBrandy,176–177

liqueursAppleJack(ApplePie),178–179CoffeeLiqueur,178IrishCream,178–179

PeachSchnapps,177,180rum

BrownSugarRum,173GoldorDarkRum,173–174LightRum,172–173SpicedRum,175

vodkapremiumgrain,161–163simplesugarwashrecipe,160

whiskeyDME(driedmaltextract)Whiskey,164–165Moonshine(No-CookMash),167–168No-CookSourMash,170–171Scotch-StyleWhiskey/MaltWhiskey,165–166SourMash,168–170

SpiritsUnlimited--ACompleteGuidetoHomeDistilling(Wheeler&Willmott),8stainlesssteeldistillers,84,89StarSan,45steamactivatedcarbon,130

sterilizing,43still,5stockpotstill,55,59–61stonecoal-basedactivatedcarbon,130–131strippingrun,123–124sugar

asaddedflavoring,152,153amylaseenzymesusedtobreakdownlongchains,51–52conversionintoalcohol,17infermentationprocess,23asflavorbaseofrum,170–172ingrains,14maximumconcentration,16starchsourcesof,51wash,48–50,160–161,198andyeast,13,14

sulfur,45,71sulfursticks,147–148superyeast.seeturboyeastsupplies.seealsoequipment

anti-foamagents,47–48,98,196clearingagents(finings)

clarityvs.colo,164–165defined,197purposeof,46–47,97Sparkolloid,47two-partclearingagent,47

sanitizersalcohol,45chlorinatedsanitizers,44,197CTSP(chlorinatedtrisodiumphosphate),44–45effectivenessof,46equipment,45householdbleach,44importanceofgoodsanitation,28,36,43–44StarSan,45

water,48

Ttails,inpotdistillation,96,102,106,119,200temperature.seealsospecificrecipes

andalcoholmeterreadings,42andamylaseenzymes,51,52,196,198barrelstorage,150basicsugarwashfermentation,49boilingpointsofethanolandwater,107–108,123andde-gassingthewash,32

elevationvariance,121infractional/refluxdistillation,59,67–72,94,112–113,114–115ofliquidwash,andhydrometers,39makingcuts,inpotdistillation.seepotdistillationproblems/solutions,190safetyissues,andpotentialdangersofdistillation,86–87thermometers,37–38,58,94,99,121–123inthumperstill,65,66,105–106vapor,94–95,99,122–123variationsindistillationprocess,121–122andyeastfermentation,16,17,37yeaststorage,18–19

TequilaSunrise,185testcylinder,36,38,113,200thermometers,37–38,58,94,99,121–123thumperstill,55,64–65,105–106,200troubleshootingguide,190turboyeast

cautionsinuseof,24–25completenutritionin,22–23costconsiderations,23,24infermentationprocess,13–14by-productsmorenoticeablewithuseof,23stresson,24forsugarwash,49ureaascomponentof,24

two-partclearingagent,47

Uurea,24

Vvaporlock,35vapormanagementstills(forcedrefluxstills),72–75vaportemperature,94–95,99,122–123vodka

differentiationinflavors,108–109,161filtering,127neutralflavorsof,advantages,159–160PremiumGrainVodkarecipe,161–163aspurestalcoholofdistillationprocess,56–57fromredistilledspirits,92SimpleSugarWashrecipe,160–161yeastfor,20

W

“wash,”5,200wheat,161whiskey

agingandflavor,144–145beerasbaseof,27,86bourbon,163fermentationprocess,27filteringthroughcharredwood,128potdistillation,57–58recipes,foralcoholdistillation

DME(driedmaltextract)Whiskey,164–165Moonshine(No-CookMash),167–168No-CookSourMash,170–171Scotch-StyleWhiskey/MaltWhiskey,165–166SourMash,168–170

varietiesof,163yeast,21–22

WhiteRussian,183white/lightrum,171,182wine,20winemakingequipment,34–35woodfires,88–89WorldHealthOrganization,8,9

Y

yeastbulk,avoiding,18defined,12–13,200flavorimpartedby,19–20andfruit,13,14lifecycle

aerobicrespiration(lagphase),15,28–29carbondioxideproduction,29–30,32fermentation,29–30,31sedimentation,31–32,46–47,199

underamicroscope,12nutritionalrequirements,13–15,22–23,25–26,49andoxygen,14–15by-productsinfermentationprocess,29–30.seealsocongenersrehydration,24storage,17–19stresson

alcoholtoleranceofyeast,16–17,20,22,199combinedstress,17

lackofnutrients,15–16temperatureranges,16,17andturboyeast,24

andsugar,13,14,16typesof

baker’syeast,22driedactivedistiller’syeast(DADY),25–26fruityeasts,21neutralfermentingyeasts,20overview,20rumyeast,22turboyeast,13–14,49whiskeyyeast,21–22

YeastEnergizer,14