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distillation methods

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:08:52 +0400

The distillation method is really crucial for the production of alcohol. Note that almost all spirits are distilled with showed methods [except of original / authentic apple jack, which is produced with freeze fractionation].
All distillations are based on the different boiling points of compounds in the liquid.
As those compounds are vaporing on different temperatures, it is possible in a potstill to divide unwanted compounds [like methanol] of wanted compounds [like ethanol], as the temperature in the pot rises sequential.
The distiller has just to separate the head [very volatile combustive compounds] and the tails [very heavy and husky compounds], from the heart of the distillation - the best part, in which the most ethanol can be found, and the right balance between flavor

distillation

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:08:47 +0400

The first distillation devices worked all like the pot still method (batch distillation).
The elementary procedure is quite easy to understand:
• The must / mash is poured into the pot.
• It is slowly heated - first vaporization is discarded (or used for other applications).
• Around 70℃ the ethanol is vaporing - so the vaporization is received. Around 74℃ is the boiling point of ethanol.
• Over 80℃ the heavy compounds are again discarded (or used for other applications).
The outcome is usually a product with a low alcohol strength of around 30%. However this liquid has to be distilled again. The method herewith is entirely analogue (yielding a spirit with a strength of around 70 -80%)!
 The process in the still, you can imagine like that.
• The various compounds in the must/mash/wash have specific boiling and respective vaporing temperatures.
• As the temperature rises slowly, the composite of the vapor is changing constantly. So it is possible to separate the different fractions with different boiling temperatures.
• So the vapor is rising in the still - heavier compounds are falling back with the height and elaborate structure of the still, when their temperature is not yet reached.
• The temperature related compounds are rising through the still.
• They are cooling down in the swans’ neck.
• Then the vapor (compounds) is condensing within the condenser (these are coils which are located in cold water to chill them down).
• The condensed product is then received/collected in a vessel for further processing.
Distillers and still constructers recognized with the time, that the higher and narrower a still is, the purer and cleaner the alcohol is. A similar effect they discovered with specific shapes of the still, like balls, bulbs.
The discovery went on with plates or floors within the still (where the the heavier parts were condensing again and drop back).
This whole idea is referring to the reflux principle - like already explained: light molecules are passing the reflux device, heavier are condensing and falling back into the pot.

fermentation

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 01:23:16 +0400

The fermentation is the most common step of all  alcoholic beverages.
It is the conversation of sugar into alcohol and carbon  dioxide. Please learn the second formula besides, as it is the most basic formula, and the only must-formula referring to alcohol!
Just have a more vivid look of the involved molecules:
Glucose (single sugar) - C6H12O6

It is quite visual how the sugar molecular is structured. Molecules of more complex sugars (like fructose, lactose or sucrose) share atoms with each other - so longer chains are emerging!

Ethanol (alcohol) - C2H5OH

It is easy to see, that the yeast organisms are cutting the sugar, remodeling it!

Further interesting lecture about organic chemistry (and producing alcohol is nothing different) you can find on the pages of chemistryland.com .

converting starch

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:21:12 +0400

Alcohol is produced by yeast (micro) organism, which are converting sugar into alcohol.
However contains the source no sugars but starches, they have first to be converted into sugar.
There are several possibilities to do so: e.g. you can use acids, extreme high pressure, enzymes and fungus to “cut” the long molecules of starch into short ones which are are called sugars then. Even some multiple sugar molecules have also to be converted into single sugar molecules to be “accessible” for the yeast.
In the distilling business two methods are customary: using fungus (often used in Asian countries especially Japan to produce shochu, sake, mirin etc.) and enzymes.
As the majority of international products are using the latter, we focus on this process. 
The important enzymes in this context are:
• α - Amylase These enzymes are liquifying the starch. As starch is not solvable in water, the α - Amylases make them “ready” to be converted into the solvable sugar.
• β - Amylase These enzymes are actually converting the liquified starch into sugar.
There are different amylases (as amylases are just the expression for the group of enzymes) which needs different conditions (temperature, pressure, pH-value) to proceed.
After the amylases did their work, the whole liquid doesn’t contain anymore starches but is a water-sugar-solution.
 Malt
Malt is a special case of using amylases. As barley has the highest concentration of amylases of any grains, it is most often used to make a malt.
Barley grains are soaked in water and spread over the floor in a perfect condition for “sprouting”. It is carefully turned to prevent molding.
If the germ actually sprouts (green malt) the amylases were activated, converting the starches into sugar and enabling the grain to sprout and grow.
In this state the malting floors are heated from beneath to roast the kernels. This stops the germination (and actually kills the germ) and prevents the grains to consume the converted sugar.
It is then milled/ground and soaked in warm water, which is washing out the sugar and amylases from the solid grain sediments.
This malt contains usually enough amylases to convert around ten times more starches of their weight!
Please discover the information and animation on link below:
http://www.indiana.edu/

agricultural sources

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:46:03 +0400

After the definition (shown in the bulb besides) of vodka, it can be distilled of any agricultural sugar or starch sources.
Generally (and especially in the past) products were taken, which were found in excess, or which imminent to spoil. As bread is one of the most common base nutrition of mankind, grain was also grown almost everywhere; further it was also valid to be used for the production of alcohol.
The Russian and Polish preferences were and are rye and (then) wheat, however also other grains like sorghum, rice, corn, barley are used.
However there were sometimes grain shortages, especially in East Europe, so a method to use potatoes was developed [after Christopher Columbus discovered “the West Indies” and brought those among other things. to Europe].
As vodka became en vogue and got one of the most sold spirit [during the end of the 20th century], producers expanded the variation of the vodka sources to other products like grapes, molasses, sugar beet, rice, sweet potato, soy beans, maple syrup, milk sugar, et cetera; in short, all thinkable sources of starches and sugars.
The only rule is, that only sources can be used, which come from a natural (means agricultural) source. That prohibits e.g. wood or oil, which could be chemical treated to provide sugar or alcohol.