The Artisan’s Guide to Crafting Distilled Spirits

Description Review The standard reference work for all home distillers. –Die Zeit magazine A resource that everyone – beginner or advanced- interested in the craft distilling process needs. –Bill Owens, president/founder, American Distilling Institute Read more From the Inside Flap The Foundations and Traditions of Distilling AlcoholSchnapps, spirituous beverages, distillates Mashes HOW IS ALCOHOL FORMED?A side shuttle into chemistryThe fermentation process: Water & sugar; Flavors & aromas; Vitamins, trace elements; Solid, ligneous components WHICH FRUITS CAN BE USED TO MAKE THE MASH? PREPARING THE FRUIT FERMENTATION CONTAINER ADDING WATER CONVENTIONAL MASHESFruit pulp without additional ingredients: Simple mashesAdding cultured yeast: Mashes with cultured yeastChecking the pH value: Measuring the pH value, Correcting the pH valuePectinase ALCOHOL CONTENT OF CONVENTIONAL MASHES HIGH-GRADE FRUIT MASHESWhat are some great benefits of a high-grade mash?, Turbo yeast, Preparing a high-grade fruit mash CHECKING THE PROGRESS OF THE FERMENTATIONWhat will have to you check, and how incessantly?, Day by day check, Regular stirring, Weekly measurements, Fermentation logs, When is the fermentation complete?, The optimal time for distilling PROBLEMS DURING FERMENTATIONNo alcohol has formed in the mash yet, Alcohol has already formed in the mash FILTERING THE MASH STORING THE MASH MAKING A MASH FROM GRAINS, CORN, OR POTATOES (STARCHY PRODUCTS) Stills PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION SOME KEY POINTSMaterials; Kettle; Heating and jacketed kettles; Column, lyne arm, and measuring the temperature; Cooling DIFFERENT TYPES OF STILLSPot stills, Reflux stills, Combination stills, Large stills (pot still and reflux) USING THE STILLFilling; Receiver, container for the distillate; Emptying and cleaning Distilling INTRODUCTION HEADS HEARTS TAILS DISTILLING PROCESSRelative proportions of the three parts ANTIFOAM SINGLE OR DOUBLE DISTILLATION?Calculating the amount when mixing a low-percentage alcohol with a high-percentage alcohol DILUTING TO A DRINKABLE STRENGTHDetermining the alcohol content, Calculating the amount of water needed for dilution, Cloudiness TREATMENT WITH ACTIVATED CARBON, TASTE-NEUTRAL ALCOHOL STORAGE Mash Recipes EXCELLENT MASH, EXCELLENT SCHNAPPS RECIPESAgave (mescal, tequila), Apples (obstler, cider, calvados), Apricots, Bananas, Beer brandy (bierbrand), Blackberries, Bullaces (Kriechenbrand), Chequers, Cherries, Currants (red and black), Damsons, Elderberries, Elderflowers, Gentian, Grains (whiskey), Grapes (cognac, wine brandy), Grapes (grappa, pomace brandy), Jerusalem artichokes, Juniper berries (Borovička), Mangos, Maple syrup, Mead, Medlars, Nectarines, Nuts, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Plums (vieille prune), Potatoes (vodka), Prune plum (slivovitz, Zwetschenbrand), Quinces, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Rice (sake), Rose hips, Rowanberries (Vogelbeerbrand), Sloes, Strawberries, Sugarcane (rum), Sweet potatoes FRUIT WINEFiltering the mash, Pressing the solid components, Extracting the fruit wine, Storage Infusions MATERIALSRecipe for tasteless alcohol, Infusions – preparation RECIPESAbsinthe, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Chili peppers, Coffee, Currants (red and black), Elderflowers, Gentian, Hazelnuts, Herbs, Hops, Lemons, Limes, Morels, Mushrooms, Nuts, Oranges, Raspberries, Rose hips, Sloes, Snowy mespilus (or juneberry), Spruce shoots, Strawberries, Swiss pine (Zirbengeist), Wormwood (absinthe, “the green fairy”) Spirits THE PRINCIPLES OF SPIRIT PRODUCTION BASE MATERIALS RECIPESAbsinthe, Anise (ouzo, raki, Pernod, sambuca), Apples, Aquavit, Bananas, Barberries, Caraway (aquavit), Cherries, Christmas spirit, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cocoa (chocolate), Coffee, Elderflowers, Fennel, Gentian, Ginger, Grains, Hazelnuts, Herbs, Juniper berries (jenever, gin), Lemons, Lemongrass, Limes (daiquiri, mojito), Mint (peppermint), Nutmeg, Orange (Cointreau), Ramson, Raspberries, Rue (grappa di rutta), Spruce shoots, Swiss pine, Wormwood (Swiss absinthe) COMPARISON OF THE THREE DISTILLATION METHODS PRESENTED IN THIS BOOK Essential Oils Drinking Culture BOTTLING AND LABELINGGlass bottles; Cork stoppers, metal screw tops; Heatshrinkable caps; Labels CHECKING THE TASTE AND QUALITY OTHER COUNTRIES, OTHER CUSTOMS Legal SituationGermany, Austria, Switzerland, Spirit productions and distilling infusions, The United States Frequently Asked Questions Harvest Calendar Read more See all Editorial Reviews Small-Scale Production of Brandies, Schnapps & Liquors: The art of crafting alcohol is a very ancient one, and small, artisan distilleries are growing in popularity on a daily basis. Expert Austrian distillers Helge Schmickl and Bettina Malle guide readers through the process of creating or purchasing their own still and provide detailed instructions from personal experience on mash creation, fermentation, distillation, and infusion the use of various ingredients. Schmickl and Malle also introduce readers to the tradition of schnapps distillation and present a brief look at domestic and international brewing cultures.The authors cover in detail which distillation techniques excel, which merely succeed, and which will have to be have shyed away from at all costs in their discussion ofNecessary equipmentPossible ingredientsMash fermentationHow to begin distillationAlcohol regulationsWith ninety recipes – from classic fruit brandy to chili infusions – this book isn’t just for the curious beginner. Even experienced distillers will discover new approaches to this classic practice.