Description
Product Description
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 every day. 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 using a variety of 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 should be avoided at all costs in their discussion of Necessary equipment Possible ingredients Mash fermentation How to begin distillation Alcohol regulations
With ninety recipes - from classic fruit brandy to chili infusions - this book is not only for the curious beginner. Even experienced distillers will discover new approaches to this classic practice.
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
From the Inside Flap
The Foundations and Traditions of Distilling Alcohol
Schnapps, spirituous beverages, distillates Mashes HOW IS ALCOHOL FORMED?
A side trip into chemistry
The 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 MASHES
Fruit pulp without additional ingredients: Simple mashes
Adding cultured yeast: Mashes with cultured yeast
Checking the pH value: Measuring the pH value, Correcting the pH value
Pectinase ALCOHOL CONTENT OF CONVENTIONAL MASHES HIGH-GRADE FRUIT MASHES
What are the advantages of a high-grade mash?, Turbo yeast, Preparing a high-grade fruit mash CHECKING THE PROGRESS OF THE FERMENTATION
What should you check, and how often?, Daily check, Regular stirring, Weekly measurements, Fermentation logs, When is the fermentation complete?, The optimal time for distilling PROBLEMS DURING FERMENTATION
No 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 POINTS
Materials; Kettle; Heating and jacketed kettles; Column, lyne arm, and measuring the temperature; Cooling DIFFERENT TYPES OF STILLS
Pot stills, Reflux stills, Combination stills, Large stills (pot still and reflux) USING THE STILL
Filling; Receiver, container for the distillate; Emptying and cleaning Distilling INTRODUCTION HEADS HEARTS TAILS DISTILLING PROCESS
Relative 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 STRENGTH
Determining 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 RECIPES
Agave (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, Sugarc