All spirits go through at least two procedures, the fermentation process and the distillation process. Fermentation is where all alcohol is created; distillation is where the alcohol is separated and removed. In order for fermentation to occur, two things are needed: a raw material (in liquid form) that contains sugar, followed by the addition of yeast. Yeast is a living organism that feeds on sugar; the bi-product of this consumption is alcohol and carbon dioxide (Co2). A simple formula for fermentation
is:
YEAST + SUGAR =
ALCOHOL + Co2
Once all the sugar is consumed, the yeast dies off and in most cases the Co2 is freely dissipated into the air while the alcohol, of course, remains in the liquid. Until it has been distilled, a fermented product is not considered a spirit, even though it contains alcohol. Distillation is the removal of the alcohol from what has been fermented. To distill the fermented product, a STILL is needed.
Whether a pot still or a column still is used depends solely on what type of spirit is being produced. The general concept is as follows:
The evaporation point for alcohol is 173ƒ Fahrenheit, whereas water does not begin to evaporate until 212ƒ Fahrenheit. Therefore, if you raise the temperature in the still above 173ƒ, keeping it below 212ƒ, then only the alcohol will evaporate. These alcoholic fumes can now be removed, condensed (cooled) bringing them back into liquid form-capturing the spirit.
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