978-0-9968277-1-3 by Ross Kirk

Author:Ross, Kirk
Language: ara
Format: epub
Publisher: White Mule Press
Published: 2015-10-05T16:00:00+00:00

~ Chapter Four ~

Distilling your Schnaps

Now we get to the fun part. This is the part where you take that bucket full of left-over fruit and water and, with the right application of really cool science and careful technique, artfully draw out the special combination of flavor, aroma and alcohol that creates your perfect Schnaps.

There are two parts to this chapter. First, I will describe the pieces of a still and how they are put together. That way you will know the equipment you will be working with. Then I will describe how to actually go about putting the mash into the still and drawing out the Schnaps.

Components of a Still

Every still in the world, from Aristotle’s desalinator to Jim Beam’s biggest whisky machine, works on the same basic principles mentioned in Chapter 2. Two fluids with different boiling points have been mixed together. The still heats the mixed liquid to a temperature somewhere between those two boiling points. The liquid with the lower boiling point turns into steam and is collected into a separate container. Oversimplified, but essentially correct.

However, it is equally true that there are about a million possible variations of that process. All those different variations, and there are way too many to list here, have competing advantages and disadvantages for various kinds of drinks and distilling styles. This is another key area where a distiller’s personal choices can make a big difference.

Schnaps falls right into that category. Different stills will make for different Schnaps. Not necessarily better or worse—just different. It depends on what the distiller is trying to accomplish. My goal here, however, is to give you the fundamental components of a still and the steps you will go through to distill your mash so that you can explore all of those variations on your own – once you have the basics down.

Every still has four primary components: (1) the pot, (2) the component on top of the pot (intentionally vague – see below), (3) the lyne arm, and (4) the condenser.

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