a world of distilling This issue of the modern
distiller is a truly international delight, we have contributions from all around the distilling world, a history from Britain, pro-tips from Sydney, ideas from the U.S.A and New Zealand. and readers from every continent...the modern distiller is very cosmopolitan.
this issue One of the joys of being the editor is that you can occasionally indulge ones passions...And Vodka for me is a passion. whether the pursuit of the perfect azeotrope or a balance of grain to purity. great vodka is every bit as challenging as any other distilling craft. Making a top shelf vodka is the gateway to so many other wonderful spirits, from Gin to infusions, without Vodka, much of the distilling crafts best products are impossible to make. Many of my favorite infusions and liqueurs are what they are because of the time and energy I put into getting my Vodka right. To some Vodka is only seen as a simple ethanol base...what a folly, just tasting some of the amazing European and craft Vodka’s available, show just how delicate, diverse and rewarding this noble spirit can be. Enjoy this journey into the world of Vodka The Doctor
Vodka ...A spirit of infinite nuance and sublime complexity, and the basis for a whole universe of spirits.
the Doctor
VODKA
the modern distiller
VODKA a colorful history By Edwin
Atkinson.
Vodka is a drink which originated in Eastern Europe, the name stemming from the Russian word 'voda' meaning water or, as the Poles would say 'woda'. The first documented production of vodka in Russia was at the end of the 9th century, but the first known distillery at, Khylnovsk, was about two hundred years later as reported in the Vyatka Chronicle of 1174. Poland lays claim to having distilled vodka even earlier in the 8th century, but as this was a distillation of wine it might be more appropriate to consider it a crude brandy. The first identifiable Polish vodkas appeared in the 11th century when they were called 'gorzalka', originally used as medicines.
Vodka Medicine & Gunpowder During the Middle Ages, distilled liquor was used mainly for medicinal purposes, as well as being an ingredient in the production of gunpowder. In the 14th century a British emissary to Moscow first described vodka as the Russian national drink and in the mid-16th century it was established as the national drink in Poland and Finland. We learn from the Novgorod Chronicles of 1533 that in Russia also, vodka was used frequently as a medicine (zhiznennia voda meaning 'water of life'). In these ancient times Russia produced several kinds of 'vodka' or 'hot wine' as it was then called. There was 'plain wine' (standard), 'good wine' (improved) and 'boyar wine' (high quality). In addition stronger types existed, distilled two ('double wine') or more times. Since early production methods were crude, vodka often contained impurities, so to mask these the distillers flavoured their spirits with fruit, herbs or spices. The mid - 15th century saw the first appearance of pot distillation in Russia. Prior to that, seasoning, ageing and freezing were all used to remove impurities, as was precipitation using isinglass ('karluk') from the air bladders of sturgeons. Distillation became the first step in producing vodka, with the product being improved by precipitation using isinglass, milk or egg white. Around this time (1450) vodka started to be produced in large quantities and the first recorded exports of Russian vodka were to Sweden in 1505. Polish 'woda' exports started a century later, from major production centers in Posnan and Krakow.
From acorns to melon In 1716, owning distilleries became the exclusive right of the nobility, who were granted further special rights in 1751. In the following 50 or so years there was a proliferation of types of aromatised vodka, but no attempt was made to standardize the basic product. Types produced included; absinthe, acorn, anisette, birch, calamus root, calendula, cherry, chicory, dill, ginger hazelnut, horseradish, juniper, lemon, mastic, mint, mountain ash, oak, pepper, peppermint, raspberry, sage, sorrel, wort and water melon! A typical production process was to distill alcohol twice, dilute it with milk and distill it again, adding water to bring it to the required strength and then flavouring it, prior to a fourth and final distillation. It was not a cheap product and it still had not attained really large-scale production. It did not seek to compete commercially with the major producers in Lithuania, Poland and Prussia. In the 18th century a professor in St. Petersburg discovered a method of purifying alcohol using charcoal filtration. Felt and river sand had already been used for some time in Russia for filtration.
This article was provided By Edwin Atkinson at GMSP a beverage and spirits specialist management advisory firm based in London...he was Director General of the Gin and Vodka association for twelve years. He is a world authority on the subject of Vodka and Gin. His personal history is one of exemplary service both to humanity and the spirits industry As a Royal Navy Captain, Edwin held senior positions in the UK Ministry of Defence. He directed the first economic, industrial, technological and environmental study to establish long term risks and requirements for the 1998 UK Defence Review Prior to that, he served in NATO Headquarters in Brussels, during which he was attached to the United Nations in New York as NATO Liaison Officer to Kofi Annan during Yugoslav crisis. Earlier posts included working for the UK Chief of Naval Staff/First Sea Lord and attachment to the British Embassy, Washington DC further information is obtainable from Edwin Atkinson at GMSP via the link at www.gmsp.co.uk
Vodka
áÉ Åâv{ ÅÉÜx à{tÇ à{x ÑxÜyxvà uÜxt~ytáàA My favorite movie of all time is the Big Lebowski... the main character Jeffery Lebowski “the Dude” is almost always pictured sipping a white russian. Well I just had to try one...and so began a love affair with vodka based cocktails... Here are my two favorites.... the Doctor
White Russian 1 nip vodka 1 nip Kahlua top up with milk ( I prefer 2% fat milk)
Cosmopolitan 1 2 3 4 5 6
2 1 1 2 1
nips (60ml) vodka nip (30ml) Cointreau teaspoon fresh lime juice nips (60ml) cranberry juice slice lime zest to garnish
Add all the above to an Ice filled cocktail shaker...and shake away...serve in a martini glass
Copper Creations The Still by
EÅÑàçzÄtáá Since before the bronze age...mankind has appreciated the properties of copper as a material for crafted products...but never more so than in the craft of still making where it dominates to this day...Coppers ability to provide a malleable material which can handle high heat, is a great conductor and is essential in the removal of sulphides make it a superb choice for still makers...and damn it it looks good to boot.
EMPTYGLASS’S COPPER STILLS I like copper. It makes a distilled product taste better. In my pursuit of trying to make the best stuff I can, a copper still ticks the boxes. Copper just does a good job. This holds true for any style of still, be that a reflux column, a pot still or a plated column still. My pursuit of trying to make good stuff led me down the road to Plated column stills. I have played with a lot of stills, owned most styles, including a store bought column, slant plate column and pot still’s, but by far the best still I have owned is a plated column still. The stills I make as standard are 4” diameter with 5 perforated plates. They produce 94% abv/188 proof at 2.5 litres an hour. They have 2 inch sightglass windows with triclamps (sgk optional). You only need a boiler and cooling water. So, lets talk plated columns for a bit. I have heard of these referred to in many ways. Plated column, Flutes, Bubblers, Bubble cap still, perf plate still, sieve stills, fractioning columns, but a rose by any other name is still a rose. I call them plated columns, as it takes into account that most of the other names refer to a specific feature or look of a plated column still. They are, as far as distilling terms go, a plated refluxing column. Sightglasses; Lets do the best bit first. They look nice. They can be large or small. They can be fancy or plain. Any experienced operator will agree they are not necessary, but the same people would also say they are invaluable for learning how to run one of these stills. But they look sexy. They must be made of heat treated, toughened or borosilicate glass. Window glass is not suitable.
Did you know that when we see fireworks many of the colors we see are caused by the immediate oxidation of fine metal powders. Copper is responsible for the aqua and blue colors in fireworks.
Reflux Condenser; This is a funny one, sometimes called the “dephlegmator”, deflagmator, deflag, shotgun, shotty, Defluck-a- mator, and any number of other made up words. Its main job is to condense all the vapor rising from the boiler, and turn it into fluid, or “reflux”. It also needs to be able to be controlled so that some of the vapor is allowed past the column to be collected. This is the start of the cycle, after the vapour has started to leave the boiler.
A copper Dephlegmator in the process of assembly
Plates; The 2 main styles of plated column stills are “Bubble cap” or “Perforated plate” stills. This refers to the style of construction of the plate’s themselves th Bubble caps generally have a single, or a number of “bubble caps, or “caps” installed on each plate. These are devices that allow the vapour to pass through them, while retaining some of the condensed liquid on the tray, or plate. Perforated plates, or sometimes called sieve plates, are simply plates with lots of small holes. They work because the rising vapour keeps the fluid held on the plates. Both of these styles of plates refine and purify the product by repeatedly exposing the liquid to the rising vapour from the boiler. Downcomers; These allow for any excess of liquid built up on the plates (from the reflux condenser), to drain the plates and return this excess to the boiler. They also allow the still to repeatedly cycle the product. They come in many different shapes and sizes. Their design can affect the purity of the product, but more often than not, affects how the still runs. A badly designed downcomer can cause flooding, a condition you don’t want to create. A well designed one can increase that stills ability to run fast and produce a higher purity product.
Copper Stills Continued
The English word Copper is derived from the Roman word cyprium, which means from Cyprus, which is where much of the early European copper came from.
The use of copper in Brewing dates back to 2000 BC, Coppers natural ability to remove sulphur based compounds was evident to brewers even then. The average passenger jet contains 4 tonnes of copper and over 193 km of copper wire.
Vapour arm; In pot still talk, this would be the lynne arm, but as it handles only vapour, it really is just a vapour arm. It provides for a way to get the vapour out of the column, and into the product condenser. Â Product condenser; There is rarely any conjecture as to its name. Its job is simply to condense any vapour that comes from the column into liquid. It needs to be operating (running) before any vapour is allowed to pass into it. Â Parrot; Or parrots beak. Not strictly required, but very, very handy. With a parrot and an alcometer, you can measure your output strength as you go. This can tell you lots of things. For anyone interested in high quality, this is a must. A good parrot has a fores/heads drain.
Plumbing; The plumbing needs to be able to provide a means to supply cooling water to both the reflux condenser and the product condenser. It also needs to be able to supply the reflux condenser with enough cooling to allow it to condense all the vapor, but also allow vapor past when desired. The product condenser needs to be able to condense any and all product that comes its way. A 3-way valve does this job very elegantly, but they add a premium. They same job can be done with 2 separate valves, but this requires a bit of practice to run with. However these values are met does not matter as much as the fact that they are met. The thing to keep in mind is that the cooling fluid gets warm, so any plumbing, plastic or solid, must be able to cope with this and not collapse or kink. Cooling; A plated column can use a large amount of cooling water. For this reason, its viable to have a tank and pump set up. This can have additional cooling (radiator, heat exchanger), or can utilise a large tank. It does depend on the frequency that is planned. Boiler; Plated columns are fast. But theres no free lunches. To get the full potential of your plated column, you need to be able to create a good amount of heat. That said, they will make a very fine product on not much more heat than a home brew shop still uses. It is very beneficial to have a drain and/or fill port on your boiler. A plated column can get inconvenient to remove and replace every run. It’s a manageable issue, but with a drain/fill port, you need not remove the still from its home. There are techniques for cleaning-in-place. That covers the components. Next time we will talk about running a perforated style plated column and how the components interact.
Being a metalworker for longer than I care to remember, and owning a small general engineering business, I have decided to try and offer my stills to you guys and gals. The copper plated column stills I make can be customised to suit your requirements. I try to stock a standard design for a set price. The number and style of plates can be varied, the height of the still can be modified, Still dragon sight glass kits can be added, or any other custom requirements you may want. Anything from a 3 plate rum/whiskey still, to an 11 plate vodka monster.
Contact Dan now at Danny <metalcraft@cbl.com.au>
"Vodka! is a very deceptive drink. Because you drink it and think, “What is this? This is pointless ! It’s - you cant’t taste it, you can’t smell it...Why did we waste our money on this bloody - why are we on a traffic island?" Dylan Moran
The good Doctor reveals some of his secrets to making this cocktail essential.
I Think you would have to be living on another planet to not notice the huge growth of craft distilling and the speakeasy cocktail culture which is rising with it. Not since the days of the Rat Pack have cocktails been so in the ascendency. Wherever there are cocktails you will find bitters. While most people know the omni-present Angostura Bitters which hail from Trinidad and Tobago, few but the cocktail aficionadoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s would know that there are now literally 60 plus manufacturers of bitters world wide. I have made bitters for many years and love the richness they add to my cocktails, and while few would expect it, my cooking. Like the Snake Oil salesmen of old I consider bitters and their close cousins tinctures to be a magic cure all. they are just at home in a Manhattan cocktail or as a zesty addition to a ragout, or stew. The history of bitters is in many ways the history of pharmacology. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cocktails which saw the rise of bitters...but the desire to find ways of delivering the medicinal qualities of herbs, in an easily digested convenient way. so it is alchemists not bartenders who we owe for these amazing concoctions. Bitters as we now know it date back to 1824 when Dr. Johann Siegert the founder of House of Angostura first made his digestif, it was firstly made to cure stomach maladies like sea sickness. It was English sailors who bought the delicious taste of Bitters to the west...they found that a few drops in Naval Gin made it a lot more palatable...and in the process created the classic pink gin. Soon after the discovery of Angostura, in fact in 1830 Antoine Peychaud who was a creole apothecary from what is now Haiti, first made his Peychaud's gentian bitters, it is still made to this day, although now made at the venerable BuďŹ&#x20AC;alo Trace Distillery in Kentucky. The history of bitters is much older than these, although before these examples they were more likely to be regarded as exclusively medicines.
By
the Doctor This is the recipe for my very favorite bitters. It has a pungent herbal nose and is brilliant with a Vodka or Gin tonic, and makes a mean Manhattan. Morticians Glue - Bitters 12 " fresh mint leaves" " " torn apart 4" lavender flowers" " " fresh or frozen when in season whole 8 gm " dried lemongrass 40gm" almond slivers 6" green cardamon pods "" crushed 10 gm Juniper berries" " " crushed 2" cinnamon sticks 14 gm un-roasted Dandelion Root" " 2" whole star anise 12" cloves 14gm" coriander seed" " " crushed 8gm" caraway seed 12gm" dried powdered ginger 6gm" ground nutmeg. 2" shot glasses of maple syrup 1" orange skin only (no pith) 1 " oak domino or equivalent oak stick 1 " vanilla pod to this add 1 1/2 to 2 liters of 95% ABV alcohol which has been carbon filtered to be as neutral as possible. age in a sealed jar for 3 months....when finished aging, filter it through a coffee filter and bottle...To serve use an eye dropper and usually 6 to 15 drops is ample... Note that this recipe can be used to make a very credible and wildly herbaceous perfume...and can also be used as a additive to stews and casseroles.
Most commercial bitters are around the 45 to 50% abv mark...I prefer to go higher to the 90 - 95 % abv mark ...it speeds the infusion process and makes for a more concentrated stock solution which can be diluted to your desired strength.
Electrically heated distillation has seen a recent wave of innovation, and for many it’s exciting to adopt the newest and best. Some home distillers are keen on simplicity and hands on input, and others just HAVE to have all the bells and whistles. When the home distiller decides to take the step to all grain washes, this can be the catalyst that leads to a more complex electric control system. Brewers that use electric heat likely already have some type of digitally temperature controlled heat source. This is key to controlling mashing temperatures when making all grain beer, and this directly applies to all grain distilling as well. Some home brewers already have digital control panels that use electronic temperature control devices known as PID controllers. These controllers monitor the input temp, and control output to an element proportional to the needs of the system. These cheap and widely available controllers lend themselves to adaptation in the distillers control panel if programmed appropriately. An electric brewery panel that incorporates PID controllers (or any simple digital temperature controller for that matter) can be easily adapted for use as a distillery controller. It’s interesting to observe, but there is a disconnect between beer and distilling when it comes to electrical control systems, and bridging this gap can be rewarding. A well-known fact of distilling is that output abv and column vapor temp is closely related. Column temperature can be used to judge and control certain parts of the run, and to roughly determine cuts especially when making neutral spirits. By monitoring temp one can infer output abv, and this is used in a control scheme known as e-ARC ( a quick google search will yield much information). By measuring the column temperature and using this as an input for the controller a distiller can also program his still to heat up to a boil, and then pause any further heat until he is ready to take over control of the system. This allows automated heat up of the still without producing product until the distiller has had the chance to take over control of the system. Once the wash is up to boiling temp, and the column is preheated, the distiller can take over control of the system and fine tune heat manually by entering the appropriate input parameters on the digital controller. Manual distillation via % based heat control is ideal during stabilization, fores, heads, and hearts withdrawal. This allows the distiller to closely control the product output of the still. There are plenty of PID controllers that have what is known as “manual mode” that simply control the heat output as a % of total element capacity! This allows a lot of diversity when it comes to control output options.
The next task after a lengthy hearts run is tails runout, and most distillers would be happy to be able to just flip a switch and let the still run the tails out until they are done. A still that could strip the tails out of the wash (and any remaining ethanol contained in the tails) and then shut itself down automatically would be a dream come true for a tired distiller at the end of a long day. After all, who wants to sit and watch the last bit of the run when a glass of their finest is beckoning? Go grab that glass, and pull up a stool beside your still, because with a properly designed panel you the distiller can enjoy a wee sip while your controller finishes the run for you. (under your watchful eye of course). When the vapor output temperature of your still reaches a preset limit that is close to a near zero abv output, why not shut the still down? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d do this anyway manually, so set your digital controller to shut down when this end-ofrun condition is met. In conclusion, there are many ways to accomplish the same goal, and for some that means being in close control of every detail. For others it means focusing on the important steps, and automating the less critical parts of distillation control. The beauty of electrically heated stills is that the level of control is only limited by the imagination of distiller himself.
There are times when not having control of your electricity is a decided disadvantage
A tale of wild rivers and fine whiskey
By... Stephen “the Doctor” Dobson.
Distiller : Dobson’s Distillery, Eastview Estate
Writing this, I am somewhat ironically sitting beside one of my favourite rivers, the beautiful Cobark. A gin clear snow melt fed stream in the Barrington Tops, New South Wales, Australia. The rush of water over rock, recalling the countless hours spent, in quiet reverie, by a small fire. Drying out and re-igniting the fire of my soul with a glass of whiskey. Occasionally a fine cigar, but always a whiskey. Trout fishing is a pastime with more than it’s fair share of rituals. this evening ritual was my favourite. Watching the steam rise from weary bodies after a hard day stalking trout. Bathed in the comforting backlight of a fires glow. Settling into a sling chair and holding court. With some of the greatest liars to fish a stream. We would recount the days catch, and mourn our losses. The golden promise of the glass, warmed our spirits. It is little wonder that I now associate Whiskey, with peace, reflection and the deep nothingness that arises from a day well spent. So much so that when I taste certain whiskeys, they can revive vivid memories of spectacular times and places. The first time I drank Talisker, was sitting outside the Cigar Bar on Queenstown wharf in the south island of New Zealand. A good friend had just given me an imposing, Dominican cigar. In front of me the sun was setting over the Remarkable mountains the lake a vivid violet blue, painted here and there with gold and russet. Next to me in a bin of ice was my first wild caught salmon. Such memories are a part of my whiskey journey. I am drawn back to every time I taste the smokey, rich taste of Talisker. I know of no other spirit which is as evocative of its associations with times and people.
The Journey Begins
Cobark River ... Barrington Tops
My first great Whiskey experience was via the world of Irish Whiskeys. For some years, I lived spasmodically in New Zealand. A place I grew to love both for it’s beauty and for the resilient good nature of it’s inhabitants, many of whom became lifelong friends. I was introduced to mr’s Bushmill, Jameson and Tullamore, whilst fishing the mighty Tongariro River, something I tried to do every weekend.
At first I just bought the Whiskey as a means of fighting off the cold which seeped through my chest waderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. As I proceeded to destroy fly after fly with inept back casts. I am sure that that first season. I was personally responsible for the economic security of every fly tier in Taurangi. I did however after a while start to appreciate the golden comfort in my hip flask for more than itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warming ability. Over that first season, I started to delve deeper into the world of Irish whiskey. As I was flying internationally every few weeks, I could indulge my new found passion relatively inexpensively, as duty free was still very cheap in those days (sadly no more).
Whiskeys of the World So enamoured by the Irish was I that it took me another season or so before I was to discover the joys of the greater Whiskey world. I owe my introduction to the greater world of Whiskey to my old friend Roger, A Kiwi film director, mad fly fisherman, hunter and general raconteur. One night the sneaky bugger gave me a glass of that venerable single malt Bowmore. The smokey/peaty complexity was an assault to a palate, raised on the genteel Irish whiskeys. But what an assault. It was as though there was a story to be told in every sip. As one who had little experience outside the lighter Irish whiskeys, with their milder triple distilled politeness. This was raw power, overt, demanding of attention. The smokiness was the first thing to hit me., then the heat, but the real clincher for me was the complexity and how the spirit developed on the palate even after swallowing. Roger and I saw to the demise of that bottle that night, as we have done to many since. For me a lifelong love affair had begun in earnest
The view from my Camp:
Cobark River ... Barrington Tops
Around this time I started commuting to New Zealand every other week from my then home in Sydney. This allowed me to indulge my growing interest. I started buying as many different whiskeys as the duty free laws allowed. I soon learned that there are some very good whiskeys, and some which are at best forgettable and some down right disgusting. My respect for both the Irish and Scottish grew. As did my respect for some of the fine American whiskey makers. The real surprise was the quality of some of the best of the Japanese whiskeys which while not as challenging as the Scottish still had a lot of character. Even the Indian whiskeys had characteristics which would surprise and delight. During this time I was coincidentally working in advertising and directed or shot a number of commercials
continued: for various distilleries around the world, including Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Whiskey in Dunedin, Signature Whiskey in Mumbai. Jim Beam Whiskey, etc. The opportunity to meet some of the master distillers at these companies was instrumental in developing an understanding of the processes involved. I soon realized that to these people, being a whiskey maker was no simple job, but to them was a calling, a passion and journey. They are simply the current custodians of a craft that will far outlive us all. We as distillers are the keepers of a centuries old craft, Like the rocks that cause the waves and eddies of a trout pool. We influence the flow of the development of whiskey, but come the next flood. There will be a new path for the river to follow, as it should.
Cobark River ... Barrington Tops
When health dictated that I give up my career. I decided to take my passion to the next level and study to become a distiller. Getting my distilling license has afforded me the opportunity to indulge my love of all things whiskey. I now make two distinct whiskey styles. The first is Old Reliable a simpler Irish style. Light smooth and very drinkable. and a yet to be named highly peated Hebridean style. Whilst they are described as Irish and Hebridean in style. They are not slavishly so. These are simply style guides to give the drinker an indicator of the general direction I have taken.
The Doctor in his natural environment:
Cobark River ... Barrington Tops
I hope that Dobson’s Whiskey reflects it’s own style and that is the style of the New England Highlands where they have been born. For ours is the first ever distillery in the New England, we have the unique opportunity to establish a style for the region. Our whiskeys are made in two barrel batches and are aged to enable us to release every six months. Our first batch was recently released and is sold out for all but bar sales. The reserve list for our second release is already filling. I am hoping to raise our production levels but even so, we will always be making ridiculously small volumes....It is just the way we want it. The emphasis on quality, not quantity. I have been fortunate over my lifetime to have known the company of some fine people, some amazing rivers and more than a few fine Whiskeys.... I count myself a lucky man indeed. Stephen “the Doctor” Dobson.
Next Issue will be dedicated to Whiskey in all it’s magnificent incarnations.
To submit your Whiskey story be it about making or the enjoyment of this fine spirit. Please feel free to contact me at. stephendobson1@bigpond.com With your help and stories we will make this the pre-eminent distillers publication available anywhere. Stories from commercial distillers and equipment suppliers welcome.
The Future of Distilling The Amazing I Still 50 By Odin Welcome to the new world of automated distilling! Making vodka is all about purity. That’s why originally vodka was pot distilled three instead of two times. And after careful cuts were taken, vodka usually matured some 5 weeks on charcoal to get a more neutral character. Now, with 21st century technology, iStill takes vodka distillation to a higher level. Better quality product can be produced faster, at lower costs, and in a shorter time span. How? Let’s dive in and find out more about the new world of automated distilling.
I have seen the future and it is very, very Cool
The keys to making a great vodka If vodka making is all about purity, what are the key ingredients to distilling a great vodka? There are a few. The first one is to get as many distillation cycles as you can. More re-distillations mean you can separate higher and lower boiling point alcohols better, leaving you with purer hearts. The perfect number? General consensus is that 40 re-distillations will give you that perfect separation needed for perfect vodka. The second key ‘ingredient’ to distilling a great vodka is making perfect cuts. The better we can define the fores, heads, hearts and tails cuts, the better our vodka will be. A third part of the vodka making process is carbon filtration. Most professionally made vodkas are filtered over carbon to enhance taste neutrality. Those were the starting points, when we designed the iStill 50 model: how can we make a small yet automated vodka unit that allows the distiller to re-distill at least 40 times, make perfect cuts every time, and carbon filters the final product when needed.
IStill 50
Distilling - A new path
General lay-out of the iStill 50
I S t i l l
All iStill models are Liquid Management fractionating columns that are automatically managed. The needle valve, controlling reflux, is managed by a stepper motor. The stepper motor is controlled by automation. The automation, in turn, gets itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information from a set of thermometer probes and from you, the distiller. The boiler can hold up to 50 liters of low wines or fresh wash. It is heated by a 4 KW submersed heater, while heating up. During the actual run, it uses 2 KW. Automation The iStill automation helps you where automation is best: with dialling in, control, and management. With the automation, runs are controlled extremely well. And once you found your perfect recipe, the automation helps you to turn it into a perfect vodka time and again. The programming allows you to dial in stabilization times, product purity, or if you want to make your vodka potstill style or by means of a fractionating program. You can decide to use the carbon filter to further enhance taste neutrality. Or you can decide to go for a vodka with character and by-pass the filter all together. Column
50
The column is made out of 2 mm thick stainless steel and a bit over 2 inches in diameter. It holds 120 centimetres of packing.
I Still 50 Packing Packing is essential for vodka making, because a good packing means you will get a lot of re-distillations. Our newly designed Spiral Prismatic Packing (SPP) gives around one re-distillation every 3 centimetres. That means the packed session of the column, 120 centimetres tall, will give you the 40 re-distillations that are needed for perfect vodka. Needle-valve and stepper motor The needle-valve controls the reflux versus take-off ratio. The bigger the opening of the needle-valve, the more product is produced. Off course, the stepper motor controlled needle-valve not just manages product take-off speed, it also manages reflux. The more liquids are returned down the column, the more enriched of pure azeotropic ethanol the final product will be. Carbon filter The filter holds 1.3 litres of carbon, and is controlled by two solenoid valves. The first valve decides whether the product you are making, will actually enter the filter at all. I mean, to filter or not to filter â&#x20AC;Ś thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a decision that only the distiller himself can make, right? And if you decided to carbon filter your product, the second solenoid valve is there to keep liquids in the filter, when your run is done. This is essential, since carbon tends to clog up when it dries out. The second solenoid valve prevents just that: your filter material drying out. The 1.3 litres of carbon is good for 15 to 30 runs, depending on how dirty the wash is you run through the iStill.
Automated Distilling I Still 50
Integrated design The column, boiler, needle-valve, power management, and insulation are all part of an design. The conical shape of the boiler is exactly right for guiding gasses into the column. The size of the SPP is perfectly tuned in for the iStillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s column diameter and power management. Insulation helps prevent parasitic reflux and gives another 15 to 25% increase in overall distillation speed. Or to put it the other way around: to lower the distillerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy bill with 15 to 25% per run.
Performance But the proof of the pudding is in eating. So what does the automation add? How does the iStill 50 perform? Well, it allows you to dial in pretty much any setting you want to. And it will remember those settings, so you can rerun a recipe again and again. Also, the automation and integrated design will make sure you get pure azeotropic product at the fastest rate possible. The iStill 50 allows you to produce up to 3.5 litres of 96% azeo per hour on a 30% low wines run. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 8 litres of vodka, when diluted to
I Still 50 Needle-valve and stepper motor The needle-valve controls the reflux versus take-off ratio. The bigger the opening of the needle-valve, the more product is produced. Off course, the stepper motor controlled needlevalve not just manages product take-off speed, it also manages reflux. The more liquids are returned down the column, the more enriched of pure azeotropic ethanol the final product will be. Carbon filter The filter holds 1.3 litres of carbon, and is controlled by two solenoid valves. The first valve decides whether the product you are making, will actually enter the filter at all. I mean, to filter or not to filter … that’s a decision that only the distiller himself can make, right? And if you decided to carbon filter your product, the second solenoid valve is there to keep liquids in the filter, when your run is done. This is essential, since carbon tends to clog up when it dries out. The second solenoid valve prevents just that: your filter material drying out. The 1.3 litres of carbon is good for 15 to 30 runs, depending on how dirty the wash is you run through the iStill. Integrated design The column, boiler, needle-valve, power management, and insulation are all part of an design. The conical shape of the boiler is exactly right for guiding gasses into the column. The size of the SPP is perfectly tuned in for the iStill’s column diameter and power management. Insulation helps prevent parasitic reflux and gives another 15 to 25% increase in overall distillation speed. Or to put it the other way around: to lower the distiller’s energy bill with 15 to 25% per run. Performance But the proof of the pudding is in eating. So what does the automation add? How does the iStill 50 perform? Well, it allows you to dial in pretty much any setting you want to. And it will remember those settings, so you can re-run a recipe again and again.
Automation - the Future of Distilling
Also, the automation and integrated design will make sure you get pure azeotropic product at the fastest rate possible. The iStill 50 allows you to produce up to 3.5 litres of 96% azeo per hour on a 30% low wines run. That’s 8 litres of vodka, when diluted to drinking strength.
Cleaning Your New Still By Kilgore Trout
First is a physical cleaning and then is the chemical cleaning. Physical cleaning: Take your new still apart and scrub the boiler and anything that you can reach with hot soapy water to remove any manufacturing oils and grime. Flush with plenty of clean water. Pay particular attention to joints, fittings and grooves or crevices of any kind. Chemical cleaning: This involves a distillation using an acid and plain white vinegar is preferred, thou a citric acid solution or lemon juice could be used they are more expensive to use so put a boiler charge of vinegar to water solution at a ratio of about 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water that will fill the boiler about half full if using electric elements or about one third full if using gas or steam to heat the boiler. Completely assemble your still and distill until the about one third of the boiler charge been collected, discard the distillate and drain the boiler. Flush the still with lots of fresh water and charge the boiler with the cheapest wine or wash that you can make or buy. Fully distill this boiler charge until the alcohol is depleted from the boiler and discard the distillate and drain the boiler. Flush the still with lots of fresh water. Your new still is now clean of manufacturing oils and dirt and is ready for many years of faithful service with a minimum of care. After each distillation run you can flush out your still with fresh water so the residual lower alcohols won’t affect the flavor of the next distillation’s product.
After each distillation run you can flush out your still with fresh water so the residual lower alcohols won’t affect the flavor of the next distillation’s product.
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we are blessed in the Modern Distilling community to have some sage members, but none more so than the venerable Zymurgy Bob. I have learnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much from this man as I followed his posts on the distilling forums, and although we have never met I have a very fond opinion of him, as a distiller who is generous and caring, always supportive and frank...So I thought I would send him some questions so you too can know more of this remarkable distilling comrade. Doc: when did you first become a distiller. Bob : One of the post-WWII war movies depicted a character, an infantryman, who carried with him a still made from a GI steel canteen, a cork stopper, and an air-cooled worm. In 1951 (I'm pretty sure) I built such a still and took it with me to Boy Scout summer camp. After a couple of weeks fermenting an apple juice, yeast, and raisin wash, we ran that still in the woods of the Oregon coast. We drank what I know now was mostly puked and not distilled, and pretended we were fearfully drunk. Doc : what motivated you to write your Book "Making Fine Spirits" Bob : For years I worked as an "explaining engineer" in the electronics industry, enhancing products through writing, teaching, and recording what engineers, customers, sales guys, manufacturing floor personnel, and service people needed to support product and help it sell. After a few years of answering the same basic questions, over and over, for newbies on the Yahoo_New_Distillers, it seemed like such basic organized information would be of value to the hobby distillers. When we talked about the concept on Yahoo_Distillers, Mike McCaw was also on the forum and offered to publish it if I wrote it. Doc: What style of spirits do you personally prefer to distill. Bob : I distill a lot of fruit brandies, just because I regularly fall into situations where a lot of fruit is available. This weekend I'm off to Washington State's Yakima valley, one of our great fruit producing areas. I've got a deal whereby I can get all the cider apples I can pick up or off the trees, and can rent a high-capacity apple crusher and press. I have a couple of friends and my son joining me, and I expect we'll take home over 100 gallons of juice. All told, I'll probably end up distilling about 70 gallons of hard cider to Calvados. I also like to make malt whiskys, strongly-flavored rums, and my kids insist on the odd batch of bourbon. Doc: What would you consider the most important piece of advice you would give the novice distiller today. Bob : The advice I always give is this: Decide what you want to drink, and therefore what you want to make, and then buy or build the kind of still that makes what you want. I see so much of newbys buying or building according to the flash of technology and appearance first, only to find that stills so chosen don't make spirits the distiller chooses to drink. After you start making your favorites, then you can apply technology and techniques as appropriate.
Making Fine Spirits is Zymurgy Bob’s introduction to pot stilling. “and a good read it is” available at www.kellybarts.com http://www.amphora-society.com http://www.amazon.com Aimed at the novice distiller who wants to make Whiskeys Brandies and Rums, with sections on building pot stills for the new craft distiller
Modern Distiller The next issue is dedicated to my favourite subject the creation of whiskey. We are looking for contributions to the knowledge-base. So please contribute. You can contact us at. stephendobson1@bigpond.com
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