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ALCOHOL

DISTILLATION & PROOF

OF

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

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BBEEVVEERRAAGGEESS2

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WINEWINEu Fermented juice of grapes or other fruit

– 10 – 14 % alcohol

– Classified by Colour & by Typev Light beverage – Table wine:

– Named for grape type in US,

– Named for growing region in Europe

v Sparkling – contains CO2 gas –

Champagne (Growing region in

France)

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Wine …Wine …u Fortified – Brandy or other wine

alcohol added– Sherry, port, Madeira– 20% alcohol– Sweet & various flavours

• Aromatic• Vermouth & Aperitif• May be sweet or dry• Generally consumed before meals or as digestive stimulants• Dubonett

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BEERBEERu Brewed fermented beverage

made from Barley & other starchy

grains flavoured with hopsu 2 - 10 % alcoholu Types:

– Lager – Normally considered Beer

– Ale – Fuller bodied, thicker

– Stout – Dark ale, sweet strong malt flavour

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SPIRIT PRODUCTIONSPIRIT PRODUCTIONu Malting

u Mashing

u Fermentation

u Distillation

u Maturation

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Whisk(e)yWhisk(e)yGeneric name, Celtic term meaning water of life.

Most popular distilled spirit in the world

Production:– fermented mash of grain– Malted barley added to break starch into sugar– Liquid distilled – Aged 3 – 5 years common, 12 – 15 possible– Blended– Varying components will vary taste & name

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Whisk(e)yWhisk(e)y

u Irish – produced from several grains, malt not smokeyu Bourbon – produced primarily from corn

– Aged in charred barrels, can use them only once

– 70 – 90% alcoholu Scotch – malt dried over peat fire, smokey

flavour– Popular during prohibition

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White SpiritsWhite SpiritsGin: Most popular single spirit

– Redistill grain spirits with flavouring agents, usually Juniper Berries

– Easily made

– In London, in early years caused problem with addiction

– During prohibition made in bathtubsv Tasted pretty bad so added other thingsv Was the start of the cocktail

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Rumu Molasses / Bagasse

u Dark / White

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Vodka TequilaVodka Tequila

u Many sources including potatoes

u Lacks colour, odour, & flavour

u Type of cactus (Liliaceous)

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DISTILLATIONDISTILLATION

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u Water – boils at 100 C (212 F)u Ethanol – boils at 78.5 C (173.3 F)u Mixture is heated u Ethanol gas is driven off at lower

temperatureu Gathered in condenser, various

devices added to minimize water vapor from escaping

Distillation

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COMPONENTS OF DISTILLED SPIRITSCOMPONENTS OF DISTILLED SPIRITSu Water

u Ethyl Alcohol

u Congeners

– Acids

– Esters

– Aldehydes

– Fusel Oils

– Mineral Salts Extracts14

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TYPES OF STILLSTYPES OF STILLSu POT STILLS

u COLUMN STILLS

– Also called -

v Continuous Stills

v Patent Stills

v Coffey Stills

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POT STILLSPOT STILLSu The original distillation apparatusu Batch processing methodu Consists of a receptacle into which the liquid can

be placed and heatedu Long, tapered neck attached at the top to collect

the vapours which are formed when the liquid is heated

u A spiral copper tube is attached to this neck and this passes through a cooling medium, usually water

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Pot Stills …Pot Stills …u The decrease in temperature condenses the

vapour to a liquid againu Pot stills are thought by many to produce a better

and more flavourful product and are used for most of the world's finest spirits– Cognac, Armagnac & Calvados brandies, Malt

Scotch Whisky, most Irish Whiskey and some Rums & Liqueurs

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u Generally distill at 65-70% alcohol (2nd distillation, the first is much lower) and this is close to the optimum for fusel oil extraction. Continuous stills generally draw off the spirits at higher proofs

u Fusel oil concentrations are likely to be higher with pot distillation. Esters are concentrated at a level slightly below fusel oils and are drawn off quickly in the "heads" fraction

Pot Stills …Pot Stills …

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u The challenge for the distiller is to include enough of the esters in the middle distillate without including undesirable odorous elements from the heads fraction

u The least volatile elements, those in the "tails" portion, are undesirable since they are low in ethanol and contain heavy, unsuitable flavours & odours. They can, however, be re-distilled to recover whatever ethanol they do contain

Pot Stills …Pot Stills …

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DOUBLE POT DISTILLATIONDOUBLE POT DISTILLATIONThe middle barrel (the alcoholic portion) from the second

distillation becomes the finished product. Cognac brandy & Malt Scotch whisky are distilled in this manner

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COLUMN DISTILLATIONCOLUMN DISTILLATION

u Produces a distilled spirit continuously so long as they are supplied with a spirituous liquid

u The first one invented by Scotsman Robert Stein in 1826 and the design was perfected and patented by Aeneas Coffey, Inspector General of Excise in Ireland, in 1830

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u A very important innovation, relative to the pot still, the ability of the continuous still is to separate the many vapour fractions. The removal of ethanol from what is basically a water alcohol mixture is the basic objective of distillation, but there are many other valuable fractions

u The main advantage is speed and increased productivity  

Column Distillation …Column Distillation …

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PROOFPROOF

u Amount of alcohol in final product (Liquor’s alcohol content)

u Usually 2 times the % alcoholu Remainder wateru % alcohol controlled by stopping fermentation

% of initial sugaru The specific gravity is 0.79, a quantity of

alcohol will weigh 79% as much as the same volume of water

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MEASURING ALCOHOL CONTENTMEASURING ALCOHOL CONTENTu The moonshiner’s test

u The proof system:v Proof spiritsv Overproof liquorv Proof numbers

u The US system: – Percentage by volume– 200° is pure alcohol– Proof is twice the % of alcohol

v Thus 90° = 45%26

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Measuring alcohol content …Measuring alcohol content …u The British system: (Bartholomew Sykes) u Percentage by weight

– 100° is proof– 175° is pure alcohol i.e. 75° over proof

v Thus 100° proof = 57.1% alcohol & 42.9% water

– Sells at potable strength of 70° (30° under proof)v Thus 70X 4 = 40%

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– OIML – measures strength at 20°C

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u The French system: (George Guy Lussac) – O° is no alcohol– 100° is pure alcohol

v Thus ° proof = % alcohol

– Measures strength at 15°C

Measuring alcohol content …Measuring alcohol content …

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Beverage is food that is liquid, Consumption varies by brand and type

– Non-alcoholic: Big growth area Flavoured teas, coffees, bottled water, sport drinks, and more ….

– Alcoholic Beverage Industryv Major factor in the world’s economyv Respectable profession in most culturesv Employs millionsv Production is a mixture of science and art

BEVERAGESBEVERAGES

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u Dichotomy of feelings– Promoted by religious groups and condemned by

religions groups

– Doctors recommend it and some condemn it

– People use it and abuse it

– Gives pleasure and heartbreak

Beverage IndustryBeverage Industry ……

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u The French system: (George Guy Lussac) Used since beginning of time

u Discovery unknown – probably berries left in sun– Once process was understood, people began to

ferment many foodsu Grapes were cultivated before 6000 BC – juice

left out to fermentu During renaissance Catholic church was prime

producer of alcohol: Beer, Ale, Wine & Cordialsu Alcoholic beverages were sign of hospitality

Beverage Industry …Beverage Industry …

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Sources:Sources:

• Fermentation:• Sugary mixture + yeast ! ethanol + CO2.

• Distillation:• Capitalizes on the lower boiling point of alcohol (than water).

• The product of fermentation is heated and the vapour cooled.

• Brandy from wine, whiskey from “beer”, Rhum from “molasses”, Schnapps from “potatoes”.

• Fortified wines like sherry and port are blends of wine with extra alcohol to make it 20%.

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…a drink is a drink is a drink…

= =10 - 12 oz. of = 4 oz.table = 1 ounce of

Beer wine 80 proof liquor

This is just a general guideline. It depends on the amount of alcohol in the beverage

The higher the proof, the higher the alcohol content

Although not a definite rule, but more of a general guideline…

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