Ethyl Alcohol (what we drink) is obtained by fermenting sugar – rich juices from fruit, cereals, plants or vegetables.
There are 6 steps in the production of alcohol, depending on the specific type of alcohol that you are making – these steps could change slightly.
Raw Materials
Alcohol can be produced from various forms of raw materials. There are 4 basic raw materials that can be found in production today:
- Fruit – The basis for many forms of spirits, cognac and wines
- Cereals – Available around the world and form basis of vodka, gin, whiskeys
- Plants – are utilized in tropical areas to create spirits such as Rum with sugar cane and Tequila which is made in Mexico from local Agave plant.
- Vegetables – produce various spirits such as vodka which could be made from potatoes instead of cereals.
Preparatory Treatment
Whatever raw materials are being utilized, the manufacturing of the spirits is subject to the same series of procedures. The first stage after the raw material selection, is the preparatory treatment. This sector can be broken down into 7 various processes that could either be a combination or utilized separately.
- Pressing – is the process of extracting juice and the essence of the fruit prior to fermentation
- Cracking – grain is done before the raw ingredient is turned into mash
- Cooking – plants such as the agave is needed to extract the juice for Tequila production
- Crushing – us used to reduce raw and cooked matter to a puree
- Mashing – follows cracking and crushing which consists of adding water to allow the sugars in the raw material to be transformed into ferment-able sugars
- Mixing – consists of combining one/several materials into a homogeneous whole.
- Dilution – is the process of adding liquid to a fibrous/thick matter to assist in fermentation
Fermentation
This is the chemical process where yeast, a micro-organism, feeds on and transforms the natural sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. There are 2 forms of fermentation: Natural and Artificial.
- Natural fermentation occurs when a liquid containing ferment-able sugars is subjected to a certain temperature.
- Artificial fermentation is needed when the raw material contains complex sugars, like starch, that don’t ferment easily. This is done by adding yeast after the preparatory treatment this acting as a catalyst to prompt fermentation.
Distillation
Once the liquid has gone through the fermentation phase it generally consists of a ABV of 8-10%. This is too low for a spirit, so this liquid ABV % has to be increased by a process of distillation. A still is an apparatus that allows the producers to separate the alcohol content from the liquid through the process of vaporization. Today there are 3 basic types of stills commonly utilized on the market – the Copper Pot still, Single Column Still and Multiple Column Still.
Fine-Tuning
Once distillation is complete and the required ABV is obtained, then the producers undergo the different procedures aimed at improving the spirit. Fine tuning consists of 4 sectors
- Filtration – is used to adjust the smell, taste and colour of the spirit.
- Flavouring – gives extra aromas and taste to the spirit by the addition of extracts of plants, herbs, fruits or spices.
- Ageing – Is the traditional way of obtaining a desired quality within a spirit. Ageing in a casks, is utilized for a vast amount of spirit production processes. When the spirit is in contact with the wood, it absorbs colour and subtle aromas, depending on the nature of the wood itself. The longer the spirit is allowed to age the more intense the aromas and colours become again depending on the characteristics of the wood.
- Blending – Is the process of mixing varieties of spirits in order to obtain the desired finish. Mixing could focus on the strengthening or weakening the spirit. This technique is very prominent and is utilized regularly on the whiskey industry.
Bottling
There are a few final procedures that might take place during the bottling stages of a spirit.
- Reduction – is the process of adding water in order to regulate the final degree of alcohol in the spirit based on its export destination.
- Sweetening – involves adding sugar to the spirit in order to create more preferred tastes based on export regions requirements.
- Colouring – helps to stress the maturity of a spirit or can suggest a presence of a herb or a food.
Clarification occurs as a final procedure that focuses on the purity of the spirit as well as to eliminate any unwanted sediment that remains