Aging and Maturation: A Window on What’s Happening in the Barrel
Barrel aging is a complex process that can take decades to master, but every distiller should at least understand the outlines of the journey.
Category
Fundamentals
14 articles in this category
Showing 1-14 of 14 articles
A Polished Partnership: What Stainless Steel and Copper Bring to Distilling
Both stainless steel and copper have a place in distilling and offer different strengths when selecting and operating distilling equipment.
The Eyes Have It: Using Filtration to Refine a Spirit’s Look and Character
A range of filtration tools and techniques allows the distiller opportunities to clean up the flavor profile and clarity of their products.
On the Move: How to Choose the Right Pump for Your Distillery
While brewers commonly rely on one type of pump, a distiller may have to contend with a wider range of circumstances, from thick mashes to explosion concerns.
Let’s Clear Things Up: How to Avoid Blobs, Hazes, and Settling in the Bottle
SUBSCRIBERUnderstanding and knowing how to address various issues that can create an unsightly spirit can help you put your best foot forward as a distiller.
Not All Columns Are Created Equal
The term “column still” can apply to various designs with different purposes. To make sure you have the right still for the job, it’s best to understand the role and function of each of these types.
Getting Steamy: A Primer on Ways to Heat Your Still
Choosing between steam, direct-fire, electric, and oil-heated equipment is a matter of budget, taste, and local code enforcement.
Running a Pot Still to Batch-Produce Spirits
For most small-scale producers, batch-distilling is the standard approach to creating a variety of products.
Mastering the Basics of Evaporation and Reflux
To better understand the heads, hearts, and tails fractions, distillers should first have a firm grasp on what’s happening as their distilling media turn to vapor and then back to liquid.
Yeast and Bacteria: Your Flavor Partners in the Distillery
When it comes to microbes, the choices you make will shape the expression of your final spirit. Here are some key considerations.
Fermentation Matters to the Flavor of Your Spirits
From methods to ensure healthy fermentation to fementor choices to cleaning procedures, yeast selection, and time, the decision tree that a distiller follows when designing a fermentation regimen has tremendous impact on the character of the final product.
Rollers, Hammers, Mashers, and Cookers: The Gear to Know, from Milling through Cooking
A distillery’s goals tend to influence its choice of equipment, as different spirits call for different ways to process grain or other fermentables. Here’s a primer.
Unlocking the Goodness Locked Up in Grain
Understanding the fundamentals of proper mashing or cooking can be essential to producing good spirits.
Pots and Columns: Choosing the Right Type of Still
A distiller’s choice of still design can have a significant impact on their product lineup—and vice-versa.