Factors Affecting the Style and Quality of Spirits Flashcards
What are the 4 stages of spirit production?
-Processing of raw material
-Fermentation
-Distillation
-Post distillation operations
What is the purpose of the processing of raw material?
Create a sugary liquid.
What is the purpose of the fermentation?
Create an alcoholic liquid.
Yeast transforms the sugar into alcohol, congeners and co2.
What is the purpose of any type of distillation?
Select and concentrate ethanol and congeners.
Alcoolic liquid is heated, turned into vapor, condensed and collected.
Fill the gap: spirit can be made from anything of agricultural origin that contains ______.
Carbohydrates.
What ABV is attain by the alcoholic liquid after fermentation?
8-10% ABV
What is the color, level of sweetness and ABV after distillation?
Colourless, dry, 75%abv
Some spirit lower than 75%abv, some as high as 96%abv
What features can be changed after distillation?
Color, [flavours, sweetness, alcoholic strength].
appearance, palate
What is the aim of post-distillation operations?
Ensure the spirit has the correct color,aroma,sweetness and alcoholic strenght for the brand that uses it.
What do raw material provide for the distiller?
Carbohydrates and (after fermentation) specific congeners depending on the raw material.
The raw materials used influence the type/amount of congeners produced
What are the 2 types of carbohydrates?
Simple and complex.
What is the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates?
Simple carbohydrates already in form of sugar whereas complex carbohydrates needs to be broken down first.
Simple: Grape, sugar cane
Complex: Grains, Agave
What are congeners?
Those are compounds responsible for aromas and flavours. Also by-products of fermentation e.g Esters,Methanol, Fusel alcohol
Some come from the raw material, some a created through the fermentation
Name one important group of congeners?
Esters
They are the ones responsible for the fruity aromas
What are esters?
A group of congeners (by-products of fermentation) that have a fruity smell.
Why is the choice of yeast important?
Certain yeast are consistent in the creation of the right amout and type of congeners.
Which congeners created during fermentation, do distillers look to concentrate and select during distillation?
Esters
What is the intensity of the appearance of a newly made spirit?
Water-white
What temperature is the boiling point of water? Ethanol?
Water: 100 degree celcius
Ethanol: 78.3 degree celcius
Fill the gap: Ethanol is _ volatile than water and has a _ boiling point that water
More, Lower
Fill in the gap: The vapours contain a higher proportion of ____ than the boiling liquid.
Ethanol
Fill in the gap: The new liquid during distillation has a ____ alcoholic strength than the original alcoholic liquid
Higher
What are the different part of a Pot still (7)?
Pot, steam coil, drain, Swan neck, still head, lyne arm, condenser
Lyne arm links the still to the condenser
How many distillation there is in the production of a spirit using a pot still?
At least 2
What is the purpose of the first distillation?
To remove some of the water are raise the abv
What is the name of the liquid that comes out of the still after the first distillation? What is it’s abv?
Low wines. 25-30% abv
Why are the low wines only at 25-30% abv?
The goal is to capture most of the good congeners, therefore, the still has to run longer even if it means also capturing more water.
more water and congener = liquid less alcoholic
fermentend liquid 10%-> distillation-> 50% at the begining (lots of ethanol) -> still running longer= drop in alcohol in the condenser = more water and congener
What is the aim of the second distillation?
Create the liquid meant to be sold.
What does “head” refers to in a pot still distillation? what type of smell does it have?
It refers to the first liquid to flow out of the condenser during the 2nd fermentation. It is more volatile, has a lower boiling point than ethanol
and has a solvent (sharp, chemical, sweet) smell.
What does the “heart” refers to in a pot still distillation?
It refers to the spirit that will be sold. It is the second liquid to flow out of the condenser after the “cut” during the second fermentation.
After how long does the first cut usually happen during distillation? the second cut?
after 10-15 minutes
Several hours (when the distiller judges that plastic aromas are too much)
What is the abv of the heart?
75% abv
Why do pot still spirit have a medium to pronounced aroma intensity?
The pot still does not separate congener precisely.
What does “tail” refers to in a pot still distillation? what type of smell does it have?
It refers to the 3rd liquid to flow out of the condenser during the 2nd fermentation. It is less volatile than ethanol, has a higher boiling point and has a plastic smell.
What do you do with the heads and tail tank? why?
You add it to the next batch of low wines. Because it still contains lots of positive congeners.
Or you can distill it again or discard it
Is the temperature in a pot still constant ?
No, it gradually increases as the heat source is continuously applied.
In a column still, where do the most volatile congener go? The least volatile?
Most volatile(heads) up the column in higher plates.
Least volatile(tail) towards the bottom, in lower plates.
In a column still, what is a plate? what does it include?
Bubble cap, and downcomer
The bubble cap has small holes to release the vapour and is submerged in the boiling liquid hold by the plate. when the tray is overflowing, the liquid come down through the downcomer.
What’s the relation between the distillation strength and the flavour in a column still?
75% ABV: Medium- Pronounced flavour intensity
90% ABV: Light flavour intensity
95-96%: Neutral flavour intensity
How does a still column works?
It goes from bottom to the top. The bottom being the hottest and gradually cooler at the top. Vapor rises to the upper plates while liquid that did not vaporizes go down through the downcomer.
The bottom being the hottest plate, it vaporizes the least volatile congeners, followed by the middle plates vaporizing congeners with the same boiling point as Ethanol, and finally the top plate with le most volatile
Are the temperature of plates in a column still the same?
No. Lowest plates are hotter, whereas upper plates a cooler.
In column still distillation, why is it important that the quantity of liquid coming out needs to be the same as the liquid introduced.
To prevent dry-out or flooding or inefficient separation since column still are meant to be running continuously.
What steps can be done post-distillation?
Maturation (oak/inert vessel),adding flavours other than the oak, blending, finishing.
What is inert vessel?
It is a container made out of glass or stainless steel. Sometimes filled with gas that displace oxygen so that it slows down oxidation.
How can oak barrel maturation impact a spirit over time?
-Remove harshness: spirit moves in/out of a layer of carbon(char/toast) from the barrel
-Color and congeners added: spirit moves in/out of the wood adding congeners directly from the oak (vanilla, coconut, cinnamon, cloves)
-Oxygen and time:Slow oxidation of the spirit and interation with the wood creates flavours of leather and mushroom. The process is called RANCIO.
-Concentration: evaporation of ANGELS SHARE(water, ethanol, other parts) concentrate the congeners remaining in the spirit. It leads to a complex and pronounced aroma.
Oak maturation: what are the 3 key choices?
The type of barrel, previous content of the barrel, temperature of the warehouse.
Newer barrel give more flavour and color than used.
Previous content of the barrel is absorbed in the wood even after being emptied. It will come out again after the barrel is filled adding flavours of the previous content and eventually some color.
Warmer temperature matures spirit faster than cooler (because molecule moves in/out faster)
What material are inert vessels usually made of?
Glass or stainless steel
What happens when a spirit is Matured in an inert vessel?
Short time: Not much happens, the spirit is refered as unaged
Longer period of time: The spirit becomes more complex (interaction between mollecules within the spirit, slow oxidation)
What can inert vessel used for?
Storage (for a short time), maturation, preservation (for posterior use)
inert vessels can be different sizes
What are demijohns?
Inert glass vessels:Narrow-neck and large bowl and used to store, preserve liquids
It is thought to come from the french word Dame-Jeanne (lady Jeanne) because of the shape ressembling a lady’s body. It is most commonly used in Cognac production.
What are the 2 objectives of blending? can you explain?
Complexity: have a structure and complexity that a single product does not have
Consistency: make every batch similar since variation between barrels can be large
What are the 4 final adjustments that can be done for finishing a spirit?
-Adding colour
-Adding water
-Adding sugar
-Filtrating
Water: lower to a 40% ABV which is more palatable
Colour: food grade colouring for consistency
Sugar: to balance or add style to the product
Filtration: make a spirit stay clear and nor hazy
Name 2 types of filtration.
Chill-filtration
Charcoal filtration
What system do distillers from USA use to express alcohol content. How does it differ from ABV?
The proof system. 1%ABV=2 degrees proof. Proof is double the ABV
How are most modern stills heated and what is one notable, legally defined exception?
Most modern still are heated by steam. A notable exception is Cognac where direct heat must be used.
Post distillation operations can be broken down into 4 major groups. What are they?
Maturation in Oak or inert vessels, adding flavors other than oak, blending, finishing.
Although spirits stored in inert vessels change very little, what might happen to the texture of the spirit after many months of storage?
The spirit can become smoother and more mouthfilling.
It is cause by evaporation and slow oxidation.
