FACTS
SUGAR
Sugar are carbohydrates comprised of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen which are organized into single units, there's only one or two of these units in sugar so is considered simple
STARCHES
Starches are carbohydrates made of multiple units of sugar, therefore they are considered complex
FIBER
Fiber is also a carbohydrate made with multiple units of sugar, so then again, complex
BOILING POINTS
WATER: 212 (100 Celsius)
ETHANOL: 174 (79 Celsius)
METHANOL: 148 (64 Celsius)
RULE OF THUMB WHEN MAKING THE HEAD CUT
Discard 1/3 of a pint every 5 gallons of wash distilled
Orange oils from distillation are hard on the liver so is not good to taste too much of it
COPPER CLEANING
Copper has to be cleaned only with water, never with citric acid as it eats the copper, and anyway the copper will react even after is been used and part of it becomes black
To clean a copper still the best way is with water and once in a while run a brandy or vodka distillation
Rye velds less then corn
CLASSIC STILL/MULTIPLE PLATES
If you distill twice with a classic still you get more flavor, the Scots do that.
If you distill once in a multiple plates still is quicker but you get less flavor, Thats when aging in new barrels is important because the aging will add a lot of flavor, that's the American way
FANS
Fans from the ceiling are to be kept off during distillation so the Co2 stays up and the alcohol vapors go down. You may keep the horizontal fans on
BASE AND TEMPERATURE
When it comes to whiskey and you have a good quality base you wanna turn the heat up and distill faster because more flavors will go through and less alcohol.
With vodka you want more alcohol to go through and less flavor
FLAVORS, OILS, CONGENERS
and the difference when you use a bain marie or a classic still
_In whiskey using a classic still you want the oily flavors but only the light part of it, and to get it you push the distillation hard in the beginning by keeping the temperature relatively high, so they make it through and they will be naturally selected from the heavy oils by volatility (the heavy oils won't go through unless the temperature is really high)
_In the bain marie the differentiation is done by time as all the oils come out
COPPER CONTACT
_Copper reacts with sulfates (bad smell)
_Copper catalyzes the formation of esters (fruity taste)
_Copper binds with hydrogen sulfide (rotting vegetable taste)
ALCOHOL BOILING POINT
Alcohol boiling point is 68C but in reality you have to go a little higher because of the mix with water
COPPER REACTIVITY
_Copper reacts with sulfates (bad smells)
_Catalyzes foreshots and fusel oils into enjoyable aromatic flavors
DIRECT STEAM INJECTION gets flavors out well when it comes to botanical and spices, doesn't get out much with citrus.
COPPER CLEANING
When distilling brandies (fruit) the still keeps clean because fruit is more acidic than grains, is good once in a while to run a brandy distillation in the whiskey still to clean it up