Production of distilled spirits

The following review focuses on the composition of flavour compounds in spirit drinks, their origin, and their sensory attributes like odour quality and threshold value. Important information on flavour-related aspects of technology, like distillation and ageing, as well as the main categories and brands of spirits to be found on the national and international markets are summarised. Finally, aspects of sustainability in the production of distilled spirits are discussed. 

Generally speaking there are two basic processing techniques applied in the production of distilled spirits ... 

The first alcoholic wines were most likely an accidental discovery from fermented grapes. Most fruits are contaminated with microbes that form the surface bloom, which results in a natural alcoholic fermentation when given the right climatic environment. Earliest references to the production of distilled spirits appear to have origi-... 

Distilled Spirits.—The materials used for the production of distilled spirits are further classified according to the types of product in which they find employment ... 

Production of distilled spirits.—Production of distilled spirits exclusive of alcohol averaged 89,900,000 gallons from 1901 to 1914, reaching a maximum of 114,634,000 gallons in 1913. 

Distillation A process used in the purification of volatile compounds (i.e., ethanol). Heat is applied to a mixture and the vapor condensed in a distillation column. The separation of two liquids is effective when the liquids have differing volatilization points. Distillation is a key process in the production of distilled spirits and bioethanol. 

Rectification The process of concentrating and purifying ethanol in a column. In production of distilled spirits, the rectification process may involve concentration of fusel alcohols, esters, and heads. 

Particle size and cooking condition for the grain slurry vary depending on the type of distilled spirit that is to be produced. In the case of com grain fermentations, distillers use small size, high temperature, and low beer gallonage (higher starch concentrations) for neutral spirits production at 120—170°C and 76—91 L/0.03 m. Bourbon distillates call for low temperatures (100—150°C) and thinner mash of 95—115 L/0.03 m (saccharified starch slurries) out of flavor considerations. (0.03 m is approximately a bushel). 

The packaging of distilled spirits has become more complex with both the demands for higher efficiencies of the production faciUties within the industry, and the request by marketing and sales departments for higher flexibiUty to provide customers with greater value on products. 

To make the other acids, the appropriate salt, sea salt (sodium chloride), or niter (potassium nitrate), was ground fine and thoroughly mixed with potters clay, rolled into balls, and placed in a proper container for distillation. The function of the clay is to divide the parts of the salt and make it easier for the acids to be distilled off, which combining with moisture in the air form the solution called the acid spirit of sea salt or of niter, as the case might be. If the apparatus is properly arranged, the solution can be collected in a receiver. The reason why the clay is unnecessary in the production of Acid spirit of vitriol is that Vitriol contains earth enough. ... 

United States Spirits. The manufacture of distilled spirits is tightly controlled within narrow limits that are specified in reference 2. ATF regulations require that a detailed statement of the production process be submitted for approval prior to placing any process in operation. 

The concept of this process has been demonstrated for lowering or increasing the alcohol content of distilled spirits by using water vapor or ethanol vapor in the sweep stream, respectively. In either case, this vapor arbitration action combined with the inherent selectivity of the membrane resulted in virtually complete preservation of the subtle character of the beverage, but in a more concentrated form due to the lower net volume of the retentate product (Lee, 1993). Similar results may be anticipated in other volume reduction applications involving high-value volatile feedstocks. 

Grass is to hashish or charas as beer and wine are to hard liquor. As in the case of distilled spirits, some care is needed in the preparation of this strengthened Cannabis product. 

There is interest in establishing the validity of the natural origin and age of alcoholic beverages. Until recently, the methodology for this determination was elaborate and required a considerable knowledge of the chemical composition of these products. Pro (1961, 1969) used the tritium content of ethanol for age determination of distilled spirits and, thus indirectly, for determination of their origin. Obviously, a tritium-free sample was not of recent origin and could be traced as a product of the petrochemical industry. This method was elaborate and thus seldom used. 

The organisms that conduct the reaction are sensitive to the concentrations of reactants and products. Most of the yeasts that will conduct Reaction 16.A stop working when the ethanol concentration in the solution reaches 10-14% this limits the strength of beers and wines (but not of distilled spirits, which rely on distillation, Chapter 8 to get around this limitation.)... 

The most critical step for production of alcoholic spirits is fermentation. After cooling the wort to 20°C-30°C, a pure strain or a mixture of strains of distillers yeast is pitched to convert fermentable carbohydrates into ethanol, and soluble protein into fusel alcohols and a wide array of metabolites that affect the flavor, aroma, and overall acceptability of the finished distilled product. Most fermentations are carried out with Saccharomyces cereviceae pitched at a rate of approximately 0.5 kg of fresh compressed yeast/hL. Most processes are batch, although there are some modern... 

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