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How to Make Vodka

Vodka is a neutral spirit that is without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color  [1]. These

 properties are developed during the distillation process or by treating crudely distilled spirits

with activated carbon or other materials. Finely distilled vodka may also be further purified and

refined by treatment with activated carbon and other materials. Vodka is usually not aged and

can be made from grains, potatoes, sugars, fruits, and just about anything else that can be

fermented to produce alcohol. This makes vodka an economical spirit that can be made easily in

a short amount of time from readily available materials

Vodka is sold everywhere in the world and many commercials are being made to help selling

Vodka. Don’t trust the commercials because the best alcohol is made of rye. Of course, you canuse potatoes, wheat, beets. You can also use some kinds of berries and add some buckwheat, oats

or barley to make good alcohol. However, you can also use everything that would ferment. For 

example, even corn leaves can ferment. This alcohol won’t be as good, because the alcohol thathas been made of rye has very good taste properties and it has lesser essential oils. Besides, you

have lesser headaches if you drink good alcohol made of rye.

Producing Vodka is difficult. If you want to get soft Vodka, you should use soft water from the

 beginning when you make it. Good producers of Vodka pay a lot of attention to their water choice because it affects the quality of their product. They usually take water from the rivers

high in the mountains or from natural springs. The water that was taken from there is very clean.

There is another important aspect of a highly qualified alcohol production. It is the malt. In themiddle Ages, the rye malt was being used for this purpose, and later they started using beer malt.

 Nowadays specially grown and clean cultures of the trembling are being used.

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The preparation of alcohol starts with preparation of the fermenting mixture by mixing the

components in needed proportions. Then using a special machine, they distil the alcohol.

Steps

1. Get or make a still.

Vodka is a distilled, highly refined product. It is usually distilled with a column (reflux) still, but

 pot stills can also be used. Column stills produce purer alcohol because they essentially redistill

the alcohol in a single pass, and therefore further purification with a carbon filter (activated

carbon) may not be needed. The distilled vodka can be redistilled additional times to produce a

very pure product. Pot stills produce a crude product that contains flavor and aroma compounds

that will need to be removed by treatment with a carbon filter and/or by additional distillations

 Column still used for vodka production

Column stills are more complex and sophisticated than pot stills. They can can be purchased or,

depending on the still design, built using readily available materials. However, column stills and

 pot stills work in a relatively similar manner. It is important to understand that cooling water is

usually circulated through a sealed compartment in the distillation column, causing the vaporized

alcohol and other substances to condense in the column. This means that such a still must be

attached directly to a faucet or a mechanical pump to move water from a supply into the still

must be used. If not recirculating water from a single supply, thousands of gallons of water may

 be used to make a small batch of vodka. If water is recirculated from a central reservoir using a

 pump, about fifty gallons of water can be used, but the water will heat up and become less

effective. See Sources and Citations below for detailed, high-quality instructions for the

construction and use of column stills.

 Pot still with coiled tubing in cooling tank 

Simple pot stills are akin to pressure cookers that are attached to piping or tubing. They can be

constructed very easily and cheaply. Unlike column stills that are essentially vertical columns,

 pot stills may utilize bent or coiled tubing or piping that can be submersed in a vessel of cooling

water. Pumps and large volumes of cooling water are not required, but can be used. See Sources

and Citations below for detailed, high-quality instructions for the construction of pot stills.

2. Choose the medium to be fermented and distilled.

Vodka is commonly made from wheat, rye, barley, corn, and potatoes. Sugar and molasses can

also be used alone or added to other ingredients. Rogue distilling makes an innovative vodka

from Pinot Noir red wine. Whatever you choose, it must be (or have been) fermented by yeast so

that alcohol is ultimately produced. When making vodka from grains and potatoes, a mash must

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 be made that contains active enzymes that break down the starches from the grains or potatoes

and makes fermentable sugars. Fruit juice already contains sugars so starch-degrading enzymes

are not needed. As with fruit juice, vodka made from store-bought sugars need only be

fermented, thus bypassing the need for a mash. When already fermented mediums such as wine

are used, the medium can be distilled right away into vodka.

3. Formulate a mash.

A mash is necessary when using grains or other sources of starch such as potatoes that need to

 be converted into fermentable sugars. There are some basic principles to consider:Grains and

 potatoes are sources of starch. Starch must be broken down into sugars that can be fermented by

yeast and converted into alcohol

Malted whole grains such as malted barley and wheat are rich in natural enzymes that break 

down starches into fermentable sugars. The enzymes can act on the starch when the malted

grains are cracked open with a mill and added to a certain amount of hot water that is held at a

specific temperature for a certain amount of time. Milled, malted grains can be used alone, as

they contain starch, or added to a starchy, enzyme-poor mash. The enzymes from the grain will

 break down the starches into sugars. It is also important to choose malted grains that are high in

enzymes so that more starch can be broken down. Wheat malt is higher in enzymes than barley

malt, and lighter-colored barley malt is higher in enzymes than dark-colored (highly kilned)

 barley malt. In fact, highly kilned barley malt may contain no enzymes. Also, the variety of 

 barley that is referred to as six-row is higher in enzymes than the 2-row variety.

Food-grade amylase enzyme powder can be purchased from a homebrew shop and added to the

mash to convert the starch into fermentable sugars. Use the recommended amount for the amount

of starch to be broken down. There is no need to use malted, enzyme-rich grains such as malted barley or wheat when using enzyme powder.

For enzymes to be able to break down starches, even the starches of malted, enzyme-rich grain,

the starches must first be gelatinized. Flaked (rolled) grains are often already gelatinized.

Ungelatinized ingredients such as potatoes and unrolled or malted grains are heated in water to

the gelatinization temperature of the particular starch that is used. Potatoes are usually boiled to

gelatinize the starch before adding crushed malted grains or other sources of enzymes. However,

the gelatinization temperature of potatoes is actually about 150F, and barley and wheat gelatinize

well at about the same temperature, so a potato mash should only need to be heated to 150F.

However, if a low temperature is used with potatoes, they should be finely shredded before

adding them to the water.

Starch-degrading enzymes only work at specific temperatures and are destroyed at high

temperatures. A temperature of 150F is common, but temperatures above 158F will result in the

destruction of the enzymes. The absolute maximum temperature is 165F, and while enzymes will

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work for a period of time at this temperature and it can be used, much of the enzymes will be

destroyed rather rapidly.

Refined sugar and molasses may be used solely or added to starchy mashes to add additional

fermentable material.

4. Make the mash.

There are many possible mash recipes, and specific recipes will be easier depending on the

availability of specific ingredients in your area. These basic recipes ultimately result in about

five gallons of fermented, distillable liquid. Wheat mash recipe: in a 10 gallon metal pot with lid,

heat 6 gallons of tap water to about 165F. Add two gallons of dry, flaked wheat and stir. Check 

the temperature and ensure that it is between 150F and 155F. Stir in one gallon of crushed wheat

malt. The temperature should be about 149F. Cover and let rest for 90 minutes to two hours,

stirring occasionally. The starches should convert into fermentable sugars during this time, and

the mixture should become much less viscous. banana After 90 minutes to two hours, cool the

mixture to 80 to 85F. Use an immersion chiller for rapid cooling or just let it cool overnight, but

don’t let it get much below 80F.

Potato mash recipe: clean 20 pounds of potatoes. Without peeling, boil them in a large kettle

until gelatinized, about one hour. Discard the water and thoroughly mash the potatoes by hand or 

with a food processor. Return the mashed potatoes to the kettle and add five to six gallons of tap

water. Mix to blend and bring mixture to just over 150F. Add two pounds of crushed, malted

 barley or wheat and stir well. Cover and stir periodically over the course of two hours. Let cool

overnight to 80 to 85F (letting it cool for a long period of time also gives the barley malt

enzymes more time to break down the potato starch).

Corn mash recipe: make a mash as with the wheat mash recipe, but substitute flaked, pre-

gelatinized corn (maize) for the flaked wheat. Alternatively, sprout your own corn over thecourse of three days and make a mash from it without added malted grain. A root about two

inches long should sprout from each grain. The sprouted corn will contain enzymes that were

formed during the germination (sprouting) process.

5. Prepare the fermentable medium.

Fermentation is conducted in clean, sanitized vessels that are open or sealed from the air and

lasts for three to five days. Fermentation is also possible in vessels that haven't been cleaned or 

sanitized, and the distilled product will yield drinkable alcohol, but the fermentation may result

in a high level of unwanted flavor compounds and higher alcohols due to the action of unwanted

yeast stains and bacteria. Oxidative cleaners such as B-Brite are available at homebrew shops, asare sanitizers such as iodophore. Five gallon batches of strained mash can be fermented in a 7.5

gallon food-grade bucket or in 6 gallon carboys. Lids can be affixed to buckets and drilled rubber 

stoppers to carboys, but when using a lid or a stopper, never seal the vessel completely, as

  pressure from carbon dioxide production will create explosive pressure. Therefore, affix an

airlock to lids and drilled rubber stoppers. The airlock will allow CO2 to escape but won’t let air 

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in. When fermentation is conducted in open vessels, put a cheesecloth over the vessel to keep out

 bugs and other undesirable things.

If a mash was made, strain the liquid with a fine mesh strainer from the mash into a cleaned and

sanitized fermentation vessel. Try to splash the liquid and pour it from a distance so that it is well

aerated. Yeast needs air (oxygen) initially to grow and start a quality fermentation. This is because yeast makes cellular material in the form of lipids from oxygen. However, oxygen is not

desired after this initial growth stage, as yeast produces alcohol in the absence of oxygen.

 As an alternative, ferment the mash without straining. However, the fermented mash should still

 be aerated in some manner, possibly with an aquarium air pump and an aeration stone. The mash

will also need to be strained before it is added to the still, and it may be more convenient to

ferment the smaller volume that results from a strained mash, as the fermenting mash may

overflow the vessel.

If a sugar solution is to be used, prepare a solution as described in Make Alcohol from Common 

Table Sugar. Also aerate by pouring from a distance into the fermentation vessel

If juice is to be fermented, aerate by pouring from a height through a sieve or strainer into the

fermentation vessel.

6. Add yeast to to the fermentable medium.

Hydrate the appropriate amount of dried distillers or other desired yeast and add it to the liquid.

Stir with a clean, sanitized spoon to evenly disperse the yeast. If using an airlock, the airlock will

 bubble during active fermentation, and the bubbling will slow dramatically or cease altogether as

the liquid becomes completely fermented. Keep the fermenting liquid in a room that is about 80

to 85F to facilitate good, efficient fermentation, or use a heating belt in cold areas.

Distillers yeast will ferment cleanly, produce a high amount of alcohol (ethanol), and produce a

relatively low amount of unwanted compounds such as alcohols other than ethanol. The amount

of yeast used will depend on the specific brand or type of yeast used. Nutrients may be included

with the yeast in the yeast packet. Yeast nutrients are needed when fermenting a medium that is

low in nutrients, such as sugar solutions, but they can also improve fermentations when usedwith nutrient-rich mediums such as those made from grains.

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7. Collect the fermented liquid (the wash).

Siphon off the fermented, alcoholic liquid (called the wash) into a cleaned and sanitized vessel or 

into the distillation apparatus. Leave the yeast sediment behind in the fermentation vessel, as it

can scorch when heated in the still. The siphoned wash may also be further clarified by filtration

or other means before distillation.

8. Distill the wash.

Before using a still, consider how stills work. They are used to heat the fermented, alcoholic

wash to a temperature that is greater than the boiling point of alcohol, yet less than the boiling

 point of water. In this way, the alcohol is removed from the bulk of the water, but a certain

amount of water as well as other substances will be distilled along with the alcohol. The

vaporized alcohol along with the vaporized water and other substances condense inside a

column, pipe or tube that is attached to the vessel that contains the fermented medium. External

cooling in the form of cold water is applied to the column, pipe or tubing, causing the vaporized

alcohol and other substances to cool and condense back into liquid. This alcoholic liquid is

collected and becomes vodka.

Heat the wash in the still to begin the distillation process. Depending on the type of still used, gas

 burners, wood fires, or electric hot plates can be used. A temperature of about 173F at sea level

is desirable, and the temperature must be kept below the boiling point of water (212F at sea

level). As the wash becomes heated, alcohol and other substances will become vaporized and

condense in the water-cooled area of the still. The first distilled liquid (called the “heads”) that is

recovered from the still will be rich in harmful methanol. For five gallons of wash, discard at

least the first 2 ounces of distillate [2]. After this is discarded, the collected distillate will contain

the desired alcohol (ethanol) plus water and some other compounds. This is the “body”. During

this time, if using a column still with flowing cold water, the water flow can be adjusted to

control the distillate output and purity. Try to shoot for two or three teaspoons of distillate per 

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minute. Increased distillate output results in decreased purity. Towards the end of the distillation

 process, the “tailings” are collected. The tailings may be undesirable and can be discarded.

9. Check the alcohol content and purity of the distillate .

Cool a sample of the distillate to 68F and use a alcoholmeter to measure the percentage of 

alcohol of the distillate. The distillate may be too dilute to serve as acceptable vodka (weaker 

than 40 percent alcohol), or may be more concentrated than desired (perhaps higher than 50

 percent alcohol). Vodka is usually diluted before bottling, so the distillate can have a very high

alcohol content. The distillate may also be too flavorful and aromatic and require additional

distillations or carbon filtering.

10. Redistill the distillate if necessary or desired.

This increases the alcohol content an further purifies the distillate. It is common to redistill the

distillate three or more times to achieve vodka that has a high purity.

11. Treat with a carbon filter (activated carbon) if necessary.

Pass the distillate through a carbon filter, such as those available at homebrewing shops, to

remove unwanted volatile flavors and aromas. Carbon water filters can also be modified to

 purify the distillate.

12. Dilute the vodka to the desired strength.

Add purified water to the distillate to attain the desired alcohol percentage. Use an alcoholmeter 

to measure the alcohol percentage.

13. Bottle the vodka.

Fill bottles using a gravity bottle filler setup and cork or cap the bottles. Label the bottles with

custom labels if desired. Some gravity fillers may consist of a 7.5 gallon bottling bucket (with

spigot), vinyl tubing, and a simple spring-loaded plastic bottle filler. Multiple-spout wine bottle

fillers can also be use.

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