istill | Long Branch NJ Distillery

Posted on March 18, 2020May 9, 2020 by Mark — 2 Comments

Step 3 – Performing the first distillation or “Stripping Run”

After fermentation is complete, we are left with a soupy, grainy solution that now contains alcohol anywhere from 8-10%, due to the yeast doing its job. This solution, or ‘distillers beer’, also referred to as a wash (when the grains are removed by straining them) is technically referred to as low wines (although we’re not sure where that came from). We choose to distill on the grains – we don’t remove them – because we feel it helps create a deeper flavor profile.

When we perform our first distillation – called a ‘Run’ – it is referred to as a stripping run, because we concentrate and strip all of the alcohol out of the wash. Different alcohols come over at different temperatures and in this run, we want to collect them all – the good, the bad and the ugly. We do this by heating up the wash between 75 and 94 celsius to concentrate and collect all the alcohol – the photo below shows 3 hoses from each of our collection valves, but we could put all of the hoses into one tank because we’re not concerned about separating alcohol in this run. In our next post you’ll see why we use the glass jars (carboys). With our iStills, the stripping run can take anywhere from 12-14 hours and produces alcohol in the range of 50-55% Alcohol By Volume (ABV), depending on the spirit we are distilling.

That’s all for now, in our next post we’ll discuss performing a ‘Finishing Run’, where we separate the alcohols collected in the Stripping Run into ‘Heads’, ‘Hearts’ and ‘Tails’.

Posted on February 19, 2020May 9, 2020 by Mark — Leave a comment

Step 2 – Fermentation before distillation

After our mash process has completed (about 4 hours), we cool it down to a temperature of ~ 25 celsius (77 Fahrenheit) in preparation for fermentation. Fermentation is the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat. In our case, we use yeast, a micro-organism that feeds on sugar in our mash and turns it into ethyl alcohol and CO2. There are many ways to add yeast to the mash (often debated among distillers) – we just sprinkle it on top and let it do its thing.

Fermentation is arguably the most crucial step in distillation because it is where the chemical process of esterification occurs and flavor molecules or ‘esters’ are created. Most of the taste (and all of the alcohol) is made during fermentation, not during distillation. There are many other factors too lengthy to discuss here that impact fermentation (yeast strains, temperature, pH, water quality/temperature), but rest assured, a bad fermentation will result in a bad spirit – especially when making taste rich spirits such as a single-malt whiskey.

When fermentation is complete, we end up with liquid referred to as ‘wash’, sometimes called a ‘bad beer’, at ~ 7-8% alcohol. The wash is what we charge our still with and begin the next step in our process…

Distillation!

Posted on February 18, 2020May 9, 2020 by Mark — Leave a comment

Step 1 – Mashing Wheat to make our vodka

Picture of a man adding malt in machinery

The term mash comes from Old English mæscan, meaning ‘to mix with hot water’. It’s the first step in the process of combining a fermentable substrate (in this case malted wheat) with hot water. Mashing is the process of combining a mix of grains– typically malted barley with supplementary grains, such as corn, rye, or wheat – known as the ‘mash bill’. In this case, our mash bill only contains malted wheat. The piece of equipment many use to perform this process is called a mashtun…we use our iStill 🙂 Check how we make our vodka.

Distillers can use a variety of raw materials such as barley, rye, corn, potatoes, rice, fruits, etc. to make a mash, depending on the spirit being distilled. What we’re actually doing is mixing milled grains and water with an agitator – not mashing – so the enzymes in the malted wheat break down the starch in the grain into sugars. By doing so, we are preparing the “mash” for the next step, which is fermentation. With our wheat, because it has been malted, we are relying on that to provide the necessary enzymes crucial to the conversion process. Many distillers need to add additional enzymes to their mash so the necessary sugars can be fermented and converted to alcohol.

Next up….fermentation

Posted on February 17, 2020May 9, 2020 by Mark — Leave a comment

Why did our New Jersey Distillery choose to make Craft Spirits with iStill?

When I started researching stills for our distillery in 2016 I spent countless hours reading about stills on and offline. One day I came across a post on the American Distillers Institute (ADI) forum where someone had asked “What ever happened to iStill?” Intrigued by the name, I read through the entire thread and learned that the founder and CEO Odin van Eijk had been working tirelessly on redesigning his stills and releasing several new products in the coming months. I attended two intensive 4-day training classes in Utah and Colorado and learned more about distilling with iStills. And we are now the proud owners of an iStill 2000 and iStill 500 (for mashing, fermenting and distilling), an iStill mini (for product development) and an iStill extractor (for extracting flavors from fruit such as lemons during distillation to make Limoncello). Below are FAQs for inquiring minds that helped us make our decision to distill our craft spirits with iStill.

Is the iStill a potstill or a column still?

Both. The iStill offers new technology that allows one and the same unit to do both pot and column runs.

Why is the iStill made out of stainless steel?

Stainless steel is chemically inert. This makes both running and cleaning the iStill very easy, without the risk of contaminating our spirits.

But isn’t copper good for flavorful spirits?

No. Copper’s only benefit is that it catalyzes sulfuric compounds that may have developed due to improper fermentation protocols. With proper fermentation protocols and control no copper is needed. Copper doesn’t add flavor, it may take bad ones away.

So, there isn’t any copper in the iStill?

Yes, there is copper in the still. To help us control sulfur, the iStill comes with a copper waffle and copper reflux capacitor. Together they offer as much copper contact as a traditional copper column.

If the stills are made out of stainless steel, how come they look – for the most part – black?

Our iStills have insulated boilers and columns. The black insulation saves 15 to 20% in energy.

Why is the boiler square? All other stills have round boilers …

The boilers of all iStills are flush square, because this results in better mixing. The wash cannot rotate with the agitator, as it does in a round boiler.

So where do you connect the pipes from the steam boiler?

We don’t. iStills do not need separate steam boilers because an integrated heating system is included.

I don’t see trays or bubble caps. How does the column work?

The column is packed with Helicon Column Packing (HCP). When liquids are returned to the column, the HCP fills up and more distillation cycles take place. Without liquid return the column functions as a potstill.

How do you manage those liquids and the number of distillation cycles?

On our production units, this is managed automatically, via the computer, the automation, and the robotization. We dial in what we want and the iStill takes care of the rest.

Automation? Doesn’t that take the “craft” out of distilling?

No. We still create our recipes and decide what flavors we make, concentrate, and harvest. The automation just makes it more efficient and reproducible, while limiting our hours behind the still.

But other distillers say you need a manual, copper still … because it is … traditional?

Sure, and so were horses and carriages 100 years ago. And some still enjoy riding them on weekends, when the sun shines. For actual day-to-day transportation, though, everybody has moved on to cars and bikes.

Now that I look at the iStill a bit closer … where is the dephlagmator?

We do not manage the iStill via cooling water. There are just too many variables to cope with, which results in poor control and different results on every run. Instead, we have a robotized valve manage liquids. Much more precise!

But how about longevity? Modern-day technology is a nice addition, I get that, but does it last?

Good question! First, do you remember how stainless steel is chemically inert? It does not rust, corrode, and oxidize away like copper does. Secondly, it is built to double specifications, meaning the size, strength, and thickness parts need to be are calculated and then doubled.

Can the iStill only make certain spirits?

No. The iStill can distill any spirit. We don’t need upgrade kits, other columns, new and different iStills for various products. We can do the whole spirit production process in one machine. It has an agitator, boiler radiator, and indirect heaters that allow us to mash, ferment and distill in the iStill.