RECOMMENDATIONS AND TIPS

Consists of:
• first distillations
• repeated distillations.
The main goal of the first distillation is to separate the desirable from the undesirable things. By heating the hook by evaporation, the steam passes into the pipe and further into the cooler where it is cooled and condensed (liquefied). Heat slowly so that the distillation is not abrupt and the distillate begins to come out slowly. This is achieved by reducing the heating before the fruit pomace starts to boil. The temperature of 70 ° C to 80 ° C is reached quickly and then heated very slowly. This is very important to give the alcohol, and especially the individual aromas, enough time to evaporate. The first distillate has a high alcohol concentration of 40 to 60 vol. %, and then it is increasingly diluted. It is considered that the distillation of the crude distillate is completed when the alcohol content in the crude distillate does not exceed 2-3 vol. %. In order to expel the whole amount of alcohol from the hook, ie. the alcohol content in the hook dropped to zero, it would be necessary to spend a lot of time and energy, and this is not worth it in practice.
Repeated distillation (complex roasting, second distillation)
The purpose of repeated distillation is to improve the quality of the raw distillate and increase the concentration of alcohol. Quality improvement is achieved by separating the ingredients from the raw distillate with an unpleasant odor and taste and by separating the desired aromatic items from the undesirable ones. Separation of things is carried out by fractional distillation, ie. by separating the distillate into the first stream, the middle stream, and the last stream. Most undesirable substances are in the first and last stream.

By carrying out the one-time distillation procedure, it is desired to obtain drinking brandy by single distillation, ie. without the need to conduct a second distillation.
One-time distillation of fruit pomace is applied as a rule in two cases:
• when distillation devices having distillation boosting devices are available.
• when you want to prepare brandy from less valuable raw materials (fruit of lower quality) using simple (classic) distillation devices.
The pot stills of simple (classic) distillation devices should be filled with a fruit hook up to two-thirds or at most up to 70% of the still, and with fruit hooks that is strongly foaming up to one half. If the foam accidentally gets into the pipe or even into the cooler itself, it is necessary to rinse both the pipe and the cooler well. In some cases, when the fruit hook is thick and the distillation is carried out in a single-walled still, it is necessary to dilute such a hook with water.
During one-time distillation, the hook should be heated so that the distillation proceeds slowly. Most of the undesirable things are in the first flow. Therefore, it is necessary to separate the first stream from the middle (second) stream. The first stream should be set aside so much that it contains about 5% of the total amount of alcohol in the fruit hook. The amount of the first stream depends a lot on the quality of the fruit hook. It is estimated that the first stream accounts for 5-8% of the total distillate. It is considered that when the strength of the medium flow drops in plum or cherry brandy to about 50 vol. % alcohol, and in the case of apple and pear brandy at about 45 vol. % alcohol, that it is then necessary to stop catching the middle stream and the last stream begins to catch in the second vessel. The strength of the total amount of mean flow is at the end about 45 to 60 vol. % alcohol.

Konjak is a strong alcoholic beverage produced by distilling wine and aging wine distillate. The quality of brandy is influenced by the following factors: the grape variety, climate, soil, method of growing vines, protection of vines, method of processing vines into wine, method of wine distillation, and method of maturation (aging) of wine distillate. Early and muscat varieties that produce wines are not suitable for brandy. Varieties that ripen later, without a pronounced odor or with a barely noticeable smell, are suitable for this production, which, along with a large yield, give grapes poor in sugar and rich in acids. Grapes produced in a temperate climate, where they can ripen normally, are best for brandy. The highest quality wine for brandy is obtained from grapes from limestone soil, then from stone and clay. Wine for distillation, from white varieties, should be light - yellowish, and from black varieties, light pink. The aroma of brandy mostly depends on the oak from which the barrels are made and the year of its age. When a distillate is obtained from wine, it has a pungent and pungent odor. If brandy stays longer in the oak barrels, it will be more drinkable, more harmonious, and softer the taste will be, and it will be of better quality. Experts say that it is best that the oak for the barrels is more than 40 or even better 80 years old.
The grapes must be technologically ripe, but not overripe. The most objective measure of grape quality is the ratio of sugars and acids. Sugar should be in the range of 14 to 18%, and the total acidity above 8 g / l. The "discreet aroma" of grapes is also desirable. Grape yields should not be high, but not too low. Oxidation of ascorbic acid occurs in the transition grapes, and ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is the custodian of the aromatic substances of the wine that passes into the distillate.
Mulching - the stalk should be removed by scraping, and alcoholic fermentation should not take place on the com-masul, so that the tannins do not exceed 0.2 g / l. For high-quality brandy, distillation must follow immediately after the first flow of wine.
First, by distilling wine, a raw wine distillate with a strong 25-32 vol.% alcohol is obtained, which is then redistilled, and distillate with an average strength of 60 to 72 vol.% alcohol is obtained. During redistillation, the firstborn is separated in the amount of 1 to 1.5% of the volume of distillate in the boiler, and the molasses fraction is separated from the moment when the volume of distillate at the outlet of the refrigerator drops to 45 to 40 vol.%. When similar distillation apparatuses are equipped with a reflux condenser, the distillation of the required strength can be obtained by direct distillation of wine. With modern distillation apparatus, continuous operation, if you have reflux condensers and correction columns, the technologist can influence the quantity and quality of impurities in the distillate.
The new wine distillate is placed in a new oak barrel, previously washed with superheated steam and cold water, in order to extract the excess harsh ingredients. The distillate remains in the new barrel until it acquires a golden yellow color and the required amount of tannin and lignin substances, and then it is transferred to the old barrel where it remains until the aging process is completed. These processes are very complex and slow, and they change both the primary ingredients of the distillate and the secondary ingredients that originate from the oak. More important changes occur under the influence of air oxygen in the presence of activators and catalysts, as well as due to the interaction of all present components.

Pear fruit contains 8-15 % of sugar, very little acid (0,10-0,59 %), but it contains a lot of aromatic substances.
Processing of fruits into brandy includes several stages:
1. Fruit harvest
2. Washing
3. Storage,
4. Mulching,
5. Hook preparation,
6. Boiling,
7. Distillation and aging,
8. Maturation and storage.

Only ripe and undamaged fruits are picked. The harvest of pear fruits for the production of high-quality brandy is usually done by hand. After picking, the next step is sorting. For the highest quality brandy choose healthy and clean fruits. If there are greens, put them in a crate to ripen and then put them in barrels. All fruits should be washed and dried. Washing the fruits removes impurities, and if they are not removed, they can adversely affect the boiling and spoilage of the hook. It is recommended that the pears stand for two or three weeks before being placed in the barrel.
After 10 to 20 days, the willow should be soft and yellow, if the stalks are easily pulled out, this gold is ready for processing. Clean any place that is rotten or completely overripe and darkened by oxidation. You should also remove the stalks from it and, if you are able, clean it of seeds, but in such a way that you do not remove other parts around it except the seeds. Pears from which the stalk can’t be removed should be left to ripen.
Fruit mulching is done only if there is a need for it or if the pear fruits are not soft enough. If the mass you get is quite thick, you are free to add water but do not overdo it, so as not to get diluted brandy. The water you add should be more warm than cold.
The alcoholic fermentation of pear mash, must not be too violent. Otherwise, there would be a significant loss of pleasant smell and the production of brandy with a much weaker aroma. Therefore, the fermentation point must not exceed 18 ° C. It is very important that the fermentation is balanced and the mash must be stirred every day.
The fermentation is over when 0% of the sugar is measured. Distillation of fermented crushed pears should be done as soon as possible because the refined aroma can be preserved only by fast processing. If you are not able to distill immediately, the fermentation should be hermetically sealed and not opened until the brandy is roasted.
Distillation on simple apparatus got raw soft brandy with an ethanol concentration of 20-25% v / v. This brandy can be concentrated and purified by its distillation (rectification) on the same apparatus. The rectification is performed very carefully and more easily, with the obligatory separation of fractions. When the hook was high quality and perfectly prepared, the first fraction - is separated in the amount of 1-1.5% of the volume of brandy that is rectified. The required amount of the first extract is more precisely determined by rectification, if when it is felt that it has pre-distilled most of the most volatile ingredients such as acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate, which are sharp in smell and rough in taste. The first fraction has about 75% v / v ethanol.
The middle or main fraction "heart" is accepted evenly during the flow of distillate when the concentration of ethanol gradually decreases permanently. The moment of transition from the capture of the "heart" to the acceptance of the molasses fraction is determined mainly by the concentration of ethanol at the outlet of the cooler. In this rectification of soft brandy, it should not be lower than 45% v / v, noting that the distillate that comes out has not started to become cloudy. The transition to the molasses should be before the appearance of distilling of the distillate and the appearance of bluish-sour-bitter taste impressions. The middle fraction should be 55-58% v / v. Distillation is continued by capturing the molasses until the ethanol is depleted from the body of the apparatus, practically when the concentration of distillate at the outlet drops to 1-2%, if when there is no more than 0.05% v / v ethanol in the body of the apparatus. While the molasses is distilled, the heating should be stronger to complete the ethanol depletion more quickly. To partially save energy, water, and labor in recent years, and for the distillation of mash, devices have used that work intermittently, but which have additives for amplification and purification of ethanol, so one distillation produces a distillate of appropriate strength. Apparatus with the intermittent operation for the one-time distillation of modern construction, usually have additional parts above the cauldron, a shorter column with 3-6 floors, and a suitable defragmator.
It is desirable that the brandy is aged in stainless steel or glass jars (colorless) or oak barrels whose ingredients eventually turn into brandy and refine. Reducing the brandy to the desired strength should be done in several rounds and not immediately after the distillation. The reduction is performed with distilled water, usually up to 40-45% vol, using tables (dest. H2O = V x (A - B) / B. V - the amount of distillate to be diluted, A - the strength of the distillate to be diluted, B - desired strength of distillate). In order for brandy to reach its full potential, it needs to lie for at least 6 months to a year for colorless, and brandy in wood for several years.

The technology of processing plums into brandy includes the following operations:
1. Harvest plums
2. Mulching the plum and separating the stone
3. Alcoholic fermentation of plum hook
4. Distillation of boiled plum hook
5. Aging and finalization of plum brandy

Plum harvesting can be done with special devices that work on a mechanical or hydraulic principle. Plums should be left to ripen on the branch as long as possible, and after picking they should also be left to mature until they shrivel. In this way, the highest percentage of sugar is achieved, and it ranges up to 15 percent for plums.
Individual producers often put whole plums in a boiling vessel. Alcoholic fermentation (boiling) of whole plum fruits is quite slow. If the plum fruits are crushed, the alcoholic fermentation starts earlier and ends in a shorter time. Mulching can be done with a roller with rollers that are also used for mulching grapes, provided that the rollers are slightly apart and coated with rubber. If a grinder with plastic rollers is used, then it is enough to spread them apart so that the plum is just crushed and the stones remain undamaged. If there are conditions for separating the pits, they must be removed from the hook. If the stone remains in the hook, care should be taken not to break more than 5%, otherwise, the brandy will have more hydrocyanic acid, which gives the taste and smell to the stone, and in some cases even an unpleasantly bitter taste.
The hook is stored in a dark and moderately warm place (15-20ºC) so that the plum fermentation process is done gradually. The most important for the fermentation process are fruit sugar or sucrose, fructose, vitamins, and various acids. The fermentation process is caused by yeast, which is actually a single-celled organism from the fungus family. The role of yeast in fermentation is to convert all sugar from plums into alcohol and to perform this process completely, ie to convert all sugar into ethyl alcohol without undesirable by-products, as well as to provide the necessary aromas of hook which later contribute to the taste and smell plum brandy. Regarding the duration of alcoholic fermentation, the influence is primarily due to the following factors: temperature, sugar content in the plum fruit, mode of boiling (open or closed), whether yeast is added or not, the degree of fruit mulching, etc.
The filling of the plum fermentation vessels should be done at once and completed within 24 hours at the latest. Filling at longer intervals is very dangerous, as it can cause pickling and even the best-harvested plums. It is not good to keep hardened plums in open containers because under the influence of oxygen from the air, conditions are created for the work of vinegar bacteria, and the upper part of the pomace will become acidic and perish. It is necessary to connect the dishes well with covered nylons and make an opening for carbon dioxide to come out of the fermented hook. For better, faster, and safer fermentation, it is recommended to add 30 grams of selected yeast per 100 kg of crushed plums. Violent fermentation of plums, in accordance with the weather, usually lasts 12-14 days. It is necessary to mix once or twice a week.
Distillation must be performed infractions. When cooling with water, the cooler must be warm in the upper third, lukewarm in the middle, and cold in the lower part. Distillation is performed infractions, which means that three fractions should be separated: the first fraction, the middle fraction - heart, and the last fraction - duck. When a thin stream of brandy flows from the refrigerator, it is the first, and it contains a large percentage of easily volatile components, which spoil the smell of brandy and therefore must be separated in the amount of 0.3-0.6% of the pomace in the boiler (3 dl to 6 dl per 100 l of chimney). After the first one, the largest part of the middle distillate is caught, with which we get soft plum brandy to the strength we want (28-38%). When the strength of the distillate at the outlet of the refrigerator drops to about 10% - 15% alcohol, the last fraction, molasses, is further captured, until the alcohol in the distillate drops to 2% -3%. The fraction of the firstborn and the molasses are mixed and finally distilled together or separately, with the separation of the firstborn and the molasses again. The brandy thus obtained is usually of poorer quality. It is a very bad practice to put duck and firstborn in the hook of the next boiler because the quality of plum brandy is seriously damaged. It makes no sense to pour what we once separated as bad into the boiler once more and separate again.
During the process of aging and maturing of fresh distillate, a series of reactions occur, which lead to the formation of a unique aroma of fruit brandy, which as such is ready for consumption. Plum brandies are best matured in wooden barrels made of oak, mulberry, walnut, acacia, or ash. The choice of wood also gives the appropriate color of the distillates themselves, so the oak gives olive green, walnut amber yellow, mulberry amber, acacia yellow. The aromas that are created mostly depend on the type of wood from which the dishes were made, and the dishes made of oak have the most favorable effect on brandy.