Absinthe Pete Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Ok let's say you're making a brandy. Where is the placement of the copper essential? Some people say in the wash itself, some say in the vapor path. What's your opinion and why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bioviper Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Ok let's say you're making a brandy. Where is the placement of the copper essential? Some people say in the wash itself, some say in the vapor path. What's your opinion and why? vapor path so u can get proper reflux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Copperstill Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 The style of brandy are you trying to emulate in my mind will dictate this. What style are you interested in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absinthe Pete Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 The drinking kind. Last time I made brandy for washing my car it turned out alright. Just kidding. No preference it was just a general question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Morgan Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 If your referring to French Cognac style, the entire still, and condenser must be made of copper. As Cognac stills must be fired by naked flame, you get all sorts of weird (hence unique) chemical reactions occurring on the inside face of the still bottom, due to the high temperature. Copper is also used in the vapour path to fix any free sulphur, and, reacts with some of the esters being formed, again adding character. Cognac is a real chemical cocktail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Copperstill Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 If your referring to French Cognac style, the entire still, and condenser must be made of copper. As Cognac stills must be fired by naked flame, you get all sorts of weird (hence unique) chemical reactions occurring on the inside face of the still bottom, due to the high temperature. Copper is also used in the vapour path to fix any free sulphur, and, reacts with some of the esters being formed, again adding character. Cognac is a real chemical cocktail. This is a good example of why I asked. If you had said Christian Brothers your still would be entirely different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Morgan Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 This is a good example of why I asked. If you had said Christian Brothers your still would be entirely different. True, I am reffering to the strict Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) rules, who tyrannically rule Cognac production in France. Lets not forget, the French invented Bureaucrats. Bureaucracy aside, it works for them. You don't see many other countries selling Brandy for $400 bottle, sigh. Christian Brothers, in Australia they are a Catholic Monastical order of Teachers, they operate several dozen schools in Aussie. Distillation is not one of their pursuits here, officially anyway. LOL. Good, fine 'champagne' style Brandy (aka Cognac) is about 30% grape and the wine, 20% distillation technique, and 50% the oak barrel. Any raw spirit aged in the finest of French Limousine oak for 5 years will be amazing. I was privileged to work in Cognac for a year for a small family owned grower/distiller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Morgan Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Also... if your make fruit brandies (specifically stone fruit) there is strong evidence to suggest that copper stills converts the 'probably' carcinogenic by-product of distilling on the stone (Ethyl carbamate) to less noxious substances. EU docs have more on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absinthe Pete Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 Thanks, good information. I appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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