Alcohol distillation is an integral component of spirit creation, and distillers play a pivotal role. Distilling works on the theory that most of a fermented wash (the liquid that contains water and alcohol after fermentation) lacks flavor; but 75% contains organic chemical compounds like alcohols, aldehydes, acids, esters etc – known collectively as congeners – which give spirits their flavor. Distillers isolate these congeners by heating the liquid so it vaporizes before being collected by condensers before being collected by a condenser before producing pure distillate with no unwanted components such as water content or unwanted components like water content present.
However, how a distiller chooses the appropriate vapors can have a great impact on a spirit’s final flavors, which is where various stills (pot or column) differ significantly. Harold McGee elaborates: in a pot still, congeners are selected by time while in a column still it’s position that determines who gets selected first.”
As the vapor travels upwards in a distillation column, each ascending plate provides a surface which compels some molecules to evaporate and drip back down while others stick around and flow into the condenser – this determines both purity and proof; higher reflux ratios result in purer products while requiring additional energy for distillation.