The Practical Distiller by Samuel McHarry (best book recommendations TXT) 📕

the flue till it passes to the chimney from the flue; then fill the still with water, and put a flow fire under her to dry the work. When the wall begins to dry, lay on a coat of mortar, (such as the next receipt directs), about two inches thick, when this begins to dry, lay a white coat of lime and sand-mortar, smoothing well with a trowel; rubbing it constantly and pressing it severely with the trowel to prevent it from cracking.

There are many modes of setting stills and bringing the fire up by flues variously constructed, but I have found the foregoing plan to afford as great a saving of fuel, and bringing the still to a boil as early as any other.

ART. II.

How to prevent the Plastering round Stills from cracking.

This method of making water proof plastering on stills, is done entirely in making the mortar, and putting it on, in making which, good clay and lime are absolutely necessary.

When the mortar for the first coat is thoroughly worked, put as much brock of rye straw into it, as can be worked in, so that when the coat is put on, it may have a greater appearance of straw than mortar, when dry, and covered with the second coat composed of lime mortar, well rubbed and pressed with the trowel until it be dry. A covering put on of those materials, will be found to continue firm and compact without cracking, as in the common mode.

The best method of boiling two, three or more Stills or Kettles with one fire or furnace.

This method has been found to answer in some instances, and may perhaps do generally if properly managed. I will here give the result of my own experiments.

I set a singling still holding 180 gallons on a furnace of 18 by 14 inches, and 4 feet six inches long, with the bottom to the fire, she had a common head and worm with scrapers and chains in her. I extended the flue, (or after passing it round her), to the doubling still which it likewise went round—but to prevent too much heat from passing to the doubling still, I fixed a shutter in the flue of the singling still, immediately above the intersection of the flue of the doubling still, to turn all the heat round her, and another shutter in the flue of the doubling still at the intersection of the flue of the singling still, to shut the heat off from the doubling still if necessary.

With this fixture I run six hogsheads off in every twenty four hours and doubled the same, with the same heat and fire. I likewise had a boiler under which I kept another fire, which two fires consumed about three cords and an half of wood per week, distilling at the rate of sixty-five bushels of grain per week, and making about one hundred and ninety gallons in the same time.

Before I adopted this method I kept four fires agoing, and made about the same quantity of whiskey, consuming about four and an half cords of wood per week, and was obliged to have the assistance of an additional distiller per week.

I have since heard of the adoption of this plan with more success than I experienced.

ART. III. To set a doubling Still.

As spirits can hardly be burned or singed in a doubling still, if not before done in singling, all the precaution necessary is to set them in the best method for saving fuel, and preserving the still. The instructions given for setting a singling still, is presumed to be adequate to setting a doubling still.

How to prevent the singling Still from burning.

If the singling still be well set, and is carefully greased with a piece of bacon, tallow or hard soap, every time she is filled, she will seldom burn, but if she does burn or singe notwithstanding these precautions, it will be advisable to take her down and set her up a new ten times, rather than have her burned.

SECTION VII.

ARTICLE I. How to clarify Whiskey, &c.

Take any vessel of convenient size, take one end out and make it clean, by scalding or otherwise; bore the bottom full of holes, a quarter of an inch in diameter—lay thereon three folds of flannel, over which spread ground maple charcoal and burnt brick-dust, made to the consistence of mortar, with whiskey, about two inches thick, pour your whiskey or brandy thereon, and let it filter thro' the charcoal, flannel, &c. after which you will find the spirit to have scarcely any taste or smell of whiskey.—Elevate the filtering cask so as to leave room to place a vessel to receive the spirit under it.

ART. II. How to make a Brandy resembling French Brandy, from Rye Whiskey or Apple Brandy.

Clarify the whiskey as the above receipt directs, after thus purifying, add one third or one fourth of French brandy, and it will be then found strongly to resemble the French brandy in taste and smell—and if kept a few years, will be found more salutary and healthful than French brandy alone. This mode of clarifying rids the spirit of any unpleasant flavour received in the process of distillation or from bad materials, and moreover, from all those vicious, poisonous properties contracted in the still or worm from copper; such as foetid oil from the malt, which frequently unites with the verdigris, and combines so effectually with whiskey, that it may possible require a frequent repetition of this mode of clarifying, to rid it completely of any unpleasant taste or property contracted as above stated.

ART. III. How to make a Spirit resemble Jamaica Spirit out of Rye Whiskey.

This is done precisely in the manner laid down in the receipt for French brandy.

ART. IV. How to make a resemblance of Holland Gin out of Rye Whiskey.

Put clarified whiskey, with an equal quantity of water, into your doubling still, together with a sufficient quantity of juniper berries, prepared; take a pound of unflacked lime, immerse it in three pints of water, stir it well—then let it stand three hours, until the lime sinks to the bottom, then pour off the clear lime water, with which boil half an ounce of isinglass cut small, until the latter is dissolved—then pour it into your doubling still with a handful of hops, and a handful of common salt, put on the head and set her a running; when she begins to run, take the first half gallon (which is not so good), and reserve it for the next still you fill—as the first shot generally contains something that will give an unpleasant taste and colour to the gin. When it looses proof at the worm, take the keg away that contains the gin, and bring it down to a proper strength with rain water, which must previously have been prepared, by having been evaporated and condensed in the doubling still and cooling tub.

This gin when fined, and two years old, will be equal, if not superior to Holland gin.

The isinglass, lime water and salt, helps to refine it in the still, and the juniper berries gives the flavor or taste of Holland gin.

About thirteen pounds of good berries, are sufficient for one barrel.

Be careful to let the gin as it runs from the worm, pass thro' a flannel cloth, which will prevent many unpleasant particles from passing into the liquor, which are contracted in the condensation, and the overjuice imbibed in its passage thro' the worm.

ART. V.

The best method of making common country Gin.

Take of singlings a sufficient quantity to fill the doubling still, put therein ten or twelve pounds of juniper berries, with one shovel full of ashes, and two ounces alum—put on the bead, and run her off, as is done in making whiskey. This is the common mode of making country gin; but is in this state little superior to whiskey, save as to smell and flavor.

It is therefore in my mind, that the mode of clarifying, prescribed, ought to be pursued in all distilleries, so far as necessary to make a sufficient quantity of good spirit for any market convenient—the supply of respectable neighbors, who may prefer giving a trifle more per gallon, than for common stuff and for domestic use. And moreover, I think the distiller will meet a generous price for such clarified, and pure spirit, as he may send to a large mercantile town for sale—as brewers and others, frequently desire such for mixing, brewing, making brandies in the French and Spanish mode, and spirits after the Jamaica custom. And after the establishment of a filtering tub or hopper, prepared as before described, with holes, flannel or woollen cloth, and plenty of maple charcoal, and burnt brick-dust, a distiller may always find leisure to attend to the filtration; indeed it will be found as simple and easy, as the process for making ley from ashes in the country for soap. But I would suggest that spirit prepared and clarified in this way, should be put into the sweetest and perfectly pure casks.

New barrels will most certainly impart color, and perhaps some taste, which would injure the sale, if intended for a commercial town market, and for brewing, or mixing with spirits, from which it is to receive its flavor.

For my own use, I would put this spirit into a nice sweet cask, and to each barrel I would add a pint of regularly, and well browned wheat, not burned but roasted as much as coffee.

The taste of peach brandy may be imparted to it by a quantity of peach stone kernels, dried, pounded and stirred into the cask; in this way, those who are fond of the peach brandy flavor, may drink it without becoming subject to the pernicious consequences that arise from the constant use of peach brandy. Peach brandy, unless cleansed of its gross and cloying properties, or is suffered to acquire some years of age, has a cloying effect on the stomach, which it vitiates, by destroying the effect of the salival and gastric juices, which have an effect on aliment, similar to that of yeast on bread, and by its singular properties prevents those juices from the performance of their usual functions in the fermentation of the food taken into the stomach—producing acid and acrimonious matter, which in warm climates generates fevers and agues. Apple brandy has not quite a similar but equally pernicious effect, which age generally removes—indeed, age renders it a very fine liquor, and when diluted with water, makes a very happy beverage, gives life and animation to the digesting powers, and rarely leaves the stomach heavy, languid and cloyed. Then both those, (indeed, all liquors,) ought to be avoided when new, by persons of delicate habit, and those who do not exercise freely. A severe exercise and rough life, generally enables the stomach to digest the most coarse food, by liquor, however new.

On fining Liquors.

Isinglass is almost universally used in fining liquors. Take about half an ounce to the barrel—beat it fine with a hammer, lay it in a convenient vessel, pour thereon two gallons whiskey, or a like quantity of the liquor you are about to fine, let it soak two or three days, or till it becomes soft enough to mix—then stir it effectually, and add the white and shells of half a dozen eggs—beat them up together and pour them into the cask that is to be fined, then stir it in the cask, bung it slightly, after standing three or four