Making Mulberry Vodka - Pictures of the process

[Nime]

Hello everyone! Kolya, the chemist i buy glassware from did a great thing for me. He invited me to his village to teach/show me how to make vodka out of fermented fruits. The fruit in question was mulberries. He knows i am involved in chemistry and extractions and knew i would appreciate this a great deal. I took some pictures of the process. It was a lot simpler than i imagined

Here it goes!

In this picture we loaded up the still pot with the fermented mulberries (fermented for about 16 days) And to my surprise he added some charcoal. He stated it was to absorb impurities. With it (not in picture) he poured in a cup of milk that came straight from the cow! (also for the same reason)

We then closed the lid of the apparatus and made an air tight seal out of flowed and grains. He said this had been done for thousands of years and works better than most sealants (such as clay or plastarin which is commonly used for this process)

Getting ready to light the fire under the still, his mother joins in the process as well

Here we are breaking up fire wood to feed the fire

And its on!

Close up of the seal

This is the outlet of the still. He tied a sting from it to ensurers the vodka falls into the contained without splashing and etc.

Now he is putting a cloth over the outlet so no insects get

More fire! More fire! Get the wood!

Here is the first distillation outcome, a bit murky.

Picture of the still

Breaking the seals

Second distillation time, he puts the murky vodka back into the still.

And its done, time to clean up, but first to cool the still down...

The clean still

A picture of the very mulberries from his yard that he used to make the vodka out of (it was tasty!)

And there it is, making vodka! Mulberry vodka that is!

The entire process took a little under 2 and a half hours and produces 4 liters of vodka.

Hope you guys enjoyed!

 

[Big Inhale]

thats pretty cool I have one of those trees in my yard

 

[obliguhl]

Very nice...and I'm happy for you making a cool new friend

 

[Infundibulum]

Man, this is so so so so amazing!

 

[endlessness]

very very nice, nime! thanks a lot for this

 

[Seven]

great pics and write up! Where is this btw?

 

[Madcap]

That is really cool. I have always been fascinated by stills. Thank you for the great pics.

 

[Nime]

Thanks everyone! It was my pleasure :d

great pics and write up! Where is this btw?

This is in the country of Armenia (eastern Europe) in a near by village from the capitol city.


It would be cool making minuscule batches from lab glassware :shock: probably wouldn't really be worth the effort though. Would be interesting though! I however think it is not legal to do such a think in America, even for personal use. Please correct me if im wrong though.

 

[Cakes]

yes, it is illegal to distill alcohol without a license in the US.

Second distillation time, he puts the murky vodka back into the still.

murkiness is result of product bubbling up into tube rather than rising by evaporation; if product level is lower then distilled liquid will be perfectly clear.

surprise he added some charcoal to absorb impurities

usually used as a filter before bottling product to pick up the small particles that cause cloudiness, it also attracts bacteria; for it to be relevant, the particles would have to be So small considering distillation gives a perfectly clear product. perhaps a fine trick for vintners to consider if they are seeking that perfect bouquet.

raw charcoal would be releasing large amounts of phosphates. not sure if that is relevant but for sure charred barrels are a required element in the curing of whisky (required by law in the US). for taste and (i think) color (for identification purposes, dating back to when they were fighting unlicensed bootleggers, shortly after abolition of prohibition).

absorb impurities...a cup of milk

wondering if this adds creaminess to taste and or beneficial fumes to brew because, although lactic acid bacteria are notorious predators on disease bacteria, it seems a short time to stage an attack in that first vat.

creamy taste makes sense since mulberry is cousin to breadfruit.

impurities

generally a key element is the pouring off of the heads and tails. they are unhealthy alcohols with a different evaporation rate from the main body.

I have one of those trees in my yard

they come in male and female. females make the berries. three different species Plus hybrids. easy to grow. more info here:

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/mulberry.html

probably wouldn't really be worth the effort though.

then maybe use your tree as a home for silkworms and you can make your own kimono.