BRANDY & IT’S PROCESSING

BRANDY
• Brandy is the spirit resulting from
distillation of a fermented,
fruit-based liquid, typically
grape wine.

•Brandy generally
contains 35%–60% alcohol
by volume and is typically
taken as an after-dinner drink.
Brandy can also be made from
fermented fruit (other
than grapes) and from pomace.
• Brandy from brandywine, derived from
Dutch brandewijn also called as
"burnt wine".

•The name is apt as most

brandies are made by
applying heat, originally from
open flames, to wine.
 HOW BRANDY IS MADE
• Brandies are easy to manufacture. A fermented liquid is boiled
at a temperature between the boiling point of ethyl alcohol and
the boiling point of water.
• Because alcohol has a lower boiling point (172°F, 78°C) than
water (212'F, 100°C), it can be boiled off while the water
portion of the wine remains in the still.
• The resulting vapors are collected and cooled.

• The cooled vapors contain most of the alcohol from the original
liquid along with some of its water.
• To drive out more of the water, always
saving the alcohol, the distillation process
can be repeated several times depending
on the alcohol content desired.

• This process is used to

produce both fine and mass-
produced brandy, though the
final products are dramatically
different.

• Heating a liquid to separate

components with different
boiling points is called heat
distillation.
• While brandies are usually made from wine or other fermented
fruit juices, it can be distilled from any liquid that contains
sugar.

• The low-boiling point liquids distilled from wine include almost all
of the alcohol, a small amount of water, and many of the wine's
organic chemicals.

• It is these chemicals that give brandy its taste and aroma.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY
 ORIGIN AND HISTORY

Back in the seventeenth century the merchants began to distil it

before setting sail

• preserve the quality of wine over a long journey by sea.

• transport more of it at one time.

• It seems the process evolved somewhat by accident (like

penicillin, Carvel ice cream, champagne and other wonders). It
was a means to save space in the ship's hold.

• Wines were boiled to reduce their volume by evaporation and

then, reconstituted with water.
• Almost every people have their own national brandy, many of
which are not made from wine:

• Grappa in Italy is made from grape skins

• Slivovitz in Poland is made from plums

• Shochu in Japan is made from rice

• It is universally acknowledged that the finest brandies are the

French cognacs that are distilled from wine.
RAW MATERIALS FOR THE
BRANDY PRODUCTION
• The raw materials used in brandy production
are liquids that contain any form of sugar.

• French brandies are made from the wine of the

Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Folle Blanche, grapes.

• However, anything that will ferment can be

distilled and turned into a brandy.

• Grapes, apples, blackberries, sugar cane, honey,

milk, rice, wheat, corn, potatoes, and rye are all
commonly fermented and distilled.
• Heat, used to warm the stills, is the other main raw
material required for brandy production.

• Grapes with less than 8% alcohol are too pale to

produce the desired aroma; those with more than 9%
possess an inadequate concentration.

• The wooden barrels, or casks, in which the cognac

ages are an essential element in the process.
• Tannin and vanillin present in the wood lend
their properties to the cognac.

• Caramel may be added to even out color

variations. Sugar syrup may be added to
sweeten and enrich less mature brandies.
• Brandy is of two types based on the distillation
process:

• FINE BRANDY-small batches in potstills and double

distillation is done.

• MASS PRODUCED BRANDY-fractional distillation in

column stills.
 FINE BRANDY

• Fine brandies are always made

in small batches using pot stills. A pot
still is simply a large pot, usually
made out of copper, with a bulbous
top.

• The pot still is heated to the point

where the fermented liquid reaches
the boiling point of alcohol.
FINE BRANDY IN POTSTILLS
 Each still holds approximately 660 gallons, or the
equivalent of 3,000 bottles.

 The kilns are heated to a temperature range between

173°F (78.3°C) and 212°F (100°C) until the alcohol
vaporizes and separates from the rest of the liquid.

The alcohol vapors, which contain a large

amount of water vapor, rise in the still into the
bulbous top.
TYPES OF BRANDY
 GRAPE BRANDY

• Grape brandy is produced by the

distillation of fermented grape juice.

• Cognac comes from the Cognac

region in France
and is double distilled using pot
stills.

• Armagnac is made from grapes

of the Armagnac region in
Southwest France.

• It is single continuous
distilled in a copper stills
and is aged in oaken casks
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS
 COGNAC

• Cognac is the best known type of Brandy in the world,

a benchmark by which most other Brandies are judged.

•The primary grapes used in making Cognac are Ugni

Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard.

•The wines made from these grapes are thin, tart, and
low in alcohol; poor characteristics for table wines, but
oddly enough, perfect for making Brandy.
DELIMITED COGNAC REGIONS

• Decree made in 1909 to protect Cognac from imitation

• Grapes should be entirely grown in the 6 sub-districts
of the delimited Cognac regions of France
• 6 areas are mentioned in the descending order of
quality determined by the chalk content of the soil
and micro-climate
• Soil with a high proportion of chalk content in these
areas produces very fine spirits
DELIMITED COGNAC REGIONS
• Grande Champagne- DOES NOT REFER TO
CHAMPAGNE REGION IN FRANCE-PLEASE NOTE
• Derived from Latin word Campania which means ‘open
country side’
• High chalk (limestone) content produces excellent quality
brandy that takes many years to mature
• Petite Champagne- Soil almost similar to Grande
Champagne, but variation in micro-climate and produces
brandy similar to GC, but matures earlier
• Borderies- Small area in north-west in Cognac. Clayey soil
and brandy produced here is mostly used for blending
• Fins Bois- Gravel soil, brandy manufactured here is heavier
and matures early and mostly used for blending
• Bons Bois- Closeness to sea and clay content of the soil
helps in broad tasting brandies. Most grapes here are used
for cheap cognac
• Bois Ordinaires- parts of this area are coastal and the soil is
sandy. It produces harsh brandy suitable for cheap blends
 LUXURY COGNACS

• Many manufacturers produce top quality cognacs

• Blend of vary old cognac, with an average of 20 years and
above as per law, they must be a minimum of 6 and ½ years
old
• They have prestigious names as VVSOP, Grand Reserve,
Vielle reserve, Cordon bleu, Cordon argent, Paradis &
Antique
 ARMAGNAC

•Armagnac is the oldest type of Brandy in

France, with documented references to
distillation dating back to the
early 15th century.

• The resulting brandy has a rustic,

assertive character and aroma
that requires additional
cask aging to mellow it out.

• World’s second best

brandy
 ARMAGNAC

• Main grape varieties

• Ugni blanc, Folle blanche, Colombard, and Baco blanc
(Baco A22)
• Delimited areas of Armagnac
• Bas-Armagnac-Finest Armagnacs produced here
• Tenareze- Armagnac produced here matures early
• Haut-Armagnac- Produces lowest quality armagnac
 POMACE BRANDY

•Pomace brandy is produced from

fermented grape pulp,seeds, and
stems that remain after the
grapes are pressed for their juice.

• After the grapes are harvested,

Winemakers give a certain
amount of grape pomace to the
regional distillery.

•The pomace is fermented and heated

to obtain an alcohol vapour,
then chilled so that the vapour
transforms into pure alcohol.
 FRUIT BRANDY

• Fruit brandies are distilled from fruits

other than grapes.

•Apple, plum, peach, cherry, raspberry,

blackberry, and apricot
are the most commonly
used fruit.

•Fruit brandy is usually

clear, 80 to 90 proof,
and usually drunk chilled
or over ice.
• Fruit brandies can be
coloured or colourless.

• Apple brandy and plum

brandy, for instance, are
normally aged in oak barrels
to add colour and
additional flavour and
aroma from the wood
itself.
PRODUCTION PROCESS
• Cognac, a type of brandy, is considered to be one of
the finest, if not the finest, of the spirits.

• Cognac is some-times called "burnt wine" because the

wine is subjected to a double heating
 FLOWSHEET FOR
BRANDYPRODUCTION
PRESSING OF GRAPES

FERMENTATION OF GRAPE JUICE

GRAPE WINE

FIRST DISTILLATION

SECOND DISTILLATION
PRODUCTION OF COGNAC

CASKING

AGEING

BLENDING

BOTTLING

LABELLING

STORAGE
 GRAPE PRESSING

• The grapes are

pressed and the
juice is allowed to
ferment
naturally.

• No sugar or sulfur
dioxide is added.
DOUBLE DISTILLATION POT
STILL
• HEARTH-SOURCE OF HEAT

• BOILER-POSITIONED OVER HEARTH

• COWL-Cu,OLIVE OR ONION SHAPED

• COOLER OR A CONDENSOR
 FIRST DISTILLATION

• In the first stage, the first distillate is obtained,

known as the ‘brouillis,’ which contains an alcohol level
of 28% to 32% volume.

• The ‘brouillis’ (which is a cloudy liquid) is obtained by

boiling the unfiltered wine, and then having the
alcoholic vapors pass through the swan neck to finally
condense when they come in contact with the cool air
in the coolant or ‘the pipe.’

• The entire first heating, or the first ‘chauffe’ lasts

between 8 and 10 hours.
 SECOND DISTILLATION
• During the second stage, the ‘brouillis’ is returned back to the
boiler for a second heating known as the ‘la bonne chauffe.’

• It is during this second heating that the eau-de-vie, or the

spirit, is finally extracted from the liquid.

• Here, the distiller performs a delicate process called

‘cutting’ by
separating the ‘heart’ from the ‘heads’ and the ‘tails.’

• During the process, the vapors that arrive first (the heads)
have too high of an alcohol content, and so they are cut off and
separated from the rest of the liquid.
• The next batch of liquid is the ‘heart,’ or a colorless liquid with a
70% alcohol per volume.

• The great task of the distiller is to keep only the heart of the
second distillation, which ensures that only the purest spirit will
be used to make Cognac.

• The ‘tails’ are then cut off as well because their alcohol content
is too small.

• Ultimately, the heads and the tails will be ‘redistilled’ in a

subsequent batch. The entire process lasts approximately 12
hours.
 WHY DOUBLE DISTILLATION IS
DONE?
• Most fine brandy makers double distill their
brandy, meaning they concentrate the alcohol twice.

• The cooled vapors contain most of the alcohol from

the original liquid along with some of its water.

• To drive out more of the water, always saving the

alcohol, the distillation process can be repeated
several times depending on the alcohol content
desired.

• It takes about 9 gal (34.1 ltrs) of wine to make

I gal (3.8 1 ltrs) of brandy.
• After the first distillation, which takes about eight
hours, 3,500 gal (13,249.1 ltrs) of wine have been
converted to about 1,200 gal (4,542.1 ltrs) of
concentrated liquid (not yet brandy) with an alcohol
content of 26-32%. This is called Brouillis

• The French limit the second distillation (la bonne

chauffe) to batches of 660 gal (2,498.1 ltrs).
• The product of the second distillation has an
alcohol content of around 72%.

• The higher the alcohol content the more neutral

(tasteless) the brandy will be.

• The lower the alcohol content, the more of the

underlying flavors will remain in the brandy, but
there is a much greater chance that off flavors will
also make their way into the final product.
 MASS PRODUCED BRANDY

Mass-produced brandies are made via fractional distillation in

column stills.

Column stills are sometimes called continuous stills as raw

material is continuously poured into the top while the final
product and wastes continuously come out of the side and
bottom.
COLUMN STILLS
• It is made up of 3 parts : the boiler, the column which
is referred to as the exhausting column which has 12
or 15 plates and the concentrating column which is
usually made up of 8 plates.

• The cider enters the first column through the top.

• It then passes downwards from plate to plate.

• Due to the heat, the more volatile compounds (water
and esters) evaporate.

• The water vapour given off from the cider moves

upwards and is enriched as it bubbles through the
cider with the volatile compounds : alcohol, esters and
flavours.
• It is then concentrated in the smallest column which
produces brandy directly at 72% maximum.

• The column still must be fitted with 3 valves which

enable the separation of the "heads" and "tails" and it
must have a maximum flow rate of 250 hl of cider
per 24 hours.
CASKING
• After distillation, it is immediately placed in a
cask containing about 500 liters (over 100
gallons).

• It is kept in these casks until it is ready for

sale.

• Care must be taken in all cases, however, not

to use a cask which is moldy or decayed in any
way .
• Generally speaking, the brandy is first stored in
newer casks for periods between one and two years.

• The amount of time is dependent on the level of

tannin that is desired.

• Tannin is strongest in new oak, so the brandy must

possess enough character to absorb large amounts of
tannin
 AGEING

• Maturing is very important for a good Cognac, the slow ageing

in oak casks.

• An eau-de-vie can only become Cognac after it has slowly

matured in oak casks.

• The used wood for those barrels is selected because of

its ability to transfer certain aromas to the spirit.

• The contact between oak and spirit gives the nice

colour and aroma
THE TANNIN-BASED SUBSTANCES IN THE WOOD GIVE
IT ITS NATURAL COLOUR AND, THROUGH
CONTINUAL REACTIONS BETWEEN THE YOUNG
BRANDY AND THE WOOD, COMBINED WITH THE
OXIDATING EFFECT OF THE AIR IN THE CELLARS,
THE COGNAC ACQUIRES ALL OF ITS FRAGRANCE
AND FULLNESS.
• Cognac will lose some of its alcoholic content due to
evaporation (about 3%).

• This evaporation leaves a dark hallow over the

walls of the cellar, which has been dubbed The
Angels’ Share.
 BLENDING

•The last step in the process

truly determines a particular
Cognac’s ultimate taste,
aroma, body, and even label.

•It is at this point that

the Master Blender, or the
person with a wealth of
experience in charge
of the maturing process,
determines which Cognacs
will
be mixed in order to create the
ultimate flavor.
WHEN DOES BLENDING TAKE PLACE?

•When the distillate is at least three years old ,it is pumped

from the vats,assessed and classified according to
fullness,balance,softness of taste and intensity of flavor.
 BOTTLING AND LABELLING

•Pot stilled brandies are

bottled at a minimum
alcohol strength of 38% .

•Blended brandies
intended for exports
are bottled at 40%
alcohol strength.

•The bottles in which

cognac is packaged
are a source of
great pride to each
company.
 LABELLING SYSTEMS

A Cognac described as Napoléon is equal to an XO in terms of age.

However, a Napoleon Cognac is usually marketed as an in-between
category of VSOP and XO.
LABELLING SYSTEMS
 STORAGE
Brandy should be stored at room
temperature.

Theoretically once bottled the product

should not undergo any changes.

However once opened ,it is advisable

for it to be consumed within sixmonths
as the exposure of the liquid to the
atmosphere can introduce subtle
changes to the aroma and taste.
 QUALITY CONTROL

• The quality control process for fine brandies involves trained

tasters with years of experience sampling brandy.

• A large cognac house might have 10,000 barrels of brandy in its

cellars, each of which must be tasted annually.

• The tasters usually "taste" each of the barrels at least once a

year to assess how it is aging and to evaluate it for its blending
qualities.

• Brandies that pick up off-flavors during distillation are

discarded.
 DOES OLDER BRANDY TASTE
BETTER THAN NEWER
BRANDY?
• Generally, older brandy does taste better than young
brandy because the harsh alcohol edges have been
rounded off, producing a more mellow, rich, caramel,
and vanilla like flavor.

• For this reason some of the really old brandies and

cognacs can sell for hundreds of dollars a bottle.
• distilled spirits do not spoil, they also do not age.
When you hear about "20 year old scotch" that means
it was aged in a cask or barrel 20 years before
bottling.

• They will age in a barrel or cask, but once bottled

they are done.

• Liquers have probably separated and the sugar

crystallized, the brandy will be the same as a bottle
of the same purchased today.
 CONCLUSION

•Each country, each region

and even each distillery
strives to achieve a
unique style.

•The better the brandy,

the stronger the benefits.

•The different varieties

and flavors, make brandy
definitely worth a taste.
 REFERENCE

• http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Cognac.html#ixzz0z85Ru39d

• http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=DISTILLATION+OF+BRANDY
&meta=&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai
=

• http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=52680757

• http://scholar.google.co.in/scholar?hl=en&q=BRANDY%20RESEARCH%2
0ARTICLES&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=ws

• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/brandy.aspx

• http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/BOS_BRI/BRANDY.html

• http://www.foodreference.com/html/cfoodbeveragenews.html
Cognac_pot_still_DSC04032.JPG
a spirit safe (i.e. padlocked apparatus at
the end of the pot still enabling the distiller
to cut off the "heads" and "tails" of
distillation; it is padlocked for excise
reasons)
• Previous to distilling, the process of brewing and
fermentation are necessary.

• The distiller, however, need not take the precautions

of the brewer or wine-maker in moderating his
fermentations so as to secure the good flavor and
keeping qualities of the product.

• His object is to get as thorough a fermentation, and

therefore as much alcohol, as possible. Hence large
quantities of yeast are used.