Brandy
Latin aqua vitæ , the brandy is a product of the Distillation of an alcoholic liquid slightly produces starting from Vin, of Fruit S, Herbe or grain s. It usually indicates many alcoholic drinks such as Vodka, apple-brandy, Lambig, Aquavit, Genièvre, Abricotine or Cherry.
In the Anglo-Saxon countries S, the term brandy in general indicates only brandies produced starting from fruits or of grass, and not of grains.
The brandy was elaborate with the Moyen-âge by Alchimiste S which tried to create an elixir of long life. One a long time allotted to brandy medicinal virtues. It was still used to look after the children to the paddle of the 20th century, with the damage which one imagines.
Distillation
Distillation is the operation making it possible to evaporate alcohol then, to condense it in order to increase the proportion of alcohol in the finished product.Alcohol (ethanol) evaporates with approximately 78,5 °C, therefore at a temperature lower than the Boiling point of water (100 °C with the Atmospheric pressure normal).
However, it always occurs a partial evaporation even before the boiling point and, in addition, the water-alcohol mixture does not behave like the simple addition of the two products elements, because alcohol has strong connections with water (see Diagramme of phase and Azéotrope).
Therefore, even while remaining in lower part of 100 °C, the product of distillation always contains water. To obtain pure alcohol (100% ethanol), a distillation by means of a Réactif (Quicklime) is necessary.
In addition, the liquid contains not only one alcohol in general, but a mixture of several alcohols and others composed like the Aldéhyde S and, of course, of the compounds characteristic (generally) of the plants or (sometimes) the animal at the origin of the Moût. Some are required, others rather prejudicial in terms of taste while others are dangerous (the consumption of products of badly accomplished distillation is, in addition to the problems of Alcoolisme, a high-risk activity). For these reasons, distillation is often carried out in several times, in order to eliminate the undesirable products empirically (: fractions known as “the heads”, lightest because first arrivals in distillation and fractions known as “tails”, heaviest arrivals at the end of the distillation).
Moreover, distillation is supplemented, in the same objective, by one period of maturation which goes, there still, to let escape the lightest products and to make it possible complex reactions (often with wood) to replace the heavy elements by aromatic compounds.
See too
brandy|Brandy
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