How to Make Spirits at Home in 5 Steps

Making spirits at home can seem daunting, but it’s a rewarding process that anyone can master with a little practice. This guide will take you through the essential steps to create your own spirits at home, highlighting the benefits of each step along the way.

Step 1: Gather Your Equipment and Ingredients

Before you start distilling, you'll need to gather all necessary equipment and ingredients. This includes:

• Still: The apparatus for distillation.
• Fermenter: A container for the fermentation process.
• Sanitiser: To ensure all equipment is clean.
• Fermentable Sugar (usually dextrose), Yeast, and Water: The main ingredients for your wash.

Tips:

• Ensure all your equipment is sanitised to avoid contamination.

Step 2: Prepare the Wash

The wash is the liquid mixture that contains the fermentable sugars needed for alcohol production.

• Mix Ingredients: Combine your fermentable sugar (dextrose), water, and yeast in the fermenter.
• Ferment: Allow the mixture to ferment for 1-2 weeks until the fermentation process is complete.
• Clearing: Use a clearing agent like Turbo Clear to clear your wash before transferring it to the boiler of your still

Tips:

• Keep the fermenter in a stable temperature environment to ensure proper fermentation.
• Use a hydrometer to monitor the fermentation progress.

Step 3: Distillation

Distillation is the process of heating the fermented wash to separate the alcohol from the mixture.

• Transfer the Wash: Pour the fermented wash into the still.
• Heat and Distill: Heat the still to boil off the alcohol, which is then condensed back into liquid form.

Tips:

• Monitor the temperature closely to ensure efficient distillation.
• Make sure to separate the distillate into heads, hearts, and tails, keeping the hearts for consumption.

Step 4: Cutting

Cutting is the process of separating the different parts of the distillate.

• Heads: The first part, which should be discarded due to high levels of impurities.
• Hearts: The middle part, which is the best quality and kept for consumption.
• Tails: The final part, which can contain unwanted flavors.

Tips:

• Use a tasting and smelling technique to accurately identify the different cuts.
• Be patient and careful during this process to ensure the best quality spirit.

Step 5: Bottling and Aging (Optional)

Once you’ve made the cuts, it’s time to bottle your spirit, and optionally, age it for improved flavour.

• Sanitise Bottles: Ensure all bottles are thoroughly sanitised.
• Adding the Flavour: Mix up your favourite flavoured essence as per the makers instruction into your alcohol base. We stock Still Spirits, Edwards Essences and Sam Willard's in store for you to try.
• Bottle the Spirit: Fill each bottle with the flavoured alcohol.
• Aging: Age the spirit in barrels or with wood chips if desired, to develop deeper flavours.

Tips:

• Store the bottled spirit in a cool, dark place.
• If aging, periodically taste the spirit to monitor its development.

Additional Tips

Extra Advice:

• Patience: Allow the spirit to age and develop its flavours fully for the best results.
• Experiment: Try different fermentable sugars and aging methods to find your preferred taste.

Are you ready to embark on your homebrewing journey and create your own spirits?

Whether you prefer shopping in-store or online, Strathalbyn H Hardware has everything you need to get started.

Visit us at 37 East Terrace, Strathalbyn, or browse our extensive selection online.

Want to get started? Check out the "The Definitive Guide to Making Spirits at Home" Before you invest in any equipment and when you start your homebrewing adventure we will be there to guide you along the way in-store. 

Cheers to crafting your own spirits!