Subtleties of creating cognac

Cognac - a strong alcoholic beverage obtained aging cognac spirits, which, in turn, are the product of double distillation (distillation) of white wine.
Mandatory conditions of maturing cognac spirits are oak barrels, a certain temperature, and oxygen supply.

Fabrication begins with brandy, that every year the grapes harvested in October and immediately squeeze the juice out of it. Then pour it into large tanks where the fermentation process starts, which lasts up to a white wine. The wine is distilled in traditional distillation apparatus. Then the young brandy aged in barrels made of oak.
So in short looks amazing technology of flavored drink - brandy, but the process is made up of many parts, features, and time intervals.
What to start with the production of cognac


The main raw material - Ugni Blanc
To produce brandy traditionally uses the following grape varieties: Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanch and Colombard. In practice, "monopolist" is a sort of Ugni Blanc, whose share in the total harvest is about 98%. This slow-maturing variety with high acidity, high yield and resistance to diseases (in particular, to gray mold and phylloxera). The vines are planted in rows at a distance from each other by about 3 meters. This allows us to harvest using machines, thereby significantly increases productivity and reduces time of harvesting.

Harvested grapes immediately fed to the press and squeeze immediately sent to fermentation. Newspapers have used just a little crush berries, but do not wring them dry. Expressly prohibited the use of screw presses (continuous presses). Fermentation takes place in containers with a capacity of 50-200 hectoliters, while not add sugar. Less strictly controlled use of antiseptics such as sulfur dioxide and antioxidants. Is performed and wine clarification, filtration or centrifugation. And pressing, fermentation and very strictly controlled, as these two steps are crucial for the quality of future alcohol.

The resulting wine to the distillation sludge stored on yeast, where fermentation begins. Its acidity is lowered, it becomes softer and more delicate taste. Still wine, which will be fed to distillation, very dry (on average less than 1 gram of sugar per liter), contains a lot of acid and low alcohol (no more than 8-9% by volume). Fermentation of the juice occurs in approximately 3-4 weeks after harvest. The result is a young dry wine blanc de blanc (Blanc de Blanc).
Double distillation

Next comes the most important step in production of brandy - distillation (distillation). It is carried out in the next year, after the harvest, but be sure to March 31. Distillation is carried out in a special distillation apparatus, the so-called "Charentais" distillation cube (alambic charentais). Traditionally, it is made of copper, because this metal is resistant to tartaric acids. This consists of the still heated over an open fire extraction boiler (fire sources are coal or gas) boiler cap in a "bulb", and tubing bent into a "swan neck", which is then transformed into a coil passing through the cooler.

Directly distillation process consists of two stages:
• Stage 1 - is to get the base of the primary distillation of so-called crude alcohol (French première chauffe), strength of the order of 27-32%. 9 liters of wine distillation yields about 1 liter of ethyl alcohol, fairly nondescript in color and opaque. Initial distillate, called "head» (tetes), and the final "tail» (guenes) do not use, and poured as they contain many unwanted flavors.
Small producers distill wine "on the lees", that is unfiltered, thus get raw alcohol with maximum aroma and flavor components, which subsequently is transferred nature of the future of cognac.
• Stage 2 - is sending raw alcohol to a secondary distillation to obtain a high-quality base is ethyl alcohol. The second distillation requires great care and skill. It is called "Bon-shofe» (bonne chaaffe), which means "good heat". Within 12 hours of slowly and carefully re-distilled raw alcohol. As with the first distillation is stored only one "heart." It was the second fraction, strength 68-72% alcohol, is to further aging in oak barrels and is cognac.
EXCERPT BRANDY


Oak barrels
The next important step - aged brandy. Believe that it is crucial to achieve the highest degree of quality drink.

The process of aging brandy spirits for not less than 30 months, and may last up to 50 (or more) years. Spirits aged in oak barrels. Tanks should not have any metallic or other parts that may come into contact with alcohol. You can not use even the glue joints! Wood for the barrels carefully selected, paying attention to the density and porosity of the material.
Age of oaks should be 150-200 years. In general, the creation of barrels - a complex and important process and master cooper are very much appreciated. This is due to the fact that the oak - a difficult material to process, and the process of product development requires not only skill, but also patience: finished riveting, for example, it takes about five years to withstand the open air, and then you can use it. (Interestingly, the master cooper determines readiness riveting taste!).

Exposure alcohol - one of the main secrets of obtaining brandy. During soak in brandy spirits go tannins and other substances from oak. This process is controlled so that the result is a special, unique range of fragrances in the process of aging of spirits poured into new barrels have already been used, even repeatedly, old barrels.

Wood - the material sufficiently porous, leading to evaporation of alcohol. Evaporation rate depends not only on the permeability of the walls of the barrel, but also on the humidity and temperature in the cellars, located at the surface of the land or more recessed into it. In the lower, wetter parts of the cellar the evaporation rate is higher in the upper, dry - below. When the alcohol changes the content of aromatics. All processes that occur during aging, ensure the cellar master. It determines when to pour spirits from new barrels in the old, when to move out of the bottom of the barrel cellar in the top and back. It is believed that one can become a master of the cellar only a few decades of work. He learns life!

Aging process is strictly regulated and less tightly controlled. Cellars, warehouses, which is an excerpt of cognac spirits, must be separated from the street, the buildings where other spirits store. Not allowed not only storage, but even a short rooming brandy spirits to others. Otherwise, made of ethyl alcohol drink on sale should be referred to as brandy. Compliance with these (and other rules and regulations) followed by the producers themselves, and, to the reputation of brandy remained steadfast, they created the National Bureau of interprofessional cognac.

Per year of aging evaporates about 0.5% alcohol. During the 50 years of aging in barrels for beverage strength is reduced from 71% to 46%. And for the whole year in the territory, where they create a cognac evaporates to 50,000 hectoliters of alcohol. Vaporized alcohol is called "angel's" because it seems to goes to heaven. In reality, these fumes powered fungus Torulla Compniacenis, forming a gray coating on the walls of the cellars.

If brandy, according to the "cellar master" peak in its development, it is poured from barrels in glass bottles, so-called "ladies-zhony" (Fr. Dames-Jeanne), sealed and placed in the most remote place the cellars, where they can be stored for decades without changes - so-called "heavenly" place (Fr. Paradis).
Finishing touch

The last excerpt brandy spirit comes to blending, or assemblage, that is, mixing, and if its exposure is fully completed - in a special vault paradise («Paradise"). To prevent further aging drink, it is poured into a large demijohns (bon-bonnes), which are placed in a special place of storage (cellar), in the same "paradise." Alcohols are stored there, usually unique. Brandy House is traditionally called their best of beverage word Paradise.

Blending is considered the top art of making cognac. Each manufacturer is committed to providing its drinks stable quality: aroma, bouquet and taste. But Cognacs from year to year can be different. For this reason, every year have to create any drink again. Cognac is usually of ten or more brandy spirits, although there are exceptions brandies made from ethyl alcohol of only one age (vintage or millezimnye) and cognacs, containing up to 200 cognac spirits! Engaged in blending cellar master himself, who personally monitors the aging brandy spirits.

The process of establishing brandy several operations during which the drink was added (but not always) some more parts: distilled water (and after the addition of water, the mixture is again kept in barrels for at least a month), sugar syrup or molasses to mitigate the taste (for beverages, sold in France, allowed the sugar content is not more than 2%, in other countries - 3.5%), caramel (caramelized sugar) in an amount of not more than 2% to give the drink a certain color, the infusion of oak chips (chips after exposure to distilled water or alcohol solution at a temperature close to the boiling point, for a few hours - this infusion called buazazhem (boisage)) to give the drink a darker color and the "old" taste.