Grappa

["Jeff Anderman" <anderman@domain.elided>]

Grappa's great stuff, but with all of this home distillery discussion I
felt it worthwhile to jump in with a comment before anyone tries too
much at home alchemy.

 

If you ferment grape stems, seeds, squished out grapes, and whatever
else you choose to throw in, the resultant mix contains both ethanol and
methanol.  When this is distilled, to make grappa, it MUST be
fractionated to yield a drink that contains only ethanol.  This is not a
process for the amateur distiller and is probably the reason at-home
production of grappa is illegal in Italy.  

 

Now distilling wine is a different ballgame, and if I recall what I read
correctly that's what Fred did.  That's cool.  Call it brandy, call it
grappa, call it whatever you like, but because you start with a methanol
free mixture the distillate is safe.  Well, so to speak..

 

Jeff Anderman

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