How cognac is made. Modern technology for the production of cognac from wine at home

the site visited the legendary cellars of "ArArAta"

Of course, it is impossible to officially call Armenian cognac cognac. Like any other cognac, oh sorry, brandy, not produced in the French region of Charente. As early as 1909, the French government issued a decree giving the exclusive right to the name "cognac" only to those producers who use grapes grown within the officially established boundaries of the wine-growing region.

However, in the late 90s, Boris Yeltsin visited France and signed an agreement thanks to which we can still call cognac from Armenia, Moldova, Georgia in the domestic market of the CIS - cognac (in Cyrillic writing). Armenian cognac "ArArAt" is known and popular primarily in the post-Soviet space. “We import the products of the Yerevan Brandy Company to many countries, but the top 5 main consumers are Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Duty Free shops and Belarus,” confirms the director of the factory, Ara Grigoryan.

In 2009 alone, 1.7 million liters of cognac were delivered to our country from Armenia, and 2.4 million liters were sold, taking into account the stocks previously stored in Russia. The observer visited the factory to find out how and from what the Armenian cognac, which is so popular in Russia, is made.

Most main secret cognac - blend

Yerevan Brandy Factory (YBC) dates back to 1887. The first vintage cognac "Fin Champagne Selected", created by Mkrtych Musiyants in 1902, was awarded an honorary diploma and a bronze medal at an exhibition in Bordeaux in 1907.

There are many legends around Armenian cognac. One of them says that in 1943, at one of the meetings, Stalin offered Winston Churchill a glass of Armenian Dvin cognac. And after that, the British Prime Minister became a fan of the drink. It is known that Churchill daily drank a bottle of 50-degree cognac "Dvin". One day, the prime minister discovered that Dvin had lost its former taste. On occasion, he expressed his dissatisfaction with Stalin. It turned out that the chief technologist of the YBC, Markar Sedrakyan, who was involved in the blending of Dvin, was exiled to Siberia. He was returned, reinstated in the party. Churchill began to receive his beloved Dvin again, and Sedrakyan was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. By the way, all the main "recipes" of cognacs, the so-called blends, were created by Markar Sedrakyan.

The secrets of mixing alcohols of different aging periods for the birth of real cognac are not disclosed at the factory. After Sedrakyan, only 6 “cognac makers” worked at the plant, and secrets were passed almost “by word of mouth”.

On the picture: master blender EKZ Philippe Thiebaud

The pursuit of quality comes to paranoia

But first things first. Cognac starts with grapes. YBC takes grapes only from Armenian farmers and helps them in every way to grow a good harvest. “In Armenia, grapes are a social policy. We help our farmers, we grow these grapes together with them,” said Ara Grigoryan. - When the new season starts, we send our agronomists to the vineyards to help them. At one of the plants, we even have a model vineyard. On 0.5 hectare we show exactly how to grow grapes. We don't compromise on quality, so we try to convey that to farmers as well."

“You know, our pursuit of quality comes to paranoia,” export manager Ashot Barseghyan laughs. - Vegetation period - 2 weeks. At this time, 3 branches in Armenia work 24 hours a day. Every farmer knows up to the hour when he has to pick and deliver the grapes. And acceptance, laboratory tests and sending for primary extraction now take 4 minutes. Any delay is a deterioration in quality.”

Angels drink more than Ukrainians

The primary distillation of spirits takes place at 3 plants. Already purified alcohol is supplied to the workshops of Yerevan. And the most interesting thing begins - exposure. Spirits are placed in oak barrels, where they gain aroma to become truly cognac spirits.

When you enter the aging workshop, the first thing you feel is the smell. Alcohols evaporate constantly, it smells of cognac, cognac and once again cognac. “People who work in the aging shop never get sick and live long. And they always have good mood. Especially in summer, when the amount of evaporation is the highest,” the YBC guide Kristina Ishkhanyan smiles slyly.

The workshop we visited has 4 floors. Each has a different temperature and humidity. This is done so that the alcohols are as saturated as possible. They are regularly distilled through glass pipes to different levels and kept in different conditions.

Arman Manukyan, who is in charge of the alcohol aging shop at YBC, says that his “farm” has about 12,000 barrels, with a displacement of 275 to 600 liters. Years of production - from 1962 to 2009. Everything is labeled and computerized. “There are two barcodes on each barrel. Reading them, I can see on the computer the amount of spirits of this year or a similar quality. Each alcohol has a potential: the potential to become the basis of some kind of blend or enter into this or that cognac. For example, 30-year-old alcohol can become the basis for a blend of 20-year-old cognac, Arman said. “Everything is accountable for us - where and how much alcohol is spent.”

Only the “share of angels” cannot be accountable - this is the name for alcohol that evaporates from barrels during the aging process. The same alcohol, thanks to which YBC employees are always in a good mood.

On average, about 4% of alcohol is released from barrels into the air per year. But Arman and his colleagues are trying to keep the “angel share” to a minimum. The maximum evaporation over 12 years of Manukyan's work at YBC was about 3%. In terms of liters, this is 180,000. “In 3 years, we deliver to Ukraine as much as the “angels” take in a “share” in a year,” Arman laughs.

Read the continuation of the story tomorrow in the LifeStyle section on

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Cognac - quite famous alcoholic drink. In this article I will tell you what cognac is made of, how it is made, where this strong alcoholic drink comes from and what is the connection between cognac and brandy.

Cognac is a strong alcoholic drink that is made from certain grape varieties using a special technology in the Charente region, France.

The name of the alcoholic drink was named after the city of Cognac (Cognac), Poitou - Charente region, Charente department, France. The appearance of this strong alcoholic drink is connected with the surroundings and the city of Cognac itself.

Cognac is a traditional French drink.

What do cognac and brandy have in common?

Spirits from other countries, as well as drinks produced in France outside the Charente region, even if they are obtained by distillation of grape wines produced in the Poitou-Charente region, do not have the right to be called cognac on the international market, such drinks are usually called brandy.

Russian cognac is made from cognac distillates obtained by fractionated distillation of table wine material made from Vitis vinifera grapes and aged in contact with oak wood for at least three years.

What is real French cognac made of and how

The main grape variety from which cognac is produced is the white trebbiano grape (ugni blanc). Ugni blanc is a slow maturing variety with high acidity, high yield and resistance to diseases (particularly botrytis and phylloxera).

white trebbiano grapes

In addition to ugni blanc, Folle blanche, Colombard and Montil varieties are grown and used in the production of cognac. They produce spirits that are more fragrant and rich in taste than ugni blanc, but are very difficult to grow. Harvesting on farms usually takes place in October.

Immediately after harvesting, the grape juice is pressed. When squeezing juice, horizontal pneumatic presses are traditionally used, which do not crush the pits of the berries. The squeezed grape juice is then sent for fermentation.

Use of screw presses and addition (or chaptalization) during fermentation prohibited by law.

Like the entire production process, pressing and fermentation are carefully controlled, as they play a decisive role in the final quality of cognac spirit. Fermentation lasts about three weeks, after which wines with high acidity and containing 9% alcohol are sent for distillation.

fermented distillation process grape wine takes place in the traditional "Charentes alembic", consisting of heated on open fire an extraction boiler (fire sources are coal or gas), an onion-shaped boiler hood, and a tube curved in the form of a swan neck, which is further transformed into a coil passing through the cooler.

Still for cognac

The distillation process itself consists of two stages:

1. Obtaining the primary base distillate, the so-called raw alcohol, with a strength of 27-32%. Small producers distill wine "on the lees", that is, without filtering, thereby obtaining raw alcohol with the maximum amount of aromatic and flavor components, which is subsequently transferred to the character of the future cognac.
2. Sending raw alcohol for secondary distillation to obtain a basic high-quality cognac spirit. In the second stage of distillation, the experience and skill of the “master of distillation” is fully revealed, which is responsible for the correct selection of the first, second and third distillate fractions. It is the second fraction, with a strength of 68-72% alcohol, that goes for further aging in oak barrels and becomes cognac.

Why is cognac aged in oak barrels?

Cognac spirit, to be called cognac, must be aged in oak barrels for at least two years. The maximum age of cognac aging is not limited, but, as practice shows, cognac aging in a barrel for more than 70 years no longer affects its character, and the changes that occur to it are insignificant.

Cellar with oak barrels

Barrels for cognac aging are made of oak, due to its strength, fine-grained structure and high extractive qualities. Cognac barrels, ranging in volume from 270 to 450 liters, are still made by hand from oak trunks growing in the forests of Tronceu and Limousin, at least 80 years old.

Barrel of cognac 1961

The Tronceuin oak is characterized by a coarse-grained, soft-tanned structure, while the Limousin oak is characterized by a medium-grained, hard and high-tannined structure.

In the manufacture of barrels, they are fired from the inside to soften the structure of the tree, thereby increasing its extractive qualities. There are several levels of barrel firing, depending on the needs of the manufacturer. After firing, the inner surface of the barrel is covered with a layer of burnt sugar - glucose, modified under the influence of temperature, located in the structure of the tree. After filling the barrels with the future brandy, they are placed in the cellar for subsequent aging or “ripening”.

Cognac aging

During the first years of aging, the properties of brandy alcohol change, extraction of tannins extracted from wood, lignin, reducing sugars, and to a lesser extent - amino acids, lipids, volatile acids and oils, resins, and enzymes. Cognac alcohol acquires a golden color and is filled with woody vanilla aromas.

Over time, cognac becomes darker in color, softer and rounder, many shades appear in aroma and taste, including notes of flowers, fruits and spices.

The natural humidity of the cellar also has a great influence on the future cognac:

• the lower the humidity in the cellar, the more structural the cognac becomes,
• the higher the humidity of the cellar, the softer and rounder the brandy becomes over the years.

During the aging process, a significant part of the alcohol evaporates through the pores of the tree - otherwise it is called the "angels' share". Angels' Share is the equivalent of over twenty million bottles a year. Interestingly, these "losses" serve as a breeding ground for microscopic fungi that cover the walls of the cellar, giving them a characteristic black color.

If the cognac reaches its peak in its development, it is poured from barrels into glass bottles, the so-called "ladies", clogged and placed in the most remote place of the cellar, called the "paradise" place, where they can be stored for decades without changes.

In most cases, cognac is obtained by mixing cognac spirits of different aging years. At the same time, the exposure of the final product is determined by the minimum exposure time of all components. In the mass production of cognac, mixing allows you to maintain its same organoleptic properties, regardless of the quality of the grape harvest.

There are also cognacs with an indication of a specific age of exposure and an indication of the year of harvest. The production of cognacs indicating the year of harvest, or vintage, is under the special control of the "National Interprofessional Bureau of Cognacs".

On sale most often you can find the following cognacs by aging period:

• V.S. (Very Special), Selection, de Luxe, Trois Etoiles - at least 2 years;
• Superior - at least 3 years;
• V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale), V.O. (Very Old), Vieux, Reserve - at least 4 years;
• V.V.S.O.P. (Very Very Superior Old Pale), Grande Reserve - at least 5 years;
• X.O. (Extra Old), Extra, Napoleon, Royal, Tres Vieux, Vieille Reserve Braastad - at least 6 years.

XO cognac

Now, if you drink cognac, you will know that the basis of cognac is grapes, and brandy is the same cognac, but not produced in a specific region of France.

10 interesting facts about cognac:

Cognac is a strong alcoholic drink of amber-golden color, which has a complex aroma with hints of vanilla and a mild harmonious taste, obtained by distillation of dry grape wine, followed by aging in contact with oak wood from 3 to 20 years or more.

For the first time, cognac began to be produced in France in the city of Cognac (Charentes department), from where it got its name. If the production of wine originated in ancient times, then cognac began to be produced at the end of the 17th century. In the second half of the XV century. was made alembic, on which wines were distilled in order to avoid their spoilage, he received the name Charentes.

Initially, a single distillation was used to obtain alcohols with a strength of 26-28% by volume, then they began to re-distill these alcohols with an increase in their strength to 60-65% by volume.

French wine merchants sent ships with fresh alcohol to England, the Scandinavian countries along the Charente River and to the commercial port of La Rochelle.

In 1701 the war between France and England broke out. As a result of the war, all sea routes were closed. A significant part of the distilled alcohol was stored in barrels. It was found that alcohol, aged for some time in oak barrels, acquires an amber-golden color, its strength decreases and the aroma and taste noticeably improve.

A significant part of the Charente wines was used for distillation, naturally, ways were sought to improve distillation, as a result of which in 1801 the distillation apparatus was improved, the selection of cognac spirit fractions began to be used.

The largest firms producing French cognacs are "Martel", "Camus", "Courvoisier".

The main grape varieties for cognac production are Colombard and Fol white.

In Russia, distillation has been carried out for more than 200 years. At the end of the XVIII century. Kizlyarka grape vodka was already known, but this vodka was not aged. In the 19th century such vodka was produced in Ukraine, in the Transcaucasus, and Moldova.

However, cognac production with a certain technology of distillation and aging of spirits arose in our country in 1888, when the industrialist D. Sarajishvili installed the first cognac apparatus. Almost simultaneously, the construction of the first factories for the distillation of wine materials for cognac spirit began in the places where grapes grow in Kizlyar, Yerevan, Chisinau, Calarasi. However, recently found archival materials prove that the first cognac in Russia was obtained in Georgia in 1865 in the city of Kutaisi.

The main areas of cognac production in the USSR are the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Moldavian SSR, the Georgian SSR, the Armenian SSR, the Azerbaijan SSR and the republics of Central Asia, in which certain high-yielding cognac grape varieties are selected.

Depending on the age and quality of the spirits that go into the cognac blend, they can be classified into the following groups: ordinary, vintage, collection.

Ordinary cognacs are made from cognac spirits aged from 3 to 5 years.

Vintage cognacs are made from aged cognac spirits of an average age of at least 6 years. They are divided by age into the following groups: aged cognac KB - prepared from aged spirits of middle age from 6 to 7 years; aged cognac of the highest quality KVVK - prepared from aged cognac spirits of middle age from 8 to 10 years; cognac old KS - is prepared from aged cognac spirits of average age of 10 years and above. Vintage cognacs are produced in separate wine-growing regions from high-quality cognac spirits obtained from European grape varieties and aged for the prescribed time only in oak barrels.

Separate brandies are produced only in specific areas with the preservation of specific features from year to year.

Collection cognacs are made from vintage cognacs aged for at least 5 years in oak barrels or bottles.

Technology of cognac wine materials

The main technological operations of cognac production are the preparation of cognac wine materials, the production of cognac spirits, their aging and blending. The raw materials for the production of cognacs are cognac wine materials, which are made from white, pink and red varieties of zoned grapes according to the technology adopted for white table wines. High-quality cognacs can not be obtained from all grape varieties, therefore, by experience and on the basis of scientific research, high-yielding grape varieties that are most suitable for each wine-growing region have been identified.

For the addition of the bouquet and taste of cognac, the aromatic substances of grapes, turning into wine material and cognac alcohol, are of particular importance. The best accumulation of aromatic substances in the grape berry is achieved with the technological maturity of the grapes. The aroma should be low-intensity, but subtle and soft, with light floral-fruity tones. In this regard, spirits from muscat, isabella and table grape varieties are unsuitable for producing cognac, as they give them atypical tones.

Cognac wine materials are prepared at primary wineries. Only healthy grapes with a sugar content of at least 14 g/100 cm 3 and a titratable acidity of 8 to 10 g/dm 3 are allowed for processing. There are various technological schemes for the production of cognac wine materials.

Grapes for cognac wine materials are processed on flow-mechanized lines VPL-20K, VPL-30EZ, VPL-50.

For the preparation of cognac wine materials, it is allowed to use from 1 ton of grapes no more than 60 decalitres of free must and I pressure. They are equalized and sent to the sludge. The remaining press fractions are sent as raw materials for the preparation of vacuum wort. Clarification of the equalized wort is carried out by centrifugation, filtration on frame filters or pre-cooled to a temperature of 8-10 ° C and kept for 6-8 hours.

Reducing the amount of suspensions in the must has a positive effect on the quality of cognac wine materials, since less methyl alcohol is formed during fermentation.

The clarified wort is fermented in a stream. Pure races of yeast are not used in cognac production, since they produce a small amount of higher alcohols, enanthic ether and form more sulfur dioxide.

Alcoholic fermentation is carried out at a temperature of 16-25°C on wild races of yeast contained on the surface of the berry. High or low fermentation temperatures result in incomplete fermentation of sugar or loss of alcohol and flavor. Unkindness in cognac production is unacceptable, since in the absence of sulfur dioxide they are easily subject to microbiological diseases and, moreover, when boiling the wine material, they give it extraneous tones. In the production of cognac wine materials, the use of SO2 is prohibited, since during distillation, thioesters are formed in wine, which have a sharp unpleasant and almost irremovable odor. As a result of the oxidation of sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid appears in the still, causing corrosion of distillation apparatuses, and when cognac alcohol is kept in the presence of SO2, the oxidizing processes of its other constituent substances, especially products extracted from oak wood, are delayed. Storage of cognac wine materials is carried out in large reinforced concrete or metal containers, preferably under a cushion of inert gases. Cognac wine materials are sent for distillation not fully clarified, with a yeast content of up to 2%. This ensures the transition of enanth ether, which takes part in the composition of the bouquet of cognac, into cognac alcohol.

The best terms for distillation of cognac wine materials are from 15-20 days after fermentation until May of the year following the winemaking season.

Science and practice have made it possible to establish certain requirements for cognac wine materials. The quality of cognac spirit is directly dependent on the composition and composition of cognac wine materials. Distillation concentrates the components of the original wine materials, for this reason diseased and vicious sulphated wine materials are not allowed to be distilled.

Cognac wine materials must meet the following requirements:

The color for wine materials from white grape varieties is light or golden straw with a greenish tint; for red varieties - pink or flesh; aroma and taste are clean, varietal, without extraneous tones. Such requirements for cognac wine materials are dictated by the quality indicators of cognac spirit and cognac.

Cognac wine materials that do not meet the above requirements are rejected and are not used for the production of cognac spirits.

Theoretical foundations of distillation

Distillation is a complex physical and chemical process in which the constituent parts of a liquid are separated by turning them into vapors, followed by condensation. Such a separation is possible only if the liquids that make up the mixture have different vapor pressures. The result is a liquid whose composition differs from that of the original mixture. During distillation, a complete or partial separation of the mixture into its constituent components occurs. Simple distillation and rectification are known.

Simple distillation is the separation of a mixture of volatile substances containing impurities of non-volatile and non-volatile substances. In this case, partial separation of the components may occur. In cognac production, with a simple distillation, raw alcohol is obtained from wine with a strength of 23-32% vol. and waste liquid.

Rectification is a distillation with a more complete separation of mixtures of volatile liquids, which is accompanied by the interaction of rising vapors with phlegm flowing towards them.

Partial distillation is observed on columns, which provide a significant strengthening of the distillate. In these apparatuses, repeatedly repeated simple distillation is carried out, which makes it possible to directly obtain enriched distillate - cognac alcohol in a fairly pure form from a solution of low concentration.

In any distillation, the content of the volatile component in the vapor depends on its concentration in the distilled liquid.

"A vapor in equilibrium with a solution always contains in excess of the liquid that component, the addition of which at a constant temperature increases the total vapor pressure.

The vapor pressure of alcohol at any temperature is much higher than that of water vapor, i.e., the alcohol content in the vapor is greater than in the evaporating liquid. The boiling point of mixtures of alcohol and water depends on their quantitative ratio. Since the boiling point of water is 100 ° C, and pure ethyl alcohol is 78.3 ° C, as the strength in the cube decreases, the boiling point of the wine material will increase and reach 100 ° C by the end of the distillation.

Alcohol evaporates more easily than water, and the resulting distillate contains more alcohol.

By lowering the boiling point below 33 ° C under reduced pressure, anhydrous alcohol can be obtained. On vat apparatus, the strengthening of the distillate is insignificant and the strength of cognac alcohol cannot be higher than 22-35% vol.

Distillation with reflux, i.e., with partial separation of vapors into a liquid part of a lower strength (phlegm), aims to increase the concentration of alcohol in vapors and thereby the strength of the distillate.

The reflux process is accompanied by an increase in the strength of alcohol vapors leaving the reflux condensers.

The relationship between alcohol content in liquid and vapor can be expressed by the following formula:

The coefficient y for all cases of distillation is 0.0104, and the coefficient a - the reflux coefficient varies depending on the design of the reflux condenser. The lower the reflux ratio, the higher the strengthening ratio for any alcohol content in the distilled liquid.

Depending on the boiling point, all volatile impurities can be divided into two groups: low-boiling and high-boiling.

Low-boiling impurities are characterized by a lower boiling point than ethyl alcohol (78.3 ° C), and high-boiling impurities have a higher boiling point (Table 34).

The amount of low-boiling impurities is insignificant, it varies depending on the composition of the distilled wine and the method of distillation.

Upon receipt of rectified alcohol, they strive to completely purify it from volatile impurities. In the production of cognac spirit, on the contrary, measures are taken to retain some of these impurities (in the middle distillate), since they give the spirits their characteristic aroma and taste when aged.

The purification of alcohol from volatile substances-impurities are different evaporation coefficients.

K a = y a / x a for alcohol;

K p \u003d y p / x p for an impurity.

The evaporation coefficient shows the degree of strengthening of alcohol or impurities during a simple single distillation (for alcohol, it is also called the strengthening coefficient).

The evaporation coefficient cannot give a complete picture of the separation of impurities from alcohol and its content in the distillate.

To determine the degree of purification of ethyl alcohol from its impurities during distillation, it is necessary to compare the evaporation coefficient of one of the impurities contained in raw alcohol with the evaporation coefficient of ethyl alcohol K a. The ratio of these coefficients is called the rectification coefficient K "n:

K p \u003d K p / K a.

If the distillate contains more impurities than the distilled liquid, the rectification coefficient will be greater than one. This means that impurities evaporate faster than ethyl alcohol and pass into the head fraction.

If the rectification coefficient is equal to one, the distillation is not accompanied by purification, then the impurity is of an intermediate nature, i.e. the impurity content in the distillate remains unchanged.

When the rectification coefficient is less than one, the impurities are tail impurities.

The use of evaporation and rectification coefficients of impurities makes it possible to analyze the operation of distillation plants and determine, depending on the alcohol content in the distilled liquid, the conditions for the accumulation of volatile substances in distillates.

The coefficients of rectification of some volatile impurities are given in table. 35.

These rectification coefficients are valid for a certain impurity in the case when a ternary system is considered in the solution: ethyl alcohol-water-impurity, and the latter is only one. The presence of many impurities has a significant effect on the rectification coefficient of an individual impurity. The solubility of an impurity in ethyl alcohol and water-alcohol solutions of different concentrations, as well as the solubility of various impurities among themselves, definitely affect the results of distillation.

During the distillation of wine or raw alcohol, along with the content of volatile substances in them, the compounds formed during the distillation itself are also distilled off.

Prolonged boiling of wine material or raw alcohol (8-10 hours) in the cube of the distillation apparatus contributes to the passage complex processes resulting in the formation of new products. They pass into the distillate and have a significant impact on the quality of cognac spirit.

During the boiling of wine in a cube, the formation of aldehydes, alcohols, acids, esters, volatile phenols and other compounds occurs. Depending on the composition of the distilled wine material, the increase in aldehydes can be 3-60%, volatile esters - 5-30, higher alcohols - 0-3, volatile acids - 0-1%. The intensity of the passage of redox processes is affected by the temperature of the wine in the cube and oxygen. Oxidation of alcohols leads to the formation of aldehydes - acetic, isobutyl, isoamyl, benzyl, β-phenylethyl.

The presence of pentose, methylpentose, hexose in wine ensures the appearance of furfural, methylfurfural, hydroxymethylfurfural.

During distillation, acetic ethyl ester is formed in small quantities. The low pH value contributes to a large accumulation of esters and their transition into the distillate. The duration of distillation and the material of the distillation cube have a significant influence on the neoformation of substances. Copper and iron cubes contribute to a more intensive formation of aldehydes, esters than apparatuses tinned with silver or tin.

According to the accepted rules for the production of cognacs in the USSR, freshly distilled cognac spirit must meet the requirements specified below in terms of physicochemical and organoleptic indicators.

Raw cognac alcohol must also comply with GOST and have a pure wine aroma, slightly opalescent color, with light fusel and soapy tones in taste. The content of ethyl alcohol 23-32% vol.

Distillation equipment

For the production of cognac spirits traditional composition and quality in our country use different devices.

Intermittent device. Charente-type double-distillation apparatuses (UPKS) are mainly used to produce spirits for vintage cognacs according to the scheme shown in fig. 63.

Cognac spirits are produced on Charente-type apparatuses in two stages: first, wine materials are distilled into raw cognac alcohol with a strength of 23-32% by volume, then it is distilled with separation into the head, middle (cognac spirit) and tail fractions. The UPKS double distillation unit (Fig. 64) consists of a distillation cube 1 with a ball dephlegmator 2, a heater 5, a refrigerator 4, an alcohol lamp 5 and two alcohol collectors 6.

In addition to these main parts, the unit is equipped with a safety valve, an air vent, a steam trap and related communications. The installation is made of copper. The working capacity of the cube is up to 80 dal. A flat-spiral coil is fixed at the bottom of the cube.

The reflux condenser serves for additional strengthening of alcohol vapors due to their partial condensation and return of phlegm to the cube in the amount of 1-1.2 l/h. The heater is used for preliminary heating of wine materials or raw alcohol to 60-80 °C. Its capacity is equal to the capacity of the alembic. This allows you to reduce the duration of distillation, save fuel. Using a three-way valve, 2-3 hours before the end of the distillation, alcohol vapor is directed through the heater coil. The vapors condensed in it are sent to a condenser-refrigerator, which serves to condense and cool the bulk of the vapors generated during distillation. The distillation of wine material lasts 6-8 hours, and raw alcohol - 10-12 hours. The volume of the cube does not affect the duration of the distillation.

The strength and amount of raw alcohol produced depend mainly on the strength of the original wine and the rate of distillation of alcohol. The strength of raw alcohol is 23-32% by volume, and the amount is 30-35% of the volume of wine material loaded into the cube.

According to its chemical composition, wine material is a product that includes water (about 89%), ethyl alcohol (about 10.5%) and other substances (volatile impurities of ethyl alcohol - about 0.5%). The distillation of wine materials ensures the conversion into distillate, along with ethyl alcohol, of the main mass and volatile impurities, such as aldehydes, medium esters, higher alcohols, volatile acids. Depending on the composition of the wine, the concentration of these impurities may have different fluctuations (in mg / dm 3): aldehydes - 10-50, medium esters - 50-180, higher alcohols - 80-400, volatile acids - 350-1200.

Fluctuations in the concentration of impurities to a greater or lesser extent are observed in raw alcohol (in mg / dm 3): aldehydes - 50-100, medium esters - 65-240, higher alcohols - 160-180, volatile acids - 120-400.

As the raw alcohol accumulates, it is subjected to fractional distillation, during which three fractions of the distillation are taken: head, middle (cognac alcohol of grade I) and tail.

In the distillation cube, the waste liquid, called the stillage, remains. Fractional distillation of raw alcohol removes from cognac alcohol an excess amount of some volatile impurities with head and tail fractions. Distillation is an extremely responsible operation, since the quality of cognac alcohol depends on the correct selection of fractions. The content of volatile components in raw alcohol is different, depending on this, the amount of the selected head fraction ranges from 1 to 3%. Its selection lasts 20-40 minutes, depending on the content of anhydrous alcohol in the original raw alcohol.

At the beginning of the distillation, the strength of the distillate is 75-80% vol. It has a pungent odor of esters and aldehydes.

When there is a decrease in the strength of the distillate to 74-77% vol. and weakening of the pungent odor, proceed to the selection of the middle fraction and continue it until the alcohol meter reads 45-50% vol., after which they proceed to the selection of the tail fraction and lead to the zero reading of the alcohol meter.

The yield of cognac spirit in terms of anhydrous alcohol is 80-85% with a distillate strength of 62-70% vol., the yield of the tail fraction is 10-15%. Loss of anhydrous alcohol during double distillation 2.7%.

To increase the yield of cognac spirit, the head and tail fractions are combined and re-distilled.

It is allowed to add 3-4% yeast and 8-10% cognac wine materials to the mixture of head and tail fractions before its fractional distillation. Cognac spirits obtained according to this scheme are used for the production of ordinary cognacs. The head and tail fractions from such a distillation are sent for rectification. After the distillation of the wine material, the first stillage is subjected to utilization to obtain tartrate compounds from it; the second stillage after the distillation of raw alcohol is used as a coolant. The alcohol content in stillage must not exceed 0.1% vol.

In Georgia, for many years, another distillation technology has been successfully practiced on UPC devices, which improves the quality of cognac spirit. The tail fraction, which contains phenylacetic aldehyde, phenylethyl alcohol, enanth ether components, etc., is added to the wine material in an amount of up to 25%, and the separated head fraction is sent for rectification.

Periodically, as the composition of brandy alcohol changes, the tail fraction is sent for rectification.

The valuable properties of some impurities of the tail character are used in this way: at the end of the distillation of raw alcohol, a distillate fraction is taken in the strength range of 50-20% vol. (its strength is on average 25-30% vol.). It is called "scented waters". They have a pleasant aroma and, after aging in oak barrels, are used in blends of ordinary cognacs. The best quality alcohol is obtained at UPKS installations, since in this case, during distillation, the transition of optimal amounts of volatile compounds of wine and neoplasms is ensured. The disadvantage of the device is its frequency of action and low technical and economic indicators.

Installation of a single distillation (KU-500). Direct distillation of wine to brandy alcohol can be carried out on apparatus with reflux plates and a strengthening column, bypassing the preparation of raw alcohol.

The distillation apparatus KU-500, which is shown in fig. 65.

Strengthening of alcohol vapors to the condition of the head, middle and tail fractions is achieved using a strengthening column. The process of strengthening alcohol vapors occurs during their continuous contact with the distillate (reflux) flowing down the plates of the column from the shell-and-tube dephlegmator. Steam, in contact with the phlegm on the plate, condenses. Due to the heat of its condensation, secondary steam is released with a higher content of the low-boiling component (ethyl alcohol) than the steam coming from the underlying plate. Similar processes occur on all plates. From the dephlegmator, alcohol vapors enter the refrigerator, where they are condensed and cooled to a temperature of 17 °C.

The distillate through the alcohol lantern enters the collection. During distillation, the loading of the cube (useful capacity 500 dal) is carried out through a wine heater, 450 dal of wine material and 50 dal of the tail fraction are preloaded. The distillation is controlled by manometric thermometers, a vacuum interrupter, an alcohol lantern and a rotameter, which fixes the amount of return of phlegm to the apparatus.

The amount of phlegm returned is maintained at the level of 250-300 l/h by regulating the supply of cooling water to the reflux condenser. The amount of phlegm returned is directly dependent on the amount of cooling water supplied to the dephlegmator. In this case, the strength of the middle fraction increases, it can be higher than 70% vol.

The increased strength on the plates of the strengthening column leads to a decrease in the concentration of high-boiling esters, aldehydes, and higher alcohols in cognac alcohol. The process of heating the distilled liquid cannot be forced, as soon as the pressure in the vacuum interrupter starts to rise (and this is a sign of the beginning of the boiling of the wine material in the cube), the supply of steam to the coil of the cube is reduced. Rapid boiling causes its transfer to the distillate. To avoid such phenomena, it is necessary to maintain the pressure in the vacuum interrupter at the level of 3.4-5.4 kPa.

The duration of the distillation is 12 hours. The head fraction is taken up to 3% in terms of anhydrous alcohol, loaded into a cube with wine material. Fortress head fraction 80-87% vol. This fraction goes to rectification. The duration of the selection of the head fraction at a rate of 0.2-0.3 l/min is 20-30 minutes. They switch to the selection of the middle fraction when the distillate strength is 73-75% vol. The middle fraction (cognac alcohol) is taken within 4-5 hours, and the pressure in the vacuum interrupter should not exceed 2.9-3.4 kPa.

When showing the strength of the distillate in an alcohol lamp 40-45% vol. they start sampling the tail fraction, which is carried out in a forced manner and ends when the alcohol meter reads 1-2% for 4-5 hours. When sampling the tail fraction, the pressure in the vacuum interrupter is maintained at 4.9-5.4 kPa. The scheme of a single distillation is shown in fig. 66.

The tail fraction is added to the distilled raw material no more than 6 times. The tail fraction obtained from the last distillation is mixed with the head fractions and sent for rectification. Bard after distillation is disposed of.

Practice has shown that the apparatus KU-500 does not provide cognac spirits that fully meet the requirements of cognac production, primarily due to the insufficient duration of wine distillation. During the selection of the middle fraction, the processes of new formation of impurities valuable for cognac proceed weakly, and for this reason, conditions are not created for distilling them into distillate. Further, cognac alcohol during the distillation of wine is not enriched in required quantity easily volatile high-boiling fragrant impurities.

Double distillation apparatus for obtaining cognac spirit in a continuous stream. The double distillation apparatus, in comparison with the continuous distillation of wine used, makes it possible to obtain cognac spirit similar to the spirits of the Charente distillation method, since it provides for the most complete reproduction of the processes and modes characteristic of the Charente apparatus.

The device consists of two parts: preparatory and working (Fig. 67).

The preparatory part includes a pump, wine heaters, thermal reservoir. Heat treatment makes it possible to intensify the initial processes of new formation of impurities.

The working part of the apparatus consists of a vertical sectional cylindrical evaporator column, which ensures the successive selection and mixing of alcohol vapors that form as the strength of the evaporated wine decreases; a depletion column equipped with six bubbling trays for complete alcohol digestion; cube to delay the boiling stillage. The total volume of the sections of the evaporation column and the cube provides a long-term boiling of wine (6-7 hours) with a gradual and fairly smooth decrease in its strength to obtain a bard that does not contain alcohol. The evaporation column has a diameter of 2 m and consists of six identical sections of a special design. The total capacity of the sections is 900 dal. Each of the sections is equipped with a heating element, steam pipes, drain glasses and is divided by a cylindrical partition into two parts with equal evaporation areas so that the wine from one part to another can move by gravity; from section to section, the wine passes through the drain glasses. This node reproduces the dynamics of the processes of new formation of impurities valuable for cognac, characteristic of the Charente apparatus, and allows enriching the resulting raw alcohol in a similar sequence.

In the steady state, the apparatus operates as follows. The wine is pumped to the dephlegmator and then to the heat exchangers, where it is heated with alcohol vapors, stillage and steam to a temperature of 85-90 °C. At this temperature, the wine is sent to a metal enameled tank 1 and, in the process of movement, passes through for 5-6 hours. heat treatment at a temperature of 80-85 °C.

From the thermoreservoir, the wine is sent to a six-section evaporation column for a 6-hour evaporation of alcohol from the wine. Boiled wine with a strength of 0.8-1% vol. for the complete extraction of alcohol, it enters the depletion column, equipped with a cube, in which the stillage remains for 30-40 minutes.

The evaporation column is heated by steam supplied to the sections, and the cube has a separate heating element. Vapors rising from the upper parts of the columns are mixed in the condenser and in the form of raw alcohol with a strength of 25-28% vol. sent to the epuration column. The etheraldehyde fraction from the upper part of the epuration column is discharged through a reflux condenser into the small coil of the refrigerator, and the epurated raw alcohol enters the evaporative-bubble column to obtain grade I cognac alcohol with a strength of 65-70% vol. The main stream from the top of the column is removed as a vapor to the condenser and then sent to a large refrigerator coil. Alcoholic liquid with a strength of 2-2.5% vol. from the lower part of the column enters the depletion column for separating cognac spirit of grade II with a strength of 65-70% vol. through a dephlegmator. and digestion of alcohol residues. Part of the tailing impurities, which give cognac alcohol unpleasant shades in aroma and taste, cannot overcome the concentration plates of the column and leave with the waste liquid.

If necessary, fragrant waters can be taken from the apparatus, which are used in the preparation of ordinary cognacs to enhance their bouquet.

K-5M continuous distillation apparatus. Apparatus K-5M refers to the type of column distillation plants of continuous operation. The increase in the volume of distillation of wine materials and the concentration of production led to the need to develop and create apparatus of this type. high power. It is equipped with an epuration column for the selection of the ether-aldehyde fraction, a wine superheater for extending the period of thermal action on the wine materials to ensure the passage of the processes of new formation of volatile substances and a condenser for the selection of the head fraction. On fig. 68 shows a diagram of the apparatus with the main nodes.

The wine material is fed into the apparatus using a centrifugal pump into the pipe space of the cooler 2, then into the heat exchanger-wine heater U, where it is additionally heated by the heat of the waste stillage. Heated wine material is fed from the wine heater to superheater 3, where it is superheated by live steam. Having passed the superheater, the wine material enters the annular space of the cooler 2 and then to the feed tray of the epuration column 5. Alcohol vapors of the head fraction are taken from the upper (seventh) tray and sent to the dephlegmator 7, part of the condensate in the form of phlegm flows back into the column. The other part of the vapors enters the head fraction condenser 6, from which the resulting condensate, having passed the head fraction cooler 12, is sent through an alcohol lantern to the head fraction collector. The selection of the head fraction is provided in the amount of 0.6-3% in terms of anhydrous alcohol contained in the distilled liquid. With the head fraction, a part of the concentrated volatile impurities of wine is taken, the excess of which in cognac spirit worsens its quality.

After being freed from head impurities, the wine material is subjected to further distillation in order to obtain cognac spirit. The boiling of the wine material in the epuration column is carried out with live steam, it enters the upper plate of the boil-out column 4. The alcohol vapors of the cognac fraction are discharged into the reflux condenser 5, some of them condense in it and return to the column through phlegm communication, and the other part enters the condensers 9 and 10, from where it is sent to the refrigerator 11. The cooled cognac alcohol through the lantern 13 enters the alcohol collector.

During distillation on the described devices, the yield of distillate fractions is different. The yield of distillate fractions on various apparatuses (in % of anhydrous alcohol) is given in Table. 36.

Theoretical foundations of the maturation of cognac spirits

Young cognac spirits, equalized in large batches, are sent for aging.

Cognac spirits are aged in oak barrels and enameled metal tanks loaded with oak staves. As a result of complex chemical and physico-chemical processes that occur during aging, young cognac spirit acquires all the necessary aromatic and taste properties inherent in cognac. Oak wood is actively involved in changing the properties of cognac spirits as a result of many years of aging.

The processes that occur in cognac spirits during aging can be divided into two large groups: physical and chemical. Of the physical processes, the processes of extraction, absorption and evaporation are of the greatest importance. As a result of extraction from oak wood, lignin, tannins, acids, carbohydrates, nitrogenous and protein substances, flavonoids and some minerals (potassium, sodium) are converted into cognac spirit, creating an extract of cognac spirit. The best conditions for extraction are the lowered pH of the alcohol and fever excerpts. All compounds that have passed from the oak stave of the barrel are involved in various chemical reactions, the result of which is the formation of the color, taste and aroma of cognac.

When brandy alcohol is aged in oak barrels, its more volatile components partially evaporate, which leads to the concentration of less volatile ones, a decrease in strength and certain losses. Losses of alcohol also occur due to its absorption by oak wood. The amount of absorption depends on the porosity of the wood, the strength of alcohol, the holding temperature, the speed of air movement in the storage and the volume of the barrel. The rate of absorption is directly proportional to pressure and inversely proportional to the viscosity of the alcohol. The amount of absorption increases in barrels with tightly closed tongues due to the increase in pressure with the thermal expansion of alcohol. There is a decrease in the rate of absorption due to an increase in the extractivity of the alcohol with exposure. Excerpt of cognac spirit is made in ground and semi-basement premises.

The humidity of the storage has a different effect on the course of evaporation. At a relative humidity of 70%, the evaporation of the water contained in the alcohol and the alcohol itself occurs at equal rates and only with a decrease in volume without a decrease in the strength of the alcohol. At relative humidity below 70%, the rate of evaporation of water is higher than the rate of evaporation of alcohol. Under these conditions, the strength of alcohol will increase. At relative humidity above 70%, the process will go in the opposite direction.

For normal maturation of alcohols and reduction of losses in the room for their storage, the temperature should be 15-20 ° C, relative humidity - 75-85%. Air exchange should be no more than five volumes per day. The strength of alcohol also decreases as a result of chemical processes occurring during its exposure, redox transformations, esterification, hydrolysis, and condensation are of the greatest importance.

Redox processes during the formation and maturation of brandy alcohol occur with prolonged contact with oak wood during many years of exposure with the obligatory participation of oxygen. Chemical composition oak wood is very complex and fluctuates significantly, and the nature of many of its components is not fully understood. The chemical composition of oak wood is given below.

For aging cognac spirits, preference is given to oak containers due to the fact that it contains few resinous substances, it has an increased density, strength and, at the same time, porosity for the penetration of oxygen during the maturation of alcohol. Redox processes take place in the pores of oak staves and with the help of oxygen dissolved in cognac alcohol.

Oxygen penetrates into the cognac spirit through the grooved holes of the barrels, the joints of the rivets and the chimes. Dissolved oxygen is partially bound in peroxide. The distribution of oxygen in the layers of alcohol is uneven, its highest concentration is in the upper layer (11.6-14.3 mg / dm 3), lower - in the lower layers (6.4-8.3 mg / dm 3). A corresponding distribution is also observed for peroxides. In the course of exposure, the amount of peroxides increases.

Catalysts such as copper and iron contribute to the vigorous flow of OR processes. The largest number metals are contained in a layer of rivets up to 1 mm deep. If the surface layer of the riveting copper contains 0.002%, then at a depth of 1 mm its content is 0.17%. Its accumulation is associated with the adsorption of copper compounds on the inner surfaces of barrels during long-term exposure of cognac spirit.

When cognac spirits are aged, all the alcohols contained in them are oxidized and the corresponding aldehydes are formed. Amino acids can also be a source of aldehyde formation as a result of oxidative deamination and subsequent decarboxylation. Under the action of alcohol and acids during exposure, lignin decomposes, in this state it becomes more accessible to oxidation, and coniferyl and synapic alcohols are released from it. In turn, the latter are easily oxidized by the enzyme peroxidase or inorganic catalysts to aromatic aldehydes - vanillin and lilac aldehyde according to the following scheme:

Both of these components have a pleasant aroma and take part in the composition of the bouquet. When aging alcohols, enrichment with tannins occurs, which give cognac spirits fullness and color. In the first 3-4 years of aging, they give alcohols a rough taste, but as a result of long exposure, tannins oxidize under the action of oxygen and alcohols become soft.

Oak wood hemicelluloses have a significant impact on the quality of alcohols. Their main representatives are pentosans, which, under the action of acids and other factors, undergo hydrolysis with the formation of monosaccharides: xylan, galactan, xylose, arabinose, glucose, which give cognacs softness in taste. At the beginning of aging, arabinose and xylose dominate, and after 10-15 years, glucose and levulose predominate. Below is the amount of sugars at the end of alcohol aging.

Redox processes in cognac alcohol pass through the intermediate formation of free radicals. Their content increases in old spirits and is concentrated in the riveting layer up to 0.1 mm thick.

An increase in free radicals in the reaction zone leads to an increase in oxidative reactions in general. As a result of aging alcohols, their acidity increases: volatile - due to the oxidation of ethyl alcohol to acetic acid, non-volatile - due to the extraction of uronic, gallic and other acids from oak wood, due to which the pH value decreases with increasing age of alcohols.

In the process of obtaining cognac spirits and their subsequent aging, as a result of numerous complex physico-chemical processes, many substances are formed that play a certain role in the formation of the organoleptic and aromatic properties of cognac. So, fusel oils, which are the product of alcoholic fermentation, alcohols, acids, esters, carbonyl compounds, together with ethyl alcohol, form the background of the aroma of cognac spirits. Enanth ether influences the taste qualities of cognac spirit and its aroma, unlike other substances.

In the process of cognac aging in barrels, three periods are distinguished.

1. From 3 to 5 years. During this period, 70-degree fresh cognac alcohol is aged in new barrels. There is an intensive extraction of tannins due to the extraction of tannins, the formation of volatile acids is accelerated. The pH sharply decreases, the formation of acetals, ethanol lysis of lignin, and hydrolysis of hemicelluloses begin. Alcohol acquires the aroma of fresh young cognacs and a light yellow color.

2. From 5 to 10 years. During this period, the enrichment in tannins is reduced, their slow oxidation takes place, the taste of oak disappears, and the color intensifies. The acidity is increased by the non-volatile acids of the oak extract. Ethanolization of lignin and hydrolysis of hemicelluloses grow. A floral and vanilla aroma appears as a result of ethanolysis and oxidation of lignin.

3. From 10 to 30 years. During this period, the extraction of tanides practically stops. The amount of volatile substances decreases due to evaporation. Ethanolization of lignin and hydrolysis of hemicellulose increase, acidity increases. The fullness and specific properties of cognac increase, the taste softens, the strength decreases.

Young spirits are laid for aging in oak barrels or enameled tanks with processed oak staves placed inside. Alcohols for vintage cognacs are aged in barrels, for ordinary ones - in tanks.

For the aging of cognac spirit, category I barrels are used, made from selected grade staves, aged in stacks under a canopy for at least 3 years. There is a tiered way of placing barrels (3 tiers) and a rack (6-8 tiers). The racking method is the most progressive: it allows to increase the utilization rate of production areas, the service life of barrels and reduces losses during aging of cognac spirits.

Before pouring alcohol, new barrels are processed according to the following scheme: they are soaked twice cold water, change of water after 3-4 days, steaming with live steam for 20-30 minutes, rinsing with hot and cold water.

Cognac spirits are aged in barrels underfilled to 2% capacity, which eliminates losses due to temperature fluctuations and ensures contact with atmospheric oxygen. An inventory is carried out annually, while the barrels are topped up with spirits of the same batch. All barrels must be by volume.

Alcohols selected for the production of vintage cognacs are re-equalized in the 4-5th year of aging.

The aging of cognac spirits in steel enameled tanks is used for the production of ordinary cognacs 3, 4, 5 stars. For laying in tanks, rivets of I and II grades are used, 400-1150 mm long, 60-150 mm wide and 18-36 mm thick, aged in stacks under a canopy for at least three years for the purpose of air drying. Before being loaded into the tank, they are processed according to the scheme, as for new cognac barrels, and the processed staves are put on the drain. It is allowed to use oak staves (50%) treated with an alkaline method: soaking in a 0.3% sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) for 2-6 days at a temperature of 10-25 °C. After draining, they are washed 3-4 times for 8-12 hours with cold water, dried in a ventilated room for 6 days or one day in a dryer at a temperature of 45 ° C, or thermally treated for 5-7 days with free access of air at 105- 120 °C until a light brown color appears, then washed with cold water. The riveting is placed in a tank in a stack based on the specific surface of 700-900 cm 2 per 1 dal of aqueous alcohol with their rigid fixation. Alcohols are kept in incomplete tanks with underfilling of no more than 2%.

Alcohol is saturated with oxygen 2 times a year to a content of 15-18 mg/dm 3 .

Experiments carried out in the Armenian SSR have shown that the efficiency of tank aging of cognac spirits can be increased when it is carried out in a pulsating flow with the selection of aged three-year-old spirit 4 times a year and replenishing the taken volume with younger alcohol. Specified hardware- technology system(Fig. 69) includes three sections of tanks with oak staves. Each section contains alcohol with aging periods of 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively. The scheme provides for one section of tanks into which young cognac spirit is poured for topping up. All tanks are interconnected by pipelines. The number of tanks in each section is determined by the alcohol withdrawal rate. When weaning 1/3 of alcohol, the number of reservoirs will be 3, with the selection of 1/4 -4. Every nine months, the rivets are exposed to air to activate them for 5 days. The movement of alcohol goes from young to more seasoned.

Alcohol is taken from the third section for cognac blending in the amount of 1/3 and 1/4 of the volume of alcohol in this section.

The tanks of the third section are topped up to full volume with two-year alcohol from the second. The tanks of the second section are topped up with one-year alcohol from the first, the tanks of the first section are topped up with young alcohol. Since the launch of the line, the saturation of alcohol with oxygen is not performed.

There are various ways to accelerate the maturation of cognac spirits. They are based on the impact of various factors, both physical and physico-chemical, on cognac alcohol or on oak wood. The method of heat treatment of cognac spirit in the presence of oak wood has found practical application. It consists in heating brandy alcohol to a temperature of 35-45 ° C and holding for 45-50 days.

Cognac preparation

Aged cognac spirits are only a semi-finished product. For the preparation of cognacs of various brands, aged cognac spirits are blended with separate materials (sugar syrup, softened water, alcoholized and fragrant waters). Kohler is used if necessary. Ordinary, vintage and collection cognacs are produced in the USSR.

The hardware-technological scheme for the preparation of cognacs is shown in fig. 70.

Materials used in the preparation of cognacs. Softened water is used to reduce the strength of cognac alcohol, prepared from drinking water by reducing its hardness to 0.36 meq/cm 3 by distillation or treatment with ion-exchange resins. It is allowed to use natural water if its hardness does not exceed 1 meq/cm 3 . Increased hardness causes turbidity of cognacs.

Alcoholic waters are prepared by diluting cognac alcohol with softened water to a strength of 20-25% vol. They are kept in barrels or tanks with oak wood at a temperature of 35-40 ° C for 60-70 days. They are also used to reduce the strength of cognac spirits.

Fragrant waters are obtained by simple or fractional distillation, selecting shoulder straps with a strength of 50 to 20% vol. Their exposure is carried out similarly to alcoholized waters.

Sugar syrup is used to give cognacs the specified sugar conditions. It is prepared by dissolving sugar in softened water in special sugar boilers-reactors. Sugar is introduced into boiling water at the rate of 1 kg per 0.05 dal. After complete dissolution of sugar, it is recommended to alcoholize the syrup up to 40% vol. for ordinary cognacs, four-year-old, and for vintage cognacs, seven-year-old alcohol and store for at least a year in enameled containers. Add to alcoholized syrup citric acid at the rate of 33 g per 100 liters.

Kohler is used to give cognacs a more intense color. It is prepared in copper boilers with fire or electric heating from granulated sugar with the addition of 1-2% water with constant stirring. Heating is brought to a temperature of 150-180 °C. When the foam reaches a dark cherry color, the heating stops. When cooled to a temperature of 60-70 ° C with constant stirring, hot water is added at the rate of 0.055 dal per 1 kg of sugar. Its density should be 1.30-1.34 g / cm 3, the sugar content should be 40-50%, the color is dark cherry. sugar color alcoholized to a fortress of 25-30% vol. cognac five-year alcohol and stored for at least a year before its use.

Blending, processing and bottling of cognacs. On the basis of trial blends, a production blend is obtained. If necessary, the blend is pasted over (gelatin, fish glue, egg white) or treated with bentonite. Pasting is carried out in the presence of excessive roughness in taste. After removal from the glue, the blend is filtered, sent to rest and filtered again before bottling. Cognacs that are unstable to the loss of polyphenols are treated with cold at a temperature of minus 8-12 ° C for 5-10 days. After cold treatment, cognac is filtered at a temperature of minus 5-6 °C. Rest for ordinary cognacs lasts 3 months, for the KB group - at least 9 months, for KVVK and KS - at least a year.

The color of cognac should be from light golden to amber-brown, taste and bouquet - without foreign tastes and odors. Cognacs should be transparent, with a sheen, they are not allowed to have sediment.

Cognac is bottled at a temperature of 15-20 °C into bottles with a capacity of 760, 710, 500, 250 cm 3 and into souvenir bottles.

Calculation of cognac blend.Example. It is necessary to prepare 1000 gave a blend for cognac Three stars with a strength of 40.2% vol. with a sugar content of 1.5 g/100 cm 3 . How much cognac spirit with a strength of 65% by volume, alcoholized water with a strength of 25% by volume, sugar syrup with a sugar content of 90 g / 100 cm 3, color and softened water?

The amount of alcoholized water and color is determined by a trial blend. Take the amount of alcoholized water 10% to b. With. in blend, color

3 dal per 1000 dal blend. The sugar content in the color take 35 g/100 cm 3 .

Calculation by the elementary method. The volume of cognac spirit is 40.2 ⋅ 1000 X 0.9/65 = 556.6 dal.

The volume of alcoholized water is 40.2 ⋅ 1000 ⋅ 0.1: 25 = 160.8 dal.

Syrup volume 1.5 ⋅ 1000 - 35 ⋅ 3:90 = 15.5 dal.

Volume of softened water 1000 - (555.6 + 160.8 + 15.5 + 3.0) = 264.1 dal.

Examination. According to the alcohol content in the blend: 65 ⋅ 556.6 + 25 ⋅ 160.8: 1000 = 40.2% vol.; according to the sugar content in the blend: 90 ⋅ 15.5 ⋅ 5.3: 1000 = 1.5 g / cm 3.

When blending, contraction is observed, and the volume of the blend is adjusted to the calculated value by additional introduction of softened water along the measuring glass of the blending tank.

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The production of cognac is a complex and lengthy process that requires special grape varieties, unique equipment and craftsmen who are able to accurately observe all technological nuances. Next, I will talk about the stages that real French cognac goes through before getting on the shelves.

Cognac technology is controlled at the level of French legislation, it is allowed to be produced only in one geographical region of the country - Poitou. All drinks created in other regions and countries are not cognac, they are called grape brandy.

Stages of cognac production

1. Growing grapes. According to classical technology The following grape varieties are allowed to be used: Folle Blanch, Ugni Blanc and Colombard. But in the vast majority of cases, Ugni Blanc is used; 98% of cognacs are made from this grape variety.

The grapevine is planted in rows at a distance of three meters from each other. This allows the use of special machines for harvesting, which reduces the share of manual labor and reduces the cost of production. Cognac houses begin cleaning in mid-October.

2. Getting juice. All harvested grapes are immediately sent under special presses, which only slightly crush the berries. At the legislative level, it is forbidden to use continuous screw presses that can squeeze the berries dry.

3. Fermentation. The juice obtained at the previous stage is immediately sent for fermentation. This process takes place in special containers with a volume of 50-200 hectoliters. In this case, it is strictly forbidden to add sugar.

The manufacturer has the right to add only antiseptics to the juice - antioxidants and sulfur dioxide. The maximum amount of these substances is also regulated. Control over fermentation is especially strict, since the quality of the finished cognac largely depends on this stage.

As a result of fermentation, unfiltered and unclarified dry wine(sugar content less than 1 g/l), which is stored on its own yeast sludge until distillation. This wine contains a lot of acid and little alcohol (no more than 8-9% of the volume).

4. Distillation. The cognac house is obliged to complete the distillation process by March 31 of the year following the year of harvest. The following requirements are put forward:

• distillation should be carried out only within the boundaries of a certain geographical area;
• you can only use special copper stills called alambiks (in the figure), which must be registered before use.

Alambik

Before serving in alambic, the wine is preheated. Distillation is carried out in two stages. First, the wine is simply distilled in order to get the maximum possible amount of alcohol. A milky liquid containing 27-32% alcohol comes out. In the language of manufacturers, this substance is called "brouillis" (brui).

The purpose of the second distillation is to obtain pure cognac spirit and fractionate volatile substances. At this stage, the initial output of the distillate (the so-called "head"), which contains many harmful volatile substances, is cut off. Next, the master collects the "body" - a fraction containing 69-72% alcohol, which will go to the production of cognac.

After the concentration of alcohol is reduced to 60%, the distillation is completed, the rest of the fraction is called the "tail". It is not used in the preparation of cognac, but the "tail" is allowed to be added to the next batch of bruyi.

It takes about 24 hours to distill one batch of cognac. From 10 liters of young wine, you can get up to 1 liter of pure cognac spirit.

5. Exposure. The aging process of cognac spirits lasts at least 30 months, and the age of the oldest spirits can be more than 100 years. Cognac is placed in oak barrels that do not have metal parts, it is also forbidden to use glue-based compounds. Therefore, the price of real oak barrels for cognac is very high.

For barrels, oak is at least 150 years old. Before using the finished barrel, it must be kept in the fresh air for 5 years.
During aging in barrels, substances that form the color and aroma of the drink pass into cognac spirit from wood. Barrels are allowed to be used repeatedly.

For each year of aging, 0.5% of alcohol evaporates, the masters call this the “angels' share”. In fact, the evaporated alcohol is fed by bacteria living on the walls of the cellars. For 50 years of aging, the cognac strength decreases from 71% to 46%, but the alcohol itself becomes darker and has a unique bouquet of aromas.

Cognac cellar

6. Blending (assemblage). It involves mixing alcohols of different aging to obtain a finished drink that will go on sale. If further aging of cognac is impractical, it is poured into glass bottles, braided with a vine.

7. Adding other ingredients. Cognac production can do without this stage, but in most cases it is still present. Distilled water is added to the cognac to adjust the strength, sugar (maximum 3.5% by volume) to adjust the taste, oak chips and caramel to give the cognac a rich dark color. The drink is bottled, labeled and it goes on sale.

Cognac refers to strong spirits, which are obtained by using white wine that has been double distilled and aged in oak barrels. It is oak barrels that are an obligatory and necessary condition for the successful maturation of this drink. Cognac production can be safely called an art.

A bit of history

Today, even the most ardent fans of this alcoholic drink cannot clearly explain what cognac should taste like. So, it can be quite diverse and depends on the locality and country. For example, the well-known French-made Napoleon brand does not always smell pleasant.

This is due to the presence of certain features in cognac spirits, which are due to differences in the feedstock.

Also, aroma and flavor may change during the distillation process and during the first years of aging. During this period, a peculiar extraction of tannins extracted from wood takes place to a greater extent.

We must not forget about the allocation of lipids, amino acids, oils and volatile acids. At this time, cognac acquires a golden color, and is filled with a woody-vanilla aroma.

The longer the exposure lasts, the cognac will become darker in color and softer. Many different shades will appear in its taste and aroma, among which there are notes of fruits, flowers and spices.

Stage 1: grape harvest

Only a few grape varieties are used for the production of cognac: Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Saint-Emilion.

The grape vine is planted at mandatory intervals of at least three meters. This is necessary to maximize access to sunlight. Harvested only once a year in early October. In modern conditions of management, the owners use special machines when harvesting grapes. However, some of them still prefer the old-fashioned (manual) method.

The cognac production technology involves pressing the harvested grapes in horizontal flat presses, which only slightly crush the berries and do not squeeze them dry. The juice obtained in this way is immediately sent for fermentation.

Stage 2: fermentation

The direct production of cognac begins with fermentation, which takes place at small enterprises in special barrels, and at large enterprises - in tanks. Do not add sugar at this stage. The fermentation process is controlled quite strictly, since the quality of the future alcohol depends on it. Juice is fermented for a month.

The result is a dry young wine with 8% alcohol. It is stored on yeast sludge, due to which the acidity is significantly reduced, and the wine acquires a soft and refined taste. However, cognac production technology involves sending it for distillation, since the resulting wine is quite dry and contains a lot of acid and little alcohol.

Stage 3: distillation

Quality finished product largely depends on distillation (distillation), which is carried out only the next year after the new crop is harvested until early April. The distillation takes place in two stages using a special distillation apparatus, known as the "Charentes" still. This equipment is made of copper, due to its resistance to tartaric acid.

So, as mentioned above, the production of brandy involves the implementation of the distillation process, which takes place in two stages. Upon completion of the first, raw alcohol is obtained, the strength of which is in the range of 27-32%. From nine liters of wine, only a liter of brandy is obtained, which is a cloudy and nondescript drink in color.

The second stage of distillation is to send raw alcohol for another distillation in order to obtain a base high-quality cognac spirit. This process requires special attention and skill, alcohol is distilled gently for 12 hours. As a result of this process, a solution with a strength of up to 72% is obtained, which is sent for aging, which completes the production of cognac.

Stage 4: exposure

This is the most important stage that involves the production of cognac. It is exposure that is a decisive factor in achieving a high quality drink. This process lasts more than 30 months, its duration can even be up to 50 years.

These containers must not have any metal parts that may come into contact with alcohols. Under the influence of oak barrels, this alcoholic drink acquires a characteristic specific taste.

During this period, the product is saturated with oxygen penetrating through the pores of the wood, which improves the taste of cognac. Exposure and the price of cognac are in direct proportion. So, the longer the exposure, the more expensive this drink.

Making cognac at home

Cognac is a drink that conveys the spirit of France. The subtle technology of its manufacture cannot simply be repeated at home. However, you can create a similar drink. At the same time, it was not factories for the production of alcoholic beverages that were engaged in the manufacture of such a drink, namely craftsmen. The production of cognac at home involves the use of moonshine as the base basis. At the same time, the result exceeds all expectations in terms of taste characteristics.

The production of cognac at home from moonshine is carried out in various ways, which have both simple and complex technology.

He, of course, should not undergo such endurance as at the plant in oak barrels. It is also not based on grape alcohol. However, the result is an alcoholic drink that is very close to real cognac.

You can especially get an excellent result if you put your soul into it when making it. Often, guests during a feast cannot distinguish cognac either by smell or taste. home cooking from an alcoholic beverage made at the factory.

Classic homemade cognac recipe

As mentioned above, this drink is based on good quality moonshine. It depends on him the taste and smell of the future alcoholic beverage. The following ingredients need to be added:

• potassium permanganate crystals;

• partitions walnuts(one handful);

• natural black leaf tea (teaspoon);

• cloves (six buds);

• cumin (st. spoon);

• vanilla sugar (tablespoon);

• lemon acid.

The production of cognac at home begins with the dilution of potassium permanganate in a clean and transparent moonshine in a glass container. Thanks to this simple procedure, a precipitate of fusel oils is formed.

Keep this glass container with the future alcoholic drink in a dark place for at least five days without significant temperature changes and drafts.

After the specified period, the resulting drink is poured through the filter into bottles. Everything - homemade cognac is ready.

Sometimes the technological scheme for the production of cognac is somewhat different. AT ready moonshine poured oak bark and bay leaf. It is also infused for at least five days.

Quick cognac preparation

However, there are more fast way cognac preparation. So, in an enameled pan you need to pour a liter of moonshine, which has a strength of 50%. Put the pan on the fire and add the following ingredients: allspice black peppercorns, a small bay leaf, half a teaspoon of black tea, soda on the tip of a knife, two tablespoons of sugar and a little vanillin.

Bring the contents in a closed saucepan to 77 degrees, then remove it from the heat and leave for a while (five minutes). Pour the drink into a jar, close it and wait until it cools completely. The resulting home-made cognac is filtered, its strength is increased to 40 degrees, the drink is bottled.

After five days, the resulting drink can be consumed. For improvement palatability cognac, you can add a third of a teaspoon with other components good coffee and a couple of crystals of potassium permanganate to tire fusel oils.

A good cognac is obtained if it is prepared with grape juice and insisted on oak bark for at least a month. However, there are other recipes using the last component, which will be discussed later.

Cognac on oak bark

Cognac production in Russia uses oak bark quite successfully. To do this, you need to take three tablespoons of sugar, two tablespoons of oak bark and two tablespoons of leaf black tea for three liters of moonshine. You can also add St. John's wort and chopped rose hips.

You must not forget to add black pepper (5-6 peas), a third of a teaspoon of cinnamon and vanilla. The jar is closed and placed in a dark place. Thus, homemade cognac is infused for three days. Further, the resulting drink is well filtered and bottled.

Cognac made with milk

For this, moonshine (3 liters) is also taken, poured into a glass dish of a slightly larger size, a glass of milk is added, which, when combined with an alcohol composition, coagulates. In parallel, coffee is prepared (50 g is dissolved in lukewarm water).

The coffee drink is poured into the total mixture. The following mixtures are added: ground nutmeg, cloves (4-6 pcs.), peppercorns, vanillin on the tip of a knife and half a glass of sugar. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly and infuse for at least 20 days. In this case, it is necessary to periodically shake the future home-made cognac during the first five days. At the end of three weeks, the resulting alcoholic drink is filtered and bottled.