Buying a distillery is a great idea. Whiskey production is stylish and profitable.

Whiskey Production Plants by Roza Vetrov™

This 350-liter distillery, made from copper and stainless steel, allows for the production of 70 liters of product per single run.   Heating is done by a gas burner or electric heating elements (TЭN-ami).   With this equipment, you can produce whiskey, gin, or obtain pure distillate.   The distillery is equipped with a stirrer with a geared motor and an exhaust hood.   The cost of this equipment is 17 thsd. $

Rose of Winds™ company offers turnkey design and manufacturing of whiskey distilleries — from compact home units to industrial installations with a capacity of up to 4 tons per day. The equipment is based on time-tested materials: copper and stainless steel.

Why Copper and Stainless Steel? Copper is a traditional choice in single malt whiskey production. Thanks to its high thermal conductivity and ability to interact with sulfur compounds, it improves the taste and aroma of the distillate, making it smooth and clean. Stainless steel is a modern alternative, corrosion-resistant, easy to maintain, and durable. The combined use of both materials provides an ideal balance between taste and operational qualities.

Stages of Whiskey Still Production:

♦ Design: calculation of volumes, helmet shape, column height, heating parameters, and automation.

♦ Forming: laser cutting, volumetric stamping of elliptical and spherical shapes.

♦ Welding and Grinding: TIG and argon arc welding, mirror polishing.

♦ Fittings Installation: installation of valves, heating elements, sensors, control systems.

♦ Testing: hydraulic and thermal tests, leak checks.

Whiskey Production Technology:

The process includes eight stages: from malting and drying the malt to blending and aging in oak barrels. We supply a complete set of equipment: brewing kettles, fermenters, columns, and copper alembics.

Ready-Made Solutions and Drawings

We have ready-made factory projects, including an installation for producing up to 2 tons of whiskey per day. Adaptation to the client's technical specifications is possible.

Start your whiskey production with Roza Vetrov™ — reliable equipment, individual approach, and professional support. Begin your journey to creating your own brand today!

Individual Approach and Customization

Many manufacturers offer custom-made whiskey distilleries. This can range from a compact home unit to an industrial distiller of 500, 1000, or 2000 liters.

Customization includes:

♦ Material selection (copper, stainless steel, or a combined option);
♦ Still volume and shape;
♦ Presence of a steam generator or heating elements;
♦ Casing finish (polishing, patination, wood or steel casings);
♦ Automation of distillation processes.

Advantages of In-House Production Facilities

Companies that manufacture whiskey stills in their own facilities can ensure:

♦ Flexibility in execution — ability to create unique projects;
♦ Quality control — from incoming metal inspection to testing finished equipment;
♦ Adherence to deadlines — independence from third-party suppliers;
♦ Customer support — service, warranty, assistance with startup.

The independent production of strong alcoholic beverages at home has long evolved from simple moonshining to a qualitatively new level.

More and more people are considering starting their own production, both for personal needs and with a potential for sales. Many enjoy the Scottish tradition of producing true craft whiskey.

Currently, especially with rising excise duties and alcohol prices, **owning a whiskey production and sales business can be profitable**. Trading in any alcohol is comparable to printing money, but it's important to understand that this type of business will require significant investment.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that proprietary production for commercial purposes is, in any case, a **long-term prospect**. According to experts, the first bottle from the start of production will leave the bottling line in the best-case scenario after three years, but given all the complexities, a more realistic estimate is eight years.

Nevertheless, this does not deter the Scots. Currently, in the homeland of Scotch, a quarter of all registered whiskey productions are small private enterprises.

It is believed that producing **single malt whiskey at home is simpler and more economically viable**. Few "yesterday's moonshiners" will have dozens of other whiskeys for blending, and without experience in this field, it's easy to make a difficult-to-digest drink.

On average, when selling cheap, young whiskey, the profit from each bottle is about **30% of its final price**, while more expensive, aged single malt varieties yield a profit of **up to 90% of the bottle's price**.

Scheme of the technological process of industrial production of whiskey:

We design and manufacture equipment for whiskey production from 100 liters to 4 tons per day.

The equipment includes: a mixer (cocer), fermenters, a boiling kettle, a rectification and alcohol columns.

Copper parts affect the functionality and give the equipment a noble appearance.

We have ready-made drawings for a whiskey factory. But we can change the configuration taking into account your wishes and technical specifications.

A distillery producing two tons of whiskey per day:

Copper alembics. A copper still of special design, intended for distilling alcohol.

Structurally, it consists of a condenser, a helmet, a pipe for removing steam, and the distillation cube itself.

Whiskey production technology.

The technology of whiskey production, regardless of the place of production (Ireland, Scotland, Canada, USA or Japan), includes eight main stages:

♦ malting;

♦ drying malt;

♦ obtaining wort;

♦ fermentation;

♦ distillation;

♦ aging;

♦ blending;

♦ bottling.

Preparation of malt (malting)

If the grain is not malted, the resulting whiskey is called grain. It is almost never sold in its pure form, but is used for blending. In Scotland, only 3 brands of pure grain whiskey are produced - Glen Wolf, Black Barrel and Invergordon.

Drying malt

Drying of malt occurs differently depending on the place of whiskey production.   In Scotland and Japan, malt is dried with hot smoke from burning peat (the Japanese, in their desire to bring their whiskey closer to Scotch whisky, which is considered exemplary in Japan, even buy local peat in Scotland), charcoal and beech shavings, thus obtaining “smoked grain”.

As a result, the finished product has a characteristic smoky, iodine-peat aroma that distinguishes Scotch whiskey from all others.

In Ireland (except for whiskeys produced by Cooley Distillery) and other countries, smoke is not used to dry malt.

Obtaining wort

To obtain the wort, the dried malt is ground to obtain coarse malt flour. The flour (grist) is mixed with hot water and kept with regular stirring for 8-12 hours, resulting in malt wort (wort) - a sweetish liquid of pale white color and an intense malt aroma. After the flour has completely dissolved in water, the resulting wort is cooled.

Fermentation

To initiate fermentation of the cooled malt wort, pure yeast cultures are added to it, after which the wort is thoroughly mixed to evenly distribute the yeast mass throughout the entire volume and sent to the fermenters.

Fermentation continues on average for 2-3 days at a temperature of 35-37oС. As a result of fermentation, mash is obtained - a weak alcoholic drink similar to beer (wash) with a strength of about 5% vol.

Distillation

Чим важлива теплопровідність міді?

Firstly, the distillation vessel heats up quickly, which reduces heat costs, and cools down just as quickly, which is of great importance for efficient condensation.

Secondly, the heat in the oven is distributed evenly. This is especially important when an open fire is used for distillation – in this case, it is difficult to maintain even combustion, and as a result, particles of the mash (stuck lumps of malt flour, yeast sediment, etc.) can burn.

Copper is a fairly active material that has a beneficial effect on the quality of the resulting distillate - in particular, copper ions effectively bind sulfur, which during distillation at high temperatures can interact with alcohols to form mercaptans - organic compounds that have not just a repulsive, but a disgusting smell (that is why in the technology of strong drinks, sulfitation of raw materials sent for distillation is prohibited - grape wine in cognac production, pulque in the preparation of tequila or mescal).

When distilling mash in copper stills, compared to the process carried out in stills made of steel, a significantly greater number of aromatic compounds are formed in the resulting distillate, which largely determine the quality of the resulting whiskey - esters, aldehydes, furfural and furan compounds, and the dehydration of pentoses occurs more quickly.

The fact is that copper is an activator of a whole complex of reactions that occur at elevated temperatures – melanoidin formation, melanin formation, caramelization – dehydration and cyclization of sugars with subsequent polymerization and polycondensation of the resulting heterocyclic compounds, which have a dark amber color and a wide range of aromas – caramel, vanilla, chocolate, nutty tones, spice tones.

As a result of distillation in the first apparatus (wash still) with a volume of 700-2300 decalitres, a liquid with a strength of 25-30% vol. is obtained, which is called “low wine”.

After the first distillation, the "weak wine" enters the second still (spirits still), which has a capacity of 600-2100 decalitres, and is distilled once more. The product of the second distillation is whiskey with a strength of up to 70% vol. During the second distillation, the head and tail fractions are separated, that is, those parts of the distillate that leave the still at the beginning and end of the distillation process, and only the middle fraction is collected.

The remaining head and tail fractions are poured into the "low wines" and sent back for distillation. The shape of the stills greatly influences the final taste of the whiskey. Each distillery has stills of its own shape and capacity. It is believed that tall and narrow stills produce lighter and finer whiskey than small and wide ones.

When old stills are replaced, new ones are made to precisely replicate the shape of the old ones, right down to the defects (bulges and dents), in order to preserve the taste of the whiskey being produced.

In distillation cubes, the main "blow" is taken by the upper part of the cube, called the "swan neck" - the vapors of hot mash hit exactly there, and the coil also actively interacts with the hot distillate. Therefore, the life of traditional distillation cubes is very limited and depends on the original thickness of the copper.

Usually, distillation cubes are not replaced entirely, but are limited to the thinnest (up to 4-5 mm) segments. Previously, the thickness of copper was determined by tapping the walls, so the master distiller had to have a good ear. Today, they are "tapped" with ultrasound, with subsequent processing of the data obtained on computers, which leads to much more accurate results.

In addition to distillation in a "pot still", distillation on continuous distillation devices is also used. In 1831, Irishman Aeneas Coffey invented a continuous distillation device called a "coffey still" or "patent still", which allows distillation to be carried out 15-20 times faster than a "pot still". Coffey devices are usually used to obtain grain whiskey - lighter than malt whiskey, which is then used in the preparation of blended whiskey.

The resulting distilled alcohol is diluted with spring water to a strength of 50-63.5% vol. and sent for aging.

Aging of whiskey

Whiskey is aged in oak barrels. The most suitable are considered to be Spanish barrels in which sherry was previously aged. This piece of technology emerged in the 18th century to reuse the barrels in which wine was imported from Spain, and it proved extremely successful.

If whiskey is aged only in such barrels, the manufacturer reports this as additional evidence of the high quality of the drink.

Since such barrels are in short supply, American white oak barrels are used, which previously contained American whiskey or were specially treated with cheap sherry.

It is at the barrel aging stage that whiskey acquires its characteristic color, flavor and aroma properties - it darkens, becomes softer, and receives additional aroma as a result of extraction and interaction with the structural components of oak wood.

During aging, a complex of physical and chemical processes takes place, among which several main ones can be distinguished. In addition to the processes of sedimentation of suspended particles formed during the transition of a number of substances to an insoluble state, evaporation of alcohol and other processes, complex reactions of new formation take place.

In particular, there is a diffusion of soluble components of oak wood (phenolic components, nitrogen-containing compounds, sugar complex, hemicellulose breakdown products, heterocyclic components formed in the inner layers of oak wood during pre-treatment) into alcohol.

In addition, there is a complex interaction of the wine material with the components of oak wood, in particular, the decomposition of the components of the staves under the influence of ethyl alcohol (ethanol from lignin with the formation of aromatic alcohols), the extraction of the substances formed in this process and the interaction of the entire complex of extracted substances with alcohol with the formation of new products that give the whiskey its typicality and aging tones.

It is also worth noting that oak wood is a regulator of oxidation processes, since it is one of the main oxidation-reduction systems.

A small but constant supply of oxygen does wonders for the drink. Oak wood contains quite a lot of tannins (about 1% in American white oak and 8% in Spanish or French), as well as lignins, vanillin and wood sugars, which caramelize during the burning of the barrel, giving the contents, in addition to color, a sweetish taste and aroma.

The various alcohols, esters and aldehydes contained in whiskey pass through the tiny pores of the wood and are oxidized, entering into complex compounds with it.

“Angel’s share”, “la part des anges” – this is how producers of cognacs, armagnacs, rums, whiskeys and all other divine ambrosias romantically call that part of the drink that leaves the walls of oak barrels through the pores of the wood.

Of course, drinks that are not aged in barrels – sparkling wines, vodka, gin – are deprived of this privilege. Depending on the climate – or more precisely, the humidity and temperature typical for a specific geographical area where a specific alcoholic drink is made – this share can be from 1.5 to 7% annually.

Optimal periods for aging wines and strong alcoholic beverages in different climatic conditions were determined empirically.

Thus, tequila producers came to the conclusion that aging in barrels for more than 7-8 years is pointless - firstly, a significant part of the volume is lost (here, the “angels' share” can reach up to 7% - calculate how much remains in the barrel after 10 years), and secondly, and this is the main thing - woody tones begin to dominate in the drink.

That's why rums and tequilas - drinks from countries with hot and dry climates - are rarely aged in barrels for more than 10 years. In cool and rainy Ireland, Scotland and France, whiskeys and cognacs can live in barrels for 20, 30 and even 60 years, but those that benefit from such longevity are the exception rather than the rule.

Usually, very old spirits, as a result of prolonged contact with the barrel, completely lose their individual characteristics, turning into an alcoholic oak extract. And naturally, each year of aging significantly increases the cost of the drink - you need to not only pay tribute to the angels, but also pay for storing the barrels.

Each country has its own aging traditions - for example, American whiskey is aged only in new barrels, Irish and Scotch whiskey - exclusively in those already used for aging bourbon or various wines (sherry or port).

The casks in which whiskey is aged come in different sizes and shapes. For example, the highly prized Spanish casks used in whiskey production, the ones traditionally used in Oporto to age port wine, are elongated like a cigar. Each size has its own name.

There are six types of casks used in the production of Scotch whisky: the butt, which holds about 110 gallons (about 500 litres), the puncheon, which is the same size as the butt but is shorter and wider, the hogshead, which holds about 56 gallons (250 litres), the barrel, which holds about 40 gallons, the quarter, which holds about 30 gallons (127 to 159 litres), and the smallest cask, the octave, which holds about 10 gallons (45 to 68 litres).

Blending

To obtain blended whiskey, different types of malt (from 15 to 50 types) and grain (3-4 types) whiskeys of different aging periods (at least 3 years) are mixed separately. They are then combined and aged for several more months. Some recipes are hundreds of years old, but producers develop new ones or modify old ones in accordance with market demands. The idea behind blending is to obtain a standard quality product and combine the best properties of different types of malt and grain whiskeys into one finished drink.

The first blended whisky to achieve widespread distribution, Old Vatted Glenlivet, was developed by Andrew Ussher in 1853.

The Master Blender has the difficult task of blending single malt and grain whiskies in such a way as to not only create the unique flavour of a particular whisky, but also to maintain its consistency from year to year.

Each whiskey selected for blending must be tasted by the master immediately after distillation, as well as during its maturation in barrels.

There are two types of blending:

♦ different proportions of malt and grain whiskeys are mixed in equalizers (special vessels of enormous capacity) where they are kept for 24 hours. This mixture is then placed in barrels and after a few weeks is bottled. This is how cheap whiskey brands are obtained;

♦ different varieties of single malt whiskey are selected, then mixed with grain whiskey in equalizers. In order to improve the quality of the blend, it is aged for 6-8 months in oak barrels. This period is called the "wedding" ("marriage"). This is how more expensive high-quality whiskey is produced.

If a bottle of blended whisky has an ageing period indicated on it, it refers to the age of the youngest whisky in the blend. If the blend contains a large proportion of old single malt whiskies, the whisky will be called "de luxe".