Schnapsbrennen als Hobby (Spirit Distillation as a Hobby) – the Practical Guide by Bettina Malle and Helge Schmickl is an accessible, practice-oriented standard reference for everyone who wants to engage seriously with the distillation of spirits. The book accompanies you step by step from the preparation of a good mash, through distillation, to diluting, storing and refining the finished distillate.
Particularly valuable is its clear practical focus: you will not only learn how each working step proceeds, but also why a clean mash, the correct separation of heads, fine spirit and tails, and a suitable distillation unit are decisive for the quality of the finished spirit.
What you can expect inside
- Preparation of a mash as the basis for high-quality distillates
- Distillation in practice with notes on heads, fine spirit and tails
- Distillation units and materials for functional stills
- Diluting spirits including calculation of the water quantity
- Recipes for mashes, infusions and macerated spirits (Geiste)
- Storage and artificial ageing for better quality and flavour
- Legal background for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Practical knowledge for better results
A good distillate starts with the mash. The book explains what to bear in mind when selecting and preparing the raw materials, what problems can occur during fermentation and which measures are then sensible. Topics such as pure-strain yeast, pH value, liquefying enzyme, the course of fermentation and alcohol content are also addressed in an accessible way.
The chapter on distillation explains how the individual fractions arise and how heads, fine spirit and tails are cleanly separated from one another. You will also learn when a double distillation is sensible and when a single distillation can suffice.
From the distillation unit to the finished spirit
The book shows how a spirit distillation unit should be set up sensibly from a process-engineering perspective, which materials are suitable and what to look out for when buying or building your own still. In addition, you will find practical notes on cleaning, storage, quality control and diluting to drinking strength.
With many recipes and practical examples
Numerous recipes for mashes, infusions and macerated spirits make the book a useful companion for beginners and advanced users alike. Whether fruit mash, fruit wine, macerated spirit or infused spirit – the content is clearly structured and explained in a practical way.
Product details
- Authors: Bettina Malle, Helge Schmickl
- Publisher: ökobuch Verlag GmbH
- Edition: 17th Edition, 2023
- Length: 176 pages
- Format: hardcover, with colour illustrations throughout
- ISBN: 978-3-947021-33-8
View the Table of Contents
Watch a preview on YouTube
Further information
To complement the book, you will find further practical content on mash preparation, distillation, recipes and proper application:
- eBook – Recipe Collection for Spirit Distillation: PDF for printing
- eBook – Spirit Distillation for Beginners: PDF for printing
- Online School: online seminars, videos
- Practical Seminar on Spirit Distillation: you do the distilling yourself
- Alcohol calculator for dilution
- Information on building a spirit distillation unit
