How to freeze distill?

In this short article, we will provide an answer to the question “how to freeze distill?” and the detailed process of freeze distillation.

How to freeze distill?

When you freeze a beverage and then allow it to thaw again, you are removing excess water from the beverage. This is known as freezing distillation or freezing concentration. The word “distillation” is rather deceptive since no heat is utilized in the process; in fact, one might argue that the process is the polar opposite of what is meant by the phrase.

During this process, the concentration of the liquid, as well as the amount of alcohol in it, are both increased. In contrast to traditional distillation, freezing distillation is permitted in all countries across the planet.

What is the process of freeze distillation and how does it work?

Based on the fact that ethanol and water have significantly different freezing points, the ice distillation technique is used. Alcohol, in contrast to water, which freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (zero degrees Celsius), only freezes at -173.4 degrees Fahrenheit (-173.4 degrees Celsius) (-114.1 degrees Celsius).

Attempting to freeze and remove water from an alcoholic beverage is not possible due to the dilute nature of the ethanol, oils, and water present in the beverage mixture.

\As the defrosting process progresses, the freezing points of different liquids become more easily apparent. In the process of freeze distillation, the alcohol-containing liquid is completely frozen and then gradually thawed. Ethanol and other flavor components thaw more rapidly and are drawn out of the frozen liquid during the defrosting process.

What is the motive behind freeze distillation?

The process of freeze distillation not only raises the gravity of a beverage but also improves the flavor of any other beverage by producing an extremely concentrated version of the original.

What is the best course of action to take?

The quickest and most straightforward method is to pour the drink into a container, such as a plastic jug, and then freeze it in the freezer or outdoors if you live in a cold climate. This process may take many days (though it is still faster than aging), but you may make it go faster by chilling the distillate in multiple smaller bottles at the same time across several days. Allow it to gently thaw and trickle into another vessel once it has been frozen. Removing the ice from the jug when it is nearly filled is recommended. Take a sip of your beverage after gently stirring it.

Given that it is reliant on the quantity of water removed, and that the amount of water removed is dependent on the temperature of the freezer, predicting the final product’s gravity may be challenging. In contrast, once half of the drink’s volume has been eliminated, just about half of the drink’s original alcohol content remains. Keep in mind that freeze distillation has a limited capacity; the final gravity is determined by the end temperature rather than the number of times the process is repeated.

The process of freeze distillation may be hazardous to one’s health.

A fermented solution, such as hard cider, often contains a combination of ethanol (drinkable alcohol), methanol (toxic alcohol – the substance that will cause you to go blind if consumed in large quantities), fusel alcohols (the substance that gives you headaches), and volatile oils (the substances that give you a headache) (not toxic but they add a bad taste to the liquor).

In a traditional distillation process using a still, methanol is the first to evaporate because it has a lower boiling point than ethanol. These are referred to as “headshots” and “foreshots” in the photography industry. These components are removed from the final product during the distillation process and are not present in the raw material.

This is because there is no evaporation during the freeze distillation process, and thus these potentially dangerous by-products remain in the finished product. To be clear, cider has the same amount of these compounds as applejack, but in a more concentrated form than applejack does. As a result, the risk associated with eating a little amount of freeze-distilled applejack is similar to the risk involved with having a glass of hard cider in one sitting.

The legal standing of freeze distillation

Currently, the legal status of freeze distillation in the United States and most other Western countries is up for debate. As a result of federal legislation, all types of distillation are illegal in the 

Even though the word “distilling” is used in the text, freeze distillation is a concentrated form of alcohol. Therefore, it is not explicitly banned in the United States. However, just like with any other passion or activity, you should avoid trying to sell the product or talking about it with the incorrect individuals about your hobby. 

Conclusion

In this short article, we provided an answer to the question “how to freeze distill?” and the detailed process of freeze distillation.

Reference

https://www.whiskeystill.net/blogs/whiskey-still-co-blog/14791505-freezing-distillation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_freezing
https://homesteady.com/how-12225258-fix-punctured-refrigerator.html