For people, the shiny copper still is one of the life elements of whisky. This is undoubtedly related to artistic aesthetics, but what is the real reason why whisky distilleries have persisted in using copper stills throughout the ages? Why not follow in the footsteps of The New York Times and apply a smoother stainless steel plate or aluminum still?
In the mentality of scientific rationality and objectivity, we must first ask if, and then why. So are any stills all made of copper?
The answer is no.
Because of the limited materials in the early whisky brewing, various durable and plastic materials such as porcelain and laminated glass were used.
As everyone knows, copper quickly replaced them and became the material of dreams. The reason is very simple: the relatively high degree of plasticity of the copper material makes it easy to shape and mold the design; copper is very efficient at transferring heat; at the same time, it is still resistant to corrosion.
Even so, the application of copper is indeed cliché, and the cost of copper is not low.
This often prompts bartenders to keep experimenting with upgraded, more cost-effective, and more durable materials, such as stainless steel plates, which are done in American bartenders.
As everyone knows, the brewers who initially used stainless steel plates as distiller discovered an interesting objective fact: the stainless steel plate material gives the whiskey a sulphurous taste, which obviously will not be warmly welcomed by customers.
Relatively speaking, the safety factor of copper in the taste of whisky has long been confirmed by historical time, and now winemaking has confirmed its previously unknown benefits according to experiments.
The characteristics of copper allow it to chemically change in the still cavity to remove high volatile sulfur chemicals (mainly dimethyl triacetyl chloride, an odor chemical that causes whisky to give off an unpleasant odor), and there are also Conducive to the production of esters, the latter is the key source of the fresh fruit aroma of whisky.
During the whole process of continuous steam distillation, copper material is also beneficial to the concentration of unwanted chemical substances, improving the high efficiency of steam distillation, and making the taste of whisky smoother.
But it is not necessary to think that the application field of copper is only distiller, and the condenser is also inseparable from copper-popular insect tube condenser and shell and tube condenser.
So what’s the difference between a worm tube condenser and a shell and tube condenser?
Although the two raw materials are all copper metal materials, due to the difference in internal structure, the shell-and-tube condenser finally touches the original whisky and reflects more parts than the insect-tube condenser. Therefore, the wine produced by the shell and tube condenser has the characteristics of light wine and smooth and perfect taste;
Correspondingly, the insect tube condenser has less interference with the wine, and the red wine body has a lot of smell of sulfur powder, plumpness and fruity aroma. At this stage, some manufacturers are experimenting with stainless steel plate condensers in pursuit of a more distinctive and matte whisky flavour.
Naturally, it’s not hard to imagine that damage is unavoidable when copper in the condenser reacts with a lot of whiskey.
In short, copper is getting thinner. At this time, the corresponding components can only be replaced, which is also called the abandonment of copper by the winemaker, just as the Scots call the red wine volatilized in the brand-new oak barrels the market share of the angels.
In general, although copper is more expensive, its excellent plasticity, heat transfer and historical reliability make copper an essential part of traditional whisky making.
The golden whisky is discharged from the light stills and is given a brown color in brand new oak casks. This whole process is like the trinity, not being moved by the outside.
Post time: Mar-11-2022