Vodka, like Brandy, is an alcoholic beverage usually 40% of alcohol by volume. Commercially it is made either from corn or potatoes using enzymes to convert the starches to sugars.
The starches and other type of non-fermentable sugars are broken down to usable form using enzyme called amylo glucosidase.
These sugars are diluted with water to desired specific gravity to produce alcohol of specific strength.
Depending on the strain type of the yeast being used for fermentation the alcohol content can vary from 14% to 20%.
Once the fermentation has seized, the solution is distilled and the result is Vodka with 40% of alcohol.
Vodka is typically colorless and tasteless, unlike Brandy.
During distillation the alcohol vapors will carry small amounts of essential oils from the mash.
These “oils” are responsible for the texture and flavor of typical liquor.
Vodka does not contain any of these oils since the fermentation is essentially achieved using only “sugar”, water yeast and the yeast nutrients.
For making Vodka at home the cheapest and easiest way is to use table sugar.
-Dissolve 2.5 lbs. of table sugar in 1 gal. of purified water. (13 lbs of sugar to 5-gals. water.)
-Add 1 package of "Turbo Yeast", following the manufacturer instructions.
-Distill once the fermentation is complete. (Usually 2-5 days depending on the type of Turbo Yeast you have)
During fermentation process one of the by-products are the fusel alcohols also known as fusel oils.
These are compounds produced in very small concentrations that contain alcohol other than ethanol.
They are harmless but do contribute to the type of hangover a person experiences if large amounts of liquor is consumed.
To eliminate these unwanted goodies the best and simplest method is to filter Vodka using food grade activated charcoal.
Pass the Vodka through the long tube (1.0-1.5m) filled with activated charcoal at a rate of 0.5-1.0 liters/hour depending on the diameter of the tube.
This is a slow but necessary process to ensure maximum adsorption of the fusels and to get pure Vodka.
Bon Voyage
