Hi Rob: yes, the pomace in the column is the same as in the kettle. We don't mix the red and white grapes on distilling - that way we can a) create a single-varietal version, and b) blend it. We found that the Pinor noir worked very well by itself, but that the Chardonnay wasn't that great. However, blending in a bit of Chardonnay into the Pinot noir softens the drink - making it more approachable for those who have never tried grappa before - the pure Pinot is drunk more by those who know grappa already! For fermentation we just add water to increase the volume, and yeast - nothing else. And I will hopefully get around to making a video on the bubbler - it's really simple though...

Thanks very much! One question if you don’t mind. I learned to fill PE fermentation containers to the brim to minimise oxygen contact. But I realise that the cap might be too heavy to push through. I also saw that you fill the fermentation container around half(?) or 2/3th? No bacterial infections? Thanks again sir! Kind regards Rob

Hi @@RobKohinoor. Punching the cap is hard! I found the only way was to use my hands. The liquid drains to the bottom, leaving the husks at the top, and in order to push it down the only way was to first punch a single hole using my fist - slowly pushing down until I reached the liquid (or close enough), and then enlarge that hole by essentially collapsing the walls. Once liquid and husks were more mixed it was then easier to mix it all up. With several barrels this was a real workout! We filled the barrels evenly, hence the level - usually 2/3's worked for us though. The CO2 given off is remarkable, as after punching the bubblers started working within a few minutes (and I always made sure they were, i.e. check the seal of the lid on the barrel). With that CO2 present we've not yet had any bacterial infections. We normally leave the barrels for months before distilling - by that time the top layer of husks is dry, so even if there is air in there (which I think by that time there is), no issues either. I do always make sure the bubblers have water in them, to minimize any potential of infection. Hope this helps!

@@guidoz1747 Thanks for the quick answering Guido. Much appreciated! What's the size of your blue barrels 120 liter? And what yeast do you use? I'm using EC1118 (Champagne yeast which can withstand higher temps and alcohol levels). Sorry for all the questions. I'm trying to learn the ropes 😀

Same here - also is meant to give the highest alcohol levels which given how little you get out, makes a difference!

Hi Paul: thanks for your comment. We do not ferment with the stems for exactly that reason. This is why we use a destemmer to get rid of them, then still sift through the grapes to ensure we catch any that were not removed, and in practice we find pretty much none in the grapes that end up being distilled. Double-distilling also allows us to discard foreshots twice - so if any methanol should get through the first distillation, the 2nd one will eliminate them. Foreshots should also not just be a simple "the first 100ml" - it depends on the temperature as well - as methanol has a lower boiling point than ethanol discarding anything that comes off when the temperature is below the boiling point of ethanol also helps in eliminating methanol content. Again, in practice we find that the 100ml we do take off is beyond what is necessary taking the temperature into account. We also had our grappa tested and the methanol content is minimal. In any case, any fermentation of fruit that contains "hard" bits - pips or stems, will result in methanol, and anybody who tries distillation should educate themselves on the dangers of this. I've not had the pleasure of visiting Italy to view how they make grappa in person, but from what I researched it seems that there are two types of producers: the big ones with large continuous stills, where they can layer the various gases nicely and hence can draw off the methanol with much more ease, and smaller ones like ours - and from the photos I saw their stills look pretty much like ours - nothing fancy, so they must be using more "traditional" methods like we use to eliminate methanol.

Good day! Apologies for the delayed reply - I should really monitor this channel a bit more! The airlocks are indeed handmade - the main part is just a slurpee cup, with some garden irrigation parts - with nothing particularly hard to find in normal hardware and catering/plastic stores. The usual wine-making airlocks one can readily get simply didn't cater for the flow rate for our large barrels, so I had no choice but to make something myself. I'll make a little video about it soon!

As the grapes were for the production of "champagne" (can't call it that in South Africa), they were unfermented - pinot noir and chardonnay - and we fermented it ourselves (in the big blue bins). If one can get husks from already fermented grapes (i.e. red wine grapes) then one doesn't have to ferment.

Thanks! Much appreciated!

Thank-you for the compliment! Much appreciated!

Glad you found it informative, hope it helps you in your distilling adventures!

Thanks Kate!

Thanks! It's hard work worth doing!