Old-ish Spanish Aguardente/Bagaco Still
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:06 am
A friend of mine recently bought a winery in Northern Spain. I was up there this last weekend helping to prepare and install some equipment for this year's harvest.
It's common in these areas (I count Portugal, where I am based), that the 'by-product' of the wine making is distilled, to not waste any remaining alcohol, which stays in the grape pommace after it has been pressed. I think this is the same process as Italian grappa which I've seen a few threads about here.In Portuguese at least, we call this pommace 'Bagaco', and the resulting drink takes the same name. In Spain, I think they call it Aguardiente. (Here, also aguardente).
Anyway, along with the winery, came a pair of copper stills which are used to make this drink. As for the product, typically the Portuguese home made ones that I have tried are pretty rough, and can be bought very cheaply in the villages. This is usually prepared 'off the books', but there is some provisions in Portuguese law that one can make up to 30l of it per year for personal use, if you apply to the customs authority. Practically, I think that most people just make the stuff and don't worry about filing the paperwork.
Anyway, I attach some photos of the still. I won't discuss more on this forum about using it, as I am not sure about the size. But, we have plans to LEGALLY use this to make aguardente after this year's harvest.
I tried to attach some images The stills Inside. I guess the mesh is to hold solids off the bottom and minimise scortching.
Manufacturer, place and date. Condenser worm. View from the back of the winery
It's common in these areas (I count Portugal, where I am based), that the 'by-product' of the wine making is distilled, to not waste any remaining alcohol, which stays in the grape pommace after it has been pressed. I think this is the same process as Italian grappa which I've seen a few threads about here.In Portuguese at least, we call this pommace 'Bagaco', and the resulting drink takes the same name. In Spain, I think they call it Aguardiente. (Here, also aguardente).
Anyway, along with the winery, came a pair of copper stills which are used to make this drink. As for the product, typically the Portuguese home made ones that I have tried are pretty rough, and can be bought very cheaply in the villages. This is usually prepared 'off the books', but there is some provisions in Portuguese law that one can make up to 30l of it per year for personal use, if you apply to the customs authority. Practically, I think that most people just make the stuff and don't worry about filing the paperwork.
Anyway, I attach some photos of the still. I won't discuss more on this forum about using it, as I am not sure about the size. But, we have plans to LEGALLY use this to make aguardente after this year's harvest.
I tried to attach some images The stills Inside. I guess the mesh is to hold solids off the bottom and minimise scortching.
Manufacturer, place and date. Condenser worm. View from the back of the winery