This process utilises large pot still apparatus. Spirit and water are pumped into the apparatus before the spice is put in. All aquavits have their own particular recipes or blend of spices.
When heated, the alcohol vaporises initially because it has a lower boiling point (78°C) than water. During the evaporation the taste compounds from the spices rise in the steam upwards into the gooseneck and condense into fluid in the condenser. A distillate will always be water clear and without a bitter taste. This is due to both colour and bitter compound molecules being so large and heavy that they fail to vaporise. The distillate keeps a high alcoholic strength, with a high concentration of taste compounds. These are used to flavour the neutral potato spirit to produce an aromatised spirit.
Both the first and last stage of evaporation, the first running and after running, go to recycling. The first running contains some volatile and noxious compounds that are undesirable to include. The after running contains heavier and coarse compounds that are also unwanted. The part of the distillate that is utilised is called “the heart”.
