C10 - ONLINE Comprehensive Distilling Course

This course is now online and available form our Internet learning platform. The course fee includes a 6-month access period, after 6 months, the student will no longer have access to the course videos. 

Learners from outside South Africa: Shipping you the printed course manual (i.e. more than 700 pages on C10) to your physical address costs us quite a bit more. Please use the International Student variant when ordering the course.

Once we receive your payment, a printed course manual will be couriered to you with a voucher number (local in South Africa) and a link where you can start your online training.

This course will allow you to understand and become familiar with the basics of distilling, learn the terminology used, the different types of stills, and much more.

While this course is a lot of fun, it is a course for serious distillers.

We combine and expand the content of more than 5 distinct courses and many practical demonstration videos into one course. This is supported by 3 colour textbooks (totalling over 700 pages of worthwhile information) as well as additional notes, cheat sheets, flow diagrams and more.

At the end of the course, you may select (as part of the course fees) to write a 2-hour exam to earn your "Comprehensive Distilling Course" certificate (Required Mark to Pass: 70% minimum).

After your exam has been marked and verified, you can collect the certificate from our store or have it sent via courier (at the client's cost).

During the course, you will cover in-depth the following Master Principles, both in theory and practice:

• Fractional Distillation - Selecting Desired and Undesired Aromas and Tastes during Distillation
• Starch Conversion - Conversion of Unfermentable Carbohydrates into Fermentable Sugars
• Steam Infusion - Creation of Flavored Spirits through the process of Steam Distillation or Vapor Infusion
• Sensory Analysis - Training and Using Your Sense of Taste and Smell
• Spirit Blending - Mixing Spirits in a Scientific and Controlled fashion to create repeatable Recipes and Processes
• Dilution - Dilution of Spirits down to Legal Minimum Strength, as well as working with High Brix Content Raw Materials (Molasses and Honey)

Course Contents

Fermentation, Distillation and Spirit Enhancement Theory

Spirit Production Overview

• Short History of Distillation
• Alcoholic Beverages, Feedstocks and Method Examples
• The Role of Geographical Naming Differences
• Legislation for Home Distilling
• Legislation for Commercial Distilling
• Safety during Distilling
• Responsible Drinking

Fermentation Overview

• Fermentable and Non-Fermentable Sugars
• Starch Conversion
• Types and Roles of Enzymes in Distillation Fermentations
• Congener Formation and Control
• Fermentation Components
• Sugar Measurements and Sugar Calculations
• Yeast and Yeast Requirements
• Successful and Failed Fermentations - Trouble Shooting and Fixing

Distillation Overview

• What is Distillation?
• Distillation Physics
• Use of the Phase Diagram during Distillation
• Development of Still Types
• The Role of Copper in Stills
• Heads, Hearts, Tails and other Fractions
• Effect of Boiling Rate on Fractions
• Fractional Distillation or Precision Distillation
• Spirit Enhancement
• Simple Enhancement Techniques
• Enhancement by Removal

Enhancement by Addition

• Enhancement by Transformation

Fruit Based Spirits

Brandy and Mampoer (Eau de Vie) Overview

• Difference between Brandy and Mampoer
• Legislation regarding Brandy and Mampoer
• Discussion on the future of Brandy and Mampoer in South Africa
• History of Brandy and Mampoer
• Regional Differences of Fruit-Based Spirits
• The Cultural Distillers Guild
• Brandy and Mampoer Methodology

Unique Aspects of Fruit-Based Fermentations

• Fruit Selection and Preparation
• Open vs Closed Fermentations
• Fermentation Management
• Clarification Techniques

PRACTICAL - Making a Fruit Based Fermentation

Fractional Distillation Overview

• Fractional or Precision Distillation

PRACTICAL - Distilling a Fruit Based Fermentation

PRACTICAL - Sensory Analysis of Heads and Tails

Spirit Enhancement in Brandy and Mampoer

• Techniques Relevant to Brandy and Mampoer

PRACTICAL - Blending of Selected Fractions and Dilution

PRACTICAL - Obscuration and Wooding of Spirits with Sensory Analysis

Starch Based Spirits

Whisk(e)y, Moonshine and Vodka Overview

• Difference between Whisk(e)y, Moonshine and Vodka
• A History of Whisk(e)y, Moonshine and Vodka
• Regional Differences in Whisk(e)y - Scotland, Ireland, USA and South Africa
• Whisk(e)y and Moonshine Methodology
• Innovating with Whisk(e)y in South Africa

PRACTICAL - Doing a Starch Conversion

Unique Aspects of Starch Fermentations

• Grain Bill and Milling
• Starch Extraction, Conversion and Steeping
• Malting and Enzyme Sources
• Sterilization
• Sparging

PRACTICAL - Making a Grain Fermentation

Vodka Distilling

• Still, Types Used for Vodka Production
• Different Still Configurations in Commercial Distilleries
• Using Multiple Stills in a Commercial Distillery
• Stripping Runs vs Spirit Runs vs Rectifying Runs vs Infusion Runs
• Reflux Modes in Fractional Distillation

PRACTICAL - Distilling a Grain Based Fermentation

Spirit Enhancement in Whisk(e)y, Moonshine and Vodka

• Techniques Relevant to Whisk(e)y, Moonshine and Vodka

PRACTICAL - Blending of Selected Fractions and Dilution

PRACTICAL - Obscuration and Wooding of Spirits with Sensory Analysis

Gin and Botanicals

Gin Overview

• A History of Gin
• Garnishing of Gin

Gin Production

• Gin Production Process
• Feedstock for Gin
• Base Spirits for Gin
• Botanicals for Gin
• Ginning Methods
• Flavoring Runs
• Sweetening Methods and Levels
• Maturation Methods
• Naming a Gin
• Categorization and Naming Based on Production Processes

Creating a Gin Flavour Profile

• Communicating a Flavour Profile
• A Classification Methodology for Gin
• Tasting and Classifying Gin According to the Methodology
• Sensory Analysis and Tasting
• Utilisation of the Classification Methodology for Market Research and Product Development

PRACTICAL - Sensory Analysis and Tasting of 6 or more Gins

Creating and Using a Flavor Library

• Making Infusions
• Blending Flavours
• Creating a Single-Shot Recipe

PRACTICAL - Botanical Infusion through Steam Infusion and/or Infused Distillation

PRACTICAL - Dilution of Spirits

PRACTICAL - Blending of Infused Spirit Compounds

PRACTICAL - Application of Obscuration Techniques to Gin

Spirit Enhancement in Gin

• Techniques Relevant to Gin

High Brix Content Raw Materials

Light, Dark and Spiced Rum Overview

• Differences between Light, Dark and Spiced Rum
• A History of Rum
• Regional Differences in Rum
• Rum Methodology

Unique Aspects of High Brix Content Raw Material Fermentations

• Sugar Source Selection
• Sugar Source Calculation
• Sugar Source Preparation
• High Brix Content Raw Material Fermentations

PRACTICAL - Making a Molasses Fermentation

Distilling a High Brix Content Raw Material Fermentation

• Using Anti-Foaming Agent
• Applying Fractional Distillation to Non-Fruit Fermentations

PRACTICAL - Distilling a Molasses Fermentation

PRACTICAL - Sensory Analysis of Heads and Tails

Spirit Enhancement in Rum

• Techniques Relevant to White, Gold, Dark and Spiced Rum

PRACTICAL - Blending of Selected Fractions and Dilution

PRACTICAL - Obscuration and Wooding of Spirits with Sensory Analysis

Course Fees include:

• Printed course manual couriered to you (South African students only)
• Downloadable presentation slides
• Access to the learning platform with access to the full set of training videos for 6 months. 

You would require:

• Good Internet connection
• Preferably a laptop or desktop PC with sound to view the videos (Smartphone screen just too small)
• Pen and paper to take your notes
• You can pause, rewind, and replay a video to ensure you do not miss an important part.

Please Note:

Unfortunately, none of the online courses can be cancelled after a voucher number or link has been emailed to you.