How to Make Vodka

Co-authored by Tom Blake

Updated: April 20, 2020
Explore this Article
Picking Ingredients
Making Different Mashes
Fermenting the Alcohol
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Questions & Answers
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Article Summary

Vodka is a neutral spirit that is usually not aged and can be made from grains, potatoes,
sugars, and fruits that are fermented to produce alcohol. Home brewers should take
extreme caution during the distilling process to discard the methanol, which can be fatal
if consumed. Distilling alcohol at home is illegal in some places, like Australia and the
U.S.[1] Other countries may require you to register your still or obtain a license to distill
alcohol, such as in New Zealand and the Czech Republic.[2] Be sure to check your local
regulations before beginning this process.
Part 1
Picking Ingredients
1.

1
Choose the ingredients you want to ferment into vodka. Vodka is commonly made
from wheat, rye, barley, corn, or potatoes. Sugar and molasses can also be used alone or
added to other ingredients. One distiller even makes an innovative vodka from Pinot Noir
red wine. Whatever you choose, it must have sugars or starches so that alcohol is
ultimately produced. Yeast eats sugars or starches and spits out alcohol and carbon
dioxide.[3]
  When making vodka from grains and potatoes, a mash must be made that
contains active enzymes that break down the starches from the grains or
potatoes and makes fermentable sugars.
 Fruit juice already contains sugars so starch-degrading enzymes are not
needed. As with fruit juice, vodka made from store-bought sugars need only be
fermented, thus bypassing the need for a mash.
 When already fermented mediums such as wine are used, the medium can
be distilled right away into vodka.
2.

2
Decide whether you need additional enzymes. Depending on what you decide to make
your vodka out of, you may need to add enzymes to help convert the starches into sugar.
If you’re using grains and potatoes, you’ll need additional enzymes. Grains and potatoes
are sources of starch, so enzymes are needed to break the starch down into sugar.[4]
 If you’re using malted whole grains, you do not need additional enzymes.
Malted whole grains, like malted barley or malted wheat, are rich in natural
enzymes that break down starches into fermentable sugars.
 If you’re using refined sugar and molasses, you do not need additional
enzymes because the sugar is already present.
3.

3
Add additional enzymes, if necessary. Food-grade amylase enzyme powder can be
purchased from a homebrew shop and added to the mash to convert the starch into
fermentable sugars, if you're using potatoes, for example. Use the recommended amount
for the amount of starch to be broken down. There is no need to use malted, enzyme-rich
grains such as malted barley or wheat when using enzyme powder.[5]
 For enzymes to be able to break down starches, the starches must first be
gelatinized. Flaked (rolled) grains are often already gelatinized. Un-gelatinized
 ingredients such as potatoes and unrolled or malted grains are heated in water
to the gelatinization temperature of the particular starch that is used.
 Potatoes usually gelatinize at about 150° F (66° C), and barley and wheat
gelatinize at about the same temperature. Theoretically, a potato mash should
only need to be heated to 150° F (66° C). If a low temperature is used with
potatoes, the potatoes should be finely shredded before adding them to the
water.
 Starch-degrading enzymes only work at specific temperatures and are
destroyed at high temperatures. A temperature of 150° F (66° C) is common,
but temperatures above 158° F (70° C) will result in the destruction of the
enzymes. The absolute maximum temperature is 165° F (74° C).
Part 2
Making Different Mashes
1.

1
Try a wheat mash. In a 10 gallon (38 L) metal pot with lid, heat 6 gallons (23 L) of
water to about 165° F (74° C). Add 2 gallons (7.6 L) of dry, flaked wheat and stir. Check
the temperature and ensure that it is between 150° F (66° C) and 155° F (68° C). Stir in 1
gallon (3.8 L) of crushed wheat malt. The temperature should be about 149° F (65°).
Cover and let rest for 90 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.[6]
 The starches should convert into fermentable sugars during this time, and
the mixture should become much less viscous.
 After 90 minutes to 2 hours, cool the mixture to 80° to 85° F (27° to 29°
C). Use an immersion chiller for rapid cooling or just let it cool overnight, but
don’t let it get much below 80° F (27° C).
2.

2
Go for a potato mash. Clean 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of potatoes. Without peeling, boil them
in a large kettle until gelatinized, about one hour. Discard the water and thoroughly mash
the potatoes by hand or with a food processor. Return the mashed potatoes to the kettle
and add 5 to 6 gallons (19 to 23 L) of tap water. Mix to blend and bring mixture to just
over 150° F (66° C).[7]
 Add 2 pounds (0.91 kg) of crushed, malted barley or wheat and stir well.
Cover and stir periodically over the course of 2 hours. Let it cool overnight to
80° to 85° F (27° to 29° C).
 Letting it cool for a long period of time also gives the barley malt enzymes
more time to break down the potato starch.
3.

3
Make a corn mash. Make a mash according to the wheat mash recipe, but substitute
flaked, pre-gelatinized corn (maize) for the flaked wheat. Alternatively, sprout your own
corn over the course of 3 days and make a mash from it without added malted grain. A
root about 2 inches (5.1 cm) long should sprout from each grain.
 The sprouted corn will contain enzymes that were formed during the
germination (sprouting) process.
Part 3
Fermenting the Alcohol
1.

1
Clean all your utensils and prepare the area properly. Fermentation is conducted in
clean, sanitized vessels that are sometimes open but often sealed from the air to prevent
cross-contamination. Fermentation usually lasts for 3-5 days.[8]
 Fermentation is also possible in vessels that haven't been cleaned or
sanitized, and the distilled product will yield drinkable alcohol, but the
 fermentation may result in a high level of unwanted flavor compounds and
higher alcohols due to the action of unwanted yeast stains and bacteria.
 Oxidative cleaners such as B-Brite are available at homebrew shops, as are
sanitizers such as iodophor.
2.

2
Choose and set up your airlock. An airlock is a mechanism that will allow CO2 to
escape without letting O2 to get in. Five-gallon (19-L) batches of strained mash can be
fermented in a 7.5-gallon (28-L) food-grade bucket or in 6-gallon (23-L) carboys. Lids
can be affixed to buckets, as can drilled rubber stoppers to carboys, but when using a lid
or a stopper, never seal the vessel completely, as pressure from carbon dioxide
production will create explosive pressure.[9]
 Always affix an airlock to lids and drilled rubber stoppers to prevent
explosive pressure from building.
 When fermentation is conducted in open vessels, put a cheesecloth over
the vessel to keep out bugs and other undesirable things.
3.

3
Strain the mash or liquid into your fermentation vessel. If a mash was made, strain
the liquid with a fine mesh strainer from the mash into your cleaned and sanitized
fermentation vessel. Try to splash the liquid and pour it from a distance so that it is well
aerated.[10]
 Yeast needs air (oxygen) initially to grow and start a quality fermentation.
This is because yeast makes cellular material in the form of lipids from oxygen.
However, oxygen is not desired after this initial growth stage, as yeast produces
alcohol in the absence of oxygen.
 You may want to add a sugar solution at this time. Aerate the sugar
solution by pouring it from a distance into the fermentation vessel.
  If juice is to be fermented, aerate by pouring from a height through a sieve
or strainer into the fermentation vessel.
4.

4
Add yeast to the fermentable medium. Hydrate the appropriate amount of dried
distillers or other desired yeast and add it to the liquid. Stir with a clean, sanitized spoon
to evenly disperse the yeast. If using an airlock, the airlock will bubble during active
fermentation, and the bubbling will slow dramatically or cease altogether as the liquid
becomes completely fermented.[11]
 Keep the fermenting liquid in a room that is about 80° to 85° F (27° to 29°
C) to facilitate good, efficient fermentation. Alternately, use a heating belt in
cold areas.
 Distillers yeast will ferment cleanly, produce a high amount of alcohol
(ethanol), and produce a relatively low amount of unwanted compounds such
as alcohols other than ethanol. The amount of yeast used will depend on the
specific brand or type of yeast used.
 Nutrients may be included with the yeast in the yeast packet. Yeast
nutrients are needed when fermenting a medium that is low in nutrients, such as
sugar solutions, but they can also improve fermentations when used with
nutrient-rich mediums such as those made from grains.
5.

5
Collect the wash. Siphon off the fermented, alcoholic liquid (called the wash) into a
cleaned and sanitized vessel or into the distillation apparatus. Leave the yeast sediment
behind in the fermentation vessel, as it can scorch when heated in the still. The siphoned
wash may also be further clarified by filtration or other means before distillation.[12]
Part 4
Picking a Still
 1.

1
Use a column still if possible. Column stills are more complex and sophisticated than
pot stills. They can be purchased or, depending on the still design, built using readily
available materials. However, column stills and pot stills work in a relatively similar
manner.[13]
 Cooling water is usually circulated through a sealed compartment in the
distillation column, causing the vaporized alcohol and other substances to
condense in the column. This means that such a still must be attached directly
to a faucet or a mechanical pump to move water from a supply into the still.
 If not recirculating water from a single supply, thousands of gallons of
water may need to be used to make a small batch of vodka. If water is
recirculated from a central reservoir using a pump, about 50 gallons (189 L) of
water can be used, but the water will heat up and become less effective.
2.

2
Opt for a pot still if you can’t find a column still. Simple pot stills are akin to pressure
cookers that are attached to piping or tubing. They can be constructed very easily and
cheaply. Unlike column stills that are essentially vertical columns, pot stills may utilize
bent or coiled tubing or piping that can be submersed in a vessel of cooling water. Pumps
and large volumes of cooling water are not required, but can be used.[14]
3.

3
Use a reflux still, if necessary. A reflux still can do multiple distillations at one time.
The packing between the condenser and the pot allows vapor to condense and trickle
back down to the liquid pool. This “reflux” cleans the rising vapor and increases the
purity of the vodka.[15]
Part 5
Distilling the Alcohol
1.

1
Get ready for distillation. Stills heat the fermented, relatively-low alcoholic wash to a
temperature that is greater than the boiling point of alcohol, yet less than the boiling point
of water. In this way, the alcohol vaporizes while the bulk of the water does not. The
vaporized alcohol (along with some vaporized water) travel up into the column, pipe or
tube of the still.[16]
 External cooling in the form of cold water is applied to the column, pipe,
or tubing, causing the vaporized alcohol to cool and condense back into liquid.
This alcoholic liquid is collected and becomes vodka.
2.

2
Heat the wash in the still to begin the distillation process. Depending on the type of
still being used, gas burners, wood fires, or electric hot plates are all options. A
temperature of about 173° F (78.3° C) at sea level is desirable, but the
temperature must be kept below the boiling point of water, 212° F (100° C) at sea level.
[17]
 As the wash becomes heated, alcohol and other substances vaporize and
condense in the water-cooled area of the still.
3.
3
Throw out the heads. The first distilled liquid (called the “heads”) that is recovered
from the still will be full of harmful methanol and other volatile chemicals that are toxic
and can be fatal. For 5 gallons (19 L) of wash, discard at least the first 2 ounces (60 mL)
of distillate.[18]
 It is extremely important that you do not drink this distilled liquid!
4.

4
Collect the body. After you discard the heads, the collected distillate will contain the
desired alcohol (ethanol), along with some water and other compounds. This is called the
“body” or the “heart.” During this time, if using a column still with flowing cold water,
the water flow can be adjusted to control the distillate output and purity.[19]
 Aim for 2 to 3 teaspoons (9.8 to 14.8 mL) of distillate per minute.
Increased distillate output results in decreased purity.
5.

5
Throw out the tails. Towards the end of the distillation process, when the temperature
creeps up to 212° F (100° C) and beyond, the distillation process produces other nasty
chemicals. These are called the “tails,” which contain fusel alcohols. The tails are
undesirable as they contain propanol and butanol and should be discarded.[20]
 Always make sure to throw out the tails, as they should not be consumed!
6.

6
Check the alcohol content and purity of the distillate. Cool a sample of the distillate to
68° F (20° C) and use an alcometer to measure the percentage of alcohol of the distillate.
The distillate may be too diluted to serve as acceptable vodka (weaker than 40% alcohol),
or may be more concentrated than desired (perhaps higher than 50% alcohol).[21]
 Vodka is usually diluted before bottling, so the distillate may have a very
high alcohol content. The distillate may also be too flavorful and aromatic and
require additional distillations or carbon filtering.
7.

7
Redistill the liquid, if necessary or desired. This increases the alcohol content and
further purifies the distillate. It is common to redistill the distillate 3 or more times to
achieve vodka that has a high purity.
 Keep in mind that the heads and tails need to be discarded each time you
distill the vodka!
 Premium brands of vodka go through 4 or 5 distillates, and most other
brands go through 3 before the vodka is diluted and bottled.
Part 6
Adding the Finishing Touches
1.

1
Filter the vodka through carbon. Pass the distillate through an activated carbon filter,
such as those available at homebrewing shops, to remove unwanted volatile flavors and
aromas. Carbon water filters can also be modified to purify the distillate.[22]
2.
2
Dilute the vodka to the desired strength. Add purified water to the distillate to attain
the desired alcohol percentage. Use an alcometer to measure the alcohol percentage
several times throughout this process until you achieve the desired strength.[23]
3.

3
Bottle the vodka. Fill bottles using a gravity bottle filler setup and cork or cap the
bottles. Label the bottles with custom labels if desired. Some gravity fillers may consist
of a 7.5 gallon (29 L) bottling bucket (with spigot), vinyl tubing, and a simple spring-
loaded plastic bottle filler. Multiple-spout wine bottle fillers can also be used.[24]