Equipment for Making Alcohol Type Beverages

Making alcoholic spirits at home requires basic equipment such as bottles, corks, a scale and other items which are readily available in one's kitchen. A cheese cloth is handy, a measuring cylinder and scale are definitely needed. As there is no fermentation, there is no possibility of gas pressure building up inside, so a glass jar with a twisted lid can be used. This will also prevent loss of alcohol evaporation. Keep in mind that the fruits will expand in volume, so the vessels should be filled only to about 75% capacity.

Glass Jars

Make sure that your container is tight otherwise you will lose alcohol due to evaporation. Many pretty looking containers like the ones with a locking mechanism and a rubber washer are not perfectly tight and an ordinary preserve type glass jar with a twist on lid works better. Always fill it with water, flip it over and see whether it is leaking or not. This simple test can save you a lot of aggravation later.

Glass jars with fruit infusions can be kept in a sunny and warm location. Glass jars with herbal infusions should be kept in a dark and cool area.

Graduated Cup and Cylinder

Measuring cup

Graduated cylinder

A small graduated 250 ml cylinder

A graduated cylinder is used to accurately measure the volume of a liquid. A traditional cylinder is usually narrow and tall and has a "spout" for easy pouring. A cylinder without a spout will make your table wet and messy. A small 10, 25 or 50 ml cylinder is useful when measuring essential oils which are applied in very small amounts.

Dropper and Syringes

Eye dropper with a bottle is handy when storing and applying essential oils. Syringes come in many sizes and allow for an accurate volume control.

Eye dropper

Set of syringes

10 ml syringe is accurate to within 1/2 ml

Sealing Bottles

The bottles which will be stored for a long time should be sealed to prevent the loss of alcohol. Bottle sealing wax comes in different colors. Place sealing wax pellets in a used metal soup can, apply heat and melt them.

Bottles With Corks

Insert cork until it is flush with the bottle. Apply some melted wax on top. Invert bottle around and dip the neck of the bottle into the melted wax. Lift up the bottle and let the wax drip down, turning the bottle around. Place the seal in cold water for 10 seconds.

Bottles with Metal Twist Caps

Apply sealing wax around the cap or dip the neck of the bottle into the melted wax. To remove the cork push your corkscrew through as though the seal wasn't even there. There is no need to scrape the wax off. Melted candle wax is very thin, but it can be used as a last resort. Dip the neck of the bottle into melted candle wax. Remove, let cool, then dip in wax again.

Cork sealed with sealing wax

Metal cap sealed with white candle wax

Available from Amazon

The Practical Guide to Making Salami is a companion book to The Art of Making Fermented Sausages, published in 2008. Since then, more information has become available; safety standards have been updated and tightened, new cultures have appeared, and getting supplies and newer equipment online has become more accessible. The most relevant theory has been transferred from The Art of Making Fermented Sausages. Still, The Practical Guide to Making Salami includes plenty of new materials such as fermented spreadable sausages, acidified sausages, or combining acidulants with natural fermentation. The recipes section has been expanded and includes 264 selected recipes from different countries so the reader can immediately produce sausages.