Spirit Safe
Encyclopedia
A spirit safe is a large, padlocked, glass walled, usually brass
bound container found at Scotch Whisky
distilleries which allow the distiller to analyse and manage the spirit
coming out of the spirit stills
without coming into contact with the spirit itself.
The origins of the spirit safe date back to 1823 when a change in the duty
laws allowed small Highland
distilleries to compete fairly with the much larger Lowland distilleries. The change brought a number of distillers who had previously operated illegally within the law.
These laws were rigorously enforced and one of the main ways of enforcement was the spirit safe which prevented anyone siphoning off (to avoid paying duty
on) the new make spirit at the point in the Whisky process it was most vulnerable; just as the spirit came out the stills before the quantity had been measured.
This is why spirit safes carry large, obvious padlocks, and why all the manipulation and measurement takes place behind its glass panels, using controls on the front of the spirit safe. Until recently in 1983 only the local officer from the Customs and Excise, who measured how much spirit was produced, had access to the keys for the safe.
Since then the keys have been held by the distillery manager as well as Customs and Excise to ensure compliance by analysing the returns from a range of distilleries.
The first liquid to emerge from the spirit condenser
as the spirit still is heated is the undesirable foreshots, and these are directed from the spirit safe to the low wines and feints receiver for re-distillation. But gradually the alcohol content reduces and what emerges is the spirit that will end up as Scotch Whisky
. The distiller has to judge the right moment to redirect the flow of product to the spirit receiver instead of the low wines receiver. This is when the alcohol content, measured by a hydrometer
in the spirit safe, falls to 75%: or when the emerging spirit no longer turns water cloudy, another test conducted remotely inside the spirit safe.
The alcohol content of the emerging liquid continues gradually to fall during the run. When it reaches a point between 70% and 60% alcohol by volume, again as measured by a hydrometer within the spirit safe, the flow is switched away from the spirit receiver and back to the low wines and feints receiver, again for re-distillation. The precise point at which this switch takes place depends on the character of the whisky being produced: but for a particular whisky this will always happen at the same point in the run.
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
bound container found at Scotch Whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
distilleries which allow the distiller to analyse and manage the spirit
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
coming out of the spirit stills
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
without coming into contact with the spirit itself.
The origins of the spirit safe date back to 1823 when a change in the duty
Duty (economics)
In economics, a duty is a kind of tax, often associated with customs, a payment due to the revenue of a state, levied by force of law. It is a tax on certain items purchased abroad...
laws allowed small Highland
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
distilleries to compete fairly with the much larger Lowland distilleries. The change brought a number of distillers who had previously operated illegally within the law.
These laws were rigorously enforced and one of the main ways of enforcement was the spirit safe which prevented anyone siphoning off (to avoid paying duty
Duty (economics)
In economics, a duty is a kind of tax, often associated with customs, a payment due to the revenue of a state, levied by force of law. It is a tax on certain items purchased abroad...
on) the new make spirit at the point in the Whisky process it was most vulnerable; just as the spirit came out the stills before the quantity had been measured.
This is why spirit safes carry large, obvious padlocks, and why all the manipulation and measurement takes place behind its glass panels, using controls on the front of the spirit safe. Until recently in 1983 only the local officer from the Customs and Excise, who measured how much spirit was produced, had access to the keys for the safe.
Since then the keys have been held by the distillery manager as well as Customs and Excise to ensure compliance by analysing the returns from a range of distilleries.
The first liquid to emerge from the spirit condenser
Condenser
Condenser may refer to:*Condenser , a device or unit used to condense vapor into liquid. More specific articles on some types include:*Air coil used in HVAC refrigeration systems...
as the spirit still is heated is the undesirable foreshots, and these are directed from the spirit safe to the low wines and feints receiver for re-distillation. But gradually the alcohol content reduces and what emerges is the spirit that will end up as Scotch Whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
. The distiller has to judge the right moment to redirect the flow of product to the spirit receiver instead of the low wines receiver. This is when the alcohol content, measured by a hydrometer
Hydrometer
A hydrometer is an instrument used to measure the specific gravity of liquids; that is, the ratio of the density of the liquid to the density of water....
in the spirit safe, falls to 75%: or when the emerging spirit no longer turns water cloudy, another test conducted remotely inside the spirit safe.
The alcohol content of the emerging liquid continues gradually to fall during the run. When it reaches a point between 70% and 60% alcohol by volume, again as measured by a hydrometer within the spirit safe, the flow is switched away from the spirit receiver and back to the low wines and feints receiver, again for re-distillation. The precise point at which this switch takes place depends on the character of the whisky being produced: but for a particular whisky this will always happen at the same point in the run.