The first step in the poitín making process is known as Malting. The grain is generally soaked in a lake, river or bog hole to soften and usually left for a couple of days. When the sacks of grain are removed the grain is spread out across a floor and left to dry. A chemical reaction now begins in the grain and it starts to germinate, which means that the starches inside the grain begin to turn to sugar. The grain needed to be turned gently every day allowing each grain to germinate; this process could take up to a week.
Following the initial germination the grain had to be dried to prevent more growth and so it was gathered up and spread out on the floor of a kiln. The fire was lit at the entrance and the heat drawn into the kiln. This stage of the process could take a day. When dry the grains were removed from the kiln and ground down to fine flour either by hand with a millstone or brought to a mill and ground by machine.
During the fermenting process a pot of water was boiled, this was then left to cool to luke warm temperature, this was up to the poitín maker to judge, too hot and the ground malt would turn to porridge, too cold and the malt wouldn’t soften. When the water was at the correct temperature the water was poured into barrels and mixed with the ground flour. This ‘mash’ was then left for an hour or so before being strained into another barrel. The ‘mash’ from the sieve along with the sludge at the bottom of the barrel was often put aside and given to cattle. Yeast was now added to the barrels where the fermentation could now happen. This was left for a further 3 or 4 days. When the yeast had died fermentation finishes and the liquid now called ‘Pot-ale’ and was about 5% alcohol. This ‘Pot-ale’ was drinkable but not very nice, even so the poitín makers had problems with people stealing it or inserting pipes into the barrels and drinking it in situ.
This stage of the process took place close to a river or water source away from prying eyes. Trusted lookouts might be placed in vantage points to keep an eye out for ‘Poitín Peelers’. The components of the still were usually hidden in the area and could be assembled easily. The still was filled to the three quarter mark, and the head was attached to the still and sealed with the ‘lutum’ mixture. The connecting pipe was attached to the head and the worm and again sealed with ‘lutum’. The worm was inserted in the barrel of cold water and a jug or other device was put under the outflow pipe ready to catch the distillate. The fire had to be lit from dry turf and sticks as damp turf would cause smoke and possibly give the site away. When the water reaches the boiling point of alcohol it evaporates up to the head and is transferred along the connecting pipe to the worm. When the hot vapour reaches the cold worm it condenses back to liquid form and the ‘Singling’ flows out. The first cup full of ‘singling’ is always shared with ‘na Sioga’ (the Fairies), so that they will help the poitín maker. This ‘Singling’ is too strong to drink and must be put through the process again. The poitín maker checks the distillate for alcohol by throwing it on the fire, when it no longer burns the run is finished and the still is taken apart and emptied (so long as he has no more ‘pot-ale’ to distil) the remaining pot-ale was again given to cattle. Some of the ‘singling’ was kept aside for medicinal purposes.
The ‘Singling’ was then put back into the still, which was re-connected and re-sealed then the fire re-lit. The distillation process was repeated and the distillate was now called the ‘Doubling’. This was the pure drop! The distilling continued until as before the spirit didn’t ignite. Again the still was dismantled. The only exception to this was in Donegal where the poitín makers ran the ‘Doubling’ through once more for an even smoother spirit, this was known as the ‘Priests run’.
After the still was dismantled the components were hidden or just buried until the next time they would be needed. The ‘Doubling’ was also very strong and sometimes water was added to make the poitín more drinkable.
Click here for more on the history of poitín
Following the initial germination the grain had to be dried to prevent more growth and so it was gathered up and spread out on the floor of a kiln. The fire was lit at the entrance and the heat drawn into the kiln. This stage of the process could take a day. When dry the grains were removed from the kiln and ground down to fine flour either by hand with a millstone or brought to a mill and ground by machine.
During the fermenting process a pot of water was boiled, this was then left to cool to luke warm temperature, this was up to the poitín maker to judge, too hot and the ground malt would turn to porridge, too cold and the malt wouldn’t soften. When the water was at the correct temperature the water was poured into barrels and mixed with the ground flour. This ‘mash’ was then left for an hour or so before being strained into another barrel. The ‘mash’ from the sieve along with the sludge at the bottom of the barrel was often put aside and given to cattle. Yeast was now added to the barrels where the fermentation could now happen. This was left for a further 3 or 4 days. When the yeast had died fermentation finishes and the liquid now called ‘Pot-ale’ and was about 5% alcohol. This ‘Pot-ale’ was drinkable but not very nice, even so the poitín makers had problems with people stealing it or inserting pipes into the barrels and drinking it in situ.
This stage of the process took place close to a river or water source away from prying eyes. Trusted lookouts might be placed in vantage points to keep an eye out for ‘Poitín Peelers’. The components of the still were usually hidden in the area and could be assembled easily. The still was filled to the three quarter mark, and the head was attached to the still and sealed with the ‘lutum’ mixture. The connecting pipe was attached to the head and the worm and again sealed with ‘lutum’. The worm was inserted in the barrel of cold water and a jug or other device was put under the outflow pipe ready to catch the distillate. The fire had to be lit from dry turf and sticks as damp turf would cause smoke and possibly give the site away. When the water reaches the boiling point of alcohol it evaporates up to the head and is transferred along the connecting pipe to the worm. When the hot vapour reaches the cold worm it condenses back to liquid form and the ‘Singling’ flows out. The first cup full of ‘singling’ is always shared with ‘na Sioga’ (the Fairies), so that they will help the poitín maker. This ‘Singling’ is too strong to drink and must be put through the process again. The poitín maker checks the distillate for alcohol by throwing it on the fire, when it no longer burns the run is finished and the still is taken apart and emptied (so long as he has no more ‘pot-ale’ to distil) the remaining pot-ale was again given to cattle. Some of the ‘singling’ was kept aside for medicinal purposes.
The ‘Singling’ was then put back into the still, which was re-connected and re-sealed then the fire re-lit. The distillation process was repeated and the distillate was now called the ‘Doubling’. This was the pure drop! The distilling continued until as before the spirit didn’t ignite. Again the still was dismantled. The only exception to this was in Donegal where the poitín makers ran the ‘Doubling’ through once more for an even smoother spirit, this was known as the ‘Priests run’.
After the still was dismantled the components were hidden or just buried until the next time they would be needed. The ‘Doubling’ was also very strong and sometimes water was added to make the poitín more drinkable.
Click here for more on the history of poitín