Castello Di Verduno Recipe

Prepare pomace

Inspect the Pelaverga grape pomace for any foreign material (twigs, plastic). If pomace is very wet and compacted, loosen it gently to ensure even heating during distillation. Weigh out 6 kg of pomace.

If using previously fermented pomace (fresh marc from winemaking), proceed to distillation. If using fresh unfermented pomace, follow the fermentation steps below before distillation.

Prepare must for fermentation

Place the fresh pomace in a sanitized fermentation vessel. Dissolve the sugar (100 g) in about 500 ml warm water and add to the pomace if total sugar seems low. Sprinkle the yeast nutrient over the pomace.

Rehydrate and pitch yeast

Rehydrate the active wine yeast according to the packet instructions (typically in 50–100 ml warm water), then add it evenly to the pomace. Mix gently to distribute yeast and nutrient.

Ferment

Cover the vessel with a breathable cloth or airlock and ferment at 18–22°C for 5–10 days, stirring daily to allow sugars to convert. Monitor temperature and SG (if possible). Fermentation is complete when bubbling ceases and gravity stabilizes.

After fermentation, allow the fermented pomace to rest for 24–48 hours to settle. Drain off free wine; this liquid can be reserved but is not used for grappa production.

Prepare still

Clean and sanitize your pot still or small continuous still. Load the fermented pomace into the still's boiler chamber according to manufacturer's capacity (for 6 kg pomace use an appropriately sized still). Add about 1–2 liters of water if the pomace is very dry to help steam transfer and prevent scorching.

Heat and run the distillation

Begin heating slowly to produce steam that will extract volatile components (grappa). Maintain a gentle, steady distillation so the output runs at a controlled rate (often 2–4 ml/sec for small stills). Monitor the temperature; for pot still grappa, aim for vapor temperatures around 78–82°C at the head.

Collect heads, hearts, and tails

Collect distillate in separate fractions. Discard the heads (first 50–200 ml for a small run) as they contain methanol and undesired volatiles. Collect the hearts (the desirable aromatic fraction) until you notice tails (heavier, oily, bitter components). Typical yield from 6 kg pomace may be around 1–2 liters of raw distillate depending on pomace moisture and previous fermentation.

Polish and proof

If desired, filter the collected hearts through activated charcoal to soften harsh notes: pass the distillate slowly through a packed small filter column containing ~50 g charcoal, then rest for 24–48 hours. Dilute the raw distillate with sterile water to the desired bottling strength (traditional grappa usually 40–45% ABV). Use the provided sterile water, measuring alcohol strength with a hydrometer or alcoholmeter to reach ~42% ABV.

Rest and bottle

Allow the proofed grappa to rest in a neutral container for at least 1–2 weeks to harmonize flavors. Finally, transfer to clean 500 ml bottles, cap, and label. Store upright in a cool, dark place.