Have you ever wondered how vodka is made? It's a process with a lot of steps, even for small batch vodka. If you have a pot still and want to be your own distiller, you can try your hand at making potato vodka. Still It on YouTube has a great video that walks you through the whole process. The distillation process isn't hard, but there are a lot of steps, so watch the video to see exactly what it takes to make potato vodka.
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Potato vodka starts with a lot of potatoes, of course. You want to use a starchy potato, like a russet potato. This particular batch starts with 44 pounds of potatoes. Fortunately, you don't have to peel them, but you do have to clean them well and cut off any bad spots.
Next, steam the potatoes until they are soft and mashable, then cook them with barley to make a mash (this process brings a whole new meaning to mashed potatoes!).
Then you go through the fermentation process, which takes several days. Once the mash has fermented, it's time for first distilling step. A simple pot still separates the liquid from the mash solids.
Then you distill the potato vodka again, adding water to bring the proof of the alcohol down. The video notes that for safety, it's best to not put anything higher than 40 percent ABV into the boiler. And like any vodka, to get a smooth finish and clean taste, you want to filter it a few times.
The bottling process for a home distillery is a big mason jar, and then you're ready to taste your potato vodka. If you've got the time and equipment to make your own potato vodka, the next step is to try and make your own flavored vodkas by infusing it. If you need some suggestions for infused vodka, we've got some great recipes you can try.
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