The distillation process of thought (with a nod to the topic of palliation)
A trivial glimpse into my heritage: my maternal family used to distill their own starch-based spirits to sell at farmers' markets in Hong Kong. That occurred before my time, before their semi-rural life inevitably succumbed to the roaring waves of urban sprawl. The process of producing a spirit, as with any alcohol, is a labour of love that requires time and patience. Firstly, the harvested rice is processed and fermented for a month. When it is ready, the distillation process begins. The goal of distillation is to separate the ethanol from water to concentrate the alcohol. Therefore, the boiling point that is desirable is above that of ethanol (78.2 degrees celcius in a water mixture), but below that of water (100 degrees celcius) so the ethanol rises, cools, and condenses, leaving the excess water behind. Without thermometers and with the utilisation of crude firewood in the distillery, I do not entirely know how my mother's family determined the ideal temperature range for...
