Craft

Our process

The basic principle is the same today as it was a hundred years ago. For the production of fine brandies, carefully selected fruit of optimum ripeness is processed into mash. The natural fruit sugar is converted into alcohol by the yeast, which takes around 2-3 weeks in a chilled fermentation process. The fruit mash is then heated in the still until the alcohol evaporates at 79 °C. The alcohol vapor passes through the booster columns into the cooler, where it condenses again and is finally available as a finished distillate. The whole process takes place in copper boilers, then as now. This is because copper is not only an ideal heat conductor, it is also easy to process and ensures the necessary reactions in the alcohol vapor.

Playing with fire - Alte Zeit

The 'Alte Zeit' distillery was built by Scheibel as an ode to the beautiful and ancient craft of traditional distilling based on old construction drawings and was put into operation in 1990. It is the counterpart to our modern distillery 'neue zeit' and consists of two stills, each with a capacity of 320 liters. One for the raw spirit, the other for the fine spirit. The small, brick-built stills, which are surrounded by a water bath, are fired with wood, just as they were a hundred years ago. "Every fire has a kind of life of its own and the trick is to keep it in check and keep it burning when necessary. If you succeed, you are rewarded with a wonderful result," enthuses Michael Scheibel. "As far as I know, we are the only commercial distillery in Germany that still produces brandies in this way. And this is certainly also due to the fact that the process takes considerably more time and is more complex than modern distillation techniques."

Masterful distillates of the 'old days'

Whether wild raspberries from the Carpathian Mountains, Zibärtle from orchards in the Ortenau region or mirabelle plums from Nancy, rare, rare fruits form the basis for the characterful distillates of the 'Alte Zeit'. Fermentation is followed by slow and gentle distillation over a wood fire, always distilled twice. First the raw spirit, then the fine spirit. "The raw spirit is not processed directly, we store it for up to four weeks. Only then does the second distillation process take place," explains Michael Scheibel.

The fine brandy of the 'Alte Zeit' is given the finishing touches during storage. This is where the brandies come to rest and can develop their full aroma. An unusually long maturation period favors the development of the aromas, which are unique in taste and aftertaste. "It is never possible to say in advance exactly how long a brandy needs to be stored, because every distillate is different. Time is also of the essence here, you should never be impatient," says Scheibel. "Ultimately, however, the perfect interplay of fruit, production and storage, i.e. the DNA of the brandy, is decisive for the end result."

Water, spirit & co.

In the case of water or brandy, sugar-rich fruit is processed into mash and distilled twice in the still after fermentation is complete. First as a raw spirit and in the second run as a fine spirit. If these are pome fruits such as pears or quinces, the finished distillate is referred to as brandy, while the term water is used for stone fruits such as cherries.
A spirit, on the other hand, is made from low-sugar fruits such as raspberries. As they do not produce enough alcohol when fermented in profitable quantities, they are soaked in alcohol, which is called maceration. Over time, the fruit releases its aroma into the alcohol and the macerate is then simply distilled in the still.
To make liqueurs, the individual ingredients are mixed together in the right quantities and proportions, but above all in the right order, just like in a cocktail recipe.

The team

Frank Blechschmidt

Head distiller distillery

MY FAVORITE PRODUCT

Max Walter

Team leader distillery

MY FAVORITE PRODUCT

Benjamin Schemel

Distiller distillery

MY FAVORITE PRODUCT

David Gutnik

Distiller distillery

MY FAVORITE PRODUCT

Gold sch(l)ürfen - Neue Zeit

As a counterpart to the 'Alte Zeit' distillery , in which Scheibel still distils over a wood fire as it did a hundred years ago, the 'neue zeit' distillery was developed by a designer especially for Scheibel and symbolizes the company's innovative strength with its modern style. The plant was put into operation in 2009 and consists of a total of five stills, two for spirits and three for brandy and water.

Golden perfection: the distillation of the new era

The stills in the 'new era' are operated via touchscreens and the production process can be closely monitored on screens. "As even the smallest differences in temperature can have an impact on the distillate, we use sophisticated technology to ensure the consistently high quality of our products," says Michael Scheibel.

The 22-carat gold plates in the booster columns form the heart of the system. Sulphur, acid and fats produced during distillation are captured by the gold and therefore do not pass into the distillate - known as the Scheibel AURIA process. These gold plates are replaced and reprocessed three times a year.

A 22-carat gold leaf welcomes the finished distillates into the world and shows visitors to the distillery what happens inside the plant. "Can you taste the refinement with gold? Everyone has to decide for themselves. We are convinced that it makes the products more delicate, milder and more multi-faceted and that they taste different to other fruit brandies," confirms Scheibel.

Water, spirit & co.

In the case of water or brandy, sugar-rich fruit is processed into mash and distilled twice in the still after fermentation is complete. First as a raw spirit and in the second run as a fine spirit. If these are pome fruits such as pears or quinces, the finished distillate is referred to as brandy, while the term water is used for stone fruits such as cherries.
A spirit, on the other hand, is made from low-sugar fruits such as raspberries. As they do not produce enough alcohol when fermented in profitable quantities, they are soaked in alcohol, which is called maceration. Over time, the fruit releases its aroma into the alcohol and the macerate is then simply distilled in the still.
To make liqueurs, the individual ingredients are mixed together in the right quantities and proportions, but above all in the right order, just like in a cocktail recipe.