What process creates the amount of "proof" in booze?

Question

I do understand what "proof" means-- it is the alcohol ratio.
What I am asking is this:
Here are two brands of rum (for example): one is 40 proof and one is 44 proof. If they are both made out of sugar cane, what causes one brand to be more alcoholic than the other??

Answer 1

When rum is distilled from fermented cane sugar (which only ferments to about 12-14% or 24-28 proof) it comes out of the still between 50 and 85% (100-170 proof - varies) if using a pot still or around 90% (180 proof) if using a reflux still. It's then cut with water to around 65% (130 proof) and barrel aged, or cut to around 40% and bottled as "white" or "light" rum.

Yes, the one word answer is "water" The rum is diluted to the desired strength.

Answer 2

I think you mean "80 proof" and "88 proof". Different states have different laws regarding alcohol content. Some states will not let stores sell liquor that is more than 80 proof. Some states do allow it. There are some liquors that come in just above 80 proof, like Jack Daniels (86 proof) used to. I think they put the extra alcohol in as a "bonus". A lot of liquor producers have just switched to only making their 80 proof versions, because it makes manufacturing more easier in light of the different state laws. Jack Daniels for example, stopped making the 86 proof in 2004.

You can put as much alcohol in a beverage as you want. I think the reason why you see the same types of proofs on certain beverages is because it's the most sensible taking flavor into account.

Answer 3

Sugars or starches are fermented by yeast to produce alcohol. One gets wine in this manner. If you want brandy, whiskey, rum, vodka, etc., you must distill the wine. That means you heat it to evaporate some of the water and thus leave more alcohol. This is done in coils. Strong wine may be 18% alcohol or 36 proof. If one carries the distillation process to its limit, he gets 190 proof or 95% pure grain alcohol.

Answer 4

The fermentation process. Fermentation converts sugar to alcohol. In the 44 proof version, they either let the fermentation go on a little longer, or possibly they "fortified" the rum by adding a little more alcohol.

Answer 5

Water.

No, seriously.

Distilled water is added to spirits to bring them down to a predetermined alcohol level suitable for sale.

You talk about proof and mention 40 proof. I think you mean 'abv' (alcohol by volume). In the US 'proof' is twice abv, so a 40 proof spirit would be be just 20% abv. Standard spirits are 40% abv.

Tax is levied on the alcohol content and so reducing alcohol level to save tax* is common. Jack Daniels reduced abv fairly recently.


*and thus either reduce sales price or raise profits

Answer 6

Spirits are made according to the desired alcohol content. That means they either ferment it longer to obtain a higher alcohol content, or, dilute it to reduce the alcohol content, or again, fortify it by adding more alcohol to raise the proff to the desired aclohol content level. The stongest alcohol sold is Everclear at I believe 195 proof. It is illegal in some areas too.

Answer 7

Just the distilling process,