Brandy used to distill brandy: A cucurbit was filled half full of the liquor from which brandy was to be drawn and then raised with a little fire until about one-sixth part was distilled, or until that which falls into the receiver was entirely flammable. This liquor, distilled only once, was called "spirit of wine" or "brandy". Purified by another distillation (or several more), this was then called "spirit of wine rectified". The second distillation was made in "balneo mariae" and in a glass cucurbit, and the liquor was distilled to about one half the quantity. This was further rectified as
Sawdust brandy Sawdust brandy Sawdust brandy (from the German "Holzbranntwein") is a neutral spirit produced through the distillation of wood products. To produce sawdust brandy, the wood is cooked with a diluted sulfuric acid, which causes the cellulose to be broken down via acid hydrolysis into dextrose and other simple sugars, while the lignin remains. The acidic, sugar-containing liquid is neutralised and allowed to ferment, producing the ethanol that will later be purified through distillation. In the German Democratic Republic, the lye produced from the wood pulp was employed in the production of the "Holzschnaps" ("wood schnapps"). Brandy for human consumption (spirits