Fermentation and Distillation
Three feedstocks, three fermentation paths, one still. Here's exactly how rice, sugarcane, and longan become spirit at Choeng Doi.
The Still
Every spirit we make, rice, sugarcane, or longan, passes through the same hybrid still. The reflux column is adjustable, so the same equipment can run as a simple pot still or with up to six plates of reflux depending on what a given batch calls for. This run's hearts cut ran from 74.4% ABV down to 57.3% ABV, roughly 5.5 hours on the still. Cut points aren't fixed to a number, they're made by tasting and smelling the distillate as it comes off, which is why the exact ABV at each cut varies run to run.
Pot still + adjustable reflux column
600L
500L
Adjustable, 2 to 6
35% ABV
Rice
Khao Niew Sanpatong, estate-grown
Closed, food-grade IBC, 1000L
Alpha & beta amylase enzyme blend
Commercial, grain-specific
Not tracked by pH
10–14 days
Double: pot, then reflux column. 2nd run charged at 35% ABV
Not yet documented
Coconut carbon (SONKLIN only)
Sugarcane
Estate & partner-farm sugarcane
1000L IBC (cool weather) or temp-controlled 400L stainless steel
Direct sugar, no conversion needed
Lallemand RM (Blanc); wild, per-farm for Single Estate (2025–26 onward)
Continuous gravity/temp (RAPT Pill); manual pH through first 48h
7–10 days typical (up to 37 recorded); wild yeast up to 38 days
Double: pot, then second pot run. 2nd run charged at 35% ABV
Heads/hearts ~74–79% ABV (pot) or ~83% (column); hearts/tails ~47–66% ABV, sensory-guided
None
Fruit: Longan
Longan
1000L IBC, with ice for temperature control
Direct sugar, no conversion needed
Mangrove Jack's M05 Mead Yeast, 95–100% attenuation
Manufacturer temp range: 15–30°C
5–7 days
Single pot-still run only
Not documented
None
A Real Distillation Curve
ABV logged every 15 minutes through a full pot run, heads to tails. This is exactly how a cut actually gets made: by watching the curve, not by hitting a fixed number.
Heads: discarded. Hearts: kept for the blend. Tails: discarded.
Tasted: sweet, sugarcane, banana, baked apple, cinnamon, dok nom maew flower, olive brine.
