Swiss Heinz Wüffli has been touring farms and hamlets of Eastern Switzerland for 20 years, offering the services of his mobile distillery. In January this year, his unique craft could be seen at the farm of Benedict Schnieder near the town of Illighausen in the canton of Thurgau.
Mobile distillery consists of a steam boiler, three distillation kettles, a rectification column and a condenser
In the first half of the day, farmers bring Heinz Wüffli barrels of fermented fruit. First, apples and pears are distilled, then it's the turn of cherries and other stone fruits (plums). There were few quinces this year – the harvest failed! Evaluating the resulting product, Heinz Wüffli notes that the aroma of the obtained schnapps strongly depends on the quality of the raw material.
The raw material (mash) is supplied in plastic barrels like these. The necessary firewood is also brought by customers
Cherry mash is pumped into one of the copper kettles
Barrel with fermented cherries and the result of distillation
In Switzerland, depending on the size of the farm, farmers have the right to produce a certain amount of strong alcoholic beverages duty-free. Specific figures and quotas are determined and approved by farmers in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Alcohol Administration (Eidgenössische Alkoholverwaltung).
The finished schnapps is poured into milk cans – then it is ready for mixing and dilution with distilled water to a strength suitable for drinking
What is obtained as a result of distillation must be tasted. The main thing is to avoid the presence of vinegar fractions in the product
The mobile distillery is also a meeting place. Farmers bring raw materials, help with the work, and find time to talk to each other
According to the Swiss Federal Alcohol Administration, currently about 2.5 million liters of strong alcohol are stored in the cellars of Swiss farmers.
The finished schnapps obtained from distillation at the mobile distillery is poured into bottles
Well, to the art of mobile moonshining!
Photos by Thomas Kern,
Swissinfo.ch