March 1st, I am on my way to a weekend at the beach. Two of my friends and I are on our way to Ti-gwav, a province located in the southern part of Haiti.
Leogan is one of the cities we drove through in order to arrive to our destination. When we arrived in the city, my friend who was driving recognized a distillery and proposed we take a look at it.
At first, we had to ask around to find the owner. Once we found him, we asked him for a quick visit in his gildiv, which he immediately agreed to.
Gildiv is how we say distillery in creole.
Distillery
noun: dis·till·ery | plural: distilleries
Definition of distillery
: the works where distilling (as of alcoholic liquors) is done.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distillery
When we got to the gildiv, the area smelled like sugar cane but, a concentrated even almost rotten smell of sugar cane. That's when I discovered the process of how distillers turn sugar cane into a sugar wine or as they call it in my country Kleren.
We go inside the gildiv and the first things we see are the humongous recipients that they call pyès. In English, it translates to piece. Those pyès are where the alcohol stays in for a couple days before it is fermented to perfection.
Note: sometimes, workers will add some salt to accelerate the process and no the salt does not affect the taste of the final product.
I'm sure you guys want further details on the whole process so let's focus on that for now.
The first step would be to have access to a sugar cane field, then the site the gildiv will be constructed on, must absolutely have unlimited access to water. This is why it is necessary to build a well deep enough to never run out of water.
When it comes to building the actual gildiv, there are engineers who know exactly how to build one once you tell them how many liters of Kleren you wish to produce after each harvest.
Your sugar canes need to be ripe enough in order to extract most of the sugar juice out of them. This juice mixed with water and a little bit of yeast (natural fungus), over some kind of stove (for distillation) will produce a certain amount of fermentation. The final mixture is stored in barrels (or which ever recipient you prefer) for 1-2 weeks, for more concentration.
After this process, your product can be drunk whenever you want however, if you wish to, you can increase the level of Ethanol by distilling it more.
Note: fermentation can only start once the recipient is sealed and stored.
The level of fermentation or concentration will determine the level of Ethanol.
Even though it is called sugar wine, only the taste of Ethanol will be noticeable.
Now, if you thought the information has been interesting so far, wait until I tell you the difference between Ethanol and Methanol.
Ethanol and Methanol are both variants of alcohol that come from the sugar wine. They both have their own properties and uses however, one is drinkable and the other can literally kill you.
I was motivated to look deeper into this information because of one my friends who reprimanded me for drinking a slush I got from the streets. At first it looks harmless, it's a slush with Kleren in it. You tell yourself there's nothing like it because it's local and there's no risks, until someone comes and tell you the opposite.
There are many Gildiv in Haiti and unfortunately the knowledge of the distillers are often limited to what they learn either by themselves or the information was passed down to them. When it comes to this kind of business, not many of them research the risks nor how to avoid them. Some distillers know of the Kleren which is deadly but, don't know how to prevent it nor recognize it in case the poison might already be in the product.
Now, as concerned consumers how do we distinguish the poison from the good stuff?
Many liquids that contain sugar can produce Ethanol, like stated previously, the sugar content determines the quantity of Ethanol (alcohol) is in each pyès. All the brands available in liquor stores are made of Ethanol.
Methanol is a poisonous chemical derived through synthetic processes, while commercial ethanol is produced by factory fermentation of food crops.
Both substances can be used as energy sources, but methanol serves mainly as a subject of research and its use as a motor fuel in the U.S. has been largely phased out. Ethanol's role is currently larger, though its future as an automobile fuel remains uncertain.
Methanol (methyl alcohol) was originally produced by heating wood chips in the absence of air. Some of the carbohydrates in the wood are broken down to form methanol, and the methanol vapor is then condensed. This process led to the name wood alcohol as another common name for methanol. Methanol is synthesized commercially by a catalytic reaction of carbon monoxide(CO) with hydrogen gas (H2) under high temperature and pressure.
The mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen needed to make methanol can be generated by the partial burning of coal in the presence of water. By carefully regulating the amount of water added, the correct ratio of carbon monoxide to hydrogen can be obtained.
Methanol has excellent properties as a polar organic solvent and is widely used as an industrial solvent. It is more toxic than ethanol, however, and may cause blindness or death if large amounts are inhaled or ingested.
Personally, I could not have given you a better definition and I know it may be a lot of words but basically what I understand is that when making Kleren there are two possible outcomes. When it is done right you get Ethanol, which is what you want in your product. The other one is when the distillation is done by an amateur, you get Methanol in your product which in other words means poison.
I don't remember if the owner of the gildiv we visited mentioned that but, at least now you have the information and can try to be extra careful with the alcohol you buy especially of it's local.
Besides that, I consider my visit to this gildiv very prolific because I got to learn something new and interesting plus, I get to share it with you guys.
I took several footage of the area and did a small video to add to the visual content. Enjoy it, of course your feedback is always welcomed.
I thank you all for reading this article today.
This was "A visit to a distillery",
written by, Urfavblogger.
On Ti Vizit Nan On Gildiv
Premye mas, mwen sou wout pou m al nan plaj. De nan zanmi m yo ak mwen sou wout nou n al Ti-gwav, yon pwovens ki sitiye nan pati sid Ayiti a.
Leogann se youn nan vil nou te pase yo pou n te rive nan destinasyon nou an. Lè nou te rive nan vil la, zanmi m ki t ap kondwi a rekonèt yon gildiv, li pwopoze nou fè yon gade kijan li te fèt.
Anvan nou resi rive ladan l, nou te oblije mande otou n pou n jwenn mèt kote a. Lè nou jwenn li, nou te mande l pou yon vizit rapid nan gildiv li ya, li di li dakò imedyatman.
On gildiv se kote yo fè distilasyon kleren.
Lè nou rive nan gildiv la, zòn lan santi tankou kann men, yon sant konsantre menm prèske pouri. Se lè sa m dekouvri pwosesis jan distiyatè a vire sik kann nan yon alkòl sikre oswa jan yo rele l' nan peyi n Kleren.
Nou rantre andedan gildiv la, premye bagay nou wè se gwo resipyan ke yo rele pyès. Pyès sa yo se kote alkòl la rete pou kèk jou anvan li fèmante.
Remak: pafwa, travayè yo pral ajoute on ti kras sèl pou akselere pwosesis la men, sèl la pa afekte gou pwodwi final la.
Mwen si ke nou vle plis detay sou tout pwosesis la donk, an n konsantre sou sa pou kounye a:
Premye etap la ta dwe: gen aksè a yon plantasyon kann sik. Lè sa a, se la gildiv la pral konstwi. Ou dwe absoliman gen aksè san limit a dlo. Se poutèt sa li nesesè pou konstwi yon pui byen fon pou w pa janm manke dlo.
Lè tan an rive pou bati materyel distiyasyon yo, gen enjenyè ki konnen egzakteman ki jan yo bati depi ou di yo konbyen lit Kleren ou ta vle pwodwi apre chak rekòt.
Rekòt ou yo bezwen mi ase pou yo ka retire pifò ji sik nan yo. Ji sa a melanje ak dlo ak yon ti kras leven (chanpiyon natirèl), sou kèk kalite recho (pou distilasyon) pou pwodwi yon sèten kantite fèmantasyon. Se melanj final la ki estoke nan barik (oswa on resipyan ou prefere) pou 1-2 semèn, pou plis konsantrasyon.
Apre pwosesis sa a, pwodwi ou fè a ka bwè chak kou ou vle sepandan, si ou vle, ou ka ogmante nivo etanòl (alkòl) lè w distile li plis.
Remak: fèmantasyon ka sèlman kòmanse yon fwa ke resipyan an sele ak estoke. Nivo nan fèmantasyon oswa konsantrasyon ap detèmine nivo etanòl la. Menm si son ji kann, sèlman gou a etanòl la ou pral parèt.
Kounye a, si ou te panse enfòmasyon an te enteresan, kite m esplike nou diferans ki genyen ant Etanòl ak Metanòl.
Etanòl ak Metanòl se tou de varyant de alkòl ki soti nan kleren. Yo tou de gen pwòp pwopriyete pa yo ki sèvi yo sepandan, yon sèl "potab" ak lòt la ka literalman touye w.
Mwen te motive chache pi lwen nan enfòmasyon sa a paske yon zanmi m ki reprimande m paske m t ap bwè yon fresko mwen te achte nan lari. Nan on premye tan li sanble inofansif, se yon fresko ak Kleren ladan li. Ou di tèt ou pa gen anyen tankou li paske li lokal ak gen dwa pa gen risk, jiskaske yon moun vini epi di ou kontrè sa w te kwè an.
Gen anpil Gildiv an Ayiti e malerezman konesans distiyatè yo souvan limite a sa yo aprann tèt yo oswa enfòmasyon an te vini de moun ki te kòmanse fè l anvan yo. Lè yo rive nan kalite biznis sa a, anpil nan yo pa fè rechèch sou risk yo ni kijan pou evite yo. Gen kèk distiyatè ki konnen gen Kleren ki mòtèl men, yo pa konnen ki jan yo ka anpeche li ni rekonèt li nan ka pwazon an ta ka deja nan pwodwi a.
Koulye a, kòm konsomatè konsène ki jan nou ka fè distenksyon ant pwazon a sa ki bon an?
Anpil likid ki gen sik ka pwodwi etanòl, tankou mwen endike anvan, kontni an sik detèmine kantite a nan etanòl (alkòl) nan chak pyès. Tout mak alkòl ki disponib pou acha, gen etanòl.
Metanòl se yon pwazon chimik ki sòti nan pwosesis sentetik, pandan komès etanòl pwodwi pa fèmantasyon faktori nan rekòt manje.
Tou de sibstans ki sa yo ka itilize kòm sous enèji, men méthanol sèvi sitou kòm yon sijè rechèch ak yo sèvi ak li yo kòm yon motè gaz nan peyi Etazini. Wòl etanòl la kounye a pi gwo, menm si avni li kòm yon gaz otomobil rete ensèten.
Sous (an anglè): https://homeguides.sfgate.com/ethanol-vs-methanol-78394.html
Methanol (metil alkòl) te orijinèlman pwodwi pa chofaj bwa san yo pa met lè ladan l. Kèk nan idrat kabòn ki nan bwa yo kraze pou yo fòme metanòl, epi vapè metanol la kondanse.
Pwosesis sa a mennen non "alkòl bwa" kòm yon lòt non komen pou methanol. Metanol sentetize komèsyalman gras a yon reyaksyon ant monoksid kabòn ak gaz idwojèn anba tanperati ki wo ak presyon.
Melanj monoksid kabòn ak idwojèn ki nesesè pou fè metanol la ka pwodwi lè w boule chabon ak dlo. Lè w regile kantite dlo a regilyèman, ou ka jwenn rapò ki kòrèk la ant monoksid kabòn ak idwojèn.
Metanòl gen pwopriyete ekselan tankou yon sòlvan polè òganik, ou ka itilize l tankou yon sòlvan endistriyèl. Sepandan, li pi toksik pase etanòl, epi li ka lakòz ou vinn avèg, oswa mouri si ou respire l oswa vale l an gwo kantite.
Sous (an anglè): https://www.britannica.com/science/alcohol/Commercially-important-alcohols#ref998463
Pèsonèlman, mwen pa ta ka bay nou yon pi bon definisyon e mwen konnen li ka anpil esplikasyon men fondamantalman sa mwen konprann se ke lè yo fè Kleren gen de rezilta posib.
Lè li fèt swa ou jwenn Etanòl, ki se sa ou vle nan pwodwi ou a. Oswa lòt rezilta a se lè distilasyon an fèt pa yon amatè, ou jwenn Metanol nan pwodwi ou ki vle di pwazon.
Mwen pa sonje si mèt gildiv nou te vizite a te mansyone sa men, omwen kounye a nou gen enfòmasyon an epi nou ka eseye pote yon atansyon siplemantè ak alkòl nou achte a, espesyalman si li lokal.
Anplis de sa, mwen konsidere vizit mwen nan gildiv sa a trè prodiktif paske mwen te aprann yon bagay nouvo ak enteresan epi, mwen jwenn pataje li avèk nou.
Mwen te pran plizyè videyo nan gildiv lan epi mwen te fè yon ti montaj pou ajoute kontni vizyèl la. Mespere n ap renmen li, nou konen kòmantè nou yo toujou byenvini.
M ap remèsye n dèske nou li atik sa e m espere m apran nou on bagay ki itil nou pi lwen nan lavi n.
Se te "On ti vizit nan on gildiv",
On atik, Urfavblogger.
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