The equipment of the wine boiler, in 1939, then in 1953
in the courtyard of the castle of Vierville, in front of the old dovecote
With 20 "barretées" of apples (25kg of apples per bar), 300 liters of cider at 5° of alcohol (thus containing 15 liters of pure alcohol) could be made.
By distilling this cider (the operation was carried out by the vintage boiler and its distillering machine above), we obtained about 17/18 liters of calvados at about 70° of alcohol, (containing about 12/13 liters of pure alcohol, there were always a few losses).
This calvados was too strong to be drunk, and moreover too young to be good. It was put to age in an old barrel (a small 20 or 30 liter barrel for example) that was used for Port wine.
This barrel remained lying and open (a small opening on the top, closed by a canvas letting the air through), which allowed the alcohol to gradually evaporate while the calvados got more with age and took on the golden color of the oak wood of the barrel that contained Port.
When the alcohol content had dropped to less than 50° (several years were necessary), calvados was considered good for family consumption. In fact, a single large 50-liter barrel was often used, from which the usual consumption was regularly drawn and supplemented each year with the production of calvados of the year. So there was loss of alcohol by evaporation.
In current industrial distilleries, the aging of Calvados is done in closed barrels, which prevents alcohol from evaporating, the calvados remains at 70°, and no alcohol is lost. The manufacturer then adds distilled water until he obtains a calvados at 40° of alcohol, because it is forbidden in France to sell calvados of more than 40°.
This addition of distilled water has the disadvantage of diluting the other aging products that are in the calvados, those that give it its flavor. The calvados aged according to the old methods, with progressive evaporation of alcohol, is therefore likely to be better than commercial calvados.
The tax administration allowed each owner or farmer who owns apple trees to distill 10 liters of pure alcohol each year, without having to pay duties on alcohol. There was a fairly narrow control, but it doesn't seem like it was always effective...
Today, this right is gradually being emitted because it cannot be transmitted by succession.
But it is always obviously possible to have calvados distilled by paying the duties.
(details) Distillation of Calvados near the tobacconist
June 1953, the boiler returned to the castle after the war
(Mr. Baratte)
June 1953