Big Opportunity For Pot Stills
The craft drink boom has opened up a huge opportunity for pot stills. A pot still is a specialized vessel that has many components, but its main purpose is to capture the natural flavor of the liquid that is being distilled. Pot stills are used to create several different kinds of spirits. These can include whiskey, mezcal, and rum.
Pot Stills are typically made of copper. Because of the high contact between the copper and the spirit, it helps to clean the spirit and increase its quality. In fact, there are some scotch distillers that use a pot still to make their products.
Pot stills are also known as “double retort” stills. Unlike batch column stills, double retort stills use fewer cross-flow plates. This allows for more control. Since the vapor is moving through the pot, it is able to condense more quickly.
Craft Drinks Open Big Opportunity For Pot Stills
Typical liquids used in pot stills are grain, molasses, or a mixture of both. During the distillation process, the vapors pass through the lyne arm, which directs the flow of the vapors out the still. Vapors are then transported to the neck, which is where the vapors come in contact with the copper.
There are many different shapes and sizes of pot stills. A traditional worm tub is a more traditional design. Another popular type is a steam jacket, which lines the walls of the pot. Stills can also be manufactured from stainless steel or copper.
Depending on the size and style of the pot, it can be a large container that holds a significant amount of liquid. Smaller stills can be used to produce a heavy sulphurous spirit, while larger stills are designed to produce a spirit that can stand up to the aging process.
Many distilleries rely on the shape and size of the pot to influence their reflux and the quality of their spirits. For example, a small still is designed to produce a heavy sulphurous distillate that is capable of standing up to long maturation in sherry casks. If a distillery is in a city with a high real estate cost, a smaller-sized still can be more economically priced.
Some distillers use a combination of pot stills and column stills. This provides more control and increased efficiency. It is more expensive than using a pot still alone, but it produces the same quality spirits. Several bourbon distillers have opted for pot stills.
Another great option is the dephlegmator. A dephlegmator is a simple cooling device that uses a lyne arm to condense the vapors back into the pot. This can increase the reflux in the still and help to reduce heavier flavors in the spirit.
As you can see, a pot still is an amazing instrument. Whether you are a first-generation distiller or a seasoned veteran, the ability to get the most out of your pot still is important. To learn more about the process, visit iStill. They will teach you how to distill and take you through a 10-day course.