How To Use A Pot Still
A pot still is fairly straight forward and the easiest of all types to use. Pot stills are best suited for making whiskey, brandy, or rum. A pot still simply condenses the alcohol vapors that come off the boiling mash. This will result in an alcohol at about 40-60% purity, with plenty of flavor in it. If this distillate were put through the pot distiller again, it would increase in purity to around 70-85% purity, and lose a bit of its flavor.
Once your boiler is filled with mash simply turn the heat source on. Watch the thermometer and once the temperature in the column is up to around 140 °F turn on the cooling water to the condenser.
Make sure you throw away the first 100 mL per 20 liter wash, as this will contain any methanol that might be present. Segregate the distillate into 500 milli-liter lots as it comes off. Only keep (for drinking) that which doesn't contain fusels (smells off) - probably below about 197.6 °F, however you should keep distilling past here, until a point of around 204 °F. At this fraction, although high in tails and not good for drinking this time, can be added back to the next batch of wash and cleaned up.
Visit our store to see our still offerings
Once your boiler is filled with mash simply turn the heat source on. Watch the thermometer and once the temperature in the column is up to around 140 °F turn on the cooling water to the condenser.
Make sure you throw away the first 100 mL per 20 liter wash, as this will contain any methanol that might be present. Segregate the distillate into 500 milli-liter lots as it comes off. Only keep (for drinking) that which doesn't contain fusels (smells off) - probably below about 197.6 °F, however you should keep distilling past here, until a point of around 204 °F. At this fraction, although high in tails and not good for drinking this time, can be added back to the next batch of wash and cleaned up.
Visit our store to see our still offerings
