How Does a Pot Still Work?
by Dan Mara
Pot stills are the present day descendant of the alembic still. They were the earliest still types made to create spirits. Pot still are relatively inefficient which can be beneficial when crafting whiskey. For example, when making neutral spirit with no flavor and high alcohol yield you would use a reflux or column still. For whiskey one needs to create a product that retains the flavors of mash. In this case the pot still is perfect.
A pot still will have 4 main parts: We will look at each one in more depth.
Pot: The shape of the pot is generally a cylinder that's wider on top than the bottom. The pot is filled with the fermented mash and heated with fire or perhaps an inner heating system. Most commercial distilleries heat up the wort (aka wash) with 400 degree steam pumped by means of tubing which is coiled inside of the pot.
Swan Neck: The neck permits the vaporized alcohol as well as some water\flavor to rise up and enter into the lyne arm. The neck can often be smaller at the topin comparison to the bottom making it possible for non-ethanol components to condense on the walls and fall back into the wash.
Lyne Arm: The lyne arm will affect the amount of non-ethanol components that make it into the distillate. For instance, while the vapors rise up the neck and into the lyne arm the temperature becomes cooler and the less volatile compounds (water, flavor, etc.) change from a gas into a liquid. If the lyne arm is ascending at a forty-five degree angle those compounds will flow back down into the wash. This will provide you with a 'lighter' flavor and higher alcohol content in the final product. Conversely if the lyne neck was angled down at a 45 degree angle the less volatile substances will condense and drip down into the condenser combined with the ethanol vapors thus providing the distillate a far more flavorful, 'fuller', taste.
Condenser: The condenser cools the ethanol vapors to a temperature that is less than the boiling point of the ethanol. Consequently, it condenses the vapors back to liquid. Condensers can be cooled by the surrounding air temperature, flowing air (a fan) or water. With a water cooled condenser the cold water will be pumped through a coil or around the exterior of the tube that contains the ethanol vapors. Different types will utilize various methods. The key is to cool the vapors so that they drip into a collection bucket instead of escaping into the air.
Simply, the distiller must try out various mash recipes, still shapes and designs to develop the end product that the distiller set out to create. Ultimately, take notes, be patient, have fun and try new things out.
To find out more about <a href="http://whiskeywhisky.weebly.com/2/post/2012/02/anatomy-of-a-pot-still.html">making whiskey</a> at home, the <a href="http://makingwhiskey.blogspot.com/2012/02/best-whiskey-still-pot-still.html">how to distill</a> and info on the equipment and tools used in distillation visit your local craft distillery.
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New Unique Article!
Title: How Does a Pot Still Work?
Author: Dan Mara
Email: info@toddmera.com
Keywords: pot still, distillation,condenser,lyne arm,pot,swan neck,how to distill,history,prohibition
Word Count: 463
Category: Hobbies
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