VODKA STILLS

External steam jackets are an ideal heating method. They provide excellent heat transfer and make cleaning easier. Internal steam coils, or steam plates, are used in traditional Scotch whiskey stills and when the shape and size of the still are not suitable for external steam jackets.

Electric steam boilers can be used for pot stills up to 1000L. They are efficient and a good choice for distilleries that don't have natural gas service. The size of pot still allowable will be determined by the amount of electrical service in your distillery.

Pot stills, like other tanks, can take advantage of CIP systems for cleaning. Remember that copper vessels may require copper inhibitors in the cleaning agents. It is best to consult your chemical supply company when designing a cleaning routine for your still.

Pot stills can be made to suit the requirement of the customer. Choose from one of our standard designs or come to us with your ideas. All pot stills are custom in one way or another.

Because vodka is essentially re-distilled over and over in the vodka column, the shape of the spirit head has less of an affect on the overall character of the spirit. For this reason, any shape spirit head will be sufficient and is largely dependent on the desired aesthetic look of the still.

Vapor plumbing can be constructed from stainless steel or copper tubing. Bypass valves allow the ability to bypass certain columns or direct the vapor from the pot still directly to the condenser. This is convenient if you will be doing stripping runs in the same still as your vodka.

Mixers are necessary for pot stills that distill on the grain. They not only help the heating rate but they help prevent scorching of the grain on the heating surfaces of the still. For clear spirits or lautered wort, it is not necessary to have a mixer but is at the discretion of the distiller. If your vodka still will only be distilling low wines from your stripping run, then you do not require a mixer.

Condensers can be made in either copper or stainless steel. The preference for one or the other will depend on the spirit being made. For vodka, there is no real concern for extra copper contact area due to the large amount of copper in the column that the vapor must pass through. Therefore stainless steel condensers are widely used in vodka stills.

Vodka column size and height depend on a number of factors including size of still, vapor velocity, hold up volume (volume of liquid on the plates), plate construction, etc. A column designed for vodka may be much smaller in diameter than one designed for stripping or producing whiskey.

A range of automation packages are available for vodka stills.