POT STILLS
PHOTO BY AMANDA JOY CHRISTENSEN
There's something romantic about the notion of a pot still. A big copper tub in the center of the distillery connected to an elegant swan neck flowing out to gracefully descending lyne arm and condenser. It’s an Instagram-able notion, to be sure. Traditional pot stills are most well known in circles that work with aged spirits. We’re talking whiskey, brandy, and rum. Due to their geometry (more on that next time) these stills allow more congeners to seep into the hearts fraction of the run, producing a very flavorful spirit that ages well. This isn’t really the type of still that I would use to approach white spirit production (heavy congener rums, may be an exception). Their simple design just doesn’t provide enough reflux points in the still. Vapors distill off the liquid in the pot and travel through the system relatively unimpeded. There is a little bit of reflux at certain points, but nothing close to that of a column with dozens of trays. Which leads us to…
POT STILL WILLET DISTILLERY, BARDSTOWN, KY 138
HYBRID STILL COLUMN WITH DISABLED PLATES RUNNING GIN DISTRICT DISTILLING CO., WASHINGTON, DC
HYBRID STILLS Hybrid stills, where a pot distillation system is combined with a column filled with various types of trays/plates, are all the rage in some circles. If an equipment sales rep is going to make the claim that their still can make anything, this is the type they’re likely hocking. That sales pitch has an allure, I won’t lie. Here’s the problem: the plates and trays provide a lot of surface area for reflux, which for some styles of spirits (ones containing high levels of congeners) may not be the best thing to use. Some folks are screaming at the page saying, “I won quadruple platinum medals for my bourbon using a hybrid still. You just aren’t using it correctly!” Quiet down. No one likes a shouter. And you’re right. It’s completely reasonable to produce high-end, high congener spirits on these suckers, but a standard pot still makes it easier. Even if you “disable” the plates that cause reflux in the still to happen, the fact is that they still exist. Meaning, the vapors usually still have to flow past them to reach the condenser. All those extra surfaces provide added temperature differentials and metal contact for vapors to condense on. Disabling plates in a hybrid still drastically lessons the amount of internal reflux but no so much that it will equate to a standard pot still. (There are ways to cheat this system, but that’s beyond the scope of this article.) What I really like hybrid stills for is gin, eau de vie, and light rum production. Depending on the still and plate design, you’re afforded a lot of options to make these spirits. They drop out just enough fusel oils from the system to produce high quality white spirits that retain a sense of character with their ingredients. WWW.ARTISANSPIRITMAG.COM