Distillery Equipment Factory
Manufacturer of standard and custom distillation equipment. Products include flasks with capacities of 10 cc to 3000 cc. Services include machining, fabrication and forming. ISO 9001:2015 certified. Serves life science, biotechnology, combinatorial chemistry and analytical laboratory applications.
Allied Beverage Tanks started out providing mechanical services to breweries and distilleries, then transitioned easily into building custom stills. Its equipment includes mash tuns, boilers and distillation columns.
Stainless steel stills
Stainless steel stills are used to distill a variety of products, including pure alcohol and essential oils. They are designed for efficiency, high functionality, and ease of use. These stills are ideal for beginners and professionals alike. They are durable and easy to clean. They have water inlets that allow for efficient cooling. They also offer a wide range of options to meet your specific needs.
Choosing the right still for your home distillery is an important decision. You should consider the size of your still, the type of equipment you’ll need, and whether you want to make whiskey, bourbon, or vodka. If you’re going to be making a lot of spirits, you’ll need the biggest still you can afford.
Copper is a great choice for a still because it’s a good conductor of heat and removes sulfur compounds. However, copper can be expensive and is more difficult to work with than stainless steel. Moreover, copper is susceptible to tarnishing and requires frequent cleaning.
Stainless steel stills are affordable, tarnish-resistant, and durable. They’re also easier to clean than copper stills. However, they don’t have the same heat transfer qualities as copper and won’t remove sulfur compounds from the wash. In addition, stainless steel stills are not as effective at achieving higher proof spirits. As a result, a sight glass is recommended for these stills.
Glass stills
A glass still is a distillation apparatus used to separate liquid mixtures. It works by heating to selectively boil the liquids, then cooling to condense them. The result is a concentrated alcohol vapor that can be separated from water vapor by further cooling. A glass still can be used for many purposes, from making perfume and medicine to producing distilled beverages containing ethanol.
The glass still is also a popular choice for craft distillers, because it allows them to produce a higher quality spirit. This is because the vapors move faster through a glass column than they do in pot stills, which means the resulting spirits can be distilled more quickly. This is particularly important for small-scale Distillery equipment factory, who need to be able to turn their products around more quickly.
Glass stills can be made with a variety of materials, including copper and stainless steel. Stainless steel is more durable, but copper offers better heat transfer. A glass still should be well-insulated to protect against temperature fluctuations and prevent heat loss. The insulation blanket should be at least two to three inches thick, and it should be able to withstand high temperatures.
A glass still can be insulated with a thermal blanket that is less expensive than insulating foam. This is especially important if the still will be located outdoors, because it will be exposed to intense sunlight.
Copper stills
Using copper stills, distillers can purify water, concentrate essential oils, and increase the proof of alcohol to make whiskey or other spirits. Unlike stainless steel stills, which require high temperatures to clean, copper stills are simple to use and can be cleaned using hot soapy water and acid wash. However, they do require careful monitoring of temperature and pressure to ensure safety.
Copper is known for its anti-microbial properties and dramatic effect on reducing sulfur in the distillate. Copper also conducts heat evenly, making it easy to achieve the required temperatures without burning the wash. In addition, copper can be easily reshaped and repaired. However, it is important to hire a professional when doing any soldering or patching, because these repairs are dangerous.
In a distillery, the shape of the pot still has a significant impact on flavor. It’s like a distillery’s fingerprint – unique to them and difficult to duplicate. It’s why the pot still is a key component of a distillery’s DNA.
The vapors travel up the neck of the still through a device called a dephlegmator, which is a condenser that allows for more reflux and increases the separation of lighter substances from the heavier ones. The vapors then enter the lyne arm, where they’re heated again and converted back to liquid. A bulge in the bottom of the neck is used to increase the surface area, which helps the vapors retain heat and reduce their vapor loss.
Aluminum stills
The still is a key piece of equipment in the distillation process. It separates ethanol from water by applying heat. Historically, the still was made of copper because it is a durable material and transfers heat efficiently. Copper also eliminates sulfur compounds in the distilled product. This is especially important in whiskey distillation because sulfur-based compounds can give the spirit unpleasant flavors.
The first pot stills were simple copper vessels with a conical lid and a long neck. In the 16th century, the worm was added to the pot still, which allowed the distiller to raise the proof of the alcohol. This was an important improvement because it allowed the producer to make more money. In addition, it was more efficient than the traditional method of distilling.
During the 19th century, several improvements were made to the stills. Robert Stein invented a two-column still in 1826, and Irishman Aeneas Coffey improved this design. These later innovations led to the introduction of the continuous still, which operates on the principle that water and alcohol vaporize at different temperatures. Continuous stills can be run continuously, which reduces the cost of operating a distillery.
The family-owned Vendome Copper and Brass Works in Louisville, Kentucky has been fabricating stills and other copper distillery equipment for over a hundred years. They produce both batch and continuous distillation systems for small and large makers, custom designing and engineering each piece of equipment. They also offer installation and service.