iStill One

Place for craft/micro distillers in all stages of build to show and share.

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Odin
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iStill One

Post by Odin »

For the craft distiller, we are currently building our first iStripper. All the parts are made and welding will be done next week. As the name suggests, it is a stripper. We designed it in such a way, that it works perfectly in congruance with our iStill 250 unit. The iStripper for stripping and the 250 for finishing. Together, the production process is speeded up times three.

Our pay-off "Distilling made easy", was translated to "Stripping made easy" for this project. In multiple discussions with our customers, we found out a stripper needs to be economical, fast and versatile. In that order.

How economical it is? Well, it runs on natural gas, which is the cheapest out there, in most places, cutting power input costs by factor 4 when compared to electricity. And due to boiler (5 cm!) and column insulation, another 20% gain in speed and power investment is achieved.

How fast it is? At full throttle it will produce over 120 liters of low wines per hour. It will take a 1,000 liter 8% wash to around 240 liters of 32% low wines in under 3 hours. Heating-up time included.

Versatility? it can be used as a stripper. And as a stripper it can strip on the grain washes as well as it does clear beers. It can also be used as a gin still. Herbs & berries go into the boiler. Fruit skins enter the glas gin head, situated at the bottom of the column. There's an easy lifting system, so the glas gin head can be exchanged (or its contents can be changed) rapidly. The last trick up the iStripper's sleeve is that you can use it as a mash tun. Enter the water, bring it up to temp, add grains, etc.

Here's more on its specifications:
- 1,300 liters capacity;
- Insulated boiler & column;
- Integrated gas heating array;
- Natural gas heated, max power at 75 KWa (fully adjustable);
- Two 6.5 feet chimneys;
- One for "air in", the other for "gasses out";
- Three manholes;
- New "Bottom Dweller" designed stirring device (130 centimeters diameter, 18.2 rpm);
- Corrugated pipe after cooler (6,500 cm2);
- 3.3 meters high, over 2 meters wide;
- Ladder included.

Very exciting times! Just after releasing the first blog post, yesterday, on our website about the iStripper, the phone started ringing and it hasn't stopped since. So far 4 people placed orders for our new still!

I don't normally post much about my business affairs on HD, but this is just too exciting not to share!

I will put up pictures next week.

Regards, Odin.
"Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself." by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Doogie »

You make some cool stuff - of course post it for us to drool over :)
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Re: iStill One

Post by heartcut »

Impressive performance figures. Probably too big for my atrium, but looking forward to the pictures.
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Re: iStill One

Post by IrishEnigma »

I think we all like strippers!
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Re: iStill One

Post by Doogie »

Tosses a $5 bill at Odin's stripper ... it is tacky to toss loonies and toonies at the ladies
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

If there are a few defining moments in your life, I guess meeting your (will be) wife is one, and getting kids is another. Or maybe meet that gorgeous stripper ...

Anyhow, we are selling our products internationally for a year now. It has been a great ride. Thought I'd share that with you guys. With a link. To what is ultimately a commercial site. So if the mods feel I should take it down, just let me know. For sure I will follow orders. But since this section is about craft distilling and since Uncle Jessie said my posts about iStill would be okay, I will give it a try. And I am not selling to homedistillers actually, so there is no real conflict, since we target pro distillers. Anyhow (again), I love to share how great it is to be able to take this hobby of ours and turn it into a profession. Frankly, it would not have happened without me being a member of HD!

And the best part? The best part is I am doing it together (amongst others) with my son. He is only 16 1/2 years old, but he makes our websites, facebook pages ... and composes the music. Here we go: http://www.istill.eu/#!istill-anniversary/c1gd5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

And I hope you don't mind me sharing.

Odin.
"Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself." by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Doogie »

On that - I think it is great you are showing us this stuff. Remember, people will look at your actuals and create ideas from it - yes, it may not be hobby scale, but it is not like you are saying "build this at home" or "buy this for 'personal use' " - it is commercial - fine.

I think it is great you are so open about your design and thoughts. Maybe a lot of it will not translate to the hobby side, but maybe a bit might, and as such, you bring value to the hobby distiller - in your comments, your thoughts, and your sharing "the bigger picture"

Personally, I wish you all the best, and if one day I realize the financing to go commercial, I would definitely call you first :D
LTV - "keep in mind distilling is like masturbating. You do one wrong and you go blind."

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Re: iStill One

Post by IrishEnigma »

There's nothing more that I would want than to make a good product/company with one of my kiddos. Unfortunately I have 2 step children that don't take any interest and 2 of my own girls that are no older than 3!

Congrats on the iStripper and the team work with your son.
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Re: iStill One

Post by NZChris »

Exciting stuff Oden. I hope commissioning goes well.

Cheers
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Re: iStill One

Post by woodshed »

Your passion and desire to move distilling forward are admirable and a model for what other builders should be looking towards.
Your family company inspire all who visit here.
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Re: iStill One

Post by FullySilenced »

Odin... IT Makes me wanna hold handfuls of dollar bills just thinking of it....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bLX06yR3wY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

Today, we will make an assembly instruction. Well, and to do that, we will have to built up the iStripper. More pics later, but this is one to start with: the pallet/package holding the iStripper. 300x200x160 centimeters tall, around 500 kilograms in weight. First tool you need to assemble this beast? A forklift ...

Since the picture is too big, here's a link:

http://wp.me/p3pXcR-kh" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I'll keep posting pics the next few days. Some interesting designs to share ...

Regards, Odin.
"Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself." by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

So ... apart from introducing the iStripper, we have some more information to share, some more product developments about to be introduced. Lo and behold ... the iMasher! Available in sizes from 150 to 1,500 liters, the iMasher gives the pro distiller:
- Computer controled water jacket;
- Computer controled stiring device;
- Computer controled mashing & fermenting;
- Personal computer programs for both mashing and fermenting;
- Easy Drainage System;
- Easy Discharge System.

Here's a picture of the tank/boiler of a yet to assemble 150 liter model. We will set it up completely by tomorrow.

Regards, Odin.
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The iMasher ...
The iMasher ...
"Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself." by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

LO AND BEHOLD: THE ISTRIPPER:

Here are a few first pictures of the iStripper being assembled. One amazing product. It can strip your mash and create low wines. Or you can use it as a “one run rig”, and use it as a finishing still. And if that’s not enough, you can use it as a masher as well.

Stirring device? Yes, 19 rpm! Or anything from 0 to 19 rpm actually. How come? We just couldn’t resist. iStill is about “Distilling made easy”. Yes, we made a world class stripper. But it is so much more versatile than just that. We took the liberty of adding some automation. It will up the price. But I am not going to apologize, since the automation pays back big time.

The iStripper’s automation allows you to:

Control the “bottom feader” design stirring device (great for both mashing and distilling);
Control boiler temperature (great for step-up mashing);
Control gas temperature of gasses entering the columns (yes, really, plural): great for tails control;
Control gas temperature of gasses exiting the column (only one, sorry): great for heads control.
The iStripper comes with passive reflux induced HETP management. Now, that’s a mouth full, isn’t it? It means you can use it as a potstill … or you can use it as a “plated” still. Each cleaning section gives 3 re-distillations. You can choose to run the iStripper without cleaning sections and just get one redistillation. Or you can add as many as 4 cleaning sections, taking your low wines or product close to Azeo. An iCatalyst is also included. For more sulfur control and another plate or two. And if you want to take the copper packing out of the iCat and replace it by herbs? Please, do so. The iStripper can handle it.

iStripper? Maybe we should call this beast the iVersatile? Anyhow, here are some first pictures. Very proud of finally being able to share them with you …

Regards, Odin.
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Unpacking the iStripper ...
Unpacking the iStripper ...
Assembling the iStripper
Assembling the iStripper
Lo and behold: the iStripper
Lo and behold: the iStripper
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Re: iStill One

Post by Red Rim »

Just like every good stripper, I can't take my eyes off the pretty parts! Nice work !
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Re: iStill One

Post by Windy City »

Looking real good Odin :thumbup:
Can't wait to see how it performs. I am hoping to finally build my stripper next week during my vacation, life has really been getting in the way of personal time.

Keep up the good work
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Re: iStripper

Post by Odin »

Thanks guys! More on performance runs somewhere next week. I expect to run it to deliver 60 to 70 liter per hour on 60% total power input. That's 60% of 75 KW.
"Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself." by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda.
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Re: iStill One

Post by InglisHill »

They are some great stats.

Is that running propane?
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Re: iStill One

Post by FullySilenced »

And she has nice Tits!!!! I guess those are tits? :lol: These Nederlanders ... what stuff they come up with...
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

Well, we had a great meeting with the iStill Team again. Lots of innovations, new products, new ideas ... And some good times together. Tiring, darn tiring. I think I got just some 5 hours of sleep over the last 3 days. But is was well worth it!

The first iStripper, by the way, the one on the pictures above, will ship to Florida in about a week time. The second one will go probably go to Pensylvania.

A bit more on the iMasher. We feel there's a huge market for pro mashing equipment. Mashing most often is the bottle neck in the whole distillation process. Means we will offer various sizes. 150, 250, 500, 750, 1,000, and 1,500 liters. And - taken from the basic design of the iMasher, we will also introduce the iFermenter and Fermenter range. Available in the same sizes as the iMasher.

The iMasher can mash as well as ferment. But most pro distillers want to have one masher on multiple fermentation vessels. Mashing takes five hours, fermenting takes 5 days. So if you mash once a day and start up one fermentation every day, and you do that 5 days a week, you can distill 5 times a week. In that case ... you need 1 masher and 5 fermenters. In our proposal that's 1 iMasher and 5 iFermenters. What the iFermenter is? Simply put, it is a tuned down version of the iMasher. A fermenter doesn't need a stirring device and there is some money to be saved that way. Another step we'll take is offer our fermenters without automation, heating, and water jacketed boiler.

Okay, back to the iMasher, if you don't mind. We just assembled her this morning. The iMasher 150 that is, to be more precise. The stirrer is the same as the one on the iStripper. As is the engine driving it. The same, but on a smaller size. A 120 centimeter ruther just doesn't fit in a 150 liter mash tank, right? And we don't need that many horsepower to drive the smaller charge either. Where the iStripper has (in combination with the reduction gear box) 20 bhp, the iMasher has "just" 5. But 5 bhp is strong (and dangerous) enough. It will tare an arm off in a matter seconds. So we don't want anyone to put their arms in ...

The iMasher 150 is equiped with a water jacket. The computer detects how much water is in the water jacket. And if the level is too low, it will open the water inlet valve and auto correct. Two 1 KW heaters warm the water jacket. Since the water jacket is a closed system, pressure will built up and above 100 degrees C temps can easily be attained. But heating in a closed system will develop pressure. So the iMasher is programmed in such a way that the heating will switch on and off, thus creating a sinoid that keeps the temperature between 0.5 degrees C.

There is a water outlet pipe as well. For multiple reasons. First, if you don't want to use the iMasher for a longer period of time, you may want to drain the water out of the water jacket. Second, the water outlet functions as a blow off valve. An additional safety feature. In the theoretical case too much pressure builds up, it will automatically be releases through the water outlet and into a hose, into a drainage system. The third functionality for the water outlet is cooling management. After mashing, you may want to bring the temperature of the wash down. In order to do that quickly, the iMasher will have fresh water enter via "water in", while hot water is discarded via "water out". For crash cooling (beer making?) as well as for small 0.5 degrees downwards adjustments.

Manageing the iMasher is pretty easy due to the computer interface. First you choose the stirring. How many rounds per minute do you want? Then you select various temperatures, and how long you want to keep the mash at that choosen temperature. The iMasher will take it from there. For fermentation, you just dial in one temperature and keep it at that until fermentation is finisihed. And yes, the iMasher even has a water lock. Temperature, pressure, water levels, etc. are all automatically managed.

For easy discharging, there is a 2 inch ball valve at the bottom. For easy draining, there are three outlets. In the case of the 150 model, the topmost outlet will leave 20 gallons in the masher. The middle outlet tap will leave 15 gallons in the tank. The lower outlet leaves just 10 gallons in the tank. Just so you can choose. For instance, when you want to distill of ferment a clean beer, you may want to use the lowest outlet. If you want to distill/ferment on the grain, take everything out via the 2 inch bottom drain. There's a sight seeing tube running vertically along the tank, so you can always see what's the remaining liquid level inside.

There is more to tell, for sure, on the iMasher. But that's it for now. And there's a picture to share as well.

By the way, we stopped selling SPP for 2 and 3 inch columns. We need most of it ourselves, for our smaller (50 liter) test and recipe development rigs. We are however introducing new SPP four our bigger units. For the iStill 250 and the iStripper. As an extra. The current ceramic packing to the 250 and iStripper allows for both azeotropic as well as potstill functionality. If you replace the ceramic packing by our new SS or copper big SPP, you get an even lower HETP. Not suited for distilling taste rich products (then you want to stay with ceramic packing), but awesome if you want to make vodka or neutral.

Regards, Odin.
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iMasher 150
iMasher 150
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Re: iStill One

Post by Bushman »

I am so looking forward to my visit this fall, I will be touring some distilleries in Scotland early September but toward the end of the month I am looking forward to meeting and running your equipment.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

Yes, that will be great! I think we will do two things. I'll place the iMasher in the distillation room, so we can mash some 150 liters of rye or malted barley together. And we'll probably do a super fast strip run and then a finishing run on the iStill 50. For sure I will show off the iStill 250 and Vision and iStripper, etc. as well. But doing some mashing and a few runs together will be awesome. And you know what? You will be in charge, Bushman!

Regards, Odin.
"Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself." by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Windy City »

Hey Odin
It all sounds very cool. Some things you might want to think about.
To help control your pressure in the vessel you should have one of these.
http://www.amtrol.com/extrol.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
The safety pressure relief valve is a must but you don't want to control your pressure with it as they generally don't reseal very well after they open. Also instead of this being a hybrid open(chilling)/closed(heating) system, why not just make it a closed system. Leave the system always full and at your preset pressure (average boiler pressure here is 15 psi depending on your vessel rating I wouldn't think you would want much higher than that) and build it just like we do for buildings that need hydronic heating/cooling with a boiler and a chiller. A separate boiler chiller package could then service multiple mash tuns and fermenters at the same time and be sized for expansion.
If you don't like that idea and stick with the hybrid open/closed system besides the expansion tank you should also install a PRV (pressure reducing valve) on your cold supply so you don't exceed the safety valve (it happens to us all the time when we power flush/purge boilers) and end up with a continuously leaking safety.
As far as safety's on the unit you should have your standards ie; low water cutoff, high temp limit switch, safety relief valve (depending on your vessel ratings but generally not more than 30 psi) maybe even a PRV for autofill also at the top of the vessel you will need a auto vent something like this.
http://www.taco-hvac.com/uploads/FileLi ... 00-7.1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Hope some of this helps
Keep up the good work
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

Interesting! I will do some thinking on it, Windy, thanks for sharing! I must say we are running stills like this for years now and never have had any issues with leakage. Those stills ran in the same way we designed the iMasher. Now, just to make sure I get across how we design them 100% correctly ... it is not an open system where we use the safety valve to regulate pressure. Pressure, in our case, is just a result of the closed system it is. Water heats up and - it being in a closed system - gets under pressure and boils at higher temps. That's essential, since you may want to boil the wash, right? Now, the way in which we control that pressure is not via the valve, but via power management. We set the computer to allow for certain temperatures to be reached, and it will do so by heating the water in the jacket. The iMasher (and the double boilered stills we had in the past) measures water jacket temperature as well as water jacket pressure. The computer allows for a little over pressure only. Much, much lower than 15 psi. If the computer reads that pressure is getting near the defined optimum/maximum, power will swich off and pressure will drop. When pressure has dropped enough (another definition in the program we can call "minimum"), power will be re-introduced. Now, since the water jacket has a tempering effect on the boiler charge, the boiler charge will hardly be hampered by this. And the safety valve is just there for ... safety. In practice, it is never put to practice.

Now for the water jacketed boilers we had, I felt this approach caused a problem. Not in pot distilling, but in pure distillation mode. Turning power off, even with the damping of the water jacket, means that for some time less power is fed into the wash. More power in means more re-distillations, less power in menas less re-distillations. The oscilation or sinoid caused by this type of heating made HETP vary. That I don't want and that's why we stopped with the double boiler LM rig development.

But on a masher, the fact that heating up goes a bit faster or a bit slower does not matter. We actually changed the heaters from 2 times 4 kw to 2 times 2 kw, to slow the process down a bit.

If I understand your suggestions correctly, Windy (and I hope I do!), your ideas would be great to work a double boiler still. Instead of power management (turning on and off), you could use the system you suggest to continually feed power and let the extra boiler (?) take the overpressure. Great idea! But - again, if I understand you correctly - on the masher, I don't manage via pressure release and I am not looking after (even) faster mashing.

Great to have you chime in with your knowledge from building those awesome showers!

Odin.
Last edited by Odin on Sun Jul 06, 2014 6:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Bushman »

It's amazing when you put professionals with hobbyists on the same forum what might happen with the future of this hobby/profession. I really like the dialog and it gets stored somewhere in that grey matter above my neck for recall at a later date when it is something I might find useful.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Windy City »

I apologize if I didn't explain myself very well I am much better at face to face conversations. I am Italian I need to be able to speak with a lot of hand jestures. :D
I was not speaking of a boiler for distilling but a boiler as a separate unit for heating water that would circulate in the mash tun jacket. I would say using power management to control your pressure is interesting but using a properly sized expansion tank would be much easier as you can preset your desired pressure that would stay a constant throughout your entire temperature swing (room temperature to your highest set point) regardless of power input.

As far as what I referring to as the open side would be the introduction of fresh water to crash the temperature of the mash. I agree this is a important step not only to bring temps down to yeast pitching temps but as you will see also when using high temp low temp enzymes. I generally hold my mash first at 190f with the high temp enzymes than crash to 142/144f for the low temp enzymes. If you use city/building water to do this, it is generally at a much higher pressure (60 psi on avg) this is the point where you can start popping the relief valve. This is also what I was referring to as what happens to us when we power flush/purge boiler systems.
We feed a low pressure boiler with city pressure to increase our velocity through the system to power purge any air. Although we have a drain open the city pressure will generally overcome the drain and build pressure higher than the relief setting. I guess one way to overcome this would be to install a much larger drain port, on our heating systems we are generally limited to a 3/4" hose.
My thoughts were that you are a commercial manufacturer of very high tech equipment that a completely self contained (liquid) heating and cooling unit separate from the mash tun and fermenters but servicing both would be very cool.
I would love to discuss its with you on the phone. I am on vacation next week and will have the time. Maybe you can PM me and we could set up a time.

Always inspiring talking with you
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

Hi Windy,

Inspiring reading your post! We will discuss this further, Windy! Challenging thoughts that remind me about a discussion I had on direct and indirect steam heating. We will set up a skype call, so you can use your hands and I can better hear & see how your ideas could work in a distillation/mashing environment! And - for sure - we will come back here and post about what we both learned! Having had the pleasure of seeing and experiencing the great showers you make ... WOW! Steep learning curve ahead & some more out of the box thinking on my way.

Regards, Odin.
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

Another innovation I like to share. Not for homedistillers. Only for pro distillers. And for existing iStill 250 and iStripper clients, but anyhow, interesting for people who want to run bigger diameter columns, for instance people wanting to take the plates out of Flutes for an occasional vodka or neutral run. It should be easy enough to copy, I guess ...

Here we go. Right of my Blog:

OSPP? REALLY?

Yes, I am not making a joke. We just stopped selling SPP. We are now re-introducing SPP to the market place. Not just any SPP. Not just to any market place.

SPP is still available to our customers running 50 liter units. If they need a replacement fill, they can order, and we will deliver.

The same goes for our new OSPP. It is an option our existing clients can order. It’s not for sale to others, simply because we can’t make enough of it.

What OSPP is? Easy, Oversized Spiral Prismatic Packing. And “Oversized” refers to the size of our new SPP. You may have heared about it. I spoke about it close to a year ago. That’s how long it takes to develop something new like this. What? SPP for our iStill 250 and iStripper units. That’s what OSPP is. Bigger sized SPP for bigger diameter columns.

The road to this new and bigger SPP has been long. The problem was the weight to volume ratio. Bigger SPP is heavier. Heavier per volume. And the weight tended to crush or at least deform the shape of the SPP situated lower in the column.

We now solved that and proudly present OSPP. A solution to all of your distillation challenges? Definately not. But it will help you out in certain situations: if you want to set-up your iStill 250 or iStripper for one, and one goal only: to make neutral or vodka.

Please remember that the already existing ceramic packing works increadibly well. It allows the iStill 250 to make taste rich products as well as pure, azeotropic spirits. But if neutral or vodka is all you are after, you may consider purchasing our new OSPP.

It will give you a lower HETP, so more redistillations. It will make vodka production even easier. But please be reminded of this: OSPP will strip out too much flavour, if you are after taste rich product in potstill mode.

We will add it to our product directory in a week or so. Stainless Steel as well as Copper. Oh, and the iCat 250 will be equiped with copper OSPP from now on! Here’s a picture:
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SS & Copper Oversized Spiral Prismatic Packing
SS & Copper Oversized Spiral Prismatic Packing
"Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself." by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda.
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Odin
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Re: iStill One

Post by Odin »

Can you guys help me out?

We made the iStripper. Just read the posts above and you will get the idea. Originally, we set out to make a stripper. And since all of our products have automation, we add the "i" to our products. The iStill 50 is a fully automated LM rig with 50 liter nett boiler capacity. Same goes for the iStill 250, only that it is bigger. iStill VISION. Same procedure (automation, LM, electrically heated), only from glass. And now we made the iStripper ...

... but I feel the name is to a large extent not covering what we deliver with this unit. Yes, you can strip with it. But you can also use it as a finishing rig. It has an ultra thick bottom (4 cm) and a bottom dweller stirring device that allows you to use it as a rig for on the grain distilling. Or not. Just what you want. And - apart from stripping or finishing - you can choose the number of plates. One redistillation, 3 redistillations, 9 or 12. So you can even make vodka in it. And it can be used as a gin rig. Herbs in the boiler, fruit skins in the vapour path gin basket ... And it has automation so you can even use it as a masher.

The name, iStripper, signals it is a stripper. But it is not. Just read the above paragraph. I feel it deserves a name that does more justice to its capabilities. But what would be a good name? iStill 1250? Maybe. Maybe not. iVersatile?

Please help me out!

The person giving me the name I need will receive three liters of SPP from me.

Odin.
"Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself." by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda.
FullySilenced
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Re: iStill One

Post by FullySilenced »

THE "iDeal" or the "iStill-iDeal"

definition is: ide·al an adjective \ī-ˈdē(-ə)l, ˈī-ˌ\ meaning

: exactly right for a particular purpose or situation...


this one kinda struck a cord for me Odin...

happy stillin

FS
Last edited by FullySilenced on Mon Jul 07, 2014 4:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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