Coffey Still

From Distillers Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
An original Coffey Still

Named for its designer, engineer Aeneas Coffey, the Coffey or columnar still was originally introduced in Dublin, Ireland in 1830 and patented in Dublin in 1831. This design is, with little improvement, still widely used today. It is called a continuous still as it is designed to have wash injected without stopping. From a perspective of output, it is faster and can produce more with lower energy requirements.

The Coffey still produces a lighter spirit than a traditional pot still and the resulting distillate is usually aged in previously-used barrels to impart additional character.


How it Works

Wash will enter the Rectifier and travel down the column in a tube and will heat up. It will then go to the top of the Analyzer column where is is feed on to the top plate. Heavier components will travel down the column and be removed at the bottom. Ethanol will boil off and move to the bottom of the Rectifier column. Form there it will separate again, the heavier components, called bottoms, will be taken out out at the bottom. The heads will be removed at the top of the column. The spirit will be taken off from one of the top plates. The placement of the spirit take off will be part of the design of the still. Some stills will have multiple take offs in order to vary the flavor of the distillate.


External links