?'s about columns

[Knew2Brew]

Here is what I think I know, and if this is wrong someone please correct me.

The difference between pot, reflux, and fractionating stills is the column. Pot stills having a shorter open column, fractionating stills with a long column with lots of packing, and a reflux being somewhere in between.


Pot stills are better for whiskeys, rums, and such while a reflux or fractionating still is better for vodkas and gins.

Here is the column I have.


If I was going to use this column to make vodka, I could get an additional piece of pipe to add between the top of my boiler and the column, say 18 - 36". I could fill this pipe with copper packing or rings and then I would have some version of a reflux/fractionating still and this would produce a better vodka without having to do multiple runs.

[Prairiepiss]

Here is what I think I know, and if this is wrong someone please correct me.

The difference between pot, reflux, and fractionating stills is the column. Pot stills having a shorter open column, fractionating stills with a long column with lots of packing, and a reflux being somewhere in between.

Yes and no. A pot still can be as tall as you want it. The difference is forced reflux or not. By forced reflux I mean a reflux condenser that cools and condenses the vapors back to a liquid and sends it back down the column to be redistilled. Over and over.

Pot stills are better for whiskeys, rums, and such while a reflux or fractionating still is better for vodkas and gins.
Yes you do have this right.


Here is the column I have.


If I was going to use this column to make vodka, I could get an additional piece of pipe to add between the top of my boiler and the column, say 18 - 36". I could fill this pipe with copper packing or rings and then I would have some version of a reflux/fractionating still and this would produce a better vodka without having to do multiple runs.

By just adding length and packing you won't gain enough reflux to make a vodka without doing multiple runs. It would still be just a tall packed pot still. Not a reflux still.

There are some good threads in the new distiller reading lounge that go over the differences in different reflux columns that may help you understand how they work. The parent site has some good info too. Spend a little time reading through them. It will help you loads.

And please step over to the welcome center and give up a proper introduction.

[MuleKicker]

Your gonna need to add some plumbing (cooling) in it to get some reflux in the top of that thing.

[Samohon]

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