Thoughts on Alembic Stills
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jjp53
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Thoughts on Alembic Stills
What are peoples thoughts about alembic stills compared to column stills?
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Usge
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Re: Thoughts on Alembic Stills
What are you looking to make?
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rad14701
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Re: Thoughts on Alembic Stills
As in a pot still versus a reflux column...??? Or an Alembic versus every other pot still design...???
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jjp53
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Re: Thoughts on Alembic Stills
Looking to make pure grain whiskey
Alembic compared to other pot stills and reflux. What is going to give the better tasting smoother product.
Alembic compared to other pot stills and reflux. What is going to give the better tasting smoother product.
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rad14701
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Re: Thoughts on Alembic Stills
You're asking a question without a real answer... What I can do with a specific still and what you or someone else can do with it are completely different things... Some folks like a good old keg boiler connected to a flake stand, with ot without thumper... Some can produce the same with either an Alembic, some other pot still, or even a reflux column or plated column (flute)...
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Usge
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Re: Thoughts on Alembic Stills
Alembics are a basic/standard potstill and they work well. The problem is...because they are all copper, they can be rather expensive..just depending on what else you are looking at. The other thing is..they aren't necessarily as modular depending upon what else you are looking to do or experiment with. A keg or a stainless pot with ferrule gives you many options to be able to attach whatever kind of head you want on it and reuse the same boiler (the largest piece). Although there are some alembics as well..that over threaded heads...ie. a pot and/or a reflux head. They are very expensive..particularly if you are looking in the range of 30L -50L size (ie., so it can hold anywhere from a 5 to 10 gal still charge).
As far as the stills themselves...pot stills pretty much all work the same way. They all have their own personalities and quirks. But, the principal is the same. I personally prefer using a potstill for making whiskey or brandy. It tends to separate 'less' and therefore blends the flavors more across the run. If you need or want more separation, you run it again. Or you start with higher proof in the pot. From there...how fast or slow you run it basically determines the amount of limited range "Blending" you get in the run. The slower you run it...the more separation it will tend to have. The faster you run it..the more it will smear the various components of the run together. I find this preferrable for making the cut on it to make whiskey or brandy that I'm going to oak. Some prefer more control over the process through using some type of forced "reflux" deign...to more cleanly separate all the various fractions of a run...then try and blend them back together.
All a matter of taste. But, it's important to remember...that "oak" and aging is a very large part of what makes a whiskey smooth and tasty. So, you have to leave enough "Flavor" in there..for that to work out over time to turn into what you want. If you put it up "clean" and smooth....you'll have oak water. Putting it up "cleaner" can reduce the time it takes to oak up flavor wise and give you something to drink that's good. But, in my experience...if you want the good stuff...you got to put it up dirty...not try and rush the oaking process...and let it age for some time. Eventually, those rough edges will turn into fruit, etc..notes and the burrs will fall off it. Then..when you blend it down to drinking proof..use a big ole stainless pot...and keep it covered. Take down a little in proof at a time..till you find the right spot where it opens up good and tastes good to you. Then bottle it.
I got some been aging over a year now. Corn whiskey. It was rough as a cob when I put it up. It's pretty darn smooth now...even at barrel/aging strength. The other thing is...it seems to change periodically (ie., like the wood is breathing it in and out). So, catch it at the right time...when it tastes right to you. Then take it off the oak and put it in your bottling/blending pot. That's just what's worked best for me. There's plenty of others around have their own experiences they could add. Probably as many methods, etc..as there are people here. So, look around, take your time, and don't rush into anything. Nothing worse than spending $$$ only to find out it's not what you expected or wanted.
As far as the stills themselves...pot stills pretty much all work the same way. They all have their own personalities and quirks. But, the principal is the same. I personally prefer using a potstill for making whiskey or brandy. It tends to separate 'less' and therefore blends the flavors more across the run. If you need or want more separation, you run it again. Or you start with higher proof in the pot. From there...how fast or slow you run it basically determines the amount of limited range "Blending" you get in the run. The slower you run it...the more separation it will tend to have. The faster you run it..the more it will smear the various components of the run together. I find this preferrable for making the cut on it to make whiskey or brandy that I'm going to oak. Some prefer more control over the process through using some type of forced "reflux" deign...to more cleanly separate all the various fractions of a run...then try and blend them back together.
All a matter of taste. But, it's important to remember...that "oak" and aging is a very large part of what makes a whiskey smooth and tasty. So, you have to leave enough "Flavor" in there..for that to work out over time to turn into what you want. If you put it up "clean" and smooth....you'll have oak water. Putting it up "cleaner" can reduce the time it takes to oak up flavor wise and give you something to drink that's good. But, in my experience...if you want the good stuff...you got to put it up dirty...not try and rush the oaking process...and let it age for some time. Eventually, those rough edges will turn into fruit, etc..notes and the burrs will fall off it. Then..when you blend it down to drinking proof..use a big ole stainless pot...and keep it covered. Take down a little in proof at a time..till you find the right spot where it opens up good and tastes good to you. Then bottle it.
I got some been aging over a year now. Corn whiskey. It was rough as a cob when I put it up. It's pretty darn smooth now...even at barrel/aging strength. The other thing is...it seems to change periodically (ie., like the wood is breathing it in and out). So, catch it at the right time...when it tastes right to you. Then take it off the oak and put it in your bottling/blending pot. That's just what's worked best for me. There's plenty of others around have their own experiences they could add. Probably as many methods, etc..as there are people here. So, look around, take your time, and don't rush into anything. Nothing worse than spending $$$ only to find out it's not what you expected or wanted.