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Alcohol distillation doesn’t need to be complicated or intimidating. With some technical know-how and practice, distillation can become an enjoyable hobby that yields beautiful artisan items at a fraction of retail cost. Plus it allows for endless experimentation of flavor combinations; making small adjustments in ingredients, environment or process can have drastic effects on final output!
First step of distillation is producing an alcoholic liquid ready for distillation. Most vodkas and whiskies are created by distilling from an alcohol wash derived by boiling beer without hops; as ethanol alcohol boils at lower temperatures than water, this can be separated out by heating the wash in an enclosed still and collecting any emitted vapors that come off it.
A quality still is designed to capture vapor efficiently. To do this, its heating system must produce temperatures consistent enough that vapor can be captured efficiently for extended periods. In addition, all components must be sufficiently durable enough to withstand this heat source.
Other essential parts of a still for safe distillation include a sight gauge to monitor water level, pressure and temperature; ceramic boil enhancers inserted at the base of the still to disperse heat evenly and prevent surge boiling which could damage internal structures; as well as sanitisers to clean its inner surfaces before and after every distillation run.