Should You Buy A Pot Still Or Reflux Still & How Are They Different

There are two main options facing a new chaser of the craft when it comes to distilling apparatus. Should you buy a pot still? Or should you buy a reflux still?
Two answer that question you need a little basic knowledge about how the two stills differ.
Then you need to ask yourself really important questions. What do you really want to make?
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[@joederue9900]

Yeah Jesse keep that great knowledge coming! I have to say to anybody looking to get into distilling start off simple with a pot still so you build a good base for the future of your hobbie, as well as get or build something modular with sanitary fittings (tri-clamps, tri-clover clamps) as they make life so much easier. Cleaning and storing are easier and it allows your still to develop and grow with you as your interests or curiosities change and your skills as a distiller improve.

[@StillIt]

Dude, yes! Im a muppet, I actually planned on saying this in the video. Conceptually its a much easier way to understand the process too! Pinned as I think this may help others too.

[@RaviGupta-iz6uc]

I am setting up a beverage manufacturing plant in India. I have recently moved back to India from USA. I would really appreciate if you can help me setup factory and in the entire manufacturing process. I have heard about both options Pot Still and Reflux Still but not really sure which one to choose based on the investment size I want to make. I am setting up factory with $200,000 to $250,000 investment in India. Would appreciate if you can email me and we can discuss in details on call or chat. email is [e-mail]. Thanks

[@brianmccabe1]

@@RaviGupta-iz6uc I'd look at a channel called barley and hops as well... both are great information stations

[@truebohand]

@@brianmccabe1 I just discovered Still It and it moved to the top of my watch list. Now you showed me barley and hops so now I have to awesome channels move to the top of that list so thank you.

[@piakpiak5076]

Do you have a video on distilling the same mash with both pot and collum still side by side? It would be interesting.

[@danemmerich6775]

Great question,......to see how much flavor might be lost in the reflux still, right?

[@cuprarecovery4423]

Probably all.@@danemmerich6775

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Great explanation Jesse. Good content as always. Keep em coming mate George

[@StillIt]

Cheers George!

[@jgjes1]

In my "moonshine days" I use glass marbles in the column. This worked just fine...I washed them for every new batch. I also set up the still to produce 100 drops per minute. This gave an alcohol percent of up to 95 %.

[@buckshott00]

glass marbles are a good choice for getting more reflux. Often used in Lab Stills. The smaller the diameter the better you can pack the still and the more reflux surface you'll get. The only Problem is that when you distill to 95% you're stripping everything, but that might not be bad if you're trying to do a high ABV stripping run and then run it again after it's been remixed into your wash

[@tgh223]

good way to ruin shine no flavor 95 hard to believe

[@dannyrose6319]

Pot still-thumper-condenser. This gives you great flavour and high proof. You can add to the thumper to improve/ add flavour. Works a treat

[@tonyoliver4920]

Coming from a chemistry background technically a reflux still is best for separating fractions (cuts) but it should be done by cut temperature (at the still head) not volume at the output. However this would give you some very small cuts depending on what volatiles are present in the mash. So if your measuring still head temp and it’s constant that’s one cut. Once it starts to change temp your moving into the next cut. For repeatability keeping track of the cut temperatures will give you the a much closer product again and again

[@CrazyIvan865]

I'm not officially a chemist. But between photography, cooking, herbalism and herbal based medicine research, research into wine, mead, beer and general alcohol, research in cannabinoids, research into the chemical compounds involved in veterinarian medicine, and many many other things chemistry related that piques my curiosity... yeah I may not have a degree but have likely researched chemistry, chemical interactions, chemical compounds and thermal dynamic changes thereof, etc more than probably half the chemistry majors out there. Lately, between animal husbandry, general health and wellness and an interest in alcohol production I've been readying 2-3 scientific or medical studies related to chemistry PER DAY. So I can relate. I hadn't thought of separate cuts correlating to temperature constants. But I have concocted an "ultimate temperature control still" that I may have to make a couple prototypes and apply for patents. I'll give you a hint, oil jacket and stand alone heat chamber for temperature constants. I'm sure you can see it in your head now without me having to say more. The reason I've sought to devise such a convoluted contraption is I feel temperature control is imperative. At 148.5F Methanol boils off, this is poison and you don't want ANY of it. So ideally one would get to 150 and hold till they get barely drips before proceeding to 175F where Ethanol boils of at 173.8 and told that for the run. Then after it drops down to barely drips kick it up to 180 for the isopropenol to come off which has a boil temp of 178 and some change. From a chemistry standpoint; sure you're going to lose some of the various flavinoid alcohols all the way from 100 degrees to 200 degrees because different chemical compounds, and most certainly alcohol molecules, all have different boiling points that will come off at different temperatures. Kind of like you said. But even though you may lose 100% of the subtle flavors thst come off at 150 or below and ALL the flavors that boil off at 180 or above, over all it's a safer product and should be a better product because you're not getting the flavors of the other alcohols. Take everclear or most "pure grain alcohols" for example. They concern me. Because I've had 190 proof high quality moonshine, made by a sheriff deputy who learned from Sue (the boy named Sue) who learned from the legendary Popcorn Sutton. And you can't feel it in your mouth or taste it. That moonshine was so clean as smooth it felt and tasted like a cool drink of water in your mouth and didn't take sny effort to swallow, no grimace, no bad taste. Just water. Until you exhales and your entire esophagus and lungs FROZE and it was like "whooo, wow". Everclear and other "pure grain aclcohols" are all very warm, bitter and dry tasting and feeling and they burn your mouth the longer you have them in there. Like taking a swig of 91% isopropyl alcohol. Which leads me to believe that they separate off the Methanol (because they legally have to) run that puppy up to 185 or 190 and just collect everything that comes off. The deputies white lightning wasn't the only white lightning I've ever had that was like that though. I've had 3 different 120+proof moonshine that were all so smooth and clear and weren't sweet like they were buffered with sugar. Which causes me to be even more highly suspicious of commercial alcohols that are dry, bitter and burning. I so want to find a way to make a still where I could do a pot still on top, change it out with a refulx or a ccvm if I want so thst I only need 1 still for many products.

[@melanieamrell4817]

@@CrazyIvan865 it’s called fractional distillation and the items won’t distill out at their published temps because they are in a liquid compound. There are some distilleries out there that already use this method to distill specific esters into their products for desired flavors. There are formulas you can use to determine the temperature ranges you need to look for in compounds but generally low temps will increase and high temps will decrease depending on the percent by volume. Generally you would like at least 25 degrees between product boiling points to get the best product isolation.

[@TiborSimon-z8s]

Hi Stillers, what is a CCV still and how to build one at home? Thanks for any positive feedback.

[@jessaw8160]

So what you're saying is, use one burner/chamber, and build a pot column and a reflux column to use depending on the type of booze.

[@StillIt]

If you want to make both and have the $$ to have both definitely. That's the reason I went with the CCVM build. It's gives both in a modular way.

[@roytelling6540]

my first still was ab stainless steel pressure cooker and some 10mm copper tube. Just used copper pipe fittings to fix the tube to the lid had it coming straight up about 250mm the bent it down put a straight fitting on, then made a coil, put the coil it into a 25L bucket. Used it for years. Now I have an all stainless steel, I still use a pressure cooker BUT!! I cut the pan in half and added a piece of tube so I can distill 4L welded a 50mm tube 500mm long open at the top with a 12mm compression fitting welded to the side of the tube 40mm from the top. used 12mm pipe for the vapors to run throw and made a condenser. MY next still is going to be at least 5-6L with a 75mm column about 1000mm long and a PDM. I'm luck I am a welder and I work with S/S BUT don't tell my Boss LoL

[@StillIt]

Definitly lucky to be a welder mate. Perfect skill set for this hobby!

[@WhydoIneedahandleagain]

I built mine and just got lots of triclamp fittings and broke it into multiple components. Then it’s super easy to add/remove stuff and configure it however you want.

[@StillIt]

Yeah 100% agree on this !

[@WhydoIneedahandleagain]

The funny thing is when it’s in full reflux configuration and I have everything used, it looks like a frankenstill.

[@ZMan3k]

The frost still I built was a 2” boka, I can run it in reflux mode and get neutrals. Or leave the bottom portion empty and leave the valve fully open for pot still mode. I’ve found that I like running as a pot still more as I’m more of a whiskey maker than anything else. Great vid as always!

[@chadsemeniuk274]

been trying to get into distilling this is actually really helpful thank you.

[@StillIt]

Awesome mate, glad it can help. Its a crazy amount of info take the plunge right? Check out the 101 videos over on www.chasethecraft.com :)

[@adbb1970]

Jesse, I love your explanation of the differences between pot & reflux still. Even better though is the way you explain how to make a decision about which to get first (I'm a gin lover). I've watched many of your videos in the last few weeks while trying to make up my mind about which way to go and have come to the same conclusion as you. I'm building a CCVM! Went out today & started getting all the materials together for a 2" CCVM set-up and am going to start making it on the weekend! Thanks for the inspiration, as seeing you learn new skills (braising & associated metal work) is exactly the journey I'm going to have. I'll also have the satisfaction at the end of being able to look at the still & say to myself 'I made that!'!!

[@southcack8245]

If you're planning to make vodka, or any other neutral spirit, you would probably want both. A pot still to strip washes and a reflux still for the low wines spirit run. A modular CCVM accomplishes this. Or, a plated column with a packed section on top. In which case you could do a one-and-done run. But, it's a much more expensive option.

[@dylanharrison2299]

It may have been said. But I recommend a boiler suited to the size you want/need to distill. Then have 2 interchangeable heads. A reflux and column and a pot condenser.

[@jackjohnson1387]

Great vid. Between your technical knowledge and your babbling presentation (as well as your fun /endearing personality) you have helped me finally make a decision on which way to go.

[@yddishmcsquidish3904]

So glad you got a mic. Going back on your older videos really shows the increase in audio quality

[@FedericoLucchi]

I run a very cheap inox potstill with a packed column, works quite well although I have to keep the temperature down if I want something drinkable. Eventually I'd like to build a bokakob still, looks easy enough to throw together and offers a decent amount of control on the reflux.

[@davidvincent2838]

I started out with a pot still and when I bought my digiboil I bought a reflux because I have a market for neutral stuff the I can flavor with essence but I still use my awesome little pot still for specialty runs for the good stuff I want to keep myself. I've learned so much about still balance and alcohol quality and even abv by smell taste and feel of what's coming off the pot still. All of my best whiskeys that are are going to be sipped have come off my little pot still that I heat and control by a little old KMart portable element. And I do have to thank George from Barley and Hops for the knowledge of heat control and balance as well as you Jesse for teaching me about the smells and flavours and changes I should look for in making cuts. ......

[@StillIt]

Nice mate. Keep chasing!

[@RaviGupta-iz6uc]

I am setting up a beverage manufacturing plant in India. I have recently moved back to India from USA. I would really appreciate if you can help me setup factory and in the entire manufacturing process. I have heard about both options Pot Still and Reflux Still but not really sure which one to choose based on the investment size I want to make. I am setting up factory with $200,000 to $250,000 investment in India. Would appreciate if you can email me and we can discuss in details on call or chat. email is [e-mail]. Thanks

[@abelk918]

The pot still alcohols were all the ones I want to make. Thanks for the information!

[@StillIt]

Nice! Enjoy!

[@mikenethery9418]

I found this explaination of a reflux still a tad foggy....so I felt obliged to offer what I hope is a clearer understanding of things. The packing (marbles, copper mesh, etc.) has a cooler temperature the higher up in the column it goes (gets farther away from the heat source). Evaporated water makes contact with packing and condenses, while alcohol vapors don't (they require a cooler temp. to condense) and continue on to the condenser. As a result water vapor continuously condenses on the packing and drips back down column while the alcohol carries on the the condenser. Of course nothing is that black and white, some water and esters (flavors) hitch a ride with the alcohol vapours thereby lowering your proof and imparting flavors.

[@Errol.C-nz]

i like to drink.. beer.. & i want to distill diesel.. but I'm getting the principles worked out.. many thanks to this fellow kiwi

[@chrisfoltz6002]

With your pot still do you ever find the need or want to have a doubler/thumper? Why or why not. Thanks so much, new to the channel and love it

[@TopFitnessStrategies]

One of the best, and easiest to understand, explanations of the differences of the stills I've ever watched. Very nice. Keep up the good work!

[@stillworksandbrewing]

Nice job showing the differences of stills. thanks Randy

[@StillIt]

Cheers mate

[@danssv8]

I have to correct you that you can run a reflux as a normal pot still without the water running through the reflux condenser, however you still want the column packed as normal unless you just want to distill water then you can remove everything out of the column. So I would recommend a reflux still.

[@danjohnson1880]

Love your videos. I started distilling in January thanks to watching you and Moonshiners. I like rum and have had great results. I bought a China made pot still with a thumper. Thanks to your videos, I have impressed myself with the quality of the product. Thanks, Keep up the good work.

[@davidl8425]

Would love some info on your rum. Such as recipie and so on...

[@deadmaumurphylaw8052]

I'm a Gin fan so I'm a reflux user I do have an alembic condenser for the Whisky and Rums but they take a lot more to age and mellow where the Gin is a lot more about the botanicals. Enjoying the craft tho and your channel

[@russellmcgahee942]

If you use a shot gun style reflux you can have the best of both worlds. Key to any reflux is to control the temperature precisely before it enters the condenser. The hardest part of this is learned by trial and error. Another thing to remember is don't chase temperatures; give it time to catch up with the reaction.

[@StillIt]

Can definitely have a hybrid built with a depglag. Slight correction on the second part though. They key to any reflux controlled by water temp is controlling water temp & flow well (plenty of other ways to create and manage reflux though). Cheers mate 👍🥃

[@SanyaMochalov]

Awesome video) I agree with you) First you need to choose what you are going to do and then choose a type of a column)

[@robertmorrison107]

Hi, I am just now getting into distilling however I am a separations chemical engineer with a couple decades of working. I am going to say if you are into the "art of distilling" like they did 200 years ago. Go pot still. If you are into the science and you want fine tuning of everything, go reflux. With experience, both will get you where you want to be. The one thing I think you missed is data points. You need data points. Pull and keep samples and logs. Not just samples of the product but of the reflux and all temperatures.

[@FoolOfATuque]

I have a 2" stainless column still from mile hi. Basically you can run it with or without a reflux chamber based on what you want to make. I have another column coming that has a reflux chamber and sight glass. The sight glass chamber comes with a screen gasket for infusion. This is the most versatile design in my opinion.

[@NullaNulla]

Johnny Walker + diet coke (diabetic) and vodka + oj or sugarless citrus cordial (depending on time of day and how much sugar I've already had for the day). We prefer the reflux still for a few reasons. We started with the little ~3L pot still and it was ok but since we use dextrose as food, it came out SUPER sweet which I didn't really appreciate. The Turbo T500 is a PITA to manage temperatures etc but the benefit is more volume, more ABV in that volume and more flavour stripped out which is replaced by whatever spirit we want to make with essence bottles (no use making something from corn if you want to make vodka). So preferring the reflux still, it does remove most if not all of the flavour which we want as it goes to all sorts of different drinks including baileys irish cream so is easier to work with flavour wise, gives 95% vs 65% from the bot still and gives 4.5 LITRES out instead of a pissy 300ml per wash making it go a LOT further. The effort in maintaining the temperature well pays off. FWIW we've been using still spirits flavours amongst some others, my favourite is Johnny Jogger scotch (closest I've found to Johnny Walker) and still spirits clear vodka (mrs prefers peach or raspberry vodka). Appreciate the info on the reflux still, I've often wondered the differences and how the reflux works.

[@rabbitspliff]

Only ever brewed beer and got the grainfather in that pursuit (not a straight-up endorsement of the grainfather btw, it has its pros and cons). you can get an alembic pot still attachment for the grainfather and other similar pieces of kit, so it would make sense for me to start with that first. of course, since I'm from the UK I'll only be using it to distill water ;) but if I _were_ to use it for distilling alcohol, a pot still would make more sense for me because I would be more interested in whisky than neutral spirits like vodka or the base spirit for gin.

[@StillIt]

Yep, that sounds like very sound thinking mate. I hear you on the grain father too. Its an amazing piece of kit if you want to do what its good at!

[@dan8402]

Jesse: not sure if you have done a review or not on this. There are stainless and copper stills available on wish from China. Ok ok I know don’t hyper ventilate. I have seen some reviews that they aren’t too bad. Certainly they work and can produce. No I don’t expect the same quality as a proper still but let’s just say it is a quick and easy way to get started in the hobby. A 5 gallon still with thumper box can be had for $200 USD or less. They look like they have PFE gaskets and not horrible.

[@Seeds-Of-The-Wayside]

I use a stainless steel water bottle sitting in a pot of boiling water with a homemade copper condenser coil which I seal tightly into the bottle with a rag. I stick a meat thermometer down into the bottle to monitor temperature. I put a wet rag over the coil and pour water on it to cool it when it gets dry. The liquor just drips out into a cup. It is ultra-simple but absolutely doable if you have a low budget. You can turn cheap Wines into interesting booze. Just stop distilling when your temperature in the bottle goes over the boiling point of alcohol.

[@adiefender]

a multi plated still has soo much flexibility, if you have the $$ for it. but if your gona just stay with Rum or Bourbon then the Pot still is the best route.

[@StillIt]

Yeah, dude I am loving my plates now. But I really just dont feel great recomending a plate still as a first still. But 100% agree the flexability and results are great!

[@davidvincent2838]

In fact, something just came to mind with one of my mashes, I have a friend who had some excess horse feed that got wet and she was going to throw because it would just get moldy. To her shock, I asked her for it, probably thinking what the hell does he want this for, and made a few mashes out of it with amylase and from that is some of the best spirits I've got off my little pot still. Came in at only 10.5 -11% before being stilled but far better than being wasted and a really nice blend of character in the spirit.

[@boratsagdiyev5679]

This is how it should be, use every little bit for good. I hope you're the king of desinfection by now with all that alcohol made from horse food

[@bodpantella3881]

Thanks for the video, you made everything clear for a beginner just starting out. I am in the process of making a pressure cooker still. The plans that I have were originally for a pot still (the coil in a water bath) however the plans that I drew up myself seems to be a reflux setup. The pipework is exactly like you showed at the beginning of the video. My question is why can't you make a pressure cooker still in which you can call it a pot and a reflux. What I mean is having a threaded nut on top of the lid, on which you can attach either the pipework for a reflux or a pot? Thanks again!

[@StillIt]

Yup you can for sure. So essentially it would be modular right?

[@bodpantella3881]

@@StillIt Yes. It would have the column piping for the reflux and then the pipe leading into a coil. Would it work? Thanks for the reply too!

[@bodpantella3881]

@@StillIt should have said I can screw one on and screw it off

[@MisplacedAmerican]

Great video Jesse... Unfortunately, I thinks I'm about to fall down the rabbit hole of a hybrid (or at least a month more research). You taught me enough to make me dangerous! 😳

[@oddjobbobb]

Great video! Very clear explanation of the two still types. You have educated me. Thank you!

[@jakobbull5454]

Hay mate I have a reflux boka still and I also had a beer that went very bad I did put it through the still not expecting anything good to come from it but was very surprised by the flavors that made it through even though I held it at reflux longer. It was alot of very strong not very pleasant flavors but still had a few cuts of very interesting flavors. So I completely agree it depends on what you're wash is the flavors will always be there.

[@spikelove9533]

I would say go for a reflux you can run it as a pot or a reflux best of both worlds. I like using a pot with 2 thumpers : ) Thanks for the info

[@StillIt]

Wow double thumpers? Interesting. I really need to give em a go sometime. And yeah, that's why I love the CCVM 👍🥃

[@spikelove9533]

@@StillIt the double thumpers are awesome I charge them with whiskey I have on hand or when I make apple brandy I put cinnamon sticks brown sugar and a couple cloves in one thumper and sliced up apples in the second one the flavor come out just right in the brandy they are there but not over powering.

[@StillIt]

Cheer Spike, Yeah, its this kinda thing that has my really keen to try it.

[@spikelove9533]

@@StillIt that would be some fun videos to watch seeing how you come up with some thumpers for your still or make a smaller one with some thumpers. I use Mason Jars I know its frowned on in some circles but the glass is made to with stand way more temperature and pressure than what this use puts on them we are only talking a few inches of water column as far as pressure goes it takes 27and some change to make one pound of pressure . You do have to keep in mind and use a little care when cooling down but as long as your indoors and it's not very cold simply dump and wait till they cool to touch. Pretty standard. I've seen a few made from 5 gallon kegs. I like the jars so I can see what's happening. The second jar will double in volume, then at the end of the run it starts losing volume and gets cloudy so besides temp taste proof and smell its another gauge to use. Not to mention your doing a triple distilling every run. My run typically starts at 180 to 178 ish and by the the time its finished my total volume is 165 to 170. The biggest trick is to make sure and open the line when you shut off the heat or you create a pretty good vaccum and at best you empty your thumpers into your still but more times than not you end up imploding. One more thought this could just be me but IMO the heads and tails are alot smaller when I use double thumpers.

[@spikelove9533]

Something I learned from experience that I didn't find much info on is when running multiple thumpers , you have to spread your liquid volume I do 2/3ds over all of the thumpers. If you dont they fill up and over flow before they get up to the right temp and also your increasing your pressure in the system if your trying to do 2/3ds in each additional thumper.

[@DB-thats-me]

Sorry, I missed something, CCVM stands for what? Also, what is YOUR opinion on the difference between pot run flavours and reflux run essence flavoured product??? You might do a blind comparison test. 👍 Notwithstanding, this was the BEST, easiest to understand, explanation of the difference between the owo. Thank you.

[@RaviGupta-iz6uc]

I am setting up a beverage manufacturing plant in India. I have recently moved back to India from USA. I would really appreciate if you can help me setup factory and in the entire manufacturing process. I have heard about both options Pot Still and Reflux Still but not really sure which one to choose based on the investment size I want to make. I am setting up factory with $200,000 to $250,000 investment in India. Would appreciate if you can email me and we can discuss in details on call or chat. email is [e-mail]. Thanks

[@etuanno]

Ah Reflux is just like we added a Vigreux column in the lab, it purifies the vapors but it takes ages for vapor to rise and condensate. I was wondering and a bit confused because when we had something under reflux in the lab, it was boiling but all the vapor from the solvent were condensed back down. So keeping something in reflux ment just that it was boiling permanently without adding new solvent.

[@tornado7738]

Will you ever attempt running a thumper? Is that something you can frankenstein into your current still setup? LOVE YOUR CHANNEL

[@Njennings42]

thumpers are unnecessary with a reflux still

[@Njennings42]

or really any still for that matter

[@ronbecker9256]

Great info!!! I want to primarily make moonshine (flavored) and secondarily have the option to make bourbon and rum - make it simple for me...what should I get? I have a 10 gallon Clawhammer electric brewing kit. Thanks!

[@the_whiskeyshaman]

Hey that is so true. I think if you go hybrid you have what you need for whatever comes up. But if your doing gin make sure you have a basket or something. I’ve heard that gin can affect the taste of future spirits if inreflux line. Idk.

[@StillIt]

Yeah I could see that if you dont clean out inbetween properly. They are very distinctive flavours in gin. So a little bit of gin is going to change the flavour of a single malt a whole lot more than a little bit of corn whisky.

[@reesewawarosky1058]

Great information good delivery as usual but my OCD is kicking in. So would you please put a board on front of the counter to finish it...

[@dickopolka2733]

Reese Wawarosky I’ve thought the same thing for months!

[@troywest9751]

Or even just turn it around because if you look at the other side it's completed

[@StillIt]

HAHAHAHAH wifey actually bought this thing for me second hand. While she was in the hospital with the twins. "I bought this thing for still it, can you go pick it up? Yeah it will totally fit in you little Honda Fit, you will see what it is when you get there". It did not fit!

[@BillMcGirr]

Great video. And awesome commentary. But why choose? These modern stainless stills are super convertible. I’ll take both please.🤣👍💪🥃

[@janbarnard6411]

Brand new to distilling. purchased all the basics , that i googled/you tube ect for distillation . eg. testing equipment (hydrometers, alc meters, scales, refractometers ect), fermentation equipment (conical fermenters , bubblers,heaters), 50 liter electric reflux still, measuring equipment, mixers, juicers,. How/what is the ideal set up or lay out for a distill room (for prep,fermenting and finaly distilling). Sorry might be a stupid question but i have all this equipment and not a clue on how to lay out my distill room (dedicated room just for prep,ferment and distill)

[@quarlow1215]

So what I am gathering is if you have a still with no column on it it is a pot still. If you add a column it is still a pot still but if you put copper packing in it it is now a Reflux still? Sorry if this sounds like dumb questions but there are so many video's out there it gets a little jumbled.

[@StillIt]

Thats pretty much it. A pot still can be pretty much any shape. My big pot still looks just like a reflux still with a tall column. The key thing is a pot still has no active reflux.

[@girr5934]

and you will need a pre condenser at the top of the reflux though if im not mistaken

[@AlvinMcManus]

You know moonshiners use a thumper keg to re-distill the liquor before it hits the condenser. Sounds way more simple than that reflux still. The distiller still has to pay attention to collect the hearts and dump the head and the tail of the run.

[@sproutingresilience4787]

The reflux pipe will allow you to get better separation of the different compounds that are coming out of the still. At the end you can then be more accurate with what your re mixing together at the end to create your flavours.

[@StillIt]

I hear what you are saying. But it does not work that way in practice. You can't reflux a whiskey mash and then blend it back together to taste like a pot stilled whiskey. Why. . . . I don't know. In theory I agree you should be able to.

[@sproutingresilience4787]

Still It hmm that’s very curious I wonder why

[@fluffyhead6377]

Every time you slide you’re hand across the wood the sound makes me shiver and cringe, Ive always hated dry surfaces 😂, I appreciate the advise I’m currently ordering parts for my new still, I’m going to try and make a few parts myself, I never used to have any hobbies until a couple of years ago when I started watching KZbin more and now I have 5 hobbies on the go 😂

[@MrChickster12]

Great 👍 video….. I am passionate about Rum… so it’s pot still for me

[@NFUTTRUP]

Hey @Still It, Jesse. Quick question. I have a few less amazing beers in the size of 50 liters in total. I consider building a reflux still to get rid of much of the hop flavour. Will a reflux remove most of that flavour, and will it help to pour through active carbon afterwards? Thanks for all your help getting me into this hobby very soon. Gonna build a reflux w interchangeable column to also being able to make rum, bourbon and whiskey.

[@0552steve]

I was gifted a pot still (a beautifully made 5 gallon pot by Copperholic). I was total lost and getting ready to send it back until I saw this video. Scanning through you vast library, and noting your knowlegble community comments, I've decided to dive in. Wish me luck and thank you.

[@damarmar1001]

As I understand it you can make a pot still of a reflux still by putting a copprdome on it.but you can't do it the other way around..

[@brianmaher4806]

Than you it’s a pot still journey for me

[@StillIt]

Yeessssss come the the flavour side!

[@brendanquinn6894]

Can someone send Jesse a piece of wood so he can finish off building the facia on his shelf !

[@davidmeier1811]

I strongly suggest NOT packing the column to get reflux because if you puke the still and solids get embedded in the packing you will get a pressure pot and that could be bad (burst the still). ALWAYS have a very low pressure relief valve (5 psi or less) on the still pot as a safety. Do not use pressure relief from water heater as they are rated very high psi (about 150).

[@kirkstinson7316]

Well a pot still, like an alembic, will always be a pot still. One with a column off the boiler can be MANY different stills with the addition or subtraction of parts. Run it with a short column only and it's a pot still. Taller with a condenser and it's reflux. AND you can add sight glasses and bubble plates. All this is gonna be a larger still (like 10 gallon) with a 4" opening. With a standard pot still best you can do is add a thumper

[@johnathancorgan3994]

My only experience with alcohol is with small pot stills, but when using reflux distillation with glassware (chem lab), the net effect is to be able to cleanly separate different fractions that have a similar boiling points. I'd expect that with a reflux still you'd just end up with much sharper transitions between different fermentation products, allowing even better selection of cuts for heads, hearts, tails, etc. What am I missing?

[@StillIt]

Hows it mate, Yep thats fairly accurate. If you mean allow better selection of cuts for whisky etc then its a little different. Yes the reflux still will compress and fraction more. But it does so to an extent that you dont seem to be able to blend these back together especially when reaching the tails. The run will go from great heads to horrible tails VERY quickly. You would think you could just blend a little back togeather to go looking for peat in the tails for example, but it does not seem to work that way. Honestly I cant quite get my head around why. Now a plated still on the other hand . . . ..

[@johnathancorgan3994]

@@StillIt I see. That's too bad. I guess some flavors taste that way only in combination with others, so if you separate them too much, you don't know what to put back together. Very interesting. I think it calls for some repeated extended trial empirical research.

[@StillIt]

Yeah its a werid one right? I thought that would be the best way too. Seperate the crap out of everything, then choose what you want. It just does not really work like that.

[@LowetheTechGuy]

What I want is to is have my alcohol come out at the drinking proof i want but with a thumper or other type of infuser such as in a column or whatever. I don't want it to strong cause then i will have to add water therefore watering down the flavor as well as Abv.

[@haydenholmberg6327]

How about that mouthful explanation of a reflux!! Was hanging onto every word hoping you didn't trip up lol. Nice work as always Jesse! Keep it up and more still porn!

[@bernarddeham4787]

Marbles is the less suitable packing material, rashig rings are difficult to find. Visit Chinese internet shopping websites and you'll find your copper mesh. Stainless steel pot scrubbers are available at your local supermarket. It's not necessary to go for expensive copper if your still is made of copper. Copper is important to remove some sulphur compounds.My still is able to be run as a VM reflux still, a genuine pot still, a pot still with coil condenser and I also have a gin basket. 120cm 3" SS column with sight glass, coil condenser and gate valve. Try to download Nixon and Mc Graw's "The Cmpleat Distiller" as pdf file.

[@rocketsroc]

I use a T-500 reflux still for making neutral spirits, but there is always some slight background flavor which I'd like out. You mentioned there are ways to remove more flavors when using a reflux still. It would be great to have a segment about methods how to do this.

[@craigresterman9375]

Carbon filtering is key to neutral spirit and when I say that I mean granular carbon not the cannister rubbish

[@camhunter9852]

Awsome thanks for making this vid i was on the fence with which way to start and now i know thanks again

[@StillIt]

Awesome! Cheers mate 🥃

[@jonwlindberg]

Great video. Question. I have a Still Spirits T500 reflux and I’m thinking of getting the pot still condenser. Do I need to also buy the Alembic dome for that set to do that or can I simply swap my reflux with the pot still condenser and use the stainless flat dome? Idk why but their alembic dome is super expensive. Thanks for your advice. Love the channel. And, yes, you are totally right on the reflux. You get a higher abv but less flavor. I’ve done a lot of adding flavors so far and my friends think I’m a genius. 😂😂😂. Lemon Drops, Apple Pie etc. would really like to do a deep rum with a pot still. Adding flavors is great and it’s always handy to have a lot of neutral spirit to do that but it would be nice to experiment. My wife and I like dark rum. Thanks for the answer.

[@fredluden2298]

Great video👍 what size would you recommend? I’m guessing there is a fine line between being able to make bigger batches of things you have perfected for yourself, friends, and family while still being small enough to do experiments. I’m guessing it’s hard to do small amounts in a big still but I could be wrong. And is a plate still to much for a beginner? I’d rather buy something i can grow into instead of buying two stills. but if it would be to much to handle at first or if I wouldn’t learn some basic skills I’d rather start off very basic

[@knuckle47]

Looking forward to when you start you consulting services

[@billastell3753]

You missed the most important point I think. You can run a flute or reflux still as a pot still to allow flavour to pass through the condenser but a pot still is just a pot still and can't be used to remove the flavour like a reflux still can. The reflux still is a more complicated machine. Get the reflux still and learn how to use it.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

This was very helpful, thank you.

[@jameshartwell1429]

What about the moonshines? I'm thinking more on the side of Meadshine/Honeyshine, so I would like some of the honey character to comes through.

[@the_whiskeyshaman]

James Hartwell pot still. For sure

[@michaelsmith1675]

Pot still with no more then 2 copper scuba to maintain flavor

[@StillIt]

Yeah I second pot. It kinda depends on what you mean by moonshine though, a lot of the stuff you see that is "moonshine"gets a lot of its flavour by adding things after distillation. "real traditional"for corn moonshine would be a pot still + Thumper

[@ZMan3k]

I’d go with a pot still for sure. I do a corn/barley/honey sour mash that comes out super tasty. Honey really shines through at the end running thru a 2” bokakob still in pot still mode (empty with valve wide open). Next project is a 3” version so I can collect faster.

[@dirtyboysadventures9878]

You're gonna need a thumper to maintain the flav.. Put some of yoir honey mash in there.. Its a diff type of buzz

[@agoogleaccount2861]

Tbh i Really like my inexpensive all stainless pot still. W added grahm condenser I made kirschwasser with it last winter from a bag of dried cherries as a challenge you don't have to spend a fortune on a still just make sure the metal used in its safe. And that its airtight. Cause y'all know why

[@wiseguysoutdoors2954]

Very well presented, Jesse! Cheers, Mate!!

[@freedomfamily1358]

They do make stills like the mighty mini that can be used reflux or pot they are nice stills thanks for all the 411 bub

[@DubstepMonkey42]

awesome videos jesse it great seeing a fellow kiwi sharing his knowledge. huge thank you for that. got a quick question though. how do you personally filter your spirits ?

[@danielbarbieri8199]

Well this is right and interesting. But it makes me wonder, in the case of making rum in a pot still (alembic), why would you want to make a stripping run, instead of single distillation ? If I understand well, you can detune your distillation unit to be close to one or other system. That's ok, because in case you want to try to make vodka with a pot still, it is possible without changing your equipment. But I read every where that you have to make a stripping run with pot still in any case, for some reasons that do not seem to be logical. Especially when making rum for example. Why would you spend time and energy in a stripping run, to save time and energy in the distillation run ? Why would want to make a cleaner distillation in a rum ? How would it help making better cuts if you have less time and higher alcohol concentration ? I must miss something... Someone can explain ?

[@jasongrezek3944]

Great content as usual Jesse, thanks.

[@StillIt]

Cheers

[@richardschindler8822]

Thanks for the great information.

[@StillIt]

You bet!

[@BeeKisses]

I got a vevor three pot and modified it to have the best of both worlds

[@deadduck6578]

Have you distilled dandelion wine? Thinking getting back into the trade

[@johnscott9855]

I have a pot still, but I have been only able to hit 135 proof so far. That is why I am interested in learning more about the reflux still. However, I have only been doing this for 1 month so I am still in a learning and trial and error phase. I am having a blast. What is the price comparison of the two?

[@dan8402]

If I could I would get a pot still with thumper box. Not really shooting for pure distillate.also want simple.

[@ToolsOutsideTheBox]

Daniel Silverman why do you want a thumper box? You can run a pot still simpler and safer without one.

[@dan8402]

Liv'n Lujin well it bumps up the final product. Yeah you could do a stripping run, then run it again, or run it super slow. Either way works I suppose. Then again a vertical reflux bumps up the complexity a lot. Then again major distilleries like Jack Daniels or Bicardi use infinite reflux systems for massive production.

[@ToolsOutsideTheBox]

I'm starting with a stainless steel pressure canner that I'll adapt over to a pot still. I'm thinking about a short, hard copper pipe (column) so I can add a temp gauge before the copper tubing/condenser.

[@ToolsOutsideTheBox]

BTW, I was contemplating corn meal and Malt O Meal for my first mash. If it doesn't work or sucks, I'm out $10-$12 from the grocery store though.

[@RaviGupta-iz6uc]

@@ToolsOutsideTheBox I am setting up a beverage manufacturing plant in India. I have recently moved back to India from USA. I would really appreciate if you can help me setup factory and in the entire manufacturing process. I have heard about both options Pot Still and Reflux Still but not really sure which one to choose based on the investment size I want to make. I am setting up factory with $200,000 to $250,000 investment in India. Would appreciate if you can email me and we can discuss in details on call or chat. email is [e-mail]. Thanks

[@garethrae1]

Hi Jesse, very helpful vid mate.. im still at a loss as to what way to go unfortunately, wife likes Gin and i'm a whiskey guy.. maybe i need a unit that does both? (or can have both attachments like the T500?) thoughts?

[@Eddie-hk5sf]

I've come to ask the same question, seeing as you asked a year ago, have you found the answer?

[@smellsamazing]

I love gin, some vodka, liqueurs like amaretto, triple sec, lemoncello, etc. I think i can easily build a DIY pot still (15-20 litre using a pressure cooker and copper tubing) this will cost me around the equivalent of USD60. Can one easily DIY a reflux still? My country is not in lockdown but airports have been shit down, so no chance of importing anything. Help please. Want to chase the craft ASAP

[@ryanmcintyre7313]

Hi mate im just now starting to get into the more advanced sides of pot distilling my question is I have just bought a new 8 gallon pot still. It is a Chinese design that has a 8 gallon boiler and a fairly tall column that is pretty well shaped like a really elongated egg not sure if you know the type of pot still in talking about i think it's a farly new design and of course I bought mine made locally here down under gotta support local businesses but any way according to the blue prints that came with the still my condenser is about double the size of a standard condenser but according to the drawing it works in reverse to a normal condenser and instead of pushing the vapour through the coil and the water running over the outside of the coil to condense the vapour it actually works in reverse and instead they pack twice as much coil into a condenser twice the height and width of a standard one but for some reason the water gets pumped through the coil and the vapour goes around the outside of the intrnally cooled coil and the vapour runs around the outside of that which is what cools it down and reliquifies it. I was just wondering are there any advantages/diss advantages to a condenser running in reverse like this or is it alot more common type of design then I realise. Sorry mate I know it's a long question but I wanted to make sure to explain myself in great detail to get a more accurate answer

[@melindalineen6765]

Jesse is corn whiskey the same is corn rye whiskey. What is the height of a 3” column on a pot still.and what is the height on a 3” column on a reflux still.

[@758Dino]

I wanna do rum, beer, whiskey, wine. Which one i need for each?

[@girr5934]

@6:41 you meantion you can do things to drop the flavour off, please do a video on this and if you wont please tell me in the comments!!!

[@StillIt]

Good idea :) Alter your wash recipe. Tighten cuts, distill to highest abv. Charcoal filter :)

[@girr5934]

@@StillIt can you go into more detail for the novices? Alter your wash how? Tighten cuts means? Distill to highest abv meaning I put high abv in still and max packing in column?

[@ProtonOne11]

Tryed to find an answer here, but can not really see it. If i want to make fruit schnaps (cherry, pears, plums,...) i guess a pot still would get more of the fruity flavours out?

[@stephenhawke3524]

Hi, I have a question about which Still would be better suited for distilled Mead - so I have my own Honey supply and want to set up a Still to produce spirit, which is then aged in oak. Most of the reviews I’ve seen are based on fruit or grain based wash - as mead is neither I wondered which method would be best for me to invest in. I did wonder about the infusion basket in reflux still and adding a different dimension to the end product - but what’s your opinion ? thanks for the good info and delivery by the way “nice and real” if you know what I mean.

[@justonschmidtke1921]

Jesse, I finally got my hands on a 50L keg. What is the valve you have in the bottom to drain it? I know I've seen it in a video, you talk about it being convenient, but I can't seem to find it.

[@040498wb]

So then Jesse, my T500 is a reflux still because the column is full of stainless steel rings to slow the vapour down. Is that correct? And if so it can be changed to pot still just by removing these rings? Geeat content matey.

[@alanhynd332]

Kick ass channel and really good information Jessie. I have a boka still which i can convert to a pot still which I use for neutral spirit in reflux configuration and gin in pot still configuration. I am a whisky drinker an have bought a 4” x 4 plate bubble plate column from still dragon so i wondered what your thoughts were about what i should use the bubble plate configuration for?

[@carlgillespie5161]

Hey Jessie, love the videos. You and George over at Mile Hi are my go to sources for distilling. I have a few questions. First, if you had a pot still with a large enough column, could you put packing in it but not have a dephlegmator and still get some reflux action from the packing? Second, if you have a true reflux column with a dephlegmator, could you just not use any packing and not run any water through the dephlegmator ( provided the dephlegmator and condenser use seperate water ways ) and run it as a pot still? I assume you would still get a little reflux action just from the vapor building up on the dephlegemater coil and falling back in, but is it enough to affect much?

[@PaperrouteRC]

What one would be the best for me I just want to make some good old white lightning moonshine