If you are planning to make wine or beer, then the process is pretty simple, all you need to do is toss some yeast into some sugar and water, ferment the whole thing in a pot. Make sure that the pot is airtight. After this is done, you have to filter the liquid for removing the impurities. You can add some flavours according to your wish to bring the taste of the wine. That’s it; your drink is ready. Whether you are looking for something a tasty wine to cherish or you are planning to get a kick out of your drink, it is essential to distil the mixture. It will provide you with a strong spirit. Here is where the importance of reflux still comes in. You will be able to do a lot of things with the distillate. You can keep it in a barrel for a long time to let it age, or you can try to mix some flavours in it. It sounds fun.
The process of distillation is nothing but the separation of water from alcohol, keeping in mind their differences in boiling point. It will help in improving the quality of liquor. In this process, a reflux still is your best friend. These stills are mostly made up of copper or stainless steel. They are primarily classified into two types, the reflux one and the pot stills. You can opt for the reflux ones or the pot ones because both of them are good for different applications.
Now, why should you choose reflux ones? Unlike the pot stills, the reflux ones are designed for creating a higher proof with very less or no alcohol flavour. There is a fractioning column present within the still. It allows the reflux of the liquid and helps in condensing the rising vapour. It also increases the efficacy of distilling and the purity of the liquid. With taller column and more reflux liquid, you can rest assured that you will enjoy neutral alcohol.
The reflux still is identical to the pot stills that are assembled. Thus, it can make multiple distillations in a single time. Because of this reason, vodka and rum are adequately diluted so that it can be safe for human consumption. Now, why should you choose pot still? These stills are less complicated. All you need to do is heat the mesh within it. When it boils, the alcohol starts evaporating. The vapours will flow within the worm (it is a coil immersed in cold water) and condense back to liquid.
Since every run makes one condensation process, the distillation will be done in batches. A pot still will provide you with an incomplete separation. It is desirable if you want to retain the flavours. Due to this, if you are making moonshine, brandy or whiskey, the pot still will make them thick-textured, flavorful and tasty. It will yield alcohol of 60 to 80%. Distilling the liquid, again and again, will increase the proof of alcohol.
