About V-Brew Distilling Equipment
At V-Brew, Devon-based supplier of high quality brewing equipment, we work with some of the most renowned and trusted manufacturers, such as Romfil, Coolsoon and Sraml, to provide the best distilling machinery to our customers.
What Is Distilling?
Brewing and distilling may seem like two very similar processes, but in reality, they are very different. Whilst both processes start in the same sort of way – taking the starches, converting them into sugars and then adding these to a fermentation vessel – distillation goes slightly further. After the initial brewing process, the liquid is boiled to extract alcohol and the steam is condensed into a liquid with a much higher alcohol content.
What Distilling Equipment Is Used?
To distil a liquid into a spirit, a ‘still’ will be used, which is a particular apparatus that will selectively boil and then cool to condense the vapour. Stills are used for larger-scale distillation and come in a variety of forms. At V-Brew, we offer the following stills, which range from a volume of 50 L to 5,000L:
- Whisky Still: these are common in whisky or rum production but are also useful for rectifying gin
- Universal Still: these are popular amongst craft distillers due to their flexibility, as they combine features of a pot and column still
- Extra Column: this is useful for any distillers that want to produce spirits where more bubble plates are required, for example vodka or neutral spirit for gin rectification
The process of distillation separates a mixture based on its components’ boiling points and the accuracy – or how distinct the fractions are – depends on the geometry of the still. Some heavy distillations, of say whiskey or brandy, benefit from the flavour of less distinct cuts. Some, like vodka or neutral spirits for gin production, try to remove all components except ethanol, and do so using columns filled with plates, trays or packing.
Learn More About V-Brew’s Stills Equipment
For any distillers new to the process, V-Brew offers a recipe development service, as well as project management and extended training, to ensure you get the best results from your distilling equipment. If you’d like to find out more about our extensive range of stills equipment and how it works, please contact us today.
