Why Plated Column Stills?

[13chargers]

Hi guys,
Apologies if this question has already been asked but I couldn't find it anywhere in the forum. I just trying to understand how these plated columns work and what the benefit is over a standard column? :|
What purpose do the bubble caps serve?
Why do you need to be able to see in there?
:?: :?: :?:
Thanks,
13C

[LWTCS]

Often you may find that product rendered from the larger commercial bubblers is referred to as "potstilled".

Plate stills have more potential to concentrate flavors (both good and bad) at each plate level.

When run with enough reflux to just keep the plate loaded, there would typically only be one distillation on that plate where a packed column might be capable of dozens more distillations (if not more) at that point/location within the column. Plated stills are typically not intended to render neutral spirts but are surely capable of rendering high proof spirits at potstill speeds.

The bubble cap's job is to wrangle and direct vapor to the liquid bath contained on the plate so that the vapor can under go phase change. The vapor is directed and exposed to the liquid and as such will condense and change into liquid. Then re-heat and under go the change back to vapor....This is distillation. Two phase changes occur during one distillation.

Aside from the view ports looking very cool,,they are used as a visual aid to help the operator run the still more optimally by giving a visual indicator during the course of the run. When plates are loaded with liquid then they are typically loaded with alcohol.
Sight glasses are not requisite.
Some participants within the community have built plated rigs with out the windows.

At present,,various members within the community are experimenting with the affects of different liquid volumes at each plate level and drain circuitry to further understand and communicate to the community how these variables can affect the product outcome.

Others can explain better than I.

[MacStill]

Others can explain better than I.

I dont think so :clap:

[13chargers]

Thanks LWTCS. I don't understand how this can be considered "pot stilled", it seems there's quite a bit of reflux happening here. Is it because it still retains flavour profiles in the same way as a pot still would?
With the liquid bath, are the chambers pre-loaded with spirit before the distillation begins or does the liquid occur in each chamber as a result of the bubble caps? Does that make sense?

I've seen a lot of photos of this style of still in commercial distilleries. You mentioned that they're not intended for producing neutral spirit, are they used mainly for rum, whiskey etc?

Thanks a lot. Great info.
13C

[olddog]

I don't understand how this can be considered "pot stilled"

If you want the true definition, there are two types of still. A potstill and a continous still. A potstill is a still which does a distillation from a boiler filled with wash, a continous still is fead wash in a continous manner from an outside supply. Therefore any still that produces alcohol form a single batch distillation is considered a potstill regardless of which type of column used. Confusing aint it.

What we regard as a potstill can be like a boiling kettle on your stove, when it boils steam comes out and with a condenser it will turn the vapor to liquid. What we regard as a reflux still is where the rising vapor in the column is condensed to liquid within the column and returned to the boiler for re-distillation, and a small amount of this liquid taken off as product.
A plated still has less distillation cycles than a true reflux still so more flavor is carried over and the speed of takeoff is akin to a potstill.


OD

[Al Qaemist]

a continous still is fead wash in a continous manner from an outside supply. Therefore any still that produces alcohol form a single batch distillation is considered a potstill regardless of which type of column used. Confusing aint it.
OD

Quite a few of the scotch distilleries do exactly that - the wash still on the right feeds 30ABV spirit into the spirit still (along with faints from previous runs from the low wines tank), just to confuse things they still refer to these as pot stills.

[LWTCS]

The runs with those are still considered batches however as that system is not truly capable of running continuously uninterrupted.

[Al Qaemist]

That's right Larry - they run these (and the matching pair) twice a day.

[Frank]

Great information thread IMHO and a big thank you to all concerned. :)
(and pardon me 13C for 'pushing in' here)
OK, seeing that this still type apparently uptakes 'some' wash flavour profile a la potstill.... is there a way to get a distilled first run from such a still that would prove to be suitable for a range of 'experiments/recipes' (ie something akin to a high ABV%/reflux neutral)? and, if so, are we talking types of wash used or method of distillation or 'shut up Frank' :laughing-rolling: ?

[LWTCS]

is there a way to get a distilled first run from such a still that would prove to be suitable for a range of 'experiments/recipes' (ie something akin to a high ABV%/reflux neutral)?

*Well a wash devoid of flavor could help
*adding more plates could help
*running in 100% reflux mode for a longer period of time prior to collection prior to collection....

By definition a dephlegmater was intended to be a partial condenser used at the top of one of them big ole commercial outfits.... but we are using more reflux to really scrub the likker up clean for such short column sections.....

Also, old styled vodkas would have been 3 or 4 times potstilled and though mild in flavor,,,certainly not devoid of flavor.. Then the trend seemed to move toward a true neutral.....But how does an operator distinguish his product/profile once all of the competition is also producing a product that is devoid of all flavor? By adding back fruit notes and grain notes and so forth.
Here in the states Tito's and Chase are producing vodkas that have a bourbon styled grain bill and their products have a very nice and soft whiskey sweetness that is just wonderful. So it seems that the micro's are bringing back a more traditional/old school vodka full circle.

We can to.....but we don't have to 3-4 times distill or carbon filter with this type of outfit.