What is the difference between single pot still and multi pot still?
To produce high content spirits, the traditional way is to repeat the distillation process and usually with a pot still.
Multi pot still is composed of more than one pot still and each one has same structure as single pot still. And there is pipeline to transfer the distillate between them.
In case of making spirit with a single pot still, you have to collect the wanted distillate and put it back to the pot still after when the first distillation finishes and the pot is unloaded.
However, with Xues Distiller multi pot still continuous distillation system, there is pipeline to transfer the distillate to the other pot still and then the distillation process is relayed for continuous distillation.
Continuous distillation system has higher production than single pot still, less energy consumption and most important of all, the highest maximization to material wine and excellent quality of product spirits.
Visiting the winery, the first step of making Brandy
Before we make brandy with pot still, today we visited a winery that is producing wine from grape fruit. The grape fruit is poured into the crusher that breaks the grape fruit and removes the stems. The grape fruit nectar and juice mixture is pumped into pipeline.
Before further juicing, the heat exchanger cools the mixture at low temperature. Here the giant tank is the air bag crusher. It is able to contain and dispose 15 tons per batch. Its air bag and mesh work together to gently crush the grape fruit for juicing without breaking the seeds. Its final product is the clear juice.
The clear juice is stored in stainless steel fermenting tanks each with volume of 40 tons. With addition of fermenting yeast, with controlled temperature, the juice is converted into wine in the tanks. Fresh and enriched flavors make it a pleasant experience to taste the wine on fermentation site.
How to judge the alcohol concentration for pot still control?
It is important to judge the alcohol content level to cut head, heart and tail to distillate from pot still. The alcohol is distilled from material wine by heating to the latter. With smooth heating to the base wine, the temperature rising is linear, as well as alcohol content in distillate. So we use temperature as the substitute index for alcohol content and link the two by experiences. Each pot still is installed with temperature gauges with direct display and temperature sensor for automatic control input.
Do rich aromas on site mean good performance of the pot still system?
For alcohols like brandy, whiskey and rum, rich aromas always contribute to better alcohol quality and taste experience. The pot still system is to distillate alcohol and to collect aromas or even regenerate aromas during distillation process.
However, if there are rich aromas on site, it means the distiller is not working well in order to collect aromas. The aromas are supposed to be collected instead of being diffused.
Xues multi pot still continuous distillation system has closed pipeline and cycles for aroma collection and regeneration. You may not smell any aroma on site when the distiller is working. The product alcohol is enriched with aromas.
How to decide the pot still size for your need?
To define the size of the pot still for your need, firstly you need to find out the volume you want to dispose and how many hours per day do you plan to work with.
Xue’s distiller adopts multi pot still system, its productivity is much higher than traditional Charante distiller. Please visit our website and find out the productivity of each model in 8 hours.
The automatic control system and remote control function enables automatic run 24*7, without attention. So you can triple the productivity for continuous operation.
For example, the XD500L-3 can dispose 1500 to 2000 liters of base wine in 8 hours. With three shifts per day, it is able to dispose 4500 to 6000 liters of base wine.
Why red copper as raw material for our pot stills?
As you can find out, most of the material is red copper we use for our pot stills, including the body, onion head, pipeline, condenser and heat exchanger pipeline. Red copper plays a crucial role in enhancing the aroma and flavor profiles of alcohol. Red copper is the best material for brandy distillation equipment, it can effectively reduce the content of butyric acid and other irritants during the distillation process, catalyze the production of ethyl esters of higher alcohols, reduce the content of hydrocyanic acid and other toxic substances, and the resulting copper soap can effectively enhance the aging potential of brandy. In one word, red copper is a natural catalyst for good chemical reactions in alcohol distillation.
Unlike amateur moonshine distiller, if you aim for commercial distillery and premium alcohol, red copper is the must for your pot still.
Does the product alcohol smell like chemicals?
One of our customer comments our sample brandy as strong as chemical. This is partially correct. Yes, the alcohol by Xues Distiller has strong aromas. Owning to Xue’s distiller’s multiple distillations, the aromas are organic and harmonious, well intertwined with the alcohol, resulting in a cohesive and integrated sensory profile, which makes it incomparable by chemical additives.
Xue’s largest and smallest Pot stills
The smallest triple pot still model is XD50L-3. It has three pot stills each has volume 50L, manual and automatic control are available. It is for house and club application, and is recommended as pilot before decision for bigger sizes for volume and commercial production.
The biggest skid-mounted model is XD500L-3, it has three pot stills each has volume 500L. It is able to produce 500L product alcohol in 8 hours. The pot stills and the heat exchanger are all installed on the skid and can be put into container for transportation.
The biggest size is 3000L of each and with 3 pot stills. The same model we have one for Changyu, the biggest distillery in China and in our city Yantai.
Can Xues Distiller be applied for lavender distillation?
Like alcohol distillation, when applied for essence oil distillation like lavender essence oil distillation, the continuous distillation equipment contributes to higher product concentration, maximized utility and working efficiency.
The triple outlet piping realizes cut to the wanted purity essence oil to product pipeline. When the purity drop to wanted level, however there is still useful content remain, we can direct the output by pipeline to the next pot still for recycle. This is to maximize the utilization.
When distillation to solid material like lavender for essence oil or fermented fruits for alcohol, we use high temperature steam from steam generator as the heat source.
The solid materials are put on the mesh panel inside the pot still. There is an upper manhole for loading and a lower manhole for unloading to the stuff. Manual loading and unloading is the usual way. There is option for huge volume bulk loading and unloading, please contact us for more information.
How to operate the distiller?
There are three operation modes available, they are Manual, automatic, and remote.
Basically the operation is through the valves installed on the pipeline. The valves are solenoid actuated and each valve can be manually operated, this is the basic function.
There is a touch screen control system where the status of each valve is displayed. With the settings done, the system can run automatically.
With an APP installed on your smart phone, the same functions to the touch screen are realized through your smart phone. This means you can monitor and control the system through your smart phone and don’t need to be on-site.
What fruits can be used for fermentation for brandy?
Generally only distilled from grape fruit fermented wine is called brandy. Other fruits like cherry and apple can also be made to liquor and the name will be cherry brandy or apple brandy. Even fruit residues can be fermented for liquor distillation. When the distiller is applied for fruit residues distillation, the mesh panel is installed in the still. The high temperature steam goes through the mesh panel to heat the fermented material. Xue’s distiller has three heating methods, one is steam coil, another is electric heated coil and then direct steam.
Why we don’t recommend Xue’s distiller for vodka?
Xue’s distiller is good at aroma and flavor generating and collecting. However vodka is more of absolute pure and clear. So we do not recommend Xue’s distiller for Vodka, instead, for Brandy, whiskey, rum, gin and tequila, the final products by Xue’s distiller are quite different from traditional ways of distillation for premium quality and outstanding and enriched aromas. It is highly recommended that you try our sample alcohol and compare if you want to make taste buds conquering alcohol. Welcome to visit us and taste the alcohols, or you may ask for sample sending.
Why is the triple pot still recommended for commercial distillation?
Comparing to double pot still type, we recommend triple still version for commercial production. It has smooth workflow, higher work efficiency and higher utilization rate. While the first still is at end of the distillation process, the tail goes into the second still for utility. At the same time the second still starts heating/working. So there is lap between two distillation processes and saves time. While the first pot still finishes distillation, the same process happens at the second and the third pot still, then the first pot still is unloaded and reloaded for next batch. Once the load is done, the tail from the third still can be directed to the first one. The distillation is cycling this way.