Types of Stills

A little bit of information on different types of stills

Moonshine stills & alcohol stills, are distillers that have been designed specifically for making moonshine or distilling alcohol.  The term moonshine still is often used incorrectly.   Most people consider moonshine to be specifically corn whiskey, the term moonshine is more commonly used to refer to any illegally distilled alcohol made under the light of the moon. 

 A pot still is the simplest type of alcohol still. it is a traditional design and is not capable of making more than 100-140 proof spirits without a thumper or multiple distillations.  Pot stills are most commonly used for making flavored spirits, such as whiskey, brandy, Rum, or Schnapps. Our pot stills can also be used for making essential oils.

Another type of commonly used alcohol still today is a reflux column or compound still. A compound still is an advanced design that uses a condenser at the top of the column. The condenser transforms the vaporized alcohol back into a liquid, causing it to fall onto the column packing, where it will again vaporize, increasing purity.  The alcohol will have a lower boiling point than most of the other components, making it easy to pull the highly purified alcohol from the still while leaving behind most of the impurities.  This high-proof alcohol is often diluted and further refined by filtering through activated carbon in the production of vodka. There are several different types of designs. Different designs include cooling management, in which the cooling water is used to control reflux. Liquid management is another type of design. Liquid management stills control the reflux by using a valve to control the return some of the refluxed liquid back to the column for increased purification. 

 Moonshine generally does not go through an extensive purification process, and is said to have a unique character from the small amount of impurities remaining in the alcohol. Ethanol fuel is a high proof product that must be denatured in order to make it unpalatable. Everclear is a highly purified alcohol that can reach purities of 191 proof. Some states do not allow alcohol over 151 proof to be sold in liquor stores.

We do not consider our distillers to be specifically moonshine stills or alcohol stills.  Our distillation units can be legally used to make ethanol fuel (with the proper permit), distill water, essential oils, vinegar, perfumes and more.  Alcohol distillation requires the proper permits in many countries.

Olympic Distillers discourages using our products for illegal purposes and is not liable for any illegal use. Buyer assumes all responsibility for abiding by all Federal and State laws. We are not selling this product for use in any illegal activity, nor do we advocate any such illegal activity. We strongly discourage any unlawful use of this product, and we will not be held responsible for any injuries or damages caused by unlawful use or misuse of our products.