- Pot still
A pot still is a type of
still used in distilling spirits such aswhisky orbrandy . Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the mash (e.g. forwhisky ) orwine (forbrandy ). This is called abatch distillation (as opposed to acontinuous distillation ).At sea level, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius (212º F) but alcohol boils at 78 degrees Celsius (172º F). Therefore, in the distilling process, while there is still alcohol in the mash, the vapour is richer in alcohol than the liquid itself. When this vapour is condensed, the resulting liquid therefore contains more alcohol. In the pot still, the alcohol and water vapour, combined with vapours of the multitude of aroma components such as
esters ,alcohols that give the mash or wine its aroma, evaporate and flow from the still through the condensing coil. There they condense to the first distillation liquid, the so-called 'low wines', with a strength of about 25-35% alcohol by volume, which then flows into a second still below. It is then distilled a second time to produce the colourless spirit, collected at about 70%alcohol by volume . Maturation in an oakaging barrel typically causes the brown color to develop over time.The modern pot still is a descendant of the
alembic , adistillation device invented by the Arabian alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber), around the eighth century AD, for use inalchemy .The largest pot still in the world is in the
Old Midleton Distillery , Co. Cork Ireland. It has a capacity of 31,618 gallons (approximately 140,000 litres). It is no longer in use however.ee also
*
Pure pot still whiskey
*Poitín
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