Views: 32 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2024-03-08 Origin: Site
Distilling alcohol is something humans have been doing for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. The process of refining fermented mash through evaporation and condensation with specialised distillery equipment has gone from the labs of mysterious alchemists to bootlegger’s shady moonshine shacks, and right through to huge commercial distilleries.
Despite the changes in technology, the art of distilling has remained relatively similar over the years and one thing is for certain; you need the right distillery equipment to get the best results.
So whether you’re a large commercial distillery, or part of the new craft distiller revolution or maybe a home distilling maverick creating unique concoctions, get the right distillery equipment and you’ll be producing consistent, high-quality alcohol for a long time.
Here’s our buying guide for distillery equipment.
Still
You cannot spell distilling without the still. This is the heart and soul of your distilling set up and what is usually the most expensive piece of distillery equipment. Until a few years ago, your options for ordering a custom made still were very limited. You could either spend hundreds of thousands on a large scale still or you could jerry-rig your own. These days, manufacturers have responded to the need in the craft distiller market and begun producing high-quality smaller scale stills that enable smaller businesses to get started.
However, while there is more competition between manufacturers and distributors, make sure you do your due diligence and check that whoever you are purchasing from, provide technical support and after-sales service. Also, talk to them about what it is your trying to achieve with your still. If they have a good understanding of your needs and vision, or if they seem a bit vague or unsure, it may be a good indicator of their industry knowledge.
If you cannot find a still that suits your needs, keep looking, because they are out there, you’re just not speaking to the right person.
At the end of the day, the still is just one piece. But it is the central hub where most of your other gear will feed into. So, you need to make sure that whatever else you are ordering is compatible with your still.
Key Equipment pieces
So you’ve got yourself a still, great! Now, there’s a whole bunch of distillery equipment that needs to feed into it and compliment your set up.
Before you can even start thinking about distilling, you need to create the fermented mash that will eventually be distilled into refined alcohol. To do this you will need a mash tun, a boiler, tanks to store it and pumps to move it around.
These pieces are vital and can add to the costs significantly. Especially the installation and making sure everything is up to local standards and operating guidelines. You might order a bunch of gear that is ridiculously hard to install or won’t even be allowed in the country because it doesn’t meet local standards.
Speak to your manufacturer and the company that will be installing it. Get quotes for specific equipment installation and please make sure everything is up to standard before buying it.
Extra Distillery Equipment
Equipment like sensors for pressure, temperature and levels are invaluable. So are extra pipe fittings, valves, and gaskets. And don’t forget you’ll need to do some serious cleaning and also make sure you’re filtering properly and treating your water before use.
It all get’s a bit much and can seem overwhelming. But find yourself a good distributor or manufacturer and it’ll make the process that much easier. However, always make sure you are buying quality distillery equipment and that your supplier provides technical support and ongoing after-sales service. At the end of the day, this is a big investment for any business, and you want to protect yourself.
At DEGONG we pride ourselves on being a one-stop-shop for all of distillery equipment needs. We only work with the highest quality manufactures and use skilled local technicians for installations. Take the guesswork out of compatibility and meeting local standards by working with a local distribution company that understands the industry. We’ll be happy to talk about everything and anything distilling.