Moonshine still, also known as alcohol stills, is used to make traditional moonshine or distilling alcohol. There are many types of stills available in the market. In this article, we will discuss the difference between copper still, stainless steel still, and hybrid still. Read on to find out which one can be the best one to buy.
Table of Contents
Copper Still:
Over the years, copper has been used by many people to construct traditional commercial stills. As copper is a good conductor of heat, it disperses the heat evenly across the entire surface of the metal, creating a more even distillation. Liquor distilled in copper tastes much better than made in a stainless steel still. It has the following advantages.
• Copper is a good catalyst that breaks down sulfur and ester compounds during the fermentation process. Since these compounds won’t be a part of the final brew, brewers take appropriate steps to remove any of those undesirable compounds.
• Copper helps in reducing bacterial contamination.
• Copper elements present in the metal helps to prevent the production of a toxic substance- ethyl carboxamide. This product is usually found, in cyanides.
• With copper still, you can have better control over the distillation process, such as adjusting the heat power or immediately reflecting on the still, etc. This improves the aroma of the final product resulting in better taste.
While these were some of the advantages of copper, it certainly comes with some negativities too
• Unlike stainless steel, copper costs much more. This is because copper needs a specific amount of thickness to make it strong enough and handle the process.
• Copper materials are difficult to maintain and clean as compared to several other materials such as stainless steel.
Stainless Steel Still:
Stainless steel still is a strong metal that has some of the great uses in our modern world. Some of the advantages include
• It is less expensive than copper.
• It is a high-strength metal. Therefore, it offers industry-leading durability. The rigidity of the stainless steel is preserved with the broad temperature range of roughly around 1400 degrees Fahrenheit, at the top end.
• Generally, it is easy to clean.
• Stainless steel stills are resistant to tarnishing.
Disadvantages include:
• It is a poor conductor of heat.
• Unlike copper, stainless steel won’t give you much control over the distillation process. Usually, it takes some time to reflect on the still when adjusting the heat power or cooling temperature.
• The flavor of the final product is still not as good as the one- produced in the copper still. This is due to the inability of the stainless steel to eliminate sulfur compounds produced during the fermentation process.
Stainless/Copper Hybrid Stills:
Sometimes compromising comes as the best option. Combining the advantages from both stainless steel and copper, hybrid stills are builtwith- some of the best in function, durability, and cost-effective method. A stainless steel boiler with a copper column and a copper dome is the best hybrid-designed still that is not as costly as copper but possesses the ability to conduct heat well and eliminate sulfur compounds.
Summary:
Having considered the advantages and disadvantages of all the three materials, it is you; who has to decide on the moonshine still you want to go for. It usually depends on the question, “what do you want to distill?” Since every product feature differs from another. If you want to distill alcohol, water, make fuel, make alcohol, extract medicinal oils from plants, or make beverage ethanol, we would suggest you to shop from Moonshine Stills- where the products are built to last for generations.
