David Mutch Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 I am wanting to start a small distillery, 5000cases a year of vodka and do some brandy and fruit liqueurs also. I am looking for a still that can do vodka and the other spirits. I am thinking I will need a still around 300L, does anyone have some suggestions on a still I should purchase that will be able to produce vodka and most other spirits. I have been looking at Hoga and Iberian Coppers, they seem to be the only ones that don’t cost a fortune. Does anyone have experience with these stills. Any suggestions would be great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluestar Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 You can't use the portuguese stills for vodka. Given that is fairly basic knowledge, I would encourage you to read up and take a course with a vodka producer. In the midwest, there is the MSU course given using a Carl still at Michigan Brewing Co., and 18 Vodka does a nice short course that takes you from rye grain through finished product using a Holstein. The cheapest way to get a still useful for vodka is one with a column with structured packing of some sort. There have even been a few of those for sale used on the forum here. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mutch Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 I cant afford Holstein and Carl. I went to the distilling course in San Fran a few years ago that was but on by Holstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bioviper Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I cant afford Holstein and Carl. I went to the distilling course in San Fran a few years ago that was but on by Holstein yeah look under the equitment section and there is a guy selling stills that coud be set to make vodka for like 16,000 or there is dynamic alambic stills in washington state for like 8,000 to 10,000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViolentBlue Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 we build stills, similar in design to holstein and carls, but significantly less expensive. a packed column might be a less expensive option for vodka, then a simple bypass valve to run in potstill mode for brandy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mutch Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 email me at dandrewmutch@hotmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViolentBlue Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 email me at dandrewmutch@hotmail.com Will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I would love for this or any craft vodka distiller to explain, specifically, what makes 'craft' vodka superior to GNS made by MGPI, ADM, GPC, etc.? I contend that GNS is one thing a factory can make better than a craftsman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coop Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 And cheaper also.Coop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViolentBlue Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 GNS and neutral made from grapes, are two very different things. I know many absinthe makers who would rather have grape neutral for authenticity's sake, but its just not available. grape or fruit based vodka would be a real craft product worth pursuing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 They're not "very different" since, at the end of the day, they're both neutral, ethyl alcohol as pure as you can make it. I'll give you "different," but not "very different." And you're correct that if you want grape neutral spirits, you pretty much have to make them, although I suspect O'Neill or Vie-Del would make some for you if the order was big enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveflintstone Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I would love for this or any craft vodka distiller to explain, specifically, what makes 'craft' vodka superior to GNS made by MGPI, ADM, GPC, etc.? I contend that GNS is one thing a factory can make better than a craftsman. What makes Grey Goose superior to Smirnoff, Absolut to Svedka? In the general public's view, they are, hence the willingness to pay the price. What makes 'craft' vodka superior to GNS made by the big boys? Point of origin and a hand's on method. In the general public's view, they are, hence the willingness to pay the price. I think the tremendous success of Whole Foods is evidence enough of people's willingness to pay a premium for real or imagined superiority of 'craft' products. Also, not everything is about the way to make the most money. Some people enjoy making things for themselves even though a comparable item could be bought for less. These are some more of the people who will enjoy 'craft' vodka, because they know someone made it. This is really so basic, I know you already know this. I suppose you just like pointing out that vodkas are really similar to each other compared to the differences of more flavorful spirits. Of course, that is so basic that everyone here already knows this. C'est la vie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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