AlanW

Hello, I can't comment on the legality in the USA but it is certainly not a new concept. In the early part of last century the French had self propelled (steam powered)alembics which looked like a cross between a road roller and a still on wheels. The vehicle would travel around wineries to distil the lees into "marc". The wood fired steam boiler powered the wheels while travelling and then the distillation whilst stopped at a customer. I've an article on it somewhere in my attic. Regards Alanw Distilling Consultant Scotland

Hello, It's really quite straightforward: ICBD (International Centre for Brewing and Distilling) is part of the Life Sciences Faculty of Heriot Watt University, (HWU) which is based on the outskirts of Edinburgh. It (HWU) offers undergraduate and Post graduate courses for full time students. At the end of the course, you hope to graduate with a BSc, MSc etc. and then go off to find a Drinks company which will employ you. IBD (Institute of Brewing and Distilling) is the professional institute for those already in the drinks industry. It runs ongoing education for members at different levels. The more basic certificate level is for non technical people (eg sales or finance) or for those with no graduate qualifications, including operators. The Diploma of Brewing or Distilling is mainly for graduates already employed in the industry but recognises that diverse disciplines enter the drinks business (eg Engineers, Chemists, Biochemists) so a tailored syllabus requires to be studied. (Modules cover mashing, fermentation, distillation and also packaging etc.) The assumption is that you are already in the industry and are doing practical rather than theoretical application of brewing/distilling activities. Some of the larger companies (Diageo, Wm Grants) will run their own internal training. The four day course referred to in one of the posts, run by industry experts, is meant as a pre exam refresher, rather than a teaching of the syllabus. It gives candidates from smaller companies a chance to check out activities they may not have experienced personally. (eg a malt distiller may be less experienced in grain distilling) Passing the Diploma shows the candidate has reached an industry wide recognised standard of knowledge across most of the activities required for Brewing or Distilling. The examinations can be sat in a wide number of locations globally. They are meant to challenge the candidate's knowledge of the subject. So neither "bit of paper" represents an automatic route to a career in the industry. The former (ICBD) is an academic qualification (albeit more practical than many) and the latter (IBD) is a professional body encouraging Continuing Professional Development amongst its members. Hope this helps you. Alan Wolstenholme Distilling Consultant and IBD Examiner. Caledonian Solutions Ltd, Scotland

Hi That's a bit of a "how long's a piece of string" question. The answer is "it depends". It depends on various factors including but probably not limited to: The size of the apparatus, because the plates are two dimensional area but the throughput of the still will go up like a cube, relative to the volume of the feed. This will change the sulfur loading which the available copper has to deal with. The mash bill or substrate. Different cereals have different sulfur contents. I suspect whether the beer is all grains in too, as all grains tends to produce heavier spirit. Generally it is reckoned that the copper interacts better in the vapor phase. Plates, depending on design tend to be flooded, so the effect is reduced. Also the copper regenerates on being oxidised when not in use, so assuming you are not using it 24/7 open up the doors and let it breath. My advice would be "give it a go". Leave a decend void at the top of the column, and, if you get sulfury notes, you can always add small pieces of sacrificial copper (rivets or lathe turnings have been used to my knowledge) in a mesh basket set up to add a lot of surface area. Best of luck AlanW

Hello, I think the purple stain is a little more complex than the suggestion of merely an oxide of Copper. All stills which are made out of Copper quickly form a protective layer of Oxide which is just the dull layer which is normal if the copper has not been treated to keep it bright. It seems form the picture that the coloration is strongest at the front of the still, around and above the entry port. Pears have seeds or pits which contain amygdalin which under acidic conditions will be converted to cyanide, th "OCN" chemical group. In the presence of moist conditions this will form cyanuric acid. Cyanuric acid on leaving the still body as a vapor and meeting the copper oxide on the outside of the still will form copper cyanurate which is noted for its bright purple or amethyst hue. That's my theory. anyhow! Alan Wolstenholme, BSc Chemistry, Edinburgh, Scotland Caledonian Solutions Limited