Pot still vs column still

[perfection]

I understand the difference between pot and column still distillation and the typical nature of the distillate that results from the two .....

My (not so smart) newbie question is 

Why can we not obtain a distillate rich in congeners (like we do in a pot still) by distilling a fermented mash in a short columned copper column still or by setting the condenser chamber of the column still very low so that the distilate is relatively loaded with congeners?  Is this theoretically possible at least?

 

[Kindred Spirits]

So there is a large amount of variability in running each particular type of still, theoretically you can make adjustments to how you operate a column still to get those outputs. The main difference is that for a continuous column you are feeding in wash so you have to maintain a balance on how much you compress specific parts of the distillate. 
 

In a column if you have the ability to tap spirit at different points in the column you will be able to “pull” from different sections which can give you a great amount of flexibility. Some stills unfortunately do not have that as an option. 
 

In a pot still, you have a single batch to manage, so you simply just compress the heads to the degree you desire, collect them and then collect what you want until you get to tails. 
 

It mainly comes down to the understanding of the system/process and skill of the distiller. 

[JustAndy]

You absolutely can make a congener rich spirit on a continuous column. Bourbon, Armagnac, Calvados, Rhum Agricole etc are all distilled on continuous columns.  

[adamOVD]

I think he may be talking about just a plated column, not a continuous still. In which case the answer is definitely yes. Fewer plates, less/ no cooling to the dephlemator. Just another way to control the purity of the end product. It is expensive and hard to clean though, so if you're not really using it, it's a waste to have.

[perfection]

Yes ... what i meant was a short column rectifier (after the stripping operation) with fewer plates (or no plates?)  just the spirit condensation chamber making is a column structures pot still but with a continuous (as opposed to) batch operation

[Kindred Spirits]

Is the column on top of your boiler? or offset to be after it?  While it is totally possible to adjust the settings on small column to produce a congener rich spirit, its much easier to run and clean a pot still.

I always recommend getting equipment with a column off to the side instead of installed on the boiler itself, this allows for a lot more flexibility in the way you distill. Especially if you do distill a number of different spirits or desire a "lighter" distillate for blending with your congener rich spirits.