spagyria alembic

[callemann]

I was thinking of getting myself a stove-top sized pot still after years of reflux use and was thinking of one in particular. But I have not yet gotten to know much about spesifics and the do's and don'ts of pot stills, and wonder about your opionion on this unit.

http://www.copper-alembic.com/products_ ... 15&lang=en

The size is perfect, i'm in love with the hand-crafted portuguise style and copper and like the idea of the double boiler and thumpers. What do you think about it? What do you think about the double thumpers? Can I make all sorts of flavored distillates with this one?(whiskey, rum, grappa, brandy etc). Should I rather go with one of the other traditional styled alambics from the site? Give me all your thoughts! Thanks!

[rad14701]

Ain't that just the cutest little thing... Until you notice the price tag of $735.56 USD...!!! For a 16 liter decorative unit... You should be able to build 5 - 10 for that price... It's cute but I couldn't justify spending that kind of money... The product take off tubes are just too small to be practical...

[callemann]

ok, so it would'nt function good at all? I thought it was in their functional range, and for the beautiful handcraft, and the fact that i at least thought they knew a thing or two about distilling, it would be a good still and investment. Considering I want a real good one, but not any bigger than this one though, when I finally get one.

[callemann]

I also would like your thoughts on how it would compare to this one in making all sorts of flavored liqour, especially Whiskey though. Thanks

http://www.copper-alembic.com/shop/inde ... ductId=257

[Hack]

If you're willing to fork over the money they should work fine. The take off tubes would probably work fine considering the smaller size of the unit. I'd prefer a larger setup for myself.

[olddog]

I don't like the mention of rubber seals and gaskets in the specs.

[Fester]

All my stills are ugly. That's Ok. I don't let anyone see them.

[callemann]

I see. But which one of the two stills would you prefer? i'm mainly interested in making whiskey, but would also very much like to be able to make good eau-de-vie's, brandy and similar distillates. Is there any other "tabletop" sized stills you would rather recommend than these two?

[callemann]

No more opinions? Here's a picture of the two in mind just to wake some interest;

spagyria

whiskey

[callemann]

Could really use a couple of quick answers guys.. going to buy a unit tomorrow, and can't really decide. What i really want to know is if the spagyria will be able to make a good whiskey as well as rum, grappa, brandy and eau de vie, and if its rubber gasket will be a problem. And for the whiskey still, i need to figure out how it will do on other spirits than whiskey(e.g rum, brandy, e.t.c) Which one is more versatile, and which would you pick if you looked away from the money? thanks.

[guillermo]

Might want to check out http://www.hogacompany.com/distillers.html. I think you can get a larger still that is similar for the same money. Also, for less money, you can get a PDA-1 from http://www.amphora-society.com/ It's a great still and more versatile than an alembic. You can use it for both whiskey and rum, and if you buy the extension, for neutral spirits as well. I bought one and have been very happy with it.

[callemann]

I have already visited their site, but prefer the European one, especially due to the forms and sizes(16l i perfect for me). I already have a 25l 2.2m LM column, so the pda-1isn't very ideal. I would most prefer one of these two stills, but I just can't decide which one. Do you think the spagyria would also be able to produce very good whiskey? Do you also think the whiskey still will be able to also produce very good quality rum? or brandy, eau de vie or similar? And do you think the silicone gasket in the spagyria will be a problem?

[HookLine]

I don't know that there is going to be a whole lot of difference between those two, except for the thumper set-up on the spagyria. That means you only need to do one run, instead of two. Can't see why you would not be able to make both spirit types in both models, though one design may well be a bit better for one spirit type than another, but I think that difference is probably fairly small.

Impossible to say if the silicone gasket is okay without knowing exactly which silicone it is and seeing the safety data sheets. You would hope the company have done their homework and are using something safe. I suspect that they are making these stills as much for decoration as working stills.

If I had to choose, I would probably get the 'whiskey' still, just because it seems a easier to move, clean and store than the double thumper set up. Just my personal preference though.

[callemann]

thanks, just the answer I needed.

[HookLine]

I am not responsible for your choices, of course.

Good luck.