Used Distillery Equipment For Sale

Purchasing distilling equipment is a lot of money. But getting the right stuff from the beginning helps a distillery avoid problems later on.

Haas says that equipment dealers in the beer, wine and dairy industries often have much of what a distillery needs. He also recommends buying used, if possible.

Copper Stills

Copper stills are ideal for distilling already-prepared spirits like vodka, fruit brandy and schnapps. They also work well for flavoring low alcohol distillate with herbs, spices and other botanicals.

They are easy to use for beginners because they don’t require a complicated set-up and have the advantage of being highly portable. They are also attractively designed and feature a graceful, curved design that blends modern technology with old world charm.

Several practical reasons made copper the material of choice for whiskey stills hundreds of years ago. It heats evenly, reaches the right temperature quickly and is easy to maintain. It also has the added benefit of being antibacterial. This is because copper destroys bacteria and fungus spores.

The only drawback to copper is that it is heavier than stainless steel. It is also more expensive to build a copper still than a stainless one and it does not wear as well. This led early still-builders to experiment with newer, cheaper materials such as stainless steel. However, they soon discovered that the newer materials created unwelcome sulphurous odours in the spirit.

Copper Column Stills

Our copper moonshine still column for sale is a true commercial quality piece of equipment. It’s made from 100% copper, with a clear-coat on the outside to prevent it from tarnishing. This is a great option if you want the look of a traditional copper still without having to deal with the tarnishing and other issues that come with a normal copper still.

It’s used for distilling alcohol, ethanol, water, essential oils, hydrosols and more. It can be used with a variety of heating sources, including direct fire, wood burning stove or electric heating.

A pot still has a large, spherical main chamber from which a swan neck and lyne arm protrude like a spout, feeding into a coil that’s submerged in cool water to condense the alcohol vapor back into liquid. A column still (also known as a Coffey still) is more industrial looking, with multiple chambers stacked on top of each other that reach several stories high. This type of still is more efficient than a pot still, because it can be run continuously, but it tends to strip a lot of flavor from the final product.

Mash Tuns

A mash tun is the vessel where crushed grain and water are combined to convert starches into sugars. This process, known as mashing, requires a specific temperature over a set time. Most mash tuns are insulated to maintain this temperature. They also usually have a false bottom and a recirculation port to pump the liquid over the grain bed. The recirculation allows the grain to filter and clarify the liquid, which is then called sweet wort.

The type of mash tun you choose will depend on your current procedure and future goals. If you’re just starting out, a converted Gott-style drink cooler is a good choice. The insulated design is ideal for infusion mashing, and it’s easy to find used ones online.

Stainless steel mash tuns are the Cadillac of homebrewing equipment, but they’re also expensive. For most brewers, they’re worth the investment, especially if you plan to grow beyond extract brewing and all-grain mashing. SS Brewtech’s InfuSsion is an excellent option for homebrewers upgrading from a plastic cooler. It’s insulated with high-density foam and comes with a sanitary thermowell, manometer, and recirculation bulkhead. Side-by-side tests have shown it’s 5F more efficient at holding heat than a plastic cooler.

Fermenters

Fermenters are large tanks that can contain a lot of liquid and that help with the process of fermentation. They are often used for making things like beer and wine. There are several different types of fermenters. A good place to start looking for them is at home brewing supply stores. Many of these places also sell other equipment that is used in a Distillery equipment supplier, such as mash tuns and boilers.

They are usually made of stainless steel and are sealed vessels that preserve ideal conditions for bacterial growth. The inside of the fermenter contains agitators to mix up the liquid in the tank. In some cases, the agitators can be driven by motors. Some are equipped with a sparger to add air to the culture medium. The sparger can help break down larger bubbles to improve aeration efficiency.

The fermenter can be equipped with a variety of sensors to monitor temperature, PH, glucose and lactic acid levels and other factors that may affect the fermentation process. The sensor can also alert the operator to issues such as foaming.

Boilers

A boiler is a metal pressure vessel that uses radiant heat to generate steam and hot water. It’s used for a wide variety of applications, from heating buildings and cooking to powering turbines at power plants. The key element of a boiler is its heat source, which is burned to produce steam and can vary from gas, oil, or coal.

Unlike stainless steel, copper conducts heat well and can handle high temperatures. That makes it the ideal material for a still and distillery equipment in general. It’s also easy to assemble, which is important for a DIYer, especially if the equipment is going to be in a garage or home-based facility.

In addition to the traditional copper equipment, many distillers are opting for a stainless steel system. They’re a bit more expensive, but they can handle the high volumes and temperatures required for the distillation process. And because they can be stacked, they’re more space efficient than single-piece systems.