The Column Still

The Column Still
Column stills are also known as continuous stills , Coffey stills or patent stills . You can also simply call this process the column burning process.

structure and function
The Colum Still process is what is known as continuous distillation . This is significantly less time-consuming and labor-intensive than the pot still process. The column stills consist of at least two columns, this time made of stainless steel, which also have an analyzer and a rectifier. The special thing about Column Stills: They work virtually “around the clock”. The reason lies in the column shape, inside which there are sometimes several floors with perforated copper floors. The mash and the distillate run through this.

The mash is poured into the rectifier or rectification column when it is cold and then flows downwards through a screw tube . There it encounters rising steam, which heats the mash. The de-evaporated liquid is then passed upwards into a second column , the so-called analyzer . Here again the liquid seeps back down through the holes in the copper base.

What are column stills used for?
These columns are primarily used in the production of grain whiskey , blended whiskey and, among other things, Armagnac and rum . The reason: Pot stills cannot use or distill grain. Accordingly, the column still process is closely linked to the production of bourbon.The disadvantage of these column stills: They give the spirit a flatter flavor profile. And that also means: less flavor and complexity, sometimes even an unpleasant sulfurous smell.