Commercial Distilling Equipment for Craft Spirit Producers

Copper pot stills, hybrid stills and column systems for whiskey, vodka, rum, brandy and fruit spirits — engineered for flavor precision and production reliability.

  • Spirit-Specific Still Design – Copper pot stills for flavor-forward spirits (whiskey, rum, brandy); column stills for high-purity neutral spirits (vodka, gin base).
  • Complete Distillery Workflow – Mashing, fermentation, distillation, condensation, spirit collection and optional barrel aging.
  • Flexible Scale – Batch capacities from 200L to 10,000L, supporting craft startups through commercial contract distillers.
  • Regulatory-Ready Build – Equipment documentation and design configurations compatible with TTB (USA), CE (Europe) and other export market requirements.

Spirit-Specific Design: Pot Stills vs Column Stills

Pot Stills (Whiskey,Pot Stills (Whiskey, Rum, Brandy, Wine Spirits)​ Rum, Brandy, Wine Spirits)​

Pot Stills (Whiskey, Rum, Brandy, Wine Spirits)

  • Function: Batch distillation with careful cut selection (heads, hearts, tails) to preserve flavor compounds and aroma
  • Material: Copper construction removes sulfur compounds and enhances smoothness
  • Best For: Premium spirits requiring complex flavor profiles (single malt whiskey, aged rum, cognac-style brandy)
  • Capacity: 200L-5,000L per batch
Column Stills (Vodka, Neutral Spirits)​

Column Stills (Vodka, Neutral Spirits)

  • Function: Continuous distillation with multi-stage rectification for high-purity, neutral alcohol (95-96% ABV)
  • Material: Stainless steel construction with copper packing (optional)
  • Best For: High-volume neutral spirits, vodka, gin base, industrial alcohol
  • Capacity: 500L-10,000L per batch
Hybrid Stills (Versatile Production)​

Hybrid Stills (Versatile Production)

  • Function: Combines pot still character with column efficiency—switchable between flavor-forward and neutral distillation
  • Best For: Distilleries producing multiple spirit types (whiskey + vodka, rum + neutral spirits)
Complete Production Workflow Integration

Complete Production Workflow Integration

  • Grain/Fruit Preparation: Milling systems for grains (whiskey, vodka) or crushing systems for fruits (brandy, wine spirits)
  • Mash Tun/Lauter Tun: Converts starches to fermentable sugars (whiskey, vodka, rum production)
  • Fermentation Tanks: Stainless steel vessels for alcohol fermentation (3-7 days, 7-12% ABV wash)
  • Distillation Still: Copper pot still or column still separates alcohol from wash through heating and condensation
  • Condenser System: Cools alcohol vapor back to liquid form for collection
  • Spirit Receiver: Collects distillate in separate fractions (heads, hearts, tails) for blending or aging
  • Optional Aging: Oak barrels for whiskey, rum, brandy (2-20 years aging)

Scalability for Growing Distilleries

ZPET’s modular still design allows distilleries to start with a core system (1-2 stills) and expand capacity by adding fermentation tanks, additional stills, or bottling lines as demand grows. Our systems support production scaling from 500 bottles/week (craft distilleries) to 50,000+ bottles/week (commercial operations) without replacing core equipment.

Scalability for Growing Distilleries

Choose Your Distilling Equipment by Spirit Type

Introduction: ZPET offers distilling equipment in five main categories (Whiskey, Vodka, Rum, Brandy, Wine Spirits) with capacities ranging from 200L to 10,000L, designed for different spirit styles and production scales

Whiskey Distillery Equipment (200L-5,000L)​

Whiskey Distillery Equipment (200L-5,000L)

Copper Pot Stills for Premium Whiskey Production

  • Capacity Range: 200L to 5,000L per batch
  • Best For: Single malt whiskey, bourbon, rye whiskey, wheat whiskey, blended whiskey
  • Key Advantage: Traditional copper pot still design preserves grain flavors and develops complex aroma through careful cut selection—ideal for craft and premium whiskey brands
  • Configuration: Copper pot still | Steam/direct fire heating | Manual or semi-automatic control | Fermentation tanks (3,000-20,000L)
  • Aging: Oak barrel aging (2-20 years) for flavor development
Vodka Distillery Equipment (500L-10,000L)

Vodka Distillery Equipment (500L-10,000L)

Column Stills for High-Purity Neutral Spirits

  • Capacity Range: 500L to 10,000L per batch
  • Best For: Grain vodka, potato vodka, neutral spirits, flavored vodka base, gin base
  • Key Advantage: Multi-column rectification system achieves 95-96% ABV with minimal impurities—ideal for premium vodka and neutral spirit production
  • Configuration: Multi-column still | Steam heating | PLC automation | Activated carbon filtration | Fermentation tanks (5,000-50,000L)
  • Filtration: Activated carbon or membrane filtration for smooth, neutral finish
Rum Distillery Equipment (300L-5,000L)

Rum Distillery Equipment (300L-5,000L)

Pot or Column Stills for Traditional & Modern Rum

  • Capacity Range: 300L to 5,000L per batch
  • Best For: Dark rum, white rum, spiced rum, aged rum, agricultural rum (rhum agricole)
  • Key Advantage: Flexible pot or column still design supports both traditional heavy rum (pot still) and light rum (column still)—ideal for diverse rum portfolios
  • Configuration: Copper pot still or hybrid still | Steam/direct fire heating | Fermentation tanks (3,000-20,000L)
  • Aging: Oak barrel aging (2-15 years) for dark rum, no aging for white rum
Brandy Distillery Equipment (200L-3,000L)

Brandy Distillery Equipment (200L-3,000L)

Copper Pot Stills for Fruit-Based Spirits

  • Capacity Range: 200L to 3,000L per batch
  • Best For: Grape brandy (cognac-style), apple brandy (calvados-style), fruit brandy (pear, cherry, plum)
  • Key Advantage: Traditional copper pot still design preserves delicate fruit aromas and develops complexity through double distillation—ideal for premium brandy production
  • Configuration: Copper pot still (swan neck design) | Steam/direct fire heating | Fruit crushing/pressing system | Fermentation tanks (2,000-10,000L)
  • Aging: Oak barrel aging (2-20 years) for cognac-style brandy
Wine Distillery Equipment (200L-2,000L)​

Wine Distillery Equipment (200L-2,000L)

Pot Stills for Grappa & Eau-de-Vie Production

  • Capacity Range: 200L to 2,000L per batch
  • Best For: Grappa (grape pomace spirits), eau-de-vie (fruit spirits), marc (wine lees spirits)
  • Key Advantage: Specialized pot still design for distilling grape pomace or fruit mash—preserves varietal character and produces aromatic spirits
  • Configuration: Copper pot still | Steam heating | Pomace loading system | No fermentation required (uses wine production byproducts)
  • Aging: Optional oak barrel aging (1-5 years) or unaged (clear spirits)

Distilling Equipment Comparison by Spirit Type

Investment range includes still, condenser, spirit receiver, and basic control system. Additional costs: fermentation tanks, aging barrels, bottling equipment, facility preparation

Spirit Type

Still Type

Capacity Range

Distillation Method

Alcohol Purity

Aging Required

Whiskey

Copper pot still

200L-5,000L

Batch (2x distillation)

60-70% ABV

Yes (2-20 years)

Vodka

Column still

500L-10,000L

Continuous (multi-stage)

95-96% ABV

No

Rum

Pot or hybrid still

300L-5,000L

Batch or continuous

60-80% ABV

Optional (0-15 years)

Brandy

Copper pot still

200L-3,000L

Batch (2x distillation)

60-70% ABV

Yes (2-20 years)

Wine Spirits

Copper pot still

200L-2,000L

Batch (1-2x distillation)

40-60% ABV

Optional (0-5 years)

Note: Weekly production assumes 2-3 batches per week with 14-21 day fermentation cycles. Actual output depends on fermentation time, cider styles, and operational efficiency

Pot Stills (Whiskey,Pot Stills (Whiskey, Rum, Brandy, Wine Spirits)​ Rum, Brandy, Wine Spirits)​

Copper Pot Still Design (Whiskey, Rum, Brandy, Wine Spirits)

Material & Construction:

  • Copper Thickness: 2-4mm copper sheets for optimal heat transfer and sulfur removal
  • Still Shape: Traditional onion shape, swan neck, or custom designs influence flavor development
  • Capacity: 200L-5,000L per batch

Heating Methods:

  • Steam Jacket: Precise temperature control, no scorching risk (most common for commercial distilleries)
  • Direct Fire: Traditional method for artisanal flavor development (gas or wood-fired)
  • Electric: Clean and precise for small-scale operations (200L-500L)

Cut Selection: Manual or automated valves separate heads (methanol, acetone), hearts (ethanol, desired flavors), and tails (fusel oils, heavy compounds)

Column Still Design (Vodka, Neutral Spirits)

Material & Construction:

  • Stainless Steel Columns: SUS304/316L with multiple distillation plates (10-30 plates)
  • Copper Packing (optional): Copper mesh or saddles for sulfur removal in gin or flavored vodka production
  • Rectification Columns: Additional column for ultra-high purity (95-96% ABV)

 

Continuous Operation: Feed fermented wash continuously, collect high-purity alcohol output (500L-10,000L per day)

 

Reflux Control: Adjustable reflux ratio (vapor returned to column for additional purification) ensures consistent alcohol purity

 

Column Stills (Vodka, Neutral Spirits)​
Condenser System

Condenser System

Shell-and-Tube Condensers: Cooling water or glycol circulation condenses alcohol vapor to liquid (most efficient for large-scale operations)

Worm Tub Condensers: Traditional coiled copper tube submerged in cold water (artisanal distilleries, slower cooling preserves flavor)

Spirit Receiver & Storage

Stainless Steel Receivers: Separate collection vessels for heads, hearts, and tails fractions

Alcohol Proof Monitoring: Inline alcoholmeters or digital sensors track alcohol strength in real-time

Storage Tanks: Stainless steel tanks for neutral spirits or oak barrels for aged spirits (whiskey, rum, brandy)

Spirit Receiver & Storage

Complete Cider Production Process

Step 1

Raw Material Preparation (2-6 hours)

•Whiskey/Vodka: Mill grains (barley, corn, rye, wheat) and mix with hot water in mash tun to convert starches to sugars
•Rum: Dilute molasses or ferment fresh sugarcane juice
•Brandy: Crush and press grapes or fruits to extract juice
•Wine Spirits: Collect grape pomace (skins, seeds) from wine production

Step 2

Fermentation (3-7 days)

•Transfer sugar-rich liquid to fermentation tanks
•Add yeast (distiller's yeast or wine yeast)
•Ferment at 20-30°C until alcohol reaches 7-12% ABV (wash or wine)

Step 3

Distillation (4-12 hours per batch)

•Pot Still: Heat wash to 78-100°C, collect heads (discard), hearts (keep), tails (discard or redistill)
•Column Still: Feed wash continuously, collect high-purity alcohol from top of column
•Monitor temperature and alcohol strength throughout distillation

Step 4

Condensation & Collection

•Alcohol vapor passes through condenser and returns to liquid
•Collect in spirit receivers (separate heads, hearts, tails)
•Measure alcohol proof (typically 60-96% ABV depending on spirit type)

Step 5

Dilution & Aging (optional)

•Neutral Spirits (Vodka): Dilute to 40% ABV, filter through activated carbon, bottle immediately
•Aged Spirits (Whiskey, Rum, Brandy): Transfer to oak barrels, age 2-20 years, dilute to 40-50% ABV before bottling

Step 6

Bottling & Packaging

•Filter (if needed), bottle, label, and package for distribution

ZPET Distilling Equipment in Commercial Production

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15BBL 3-Vessel Steam-Heated Brewhouse
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FAQ

Do I need a license to operate a distillery?

Yes, most countries require distilled spirits permits (e.g., TTB DSP in USA, Excise License in UK). Requirements vary by country—consult local authorities before purchasing equipment

Single distillation produces lower-proof spirits (40-60% ABV). Double distillation (common for whiskey, brandy) produces higher-proof, smoother spirits (60-70% ABV) by redistilling the hearts fraction

Yes, with proper cleaning between batches. Pot stills can produce whiskey, rum, brandy, and wine spirits. Hybrid stills can switch between pot mode and column mode for vodka production

Pressure vessel certification (if applicable), explosion-proof electrical certification, food-grade material certification (copper, stainless steel), and compliance with local distillery regulations

Start Your Commercial Distillery with ZPET

Ready to launch your spirit brand? ZPET’s commercial distilling equipment provides the precision, craftsmanship, and scalability you need to compete in the premium spirits market.

  • Free Consultation: Discuss your spirit type and receive still recommendations
  • Custom Proposal: Detailed system specifications, layout design, and pricing
  • Turnkey Installation: Manufacturing, shipping, installation, and operator training

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