Charentes Alembic 400 L – Standard

The Charentes alembic is the traditional still for turning wine and fermented musts into brandy, cognac-style spirits, pisco or singani. It is built like a classic soldered copper still, with one important addition: a wine preheater, a second tank with an internal coil.

The Standard version has everything you need to run the still: thermometers at the three key points, an alcoholmeter and a matching gas burner.

How the preheater works

While you distil, the hot vapour runs through the coil in the preheater and warms the next batch of wine or mash. When that batch is moved into the boiler it is already hot, so each run is shorter and uses noticeably less fuel.

Capacity and yield

• Boiler: 400 L · preheater tank: 250 L
• Yield: about 10–15% of boiler capacity, i.e. 65–98 L of distillate per run from a 10% ABV ferment

Construction

• 2.5 mm hand-hammered copper sheet, welded joints
• Polished brass handles and nuts
• 2.5″ discharge pipe with a stainless steel or brass valve for emptying the boiler
• Iron stands for the boiler, preheater and condenser

Included

• 3 large 0–120 °C thermometers: helmet, preheater and condenser
• Large 0–100% alcoholmeter with holder
• 70 cm gas burner sized for this model

Made to order. Contact us for the current lead time and a delivery quote to your country.