The Reflux Column alembic is comprised of the traditional alembic pot, onion shaped hood and reflux column with an integrated condenser. The complete double alembic set includes the traditional swan neck pipe and condensing unit with serpentine coil. This model was introduced to accompany more modern trends and was especially conceived for those who want to produce a distillate with higher alcoholic concentrations and with less flavour such as Vodka.
What would normally take 2 to 3 distillations with the traditional alembics, to reach the higher alcoholic concentrations, requires only a single distillation run with the reflux column alembic. In this distillation process the vapours from the pot (boiler) collect in the initial vapour chamber and travel up the reflux column. When these vapours come in contact with the cold surface created by the water inlet located at the bottom of the column, the less heavy volatile vapours condense and fall back into the pot. This is known as a pre-refining process. As the vapours continue to travel up the reflux column these continue to condense (due to the cooler temperatures higher up the column) and the liquid trickles back down into the boiler and mix with the rising vapours. This reflux liquid helps clean the rising vapours and increase the % purity (up to 70% purer).