continuous still

The continuous still is a type of distillation apparatus that came into use in the early 19th century. It is a tall, cylindrical column filled with perforated plates. Water-rich vapors condense on these plates, while alcohol-enriched vapors pass through. Live steam is fed into the bottom of the still to provide heat, and the liquid to be distilled is introduced near the top. This design allows for continuous operation, efficiently separating alcohol from water by utilizing the difference in their boiling points. The concentration of alcohol in the vapor leaving the top is controlled by the number of plates, ensuring the desired product concentration and that the liquid leaving the bottom is stripped of alcohol.1