This blog provides information for educational purposes only. Read our complete summary for more info.

Emmet Leahy

Chief Operating Officer at Clawhammer

A still can be heated with an electric hot plate, propane, or even over a fire. However, it is best to run stills with an electric heating element and a digital controller. When running a still with an electric heating element and digital controller there is no need to worry about filling a propane tank, open flames, or a hot plate cycling. The best thing about running a still with a controller is the ability to easily dial in the drip rate.

Before move on, a reminder: Brewing beer is legal in every US state. However, distilling alcohol is illegal without a federal fuel alcohol or distilled spirit plant permit as well as relevant state permits. Our distillation equipment is designed for legal uses only and the information in this article is for educational purposes only. Please read our complete legal summary for more information on the legalities of distillation.

In order to heat a still with an electric heating element you will need a few things.

1) You will need a still - either stainless or copper.
This link has all of our stills.

2) You will need an electric heating element adapter and controller.
This link has our controllers and adapters.

Installing the heating element adapter on one of our stainless stills is extremely easy. Attach the heating element adapter with a tri-clamp and gasket. The full video install is located here.

It is also easy to retrofit our heating element adapter to a copper still with a  copper still heating element adapter kit. The copper adapter kit includes everything you need to add a heating element to a copper still. 

The Clawhammer Supply digital controller is able to run in a set value mode as well as in manual mode. When running a still with a digital controller it is best to run the controller in manual mode. Read the directions on switching the controller to manual mode in this article.

How to Use a Digital PID Controller to Run a Still

1. Attach the heating element to the still.
2. Install the thermowell for the temperature sensor in the boiler thermometer location on the still. 
3. Install the temperature sensor from the Clawhammer Supply controller into the thermowell. The temperature sensor will simply slide into the thermowell. The thermowell is included in our heating element adapter kit.
1. It is possible to install the temperature probe from the controller in the column thermometer location,  but it is best to install it in the boiler location.
4. Fill the still with liquid.
5. Once the still has been filled and everything is securely attached with tri-clamps and gaskets (flour paste for our copper stills) start heating the still. 
6. Make sure the controller is in manual mode and set the power to 100%. Heat the still at 100% of power until the still starts producing.
7. Once the still starts producing dial the % of power downwards to match the desired rate of output.
8. As output slows, increase the % of power (the still will need the power increased a few times during the run to maintain the desired output rate). Always run the still by drip rate and not by temperature.

Benefits of Running a Still with an Electric Heating Element

• No Open Flame
• No need to worry about propane.
• Extremely easy to dial in the drip rate of the still.
• Replacement heating elements are inexpensive.
• No cycling of power like with an electric hot plate.