Still

apparatus used to distill miscible or immiscible (e.g. steam distillation) liquid mixtures

A still is a tool used to clean a liquid. It does this by first boiling the liquid and turning it into a gas. This gas is then cooled, changing it back into liquid. Stills get their name from the word distillation. Distillation is the process of boiling and cooling a liquid to purify it. Stills are most often used to create alcohol, but they can also be used with any liquid. Some examples are medicines and perfumes.

Swan-necked stills in a distillery. These stills are used to make whisky

There are two main types of stills: pot stills and reflux stills. In a pot still, the pot (like a large kettle) holding the liquid is heated. The hot gas is cooled in a simple neck, or tube, and collected.[1] Pot stills are used for making alcohol like whisky. A reflux still is much more complex. It works with a continual flow of liquid going into the boiler, and a continual flow of distilled liquid coming out. The distilled liquid can also be put through the process several times, which is why it is called a reflux still. This allows for a more pure product, and the person working the still can control the level of purity.[2] Reflux stills are used in the chemical and petroleum industries.

References

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  1. "Building a World Class Home Distillation Apparatus - What Kind of Still?". moonshine-still.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  2. "Building a World Class Home Distillation Apparatus - The Evolution of the Reflux Still". moonshine-still.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2010.