Introduction of the Charentais Brandy pot still

The Charentails pot still is composed of Boiler ,pre heater ,swan neck and cooling tank with coil

The Charentais Brandy pot still used to make fine Cognac brandy is considered by some to be the most beautiful and graceful of all alembics with its gleaming beaten copper being reminiscent of exotic and far away places. It is comprised of several characteristically shaped pots with onion-shaped copper domes. Wine is placed in the alembic pot and in the onion shaped dome. As the wine in the pot reaches boiling point the alcoholic vapours collect inside the dome and escape via the swan neck pipe which extends through the onion shaped dome or wine pre-heater to the condensing recipient. The wine in the onion shaped dome is pre-heated by the copper swan neck pipe on route to the condenser. When the distillation of the wine in the boiler is complete, the wine in the pre-heater (onion-shaped dome) is transferred to the boiler via a connecting tube between the two, and then this is also distilled in what may be considered a semi continuous process.

The boiler, still-head, swan-neck and coil must be made of copper (as set down in the specifications for the AOC Cognac).

This metal is chosen for its physical properties (malleability, good heat conduction) and its chemical reactivity with certain components of the wine, which make it an indispensable catalyst for obtaining quality spirit

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