iStills are total distillation solutions, not shells that still need a separate heating system, like many traditional systems that require a steam boiler. Nope, we are long passed the age of steam. iStill uses electrical heating. Why? Because it gives total control over the amount of gasses that are created. And since gas amount one-on-one translates into specific vapor speeds, and since vapor speeds one-on-one correlate with flavor composition … well, we feel that any craft distiller interested in (re)creating the same quality spirits over and over again, needs electrical heating.
iStill offers two means of heating: direct and indirect heaters. Both heating systems sit directly in the boiler and in the wash or mash. Why? Because of efficiency, reaction-time, and Maillard. Heaters that sit in the boiler dissipate their energy immediately, without losses (like a traditional Au-bain-Marie! double boiler design). And the slight temperature differences in the boiler create the Maillard Reaction: a taste-cascade that adds 25% flavor to your spirits!
Direct heaters work great with relatively clear boiler charges. If you want to mash or ferment in your iStill, or if you want to distill on the grain (or on the grapes), you need the iStill Indirect Heaters.
Our proprietary indirect ATEx heaters …
The iStill Blog 