The iStill 100 can be ordered as a plated still. Not just any plated still though. We have upgraded the 150 year old technology with a complete redesign, that improves performance. Here are the test figures on a 50 liter, 30% run, that we performed at a power input of 3.6 kWh. The reflux valve allowed for 1 mm of opening and wasn't manipulated during the run:

• Power plates in use: 4;
• Diameter: 3 inch;
• Reflux valve opening: 1 mm (constant);
• Power manager: 3.6 kWh;
• Yield: 2.8 liters per hour;
• ABV: 90% (constant).

iStill's Power Plate Technology delivers. And how! With a constant power input and unchanged reflux settings (so basically running the unit without actively managing it), the stability and performance are unmatched. "Stability" relates one-on-one to control, and control is the pre-cursor to "reproducibility" ... which - in turn - is the pre-cursor to the continuous production of high-quality spirits. No entrainment and perfect separation of heads, hearts, and tails.

How the performance figures compare to the old perforated plates and bubble-cap technologies? Let's dive in deeper. A traditional 4 inch diameter 4 plate bubble-cap design can achieve 85 to 90%, deal with 2.8 kWh and deliver around 2 to 2.2 liters per hour. Traditional 4 inch diameter 4 plate perforated plate designs can achieve similar results at a power input of around 3.2 kWh.

Yes, we are comparing a bigger diameter traditional design (4 inch) with our smaller 3 inch design. We have a 4 inch diameter system available as well (and a 5, 6, 8 and 12 inch), but are testing our 3 inch right now. And we have competitive information available on traditional 4 inch systems. Hence a comparison that potentially does us injustice. But does it? I mean the numbers are clear: even our smaller system outproduces traditional plated stills in quality and in production numbers. With only 56% of the diameter (the difference between 3 and 4 inch) we produce 27% more!

So, in order to decrease the odds even further (I guess comparing our 3 to their 4 inch wasn't enough), we did something else. We took testing our Power Plate Technology a large step further. What we did? We did the same run on a 2 plate column. Yes, just two power plates instead of four. How does our 3 inch diameter 2 plate design compare to the aforementioned 4 inch 4 plate traditional set-up?

With two iStill Power Plates in use, at 3.6 kWh power input and a 1 mm reflux opening, we achieve a constant (!) output of 87%. Yield is 2.9 liters per hour. The conclusion? iStill's Power Plate Technology outperforms the old, existing, traditional plated stills with a few orders of magnitude:

• Total control over heads, hearts, and tails for reproducible high-quality spirits;
• Limited need for still management due to amazing run stability;
• A 56% smaller plate still outperforms traditional designs with 27% (imagine what an equal sized design does!);
• Two iStill Power Plates give better performance than four traditionally designed bubble-cap or perforated plates.

Here is a picture of how the temperature (and related ABV) stays completely stable during the run:

And here is a picture of the power plates in action:

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