Hybrid Still
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-01. Hybrid Distillation Systems
Hybrid Still Manufacturer — Pot & Column Distillation in One System
Custom-built 100L–5000L hybrid stills for whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, and brandy production. 13 years manufacturing, CE & PED certified, delivered to 95+ countries.
- 100L–5000L Pot Capacity Range
- 1000+ Installations
- 95+ Countries Delivered
- 13 yrs Manufacturing
-02 · Configurations
Six configurations, chosen by scale and material
All hybrid stills are built to order. Select by production scale (top row) or by material construction (bottom row). Custom sizes between listed ranges are quoted on request.
Pilot Hybrid Still 100L–300L
R&D and small-batch production. Copper pot + 4-plate column. Electric or steam heating. Fits under 3m ceiling.
Craft Hybrid Still 500L–1000L
Full commercial output for craft distilleries. Copper pot + column with dephlegmator + gin basket. Steam jacket standard.
Mid-Scale Hybrid 1500L–3000L
For distilleries producing multiple spirits. Dual takeoff (pot spirit + column spirit) with independent condensers.
Full Copper Hybrid
Full-copper construction for whiskey, brandy, and traditional gin. Meets Scotch, Irish, and Bourbon industry material norms.
Copper-Clad Stainless
Cost-optimized: SS304 body with copper contact surfaces. Same flavor profile as full copper, at 30–40% lower cost.
Industrial Hybrid 5000L+
Continuous production capability. Bubble-cap column (8–20 plates). PLC control with recipe memory.
Available Copper Column Still Sizes
From recipe development to mass production, we manufacture copper distillation equipment scaled to your business goals.
-03 · Spirit Applications
One machine, five spirit programs.
Hybrid stills switch operating mode by valve — pot mode preserves flavor compounds, column mode reaches high ABV. Configuration guidance below reflects the actual setup we ship for each spirit category.
Whiskey Production with Hybrid Stills
Hybrid stills produce whiskey by operating in pot mode with the column bypassed or set to low reflux. For malt whiskey, we recommend a copper pot (500L+) with a 2-plate column and dephlegmator, matching Scottish and Irish industry practice. Copper contact removes sulfur compounds during distillation. Cuts controlled via sight glasses at the parrot and hydrometer test.
Gin Production with Hybrid Stills
For gin, hybrid stills use the column with 4–6 plates in reflux mode to reach 92–95% ABV, then a stainless gin basket is loaded with botanicals for vapor infusion or maceration. Our gin basket is removable, sits above the pot in the vapor path, and holds 5–15% of pot volume. This lets one distillery produce both London Dry (vapor) and Contemporary (maceration) styles.
Vodka and Neutral Spirit Production
Vodka production requires the column in full reflux with 8–20 bubble-cap or sieve plates, dephlegmator active, and a slow takeoff. Our hybrid stills reach 95–96% ABV in a single pass on 8-plate configurations, matching EU neutral spirit standards. For triple-distilled vodka programs, we recommend our 1000L+ column-focused hybrid with variable reflux control.
Rum and Brandy Production
Rum and brandy benefit from hybrid stills because both styles need retained flavor compounds — esters, fusel oils — that column stills strip out. Run in pot mode with the column packed or plates bypassed, output ABV lands at 65–80%, preserving cane or fruit character. The same setup handles agricole rum, molasses rum, and grape brandy without hardware changes.
Multi-Product Craft Distilleries
New craft distilleries typically launch with 3–5 spirits — gin, vodka, whiskey aging, rum, seasonal releases. A single 500L–1000L hybrid still handles all of them by switching operating modes, with no need for separate pot and column stills. Payback vs. dual-system purchase: 40–60% lower CAPEX, 50% smaller footprint. Delivery includes mode-switching training on-site.
Why buyers in 95 countries specify METO.
Distillation is a pressure-vessel business. Every claim below is verifiable by document, weld, or delivery record. No adjectives.
13 years, 1000+ installations, 95+ countries.
Founded in 2011, METO has delivered brewing and distillation equipment to 1,000+ facilities across 95+ countries. Distillery projects delivered in USA, Canada, UK, Denmark, France, and 20+ other markets.
Copper sourced from certified mills.
Distillation-grade C11000 electrolytic copper, ≥ 99.9% purity, sourced from mill-certified suppliers. Every batch shipped with material traceability documents.
CE + PED certified for pressure systems.
All pressurized components certified under EU Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU. Cert No. 3N231110.SICS093, issued by Ente Certificazione Macchine, valid to 2028.
100% TIG welding, X-ray tested.
Every weld on food-contact and pressure surfaces uses 100% TIG welding. Pressure boundary welds pass X-ray or dye-penetrant test before hydro-test.
22,000 m² factory, in-house fabrication.
Copper forming, stainless fabrication, polishing, and assembly all done in-house at our 22,000㎡ facility. No sub-contracted pressure vessels.
Turnkey: design → install → train.
22-year experienced engineers on staff. Overseas installation and training available in all delivered markets. Remote HMI diagnostics standard on PLC units.
OEM & Custom Design Welcome
Custom pot geometry, column height, plate count, botanical baskets, and control interfaces. Send drawings or reference photos — engineering response within 48 hours.
-05 · Selection Guide
Two tables to decide the machine.
Confirm you actually need hybrid (Table A), then pick the configuration by your annual output target (Table B).
Table A · Still Type Comparison
Hybrid Still vs. Pot Still vs. Column Still
| Attribute | Pot Still | Column Still | Hybrid Still |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirits supported | Whiskey, brandy, rum | Vodka, neutral, gin | All of the above |
| Output ABV range | 60–80% | 90–96% | 60–96% (mode-dependent) |
| Flavor retention | High | Low | Adjustable |
| Footprint (500L) | ~4 m² | ~6 m² (tall column) | ~5 m² |
| Investment vs. running 2 systems | Baseline | Baseline | −40 to −60% |
| Best for | Single-spirit specialists | Neutral spirit / gin bases | Multi-product craft distilleries |
Table B · METO Configuration by Output
Recommended METO Hybrid Still by Annual Production
| Annual Output | Model Tier | Pot Capacity | Column Plates | Heating | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 5,000 L PA/yr | Pilot | 100–300L | 4 | Electric | PlaceholderQuote on inquiry |
| 5,000–30,000 L/yr | Craft | 500–1000L | 6–8 | Steam jacket | PlaceholderQuote on inquiry |
| 30,000–100,000 L/yr | Mid-Scale | 1500–3000L | 8–14 bubble cap | Steam | PlaceholderQuote on inquiry |
| 100,000+ L/yr | Industrial | 5000L+ | 14–20 bubble cap | Steam + reboiler | PlaceholderQuote on inquiry |
-06 · FAQ
Eight questions we get every week.
If your question isn’t here, our distillation engineers respond within one business day. No sales script — you’ll talk to the person who’d actually build your machine.
What is a hybrid still, and how is it different from a pot still?
A hybrid still is a distillation system that combines a pot — like a traditional pot still — with a rectification column above it, connected by a bypass valve or dual-path manifold. This lets one machine produce both flavor-retaining spirits (whiskey, brandy, rum) in pot mode and high-ABV spirits (vodka, gin base) in column mode. A pot still can only do the former.
What sizes of hybrid stills does METO manufacture?
METO manufactures hybrid stills from 100L (pilot) to 5000L+ (industrial), with 500L, 1000L, and 2000L being the most common craft-scale configurations. Custom sizes between these are quoted on request. Every unit is built to order — no stock inventory.
Copper, stainless steel, or copper-clad — which should I choose?
Full copper is the industry standard for whiskey, brandy, and traditional gin because copper contact removes sulfur compounds and shapes flavor. Full stainless is only recommended for neutral spirit or industrial ethanol. Copper-clad stainless (stainless body with copper contact plates and column packing) gives the same flavor result as full copper at 30–40% lower cost — recommended for most craft distilleries.
Can one hybrid still really produce whiskey, gin, and vodka?
Yes, provided the configuration includes both a pot mode (column bypass) and a column mode (with dephlegmator and ≥ 4 plates). Switching between modes is done via valves and takes 10–15 minutes. Cross-contamination is prevented by CIP cleaning between different spirit runs — typical CIP cycle is 45–60 minutes.
What certifications does METO provide for hybrid stills?
CE certification and PED (Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU) verification are standard on all pressurized components. Certificate references: PED Cert No. 3N231110.SICS093 (Ente Certificazione Macchine); Machinery Directive attestation M.2025.206.C131636 (UDEM). Documentation ships with every unit.
What's the typical lead time and delivery process?
Standard lead time is [Placeholder — 60–90 days to confirm] for craft-scale hybrid stills (500L–2000L), and [90–120 days] for larger or heavily customized systems. Delivery includes sea freight to buyer’s port, on-site installation supervision (optional), commissioning, and 2–3 days of operator training.
Do I need a steam boiler, or can the still be heated electrically?
Hybrid stills up to 500L can be heated electrically — recommend 24–36 kW for a 300L pot. Above 500L, we strongly recommend steam jacket heating with a separate boiler; electric heating becomes inefficient and slow at that scale. Direct fire heating is available for whiskey specialists but requires local safety approvals.
Does METO offer OEM or fully custom hybrid still designs?
Yes. Custom scope includes pot geometry (short/tall, onion/lantern), column height and plate count, botanical basket volume, control interface language, and external finish (brushed, mirror, brand-embossed). Engineering drawings returned within 48 hours of inquiry. [Placeholder — custom project share % to confirm].
Ready to configure your hybrid still?
Send us your target spirits, annual output, and site constraints. Our engineers return a spec proposal and quote within 2 business days.
Spirit Applications
One machine, five spirit programs.
Hybrid stills switch operating mode by valve — pot mode preserves flavor compounds, column mode reaches high ABV. Configuration guidance below reflects the actual setup we ship for each spirit category.
01
Whiskey
Whiskey Production with Hybrid Stills
Hybrid stills produce whiskey by operating in pot mode with the column bypassed or set to low reflux. For malt whiskey, we recommend a copper pot (500L+) with a 2-plate column and dephlegmator, matching Scottish and Irish industry practice. Copper contact removes sulfur compounds during distillation. Cuts controlled via sight glasses at the parrot and hydrometer test.
Full Copper Hybrid
01
Whiskey