Can I use glass distilling equipment to make alcohol?

Question

Especially for the second distillation..will the alcohol ignite at temperatures needed to cause evaporation?

Answer 1

Yes, and no.

Yes, glass equipment can be used to distill alcohol. It won't taste that good, but it can be done. There's actually a chemical reaction occurring in a copper still that removes sulfur compounds from the alcohol vapor which improves the taste drastically.

No, the temperature at which the alcohol turns to vapor is not sufficient to cause it to ignite also, HOWEVER, the heat source that is being used to heat the liquid alcohol is almost invariably hot enough to ignite the alcohol vapor. As long as you keep all vapors within the distillation apparattus you'll remain safe. Once the vapors begin escaping (as a vapor) then the potential for a BIG BADDA BOOM increases. You want any distillate to exit the device as a subcooled liquid, not as a vapor...hence the condenser.

Answer 2

Glass Distilling Equipment

Answer 3

Distilling equipment does not "make" alcohol. You use distilling equipment to "purify" alcohol. Although when you use a still, it carries over all volatile gases as well. A home still will only purify an alcohol based substrate around 50%. Temperatures alone would need to be drastically high to cause a flash point in alcohol. I'm sure you'd be very uncomfortable before then.

Answer 4

if you've got the time to let it ferment first then probably. but it might suck.