# Pot Still Operation
The Polyhoenix Air Still Pro can be used as a **Pot Still** or a **Reflux Still**.
**Pot Stills** are generally used to make spirits such as Whisky, Rum, Brandy, Gin from an appropriate wash. So, Whisky is distilled from a malt wash, Rum from a molasses wash, etc.
**Reflux Stills** include packing in the column which causes fractioning of the vapour (refluxing). This, combined with a slower output (in this instance forced by using a narrower Outlet Nipple) means that the flavours and by products of the wash are stripped so that pure ethanol only is distilled from the wash.
### Pot Still Mode
1. [Remove the packing](/equipment/polyphoenix-air-still-pro-table-top-distillation-kit-user-guide/cleaning.md#removing-and-cleaning-spp) (if installed in the column)
2. Install the **1.2mm Outlet Nipple**
3. (If using the RAPT Brew App) Select **Pot Still Mode** from the Air Still Pro Device screen
4. (If using the on board controller) Select **Pot Still Mode** under **Distilling Modes**
5. [Clean](/equipment/polyphoenix-air-still-pro-table-top-distillation-kit-user-guide/cleaning.md) and [Assemble](/equipment/polyphoenix-air-still-pro-table-top-distillation-kit-user-guide/assembly.md#assembly) the Polyphoenix Air Still Pro
6. Fill the boiler with up to 5L of the appropriate wash. **NOTE**: Do not overfill as this can cause puking, blockages or other issues
7. Attach the Still Head to the Boiler
8. Ensure the Polyphoenix Air Still Pro is on a stable, level surface and has plenty of clearance
9. Place a suitable collection vessel under the Outlet
10. (If making gin or similar) place your desired botanicals in the gin basket. Botanicals can also be placed in the wash in the boiler - it is common (for example) to place juniper berries directly in the wash when making gin
11. On the on board controller, use 
**Select** and the 
**Up** and 
**Down** buttons to navigate to **Start Heating.** Use **Select** to start the heating, which begins the distillation process.
12. As the wash comes to a boil, the fan and pump will turn on automatically. Once the wash is boiling, the distillate will start to collect through the Outlet Nipple
13. The first 50ml of the wash will be diverted to the foreshots collection jar. **This must be discarded** as it potentially contains harmful byproducts of distillation
14. In Pot Still Mode, the distillate will consist of foreshots, heads, hearts and tails. It is best practice to take cuts during the run in order to separate the various fractions of distillate. These can be saved and re-used, blended back into the hearts or discarded
15. Typically the hearts of the run is the 'best' part of a pot still run. However, the heads and tails can also contain a lot of flavour elements so experienced distillers may prefer to blend small amounts of the heads and/or tails into the hearts
16. The Polyphoenix Air Still Pro will continue to run until the **End Temperature** is reached. The ABV of the distillate will drop over this time as the alcohol in the wash is boiled off and distilled
17. Once the boiler cuts off, make sure the cuts or collection vessels are labelled (to make blending etc easier)
18. Once the Polyphoenix Air Still Pro has cooled enough so it can be safely handled, [clean the Polyphoenix Air Still Pro](/equipment/polyphoenix-air-still-pro-table-top-distillation-kit-user-guide/cleaning.md) so it is ready for the next run. Cleaning as soon as possible after use will help avoid off flavours or other issues
A typical Pot Still or Stripping Run will take up to approximately 3 hours with a 5L wash.
If intending to produce pure ethanol in Reflux Mode, best practice is to run the wash through a Stripping Run. A Stripping Run is a fast run where all the distillate is collected. The distillate is then put back in the boiler, diluted to \~40% ABV and then distilled in [Reflux Mode](/equipment/polyphoenix-air-still-pro-table-top-distillation-kit-user-guide/reflux-still-operation.md)
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