The Compleat Distiller: Revised Second Edition

I'm an avid, long-time home brewer and wine maker, and I've read a shelf-full of books on those subjects, from beginner guides to academic texts, not to mention an unmeasurably large amount of internet reading. I also do a substantial amount of technical reading on other subjects for work and for personal enjoyment. I started reading (but not practicing- that would be illegal!) about distilling around a year ago, and have read several texts and online materials so far.I have rarely, if ever, read such a succinct, yet thorough and approachable book on any technical subject! It's organized into several chapters and appendices within two larger sections. The first part of the book covers the whole subject in a logical order and in a manner that is incredibly well-balanced between science and practical application, with the science condensed, in my opinion, "just right." Very few distilling texts (or brewing or winemaking, for that matter) do a good job of explaining both the "what is happening" and the "why it's happening." In fact, most don't even try to go beyond the "what" and among those that do, the "why" is often either inaccurate or overkill. This book nails both "what" and all the "why" you really need in the first section.The second section is a lot more of the "why"- a deep scientific dive, and many would consider it overkill. It's still well-delivered and concise, but it may give you flashbacks to hazy chemistry and physics classes from long ago, and if that's a bad thing, just stop reading or skip to the next appendix.There is enough information out there to allow you to run a still without understanding exactly why it works, and you may even make some drinkable spirit, but as with all things, the more you understand, the better, and I doubt you will find a better, more readable path to understanding distilling than this book. If you're just getting interested in the subject, this is a great place to start. If you've been at it for a while, this book will likely connect several of the dots that you've been missing.

A fantastic book covering all topics in depth and on a scientific level. I am so glad I purchased this book!

The most comprehensive book on distilling I have read to date! Covers all facets of the distillation process! Not your good ole boy redneck moonshiners method, but real science behind the process and the methods. The number one go to book for sure!

OMG, Very rarely do I read a book then say to myself, this book is worth far more than I paid for it.This is a very rare book indeed as it exceeds my wildest dreams and worth far more than the list price I paid.To quote the author "We came to the conclusion that there was a crying need for a book that gives a detailed account of the entire subject, avoiding old wives'tails and dealing in verifiable facts."A fantastic book I will read many times to fully absorb the excellent knowledge within.I cannot recommend it enough to those who truly desire to clear away all the myths & truly understand distilling.Nowhere else have I ever read the science behind how a given type of still works & why.The authors go to great lengths to detail how to run your still for best product as well (again I've never seen any other book go into such detail).I had been trying to locate some of this information for years & there it was right in front of me like they had read my mind.This is NOT a BOOK with recipes for various fermentation's of mashes or wort nor beers. As the authors pointed out those are all over the place. This is a complete understanding how to run a still and how it works, & which would be best for you.I follow a certain George guy on YouTube & thought as a technical person I knew pretty much all I needed to know about different designs & which was best for my use... I could not have been more wrong.I've learned more in the last few days reading this book than in all the years I've spent reading a lot of books on the subject (I have quite a large library of that topic) as well as what I found while searching the internet.I was fortunate enough to run across this book in electronic format (1st ed)... I could not put it down & I just had to buy my own copy of 2nd ed) and was happy to pay full list price to the privilege of owning my own copy.These guys back up their statements with verifiable scientific facts and site sources.Finally let me say I've never met either author but would be pleased to meet them and congratulate them for such as outstanding book.For those who might complain of grammatical errors in the book I've got one message "Grow a Pair"!

Really well written book, love how the author writes to an audience that understands this is a science based hobby. Another great book is "making pure corn whiskey" by the same publisher.

The book is mostly about building a still, with not so much about recipes. The info is also dated in this 2001 edition.I would instead recommend "The Joy of home Distilling" by Rick Morris for a good all round guide.

I have made beer and cider for quite a while now. So, when I thought to learn about distilling I knew I would need to learn much more about yeasts, fermentation, congeners and fractional distilling theory. I bought several books on distilling; none of which gave me the information at the level I needed. This book is, in fact, compleat. And it is written quite well.

Decent book, too technical for me though and several grammar errors on almost every single page! Surprising considering this is a 2nd edition.

Detailed book on the technicalities of distilling. Book falls in two parts. First half is practical knowledge, the second half is the science behind it all. This is the book I get back ti time and again when looking for references on something or other.