11. Discontinuous vs. continuous stills

A third way that Grappa is differentiated is the kind of still used. This has some most interesting features.

Discontinuous the original

There are two kinds of stills that are used continuous and discontinuous. The original stills were all discontinuous. Each batch is distilled individually because the residue must be cleaned out after each cotta. Because the early batches were mixed anyway this had no effect on the end product.

Continuous still for increased production

One of the early refinements was the development of the continuous still. Thru certain ingenious mechanical solutions, they developed a still that could run continuously because the used up pomace was removed as new pomace was added. This innovation increased output by over 10 fold. While previously one person could only distill a few truck loads a day because of all the stopping and starting between cottas, now with the continuous stills one person can distill 15 to 20 truck loads, because he doesn’t have to stop and start the distillation.

Continuous still more consistent but less character

Ironically the continuous still also increased the quality of the original grappa making it more consistent because it mixed all the batches together continuously rather than in broken increments. However with the increase in production came a loss in character. The continuous blending created a more predictable product with less character. The continuous still was the rage of the Grappa makers in the technological decades after the last World War, late 40s through the early 60s; many convertedBfî˛c˝û¸◊˚À˙ˇ˘¡˘›˘A˙‰˙D˚8˚˚˚‘˙0˙n˘Œ¯/¯é˜`˜g˜y˜F¯ò˘´˙U˚Æ˚Ω˚˚ö˘Û˜]ˆ”ÙìÛŒÚFÚ€Ò◊ÒTÚÛ®ÛöÙ·ı˛ˆ∂˜+¯p¯V¯Ë˜`˜¿ˆÛıdıAı‘ÙÎÛ&ÛºÚJÚøÒÒrÒ?Ò/ÒnÒ™ÒˆÒaÚŸÚ9Û∂ÛÆÙ›ı∆ˆi˜¯ˆ¯˙Ó˙ƒ˚õ¸á˝ˆ˛∫¸r8l ˛‰˚+˙¯Ìˆˆ ˆxˆj˜·¯X˙î˚È¸|˛ªˇQeÖˇCˇ8ˇ1ˇˇjˇMY\Öë8∆öˇ>˛ï˝+˝˘¸Ì¸„¸–¸˝ﬂ˝“˛ªˇø·œêR ±5W|5ß nˇˇ&ˇñˇmòE∏Ë^mfîÊˇüˇ∞ˇWÜ∫ë˝`~Ê—ít˛a˝∆¸s¸Ä¸ÿ¸_˝7˛ÅˇÔ*DhìÇtlﬂRÂ.,!/´ˇäˇTˇGˇ´ˇ%†ÒÀYÔˇÎˇFR˚ˇ≠ˇ~ˇßˇbz¸&£p‘⁄?:˛A¸[˙d¯íˆ=ıòÙ∞Ùdıôˆˆ˜U˘ı˙∞¸˛ˇbˇÄˇ~ˇnˇiˇnˇØˇwu∞\ƒ±e}Â¯ı›ª…‚ ºÂBÀ]⁄|\Y2 ˙ ı Ÿ ,∂hΩ ß °ßø]ñ‡Zqœ ¸ Ôá » x º’Ù ( B trH Q ) =F¿Ê Ú ¥(©åﬂâÑï|ü4‰YeFB!◊w–çÒµˇi˝∞˚æ˘ˇ˜æˆ≈ıÔÙyÙ]ÙçÙ˝Ù©ı4ˆ)ˆÂı˘ı%ˆ>ˆRˆ-ˆ¸ıˆèˆ<˜«˜t¯î˘˚ ¸r¸v¸·˚{˙s¯SˆxÙúÚË©Ô√ÓpÓ¡ÓwÔwïÒµÚÒÛı‚ı ˆ˝ı£ı&ı≤ÙáÙ•Ù<ıËıˆˆJˆ_ˆ<ˆÛı≤ıíıbıNı{ıøıÒı'ˆ[ˆhˆ}ˆ¥ˆ˚ˆL˜¿˜•¯›˘'˚À¸ß˛5∑õmlÅ-´˛9`ëÏ†Í≠ê}≠‰¿äa ¡ y ¶d3dyHiW”TäÇb1◊$©ˇ˛≥¸Ö˚“˙ﬂ˙˚Ì˙ﬁ˙q˚à¸°˝Ñ˛Çˇ¨¿∞é+u´¡rêaP’ˇ„˝u¸¢˚˚ı˙E˚≤˚C¸>˝6˛∑˛⁄˛À˛ß˛à˛K˛Ï˝|˝Î¸ì¸ë¸‘¸v˝q˛†ˇ∏hÓU¸nˇ¿˝Ì˚˙Å¯J˜`ˆˆ°ˆé˜†¯˙¸‚˝Qˇäú]æœìt”€ØîG…_Y√qåLû.ñúåˇÓ˛◊˛'ˇáˇ Î$ÆÀ¸ä´Q∫Tˇ˛¿¸í˚Â˙∆˙J˚Ü¸˛ßˇ-Á≤9>√‡Ãû] ø„è_˘m M 1 Á ó ˛,s¸ÂRF1Öõ…·$ ´ V „ ]êZV‹ BuY;c¸˛˛Ø˝‡˝¢˛∑ˇ^_$™Ãßä #TÅù˜·,L ﬂ 7 ¶ ã r ŒX Ê˛ﬁ˝˝s¸$¸¸F¸‚¸[˝~˝Ç˝í˝Ü˝$˝_¸c˚ô˙_˙T˙¨˘i¯7˜Lˆ"ıÁÛ*Û¢ÚÓÒuÒóÒÚ`Ú¶Ú´ÚJÚ◊ÒáÒ@Ò„HíÔ,ÔcÔ˚Ô≥ÆÒÛ°Ù3ˆC˜Ø˜ü˜‘ˆIıØÛ}ÚÆÒ‹˝ÔÇÔóÔ'Ò$ÚÛ%Ùûı)˜P¯—¯∆¯á¯3¯≥˜"˜¶ˆˆ ˆ,˜1˜B˜∫˜V¯ˇ¯´˘Z˙˙A˚û˚¸I¸i¸„¸û˝à˛†ˇÆä\VÄ”4ê˚ äK ˘#|+˜ ? úÏä∑4¯Á… u Œ Õ F ‘Ò]÷(ê ¿„»ÁÎµ>|iÖHˇˆ˝˝ü¸K¸’˚°˚¸˝˛ˇ)#ˆéºóC‡ò‚^ˇ$˛|˝ı¸`¸#¸t¸˚¸≤˝u˛Ï˛Ò˛∏˛ï˛U˛¡˝Ê¸Ì˚˚[˙˚˘%˙é˙e˚Ã¸j˛Ωˇ™SÑ¯Ëˇ£˛;˝˙˚M˚∆˙!˙˝˘∞˙Õ˚È¸%˛≥ˇà