If you have spent any time browsing our website, you’ve probably noticed we have a large variety of different caps for our stills. This breakdown will focus mainly on our 6″ tri clamp cap styles, which is the standard size for all stills we build from 5 gallon to 75 gallon. Hopefully this guide will not only help you learn the names of our caps but offer some insight into the differences.
Before we start, all of our caps come with a vacuum pressure relief valve (VPRV). Our Distillers Kits come standard with an over pressure relief valve or positive pressure relief valve (PRV). Custom stills and Standard Stills have the option to add the PRV. We place these in the cap as it is the highest point on the still where pressure will build. Making it the perfect spot for relieving any unwanted pressure. The exception to the above rule: “Coneheads”. Because of their design we do not place relief valves on our “Coneheads”. Instead, the valves are placed on the vapor cone of the main still pot / boiler.
Our different cap styles vary in size and geometry, and each type may have a variant or two. Each one will do something a little different and can help you create your own unique spirits. Each one can also give a still its own unique look. Having a good looking still doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make good spirits. But let’s be honest… it certainly won’t hurt! We strive to build functional art that makes you smile every time you use it!
Disclaimer: Inside you’ll find our recommendations for pairing still sizes with the different caps. These are rough guidelines. Depending on your particular application, you may decide to go outside of these recommendations.
With the above out of the way, let’s begin.
Cap Types:
“Tri Clamp Cap”-
The name couldn’t get much simpler, nor could the cap itself. It is by far our most common and popular cap style. They come in a 6″ tall, 12″ tall, and 18″ tall version. Respectively named “Tri Clamp Cap”, “Tall Tri Clamp Cap”, and “Extra Tall Tri Clamp Cap”. These caps have been around since we first started using tri clamps on our stills. They offer good flavor and are easy on the budget. The more height you add to this cap, the more you increase your possible natural reflux, “cleaning up” your spirit just a bit more.
-“Tri Clamp Cap” is 6″ wide and 6″ tall. Great for stills 5-50 gallons.
20 Gallon Still with Standard “Tri Clamp Cap”
-“Tall Tri Clamp Cap” is 6″ wide and 12″ tall. Great for stills 10-50 gallons.
12 Gallon with “Tall Tri Clamp Cap”
“Fat 50” with “Tall Tri Clamp Cap”
20 Gallon with “Tall Tri Clamp Cap”
-“Extra Tall Tri Clamp Cap” is 6″ wide and 18″ tall. Great for stills 25-50 gallons.
“Thick 30” with “Extra Tall Tri Camp Cap”
“Fat 50” with “Extra Tall Tri Clamp Cap”
“Large Tri Clamp Cap” AKA “LG”-
There is no variation of this cap. It is about 7″ tall, and about 12″ at its widest point. It is a good cap for someone looking to add a little more surface area, without adding much height to the overall still. The surface area helps to remove sulfide compounds, which helps “clean” your spirit up. Its gentle slope and larger opening also help act a bit like a whiskey helmet, allowing vapor to slow down and interact with the copper longer, and aid in some natural cooling and passive reflux. Works great with 20-50 gallon stills.
50 Gallon with “LG Cap”
20 Gallon with “LG Cap”
“Horsehead Cap”-
Like the “LG” there is no variation of this cap. Similar to the “LG” shape, it acts very similarly. This cap is Slightly taller and skinnier. It is roughly 9.5″ tall and 9″ at its widest point. If you were choosing between the “LG” and the “Horsehead”, and height is not a concern, choose the one you think looks best! Works great on 20-50 gallon stills.
20 Gallon with “Horsehead Cap”
20 Gallon with “Horsehead Cap”
“Horsehead” VS “LG Cap”
“Bootlegger Cap”-
The “Bootlegger Cap” is shaped just like the “Horsehead”, except it comes with a “conical” or “tapered” lyne arm. Usually at the end of the lyne arm we install a tri clamp ferrule. This connection point lets you connect into the rest of the still. The lyne arm ferrules are installed horizontally. This makes upgrading / mixing / matching / spacing other equipment easier down the road. The overall shape and size of the cap offers good natural reflux and great surface area. The “conical” arm allows extremely good flavor to carry over. The arm also allows tremendous vapor flow, slightly reducing run times. This cap style has 4 variations. Each variation was designed to go with different size stills. This cap is great for not only spirit runs, but stripping runs as well. This cap is extremely versatile and has a very traditional look. Because of that it is probably our most popular cap to upgrade too as of late.
-“Bootlegger” is 9.5″ tall and 9.5″ wide. Its lyne arm is about 16″ long. It starts at 5″ and usually tapers to a 2″ or 1.5″ tri clamp ferrule. The standard “Bootlegger” fits well on 20-30 gallon pots.
20 Gallon with “Bootlegger”
20 Gallon with “Bootlegger”
-“Bootlegger LG” is 12″ tall and 10″ wide. Its lyne arm is about 16″ long. It starts at 5″ and usually tapers to a 2″ or 1.5″ tri clamp ferrule. The “Bootlegger LG” fits well on 25-40 gallon pots.
Fat 25 with “Bootlegger LG”
Thick 30 with “Bootlegger LG”
-“Bootlegger XL” is 14.25″ tall and 10″ wide. Its lyne arm is about 18″ long. It starts at 6″ and usually tapers to a 2″ or 1.5″ tri clamp ferrule. The “Bootlegger XL” fits well on 40-75 gallon pots.
75 Gallon with “Bootlegger XL”
-“Amandas Bootlegger” is 13″ tall and 9″ wide. Its lyne arm is about 16″ long. It starts at 5″ and usually tapers to a 2″ or 1.5″ tri clamp ferrule. Originally designed for Moonshiner Amandas 25 gallon “Baby Athena”. It is slightly taller and skinnier than the “Bootlegger LG” “Amandas Bootlegger” fits well on 20-50 gallon pots.
25 Gallon “Baby Athena” with “Amandas Bootlegger”
“Fat 40” with an “Amanda Style Bootlegger”
-*** Comparison photos of a few “Bootleggers”***
Left To Right- “Bootlegger”, “Bootlegger LG”, “Bootlegger XL”
Left To Right- 20 Gal With “Bootlegger”, “Fat 50” with “Tall Mini XL” and a “Conical Arm”, “Fat 25” with “Amandas Bootlegger”
“XL Cap”-
The “XL” is our largest cap. It offers the most surface area of any cap we offer. This cap has a massive interior, slowing the vapor for maximum sulfide removal. It also offers the most natural reflux out of all of our caps. These caps are HUGE! They really fit best with our larger stills, especially our “Fat Bottom” stills! This cap has 3 variations, with the option of a straight pipe lyne arm or a “conical / “tapered” lyne arm!
-“XL” is 19.5″ tall and 11.5″ wide. The very first one was originally designed for Moonshiner Kelly Williamson. It fits well on our 50, and 75 gallon stills.
“Fat 50” With “XL”
-“Mini XL” is 13.5″ tall and 9″ wide. This was designed as a smaller alternative to our “XL”. It pairs well with our 20-50 gallon stills.
“Fat 25” with “Mini XL”
Left to Right- “XL” VS “Mini XL”
-“Tall Mini XL” is 17.5″ tall and 9″ wide. This cap is a slightly taller variation of the “Mini XL”. Made to add a little more height to the “Mini XL”. It pairs well on 40-75 gallon stills.
75 Gallon with “Tall Mini XL”
“Fat 50” with “Tall Mini XL” and “Conical Arm”
*BONUS PHOTO- “Fat 50” with Custom “Extra Tall Mini XL”
“Coneheads”-
The “Coneheads” are great for flavor! The streamlined and gentle taper design allows flavor rich vapor to easily travel from the still. With little disruption and interference, vapor passes with little disturbance, carrying as much flavor as it can. The design is also great for stripping stills that are looking to produce as quickly as possible. The height of these caps allows slight passive reflux.
-“Small Conehead” is a tall skinny cone about 20″ tall. It tapers from the 6″ tri clamp connection to a 2″ tri clamp ferrule. It is a great cap for 10-30 gallon stills.
“Thick 30” with “Small Conehead”
-“Large Conehead” is about 28″ tall and 9″ at its widest point. The expanded middle acts similarly to a boil ball or whiskey helmet. It is a great cap for 30-75 gallon stills.
Custom 40 Gallon with “Large Conehead”
“Fat 50” with “Large Conehead”
-“XL Conehead” is about 26″ tall and 12″ at its widest point. The expanded middle acts similarly to a boil ball or whiskey helmet. It is a great cap for 50-75 gallon stills.
“Wide 75” with “XL Conehead”
-***Comparison photos of a few “Coneheads”***
Left to Right- “Small Conehead”, “Large Conehead”, “Large Conehead” for 100+ Gallon Stills (uses 8″ tri clamp)
Left to Right- 150 Gallon with “Large Conehead”, “Fat 50” with “Large Conehead”, 20 Gallon with “Small Conehead”
Left to Right- 150 Gallon with “Large Conehead”, 20 Gallon with “Small Conehead”, “Fat 50” with “Large Conehead”
This guide will not be covering still caps for stills over 75 gallons. As you’ll notice we don’t have a ton of options on our website for 100-200 gallon stills. This is because larger stills are often very customized, so each one is often very different. We usually use an 8″ tri clamp for those sizes (unless requested otherwise). We did want to leave a few photos of some bigger stills and their caps though, so people can see some of the things we have done in the past. If you have questions about larger stills or a cap for a larger still, just reach out to us and we will be happy to help!
200 Gallon with “Large Conehead”
150 Gallon with “Large Conehead”
110 Gallon with Custom “Conehead”
200 Gallon with Custom “Bootlegger”
110 Gallon with Custom “Bootlegger”
Left to Right- 110 Gal with “Bootlegger” VS “Fat 25″ with ” Amandas Bootlegger”
Jeff Swinging from a 150 Gallon “Large Conehead”
This is an amazing guide for caps. I have really been wondering what the difference was. Thank you for putting it together!!