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Precision heat control at Pendle Witch Distillery

Clitheroe-based Pendle Witch Distillery is a family-run artisan distillery producing small-batch single-malt whisky, bourbon, and gin and has a focus on efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.

Its original still, which was heated by an electric heating element, presented significant challenges. Running the electrical system was costly, and site infrastructure was constraining expansion. Looking for a more effective heating solution, the distillery's founder and director, David Moore, chose two large Kothe gin stills equipped with Weishaupt WL10 oil burners when operations at the distillery were expanded. Their key advantage lies in two-stage load control, allowing for precise control of the heat input.
 

‘This wasn’t just about switching from electric to oil; it was about control. These Weishaupt burners allow us to heat the stills efficiently, managing the right temperatures without excessive fuel use,' explained David, himself an industrial heating engineer by trade.

The results speak clearly for themselves. The distiller's original 120-litre still, powered by a 38 kW electric heating element, was costly to run. In contrast, the new 400- and 1 200-litre stills, each fitted with a Weishaupt burner, now operate at a fraction of the cost.

‘Our smaller stills cost more to run than both of our new, much larger stills combined. A single run on the large still costs around £40, an astonishing reduction in energy costs,’ said David Moore.

The efficiency of the system means that the Pendle Witch Distillery is now positioned for future growth without concerns over rising energy costs, and it is a position David wouldn't hesitate in recommending to others. ‘If another distillery asked me whether electrically-heated or oil-fired stills were the future, I’d tell them without hesitation to go the route we did. It's efficient, cost-effective, and incredibly reliable.'

Facts
Project
Pendle Witch Distillery, Clitheroe
Product
Oil burners
Type
2x WL10/3-D Z
Rating
200 kW
Application
Process heat
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