Since distillation also results in vaporization of several chemicals other than ethanol you can surely achieve better ethanol with the right fractional distillation apparatus. This method will separate various other chemicals including dangerous contaminants that could easily mar your experience of creating and sipping on the best possible alcoholic beverages made right at home.
Since ethanol has a lower boiling point than water, one might simply assume that by boiling your fermented mixture of water along with various sources of fermentable sugar and starch such as vegetables, fruits, or grains, one could easily get pure ethanol.
However, there are several other substances along with ethanol that are present in the fermented mash or mixture including methanol that is toxic to the human body. In addition, substances such as acetone, ethyl acetate, etc also need to be separated from the mixture to provide you with only pure ethanol. In order to achieve your aim of only allowing vaporized ethanol to drip into the collection vessel, it is important for you to engage in fractional distillation that separates each substance present in your mash as per their boiling point and molecular structure that ranges from light to heavy.
You can certainly produce perfect alcohols and spirits only if you have matching fractional distillation apparatus that can cater to your specific needs. You will need to choose distillation equipment based on the alcoholic beverage that you plan to distill although the same equipment can be used for various drinks provided you factor in temperature changes as well as adjust your heating and condensation settings accordingly. By opting for fractional distillation that separates each substance present in your raw ethanol by temperature, you can receive your desired ethanol in small or continuous batches based on your equipment while siphoning away unwanted chemicals along with any resultant water.
The fractional distilling process is achieved by placing trays or packing at various levels inside the column or neck of a pot still. Vapors of ethanol mixed with other substances that rise during boiling get trapped in these trays or packing, and condense again to drop back into the distilling vessel or simply settle on the designated tray from where it can be extracted separately. This allows only pure ethanol to escape towards the copper tubing or pipe fitted on top of the copper pot or column where it is condensed again into liquid form due to the presence of a cooling source such as running water.
For your home alcohol distillation kit you can use copper mesh or ceramic raschig rings to compel your boiling fermented mash into reflux mode. Larger distillation plants use trays that are located at varying heights inside the tall column for effective separation of ethanol from other chemicals.
You can visit various stores to browse through different types of apparatus that use the fractional route to prevent any chemical other than ethanol to complete that final journey into the condensing pipe. You should also browse through the internet to locate select manufacturers that have been producing such distilling equipment since a long time so as to ensure that you receive safe, strong, and pure ethanol on a continuous basis.
If you want to produce safe and delicious alcohol or spirits such as vodka, whisky, rum, or brandy, among others at home then you need to keep away harmful and undesired substances away from your final product. You can certainly distill better ethanol if you use the right fractional distillation apparatus that splits various substances based on their molecular construction and boiling point.