The Creation of Catherine

Idea... We should try to build an 18th century still!  During countless evening discussions in front of the fireplace in the Wheel Wright Shop,  that concept was bantered about.  Abstract, impractical ideas have a way of coming to life at NYCHAPS’ Dills Tavern. Don Peroni, former shop teacher, rifle builder, restorer of early brass era cars and metal worker… with a metal shop in his home … said “let me talk to my buddy”.

That buddy was Dr Jay Helsel, mentor, professor, and former chairman of the Industrial Arts program at California University of Pennsylvania. A few weeks later, Don said “Get some copper”! Jay is excited about this project”! Fortunately, NYCHAPS had an original 50 gallon copper still built in Philadelphia by the Heiss and Justice Company around 1811.

After calculations and drawings, plywood forms were constructed to shape the copper sheets that would form the 10-gallon scale model of the original H&J still.  Don and Jay shaped the copper segments on an English Wheel making sure each fit with precision. Other volunteers were brought in for “mundane, menial tasks” like annealing copper and hammering segments on shot bags. Local welder, Stan Fleming assembled the segments into two units.

The master metal worker and his mentor created the head on a lathe and prepared to attach the lyne arm. With Don as supervisor, Murray, Sam and former Harley Davidson welder, George Platts assembled the still body. The tedious task of placing the plethora of rivets was completed and each seam was soldered with silver solder.

The lengthy process took many months of evening sessions in Don’s metal shop. The finished product was spectacular. She was nicknamed “Li’l Sister”. We were proud of her; included her in our presentations and displayed her at events and programs. However, it would be several more years until she was put into service in a distillery.

Years of fund-raising, administrative tasks, government bureaucracy, disappointments, and setbacks finally came to fruition.  Li’l Sister was installed as the spirits still in the Eichelberger Distillery. Her name was changed to Catherine in memory of the young Eichelberger daughter who drowned in 1810. But would she work?

We had hints that Catherine was an awesome little still as we “boiled water” in her while waiting for final approval of the distillery. Our hopes were exceeded when the first distillate dripped from the copper tube exiting the condenser. Catherine is a special girl. She is very predictable. After the fire is built under her she heats up quickly and at 180 degrees starts to run. Crafting our own stills is just one of the many aspects that make us and our story unique. You can visit Catherine and our larger stripping still Mary (her story coming next month) to experience how small farm distilleries operated during the 18th century at the historic Eichelberger Distillery at Dills Tavern.

~The Impractical Distillers:  Sam and Murray