Oak barrels. How to make a simple moonshine still with your own hands How to assemble a moonshine still correctly

Today on the market there is a huge number of different manufacturers of moonshine stills and distillers, differing in performance, volume, configuration and dimensions. Beginning moonshiners, as a rule, purchase ready-made moonshine stills; people who have been producing and brewing moonshine for a long time often try to make a moonshine still on their own. We have already written about the method; however, in this article we will make a moonshine still from scratch.

Self-production of a moonshine still allows you to get a high-performance device tailored exclusively to your needs. From a purely technological point of view, a moonshine still is not something complicated. Having metalworking skills, ideally metalworking equipment, will allow you to obtain products that are an order of magnitude ahead of sold products in terms of productivity and quality of the resulting product.

In this article we will look at the diagrams and instructions for creating a classic moonshine still, consisting of a still, a steamer and a water cooler; throughout the article we will refer to previous publications related to the creation of a moonshine still. We’ll talk separately about connecting elements and steam fittings, and also consider methods for sealing individual components of a moonshine still.

The distillation cube is a container for heating and boiling mash. It is a sealed container with one outlet pipe (for alcohol and water vapor). A high-quality distillation cube must be made of metal that can withstand prolonged heating. A special case of a distillation cube is. The ideal still is a hollow copper ball with an outlet pipe at the top of the ball.

Material for the still

Metal must be used as the material for the distillation cube. From a technological point of view, the best distillation cube for a moonshine still will be made of copper, however, the cost of the material is too high, so home craftsmen practically do not make moonshine stills from copper.

Soviet moonshine stills were made of aluminum. This metal has high thermal conductivity, second only to copper among base metals: for copper this figure is 370-380 W/(m*K), for silver - 410 W/(M*K), for aluminum - 200-220 W/(m *TO). ( Source: Industrial Ovens Reference manual for calculations and design. 2nd edition, expanded and revised, Kazantsev E.I. M., “Metallurgy”, 1975. - 368 p.). However, aluminum is a short-lived material. The oxide film covering the metal can be destroyed by the action of organic acids contained in the mash, as a result of which aluminum stills begin to become covered with leaks after 2-3 years.

High thermal conductivity allows the entire volume of mash to be heated more evenly, however, it does not have a special effect on the quality of the finished product. Some moonshiners believe that the use of copper moonshine stills gives the final product a special taste; however, as you might guess, this is more of a self-hypnosis effect.

A good and practical solution is to use enamel cookware. Steel has a thermal conductivity of around 50 W/m*K. Enameled steel does not react with mash and can withstand high pressure, high acidity, and high temperature.

Distillation volume

When creating your own moonshine still, you need to know exactly how much volume of the distillation cube you need. Here it is worth relying on the maximum required performance of the cube, as well as on the simple convenience of the moonshiner. Large stills are simply inconvenient to use: they need to be filled, raised, lowered. In addition, the larger the distillation cube, the longer the mash is heated in it, therefore, the duration of the single distillation cycle increases.

To roughly calculate the required capacity, you can be guided by the following considerations: distilling 100 liters of mash yields about 10 liters of moonshine. Therefore, calculate how much moonshine you want to get in one distillation cycle, multiply this amount by 10, and you will get the recommended volume of the moonshine still. It is worth considering that the distillation cube cannot be filled to the brim, and it is necessary to leave at least 20% of free space: otherwise, the mash will simply flow through the pipes into the refrigerator and spoil the final product.

Ready-made containers

In 9 cases out of ten, ready-made containers are used for the distillation cube, which were previously used for something else. These can be 20 and 40 liter milk cans, brewed and sealed pans.

Pressure cookers are initially sealed, however, they have a significant drawback: a very modest volume. The capacity of the pressure cooker is about 10-15 liters, which allows you to get no more than 1-1.5 liters of pure moonshine during one distillation. On the other hand, to convert a pressure cooker into a moonshine still, you just need to drill a hole in the lid and take care of sealing the outlet pipe.

Enameled pans can be useful for those who do not want to pour the mash from the fermentation container into the distillation container. The mash may simply fit in the container itself. The hole is made in the same way, using a slowly rotating drill bit. The disadvantages include the rather large difficulty of sealing the lid before distillation.

Milk can

One of the most popular solutions is the use of aluminum milk cans. The advantages include ease of transportation and lifting onto a gas stove, a high degree of tightness when closing the lid, as well as ease of screwing in the outlet pipe. The disadvantages include the need to necessarily replace the rubber seal with a silicone one (rubber greatly spoils the aroma of the future drink).

The procedure for creating a moonshine still from a milk can is as follows:

Remove the rubber gasket under the cover.
Applying aquarium silicone sealant to the edges of the lid. A total of three layers of silicone must be applied: each subsequent layer is applied only after the previous one has completely dried.
After applying the last layer of sealant, a plastic bag is placed on the edges of the neck, after which the can is closed and sealed with a clamp. After the silicone sealant has dried, it will have an ideal shape, and the lid will be pressed as closely as possible to the edges of the neck.
A hole is made in the tank lid. The squeegee is inserted there, sealed with a rubber ring on both sides and tightened with a nut. The diameter of the drive must be selected in accordance with the diameter of the future tube.

Squeegee for aluminum tank

Coil for moonshine still

The coil is the second essential part of any moonshine still. A coil (or refrigerator) is a device that cools vapors to a liquid state. It is a chamber containing coolant circulating along the external circuit. Inside the chamber, in the water column, there is a coil - a spirally twisted tube through which steam flows. The shape of the tube in the form of a coil provides the largest possible gas-metal-water surface area, and, accordingly, the most efficient heat transfer.

Coil material

The body is made of steel or stainless steel. As a rule, a parallelepiped or cylinder is created. A copper, steel or aluminum tube is used as a coil.

A copper tube is preferable: it has a better thermal conductivity value, and, as a result, the vapors cool much faster. In practice, this means almost complete absence of odor during distillation. The disadvantages include the high rate of corrosion: copper oxidizes very quickly and becomes covered with a green coating, which forces the moonshiner to constantly clean both the outside and inside the coil. On the other hand, in France and Scotland, copper is the only approved material for creating still coils.
Aluminum tubes are less efficient, but can last much longer without any maintenance. Aluminum is coated with a thin layer of oxide, which is strong both from a mechanical and chemical point of view, while its efficiency can be compared with its copper counterparts.
Steel coils are the least efficient, which forces you to use a long, thin tube as the coil. On the other hand, steel coils are the cheapest and, moreover, absolutely safe. Steel does not react with alcohol.

Glass laboratory refrigeration equipment cannot be used for distillation: it has extremely low efficiency, so the steam will simply come out the other end without cooling. In addition, glass is extremely fragile and inconvenient to use.

Which tube should I take for a moonshine still?

The efficiency of the coil depends on two parameters - the material and the surface area of the tube. So, if you have a copper coil, then to create its complete analogue from aluminum you need to take the same aluminum tube 1.6 times longer (the longer length of the aluminum tube compensates for the low thermal conductivity of the aluminum itself).

As a rule, copper and aluminum tubes are sold in lengths that are multiples of one meter. As a result, it is enough to buy two meters of aluminum tube, or two meters of copper.

Now regarding the inner diameter of the tube.

On the Alcofan.Com website it is written that “the larger the diameter of the coil, the lower the hydraulic resistance and the more efficient the cooling (due to an increase in the area of contact of the steam with the walls).” In fact, from a physical point of view, this is complete stupidity. Doubling the tube diameter will double the surface area; however, as the surface area increases, the volume of steam that needs to be cooled will also increase fourfold. Thus, the total efficiency will be reduced by half. All other things being equal, it is better to use a thin tube.

On the other hand, when creating a coil, a thin tube may simply be flattened. The optimal internal diameter of the copper coil tube for a moonshine still is 5-10 mm. The thickness of the tube walls is 1-2.5 mm.

How to make a coil?

The tube is filled with sand and screwed onto something cylindrical (for example, a thick steel pipe). Sand is necessary to prevent the tube from flattening and closing inside; After this, the sand is simply blown out, poured out and washed away. Moreover, it is worth understanding that the coil must be in contact with water from all sides, so you need to wind the tube with a certain pitch and distance between the turns.

The final diameter of the coil along the outer part of the tube must be less than the width of the chamber so that water flows through the outer part of the coil.

Orientation of the coil in space

It is better to position the coil in such a way that steam enters from above and, spinning, falls down and condenses. This arrangement of the coil is the most optimal. If the steam inlet is located at the bottom, this will contribute to the formation of alcohol plugs inside the coil: the alcohol will cool, condense and flow down, forming plugs. Supplying steam from above will cause the condensed alcohol to flow down on its own without increasing the pressure inside the system.

The horizontal arrangement of the coil will also lead to the formation of traffic jams, and there will be many of them on each turn of the coil.

Supplying water to the chamber

Water should be supplied to the chamber from bottom to top. The reason is that supplying water from above will cause water to immediately flow out from below, while the chamber will remain empty, filled with air. To ensure that the chamber is completely filled with water, it is necessary to use the bottom feed.

You should not use a bucket, trough, or pan with a coil lowered into it as a camera.

The efficiency of such cooling is extremely low: the water in the final container will quickly heat up, which will reduce the efficiency of the distiller itself.
The outlet pipe (from which the moonshine will flow) must be made at the bottom, and not thrown over the edge of a bucket or pan. Otherwise, hydraulic plugs will form.
You can easily trip through such a structure, it can easily be touched and knocked over.

Sukhoparnik

A steamer is an optional, but highly desirable device that allows you to purify moonshine at the distillation stage. It is a chamber into which steam enters from the distillation cube and then leaves it. The principle of operation is that after a sharp drop in steam pressure (exit from the tube), fusel oils, which have a low boiling point, first fall into the liquid fraction. The alcohol vapor goes further.

As a result, it is possible to catch heavy oils at the stage of the vapor-gas mixture and purify the moonshine from them. The resulting liquid from filtration will have a very bright and pungent odor, vaguely reminiscent of garlic and kvass. This liquid contains a huge amount of aromatic benzenes, which, alas, cannot be used in the further process of moonshine brewing.

In some cases, the steamer is used for the exact opposite of things - to add aromatic oils. To do this, citrus zest, orange peels, and apple slices are placed on the bottom of the steamer. As a result, the finished moonshine will contain notes of these fruits.

About how to make a high-quality steamer.

Moonshine still heating system

Moonshine stills can be heated over an open fire (wood or gas) or using an electric heater.

The use of open fire has the following nuances:

Such heating has low inertia. That is, they turned off the gas, poured water on the fire - the heating suddenly stopped and the process of cooling the mash immediately began.
Combustion products must be removed somehow or their presence must be tolerated. Thus, using a gas stove will lead to the appearance of a large amount of carbon monoxide in the room, and will also dry out the air greatly.
It is difficult to automate the process.
High fire hazard.

Electric heaters do not have some of the disadvantages:

Inertia is significantly greater; however, in practice it does not matter how quickly cooling begins, immediately or after two minutes.
The ability to significantly automate the process.
Possibility to install a heater inside the cube (heater)
Some of the mash will stick to the heater
Heating with electricity is more expensive.

Automating electric heaters is quite simple: to do this, install a thermostat that automatically turns on the heating when it drops to a certain temperature, and turns off the heating after the upper temperature level is reached. The thermostat allows you to get a very high-quality product by keeping the mash constantly at the same temperature, however, the production time is greatly extended.

It is not worth considering heating by other methods (steam and induction cookers): it is expensive and ineffective.

How to install a thermometer in a moonshine still?

Installation of a thermometer in a moonshine still depends on the type of device being installed. All thermometers for a self-digging apparatus can be divided into two types:

Mechanical (bimetallic) are simple, fail-safe devices that can operate without batteries. They are characterized by high reliability, but low accuracy. They are a dial with an arrow.
And digital (electrical) devices are precision devices that require the use of batteries to operate. Capable of displaying temperature to the nearest tenth of a degree. Can be used in conjunction with automation devices.

The thermometer is usually installed in the upper part of the cube. A hole is made in the cube into which the thermometer itself is inserted. In the case of a bimetallic thermometer, it is secured with a bolt or nut. An electric thermometer is also installed in the upper part, however, when installing it, you need to be more careful about the issue of sealing.

It is not worth purchasing thermometers that are attached with Velcro, tape, or clamps - the sensor itself must be located inside the environment whose temperature is being measured. The use of half measures - Velcro and fasteners - not only does not provide the required accuracy, but also leads to the constant fall of the sensors due to the lack of reliable fastening.

Connections and fittings, hoses for moonshine still

Many people underestimate the importance of the elements connecting the individual parts of the moonshine still. We are talking about tubes and pipes. The wrong choice can not only degrade your moonshine or make it unusable, but also simply destroy the entire device. A responsible choice of hose for a moonshine still will allow you to forget about any problems forever.

The most commonly used are steel tubes or stainless steel tubes. Steel tubes are the most convenient for steam, since they do not sag under the influence of high temperatures. You can also use silicone tubes for introducing and removing vapors, but you need to make sure that they will not fall or close inside due to high temperature.

It is unacceptable to use garden hoses: they are made of polyvinyl chloride and, when exposed to high temperatures, begin to poison your alcohol with harmful substances. Checking for PVC in a hose is quite simple - just set it on fire. PVC hoses burn actively, turning into a black mass. Silicone hoses do not turn black, but simply melt.

To connect hoses, it is necessary to use fittings, valves, and tees. They can be purchased at almost any plumbing store. Almost any fittings are suitable, including steel, brass and bronze.

For the refrigerator, for supplying and draining water, you can use any hoses, including those made of PVC. It is convenient to use silicone hoses. Make sure that the hoses are securely attached so that water from the refrigerator does not leak onto the floor over time. Use clamps whenever possible.

Moonshine– this is a whole wonderful world. You only have to try a drink made with your own hands once and you will understand that store-bought drinks do not evoke virtually any emotions. But, as in any matter, without some knowledge in the area, not even the first pancake can come out lumpy.

Beginners who are just starting to take the first step in making their own alcohol ask themselves a thousand and one questions:

alcohol mashine?
What's happened ?
Why in moonshine?
How to make it yourself?
How to do it at home?
What should it be?

What's better - purchased or homemade? Which device will work smoothly for decades, and which will require constant attention and constant maintenance?

Device, types and rating of the best

We have prepared a number of articles for you, after reading which you will become a real ace. Everything related to the design of moonshine stills, a description of physical and chemical processes, technologies and, of course, detailed information.

Try to start small - by reading an article about. The simple and intelligible language in which our authors write is aimed at ensuring that all the nuances of moonshine brewing are easily understood by people far from the technologist profession. Following tips and tricks In this section, in a few days you will understand all the important nuances of production.

This section will also be useful to relatives of people who are passionate about moonshine brewing. We will help you choose exactly the right one gift a moonshine still that your loved one will appreciate.

And, believe me, the most difficult thing is take the first step. But we have done everything to make this step a little easier for you.

The design of a moonshine still is not particularly complex; for this reason, some craftsmen make devices literally “on their knees.” And device manufacturers are coming up with more and more new designs that should provide people with high-quality alcohol. Moonshine stills have been known to mankind for quite a long time; some of them were familiar to the Egyptians back in the 3rd century. In Rus', similar devices appeared a little later - in the 16th-17th centuries.

Classic version

What exactly is included in the design of the device and what are its parts responsible for?

Design principle of the classic model:

A moonshine still of the correct design must certainly have a distillation cube and a container for storing mash. The cube must be made of durable material, preferably stainless steel, but it is permissible to use an aluminum can as a distillation cube. An aluminum milk storage can is best used for this purpose as it has a sealed lid. If the cube is made of stainless steel, then it tolerates contact well with aggressive substances, alcohols and fusel oils. Aluminum is not as stable as stainless steel, so over the years, harmful substances that are formed during the oxidation of aluminum can enter the mash.
The thermometer helps maintain the temperature: the fact is that during the boiling process, fusel oils and water evaporate at one temperature, and alcohol at another. For this reason, it is worth monitoring the indicators and avoiding overheating, since it is dangerous for moonshine and can affect its quality.
The device is also equipped with a coil - it acts as a connecting element. It is through the coil that alcohol-containing vapors pass, which arise during the heating or boiling of the mash. The vapor enters the steamer from the coil and is converted into a ready-to-use product.
The role of the vaporizer is to clean alcohol-containing vapors from fusel oils and other harmful substances. The dry steam tank is often called a deflector or sump. Passing through the device, harmful substances settle in the steam chamber. But this part of the device can not only clean alcohol from impurities, it is often used to add a certain aroma to the drink. Orange or lemon peels are placed in the steamer to give the moonshine additional piquancy, pleasant taste and smell.
A refrigerator is a zone in which condensation is produced and the vapor is converted into an alcohol solution. If we are talking about a device that has a connection to running water, then cooling occurs due to its circulation, and if there is no access to water, then use a container filled with cool liquid.

Moonshine still design

But good alcohol can be produced not only with the help of a moonshine still; ratification columns are often used to obtain high-quality alcohol.

Ratification column and its structure

Many people think that the ratification column is the apparatus for distilling moonshine, but in reality this is not the case. A ratification column is a device that has a unique structure and differs from a device for producing moonshine from mash in that it allows you to obtain high-quality alcohol with a strength of up to 90 degrees.

In the production of tinctures, liqueurs and other strong drinks, a ratification column is indispensable, since only this device can be used in the production of such drinks.

To understand the principle of operation of the device, it is worth considering what the ratification column consists of and what are the features of its design.

The device has:

A container that heats up during operation of the device.
Distiller with nozzles and cooling device.
There is also a column in the design.

Today, such devices are used not only for the production of alcohol. The ratification column has found application in pharmacology, the oil industry and other industries.

The operating principle of the column is as follows:

The container containing the mash or solution is gradually heated, and the liquid is brought to a boil. During the boiling process, abundant steam is released.
The steam that appears during the boiling process gradually rises as a result of rising temperatures; the steam flows through the column. It “gains strength” due to attachments that increase heat transfer.
The steam reaches the cooling device and distillation converts the vapor mixture into alcohol. The liquid returns back, it flows down the column again, nozzles are involved in this process.
As the liquid moves down the column, it encounters vapor and goes through distillation a second time. Thanks to the repeated distillation process and contact with vapor, the quality of the main product and the strength of the drink increases. This ultimately allows you to obtain alcohol with a strength of up to 90 degrees.

The design features of the ratification column ensure its high productivity. Naturally, this device cannot be compared with a high-power moonshine still. But it is worth noting that given the column’s ability to produce high-quality alcohol, it is not much inferior in characteristics to a home brewing apparatus.

However, any device has its pros and cons, but for those who like to produce alcoholic beverages at home, a ratification column or a moonshine still are essential devices.

Naturally, the devices are quite expensive; the price of a good apparatus for the production of strong drinks can reach 20–30 thousand rubles. But some people successfully solved this problem and made their own moonshine still from improvised materials. What is the operating principle of these devices?

Manufacturing of moonshine stills

It’s not easy to make a moonshine still with your own hands, but don’t despair, the devices of some devices are so primitive that even a beginner can assemble them with their own hands without certain skills.

Everyone knows that most often devices are made of stainless steel, since it is durable and resistant to acids, alcohols and solvents.

A homemade moonshine production plant at home can have the following varieties:

You can make the device from a can, which is used for storing and transporting milk. Instead of a can, you can take a flask or any other container. The can will play the role of a distillation cube; it will be equipped with a flow-through coil or a refrigerator, which is basically the same thing. The refrigerator is made of copper tube. To improve product quality, it is worth attaching a steam steamer to the structure.
The second type of device can also be assembled from a can for storing milk; it is equipped with a powerful refrigerator of five tubes, which increase the reliability and efficiency of the device. In order to obtain the highest quality alcohol, a steamer is attached to the apparatus.
For experienced engineers, a device made entirely of stainless steel is suitable. Its advantage is its compactness and the possibility of complete disassembly. The design is very interesting, it is full of unique engineering solutions and ideas. In addition, the device will help to expel high-quality alcohol due to the fact that it is equipped with a double steam chamber.
You can make a device for dispensing strong drinks from any pot you have in the house. The saucepan is supplemented with a tube, which serves as a refrigerator, and a steamer, in which harmful substances, fusel, settle.
In 2–2.5 hours you can assemble a moonshine still from a glass jar and a coil. If you need to enhance the quality of the product, then you will have to attach a steamer to the device. Despite this simplicity of design, the device will help produce alcohol of good quality. But, naturally, its productivity is low.
If you combine a glass jar and a computer cooler, you can make a device for distilling moonshine. An attempt to abandon water cooling leads to its replacement with a small fan. And the jar will act as a distillation cube. This device is simple in design and can be assembled in just a few hours.
But this is not the simplest device that was created by craftsmen. If you take a bucket, pour mash into it, cover it with a bag, make a small hole in it and fill it with water and ice, you can get a device for preparing alcohol-containing drinks. Such a device will help distill alcohol from mash, but the quality of the drink obtained in this way leaves much to be desired. Instead of a bag with a recess, you can use a bowl of cold water that will float on the surface of the bucket and cool the mash. But there must certainly be a container above the mash, in which the alcohol vapors will condense, turning into the coveted moonshine.

The desire to create a device for the production of moonshine does not always end in success, although the design of the device is simple. But it has certain features, for this reason there is a risk of spending money on raw materials, time, and getting nothing as a result.

For those who are not good at constructing devices for converting mash into alcohol, you can use special kits. They contain all the parts that are necessary to assemble the device and also instructions - it will help you understand the design features and do everything correctly.

Today in stores you can easily find devices that are equipped with all the necessary parts. Such kits are cheaper than the assembled device.

If you want to create a device for producing alcohol with your own hands, then you should approach the process with all responsibility. You should not skimp on the source code and you need to think through all the design features in advance, make drawings, or at least find samples on the Internet. Only by thinking through all the features of the device down to the smallest detail can you not only make the device yourself, but also ultimately get the pleasure of assembling the device and distilling alcohol. And also subsequently enjoy the result of your labor!

The quality of alcoholic beverages sold in stores decreases significantly every year, and their cost is steadily increasing. On the other hand, people have been practicing the method of independently producing a high-quality alcoholic product - moonshine - for quite a long time.

To make this drink, it is necessary to follow a certain technology, which requires, in addition to the use of natural ingredients, the presence of a special apparatus. Its various variations can be purchased in stores and on the market, but for maximum confidence in its reliability, it is better to approach the matter responsibly and make it yourself.

How and why to make a personal moonshine still

Good moonshine has always been highly valued both by ordinary people and by people who understand this matter. Most, after trying real homemade moonshine, will no longer look towards the vodka and cognac sold in stores.

High-quality moonshine usually has a high degree of purity from harmful impurities, is soft to drink, transparent and has minimal impact on the condition of internal organs. Considering all these positive qualities, many lovers of good alcohol have the question: “Why not make it yourself?”

The circuit of a moonshine still is very simple and is no different from a laboratory distiller

This requires the manufacture of a moonshine still at home. The advantages of this approach include the following points:

What does a moonshine still consist of?

A home-made and store-bought design for moonshine racing will always have one thing in common - the design of the device.

The structure of these devices includes the following elements:

container for heated mash or other raw materials containing alcohol;
a coil, or as it is popularly called a “refrigerator”, necessary for the process of condensation of the formed alcohol vapor;
connecting hoses and other elements designed to connect the structural components of a system.

More advanced designs are equipped with a variety of devices - reflux condensers, bubblers, carbon or wood filters

Connecting elements

The materials used to connect the constituent components of the apparatus play a very important role in the process of moonshine production itself. When selecting unsuccessful tubes, the color, smell, and taste of the resulting liquid may change.

Distillation cube at home

To make such an important component of a moonshine still as a distillation cube, you will need a large container made of a reliable, non-oxidizing substance. In this regard, it is best to use a food can; its volume can be up to forty liters.

This will allow you to brew moonshine much less often and still get the required amount of moonshine up to twenty liters. In an apartment, it is possible to use even a ten-liter pan as a cube.

Coil

It is popularly called a refrigerator because this part cools the vapor containing alcohol and condenses it into a liquid that is collected at the outlet. Externally, this part is a tube made of various materials that conduct heat well, twisted into a spiral and immersed in a container with cold (ideally running) water.

Most often it is made of copper, stainless steel or even glass. The choice of a suitable material is based on material capabilities and desire; it is only important that rubber and other non-metallic products are not used for this purpose, since they are actively destroyed in an aggressive environment due to hot alcohol vapor and significantly deteriorate the quality of the product.

Sukhoparnik

This simple device is the final step in obtaining the highest quality moonshine, purified from any harmful additives and possessing crystal transparency. The most common cause of morning headaches after drinking large amounts of home- or factory-produced alcohol is the presence of fusel oils.

With your own hands? What materials and equipment to use, how to choose the right containers? This article provides clear instructions and describes the design of a moonshine still with diagrams and precise drawings. Following the recommendations of experts will help you create a unit for distilling mash at home, spending a minimum of money and effort.

The process is fully described here using the example of creating a real unit. This moonshine still was made with my own hands more than 2 decades ago, it still works properly and produces a finished product of excellent quality. To ensure that your homemade assistant lasts no less, you should carefully select materials. Aluminum and copper are not suitable for such purposes. Ordinary steel also reacts with acidic environments. Our choice should fall on those materials that can safely interact with food. These are titanium and stainless steel. Alloys with titanium are very expensive, and in many cases it is advisable to choose a store-bought moonshine still and build something else with your own hands.

Parts and containers made of stainless food steel are quite easy to find; they are found in every home. Do not use rubber hoses and gaskets. When in contact with alcohol-containing drinks and products, they begin to negatively affect their smell and taste. At the time of the creation of this unit for moonshine, high-quality silicone was not available. Therefore, the sealing elements are made of good quality genuine leather.

The quality of the container for heating the mash greatly affects the quality of the final product. You can use a milk can for this. Industrial containers with a volume of 38-40 liters are made of food-grade aluminum. Sealing is ensured thanks to the presence of a special clamp. If such containers are not available, you can purchase special tanks and cans and stainless steel High Quality.

One of the important elements of a moonshine still is the cooler. In the simplest drawings you can see that it is represented by a metal coil. Recommended diameter is 8-10 mm. But it all depends on the dimensions of the entire structure and the volume of distilled mash. The picture shows how to make a coil for a moonshine still with your own hands. Any flat and smooth object with a round, even cross-section can be used as a base onto which a thin-walled tube is wound. A glass bottle, for example, a wine bottle, is also perfect for such purposes.

The figure shows the creation of a cooler from a stainless tube, which is wound on a bar with a diameter of 35 mm. Initially, it is necessary to fill the future coil with sand so that it does not deform or break during the winding process. The ends can be closed with plugs or clamped with pliers. 2 meters is the optimal length of the workpiece. On one side, a nut of suitable diameter must be welded to the rod as shown in the figure. After the coil is ready, the ends should be freed and the sand should be poured out. Then rinse the cooler thoroughly with running water.

In the example, a pipe with a diameter of 75 mm is used for the refrigerator body. Holes with a diameter of 8 mm were made in the lower and upper parts, through which the ends of the coil of the moonshine still, made by hand, will subsequently be brought out. The cooler must be placed according to the drawing, then the covers and pipes are put on, all parts are welded well. At the next stage, it is important to check the tightness of the structure. It is necessary to weld a fitting with an external thread; it must be in the hole in the water supply. The homemade refrigerator for the moonshine still is ready.

The device under consideration has shown in practice excellent condensate throughput - up to 8 liters per hour. But for this it is important to adhere to the scheme; the tube must be at least 2 meters long. If you want to get good homemade moonshine, you should distill the moonshine at a speed of no more than 3 liters per hour. At higher rates in homemade devices, intense boiling of the mash may be observed. And this is the entry of excess impurities into moonshine, which is a negative point. When assembling the cooler, it is important not to break the rules: cold water is supplied from below, and waste water is drained through the upper hole. If you do the opposite, the efficiency of the heat exchange unit drops significantly due to the counterflow of the liquid.

The steam-gas mixture line must be equipped with a settling tank, which is located between the cooler and the distillation tank. This is necessary to delay and collect heavy fractions (fusel oils).

Between the tank and the refrigerator on the steam-gas mixture (PGM) line, it is advisable to install a settling tank that traps heavy fractions, thereby significantly improving the quality of the product. For lack of anything better, you can use a standard glass jar with pipes connected to it to dump the fusel.

The drawing of the moonshine still shows a body made of stainless steel. In the cylinder, which is played by a pipe with a diameter of 57 mm, 2 holes with a diameter of 8 mm should be drilled. Curved tubes should be installed in them, as shown in the sketch. A fitting is welded to the upper tube; it is important that it has an external thread. The seams must be well welded to ensure the tightness of the sump. The inner part of the cylinder is equipped with 2 swirlers located on opposite walls. When connecting the covers at the ends of the sump, remember that the top one must be blind. And a pipe is mounted into the lower part through a previously prepared hole, as shown in the drawing of a moonshine still, or rather, a sump for it.

The principle of operation of this unit: the ASG enters the cylinder. At the same time, the mixture expands and passes through the created labyrinth, during which fusel oils precipitate and are discharged through the lower pipe through a rubber tube. While the product is being taken, the tube can be clamped with a regular clothespin. The sediment can be drained once an hour, during which time it does not have time to rise to the pipe and spoil the finished product.

Having completed all the individual elements according to the drawings of the moonshine still, you can assemble the entire structure. Initially, it is necessary to make a hole in the lid of the milk can and pass a tube with an external thread through it. The inside of the lid must be sealed with a gasket. A stainless steel nut is screwed onto the thread on top. The upper part is also sealed with a silicone gasket (leather), a fitting is installed and secured. Then you need to weld the tube coming out of the bottom of the sump. It is good to check its connection to the fitting for leaks. Using a nut, a union nut is attached to the tube leading from the sump of a home moonshine still.

Now the moonshine still, made with your own hands and efforts, is completely ready for work. Before pouring the mash, you must once again check the tightness of all seams and threaded connections.