Do-it-yourself moonshine still at home. Do-it-yourself moonshine still It’s better to make a moonshine still

Before you start brewing, you need to choose the appropriate device. Although the overview of moonshine stills is quite broad, the design of most models is similar. Knowing what to look for when purchasing will help you make the right choice and produce a quality drink.

To make alcoholic beverages, it is not enough to simply buy equipment; you need to understand the operating principle of the moonshine still, the operating instructions and some other subtleties. By the way, if you study the key points, you may be able to design the device yourself.

It is easy to learn the basic characteristics of the system. And if it was produced by a trusted manufacturer, then the box should contain official instructions and a step-by-step instruction manual . Regardless of the type of device, the principle of action remains unchanged and consists of certain reactions and chemical processes. The main differences are present only in the configuration, which affects productivity, quality, purity and strength of alcoholic beverages.

Types of household appliances

Currently, there are several types of household distillers. And although their structure is not much different from each other, you should know what each type is called in order to decide on the appropriate solution:

The process of alcohol formation is that different liquids begin to evaporate under the influence of different temperatures. As a result, alcohol releases vapors at temperatures slightly more than 70 degrees Celsius, and other substances from 60 degrees and above 83 degrees Celsius.

Regardless of the type and model, the key purpose of moonshine equipment is to maximize the isolation of harmful impurities from ethyl alcohol, which is suitable for further use.

Many centuries ago, people knew that alcohol boils and evaporates at lower temperatures than water. This is exactly the principle that was used in the design of the moonshine still. The process of preparing drinks consists of the following features:

1. First, you need to bring the mash to a boil, and alcohol vapor will begin to rise before the solution begins to boil. This action occurs at a temperature of 78 degrees.
2. Mixed vapors enter a container at a lower temperature.
3. The accumulated distillate slowly drains and serves as the finished product.

Despite the conventionality of the scheme, it is universal and fully describes the chemical reactions and the basic form of obtaining the drink.

When using the standard configuration, the alcohol quality is low. In addition, various impurities will appear in the composition, including fusel oils. It will also be difficult for you to regulate the process itself, and additional difficulties may arise in the future. To avoid them, the system is pre-equipped with additional elements that allow you to obtain drinks of good quality and the desired strength.

Moonshine still structure

If we consider the device moonshine system for preparing alcohol at home with maximum quality indicators of the final product, then it will look like this:

Principle of operation

Distillation column

Some people believe that distillation columns are a common type of standard moonshine distillers, however, this is a deep misconception. Not only the principle of obtaining the drink differs, but also the final quality. Distillation column allows you to obtain almost pure alcohol with a strength of 90 degrees, without any third-party flavors, including the taste of the original product.

For comparison, in classical moonshine systems such a result is not even observed during repeated distillations. The device opens up the possibility of creating elite alcoholic drinks using (if necessary) a basic distillation method. You can find a wide variety of such systems on the market, so choosing a suitable solution that will satisfy you in terms of performance, volume and product quality is very simple.

By the way, in some cases the absence of impurities and the particular purity of the output product are regarded as a defect. For example, real whiskey or chacha has exactly the aroma of the original raw material.

And if we are talking about alcohol for tinctures, then it must be extremely pure. This will save on additional distillation of the solution to remove possible impurities.

Other equipment parts

As for the main working parts of the equipment, they consist of a container that can be heated, the column itself, as well as a distiller (the Istomin alcohol brewer uses a double distillation distiller) with a cooling element or reflux condenser. Installations of this type are always present in large industrial enterprises or laboratories, including oil, gas and pharmaceutical. The operating principle consists of the following features:

The average productivity of such a column is very high, especially if there are contact elements that increase metabolic processes.

As for the productivity of standard moonshine stills, it is much higher, but the quality of the distillate is “lame”. However, with this technique you can independently change the selection speed, obtaining a different strength of the final product.

If you understand the main features of the operation of moonshine equipment, it is quite possible to make it yourself. Of course, it is better to give preference to a purchased model that is produced and equipped by a trusted company. In this case, you will not have to waste time building a complex structure, and the interval for creating the drink will be minimal. It is important to understand the type of apparatus or distillation column, after which you can begin work.

Each moonshine still or any other equipment that is sold in specialized stores comes with an additional instruction manual. Many modern models are immediately supplied with steam steamers, reflux condensers, as well as many vacuum elements.

The device itself and its components are made in accordance with the GOST standard. This means that the risk of any emergency situations is minimal. The raw materials from which different parts are made differ in certain characteristics that affect work performance.

If you want to create a system for making alcoholic beverages with your own hands, do not despair if the result is unsuccessful. And although the process is not too complicated, when designing and assembling components you need to acquire some specific skills.

You must prepare the project correctly, as well as select the appropriate materials, tools and related parts. You can’t just take a flask and equip it with fittings and cooling elements. In this case, the quality of the drink will not be good enough.

If you want to assemble a highly efficient and high-quality installation on your own, be prepared to devote yourself as much as possible to the task at hand. If you don't do this, preparing a drink will turn into a real nightmare, and not a favorite pastime.

You cannot save on materials and parts for the container (still). It is better to initially choose high-quality stainless steel parts, taking care of the purification of the final product. Especially when it comes to assembling a classic-type moonshine still. It also wouldn’t hurt to have a steamer that can clean the solution from additional impurities. Take into account all the nuances in advance and carry out surface calculations.

Features of purchasing a moonshine device

Whether you are going to purchase a distillation column, a classic moonshine device, or individual parts to create a system yourself, be prepared to take into account all the manufacturing conditions. For example, it is necessary to clarify whether there will be uninterrupted access to a source of coolant, electrical power, and so on. Only after this can you figure out how to use the system and expel the drink.

If it is difficult for you to understand all the principles of operation of the equipment, perhaps you should consult with a specialist who will describe in detail all the specifics of the upcoming process and tell you about the model range. Regarding technical characteristics, then they can be found directly from the manufacturer or in the accompanying documentation.

Attention, TODAY only!

After the bad moonshine of the 90s, many people were turned away from this drink for a long time, but recently traditions have begun to be restored. People began to understand that bad moonshine is made only from bad raw materials, and from good, high-quality raw materials, excellent alcohol is obtained, superior in quality to the same vodka.

However, it is very difficult to prepare high-quality moonshine without a special apparatus, and it is not always possible to buy it. Let’s put it this way: it costs a lot and it’s difficult to find a normal one.

Therefore, many lovers of homemade alcohol are inclined to think that they need to make a moonshine still with their own hands. What is needed for this?

Firstly, understand the essence of moonshine brewing technology, and secondly, understand which fragments must be present in the apparatus.

The principle of moonshine technology

Despite the variety of all available methods for producing moonshine, the essence of the process comes down to the fact that the raw material is heated in a sealed container, and its vapors containing alcohol are cooled as they pass through the pipe. In the form of condensation, they flow into another container. The resulting distillate is the moonshine we need.

This process is clearly shown in the figure:

Thus, we can clearly see that the moonshine still must have a container into which the raw material (mash) is poured - a distillation cube or evaporator, a pipe through which vapor will pass, a cooler and a container for collecting the distillate.

Despite its simplicity, the combination of these elements gave rise to many designs of moonshine stills. Craftsmen have long figured out how to make a moonshine still using available materials.

Moonshine still designs

Any design has its pros and cons, as well as parts that, like a designer, are put together into a specific model of the device. By the way, the quality of moonshine depends more on the accuracy of its preparation than on the complexity of the apparatus itself.

Model 1. Isothermal distillation apparatus

In the picture below you can see two almost identical moonshine stills. These are the simplest schemes that do not require any special skills to create them.

You will need: a gas or electric stove serving as a heat source (5), a large saucepan or stainless steel pot (evaporator) (3), mash (4), a dish (deep bowl) for collecting moonshine and a stand for it (2), a basin , the size corresponding to the width of the pan (entering it to the middle) (1).

The essence of working with such a device is simple: you pour the mash into the evaporator, install a stand for the moonshine collection container and place an empty container on it. Next, you install a basin that should partially fit into the evaporator, but not touch the moonshine bowl. Ice water is poured into the basin, and the entire structure is installed on a heat source (stove). To ensure tight contact, the place where the basin enters the pan can be tied with a towel soaked in cold water or a layer of fresh dough. When heated, the mash vapor comes into contact with a cold basin, and, as a result of condensation, falls in drops into a container for collecting moonshine.

This method has many disadvantages:

• there is a possibility of mash getting into the moonshine collection container
• you cannot determine the strength of the moonshine that is formed until you disassemble the device

However, this device can be improved with the help of a funnel and outlet tube (2), which replace the container for collecting moonshine in the design:

Such a device allows you to collect moonshine outside the evaporator, which reduces the number of disadvantages of such a device and improves the quality of the alcohol itself.

The funnel, like the container for collecting moonshine in the earlier model, must be placed on a stand. This stand can be a tripod or a wire basket.

Model 2. Moonshine from a pressure cooker

Do you remember Soviet pressure cookers? Nowadays they rarely cook in them, but any moonshiner who owns this treasure knows that making a full-fledged moonshine still from it is not too difficult.

How to make a moonshine still from a pressure cooker is shown in the figure:

You will need: gas stove and pressure cooker.

The technology for assembling the device is that the two valves on the cover (1) are replaced with rubber plugs, into one of which a thermometer (2) is inserted, and into the other a fairly long tube (3).

A tap (4) and a device for cooling the vapor with ice water (5) are installed on the tube. The water inlet and outlet are shown in the figure using arrows.

Sometimes a coil is inserted into the vapor cooling device (5) (as a fragment of a tube (3)). How to make it is described in detail below, and now we will tell you how to make a tube - a cooler (as in the photo).

We insert the coil or tube (3) into a piece of plastic or metal pipe:

We prepare fittings for water supply and drainage:

They will need to be glued to the cooler; for this you will need to heat them up and press them against the pipe.

Irregularities may form inside the pipe where the drill inserts. They need to be cleaned with a knife or sandpaper.

The result is a design like this:

To close the pipe on the sides, you need to cut out lids from tin from beer cans or seaming lids. You need to make slots in them for the coil tubes and glue them inside with superglue.

To completely seal the seams, you can use a hot glue gun, first forming a border around the seam using simple baking soda. You will end up with a fairly reliable design.

Next you will have to seal the coil tightly. This is done using epoxy glue, which is used to fill the entry and exit points of the coil. Sometimes, to save glue and make the structure look noble, epoxy is mixed with silver.

Attention! The second edge of the coil is sealed only after the first has completely dried. Only diligence and patience will allow you to create a high-quality cooler.

A glass tip (7) is placed on the outlet end of the tube (3) or coil, through which the moonshine enters the moonshine collection container (6). It must be installed in such a way that the distillate falls into the container, but the tip itself does not lie in it.

The collection container (6) can be a glass jar with a screw cap, in which a hole is made for inserting the tip. This container (6) must be placed in a saucepan with cold water (8).

The essence of working with the device: after the mash is poured into the pressure cooker, it is put on fire, and the cooler (5) is connected to running water. After boiling, the mash should bubble over low heat. Alcohol vapor, rising through the tube, will be cooled by the pressure of running water in the cooler and flow into an additionally cooled receiver.

Design advantages:

• minimum modifications
• Due to double cooling, a higher degree of alcohol is maintained
• there is no chance of mash getting into the moonshine collection container

Design disadvantages:

• when making a large amount of moonshine, you will have to disassemble and reassemble the structure many times
• you cannot separate the “heads” and “tails” of moonshine, which reduces its quality and requires additional purification of the product

Model 3. Alembic with coil

This is the most common model. Using it you can get 0.6-0.8 liters of moonshine per hour.

You will need: a gas stove, a large container for mash (1) with a tight-fitting lid (2), a thermometer that determines the temperature of the mash (3), a tube for removing alcohol vapors (4), a valve (tap) (5), a coil (6 ), a capacious container with inlet and drain (locations indicated by arrows) of cold water (7). In addition, you will need a container to collect the resulting alcohol.

The essence of working with the device: fill the mash container 2/3 with it and wait for it to boil (78°C). It should boil gradually and evenly. This is achieved using low to medium heat. The best option would be to lower the heating temperature after the mash reaches 75°C. Excessively violent boiling can throw mash particles into the outlet pipe and ruin the entire moonshine process.

Passing through the coil, the steam cools and enters the moonshine receiver as a ready-made distillate.

A similar moonshine still can be made from a flask in which milk is usually transported. Let's consider this option in more detail.

During the creation of the apparatus, a 40-liter flask will serve as a distillation cube. To begin, remove the lid from it and disconnect the bar that presses the lid to the flask and the lever with the clamp on the flask itself.

In addition to the dough, the fit of the lid to the flask can be ensured by “fum” tape. It will also work if, for example, you start using not a flask, but a large saucepan:

For cooling, you will need to choose a 30-liter tank made of stainless steel, galvanized iron, hard thick plastic or aluminum. A coil will be located inside it.

How to make a coil.

At home, the coil is made from a copper tube. Its diameter should be 10-12 mm, and its length should be about 3 meters.

To create a coil, a tube is wound around a pipe to form a spiral. The diameter of the spiral matters only in the sense that it should easily fit into the tank for

cooling.

The number of turns can be arbitrary - sometimes it is enough to make only 2 or 3 turns.

The coil must be bent carefully so as not to break it. To do this, a copper tube is tightly filled with sand before bending, with its ends flattened.

The finished coil is inserted into the tank vertically, and its lower end must have an exit from the tank. In this case, the tightness of the outlet can be ensured in different ways, for example, using a brass bushing with a thread along the outer diameter, a nut and a paronite gasket.

From above, the coil is attached to the tank with a clamp.

In addition, the tank must have 2 drilled holes with pieces of tube soldered into them for supplying and draining water (hoses are put on the tubes for this purpose).

It is very good when the water supply to the tank is regulated by a tap.

Model 4. Moonshine still with steamer

The design of this model almost completely duplicates the previous one, with one exception - between the container for mash and the cooler, a steam tank is installed in it (a sealed container that separates fusel oils from alcohol vapors).

In the picture this device looks like this:

The essence of the operation of a steam steamer is that when steam enters it, the pressure inside a container larger than the pipe drops, the temperature decreases, and fusel oils with a small part of the distillate precipitate. Typically, out of 10 liters of mash, this sediment is about 200 ml.

The action of the steamer is well reflected in the figure:

Creating a still with or without a steamer depends on personal preference, but you should know that when assembling a moonshine still with your own hands, it will not be difficult for you to build a steamer.

It is made from a regular 1-3 liter jar with a screw cap. Two holes are made in the lid into which fittings are inserted. They are secured with nuts and additionally treated (outside) with hot melt adhesive.

After the structure is ready, it is connected by hoses to a mash container and a cooler. At the same time, try (if possible) to ensure that the incoming tube of the steam tank is slightly lower than the outgoing tube (by 1-1.5 cm).

There is another design for a home steamer. Everything about it is also simple: one wide hole is made in the lid of the jar into which the coupling is inserted. It needs to be secured with a nut, and the tubes from the coil and mash containers must be placed inside. Before being placed in the coupling, they are cleaned and tied with threads.

Inside the lid, you need to stuff cotton wool into the gaps and fill it with epoxy glue on top. When it dries, the cotton wool is removed.

When assembling a moonshine still with your own hands, you can install a steamer on almost every model (except for the first, simplest one).

There is a similar model of a moonshine still, but still differs from the previous version.

Model 5. Device with two containers

In order to make this moonshine still with your own hands, you will need to study in detail the structure of previous models.

The disadvantage of this option is its complexity and lower alcohol yield, but the big advantage is the high quality of the resulting moonshine.

You will need:

• gas stove with two parallel burners
• large mash container (1) with a tight-fitting lid
• two thermometers (2) - to determine the temperature of the mash and water,
• tube to protect the device from pressure surges (3)
• valve (4)
• tube for removing alcohol vapors (5)
• water container (6)
• tube – cooler with coil (7)
• container for collecting the resulting alcohol, installed in a vessel with cold water (8)

The essence of working with the device:

1. We heat the water in the container (6) to 80-82°C and use a thermometer to constantly maintain it.
2. Heat the mash to 78°C. At this temperature it boils and the release of alcoholic vapors begins.
3. The vapors leaving the heating container (1) enter a container with water (6), where some of the water and fusel oils settle, while the alcohol vapors continue their journey through the cooler into the distillate collection container.

Model 6. A device created from a multicooker

This model is dictated by modernity, but not everyone likes it. Its main disadvantage is that moonshine in it can only be prepared from sugar mash, i.e. absolutely pure liquid.

The design of the device is simple, it contains only 3 elements: the multicooker itself, a glass distillation tube from the laboratory, 3 medical tubes (but better than silicone ones) of 1 meter each. In addition, you will need an outlet and a tap with running water.

The assembled device looks like this:

You need to use the device like this: after installing and securing the hoses (based on the photo), you need to set the “multi-cook” or “cooking” mode on the multicooker. The initial heating temperature should be 120°C, but when steam begins to form it will need to be reduced to 100°C.

The moonshine obtained as a result of this experiment is quite transparent, but many complain about its low strength.

P.S. The models of moonshine stills presented in the article are given as examples of their possible options.

When making a home brewing apparatus, we recommend that you use only stainless steel, glass and silicone as materials for its elements.

If you use other materials, we do not guarantee you the complete absence of harmful compounds in the moonshine produced using these machines.

The chemical composition of the distillate obtained at home can be checked in any chemical laboratory.

Moonshine brewing is nothing more than a chemical distillation process. Those who studied well at school remember that, according to official information, distillation was invented by the Arabs, but other sources say that in ancient Greece, when no one had heard of the Arabs, essential substances and other easily evaporating liquids were isolated by distillation. The main thing is to clean the alcohol vapor from accompanying substances.

Distillation of essential oils

For the production of moonshine, the invention (discovery) of the alcohol fermentation process is more important. No one can attribute its authorship - it is a natural phenomenon that has long been used by many species of wild animals to improve their mood. For example, many species of monkeys specifically wait for fallen fruits to ferment in order to eat them and, in addition to the benefits, get some pleasure in the form of intoxication.

Be that as it may, the design of moonshine stills of different nations is strikingly similar. As one of the classics said, the laws of nature cannot be abolished by voting. The technology of separating alcohol from mash by distillation is the main method of producing alcohol.

Along with it, there are other methods - freezing, diffusion, rectification, centrifugal processing of raw materials, but distillation is still the main method of producing alcohol. If there are two communicating vessels, a steam line and a certain supply of firewood, anyone can make moonshine from available raw materials.

The essence of the process is that different substances evaporate at different temperatures. The difference can be from 1 to 100 or more degrees. The mash, the result of fermentation of sugar-containing products, contains up to 14% ethyl alcohol (the most desirable substance). The rest is ethers, aldehydes, methyl alcohol, fusel oils, water, molasses and other unappetizing impurities, including a number of acids, alkalis and resins.

When the raw material is heated in a cube (evaporator), different substances evaporate at different stages. For example, at a temperature of 63 - 65 C, the lowest boiling compounds begin to evaporate - acetone, aldehydes, phenols and methylates.

At T = 68 – 70 C, ethyl alcohol appears in their composition and continues to evaporate to a temperature of 78 degrees. Further, the vapor composition is dominated by heavy-boiling oily substances - fusel.

When the temperature reaches 95 C, the composition of the vapor becomes excessively watery and the alcohol content in it decreases sharply. But heating and evaporation are only part of distillation. An equally, if not more important stage is cooling. After all, the reverse process of evaporation is condensation. Again, any C student from a comprehensive school can confirm this.

During condensation in the same mode, steam turns into liquid - first, easily evaporated compounds, then alcohol, then fusel, and at the end of distillation - distilled water.

The design of the moonshine still, despite its simplicity, allows you to regulate these complex physical and chemical processes and obtain different fractions of alcohol-containing liquids at the household level. But during distillation, it is necessary to maintain a certain thermal regime - if you simply heat the mash to a boil and wait until it condenses, the result will be the same mash, only cleared of mechanical sediment.

How does a moonshine still work?

The design of the distiller is not so important; it is more important to know how to use a moonshine still. There is nothing complicated in the moonshine brewing process. It is only important to understand the role of each component of the distillation cube.

Container for mash

It must have a volume of at least 10 liters (optimally 20-40 liters). Considering that one liter of mash yields about 250 grams of decent moonshine, then there’s no point in making a garden to get a bottle of vodka. The real productivity of the device is justified if you manage to get 3-5 liters of moonshine in one session. This amount will be enough until the next mash ripens.

Stainless steel is the most ideal material for a cube

Any container with a lid that can be sealed can be used for the cube. Aluminum milk flasks are very common. They are very convenient thanks to the hermetically sealed lid, equipped with a standard seal that can withstand high temperatures and is suitable for contact with food.

But there are a number of pitfalls here - many researchers say that the construction of a moonshine still using aluminum, be it tanks or pipelines, is unsafe for health. The bottom line is that ethyl alcohol interacts weakly with aluminum, but methyl alcohol and other components of mash and alcohol-containing vapors from a moonshine still form a number of rather dangerous compounds with this metal. If you have the opportunity to get a stainless steel or enameled tank, it’s better to forget about aluminum.

Aluminum can is the most popular cube container, but not the safest

Pipeline

So far, they haven’t come up with a better material for the coil and pipeline than stainless steel. You can use a tube with a diameter of 10 mm. Optimally - 15 – 25 mm. The peculiarity of stainless steel is that it welds well, can be threaded, and is very resistant to chemical influences, including alcohol fumes.

The length of the pipeline from the tank to the refrigerator must be at least 1 - 1.5 m. It is best if the vertical part of the L-shaped steam pipeline rises above the level of the lid by 0.5 - 0.7 m. This allows the tube to be used as a dephlegmator. The heat capacity of stainless steel is quite high and on the way to the refrigerator, some of the high-boiling fusel oils will certainly condense and flow back into the mash.

The design of moonshine stills provides that it is recommended to install a steamer on the way to the refrigerator. This is a simple design, but very effective filter for separating fusel milk. The principle of its operation is surprisingly simple (like everything ingenious). A container with a volume of 0.5 - 1 liter (regular glass jar) is equipped with an airtight lid with two pipes. The input one drops below the cut of the lid by 1.5 - 3 cm, the output one, spaced from it by 2/3 of the diameter, is 75% of the height of the jar.

The high-temperature mash vapors entering the inlet pipe are cooled in the volume of the jar, and fusel oils turn into liquid. The alcohol vapor moves further and is fed through a long tube into the refrigerator, where the moonshine condenses. The temperature on the steamer, for it to work effectively, must be at least 78 C. You can learn about measuring the temperature in a moonshine still on our website.

Moonshine still design

Fridge

One of the most important parts of the device. Regardless of its design, it must provide cooling of vapors to room temperature. The maximum permissible limit is 30 C. This is in the case of the first distillation. For more complex processes of alcohol rectification, a different mode is required.

The best refrigerator design is a stainless steel coil in a water bath. Water can be running or standing. In the first case, it is necessary to ensure its counterflow in a volume of approximately 10 liters per 100 ml of the resulting product, in the second - 25 liters per 1 liter of mash, replacing 25% of the water every 30 minutes of the distillation process.

Coil option in still water

What else you need to know about the moonshine still - the cube needs to be washed (thoroughly) after each session, the steam line also needs to be rinsed with clean water under pressure.

The structure of the moonshine still is described in detail in this video:

Despite the huge selection of moonshine stills, many still make it with their own hands. This is done for the purpose improving the quality of the distiller And saving money, since some parts may already be in the household. We will show you several paths you can take to make a full-fledged moonshine distillation apparatus. We will consider the most fast, most cheap and the most qualitative option.

It is not always profitable to manufacture all parts of the device yourself. You can buy some things, but somewhere else it’s better to save money. We will tell you the most profitable options, and you will already choose the one that is most suitable for you.

I suggest immediately making a moonshine still with so that your drink turns out cleaner and of better quality. By the way, it is the steamer that is the part that is much more profitable to make on your own rather than buy in a store.

What does a classic and high-quality distiller for moonshine consist of:

• Distillation cube (tank). This is a container from 5 to 100 liters in which the mash is heated. It is best to make it from stainless steel or copper. Enameled steel will also work, but is less preferred. Food grade aluminum only as a last resort.
• Steam line. These are tubes through which alcohol vapor moves. They can be made of stainless steel or silicone. The main thing is that they are as airtight as possible and do not absorb odors.
• Sukhoparnik. A device for purifying moonshine from harmful impurities. It is highly recommended in moonshine stills, as it definitely has an effect. Most often it is made of stainless steel, but we will use a regular small glass jar. .
• Fridge. The most complex part in the design of the distiller, which helps cool the alcohol vapor and condense it into moonshine. There are several ways to make it yourself, although it is also available for sale.

Fastest option #1

Photo of a finished moonshine still from a pan

The distillation cube is a regular one, made of stainless steel or enameled steel. The steamer and refrigerator are purchased separately and are simply inserted into a pre-drilled threaded hole.

You can make such a unit in 10 minutes, and the total cost will be about 2,500 rubles.

Ready-made apparatus from a saucepan.

Turning a pot into a moonshine still

Simply cutting a hole in the lid and inserting a steam line there will not work; you need to make the pan airtight and dense. Only after this can you connect the refrigerator and steamer.

We perform the following actions:

A coil with a steam steamer costs around 2.5 thousand rubles.

1. We buy a meter of silicone hose, cut it lengthwise and stretch it over the top diameter of the pan. This will be a homemade gasket that will keep the container tightly sealed.
2. We drill a hole in the lid for a steam line with a steamer and a refrigerator. You will most likely need a 12mm drill bit.
3. We insert the adapter into the pan, secure it inside with a nut and gasket, and attach our steam line to the outside.
4. To press the lid as tightly as possible, use paper clips: clamp the lid and pan 6–8 times along the entire diameter.
5. The distiller is ready for distillation.

Try not to accelerate the mash to maximum temperatures so that it does not begin to leak through the silicone gasket. Heat gradually.

Video instructions for making

Better to see once than hear a hundred times. Sixteen minutes author of Youtube channel Spy Gates tells and shows what actions and what tools need to be performed in order to make the device with your own hands.

This is a fairly budget-friendly and good option for all novice moonshiners for whom speed is important.

Cheapest option #2

Photo of the finished machine from a milk flask (can)

Finding it is not a problem now. Quite a lot of them remain from Soviet times, and even on Avito or Yule You can easily find a suitable option.

A flask makes a really good distillation cube of decent size, which is suitable for distilling a large volume of mash. It is not so difficult to process it into a moonshine still, because the principle remains the same as with a saucepan.

A possible option for implementing a moonshine still from a flask.

How to convert a can into a moonshine still

1. Using a 20 mm feather drill, we make a hole in the can lid.
2. We insert a brass fitting into it, which is tightly clamped from the inside with a nut and gasket.
3. If you plan to monitor the temperature, you can make another hole under.
4. We put a stainless steel gas hose on the fitting, which we connect to the steam tank.
5. , read the detailed instructions at the link provided or further watch a separate video.
6. From the steamer we move the hose to the refrigerator, which can be made flow-through or regular. The first option is more effective and complex, but for the second you just need a large container of water (bucket).
7. Let's tighten all the nuts and start making moonshine!

For moonshine it is best to use. But brass is not the worst option either, so nuts made from this material are not a problem.

Making a distiller from a can on video

One of the most detailed videos from Youtube channel OverCraft collected almost 250 thousand views. The author shows all his actions on video and makes pop-up tips that describe the diameters and names of the necessary equipment.

The video is short, but it is enough to understand the general principles of processing a can into a moonshine still.

Making a steamer with your own hands

As a bonus, we are posting a video from Antonich and Alexey Podolyak, where the author makes a steamer from an ordinary can. You can even make one using this principle (filtration is through water), if it seems to you a more useful and effective device for purifying alcohol vapor.

We believe that any classic distiller should have 1 steamer or 1 bubbler. Combining them or making several at once does not make practical sense. Just wash unnecessary equipment and increase alcohol losses.

Highest quality option #3

Photo of the finished beer keg machine

The coolest device is made from. They require serious improvement and processing, but the result is at the level of high-quality and expensive distillers.

The most popular is the 30 liter container, equipped with. This installation allows you to distill mash in any room and place where there is an electrical outlet (even on the street).

Beer keg converted into a moonshine still. In analysis.

The process of converting a beer keg into a moonshine still

The work is complex and requires skills in using a welding machine, grinder and screwdriver. The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. The hole on top for the steam line of the moonshine still is widened. A regular gas hose will not work here; you need a wide stainless steel pipe with maximum tightness.
2. A 2-inch hole is drilled at the bottom for a clamp that needs to be soldered. In the future, a heating element will be inserted into it, which heats the mash.
3. For convenience, a tap is cut into the keg to drain the stillage, the bottom is equipped with legs for stability, and handles are cut out on top.
4. You can add a thermometer to the design, which is inserted in the same way as a pan and a can.
5. Let's start the race!

The whole operation takes several days of work, since in addition to converting the keg into a distillation cube, you also need a steamer and a refrigerator.

Video instructions for converting a keg into a moonshine still

Prepared a wonderful series of videos Andrey Golubenko. Slowly, at home, involving small children in the work, the author slowly improves the design and ultimately makes a fantastic distiller that does an excellent job of distilling mash of any kind.

The process is divided into several parts, in each of which the author makes one of the parts of the apparatus design. We highly recommend viewing to all moonshiners for experience.

How to install a heating element into a distillation cube

Quite a delicate task that can be solved in two ways: by welding or without her.

In the first case, simply drill a hole and weld a clamp into which we will later screw the heating element. The whole process is clearly shown in the video from the guys Steel Jet. The process takes a long time, but it is thorough.

In the second case, you need to purchase an o-ring and special ring from the online store moonshine-and-vodka.rf. This is a rather innovative method that no one has used before.

The guys carried out a lot of testing and released a unique product onto the market that solves a serious problem for moonshiners: the jaws periodically broke due to welding. Using a ring allows you to simply screw the heating element into the hole without unnecessary welding.

Other options for making a moonshine still with your own hands

Pressure cooker

The Soviet saucepan has perfect tightness, but an extremely small volume. Having filled 75% of this container, we will end up with a maximum of 1 liter of 40-degree moonshine, and in any case we will have to distill it twice to remove harmful impurities.

External view of the finished distiller from a pressure cooker.

You shouldn’t take this option seriously, but for a change you can try distilling an alcohol-containing liquid into it and see the result. Just try to clean the product as much as possible from fusel oil.

As an alternative to stainless steel tubes, you can use food-grade silicone. It is securely tightened with clamps and does not let anything through.

Multicooker

One of the most absurd ideas that could come into the mind of a moonshiner. It has excellent tightness and already has a valve for steam release. All that remains is to insert the steam hose there and you can distill the mash into moonshine.

A working moonshine still from a multicooker with 4 bubblers.

The video shows the distillation of wine and the remaining beer from the refrigerator. Several bubblers gurgle quite coolly, although such a number is not necessary, they look impressive.

As one of the users on Youtube rightly noted in the comments, the result was not ordinary moonshine, but a real hour! 🙂

Bucket

Finally the most crazy idea, this is distilling moonshine straight from a metal bucket. Tighten the seal using regular stops, drill a hole for the tubes and move on. Perhaps this is the cheapest moonshine still, which even surpasses a milk flask. 🙂

Distilling moonshine in a bucket.

It is best to use an enamel container, which will not react in any way with mash at high temperatures. Ordinary metal is not suitable for this, so take classic 12-liter buckets with enamel.

A bucket for 800 rubles will cost you much less than a stainless steel still for 5–6 thousand.

Brief conclusions

As you already understand, making a moonshine still is not so difficult. The distillation process is not that complicated, and modern distillers with high prices have only made it easier. And cleaner. Homemade distillers cannot boast of high-quality purification of alcohol vapor, although a homemade steamer solves this problem.

You're careful enough watch training videos And Don't make a mistake with the hole diameter, which you will need to drill or weld. You can leave any questions you have in the comments under the video. Some of the authors share their experiences with users almost daily.

Good luck with your work and high-quality moonshine after distillation!

Every novice moonshiner should know the design of a moonshine still, as well as its functions and operating principle. Without knowing all the intricacies of the distillation system, a beginner will not be able to prepare a drink that his guests will appreciate. Therefore, let's look at the operating features and types of moonshine stills in more detail.

1 What does a moonshine brewing apparatus consist of?

A system for distilling and purifying homemade drinks is needed in every family whose members care about their health. After all, with the help of a moonshine still it is possible to produce not only high-quality homemade gin or cognac, but also such popular medicinal drinks as viburnum tincture with moonshine or. With their help, the treatment and rehabilitation process after illness will be faster and more effective.

As the demand for moonshine stills grows, so does the supply from their manufacturers. Trying to surprise their customers, companies equip their systems with the latest technical innovations, making them more powerful and productive. We will look at the design of a conventional moonshine unit, after studying which you will be able to understand all other, more advanced devices.

Typically, a home alcohol distillation system consists of a refrigerator connected to a still. Aluminum milk cans are often used as distillation containers at home. They are quite convenient for this work, as they have sealed lids. To turn ordinary cans into stills, you just need to drill small holes in their lids. Other products made of copper or galvanized steel will also work for this task.

A typical refrigerator for a moonshine still is a copper tube with a diameter of no more than 1 mm. The tube must be twisted and in the shape of a spiral. The refrigerator design can be air or water cooled. It is worth noting that the second cooling method is more effective for the operation of the entire system. That is why most new models of moonshine units are equipped with cooling with running water, which circulates through channels specially designed for this.

Alcohol in such systems quite quickly turns from vapor into a finished liquid. Thanks to the high speed of operation of water-cooled moonshine structures, their owners have the opportunity to produce up to 4 liters of drink per hour. Another important part of a moonshine unit is a steam chamber or reflux condenser. The element is designed to reduce or completely eliminate fusel oils and other impurities that are hazardous to human health. Their presence in the drink leads to severe poisoning, which makes it a prerequisite for the production of a high-quality homemade drink.

Let's summarize: the design of the distillation system consists of a distillation cube and a refrigerator, between which a steamer is built in. All three elements are interconnected by channels through which alcohol obtained from mash passes. In addition, additional tubes are connected to the system’s refrigerator, through which cold running water flows.

2 On what principle does the alcohol distillation system work?

The operating principle of the moonshine still is very simple. However, not all distillation systems work the same. The more technologically advanced the device itself, the more difficult it is to use. To understand how to prepare a homemade drink, you need to start with mash. It is a low-alcohol drink with a cloudy tint, which can be obtained as a result of fermentation of yeast, water and sugar.

This mixture cannot be consumed due to the large amount of fusel oils and other substances formed as a result of their combination with alcohols. This is where we need a moonshine still, all of whose actions are aimed at separating alcohol from harmful fractions and their residues.

The operation of the moonshine unit is based on simple distillation. With the help of this chemical process we obtain a high-quality and safe drink. First, mash is placed in the distillation cube, which gradually enters the steam chamber. There it is cleared of impurities, after which it goes into the refrigerator. In this part of the moonshine still, moonshine vapor is converted into liquid. This is exactly how the process of preparing a natural drink occurs.

Only by knowing about the actions of each of the elements of the distillation system can you and I understand how to use a moonshine still. But do not forget that this is only the most primitive method of preparing natural alcohol. As the number of parts in the design of the distillation system increases, the method of making moonshine also becomes more complicated.

In the circles of experienced moonshiners, there are several important rules that should be followed when preparing alcoholic beverages at home. These include:

1. It is not recommended to use the so-called “pervach” - a product formed after heating the mash to 65 ˚C;
2. Drinkable alcohol is formed when the mash is heated to 78˚C;
3. It is strictly not recommended to heat the moonshine still above 85˚C, otherwise poisonous fusel oils will begin to evaporate along with the alcohols;
4. If you notice that alcohol has begun to drip from the coil, then the preparation of moonshine can be stopped.

Each of these rules should be learned by heart and always adhere to them. Otherwise, there will be a risk of being poisoned by your own product, which can lead to irreparable consequences.

3 Types of distillation systems

Due to the desire of manufacturers to interest a potential buyer in every possible way, each of them tries to create a device that would be radically different from the products of competing companies. That is why more and more different moonshine stills are appearing on the market, which are usually classified separately.

The first factor by which systems for making moonshine are divided is their cost. Everything here is very, very simple - the more expensive the material for the unit, the higher the price of the structure itself. Therefore, experts classify distillation units into cheap, mid-price and luxury devices. The latter include systems made of noble materials, the price of which starts from 80 thousand rubles. Devices for making homemade alcohol costing from 20 to 80 thousand rubles. belong to mid-priced devices. All moonshine stills at a lower cost are among the cheap designs.

The next factor by which moonshine stills are divided is their capabilities. Thus, on the market you can find conventional systems that are intended exclusively for creating homemade drinks, as well as “3 in 1” type units ". The latter include systems in which you can produce homemade beer or use them to ferment the components of future moonshine. Such designs include the distillation system, which is well known to the domestic buyer." Japan".

In addition to these devices, mini distilleries have also appeared on the market. The main feature of such designs is the ease of preparing the drink. To get started, just place the mash in the tank of the device, connect the system to running water and plug it into a power outlet. The system will do all the rest of the work to control the temperature and other parameters. At the end of work, the mini-distillery automatically turns off.

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