This article discusses the basic diagrams of the simplest moonshine stills that you can make with your own hands in a short time. The designs are available for home production, are productive and, most importantly, safe to use. All materials for making devices are sold in stores at an affordable price.
The design of any moonshine still is based on the process of distillation - purification, separation of a mixture of liquids of different densities and chemical compositions into fractions. Our fraction, which we are going to get at home, is called moonshine, or raw alcohol, with a strength of 60 to 90 degrees.
The raw material for making alcohol in its classic form is a fermented mixture of sugar and alcohol yeast - mash. The alcohol content in the original solution reaches 14%. It is theoretically impossible to obtain more; a further increase in the concentration of ethyl alcohol inhibits the activity of yeast fungi and fermentation stops naturally.
All recommendations from experts on prolonging fermentation by adding various chemical and biological substances to the mash are from the evil one. Under no circumstances should they be used in practice. The optimal composition of mash is not exactly canonized, but has been tested in practice a thousand times - water, sugar, yeast. Old jam, expired caramel or syrups are sometimes used as sugar-containing components. This is not forbidden. Apart from imparting a specific smell to moonshine, they will not cause any further harm.
How does a moonshine still work?
The circuit of a moonshine still is very simple and is no different from a laboratory distiller. Its structure is described in detail in any chemistry textbook or laboratory equipment reference book, and the necessary drawings are also there. It consists:
- from a container for raw materials (mash);
- refrigerator;
- pipelines.
More advanced designs are equipped with a variety of devices - reflux condensers, bubblers, carbon or wood filters. Their structure and purpose will be discussed below. A home moonshine still can be easily converted into full-fledged professional equipment for the production of high-quality alcohol, the purity of which does not differ from the product of factory distillation.
The advantage of using moonshine stills at home when producing homemade alcoholic beverages is evidenced by sad statistics - most alcohol poisonings occur when drinking vodka from stores. The fact is that the production of counterfeit vodka is on an industrial basis. The raw materials used for it are alcohols of unknown origin, most often synthetic, which have nothing in common with wheat or yeast alcohol.
They affect the human body completely differently than good food distilled alcohol, and can threaten not only health, but also life, even with moderate use. Not very high-quality moonshine can only lead to a severe hangover. Therefore, let's talk about how you can brew high-quality moonshine at home, which you can drink without any special consequences (if in moderation).
The simplest moonshine still from a saucepan
The design of the most primitive distillation apparatus is simple, like everything ingenious. At the same time, it works completely normally, efficiently and safely. A do-it-yourself moonshine still is made from an ordinary five-liter saucepan (you can take a larger container), a 5-10 liter plastic bottle and a meter-long piece of copper tube with a diameter of 4-5 mm.
The simplest moonshine still from a saucepan
The handle is unscrewed from the lid of the pan and a fitting is screwed into the resulting hole, which is secured from the inside with a nut. Such fittings can be purchased at any hardware store. The diameter of the fitting is selected according to the diameter of the hole for the handle. If it is too small - less than 4 mm in diameter, then you will have to drill it out. After using the lid as a part of a moonshine still, the fitting can be removed and the handle put back in place.
We use a silicone tube of a suitable size as a steam line. It is quite flexible and durable, especially since it does not interact with alcohol vapors and is resistant to high temperatures. The smell and taste of moonshine does not change when passing through a silicone pipeline. This is confirmed by the fact that some industrial manufacturers of moonshine stills quite actively use silicone as seals and pipelines.
We make the refrigerator from a piece of copper tube, twisted into a coil with a diameter of about 8-10 cm. It is inserted into a plastic bottle with a cut off bottom, installed upside down, and comes out through a hole in the lid. Water is poured into the bottle, mash into the pan, everything is assembled into one structure and the moonshine still is ready for use.
To seal, the lid is pressed against the sides of the pan with clothespins, and the entire perimeter is coated with medium-thick flour dough. When heated, it hardens and becomes an effective sealant. You can use small carpentry clamps as clamps, and for the seal, use a silicone hose cut lengthwise with a diameter of up to 1 cm.
A home-made moonshine still is inexpensive, quick to assemble, and safe to operate. Inconveniences arise with the need to frequently replace water in the refrigerator - at least after 20-25 minutes of operation, and with the quality of the product. The moonshine obtained in this way will need to be distilled again. The productivity of the device is quite high - up to 1.5 l/hour. From 5 liters of mash you should get up to 1.5 liters of strong moonshine.
A do-it-yourself moonshine still of a more advanced design can be made in a few hours, if you do not take into account the time for purchasing purchased components - fittings, nuts, silicone and copper tubes. If you don’t have a suitable 30-40 liter pan, you’ll have to buy that too.
It is advisable to use a pan made of stainless steel or enameled. Aluminum is not suitable for various reasons. Two holes are made in the lid of the pan for a threaded fitting with a diameter of ¾ inches and for a pin thermometer. It is necessary to install a thermometer - only by completely controlling the temperature in the distillation cube can you obtain a high-quality product.
Distillation temperature
The peculiarities of moonshine brewing are that in the mash, in addition to alcohol, a number of accompanying substances with very unpleasant properties are formed, which worsen not only the taste and smell of moonshine, but also have a toxic effect on the human body. The lion's share of hangovers comes from these “supplements.”
If the distillation temperature conditions are observed, most of them can be eliminated. From the very beginning of the process, at a mash temperature of up to 60C, about 0.5 liters of the resulting liquid (you can’t call it moonshine) is taken and poured into the sewer. It consists of compounds with a boiling point lower than alcohol. It includes:
- methyl alcohol;
- acetone;
- acetaldehyde;
- ethers.
The selection of alcohol for consumption begins at a temperature of 65C and occurs in the range of 70-83C, which is maintained throughout the distillation.
Agree, it will be very difficult to work here without a thermometer.
Dephlegmator and bubbler
The lid of the pan is pressed against it with clamps around the perimeter. You will need 5-6 pieces. To increase the holding force and distribute it correctly, a clamping ring cut from plywood or durable plastic 0.5-1 cm thick is installed on the lid.
The lid is pressed with clamps
The outer diameter corresponds to the diameter of the pan collar, and the inner diameter depends on the configuration of the lid and the location of the steam line fitting and thermometer. The cover is installed on a seal made of silicone hose.
The dephlegmator is a vertical section of a ¾-inch copper tube about 40 cm long. Its role is to separate the heavy fractions of steam and condense them before entering the main steam line. The essence of the work is that the tube heats up unevenly and its upper part is colder than the lower.
As the steam rises, substances with a high boiling point (“fusel oils”) condense and flow down, back into the mash. In its action, the reflux condenser column is similar to a dry steam filter, which is not used in this design of the apparatus. But it is very appropriate to install a bubbler here.
Bubbler design
Sparging (bubbling) - mixing a liquid using gas or steam bubbles. At the same time, the level of vaporization increases due to an increase in the evaporation surface and the chemical composition of the liquid is leveled. In a moonshine still, the bubbler is used as a filter, flavoring agent and process accelerator.
Its design is quite simple, and manufacturing is not a problem even for a novice craftsman. The basis is a glass jar with a capacity of 2-3 liters with a screw cap. For devices with a cube capacity of up to 25 liters, a 1-1.5 liter jar is sufficient. Two holes are cut in the lid for tubes with a diameter of 0.5-1 cm, which are inserted with silicone seals or a screw connection with a lock nut. The device must be sealed.
Glass jar bubbler
The tube from the entrance side is made long; it does not reach the bottom of the vessel by 1.5-2 mm. The outlet pipe is 1-2 cm long below the lid. The lid is screwed tightly onto the jar and connected to the steam line. A silicone hose of suitable diameter or a stainless corrugated tube is used as a steam line. The second option is better for technical and hygienic reasons.
The long tube connects to the outlet of the cube, the short one leads to the refrigerator. Reverse connection may cause an explosion. The bubbler is a single-acting device.
A bubbler works like this - vapors coming through a long tube condense and settle to the bottom in the form of a liquid. This happens until the section of the tube is immersed in the liquid. The escaping vapors form bubbles, and the liquid begins to “boil”, although its temperature is much lower than 100C. The bubbling occurs due to gas pressure.
Alcohol vapor rises up and enters the refrigerator, and the heavy fractions of the fusel remain in the jar. They are unsuitable for further processing and are poured into the sewer. They mainly consist of poisons.
You can install several sequential bubblers on the device - this will only improve the alcohol yield. The number of bubblers does not affect the distillation speed. You can put aromatic herbs or other substances into the bubbler - orange or tangerine peels, mint, lemon balm, St. John's wort, oak bark. In this case, it will also serve as a flavoring agent. This simple device allows you to purify moonshine by 50 percent or more.
Fridge
A device of this design is suitable for working with both a refrigerator for running water and any other modification. A cooler for running water can be made from a plastic plumbing pipe or a piece of stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and a length of up to 1 m. The ends of the pipe are closed with plugs, two fittings are welded or glued into the walls - inlet and outlet, matching the diameter of the water hose. The movement of water is reverse - the inlet is at the bottom, the outlet is at the top.
In the absence of running water, any open container of 50-70 liters and a copper or stainless steel coil is used as a refrigerator. This type of refrigerator works efficiently, but is rather bulky and requires a large area for maintenance during operation.
All-metal device of block construction
Making such an installation at home is quite problematic. You will need an argon welding machine and the ability to work with stainless steel. Otherwise, its design is simple and the operating scheme is no different from an industrial distiller. Drawings of such an installation can be found on the Internet on sales sites for industrial moonshine stills.
The device consists of:
- containers for mash, which simultaneously serve as a housing on which all other parts are mounted;
- reflux condenser columns with Panchenkov nozzle;
- bubbler;
- flow refrigerator.
The entire “mount” is assembled in the form of one block located above the body of the device. The cover with the column and refrigerator is screwed to the neck of the case with 5-6 bolts through a silicone gasket. The lid contains a thermometer and an explosion valve.
The diameter of the reflux condenser column is 40-50 mm. It is welded to the lid, or screwed onto a ¾-inch diameter fitting. The second option is more technologically advanced and easier to use. Practice shows that threaded connections are much more convenient than welded ones. Homemade moonshine stills are constantly being improved as they work. It is much easier to attach or remove any knot if it is threaded.
Several stainless steel wire meshes wound into a ball, pieces of glass tubes or stainless stamping waste are installed in the column. It is difficult to buy a real Panchenkov nozzle, but its imitation works quite effectively.
From the column, the vapor flows to a collapsible bubbler equipped with a drain valve, then to a flow-type refrigerator. The capacity of the cube can vary from 10 to 30 liters. For ease of carrying, handles are welded on both sides. The productivity of such an installation is about 2 l/h. When using a beer keg as a cube, you get another very interesting design.
As it turns out, the moonshine department is very popular among subscribers. And if earlier the topics concerned mainly individual parts, today we will tell you how to make a simple moonshine still with your own hands.
To begin with, it’s worth deciding that moonshine brewing is the production of alcohol by distilling mash at home. Alcohol is always produced using the same technology, regardless of the scale - for home production or industrial production. Starch or sugar-containing raw materials are produced, to which water and yeast are added. During the fermentation process, the so-called an artificial world where single-celled fungi live. The result of their vital activity is ethyl, methyl, propyl and other alcohols with the addition of aldehydes and acetone.
Since all products, except ethyl alcohol, are harmful to humans, the task of moonshine brewing is to obtain pure ethyl alcohol in a non-lethal concentration. For these purposes, rectification is carried out, that is, the product is divided into several fractions. You can buy or, but it’s much easier and faster to make the simplest moonshine still.
The simplest moonshine still
In order to make such a design, you will need only 2 plates of larger and smaller diameter (in Fig. 2 and 4) and a saucepan (in Fig. 3).
This design works as follows. Braga is poured into the pan. A plate of smaller diameter is placed on top of the spacers so that it does not plunge into the boiling mash. A larger diameter plate is placed on the pan, into which cold water is poured.
During the boiling process, alcohol vapors are released and settle on a small plate. As a result, you get a minimum amount of moonshine (from 1 liter of mash no more than 80 ml) with a high concentration of fusel oils. To be honest, such moonshine is not only dangerous to take internally, but even used externally. This method was very popular in the Soviet Union during the Prohibition era. It is clear that the number of poisonings with such a surrogate was close to the absolute majority, which is where the belief that moonshine is pure poison came from.
In this case, it is not moonshine that is dangerous to health, but the concentration of hazardous substances - fusel oils, acetone and aldehydes. Only double and even triple distillation can produce a product that is pure and safe for life and health.
We have provided this information only to describe previously existing methods. We do not recommend making such a device at home - you will not be able to drink, and the smell in the apartment will linger for at least a week.
How to make a simple moonshine still
In this case, the design includes a distillation cube and a refrigerator. This is also a simple option, but it allows you to get a high-quality drink.
Always distill the distillate at least 2 times and use a steamer. This way you will get rid of harmful fusel oils as much as possible. Afterwards cleaning with charcoal is necessary.
Alembic
Any enameled or stainless steel container with a tight lid is suitable for this. The latter should close so tightly that it is not knocked out by excess pressure from the inside.
The second prerequisite is the presence of an outlet pipe through which steam that has not yet been divided into fractions will move. For this purpose, a through hole is made in the lid and a fitting is screwed in.
The third condition - tightness - smoothly follows from the first. If you ensure that the lid is securely fastened to the cube, the seal will be ensured. Some people cover the lid with dough, others use silicone gaskets. We recommend using pressure cookers. The price of the simplest model is 1500-2000 rubles. If you plan to brew moonshine more than once, it makes sense to buy it.
However, the pressure cooker has one serious drawback - its volume. The maximum we have seen on sale is designed for 6 liters, so you will fill the mash with 4.5 liters (no more than 2/3 of the volume). This yields a little less than a liter of moonshine. It won't be enough, but it's enough for home use.
If this volume does not suit you, buy a special distillation cube with a capacity of 10 liters or more. The average price is 3200-4000 rubles.
A milk can with a lid that screws on tightly will be an affordable and suitable distillation cube. It will really need to be coated with dough after pouring the mash, but this is even a plus - the house will smell not of fusel, but of fresh baked goods.
How to make a still in just half an hour - video
Fridge
The refrigerator in the moonshine still is divided into 2 main types depending on the method of water supply:
- filler (storage);
- flow-through
The first option is very, very bad in terms of making moonshine. Such a refrigerator can only be used if there are big problems with water in the house. The operating principle of such a refrigerator is based on immediately pouring cold water and replacing it during the brewing process.
What's wrong with this refrigerator? The fact is that the water still heats up, even if you change it often enough. The warmer the water, the slower the separation into fractions occurs, the less, accordingly, you will get the finished product.
A flow-through refrigerator is connected to a water supply and the entire time cooking is in progress, water passes through it, physically not having time to heat it to a critical limit.
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A flooded refrigerator can only be used if there is no real possibility of connecting the water supply.
Coil
An essential element of any refrigerator is a coil - a glass, copper or stainless steel spiral tube through which alcohol-containing vapors move from the distillation chamber to the receiving container, simultaneously being divided into vapor and liquid fractions.
Some moonshiners prefer to use laboratory coils made of glass. Let’s say right away that our kitchen is far from a laboratory and people walk here unprepared for such almost sterile conditions. And glass things tend to break. It is best to use a copper coil, which has a high degree of heat transfer, is safe to use and costs literally pennies.
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A refrigerator with a copper coil includes the following required elements:
- container for water;
- coil with 2 fittings - vapor inlet and moonshine outlet;
- 2 fittings for inlet/outlet of running water for cooling.
The photo shows examples of the simplest and therefore most effective refrigerators.
In the video you can see how to make the simplest refrigerator based on a corrugated gas flexible pipe. Just 1 hour and you can start working.
Final assembly
Actually, at this point the production of the moonshine still is almost completed. All that remains is to put all the components together.
For connection you must use only (!!!) silicone hoses. It is prohibited to use PVC hoses when distilling alcohol; this is very, very dangerous.
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In order to distinguish a silicone hose from PVC, it can be set on fire. There will be no smell when burning. At the same time, the hose itself is pleasant to the touch.
Sukhoparnik
No matter what anyone says about the necessity or uselessness of this detail, we insist that the product must be as clean as possible. Not like rectified alcohol, it really is practically poison, but in such a way that in the morning you can clearly remember the events of the previous evening.
A steam steamer is used to separate fusel oils from alcohol-containing steam and prevent the ingress of mash residues into the finished product.
You can purchase a ready-made steamer, which will cost 1800-2200 rubles, or make it from an ordinary can.
Take a 1- or 2-liter jar with a screw-on lid. Make holes in the lid for two fittings, inlet and outlet.
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Connect two hoses to the fittings - one comes from the distillation cube, the other goes into the refrigerator.
It is best to make a steamer from stainless steel and provide for draining fusel oils. When distilling a large amount of mash, the latter begin to move, negatively affecting the taste of the final product.
Now the simplest moonshine still is ready!
For those who still have questions - video instructions from experienced moonshiners
Do-it-yourself moonshine still is an original Russian, traditional creation of folk thought. Craftsmen manage to make installations that ensure the production of a final product that is not inferior in quality and purity to industrially produced strong drinks. With the right choice of design and careful manufacturing, you can get a fairly simple device for use that can meet your own needs for high-quality and cheap alcohol.
If you assemble the device according to the instructions below, you will be able to produce alcoholic drinks that are head and shoulders above the quality of store-bought counterparts.
At its core, any moonshine still is a home device for distilling raw materials with alcohol content into a high-strength alcoholic drink (moonshine). As a starting product, you can use any mixture that contains ethyl alcohol - this is mash, low-quality wine, alcohol with impurities (raw), etc.
The purpose of using a moonshine still is to produce an alcoholic drink with an ethyl alcohol content of at least 60-70%. At the same time, the final product must be free of impurities that are dangerous to humans, spoil the taste and impart an unpleasant odor.
The operating principle of a moonshine still is based on the fact that alcohol actively evaporates at temperatures at which water remains liquid. As is known, evaporation of water occurs when it boils, i.e. at a temperature of about 100 ºС, while alcohol begins to turn into steam already at a temperature of 55-60 ºС. The intensity of its vaporization increases with increasing temperature.
In the moonshine still, it is necessary to ensure a temperature above 55 ºС, but below 90 ºС.
- Alcohol vapor must be removed from the surface of the water, and their transformation back into liquid is ensured by condensation, i.e. contact of hot steam with a cold surface.
- The final stage consists of carefully collecting the resulting droplets of alcohol, after which it can be purified from harmful impurities.
The classic design of a moonshine still should include such basic parts as an evaporator and a condenser.
- The evaporator is a container where the raw material is heated to the desired temperature.
- A condenser is a container with a cooled surface on which condensation is released.
Additional but necessary parts in the design of the device include an element for removing alcohol vapor from the evaporator, a container for collecting condensate and control devices.
In addition, it is important to ensure proper heating of the raw material into the evaporators and constant cooling of the condensing element. Cleaning is ensured by filters and the addition of various sorbents.
What is taken into account when designing
According to the principle of operation, homemade moonshine stills are classified as distillation-type devices, i.e. use the mechanism described above, in contrast to the industrial production of alcohol, where distillation columns are used, based on the separation of raw materials into fractions. When designing a moonshine still, the following main characteristics are taken into account:
Structural elements
A homemade moonshine still can have different shapes and sizes. Its design can be very simple, made temporarily from improvised means, or quite complex, with process control. The device must include the following required elements:
Making an evaporator
How to make a moonshine still with your own hands? The solution to this problem begins with the creation of an evaporator, i.e. distillation cube. Most often, ready-made containers with a volume of 15-30 liters are used for this purpose.
Stainless steel
The best option is stainless steel intended for food purposes. You can successfully use ready-made household vessels made from this material. Homemade containers are made from stainless steel sheet 1-2 mm thick using welding. When forming a homemade tank, it should be remembered that during operation, in addition to high temperature, excess pressure is created in it, which can reach 0.5-0.7 atm, which requires particularly high-quality welds.
The manufacture of a distillation cube is carried out in the following order.
- A container of the required volume is taken ready-made or welded.
- An important condition is the presence of a flat bottom if it is installed on a tile or burner.
- A cover is installed on top, in which a hole is drilled to attach a coil or steamer.
- With an internal diameter of the coil tube of 11-13 mm, a hole with a diameter of 22 mm is drilled and a pipe thread (half an inch) is cut.
- The lid is installed on the tank with the joint sealed.
In the case of a collapsible structure, rubber gaskets are used, and in the manufacture of a stationary structure, sealing is ensured by silicone sealant.
During the distillation process, it is desirable to control the temperature that is provided in the evaporator. To install a thermometer, another hole is drilled in the lid of the distillation cube to insert a thermocouple or install a thermometer.
A convenient option for a distillation cube is a pressure cooker. It has one important drawback associated with its small volume, but for your own needs it is quite suitable. The main advantage of this design is the presence of good tightness. Modification is required only in the part of drilling the hole in the cover. A completely ideal option is a multicooker, which provides heating and maintaining the temperature in a given mode.
Making a capacitor
A do-it-yourself condenser or refrigerator for a moonshine still includes 2 main parts - a coil and a cooling source (cooling compartment). The quantity and strength of the final product depends on the correct functioning of the refrigerator.
The coil can be made of non-ferrous metals, stainless steel or glass.
The dimensions of the tube for the coil are selected according to the following parameters:
- Inner diameter. Increasing it leads to an expansion of the contact area with steam, which increases the productivity of the device, but affects its dimensions and significantly complicates manufacturing. The recommended inner diameter of the tube is 9-13 mm.
- total length. Here again there is an alternative. A longer length increases the condenser area, but at the same time the resistance to flow increases, which slows down the speed of the process. It has been practically established that the optimal length is in the range of 1.6-2.2 m.
- Wall thickness. The smaller this parameter, the easier it is to cool the system, but the strength of the element decreases. The use of a tube with a thickness of 1-1.2 mm is considered normal.
The cooling compartment must ensure that heat is removed from the coil in a constant manner. In principle, cooling can be provided by ice, air or water flow. The most commonly used is water.
There are 2 options for submitting it. Is it a closed or open system.
- In the first case, the container is filled with cold water. Cooling occurs until it warms up, after which the coolant is replaced with a new portion.
- The second option is considered more effective, because cooling is provided by running water.
Step by step
The manufacture of the refrigerator is carried out in the following sequence.
- A metal tube of the optimal size is filled with sand to prevent deformation and is wound in the form of a spiral onto a cylinder with a diameter of about 30-36 mm with a turn pitch of 11-14 mm.
- The sand is poured out and the spiral is washed under running water.
- Next, the cooling compartment body is made from a metal or plastic pipe with a diameter of 76-82 mm. Connections for supplying tap water are installed on the compartment body.
- Then part of the coil is passed inside the compartment, the ends of which are hermetically sealed.
Both ends of the coil remain free, one for connection to the distillation cube or steamer, the other for discharging the finished product.
The most common design of a moonshine still was invented several centuries ago and is still popular today. Making a moonshine still is not particularly difficult, but it will require four components.
Alembic
The first element of a moonshine still is an evaporator, popularly called a cube. It is an enameled or stainless steel container with a hermetically sealed lid and a hole in it. You can equip a regular large-volume saucepan under the evaporator by first applying a soft seal to the rim of the lid and drilling a hole in it to attach the tube. You should also consider a clamping mechanism for the lid to ensure complete tightness. Very often, steam pressure cookers are converted into a distillation cube, which have overhead clamps for the lid and a steam release valve. This valve is twisted and a fitting is installed in its place to connect a tube or flexible hose.Steam chamber (reflux condenser)
A settling tank for fusel oils is necessary to ensure maximum purity of the distillation product. It is a small container with inlet and outlet holes in its upper part. The task of the reflux condenser is the physical purification of alcohol vapor from evaporated liquid containing fusel oils. The boiling point of alcohol is slightly lower than that of impurities, and therefore they are deposited in the steam chamber in the form of a yellow precipitate with an unpleasant odor. For this part of the moonshine still, you can use an ordinary glass jar with a tightly screwed lid, in which two holes should be made and fittings for connecting tubes or hoses should be tightly secured in them. You can also attach a small tube to the inlet hole, which will go down below the middle of the jar, which will prevent drops of evaporated mash from entering the cooler.Fridge
A cooler, also called a distiller, has the function of cooling the alcohol vapor, turning it into a liquid. It usually consists of a coil of heat-conducting metal immersed in a container of cold water. The liquid heats up over time and needs to be changed, for which the refrigerator is connected to a water tap, making a cold water supply at the bottom of the tank. You can also change the water in the cooler manually, but the container must be several times larger.Connection of elements and additional devices
To connect fittings to different elements of the device, it is best to use a tube with a solid thread, onto which two locknuts with silicone gaskets are screwed, between which the tank wall is clamped. You can screw any plumbing adapter or pipe cleaner onto the ends of the tube. It is better to connect the elements of a moonshine still using rigid metal tubes, although recently silicone hoses with a diameter of 10 mm or more are often used. At the connection points, maximum density must be ensured so that alcohol does not leak into the room - this can lead to a fire and even an explosion. To control the distillation process, control and measuring instruments can be included in the moonshine still system: pressure gauges, thermometers and others.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.
- 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.
- 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.
- We insert the adapter into the pan, secure it inside with a nut and gasket, and attach our steam line to the outside.
- To press the lid as tightly as possible, use paper clips: clamp the lid and pan 6–8 times along the entire diameter.
- 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
- Using a 20 mm feather drill, we make a hole in the can lid.
- We insert a brass fitting into it, which is tightly clamped from the inside with a nut and gasket.
- If you plan to monitor the temperature, you can make another hole under.
- We put a stainless steel gas hose on the fitting, which we connect to the steam tank.
- , read the detailed instructions at the link provided or further watch a separate video.
- 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).
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- You can add a thermometer to the design, which is inserted in the same way as a pan and a can.
- 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!
