Psychology and alcoholism. How to make a moonshine still with your own hands? How to make a simple moonshine still with your own hands

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Anyone can make a moonshine still with their own hands. The heart of any distiller is the still. Essentially, it’s a container where the mash boils, evaporating that very valuable substance. First, decide on the volumes: how much finished product you need and how often you will produce it.

Also, the choice of container depends on the production conditions: if you have your own garage or cottage, you can even go for a 40-liter can. This is very convenient: I take out 10-20 liters every three months and it’s enough for myself and for guests, and the product goes well as a gift.

For home production in an apartment, you need a smaller container - up to 10 liters will be enough. This is the optimal cube size for small kitchens located in cramped high-rise buildings. Now you understand that before you make a moonshine still, you need to understand all aspects: how the moonshine still will work, where, what is your experience and all other points. And then we move on to the selection of materials and components.

Container material:

1. Aluminum: good quality material, capable of working for a long time without significant damage or deformation, almost eternal material for a cube.
2. Enameled containers are quite common, but they really don’t like aggressive environments, they last for an average of 3-5 years, then problems with repairs begin: due to temperature and impacts, the enamel first comes off, and then rust eats away at the metal. It is repaired with wooden “chopics” (insert made of wood chips) for another 2-3 years, and then thrown away. This container wears out especially quickly when it is used together for “winning” mash and for further distillation.
3. Stainless steel. This, of course, is aerobatics. But a completely stainless alloy is expensive. Often, under the guise of “stainless steel,” they sell galvanized steel, nickel-plated steel, and anything else. When installing the structure, you will need to disturb this coating (drill a hole, weld something, etc.). And in places where the coating is damaged, rust will form over time, which will destroy the container. This option is enough for different periods: from 2 years (if it’s just a “stainless steel” alloy) to eternal use with the right to inherit it to grandchildren (very expensive).
4. Glass cauldron. This is a very rare “laboratory version” for everyday use. Beautiful, aesthetically pleasing, but impractical. For moonshine aesthetes.

Type of container:

1. The aluminum milk can is an excellent, time-tested container for a still. Your task: replace rubber gaskets with silicone ones for food products. This will be safer for health, moonshine will not smell like rubber. This is the most popular cube when referring to a homemade moonshine still.
2. Pressure cookers are a favorite type of cube container for urban small kitchens. You don't need to change anything, just add a fitting for the coil. The downside is low productivity, the design is ineffective for full-scale production.
3. Enameled pan: if there is no other container, you can use that too. You will have to tinker with the tightness of the lid thoroughly. The best reliable option: make a gasket; install hinges with holes on the lid and walls of the pan, through which the entire structure is connected with studs and wing nuts. Cheap, cheerful, reliable. All hinge attachment points are also sealed with food-grade silicone.
4. A full-fledged cube made of real stainless steel: you can buy a ready-made one (but only in trusted places), you can find it in the bins of acquaintances and friends who not only came from the USSR, but also lived in it most of their lives. The volume should be 30 liters at a minimum, otherwise there is no point in talking about mass production to meet the needs of one cell of society.

Important note! When choosing a container, pay attention to the neck: at least your hand should fit into it so that you can wash the device after use. .

A few words about the theory of moonshine

The myth that moonshine is only for the Slavs is, to put it mildly, disingenuous. The production of strong alcohol by distillation is part of the culinary and everyday culture of many peoples living in different parts of the world. It is enough to name such drinks as:

• whiskey;
• Calvados;
• rakia;
• gin;
• chacha;
• tequila;
• cognac.

to make sure that our domestic moonshine is not alone in the list of products obtained by distillation.

Homemade moonshine will be no different from factory-made drinks if you follow the recipe for preparing the mash and strictly follow the distillation technology. We’ll talk about the raw materials for fermenting mash another time, but in this material we’ll talk about the distillation process and, based on this, we’ll tell you whether it’s possible to make a simple moonshine still at home, and what you’ll need for this.

How does distillation happen?

Distillation process

This chemical process is extremely simple technologically; it is not difficult to reproduce it at home. The bottom line is that substances dissolved in water (mash) have different vaporization temperatures and are released from the solution sequentially - first lighter, then heavier, and only at 100C does the water itself begin to actively evaporate.

If the solution is not brought to a boil, and the vapors entering a separate container are cooled, then individual substances will condense in it, separated from others that differ in boiling point. The process was invented a long time ago; it is difficult to say who invented it first. The primacy is attributed to Arab scientists, but this is a rather controversial statement.

Temperature conditions for distillation of alcohol (moonshine)

Braga, at its core, is an aqueous solution of alcohol resulting from the activity of special fungi - yeast, well known to everyone who has seen bread being baked at least once in their life. In the process of vital activity, yeast converts the sugar in the wort into ethyl alcohol and related substances - acetaldehyde, methyl alcohol, and various esters.

When the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the mash is 13-14% of its volume, the fermentation process stops naturally, and it becomes completely ready for distillation - the extraction of alcohol, of which there is about 1.4 liters in 10 liters of starter.

The difficulty lies in the fact that when the mash is heated, along with the alcohol, its companions - aldehydes and ethers, which are completely undesirable in the composition of moonshine, evaporate. They begin to evaporate at a temperature of 65C and accompany the alcohol to T = 73C. After reaching this point to T=85C, only alcohol evaporates. At higher temperatures, heavier components appear in moonshine, popularly called “fusel oils.” They spoil both the color and taste of the drink, so you should get rid of them as radically as possible.

Coil transport artery system

Let's move on to the component parts: a coil comes out of the distillation cube onto the refrigerator. It is in the coil that the magic of condensation happens: alcohol vapor turns into liquid. But not right away: before that they must go into the refrigerator.

The coil is made of stainless or copper tube. Here the choice of material is at your discretion: copper transfers heat better, but is more expensive. There are also concerns that copper, as a very active element, reacts with alcohols, after which aldehydes and other harmful substances are formed. But these concentrations are extremely small: to get poisoned by aldehydes, you need to drink at least 100 liters of moonshine. (But you will die before the concentration of aldehydes from the alcohol you drink becomes lethal). Copper is ideal as the most technologically advanced material.

Food grade stainless steel is also expensive, but still more affordable and safer. However, there is another problem with it: the quality may be “lame” even if you purchased the handset at a high price.

Select fittings of the required size for the selected tubes. This is often a ¾ pipe, so use that as a guide.

Last thing: it is prohibited to use non-metallic hoses under the alcohol line. Any PVC or rubber tubes react very actively with alcohol, break down and contaminate the moonshine.

Moonshine still refrigerator

In order to properly make a refrigerator, several parameters should be taken into account:

• Material. The first requirement that applies to the coil material is the absence of reactions with alcohol. In addition, it should be able to withstand temperatures up to 100 degrees without any problems and have high thermal conductivity. Copper meets all these qualities better than others. Stainless steel is also suitable, but its thermal conductivity is much lower. Copper also makes sense because it can be easily bent into a spiral. In many countries, copper is considered the best material for making distillers. The disadvantage of copper is that it requires constant cleaning.
• Tube dimensions and thickness. The longer the tube, the more the moonshine cools on the way to the receiving container. But there is also a side effect: the colder the liquid, the slower it moves. Again, with a large internal diameter, the alcohol cools faster, but moves more slowly; a small one is difficult to process. Thus, the following parameters will be optimal: length - 1.5–2 meters, internal diameter - 8–12 mm, thickness - 0.9–1.1 mm. In some moonshine stills, the coil is horizontal - this makes no sense at all. Vertical is the best option.

Parameters of the refrigerator itself:

• Substance: Usually air, water or ice is used. It is preferable to use water as the most practical means.
• Heat removal scheme: open and closed. In open circuits, water circulates. This structure of the apparatus is the most advantageous.
• Direction of water supply. It is correct to supply water from below and take it from above. Then the water will move towards the steam, and the cooling efficiency will be as high as possible.
• To make a refrigerator, you will need a tube for the coil and a pipe with a diameter of 75–80 mm. First of all, sand is poured into the coil tube so that the metal does not flatten when curling. The ends must be hammered in so that the sand does not spill out; you can immediately weld a nut onto one of them.

In the word “moonshine” there are two parts: “self” - that is, independently and “boiling” - an outdated name for the distillation process. When we decipher the term, we get “independent production of distillates” - in an artisanal way, at home. But most moonshiners put an additional meaning into the concept: not just distilling alcohol at home, but also using a homemade moonshine still made with their own hands.

DIY moonshine still

Assembling such a unit is not so difficult. There are many simple circuits that a person without an engineering background can understand. On specialized forums, experienced moonshiners willingly share their assembly experience; following these tips, beginners will be able to solve the problem without much labor.

Making one yourself will cost less than buying ready-made equipment. In addition, the artisanal version can be customized to suit your needs and the assembly can be supplemented with elements that increase the productivity of the process and the quality of the drink. With its help you will receive a distillate that is safe for health, with a pleasant taste and aroma.

Components of the structure

The moonshine still diagram includes the required elements:

• distillation cube (reservoir);
• steam line;
• steamer;
• refrigerator (condenser).

Moonshine still diagram

The central element is a distillation cube

The heart of a moonshine still is the still or tank. When assembling a homemade moonshine still with your own hands, you need to start with it. It is a container into which mash is poured and then heated. Since the tank undergoes an intense thermal reaction, its reliability should not be in doubt.

Alembic

The best option is a copper or steel still. An aluminum container will not work - the metal will react with the mash and spoil the taste of the final product, and such a tank will not last long. Copper is considered the most preferable, but it is quite expensive, so purchasing such a container will be expensive. Typically, artisanal moonshiners use dishes and kitchen utensils - stainless steel or enamel pots, milk flasks or beer kegs, pressure cookers and even multicookers.

A homemade distillation cube from an ordinary enamel pan will last about 4 years. A stainless steel container is even more durable. For a device you assemble with your own hands, you can choose a tank of the desired volume - from 5 to 100 liters. But according to experienced moonshiners, the best option is a 25-35 liter container, which produces an average of 1.5-3 liters of moonshine.

Connection system - steam pipeline

A homemade moonshine still, made with your own hands, uses a system of tubes through which alcohol vapor and the liquid itself are transmitted. Their choice also needs to be approached wisely, because the taste of the drink depends on the quality of the auxiliary elements. It is better to buy tubes made of stainless steel - this metal remains neutral to the effects of heated alcohol vapors and the alcohol itself and does not produce harmful impurities.

Branch (steam line)

The steam pipeline must be sealed, so additional elements are used to assemble it - fittings and fittings, with the help of which individual tubes of different diameters are connected into a single system. Complete tightness can be achieved using insulating compounds, for example, the most common dough, which is used to cover the joints.

Homemade steamer

The quality of artisanal distillate depends on how many harmful impurities it contains. To clean the drink from them, during the process of assembling a homemade moonshine still, a steamer is installed with your own hands. The easiest way to make it is from a regular 0.75-1 liter glass jar. It is closed with a lid, two holes are made in it and two hoses are connected to them, which are secured and sealed.

Refrigerator for moonshine still

The most complex part is the refrigerator or condenser, whose task is to cool the alcohol vapor so that it turns into liquid. You can buy this element ready-made, or you can make it yourself.

The refrigerator includes two components - a coil and a cooling source. A homemade coil for a moonshine still can be made from glass or an aluminum tube. The first option is preferable. But if finances allow, then it is best to buy a copper coil, which cools quickly and does not in any way affect the flavor and aroma characteristics of the finished drink.

Do-it-yourself refrigerator for a moonshine still

There are several requirements for the coil tube:

• the cross-sectional diameter should be in the range of 9-13 mm; if it is larger, the device will be too bulky;
• the optimal length, according to experienced moonshiners, should be 1.6-2.2 m; if made longer, the resistance force will increase and the distillation process will slow down;
• The wall thickness should be 1-1.2 mm; with a smaller value, the cooling of the system will be more intense, but the element will wear out much faster.

How to make a refrigerator with your own hands:

1. The flexible metal tube should be filled with sand to prevent it from accidentally being crushed.
2. We wind it onto a cylinder with a diameter of approximately 30-35 mm, making turns in increments of 10-13 mm.
3. We remove the sand and rinse the inside of the tube well with water.
4. We insert the coil into the body - a piece of plastic pipe, and install pipes on it for supplying running water.
5. We seal both ends of the structure hermetically.

The simplest homemade moonshine still

The easiest way to make a structure is from an ordinary pan. For such a moonshine still you will not need a drawing. If you make a steamer and a refrigerator in advance, the entire assembly process will take no more than half an hour.

Homemade moonshine still from a saucepan

Making the simplest homemade moonshine still from a saucepan:

1. To ensure tightness, we use a silicone gasket made from a silicone hose cut lengthwise and stretched over the top of the pan.
2. We make a hole in the lid with a diameter of 12 mm, insert an adapter into it, which we secure from the inside with a nut with a rubber gasket.
3. We attach a steam line to the adapter from the outside.
4. To ensure that the lid fits as tightly as possible to the pan, we fix it with ordinary paper clips.
5. We attach a steam tank and a coil to the pipeline.
6. We seal the joints.
7. We test the device and proceed directly to distillation.

Moonshine still from a flask

You can make a homemade moonshine still with a larger volume steamer with your own hands from an old-style flask - the kind that were common in Soviet times. Now they can be purchased through private advertisements. This container has a tight-fitting lid that you don’t have to press.

DIY moonshine still from a flask

The assembly process is not much more complicated compared to the option that uses a saucepan.

• We drill a hole with a diameter of 20 mm in the lid of the flask.
• We put a brass fitting into it, pressing it from the inside with a gasket and washer.
• We put a hose on the adapter, which we connect to the steam tank, and from it we take the pipeline to the condenser.
• We check all connections, seal them and do a test distillation.

Instead of a Soviet-style flask, you can take a modern can for transporting dairy products or a keg barrel for beer. In the second case, you get a very large volume moonshine still, which allows you to expel a lot of distillate at a time. But the process of making a structure from a keg is quite labor-intensive - you will have to work with a grinder and a welding machine.

A pressure cooker or miracle pan is a Soviet prototype of a multicooker, but with more limited functionality. But for moonshiners, this unit is of interest because it is more airtight than a regular saucepan. However, there is also a significant drawback - the small volume of the tank, which allows you to ultimately obtain no more than 1.5 liters of distillate.

A moonshine pressure cooker is also an economical and simple option; such a device is assembled using the same algorithm that is used in the case of a saucepan. So if you have an unnecessary Soviet pressure cooker at home that you never bothered to throw away, then you can put it to work.

Moonshine from a pressure cooker

Homemade moonshine still with a column

It is possible to obtain alcohol at home not only by distillation, but also by rectification - this method is used in industrial enterprises. It has the main advantage - it allows you to automatically separate fractions, resulting in a purified, high-quality product without fusel impurities. The rectification process proceeds at a continuous pace, due to which the efficiency of distillation of alcohol vapor into liquid increases.

Moonshine still with distillation column

The principle of rectification is similar to distillation. In this case, the mash is also heated in the reservoir cube. Vapors are released, which enter the reflux condenser, which acts as a steam vaporizer, are cooled in the condenser, and the resulting liquid flows down, where it meets a new portion of alcohol vapor and mixes with it. As a result, more saturated alcohol vapors are formed, which are concentrated in the upper part of the column, and then enter the refrigerator and fall into the receiving chamber in the form of a finished purified product.

It is also quite possible to assemble a moonshine still with your own hands. It includes the following required details:

• tank made of steel or copper;
• body - is a vertical steel or copper tube with a diameter of 30-50 mm and a length of 1350-1400 mm, the wall thickness must be at least 2-3 mm;
• reflux condenser (analogue of a steam steamer) - can be made from a glass jar, thermos or pressure cooker;
• capacitor - in the housing;
• contact element - mesh grater for dishes;
• connecting elements - nuts, washers, adapters, silicone tubes.

DIY moonshine still-column diagram

How to assemble a homemade moonshine still-column with your own hands

1. It is best to purchase a copper pipe for assembling a makeshift structure. We cut it into two pieces, the ends of which are cleaned and connected using an adapter.
2. We put dish mesh sponges in one part; you can replace them with small steel springs or glass balls. Meshes are necessary to improve the quality of heat transfer. When purchasing these parts, be sure to make sure that they are made of stainless steel. Before using, it is advisable to boil them in water with 5 tablespoons of table salt, and then cut them into 5 cm pieces.
3. A mesh plug with washers is installed at the end of the pipe to prevent the contents from falling out.
4. We connect the distillation column to the tank.
5. At the other end of the copper tube we insert a piece of foam rubber 4-5 mm thick, which will act as a heat insulator, and connect it to the reflux condenser by soldering.
6. We close the top of the column with a cork and seal it. You should first make a hole in the lid for the atmospheric tube. We fix it with a fitting.
7. To remove the distillate, a hole is made for a pipe with a diameter of about 14-20 mm in the lower part of the pipe. A plate for filling with condensate is mounted under it.
8. We attach the refrigerator to the column using a silicone hose. It is convenient to clamp it with a clothespin for a dropper, which allows you to regulate the speed of condensate movement.
9. It is recommended to connect a tap from a gas burner to the refrigerator so that it is convenient to regulate the temperature of the water inside the case - around 50-55 degrees.
10. It is also worth mounting a thermometer into the column, for which a separate unit is made.

To make a moonshine still with your own hands, you need a container, a flask with a volume of 25 liters is suitable, a hole is drilled in the lid of the flask to a certain length for an adapter that will connect the tube to the lid of the flask. As an adapter, use brass adapters for metal-plastic pipes (sold at every hardware store). Select the adapter according to the size of the tube; it is better if you take it with you when purchasing so as not to make a mistake.

Then simply drill a hole in the lid of the flask and assemble the device according to the diagram shown above. You will also need 2 hoses to cool the mash vapor, which produces moonshine. The size is selected depending on the distance between the sink and the gas stove; it is better to take it with a margin of 1-1.5 meters.

We will need:

Fig. 1 Distiller diagram for a moonshine still.

Rice. 2 Flask or other container for a moonshine still.

Fig. 3 Hose for supplying and exiting water from the distiller of a moonshine still.

Moonshine still assembly diagram

And here are photographs of this moonshine still:

As an option: instead of a flask, you can use a pan, but in this case the yield of finished moonshine at one time will be less.

Starting a moonshine still

After assembling the moonshine still according to the above diagram and connecting it through the 1st hose to the water tap, the end of the second hose can be placed directly into the sink to drain the water. Place the flask over high heat. (The raw material is first placed in the flask; how to prepare it will be discussed below.). After about 30 minutes, alcohol will drip from the alcohol outlet. As soon as this happens, the fire must be reduced to medium and so on until the end. From the prepared raw materials, placed in a flask (25 liters), up to 6 or more liters of moonshine are obtained. It is also possible to further distill the raw materials to 7-8 liters of moonshine, but then the last batch will have a strength of less than 40 degrees; people call this moonshine kayazh.

For example:

Moonshine batch No. 1 - 3l with a strength of 70-80 degrees;

Moonshine batch No. 2 - 3 liters with a strength of 40-50 degrees;

Batch of moonshine No. 3 - 1-2 liters with a strength of 30-39 degrees, in other words kayazh.

While preparing alcohol, you need to periodically monitor the device.

Methods for preparing raw materials for moonshine

1) 20 - 22 liters of water are poured into a separate flask, and 1 kg of yeast and 6 kg of sugar are dissolved in it, and 1 liter of milk is also added. You can add sour jam or compote. The left mixture is covered with a lid and left to ferment in a warm place for 6 days. After which the raw material is ready for use. Below are ways to prepare raw materials without sugar and yeast.

Bonus. 150 moonshine recipes

The highest quality moonshine - the so-called. bread It used to be very popular in Ukraine. Strong, with a mild flavor and a slight hangover. Then, with the use of sugar and the transition to primitive devices, I began to forget. Nowadays there is a return to the production of such moonshine.

BREAD
Sprout rye, wheat, barley, millet, corn, peas. To do this, soak in warm water and spread in a thin (up to 2 cm) layer. Make sure that the grain does not turn sour. Dry the sprouted grain and grind it into flour. Boil water and add this flour while still boiling, constantly adding it. Stir until it becomes liquid jelly. Cover and let stand for 10 - 12 hours. Pour into bowls and cool to room temperature. Add yeast. For 12 buckets of starter - half a kilo. Ferments for 5-6 days. Distill on a steam apparatus. Of all types of moonshine, it is the best. If there is no yeast, add a kilo of dry peas. The fermentation process will increase to 10 days.
BREAD WITH POTATOES
Make malt as in the first recipe (sprout grain, dry, grind). Boil the potatoes, pound them with the water that remained during cooking. Place in balia. Sprinkle malt flour on top. Grind again to a smooth jelly-like consistency. All this should be very hot. Sprinkle the rest of the flour on top again and leave overnight. After 10-12 hours, stir, pour into a barrel, add half a kilo of yeast. Let it ferment for 5-6 days. For 2 buckets of malt, 4-5 buckets of potatoes.
HOP BREAD
Sprout wheat or rye in a wooden trough, stirring occasionally. Then boil the potatoes and mash them. We still need to brew some hops. Then you need to prepare the so-called. mashed - add boiled hops (3 l) to the mash that was left over from last time (1.5-2 l). Then everything is mixed together - wheat or rye, potatoes and mashed potatoes. The grain can be ground or passed through a meat grinder. Place in a warm place. It stays there until it stops wandering and making noise. For one bucket of grain, 2 cast iron boiled potatoes (2 buckets).
Yield: 2 liters of bread moonshine.
BREAD WITH BAKED BREAD
Everything is the same as in the previous recipe, but instead of potatoes - rye or wheat bread soaked in boiling water. For 2 buckets of malt, 15-20 loaves of bread.
ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE BREAD
Sprout half a bucket of rye, wheat or barley. Pound. Soak 10-12 loaves of black bread in 15 liters of water. Mix. Add 750 grams of yeast. If there is not enough bread (8 loaves), cook a cast iron of potatoes. Mash and mix with grain and bread. Fermentation in a warm place for a week.
AND FURTHER
Sprout the wheat, grind it in a meat grinder or coffee grinder (can be crushed). Add water, yeast and place in a warm place. For 10 kg of wheat, 30 liters of water and 0.5 kg of yeast.
* * *
The last two methods are technologically simpler, but the best product is obtained by using the previous recipes.
SUGAR
Dilute 6 kg of sugar in 30 liters of warm water and add 200 g of yeast. Place in a warm place. For scent, you can add branches of currants or cherries, or dry dill. After 6-7 days the starter is ready. Yield 6 l. It is a common belief that a kilogram of sugar produces a liter of vodka. When using the Zavodka steam apparatus, 10 liters of a good product is obtained from 7 kg of sugar. That is, there is no need to make the mash too concentrated in sugar. It “burns out” and goes to waste.
BEET
Grate the sugar beets, boil in the oven, and squeeze. Add 200 g of yeast to 30 liters of beet juice. Place the starter in a warm place. In 5-6 days it will be ready. No need to add sugar. Yield - 5 l.
SECOND METHOD
Grate and bake sugar beets - 10-15 liter cast iron. Let cool, but keep the beets warm. Add 5-6 kg of sugar and 10 liters of water at a temperature of 24-25 degrees. Add yeast diluted in a small amount of water. Take 500 g of yeast. Cover the mixture. Place in a warm place. Let him play for 3-4 days. Mix. Readiness is determined by the time when the beets sink to the bottom of the dish and a crust forms on top.
FROM JAM
Take six liters of spoiled jam, dilute it with 30 liters of warm water, add 200 g of yeast. To have a greater yield of moonshine, you need to add another 3 kg of sugar. Place the starter in a warm place for 3-5 days. Yield - 6 liters, and with added sugar - 9 liters.
FROM MOLASIS
Molasses is a waste product from sugar production from beets. For one bucket of molasses, add 200-250 g of yeast and 25 liters of water. Place in a warm place for a week. Yield 6-7 l. It is very advisable to distill the result again, because At one time the moonshine comes out with a bad smell.
FROM APPLE JUICE
Grind and chop the apples, squeeze out the juice. For 35 liters of juice add 3 kg of sugar and 200 g of yeast. Keep it in a warm place and it’s ready in a week. Yield 6-7 l.
FROM SYRUP (ANY)
Dilute 6 liters of syrup in 30 liters of water and add 200 g of yeast. It's ready in a week. Yield: 7 liters of moonshine.

FROM WILD PEARS
Collect the game birds, pour them into a wooden tub or barrel up to half the capacity. Let them rot there. Then crush them with a wooden ball and let them stand for 2-3 weeks. Add absolutely nothing. Yield - 3 l.
FROM PLUMS
Mash three buckets of plums and leave to ferment for 2 weeks. Do not add water. Yield 3 liters. If you add sugar, the yield will naturally be greater.
FROM PEARS
Add 5 buckets of spoiled garden pears (boiled), 2 kg of sugar and 200 g of yeast to 5 liters of water. Place in a warm place for a week. Yield: 8 liters of moonshine.
FROM STARCH
Add 10 kg of starch to two buckets of water and brew like jelly. Then add 500 g of yeast and 1 kg of sugar. Duration: 3-5 days. Yield: 11 liters of vodka.
FROM CANDY
Dilute 5 kg of sweets (with filling) in 2 buckets of warm water. Duration: 4-5 days. Yield: 5 liters.
FROM HALVA
Dilute 10 kg of halva in 15-20 liters of warm water. Duration 8 days. The yield is 10 liters of moonshine, but the smell of sunflower oil remains. To remove it, you can add a sprig of mint to the vodka.
FROM DRYING
Brew 2 kg of dried apples or pears in a bucket of water. Add 3 kg of sugar and 300 g of yeast. Close it all tightly, leaving a small hole. Let it sit in a warm place for a week. Before production, add a bunch of dry thyme to this starter. Yield 3.5 liters of moonshine.
FROM GRAPES
Squeeze the juice onto the wine, and add 100 g of yeast and 5 kg of sugar to a bucket of what’s left. Dilute in 30 liters of water. Duration 1 week. Yield: 7 liters of very light vodka.
COMBINED
20 glasses of wheat, 3 liters of water, 1 kg of sugar. Mix. Let it stay warm for 5 days. Then add 5 kg of sugar and 18 liters of water. Ferments for 7-8 days. The mash should taste bitter. Strain. If you add 5 kg of sugar and 8 liters of warm water to the remaining cake and leave it for 8-10 days, you can get it again. 12-15 liters of moonshine.
OF TOMATO PASTE, SUGAR AND BEER
For 30 liters of water - one can of tomato paste, one bottle of beer, 10 kg of sugar. Stir, let sit in a warm place, and distill. Yield 7-8 l.
WITHOUT YEAST AND SUGAR
In this recipe, yeast and sugar are replaced with leavening and malt. Steaming: brew one handful of fresh hops (two dry hops) in 2 liters of water, let it brew a little, strain the broth, stir a handful of flour while still warm. After a short period of time (30-40 minutes), the steaming is ready. Malt: sprout rye grains, dry and grind. In the main product (beets, potatoes, apples, pears, etc.)
d.) add the brew and malt, dilute with water to a semi-liquid state, let sit in a warm place, and distill. Consumption: for a given amount of steaming - 3 kg of malt and half
buckets (5-6 l) of the main product. Yield - 3 l.
"HONEY"
4 jars (700 grams) of honey, 1 jar (3 liters) of syrup, 27 liters of water, 300 g of yeast. It stays in a warm place for a week. Yield 7 l.
READY IN 24 hours
For 1 kg of peas you need 5 kg of sugar, 500 g of yeast and 15 liters of warm water. Add 1 liter of fresh milk. It costs a day. Yield: 5 liters of vodka.
READY IN 24 hours
(2nd method) 5 kg of sugar, 25 liters of boiled water, 500 g of yeast, 25 medium raw potatoes, 3 glasses of milk, 4 loaves of bread. Mix all. Ferments within 24 hours.
...AND IN 2 HOURS Pour 10 kg of sugar, a pack of yeast, 3 liters of milk, 3-4 buckets of water into the washing machine. Spin for 2 hours. Let it sit and you can distill it.

Sooner or later, everyone who has at least once tried homemade moonshine (or its variations - cognac, bourbon, liqueur, etc.) sets out to make the same thing, only even better. First, the owners are interrogated - as best they can, teach, show, lend. This is the first wave of moonshiners. Afterwards, he begins to explore the Internet in the hope of finding how to make a moonshine still with your own hands. This is the most inquisitive wave, which is trying to understand tons of information, what is true and what is false. We have already talked about how to manufacture and assemble individual parts of the unit, now it’s time to talk about how to assemble a full-fledged device.

History of the moonshine still

They first learned about moonshine back in the 4th century AD, when a Chinese alchemist compared the drink to clear wine distilled 9 times. Its technology was used at different times by the Greeks, Romans and even the Egyptians.

This is what, according to official documents, one of the first moonshine stills developed by the ancient Greeks looked like.

But if this unit was mostly made of stone, then the Arabs went further - and made the structure out of copper. This allowed the mash to heat up evenly, gradually, completely remove fusel oils (remember, extremely harmful to health) and create a drink suitable for internal use.

The term alcohol was also proposed by the Arabs; literally translated, the word meant an intoxicating drink - al gogol.

In the 9th century, a coil was invented in Persia - a copper tube was bent into several turns, but still left in the air for cooling.

From the 10th century, with the help of alchemists and healers, moonshine literally flourished, combined with the development of recipes for potions and elixirs. At the same time, in Italy, the monk Valentius declares that he has invented the water of life, which is capable of turning old people into young men. Need I say that it was moonshine?

In the 15th century, Basil Valentin came up with the idea of ​​immersing a coil in cold water to increase the alcohol condensate, and this was the starting point for the creation of a modern apparatus with a distillation cube, a refrigerator and a steamer.

This is what the device looked like in the 16th century (the principle of operation has been preserved to this day):

1. A vat for heating the tincture
2. Tube for supplying hot tincture to the cube
3. Stove
4. Cap
5. swan neck
6. Coil
7. Coil in the refrigerator
8. Refrigerator with cold water

The first moonshine still in Rus'

In Rus', moonshine was first tried only in the 17th century, when a unit was brought from Venice to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich as a gift.

Until the 17th century, only mead and mash were consumed among homemade alcoholic drinks in Rus'. And only in the 19th century, using a distillation column, they learned to create 96% highly purified alcohol.

This concludes the brief excursion into history; now it’s time for modernity.

Buy or collect

There is no clear answer to this question. Of course, for a beginner, it is much more preferable to buy a ready-made device, when there is no need to look for individual parts and bring them to perfection. But, on the one hand, such a purchase can cause a hole in the budget - a good device with normal performance will cost 15 thousand rubles or more, on the other hand, it is still more interesting to create and invent.

We will tell you how to make a moonshine still with your own hands, and from what materials.

First, let’s define what moonshine (distillate) is and how it differs from rectified distillate. The principle of obtaining one or the other is absolutely identical. A sugar-containing (less often starch-based) mash is prepared, yeast is added, then over a certain period of time the mushrooms create a colony and secrete waste products. Actually, they are precisely the concentrate of various alcohols, of which only ethyl is suitable for internal consumption.

Under the influence of temperature, the mash decomposes into a liquid residue and alcohol-containing vapors, which during the distillation process break down into gaseous and liquid fractions.

Even after repeated distillation, it is not possible to clear the drink of all harmful impurities. The only way that allows you to obtain a perfectly pure product is rectification using a drawer or distillation column. In this case, alcohol-containing vapors are divided into fractions in several stages. Making a distillation column with your own hands is not easy, and a completely reasonable question arises: is it necessary to obtain pure alcohol in this way, if it can be bought at any pharmacy?

Rectified alcohol is extremely harmful to health precisely because of its purity, since pure poison is absorbed by the body much faster and better than moonshine with a certain amount of harmful impurities. In addition, all famous drinks - bourbon, rum, whiskey, Calvados, scotch, etc. – are made on the basis of distillate.

So, taking into account the given characteristics of moonshine, it is clear that the main stage of production is heating the alcohol-containing liquid to a state where the alcohol begins to separate. Afterwards, it is cooled until it is converted into a liquid fraction in the form of a finished drink.

Taking this into account, we can determine the main components of a moonshine still:

• a distillation cube, where the mash is heated to the required temperature;
• refrigerator - a storage or flow-through container with cold water where the coil is cooled;
• coil - a spiral tube made of copper, stainless steel or glass, through which alcohol-containing steam moves and is divided into fractions;
• steam trap - catcher of fusel oils and mash residues;
• receiving container - a place where cooled moonshine flows;
• connecting elements.

This is the first and main element of the moonshine still, on which the efficiency and final taste depend.

Most often, milk cans, pressure cookers (multi-cookers), and beer kegs are used as such. Less commonly, a distillation cube is made by hand from stainless steel or steel, welded into a container, but this option is not reliable. On the one hand, the mash will stick to the stainless steel, and you won’t be able to stir it due to its tightness. On the other hand, the slightest error in the weld can lead to the cube simply bursting when the mash boils, when the pressure reaches 180-220 Pa.

How to make a still from a can

This is the simplest version of the still, since the can is relatively airtight, especially if we are talking about a new container. But its “adaptation” for distillation has its own characteristics.

The rubber gasket on the lid of the can is absolutely not suitable for heating - the mash will absorb a specific aroma, which will immediately affect the taste of the finished drink. It is optimal to use silicone gaskets, or even better - aquarium silicone. Experts advise using food-grade silicone as such gaskets, which is used to make baking molds. But in general, this option is suitable for sealing the lid and will not give any taste or smell.

How to make a silicone seal correctly

This process is carried out in several stages, the minimum of which should be three. First, apply aquarium silicone sealant to the edges of the lid, let it dry completely, apply a second and third, also leaving time for drying. After the third layer has been applied, apply regular cellophane to the neck of the can and close the lid. Leave for several hours to allow the silicone to dry completely. The result is a truly airtight vessel that can be used for several years.

To prevent the can from becoming like a colander over time, wash it thoroughly after each use. You can use regular or laundry soap and plenty of running water. The use of soda is strictly prohibited. Stainless steel or aluminum reacts very poorly to alkali.

If you don’t want to change the rubber gasket to silicone, you can simply wrap it with several layers of overlapping fum tape. This is also a fairly tight connection.

Some “experienced” moonshiners recommend using dough to seal the joint. It would seem, why not? It seems like a decent sealant, and it smells like bread in the room, and not fusel during the cooking process. But! After the first volumetric distillation, when you have to start the unit several times, you will get tired of constantly scraping off the dough and gluing a new one. Scraps of dough all over the kitchen, broken nails and wasted time are unlikely to make the process enjoyable.

To connect the can with the coil, make a hole on the lid for a 22 mm pipe and a 12 mm coil using a 0.5 inch thread. You can buy an adapter at a plumbing supply store.

What else to look for when choosing a flask for a moonshine still:

• the material of manufacture is stainless steel, since aluminum will withstand a small number of cycles;
• the minimum volume is 25 liters to obtain 4-4.5 liters of moonshine;
• wide neck, which is convenient to work with - pour mash and wash after cooking;
• wall thickness and overall build quality directly depend on the price, and ensure a period of normal operation.

Distiller (moonshine still) based on a milk can

How to make a distillation cube from a pressure cooker (multi-cooker)

Scheme of a moonshine still based on a pressure cooker:

This is a minimum program for a beginner. Today, every second person tries to make a moonshine still with their own hands using a pressure cooker. And there is a completely logical explanation for this:

• price – the cost of the most inexpensive pressure cooker is 1500-1700 rubles, which is quite acceptable for any budget;
• tightness – this is an absolutely sealed device that does not require any additional manipulations;
• Easy to insert fittings into the lid - anyone can handle this.

The downside, it should be noted, is much more significant than all the advantages - this is the volume. The bowl of the largest household pressure cooker is only 6 liters, respectively, the mash will fit only 4.5 liters, since the volume should not exceed 2/3 of the total quantity. With this amount of mash after double distillation you will get a little less than 750 ml of moonshine. You can try, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to taste it.

Screw a fitting into the place of the valve on the lid, to which attach a connecting hose (silicone or copper).

If you don’t want to reinvent the wheel and look for a suitable option for making a cube, buy a ready-made one. The average price of such an element depends on the volume - 12-liter up to 4,000 rubles, 25-liter - from 5,500 rubles, etc.

Moonshine still from a pressure cooker with a steamer on video:

Fridge

An equally important element of a homemade moonshine still, on which the distillation speed and volume of the finished drink depend.

If the water in the refrigerator is not cold enough, the volume of moonshine is reduced by 15-20%.

Refrigerators for moonshine stills are divided into 2 types:

• flow-through;
• cumulative.

In flowing water, as the name suggests, it constantly moves through the coil without having time to heat up. In order to make such a unit, it is enough to connect two hoses to the container - the inlet, as a rule, from the tap, and the outlet - from where the water comes out into the sink.

The storage tank is a closed container into which water is first poured and drained as it heats up. This is the worst type of refrigerator because it does not allow the coil to cool completely and constantly, which reduces condensation and reduces the amount of final product.

A storage refrigerator is installed only if it is not possible to make a flow-through one. It’s precisely the lack of opportunity, not laziness or lack of time.

Flow-through refrigerator for moonshine still

This type of equipment is quite compact in size, where the main area is occupied by the coil. The refrigerator itself is closed on both sides, but two tubes are connected to it - receiving and discharging water. Making a refrigerator with your own hands is not difficult, but it is necessary to ensure that it is level in relation to the device so that the water moves constantly.

A flow-through refrigerator is more productive, unlike a storage refrigerator, even with a smaller coil size. At the junction of the two media, the tube is instantly cooled, which ensures faster separation of fractions.

You will need:

• pipe and adapter weaving - 300 mm;
• 2 meters of bellows hose for the coil;
• half-inch nipples;
• 3 half-inch nuts;
• soldering iron;
• gun and silicone;

Procedure:

2. Make holes on the pipe and cut off the plastic with a knife

7. Fill everything that leaks and leaks with sealant; the vessel must be completely sealed.

As such a device, a bucket or tank with a volume of about 20-30 liters is usually used, where a hole is made in the lower segment for collecting water.

In non-flowing devices, water is always drained from the top, and always poured into the refrigerator from the bottom.

The simplest and most affordable is a regular plastic bucket. In winter, it is easier with such a handy device, since you can add snow or ice, which is much better for cooling the coil than water.

When choosing a storage refrigerator, try to keep the temperature in the distillation cube at minimum heat in order to reduce the amount of alcohol-containing steam released and, as a result, increase the volume of the finished moonshine.

In order to check how effectively the coil is cooled, periodically test the escaping moonshine on your wrist. Ideally, it should be cool, worse - if warm, and even worse when the drink is hot - in this case, a third of the steam comes out unprocessed. In addition, this is also dangerous, since the distillation cube is heated over an open fire, the alcohol can catalyze and there will be a big disaster.

Coil

The best material for the coil is copper. This is a relatively inert material that does not react with alcohol materials, has good thermal conductivity and an adequate price.

Those who are truly professional in preparing moonshine only have a copper moonshine still based on such a coil. Any experiments. Including fragile glass, they are fraught with loss of quality of the drink and the raw materials.

How to make a coil

Before we begin the description, we note that a coil is a tube connected to a distillation cube (if there is a steamer, with it) and placed in cold water, through which alcohol-containing vapors move and fractions are separated into gas and moonshine.

The longer the coil and the more compact its spirals, the more the steam is cooled and the greater the amount of condensate.

You will need:

• copper tube with a diameter of 15-20 mm and a length of 2000 mm;
• base for winding the tube, fixed in a vice.

Before you start screwing the tube onto the base, it must be filled with sand. This is done in order to prevent deflection or one-sided deformation, which will subsequently retain condensation. Close the tube on one side with a wooden or cardboard cap, pour sand in a thin stream, periodically tapping it on the table so that the sand is compacted well. When the tube is filled to capacity, close the other end with a similar clip and begin to wind it onto the base, making even turns and trying to ensure that they do not touch each other.

This is what a ready-made coil looks like, which is immersed in the refrigerator and connected with hoses through fittings to a cube or steam chamber.

This completes the assembly of the required elements of the moonshine still; all that remains is to find out which hoses can be used and what materials are acceptable when working with alcohol.

Well, for now let’s focus on such an optional, but extremely useful device as

Sukhoparnik

We do not know whether there were discussions about the need for a steamer in those ancient times, which were written about at the beginning of the article. But now there is fierce debate on this issue. Some insist that fusel oils should be removed as much as possible, others claim they are useless and a waste of time.

Without actively taking either position, we will present only dry facts.

The steamer is really not an integral part of the moonshine still, and it is installed at will. Structurally, this container is 10 times smaller in volume than the distillation cube, which is located between it and the coil.

The main task of the steam chamber is to instantly reduce pressure and, as a result, temperature due to different media. When the steam enters this container, it suddenly becomes liquid, but is immediately pushed out by the next portion of hot alcohol-containing steam from the cube. And although this is only a moment, during this time some of the fusel oils have time to settle on the walls of the steam tank. With double or even triple distillation, practically no fusel remains in the finished drink, which has a very beneficial effect on well-being.

How does a steam generator work according to the laws of physics?

As water boils in the distillation cube, alcohol begins to separate and evaporate. Taking into account the fact that boiling is a rather violent process, the alcohol fractions have time to “pick up” the heavier fractions of fusel oils. Probably everyone has heard that moonshine is often called fusel - precisely because of the characteristic smell that fusel oils emit. The less fusel in moonshine, the less aggressive its aroma and the more acceptable its taste. It is not possible to completely get rid of oils; this can only be achieved using a distillation column, but no one set out to obtain medical alcohol.

The vast majority of alcoholic drinks are bourbon, whiskey, rum, Calvados, etc. made on the basis of moonshine with a certain amount of fusel oils. The production process varies in nuances, but in general it is the most banal distillation of mash.

Collecting fusel oils with a steamer allows you to make the drink, on the one hand, not so strong and “fragrant”, on the other hand, safer for health with an almost imperceptible feeling of a hangover (if consumed wisely).

Particularly common is the use of three steam tanks at once, located relative to each other in a cascade. With this organization, the strength of the drink reaches 80% already on the first distillation. This will really be a very high-quality and highly purified product that can be consumed immediately after distillation, and not wait until it is purified with a carbon filter or potassium permanganate.

Three cans in a cascade is the optimal number. Less is not enough, more is a waste of time, since after the third can, each subsequent can does not perform any function.

How to make a steamer from a can

We remind you that the volume of the container should be 10 times less than the volume of the distillation cube. If you have a cube of 20 liters, take a 2-liter jar; if you have a cube of 30, take a 3-liter jar.

The method of preparing such an element is quite simple and suitable for any volume. All manipulations are carried out with the lid - holes are made and fittings are cut into. Next, the lid can be put on any jar with a threaded neck.

You will need:

• screw-on jar lid;
• 2 fittings;
• connecting tubes.

Cut 2 holes in the lid - they can be made with a screwdriver in a circle or with a knife, so that there are no burrs.

Insert the fittings and connect them to the hoses.

The steamer is placed immediately after the distillation cube. In any other place it is of no use. It is necessary to periodically drain the accumulated liquid so that excess does not enter the coil and spoil the taste and aroma of the product.

By the way, the steamer can be used not only as a fusel oil trap, but also as a flavoring agent for moonshine. Here the same process of sharp cooling of the steam and its movement further occurs, but with the collected amber of berries or herbs.

As an aromatic component in a jar you can use:

• dried fruits - apples, pears, apricots;
• berries - any, preferably dried, they give off more flavor;
• spices - any to taste, you can use hops, suneli, cinnamon, vanilla, etc.;
• aromatic herbs;
• citrus fruits – orange peel, lemon zest.

Since such a binding of aroma will be subtle and not palpable at all, you can try a variety of additives. In this case, experiments will only be beneficial, even if the result is not impressive.

Connecting tubes

The finished moonshine still is a detachable connection of all required elements using threaded connections. There is no need to look for additional tubes and choose their quality in order to connect everything together.

There are completely permanent connections, for example, the lids of the distillation cube, steamer and refrigerator. This is done to facilitate labor and installation.

You can, of course, make the work easier when assembling a homemade moonshine still by connecting all three pipes by welding, but this will not in any way affect the taste of the final product, but maintenance can make it very difficult.

The most optimal way to connect the elements is a silicone hose. Some people don’t understand the difference between PVC and silicone and don’t even pay much attention when choosing. We explain - polyvinyl chloride is a non-inert material with respect to alcohol. When in contact with hot alcohol-containing steam and alcohol, PVC releases toxic substances, which in high concentrations are harmful to humans. It is clear that nothing will happen to you in 1-2 times, but if we are talking about systemic use, it is better to refuse such a connection.

How to distinguish silicone from polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Set fire to a piece of both materials. PVC burns hard, smoky, with a very specific smell. Silicone burns with a subtle aroma, does not smoke, and light ash remains after combustion.

Silicone feels much more pleasant to the touch than PVC, it feels silky.

If you suddenly find yourself in a dilemma - silicone or PVC - outside in the cold, know that silicone, even at -10, remains flexible and elastic, and polyvinyl chloride hardens, although it does not lose its properties.

What metal is suitable for use

Despite the abundance of opinions on this matter, there can only be one definite answer - food-grade stainless steel. It is this material that does not react with any of the elements in the moonshine chain and is easy to maintain and use. And over the entire period of time it does not form deposits that are of little benefit to health.

Previously, it was believed that copper was the “head of everything,” since copper moonshine was ubiquitous. However, this is a misconception. Copper began to be actively used during Soviet times. Because it was an affordable material both in price and in quantity. If we talk about a truly correct tincture, then you won’t find anything better than an oak barrel. Oxygen penetrates through its walls, aldehydes and ethers evaporate, which, by the way, are formed, among other things, when the copper elements of the device come into contact with hot alcohol vapor.

Aluminum reacts negatively to vinegar, which is always present in mash. In this case, poisonous salts - alum - are released.

Glass, which is inert (not active) to aggressive environments, is also considered optimal, but a moonshiner’s kitchen bears little resemblance to a laboratory, and this material is also very fragile.

Of course, you can get poisoned or die more quickly from general intoxication due to alcohol abuse or purchasing low-quality products than from copper oxide. Moreover, as a coil, copper has no analogues at all in terms of thermal conductivity and manufacturability. Therefore, a combined combination of materials is completely justified. This can be a cube made of stainless food steel or an aluminum can, and a refrigerator with a copper coil in a stainless or plastic case.

And finally, a video on how to make a moonshine still with your own hands

Although there are many home distillers of different price categories on the market, experienced moonshiners prefer to make the equipment themselves or order it from trusted craftsmen using their own drawings and diagrams.

The advantage of this approach is not only cost savings. Often, a home-made moonshine still is more reliable and practical than most store-bought models with incomprehensible elements that contradict the laws of physics, installed only to attract buyers and raise the price. Next we will look at the classic design of a moonshine still (distiller), which has no equal in simplicity and efficiency.

Scheme of operation of a moonshine still with a steamer

Connecting elements

Intermediates play an important role. If you choose the wrong pipes or sealant, the moonshine turns out to be cloudy, with a nasty aftertaste, foul-smelling and even hazardous to health. Therefore, we will begin our consideration of the design with the connecting elements.

You should not “tightly” weld all the tubes together; this simplifies the assembly and disassembly of the device, but during cleaning it causes a lot of problems.

Metal tubes made of stainless steel, aluminum or copper, as well as alcohol-inert food or medical silicone hoses are most often used as a transport system. In terms of economy, safety, ease of maintenance and operation, the best option is food grade stainless steel tubes.

It is important to be able to distinguish silicone hoses from those made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride, when in contact with hot steam, saturates alcohol with toxic substances). PVC burns with a lot of smoke and an unpleasant odor. Silicone does not smoke when burned and leaves a subtle odor and light ash. Silicone tubes feel much softer to the touch than PVC tubes, and their price is about twice as high.

Left - silicone, right - PVC

To branch turns, change from one diameter to another and connect different parts in metal pipelines, fittings and unions are used, which can be found in plumbing stores or at construction markets. Fittings made of brass, bronze and stainless steel (the best option) for heating systems that can withstand high temperatures and pressure are suitable for the manufacture of a moonshine still. For sealing purposes, the use of heat-resistant glue and cold welding is allowed, the main thing is to avoid rubber gaskets.

You can also use an organic substance to seal the tubes - ordinary dough, which does not affect the distillate. There are two disadvantages: it takes a lot of time to knead and seal joints, and after distillation, the dried dough has to be scraped off.

Sealing with dough is a touch of ancient traditions followed by scraping :)

The assembled moonshine still must be sealed. If steam leaks through the tubes, it is better to stop distillation, allow the equipment to cool, repair the breakdown, and only then continue distillation. Depressurization is not only dangerous due to fire, but also leads to significant losses of moonshine (10-70%).

Alembic

It is a container in which the mash boils during the heating process. Options:

1. Material. Aluminum - most often found in “Soviet” moonshine stills due to the widespread use of aluminum milk cans. Aluminum partially reacts with acids and alcohol in the mash, so with frequent use, aluminum stills (especially old ones) become unusable after six months - a leak appears.

Enameled cookware is neutral to acids and alcohols. When used correctly (without bumps or scratches to the enamel) it can last 3-5 years even with regular use.

Food-grade stainless steel is the best and most reliable option, but stainless steel cubes are expensive; they often sell ordinary galvanized or nickel-plated steel under their guise, which is not so durable.

Copper cubes are also suitable, however, in most cases this is an unreasonably expensive solution, especially for novice moonshiners.

2. Volume and dimensions. The volume of the still depends on the needs of the moonshiner; the best option for home use is 25-35 liters.

Attention! For safety reasons, the distillation cube can be filled with mash to a maximum of 80% of the volume; take this into account when choosing a container. It is also very important that the lid is removable and the neck width is large enough for comfortable cleaning of the container after distillation.

The volume of the cube is calculated based on the needs for the finished product. For example, in a 30-liter container, in one distillation you can get up to 2.88 liters of pure alcohol (or 7.2 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40%). The maximum mash load is 24 liters (30 * 0.8 = 24). The average strength of properly made mash is 12%. The amount of distillate at the output is 24 * 0.12 = 2.88 (in terms of absolute alcohol with a strength of 100%). In practice, there will always be losses of moonshine of 8-15%.

We should not forget about the dimensions. At a minimum, the distillation cube must be placed on a stove or other heating element, be stable and not block the access to the entire apparatus. This is the basis of safety precautions.

3. Selecting a suitable container. Often, home moonshine stills use containers that were originally intended for other needs: milk cans, pressure cookers, or large enamel pans.

The cube must be reliable - it will expand when heated, and withstand high temperatures and pressure (180-220 Pa). Homemade welded containers are very dangerous, as there is a risk that the welding seam will burst at the most inopportune moment.

A significant drawback of pressure cooker cubes is their small volume, but these containers are initially airtight. The only modification required is to drill a hole in the lid for the steam outlet tube. described in a separate article.

You can’t distill a lot of mash in a pressure cooker at one time - the volume of the cube is too small

Enameled pans are convenient because the spent mash can not be poured, but can be immediately put into distillation as is (this is wrong, since the heated sediment increases the amount of harmful impurities in the moonshine and worsens the aroma and taste). The disadvantage of the pan is that it is difficult to seal the lid.

A milk can made of aluminum or stainless steel is the most practical solution. The only drawback of cans that requires mandatory elimination is the rubber gasket on the lid. The fact is that alcohol vapor absorbs substances from rubber, this negatively affects the quality, taste and smell of moonshine. Rubber gaskets must be replaced with silicone ones (made from aquarium silicone).

A can with built-in heating elements is cheap and practical. There are two holes on the top for steam and a thermometer.

How to make a distillation cube for a moonshine still from a can

It is not enough to correctly determine the volume of the container; you also need to prepare the cube for use - drill a hole for steam, seal the lid and connections. Next we will look at modifying the container using an old milk can as an example, but this method of sealing the lid is also suitable in other cases.

Can refinement technology:

1. Remove the rubber gasket from the cover.

2. Apply aquarium silicone sealant to the metal edges of the lid and leave until completely dry. Repeat the procedure 2-3 more times.

3. Place cellophane on the neck of the can and close the lid. Leave for a couple of hours until completely dry. You will get a silicone seal that replaces the rubber gasket.

Result

An alternative, simpler method of sealing is to overlap the rubber with several layers of fum tape and boil for 60 minutes in boiling water.

4. Make a hole in the can lid to connect to a coil or steamer. If the internal diameter of the coil is 12 mm, the suitable hole for the pipe in the can is 22 mm and the thread is 0.5 inches. Adapters are sold at plumbing supply stores.

To extend its service life, wash the can after each distillation with soap and plenty of running water. The use of soda and other cleaning products is strictly prohibited.

Moonshine still refrigerator

It consists of two parts - a coil (twisted tube) and a reservoir for cooling this tube. The cooling compartment is the most important element of the entire structure, the functioning of which determines the quantity and quality of moonshine.

Coil parameters

1. Material. It must not react with alcohol (or have minimal contact), be safe and non-toxic, withstand high temperatures (up to 100°C), and have high thermal conductivity. Based on the requirements, four options are possible: copper, aluminum, stainless steel (food grade) and glass.

Copper has the highest thermal conductivity; another advantage is its relative ease of processing (soldering is possible). But this material has one feature - the copper coil requires periodic cleaning with vinegar or citric acid with boiling water (preferably after each distillation), otherwise the plaque accumulated after oxidation with alcohol will negatively affect the quality of the moonshine.

All moonshiners complaining about copper do not clean their devices well. In world distilling practice, copper is considered the best or even the only permitted material (France, Scotland) for the manufacture of distillers (alambics). Light oxidation of copper with alcohol helps improve the taste, since it reduces the amount of impurities with a bad odor, and increases the concentration of substances that make moonshine soft.

The second most thermally conductive material for a coil is aluminum (1.6 times worse than copper). The advantages of aluminum are availability, low cost and ease of processing. But there is also a drawback - minimal oxidation, which, unlike copper, does not release useful substances into moonshine, so aluminum coils are not very common.

In terms of thermal conductivity, food grade stainless steel is 3-4 times inferior to copper. But this material does not react with alcohol and does not oxidize. Another disadvantage, along with low thermal conductivity, is the relative complexity of processing.

It is not possible to make a glass coil at home; without special equipment it is easier to buy a ready-made laboratory device. Glass is inert towards alcohol, but is very fragile and has low thermal conductivity.

Copper coil is the best, but requires regular cleaning

2. Dimensions and thickness of the tube. The longer the tube, the larger the contact area of ​​the steam with the cooling element. But there is also a side effect of a long length - hydraulic resistance increases (condensed vapors move through the tube already in a liquid state), which reduces the distillation speed.

The optimal length of the coil tube (before the bend) is 1.5-2 meters.

The larger the internal diameter of the coil (section), the lower the hydraulic resistance and the more efficient the cooling (due to an increase in the area of ​​contact of the steam with the walls). But very large diameter tubes are bulky, require a lot of water for cooling and are difficult to process, so you have to look for a “golden mean”.

The minimum wall thickness increases thermal conductivity, which improves the condensation of alcohol vapors. But tubes that are too thin are very fragile and, with intensive use of the moonshine still, quickly break.

Suitable coil thickness is 0.9-1.1 mm.

3. Orientation in space. There are three connection options: horizontal, vertical and inclined.

All other things being equal, the vertical arrangement of the coil is the most correct, since the condensed moonshine flows into the receiving container by gravity, without creating obstacles to the movement of alcohol vapor. Steam can be supplied to a vertical coil from above or below. To minimize resistance, it is correct to direct the steam to the top.

Refrigerator tank parameters

1. Substance. At home, the coil is cooled with air, water or ice. The vast majority of designs use water cooling as the simplest and most effective.

Air Cooling - Beautiful Looks, But Low Efficiency

2. Heat removal diagram. Systems can be open (work on running water) or closed (water remains in the tank without circulating, for example, a coil is lowered into a bucket). In terms of implementation and savings, closed systems are simpler and more profitable, but they cool the coil worse, which increases the loss of moonshine and has a bad effect on quality.

The bucket is a classic example of a closed water cooling circuit

Flow circuits are more difficult to manufacture, use more water or energy for pumping (circulating a stable volume of water in order to save money), but they require a smaller reservoir and, all other things being equal, produce a high-quality distillate.

From a properly made refrigerator (coil plus water circulation system), moonshine comes out cold or at room temperature, but not warm or hot. In this case, it is important to select the optimal heating intensity (not to exceed the maximum permissible heat supply power) so that the entire system effectively copes with steam condensation.

3. Direction of water supply. It is correct to supply water to the refrigerator from below, and remove it from above, so that the water moves towards the steam, creating a countercurrent, otherwise the lower part of the coil will not cool well.

Making a refrigerator (cooler)

You will need a copper, aluminum or stainless steel tube 1.5-2 meters long, 8-12 mm in diameter and 0.9-1.1 mm in wall thickness. A plastic or metal pipe with a diameter of 75-80 mm is suitable as a reservoir for installing the coil. A drawing of the moonshine still refrigerator is shown in the photo.

Sequencing:

1. Fill the coil tube with sand, soda or other dry, bulk material so that the metal does not flatten when curling. If you don’t have bulk materials on hand, you can simply fill the tube with water and freeze it.

2. Hammer the ends with wooden pegs (chops) so that the sand does not spill out. Can be tightly clamped or soldered. It is advisable to weld a nut on one end.

3. Wind the tube onto any smooth, cylindrical object with an even cross-section of suitable diameter (according to the drawing - 35 mm). The pitch between turns is 12 mm.

The number of turns in the coil is not of fundamental importance; with the values ​​of length, diameter and thickness indicated in the article, it is correct to make a step between turns of 12 mm.

4. Release the ends of the finished coil. Pour out the sand and rinse with water under pressure.

5. Install pipes for water supply and drainage on the cooler body.

6. Place the coil inside the housing. Install plugs at the top and bottom. Seal all connections.

Ready assembled cooler

The operating speed of the cooler of this design is up to 3 liters of moonshine per hour.

Steamer and bubbler

Optional, but desirable (especially for beginners) moonshine still modules.

A steam boiler is a sealed glass or metal container between the distillation cube and the refrigerator, into which the vapors are first cooled, and then some of the substances boil again and move into the coil.

The working principle of a steam steamer. Due to a sharp decrease in pressure (the volumes of the supply tube and the jar differ hundreds of times), the temperature drops, as a result the steam passes into the liquid phase (condenses), but is immediately heated by a new portion of hot steam from the cube, again turning into a gaseous state. But some of the water and fusel oils with a high boiling point do not have time to boil during this short moment of change in state of aggregation and remain at the bottom of the container.

Bubbler in a moonshine still– a device designed to pass alcohol vapor through a layer of liquid (water). Structurally, it differs from a steam steamer only in the presence of water in the container before distillation begins (not always), and in the fact that the steam supply tube is lowered into the can almost to the bottom. The purpose and principle of operation of the bubbler are the same as that of the steam steamer.

Connected steam tank Bubbler - the steam supply tube is lowered closer to the bottom, the distillate is flavored with lemon zest

Advantages of a steamer (bubbler):

• is protection against splashing - the ingress of mash into the finished moonshine when heated too much;
• makes the distillate stronger;
• cleans moonshine from some fusel oils (only a small part);
• allows you to flavor the alcohol during distillation (just put citrus fruit zest, apple slices, etc. in the jar).

It is advisable to use one steamer or bubbler in a moonshine still. Consecutive installation of 2-6 pieces only leads to an increase in the strength of the moonshine, but does not affect cleaning.

If the output moonshine is strong, for example, even 80-90 degrees, then this does not mean that the drink is well purified, there is simply water left in the steamers and (or) bubblers, which should have condensed in the coil, reducing the strength of the distillate. All harmful impurities that can be cleaned with a steamer remain in the first jar, and in subsequent jars only water is removed from the moonshine. You should not think that in terms of the degree of purification, 6-8 steamers can replace rectification or fractional distillation; this is physically impossible.

How to make a steamer or bubbler

The volume of the steamer (bubbler) container should be 10 times less than the volume of the distillation cube.

You will need:

• glass jar with a metal lid or other sealed container;
• 2 fittings;
• 2 nuts;
• marker;
• awl;
• heat-resistant glue or cold welding.

Instructions:

1. Mark the diameter of the holes at the intended connection points: attach the fittings to the cover and circle them with a marker.

2. Make holes. The easiest option is to move an awl along the drawn lines until the metal of the lid is rubbed through.

3. Install the fittings and secure with nuts. To seal, treat the holes on the outside and inside with cold welding or heat-resistant glue.

Inner side

Outer side

Bubbler manufacturing sequence

4. When connecting to a moonshine still, it should be taken into account that in the steamer the inlet tube should be 15-30 mm lower than the outlet tube (lowered deeper into the jar). In a bubbler, the incoming tube runs along the entire height of the jar, without touching the bottom at a distance of 2-3 cm.

If the bubbler is connected incorrectly (steam is supplied through the short end, but tries to escape through the long end), the pressure in the jar increases significantly and an explosion may occur!

There is only one drawback of bubblers and steamers from a jar - there is no drain for the accumulated liquid (you have to unscrew it), and during fractional distillation it is advisable to clean the container before collecting the “body” (the main fraction).

A more complex steamer with drain

Methods for heating a moonshine still

1. Open fire. In most cases, this means heating on a gas stove or burner, but there are also coal and firewood. The advantages of this method: simplicity, accessibility and often cost-effectiveness.

Flaws:

• high inertia - it will not be possible to quickly reduce or increase power, as a result, it is difficult to control the temperature in the cube; experience is required;
• it is very difficult to insulate the distillation cube to reduce heat loss in order to save money;
• installation of automation is practically useless;
• high fire hazard of open fire.

Distillation in the fresh air with wood. What kind of device, what color of moonshine

2. Built-in electric heating elements. Devices (one or several at once) are mounted directly into the cube. Heating elements made of stainless steel or brass are suitable.

Advantages:

• quick temperature change (high controllability);
• possibility to install automation and insulate the cube.

Flaws:

• solid particles can burn to the working surface of the heating elements; careful filtration of the mash is required before distillation;
• Electric heating is often more expensive than gas heating;
• From time to time the heating elements burn out.

3. Induction cooker. It runs on electricity and can be stationary or portable (used more often in moonshine).

Advantages:

• low inertia – quick change of heating intensity;
• good temperature control - induction cookers are equipped with automation, no need to install separate units;
• in comparison with heating elements, the entire surface of the bottom of the cube is evenly heated; burning of the mash occurs in rare cases.

Flaws:

• the cost of an induction cooker is quite high;
• You can only use distillation cubes made from materials containing a magnet (stainless steel, cast iron), while aluminum and copper containers without magnetic inserts welded to the bottom are not suitable for heating.

Only stainless steel and cast iron cubes can be heated on an induction hob

4. Heating using steam (steam generator). First, the water is brought to a boil and served directly into the container or onto the outer walls. The system allows you to control (automate) the entire process and eliminate the risk of burning, therefore it is suitable for distilling thick mash. But due to the complexity of implementing the design and the need to purchase (manufacture) special equipment (steam generator), it will not be considered further here.

Installing thermometers in a moonshine still

You can do without measuring the temperature, but a correctly installed thermometer allows you to change the container in time during fractional distillation and adjust the heating intensity.

Three types of thermometers are used in moonshine stills (according to the principle of operation):

• bimetallic - a metal tape or spiral acts as a sensor;
• electronic - a special conductor changes resistance when temperature fluctuates;
• digital - measurements are recorded due to changes in pressure.

The most reliable are bimetallic thermometers, but the accuracy of these devices leaves much to be desired. Electronic thermometers are much more accurate, but with the slightest shock they can break or show the wrong temperature. Digital thermometers are leaders in accuracy, but are expensive.

During distillation, you cannot rely entirely on the readings of the thermometer, especially the first time, when the operating modes of the homemade moonshine still have not yet been tested. Temperature values ​​are auxiliary data. At the exit, the moonshine should be cold or at room temperature, and during fractional distillation, divide the output into fractions correctly by pure alcohol, sugar content in the mash or by smell (method of experienced distillers).

Fastening. The thermometer in the moonshine still can be installed at the outlet of the cube (in the upper part) or in front of the entrance to the refrigerator. The second option is preferable, as it allows you to measure the temperature of the steam before condensation. But the thermometer in the cube (the first case) shows the degree of heating of the mash, which is also important. Conclusion: if possible, it is advisable to install two thermometers at once.

Thermometers can be placed on the cube or in front of the refrigerator

For installation, it is enough to make a hole, the diameter of which coincides with the diameter of the thermometer installation cylinder (fastenings with Velcro and plastic clips are not suitable). Secure the cylinder from the inside with a bolt and secure the structure with a nut. Then insert the thermometer itself.

Attention! When starting up for the first time, a home moonshine still should be tested by distilling water, and not immediately filled with mash. Distilling water is safer, immediately shows problems (if any) and thoroughly rinses all parts of the structure.