It’s difficult for a novice moonshiner to immediately decide to buy a good one, but he needs to learn the basics of distilling something.
We'll tell you how to do it alcohol mashine from a pan with a minimum of .
Even if you don't have a saucepan big size and you will have to buy it, it will cost you 5–10 times less.
To create a simple distiller you will need:
- a saucepan with a volume of 7 to 40 liters, always with a lid;
- a stainless steel or copper tube 2 meters long - for the coil;
Peculiarities. Copper tube can be used from an old broken refrigerator. A copper coil will ensure the release of a tasty, aromatic distillate, especially when using mash.
- a piece of plumbing pipe with a diameter of about 45 mm for the refrigerator and two plugs for it;
- . This is not a necessary thing, but very important for a moonshiner. It is the thermometer that allows you to qualitatively divide the distillate into fractions and take for consumption only the one that contains the minimum of harmful additives.
- fittings, couplings, fum tape, epoxy glue;
- materials for fastening the cover. They are selected based on the specific situation. This could be a pair of anchors and a piece of aluminum profile (if the lid is flat and you can remove the nozzle from it), small clamps or strong clothespins, a specially cut holder (if the handles of the pan rise above the lid), etc.
Reference. The most harmful substances are contained in the distillate, which drips very first, at a temperature of 60 to 75 ° C.
It contains poisonous methyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, ethers and acetone. This liquid is called heads and is poured out mercilessly. There is no drinking alcohol in it at all, since ethyl alcohol begins to evaporate at 76°C.
And at temperatures above 85°C, “tails” rich in . They are collected separately and used during the next distillation. Added to, they will increase the yield of high-quality strong moonshine.
Making a refrigerator
You don’t have to “spoil” the pan itself, but only remake the lid, so that in the future it can be used for its intended purpose.
But sometimes it makes more sense to connect the steam pipe to the side in the upper quarter of the pan. Here it’s the moonshiner’s choice. Let's consider the sequence of actions.
Regardless of whether the tube for removing alcohol vapor is in the wall of the pan or in the lid, you need a hole for it. Here are some options:
- There is homemade devices, where a ready-made hole in the lid (usually glass) is used for the steam line, to which a handle is screwed. In its place they put a fitting on which a silicone tube is placed leading to the refrigerator. There is no need for a distiller - just put the handle in place. IN glass lids almost always there additional hole- for steam release. There are two options - either seal it (for example, epoxy glue), or expand it a little, equip it with a capsule and place a thermometer;
- drill a separate hole in the lid and also install a fitting;
- a hole is made in the wall of the pan, retreating 3 - 4 cm from the top, and a connecting fitting is installed.
Attention. It is extremely important to seal all connections so that alcohol vapor enters only into the tube provided for it, and does not break through the cracks. Not only does this result in a loss of the final product, but it also poses a risk of fire.
Assembly
If everything is done correctly, there should be no problems. But the most important thing in ensuring tightness is to secure the lid. Here - who will come up with something:
- if the handles are welded in metal, located on the sides of the container and do not protrude upward, the lid of the pan can be tightly and securely fastened using anchors and a strong strip ( aluminum profile, a strip of thick metal, a strong board, etc.) with corresponding holes on the sides. In this case, the anchors are hooked onto the handles of the pan and tightened with nuts until they are firmly connected. And the top of the pan with mash already poured in 3-4 layers is wrapped with fum tape, which will ensure tightness;
Advice. If you cannot remove the handle from the lid, you will have to make a cutout for it in the upper clamping profile you are using.
- the raised metal handles of the pan make it possible to firmly press the lid with any durable material, threading the clamp through the handles. Moreover, these can be two clamps on both sides, and the presence of a handle on the lid in this case is not a hindrance. Don't forget about fum tape;
- often the pans have plastic handles, so it is better not to use the option with anchors - the handles can break at the most inopportune moment. When seating the lid deeply, try to press it at least with clothespins (preferably with small clamps) and coat it with the usual dough together with the clamps. This ancient method of sealing a moonshine still works well today.
Creating a moonshine still from a saucepan is not limited to the described methods. Many people even add columns to the structure and come up with their own ways of attaching the handle.
How do you feel about making a moonshine still from a pot? Are you ready for such creativity? Tell us in the comments. Like and share the article with your friends.
A simple device that will require a minimum amount of time and expense is a unit made from a saucepan with water poured into the bottom. A stand for the tank is first placed in the pan, everything is covered with a basin, and the joints are greased with dough. The mash is poured into the pan and set on fire. From heating, the evaporation of alcohol-containing vapors begins and their cooling from the basin with cold water. After this, the alcohol will drip into the container. The result is a pure product in a proportion of ¼ (from 4 liters of composition you get 1 liter of moonshine).
More the hard way execution of the design
In this method, in addition to a pan with a lid, you will need the following items:
2-meter tube made of aluminum or copper;
A pair of fittings with hoses;
Cut plastic pipe size 4.5 cm (for cooler);
Plumbing half-inch coupling with nut;
Jar with screw cap;
Pharmacy dropper;
Anchors with nuts;
Tin from beer containers;
Fluoroplastic tape;
Rolled aluminum (curtains, channels, corners);
Tubes with superglue;
Epoxy adhesive.
First, a coil is made from the tube, which goes around the pipe. Subsequently, a cooler is made from the plumbing pipe. After trying on the coil, you need to cut the pipe with a margin of 3-4 cm on each side.
On next stage fittings are glued to the outside of the pipe(for water inlet and outlet). Once the superglue has dried, holes are drilled inside the tube, corresponding in size to the inner diameter of the fitting.
A hole is made in the lid of the pan for the coupling, which should be tightened with a nut. After this, a pair of end caps are cut out for the cooler from tin can, which should come close to plumbing pipe. At the ends, slots are made for the coil tube, the installation site of which is glued so that there are no gaps left.
At the next stage it gets divorced epoxy resin with silver, the ends and outlets of the fittings are filled with resin. Then the coil tube is bent and inserted into the steam chamber, which is cut off. The second exit is made from the steamer to the pan, and the tubes are connected with threads. The length of the tube coming out of the pan should be less than that going to the coil. When alcohol boils, only steam should enter it.
The outer part of the coupling with tubes is coated with epoxy resin. After this, a hole corresponding to the size of the tube is drilled in the pan and it is inserted so that the cut does not reach the lid by 0.5 cm. It is also secured on both sides with epoxy.
Now you need to make a lid holder, for which the ear of the anchors is sawed and unbent, a plastic tube or electrical tape is put on the handles. The channel is drilled and anchors are inserted into it.
All that remains is to attach the coil to the pan with stiff wire or galvanized sheet. A dropper is put on the outlet of the coil, the finished mash is poured in and the production of alcohol can begin.
Moonshine is strong alcoholic drink, obtained through the process of distillation or rectification in living conditions. Alcohol is always obtained in approximately the same way by processing mash. This is a sugar or starch-containing mixture to which yeast is added and where the process of formation of microorganisms occurs. In fact, alcohol (ethyl, methyl, isobutyl and isoamyl), as well as acetone and aldehydes, are waste products of fungi. During the distillation process, separation occurs ethyl alcohol from all other impurities, which makes it possible to obtain moonshine. If you need to get pure 96% alcohol, then you will need distillation column. In any case, with or without a column, the main element of the moonshine still is the distillation cube. This is a container for evaporating an alcohol solution. Making a distillation cube with your own hands is not difficult, the main thing is to understand what it is made of and how to ensure its complete tightness.
Main characteristics
The distillation cube can differ not only in shape, but also in size, as well as the type of material from which it is made.
Formally as alembic any enamelled, copper or made of of stainless steel capacity that meets three main parameters:
- a hermetically and rigidly closing lid, that is, one that, when excess pressure won't rip
Depending on the unit from which the distillation cube is made, the pressure inside will increase to 180-200 kPa.
- the presence of a steam outlet, for which a fitting or futor is cut into the lid;
- tightness, which will not allow not only alcohol-containing vapors to escape, but also liquids from splashing out.
The main problems arise precisely with the last criterion. Neither a milk can, nor a pressure cooker/multi-cooker, nor a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid have a sufficient seal. Some solve the problem by covering it with dough, others use silicone insulation. The second option is much more preferable, since during the first serious distillation (30-40 liters of mash), the frozen dough, which has to be scraped off several times, forever discourages making insulation out of it.
When purchasing or creating a distillation cube with your own hands, its volume is very important. If moonshine is made only for personal consumption for a holiday, and a volume of 0.75 liters is quite enough, you can make it. Why such a small volume? Because from 4.5 liters of mash you will get 1 liter of dirty alcohol, after which the head and tail are separated and re-distilled. At the exit, the remainder of the finished product will be 0.70-0.75 liters.
If you plan to try moonshine more often than once a year at your mother-in-law’s birthday, then we recommend purchasing or making your own container with a volume of 24 liters or more.
On average, 24 liters of mash produces 5.5 liters of pure moonshine.
Here is an example of the most suitable container in terms of volume and sealing
Materials for production
Stainless steel is best suited for manufacturing. And it is from this that ready-made distillation stills are sold. The steel is characterized by a high degree of resistance to temperature loads (withstands temperatures up to +1000 0 C), is not subject to corrosion, and is inert in relation to various chemical elements and is relatively inexpensive material. In order for the finished product to turn out to be of truly high quality - without any foreign taste or smell - steel is suitable, which cannot be said about aluminum.
Stainless steel
Required materials and tools:
- 1 steel sheet 0.5 mm;
- a piece of pipe with a diameter of 50 mm;
- fitting;
- fittings;
- arc welding;
- metal scissors or grinder;
- metal brush.
Make a cut from the sheet for the future cube. To do this, cut out 4 rectangles 0.30 x 0.50 mm - end sides, top and bottom, 2 rectangles 0.30 x 0.25 mm - sidewalls.
In the upper part of the structure, cut a hole into which you insert a piece of pipe. The mash is first supplied through this filler hole, after which it is screwed tightly with a lid and fitting. And it’s already inserted into the fitting silicone hose, which will connect the distillation cube to the coil. For convenience, you can make a hole in the side and insert a pipe with a tap. At the end of distillation, the remaining mash is drained through it.
All parts are welded together electric arc welding. Since the sheets have become relatively thin, they can be joined with a soldering iron. First, treat future seams with phosphoric acid, which cleans the metal and protects it from oxidation, and then solder it. Use tin as solder.
To make the lid airtight, install it according to the principle of twisting a flask. To do this, you will need to cut a thread or select the appropriate pipe.
All elements, including the lid and pipes, must be made of stainless steel.
Separately, a small hole is drilled in the finished container for the sleeve, into which a bimetallic thermometer is inserted.
Of course, at first glance this process seems very simple, although in reality, from cutting parts to assembling the entire structure, there is nothing simple here. Some will notice that a homemade moonshine still is inferior to an industrial model, and there are fewer problems - buy it, fill it up and start the moonshine brewing process. But this is not for everyone. Beginners are interested in assembling their own, albeit small, apparatus, which will allow them to get 1.5-2 liters of moonshine. And experienced craftsmen strive to create the IDEAL moonshine still, to which they can choose interesting technological solutions. You can take our proposed version of a stainless steel distillation cube as a basis and add additional “bells and whistles” to it.
To make it clearer, look at the video of how to make a distillation cube with your own hands
What else can you make a distillation cube from?
Pressure cooker
We have already told you before. This perfect option for those who are satisfied with a small amount of moonshine, and there is no opportunity or desire to “be smart” with separate design. A pressure cooker has one very significant advantage over all other methods - tightness and the ability to withstand high pressure. Also important is non-stick coating, which prevents the mash from burning. If the mash begins to stick to the walls of the container, the burning smell will be clearly “audible” in the finished product.
Beer keg
A beer keg, which is used for transportation, is also suitable for making a cube. The keg itself is a suitable container in terms of volume and tightness, but the lid will need to be redone. To do this, use a caliper to mark a circle for the diameter of the pipe, make several small holes and press the circle. Clean the edges. Insert the threaded pipe and tighten the nuts.
Beer keg - not the best the best option for distilling mash. Firstly, it is made of aluminum, which is a non-inert chemical material that oxidizes under the influence of alcohol vapor and temperature. Secondly, such a container does not have sufficient tightness. The lid does not provide such insulation and therefore it is necessary to use gaskets to make the pressure stronger. Over time, aluminum bends due to its softness, and the tightness is lost again.
Milk can
The manufacturing principle is identical to a beer keg. Make a steam outlet hole in the lid and insert the sleeve under the thermometer. A special fastening can be provided on the lid to ensure complete tightness.
The can must be made of stainless steel. Avoid using aluminum containers for distillation.
Based on quite great experience experiments in making distillation cubes with your own hands, we responsibly declare that it is best to make a container from stainless steel. Such a unit will last for several decades and will not lose its basic properties - tightness, inertness and resistance to high temperatures.
sia Associate Professor Vladimir 1450 532
Good day to all.
I use homemade stills made from saucepans. For a volume of 13.5 liters, the solution is optimal in terms of price and ease of manufacture. Steel 18/10, thick multi-layer bottom, with induction heating There has never been a burn on either sugar, grain or fruit mashes. Of course, clarified and filtered.
After a year or two of operation, I noticed pockets of pitting corrosion on the inner surface of the cube. The steel is of high quality, the same pan used for making syrups and porridges for mash, still like new both inside and out. Apparently it's a matter of high humidity, remaining in the cube after finishing work and washing. It had to be dried somehow.
Boiling aqueous solution citric acid did not produce a noticeable positive effect. Of course you can just unsolder it. Clean everything with sandpaper or steel wool and solder it. But maybe someone knows an easier way? What else can be boiled in it to remove corrosion? I think many people use cubes with a narrow filler neck. share folk wisdom))
The advice from Samovarius turned out to be effective, why should he Thanks a lot. Quote:
I pour soda into the cube, about 0.5 liters, pour it hot water 2-3 liters, put it on fire, connect the def and refrigerator. I run the system until there are mins in the receiving tank. 250 ml. I drain the liquid from the cube, rinse it with hot water, and fill it clean water, I'm running the system again.
The distillation cube is the basis of a moonshine still
An essential part of a moonshine still is a distillation cube; it is in it that the main evaporation of the alcohol solution takes place. This element can not only have different volumes, but also differ in the material used and manufacturing method. This is especially true for options when the device is designed with your own hands.
How does a distillation tank or cube work?
The element is made exclusively of metal and can be of different volumes.
In the upper part or lid, often in the form of a dome, a special steam outlet is installed. When the solution boils, alcohol-containing vapors rise and flow through the adapter into the refrigerator, where they condense into an alcoholic product. Almost every day, a valve is provided to allow the remnants of used mash to escape.
For those who do not like experiments and value high quality and their time, it is better to give preference to finished product. The distillation cube and accompanying paraphernalia can be purchased in a specialized store, including on the Internet resource.
The use of a stainless steel moonshine still is considered especially valuable, which affects not only average cost such equipment, but also on practicality and sufficient long term operation.
What can a distillation cube be made from?
Various dishes, containers and the operating time of such a moonshine still are adapted to the distillation container, and its functionality depends on the knowledge of the inventor and the skills of the manufacturer.
Most often used for this steel products, made with your own hands or purchased already in finished form. It is steel that is highly resistant to long-term temperature loads and does not react with chemical compounds contained in the mash. For high-quality alcoholic drinks, not only strength is important, but also the absence of extraneous flavors, and using steel surfaces, this can be achieved quite realistically. The ingress of compounds harmful to the body when using steel is also excluded, which cannot be stated with certainty for aluminum tanks.
Steel cube and is it possible to make it yourself?
If you decide to make a device for making alcohol with your own hands, then you can use several options for this. One of the most difficult is the use of stainless steel sheets, which, after quite complex manipulations, are converted into a cube for distillation. The step-by-step process is as follows:
This whole process seems simple only upon superficial study, but in fact, making a moonshine still with your own hands, in particular, a steel distillation cube, is only possible for real professionals. In order not to waste time, as well as to avoid accidents during distillation, damage to the product or poor quality, it is better to purchase ready-made equipment.
Sometimes you can find specialists who specialize in the manufacture of steel cubes, but then the guarantee of the moonshine still will also be questionable. You can only trust such a task to real professionals; it is better if they are trusted people, since the pleasure of producing a container for home brewing from stainless steel is relatively expensive.
In addition to compliance with the production technology itself metal product, it is important to carry out the calculations correctly. They are needed not only to determine the amount of material needed and plan material costs, but in order not to miscalculate the volumes. With a compact distillation cube, there will be the lowest productivity, which will significantly prolong the preparation of alcoholic beverages.
Purchasing a device made by professionals helps to facilitate the process of moonshine brewing, since the kit already contains everything necessary to carry out distillation and control it.
Other ways to invent a still
If you plan to make alcohol in small quantities, then you can simply use a pressure cooker, choosing a product with a maximum volume. If you unscrew the drain valve, you can install an adapter to supply steam to the refrigerator. The tightness of the lid is ensured initially, as this is provided for by the manufacturing technology of such utensils. It is quite difficult to get a good product yield with a regular pressure cooker, so one of the alternatives is flasks, but not those that contain aluminum. This metal has long been no longer recommended for producing alcohol, although several decades ago it was especially popular.
Some craftsmen adapt ordinary stainless steel pans for distillation, which are first subjected to partial modification. In other words, they make almost the same pressure cookers. Holes are made in the lids to allow steam to escape; the lid is supplemented with a special fastener to ensure tightness during the distillation process. Since pots can be of different sizes, containers can also be selected according to volumetric requirements.
Despite the numerous inventions of people trying to reduce the cost of producing a moonshine still without sacrificing quality, not everyone is able to do this with their own hands. In order not to take risks and actually get an alcoholic product with the desired strength, pleasant aroma and planned output, then you need to choose systems developed by professionals. Conditional savings or a desire for experimentation can negatively affect the level of alcohol production.
Not everyone can make a sealed, easy-to-use distillation cube made of stainless steel with their own hands, but choose best option in terms of cost and functionality, everyone can do it. There are companies that organize the delivery of all the necessary attributes. The kit already includes a container for distillation, a cooler, a steamer, a thermometer, connecting elements and everything you need to make not only moonshine, but also cognac, whiskey and any other drink.
Moonshine cube
Somehow I missed this topic. I must say - completely undeservedly. In principle, many will say that the structural design of the cube, as they say, does not affect speed. However, the design of the cube sometimes has a very significant impact on the ease of use. And in some processes (for example, when working with grain mash) it can also affect the overall speed of the process.
Let's look at the main variations of cubes, their strengths and weak sides. Of course, I will not disassemble non-standard homemade products. Let's talk only about the most common options, built on standard components. The first in the row will rightfully be the well-deserved
Milk flask (can, container from a milking machine). Probably the most affordable option as a basis for cube construction. 
I myself have two pieces of 40 liters, both bought used for 1000 rubles apiece (the price for them was quite stable before the crisis, for example, I bought mine several months apart, and I also tinkered - I chose the cleaner and more even one ). It is irrational to take a smaller volume, since the price differs only slightly, but the benefit of a larger one is much greater. It’s better to buy used ones, since most of them are old, Soviet-era vessels - I like them better. The new ones are somehow flimsier, thinner. Aluminum is perfectly processed; any necessary holes can be made with improvised means. The fittings used are standard brass or bronze (available at any plumbing store for a reasonable price). You can use original rubber gaskets under the lid, wrapping them with plumbing foam. If the gasket does not hold or is not there at all (a reason to negotiate the price - a new one costs from 50 to 400 rubles, depending on the greed of the sale), it does not matter either. On one of my flasks, the gasket, after working for several months, began to corrode and I replaced it with a piece of silicone hose (11 by 16 mm), joining it with a piece of silicone hose of a smaller diameter (8 by 10). Works great.
The disadvantages include:
1. Does not like alkaline environments. There is no need to wash with any moles or other alkaline-based products. Very rapid failure is ensured - the surface becomes ulcerated and holes form.
2. Doesn't like cold water. The result is the same as from the action of alkali, the process is just slower.
3. You have to fasten the connecting elements with threads and without welding, they all sooner or later begin to unscrew, and soldering aluminum is tricky (at least that’s how I learned it - the ease of assembly is fascinating and it’s easier to give up on future difficulties - it will do, but from time to time you have to pull up). For me this is perhaps the biggest drawback.
Pressure cooker. This version of the cube is good for everyone, except for one thing - the volume of pressure cookers is usually no more than 12 liters (usually 9-10 liters, or even 5-6). Because of this, it is not rational to put heating elements in a pressure cooker; you have to purchase an induction one (increasing the price of an already not very profitable device due to the small volume) or heat it with gas (impossibility of insulation, which, however, is compensated by the small volume) and often encounter height restrictions ( does not pass under the hood, etc.). It is usually used as a starting cube for deciding whether to develop. 
I use a 9L stainless steel OKA pressure cooker. I removed the standard valves from it, installed a 1/2 adapter in the hole of one of them (on a thread with a nut and a Teflon gasket), and a thermometer in the hole of the other. There are aluminum pressure cookers - they are easier to modify. I chose stainless steel because of its durability and ability to adapt to distillery needs without damaging it. At any time, you can remove the distiller and thermometer, replace the valves and use the pressure cooker for its intended purpose. Quite often I use it to make gin (less often absinthe and other drinks based on essential oils plants). This is much more convenient than driving a large cube.
Cooking pots and kettles. Of course, you need to purchase stainless steel pans to build a cube, but aluminum ones are now difficult to find, and enameled ones are not suitable. When choosing such a base, you need to pay attention to the thickness of the material and, especially, the rigidity of the lid - you will often place a very heavy device on it. If you are going to use induction, then pay attention to the material of the bottom (not all pans are suitable for use with induction cookers, this, by the way, general comment for any cube). 
The main problem when constructing pot cubes is sealing the lid. Sometimes you can find a gasket from some silicone mold for baking or silicone mat (appeared in Lately, you can buy it on ebay in the required size), sometimes you have to weld the lid and equip it with a welded flange (or even replace the lid with a suitable circle made of a 3mm thick sheet). In general, the saucepan option is not suitable for home cube construction due to the initial cost of the saucepan itself, the need welding work(in a good way, or soldering in a bad way). And most importantly, due to the presence of a very strong alternative in the form
Stainless steel beer keg. Definitely a great capacity. Thick wall, stiffeners, convenient volume (20, 30 and 50 liters). It can be used without modification, installing the device on a standard neck mount 2 (preferably with a three-clamp, then no welding or other methods are needed at all). Easily amenable to deep modification, after which you will get a truly convenient cube for all occasions. The illustration shows a cube from a 50 liter keg with a welded pressure cooker, resolving issues sealed neck. The disadvantages include the need for argon welding, or, at worst, hard soldering.
Today, I consider the steam-water boiler (SWB) to be the pinnacle of amateur cube building. 
Structurally, it consists of two nested containers. The inner container is actually the cube, and the outer one plays the role of a shirt for it. A certain amount of water is poured into the shirt, which is heated using heating elements. It turns out to be a kind of steam-water bath for the cube. This achieves good uniform heating of its entire surface with a very small temperature gradient at the boundary between the cube wall and stillage. No local overheating, burning, etc. In addition to heating, you can also cool the contents of the cube by running cold water through the jacket. This alternation of heating and cooling is necessary when preparing grain (starch) mash, where you first need to heat for boiling, then cool for saccharification and then for the actual fermentation. It is also very convenient for brewing beer. Of course, such a version of the cube is, to put it mildly, inexpensive and you need to acquire it with a clear understanding of why you actually need all this.
Recently, stainless torque converters have been used as the basis for the cube, but I don’t really like this option. They are not cheap and require as much work as a keg. In addition, containers with a volume of less than 80 liters have a horizontal orientation and a hatch at the end. It turns out not very convenient to work with.
Summary. At the very beginning of distillery activity, you should not purchase an expensive still or bother with self-production complex container. It is still unknown how much you will really need all this later. It makes sense to get a milk flask or even a pressure cooker. It won’t be a shame to throw out the first one, but the second one will come in handy even if you have advanced cubes. In any case, remember - the cube is just part of your distillation system and its volume must be combined with the volume of the fermentation tank, the amount of finished product you desire and other indicators. It’s quite funny, for example, to try to fill a 35-liter barrel with distillate using a pressure cooker as a distillation cube.
When acquiring a cube, pay attention to the following points. the possibility of insulation (if it is without insulation), the presence of a wide neck to ensure convenient maintenance and the possibility of subsequent modification (often you don’t know today what you want tomorrow), the presence of the necessary connecting elements (pipes), sufficient overall strength of the structure.
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DIY moonshine still
In our country, moonshine stills are not new products; they are old, familiar units for preparing drinks own production with the most various additives. In Russia, they began making moonshine stills with their own hands during the period of strict Prohibition, when people were forced to look for other ways to obtain alcoholic beverages for the holidays.
Standard design moonshine stills was known to both children and adults. Even those who did not have such devices at home understood the structure of these home helpers. Today the legislation is loyal to those who do alcoholic drinks for your own use. For selling, of course, there is a penalty. For many people, moonshine is now a hobby. He managed not only to preserve a unique tradition. Modern manufacturers of moonshine stills use advanced technologies, they choose materials High Quality, constantly improve the design.
Stylish, laconic and multifunctional units are a source of pride. They are happily presented to friends and used to make a wide variety of drinks, which are practically not inferior to store-bought ones in quality and taste. Many beginners have a lot of questions when starting moonshine business. Encyclopedias, for example, Wikipedia, do not write about diagrams, drawings and photos of moonshine stills. And various forums and portals craftsmen contain a lot of both useful and very dubious information. If you have firmly decided to create the structure yourself, then this guide and expert advice will come in handy.
Do-it-yourself moonshine still – it’s real!
Some people are afraid of it just by looking at the distiller. complex system. Despite the menacing appearance and many details, the diagram of the moonshine still detailed analysis quite simple. The standard design consists of:
Distillation cube. This is the main container into which the raw materials are placed. The tank is installed on the burner hob or on a stone stove, it heats up, during which the mash boils, releasing vapors containing alcohol. Fridge. A cooling unit must be present in the circuit of any moonshine still. It is necessary to create condensation. When passing through the cooler, the vapor turns back into liquid and enters the collection container. It is very important to support optimal temperature, as in a distillation cube. In the simplest designs, cooling occurs due to the presence of this element in a container with water, which is replaced regularly when heated by the room temperature. Coil. An element of the refrigerator, which is represented by a curved tube, it is ideally made of a thin-walled stainless steel rod. The quality of the moonshine at the outlet directly depends on the length of the tube. It is recommended to use a workpiece of about 2 meters. Connecting tubes or hoses. They are an intermediate link between the distillation tank and the cooler. Water is supplied through silicone hoses and distillate flows out. Additional equipment. This includes all kinds of bimetallic thermometers, measuring containers, sealing gaskets, and heating elements.
Obviously, anyone can make a moonshine still at home if they have a great desire and necessary details at hand. You can use a regular pressure cooker as a distillation cube. It is initially equipped with a hermetically sealed lid, which simplifies the task. In the absence of such a pan in the house, you can use a metal flask, can or even a beer keg. It is important to comply with the following condition: capacity in mandatory must have a tight-fitting lid.
You can also use aluminum flasks, stainless steel cans and other containers with a tight-fitting lid as a distillation cube. Below are the options that can be purchased from Alkopribor.
There is a photo of the pan, but it is from the seller’s website and is not very informative. The device is as follows: the upper edge of the pan itself is bent outward along a circle with a diameter of about 7 mm. The lid has a depression into which this edge of the pan fits.
Now I have a silicone hose cut lengthwise attached to the edge of the pan. Today he is conducting an experiment: he pressed the lid to the pan with his hands and inflated it through the hole for the drawer (there is a 1 1/4″ thread and a transition to a fitting for a hose, specially made for inflation). So, when the lid is pressed evenly (as far as can be done with both hands), there is a tightness; nothing blows from the place where the edges of the silicone hose meet, because they are pressed against each other quite tightly.
Thus, a silicone hose cut lengthwise is a good gasket. The most important thing is that if something happens, such a gasket can be done in five minutes. If you have a hose, of course 🙂 There were fears that when cutting the hose lengthwise, the cut might go like a screw, and then nothing would work. But it turned out that the hose had a bend from birth that was almost impossible to straighten. If you place the cut piece of hose on the table, allowing it to lie the way it wants, then it is very easy to cut it lengthwise by simply moving the utility knife along the hose from above. The main thing is not to cut through it. To do this, you need to release the small tip of the blade. Then we put the newly created gasket on the top edge of the pan. Because inner diameter the hose is 6 mm, and the diameter of the bent part of the pan is 7 mm, the hose grips the metal very tightly.
By the way, I first took a thick-walled hose, the inner diameter is the same, and the walls are 3 mm, but nothing worked out with it, the lid does not fit. And with a thin-walled one it’s great, the lid fits like original.
I didn’t sharpen the edges of the new gasket with anything, I just cut off the excess with the same stationery knife. I saw somewhere that they cut the edges at an angle, then put them on top of each other so that there is pressure. Someone sewed the edges together with thread. I don’t know, in my opinion these are unnecessary movements. The pressure in the cube is not so great to take such drastic measures.
Regarding the lock/latch, a person named Slava sent me a personal message with a link to another forum, which describes how to make a hoop with a latch, like for Luxstahl. But they don’t let you see pictures there, you have to register. It’s pretty clear what needs to be done, but it’s better to see it once, yes. It uses a bucket hoop with some kind of varnish/paint. It needs to be shortened by a certain amount and the clamp attached in a new place. All that remains is to find a suitable hoop to try.
My latches, photos of which are in previous post, have springs that tend to close the latch. They really get in the way when marking holes, and when soldering they won’t let you work at all. I just rejected soldering. There is an idea to screw them onto screws with nuts (stainless steel), and then solder these nuts from the inside of the pan. At least from the outside it will look very presentable, but inside, of course, it will look like a collective farm. But it will work.