Today on the market you can find many different distillers that allow you to make moonshine at home. However, such equipment is by no means cheap, so many people are wondering: "How to build such a unit yourself?" In our article you will learn all about how to make the simplest moonshine with your own hands: what materials will be needed for this, what is the principle of operation of each of the elements, how to make a drawing, and so on.
What is a moonshine still?
A moonshine still is a device for the distillation of raw materials, which contains alcohol molecules. As a starting product, you can use almost any mixture containing ethyl - raw (alcohol with impurities), mash (low alcohol drink) and the like. Each moonshiner has his own unique recipe, which allows you to make the drink strong and rich.
The main goal of the moonshine still is to get a drink that contains from 60 to 70 percent ethyl alcohol. In addition, the final product should also be free from various impurities that impair the taste of the drink or give it an unpleasant odor. As a rule, a lot depends on the feedstock, however, if the design of the distiller is violated, this will also lead to an undesirable result.
What is the essence of the device?
Have you decided to make the simplest moonshine of 20 l with your own hands? We strongly recommend that you first familiarize yourself with the principle of operation of this device. It is based on the fact that alcohol evaporates at such temperatures at which water retains its state of aggregation. As we know from the school physics course, in order to boil water, it is first necessary to heat it to a temperature of 100 ° Celsius. However, alcohol begins to evaporate already at 55-60 degrees. That is, if you can maintain the optimum temperature of the liquid, then evaporate only alcohol from the mash, and the water will remain inside the source material.
In order for alcohol vapors to return to a liquid state, a special condenser is used, which is designed on the principle of contact between hot steam and cold walls of the device. The final stage of distillation is to clean the alcohol from harmful impurities. For this, the liquid passes through a special filter and enters the tank one drop at a time, but in a purified state.
The main details of the moonshine
To make the simplest moonshine with your own hands, you need to know the basic elements of its design. As a rule, the main details of such a device are: an evaporator and a condenser. The first is a special container designed to heat the raw material to the desired temperature. To do this, you can use any pan or even make a moonshine from a beer keg. A condenser is a container that always has a cold surface, causing the alcohol vapor to again assume a liquid state.
Also, for most distillers, additional elements are also inherent that are responsible for the removal of alcohol from the evaporator, controlling the temperature of the mash or designed to clean the alcohol from various impurities. Devices can be very different, but we will return to this issue in the following sections. For starters, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with what to consider when designing a moonshine device.
What is important to consider when manufacturing?
Compared with industrial equipment for the production of alcohol, which use distillation columns and the principle of separation of raw materials into fractions, the home appliance has a fairly simple design. However, only an amateur who has never been involved in the distillation process at home may think so. If you decide to make the simplest moonshine still with your own hands, then you should consider its main characteristics, which will be presented in the following list.
- The volume of the device and performance. To satisfy their own needs for an alcoholic drink, it will be enough to make a device that is capable of processing from 15 to 20 liters of raw material at a time. If you want to create a larger production, then you can increase the volume by 10-20 percent.
- Material for the device. The most successful option for the manufacture of the case is stainless steel. It is best to use a sheet with a thickness of 1.5 to 2 millimeters. Also, copper will be a good alternative to stainless steel, but it costs an order of magnitude more expensive than steel. Some parts of the device are made of glass.
- Cleansing ability. The released product cannot be considered ready for use if it has not gone through several cleaning procedures for various impurities. For this purpose, a special device, called a steamer (or simply a filter), is specially installed in moonshine stills. It’s very simple to make a steam generator for a moonshine still.
- Working temperature. The selection of steam in the evaporator is provided at a temperature of 65 to 70 degrees. However, in the distillation process, it should be installed in the region from 68 to 82 degrees Celsius. For temperature control, a special device called a thermometer is responsible. Usually it is mounted on the lid of the distillation cube.
Perhaps these were all the features that should be considered when making a moonshine at home. Now you should familiarize yourself with the main structural elements and their principle of work.
Structural elements
If you do not know what you need for a moonshine still, then you have come to the right place. The following list will present the structural elements of such a device, as well as their purpose.
- Distillation cube or evaporator - a tank that is designed to heat the feedstock. A similar element can be made from almost any means at hand - a large flask, saucepan, can, beer keg and the like.
- A condenser or refrigerator is a fundamental element needed to convert ethyl alcohol vapor back to liquid. This part of the moonshine must be constantly cooled in order for the condensation to occur.
- The coil is a part necessary for the removal of alcohol vapors from the distillation cube. A kind of connecting element, which is located between the condenser and the evaporator. Typically, the coil looks like a tube bent in a spiral.
- Primary filter for cleaning or sucker - designed to clean alcohol vapor from various impurities. As a rule, it is installed at the entrance to the distillation cube. Passing through the sucker, most harmful substances remain inside it.
- A bubbler is an optional element of the moonshine, designed to improve the taste of the original product. It is quite similar to a cleaning filter, however, the fundamental difference between these two elements is the presence of a shock absorber, which gives the drink an aftertaste.
Also, one should not forget about such an important element as hoses for the moonshine still, without which no device can do. Temperature sensors, a tank for collecting alcohol are also important components of any distiller, which simplify the production process.
What to make an evaporator from?
Have you decided to make a column-type moonshine at home? To do this, you will have to acquire a suitable evaporator, which should be made (preferably) of stainless steel. As a rule, the volume of such a capacity is from 15 to 30 liters. Below are only the main types of moonshines, which are found in modern moonshine drivers.
- From an old aluminum can. If you have preserved a can of 20 liters from Soviet times, then you can use it as an evaporator for a future distiller. However, do not forget that this metal enters into a chemical reaction with ethyl alcohol, which gives the original product a sour taste.
- From a large enameled pan. The life of a moonshine with such an evaporator will be from 4 to 6 years. An important condition for the container is its integrity, since any scratch inside the pan will become a hotbed for the occurrence of various oxidative reactions that will give the moonshine an unpleasant taste.
- From a glass bottle. This option is considered one of the most dangerous, since such containers very often burst with strong heating. However, if the bottle is made of heat-resistant glass, then no problems should arise. In addition, you can get a thermometer and control the temperature of the evaporator.
Three of these options are quite true, but it is best to find a special stainless steel container or purchase a special glass distillation cube that is not afraid of high temperatures. In this case, you can observe the process of fermentation and evaporation through a transparent material.
Evaporator step-by-step process
A moonshine made of stainless steel must be made with great care, since in addition to high temperature, it will also have to withstand a sufficiently high overpressure, which reaches from 0.5 to 0.7 atm. Therefore, all welding work must be done honestly. To make a distillation cube, follow the procedure described below.
- We take a ready-made container or weld it from metal of the required volume.
- We make the bottom as flat as possible so that it easily becomes on the burner.
- We install a lid with a special hole on top of the distillation cube.
- We cut an in-pipe thread of diameters of 22 millimeters (a coil of 13 mm).
- We install a lid on the tank and seal the joint.
If you also want to control the temperature of the mash, you should additionally drill another hole in the lid, through which the fumes will go straight to the thermometer.
By the way, a pretty good option for a still cube is a pressure cooker, which has one significant advantage over other containers - it has a fairly good tightness. In this case, you only have to modify the distillation cube by making holes for the coil and thermometer in its lid. Well, a multicooker, in which the optimal temperature is maintained using the program, will be an absolutely ideal option.
Capacitor Fabrication
A moonshine still cannot be manufactured without a capacitor, which plays a huge role in the production process. It will not be difficult to make it even for a novice moonshiner. To do this, you can use the following materials:
- a copper tube is the most optimal option, which cools very quickly, has a low heat capacity and chemical inertness.
- an aluminum tube is also a good option, but alcohol will react with the metal, which will give the drink a sour taste;
- a glass coil - it is difficult enough to make at home, but its payback will occur in the shortest possible time.
The step-by-step process of making a refrigerator looks like this:
- We take a metal tube of the required diameter and fill it with sand.
- We deform the tube so that a spiral is obtained.
- We make the case of the cooling compartment using a plastic pipe.
- We skip the end of the coil into the department with a compartment and close the ends.
To cool the moonshine still, you can use ordinary running water, which enters the walls of the condenser through special tubes. Well, or you can completely lower the refrigerator into ice water and change it regularly in case of heating.
What to make a steamer from?
If you decide to make a sukhoparnik for a moonshine still with your own hands, we recommend that you use some kind of metal tube for this, installing a fitting on its ends to connect it to the coil and the evaporator cap.
The bubbler from the upper end must also be connected to the coil, but the lower end should be lowered through the opening of the cube lid so that the tube does not reach the bottom of the container and the gap is from 25 to 30 millimeters.
As for the tap for moonshine still, it is better to get it in the store. Such a thing is worth a mere penny, however, for its manufacture at home, you may need a lot of tools. Hoses for moonshine still best to purchase in advance.
How to provide mash heat?
After you manage to create a distiller yourself, you will need to take care of heating the starting material in a distillation cube. This can be done in a variety of ways, which will be described a bit below.
- Open source. The most commonly used method is open fire from a bonfire, gas stove or a separate firebox. The disadvantage of this heating method is the high complexity of regulating inertia and heating. It is also necessary to take care of fire safety rules in advance.
- Electric heater. Heating is provided by an electric stove with the help of elements built into it. It is worth considering in advance that the purchase of such a heater will be quite expensive, however, it will be very simple for the moonshiner to control the temperature regime.
- Steam generator. To heat the distillation cube, it will be enough to ensure the approach of hot steam using special equipment. You can control the heat supply with the help of special screws located on the equipment.
- Inductive heating. To heat a container with a braga, you can use an electric spiral. The main drawback is a rather large energy consumption, so you should prepare in advance for a large amount in the utility bill.
These are not all the ways in which you can heat a container with moonshine. Some craftsmen even use special diesel guns that run on cheap fuel for this. Well, or you can simply place the container on a wood stove, however, it will be quite difficult to maintain the optimum temperature, especially without using a thermometer in the distiller.
Video and conclusion
We hope our article helped you learn a little more about the process of making a moonshine column type at home. If this information was not enough for you, or you still don’t understand something, then you can watch a short video in which a man tells in detail about each stage of making a distiller at home. In addition, a good example will allow you to better understand the progress of work, which is very important for creating high-quality equipment.
As you can see, making a moonshine is not so difficult as it seems at first glance. You can use a variety of improvised tools for this, however, take into account the fact that some metals react with ethyl alcohol and change its taste. However, if you manage to do everything right, guided by our advice, then you can create a delicious traditional drink with your own hands.