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The moonshine still is a prefabricated structure, which includes the main and additional elements. One of the auxiliary devices of the distillation system is a dephlegmator.
It comes in different forms and can be called by different names. Among moonshiners, it is also called an additional cooler or pre-cooler. Some confuse the device with a dry steamer, but the functions of these devices are somewhat different.
What is a dehumidifier and why is it needed
Experienced moonshiners know how important it is to qualitatively clean an alcoholic product from harmful impurities. This is what the diffuser does. True, it performs only a rough, preliminary cleaning.
The design looks like a vertical tube, inside or around which water-cooler moves. This element is used for partial separation and removal of harmful impurities from alcohol-containing steam.
How does a dephlegmator work
The principle of operation of the device is based on the difference in the temperatures of boiling and evaporation of substances.
The pre-cooler is fixed on the approach to the main cooler. Alcohol vapor leaves the distillation cube, rises through the tube and enters the dephlegmator.
Heavy impurities with a higher boiling point, when cooled to 78 ° C, turn into a liquid and flow back into the distillation vessel. Alcohol and lighter fractions skip and move on. It is possible to control the volume of separated liquid (phlegm) by adjusting the intensity of the water supply.
The use of a reflux condenser can significantly improve the quality of the final product: make it cleaner, stronger, more aromatic and tastier.
What are dephlegmators
They make devices from different materials: glass, stainless steel, copper. They can also look different, but they are based on one of two types of construction:
Film (or direct-flow) dephlegmator
It is a device in the form of two cylinders of different diameters. The smaller is inside the larger.
On the outer vessel there are 2 holes for the inlet and outlet of the water-cooler. It moves in the gap between the tubes.
Steam enters the inner cylinder. Heavy fractions condense and flow down the walls. Volatile impurities and alcohol exit through a special hole at the top.
A film reflux condenser can be jacketed (with one steam outlet) or shell-and-tube (with several).
Dephlegmator Dimrota and its analogues
It is a more advanced device due to the increased contact area of the cooler with alcohol vapor.
Inside a metal or glass flask is a coil of water. It looks like a spiral tube.
Steam enters the space between the coil and the outer casing.
The condensate collects directly on the surface of the spiral and flows down it back into the distillation cube.
Adjustable and non-adjustable dephlegmators
The first allow you to control the intensity of the water supply using a special faucet.
Secondly, this possibility is not provided, because they are less effective.
How to make a reflux condenser yourself
Even a beginner can make a simple dephlegmator for home brewing.
Various materials can be used for these purposes. One popular option is a metal thermos pre-cooler.
Do it like this:
Carefully remove the bottom of the container. To do this, a metal bracket is soldered to the bottom of the thermos, a cable / wire is attached to it and pulled sharply.
Separate the outer and inner flasks from the connecting partition. To do this, you will have to use a drill or an emery machine. Grind the ribs of the partition at the attachment point to make a gap.
A hole is made in the bottom of the inner flask to interact with air, a tube is inserted into it and the junction is closed.
In the wall of the outer flask, one hole is made in the upper and lower parts for the supply / output of water, 2 pipes are soldered to them (the ends should protrude slightly inward).
Assemble the device: insert the inner flask, make holes in the bottom and on the partition for the hose, solder the gaps.
Such a dephlegmator is connected with the neck down using an adapter made from a piece of pipe.
Those who have skills in the field of metalwork and carpentry and are good with a soldering iron can try to design the device according to the following instructions:
The simplest analogue of a home reflux condenser is a glass jar steamer:
It is the easiest to make, but the effectiveness of this option as a purifier of harmful impurities is extremely small.
Relevance: 01.02.2019
Tags: Vodka, mash, moonshine, Moonshine stills and accessories