Contents
There are many reasons to brew moonshine. For some, this is an exciting hobby, leisure, recreation, for others – saving on store-bought alcohol. Some are content with sugar moonshine, others are trying to learn all the subtleties of fruit and grain distillates, and others are only interested in pure alcohol and drinks based on it. But whatever the goal, quality distillation equipment helps achieve it again and again. And in this material we will try to explain to a beginner how to choose a moonshine still correctly and not make a mistake.
The most important message of this material: there is no ideal or best moonshine still for the home – there is only equipment that can solve tasks of a certain spectrum again and again. What are the tasks? To set them up, it is important to understand the basic processes in moonshine brewing: what raw materials to use, how to properly prepare mash, how and why to get raw alcohol, how to distill it fractionally. Only after proper theoretical preparation can one begin to provide material support for one’s new hobby. And, of course, you need to start with getting to know the equipment available on the market.
Types of moonshine stills for the home
At first it may seem that there is no end to the variety of designs of moonshine units. But if you miss minor details, all equipment can be divided into classical distillers and column-type apparatuses, which, in turn, are divided into mash (film) and distillation (packed) columns. Exotics, such as continuous mash columns, continuous steam generators and vacuum structures, will not be considered, since it is almost not represented on the market or exists in single copies in the hands of enthusiastic designers.
Classic distiller
The most understandable and affordable type of moonshine stills. In its simplest form, it is a combination of a distillation cube and a refrigerator. Braga or raw alcohol is heated in a distillation cube to the boiling point of alcohol (or intermediate fractions), the vapors are sent to the refrigerator, where they condense in the form of a finished product (raw alcohol, moonshine or intermediate fractions).
The variability of classic distillers is huge. Refrigerators are direct-flow or spiral-shaped (a coil familiar to many), arranged vertically, horizontally or at an angle. Often, distillation kits are equipped with a dry steamer and other strengthening modules (for example, they add a small drawer or mini reflux condenser). The price is also variable: from $ 100 per set and up to almost any amount that the buyer is willing to pay.
Household distiller Dobry Zhar “Module”
Vocabulary
Sukhoparnik (prikubnik) – an intermediate container between the distillation cube and the refrigerator. Thanks to marketers, it is still considered a useful module in cleaning and strengthening moonshine. In practice, air cooling is not enough for the normal strengthening or retention of “harmful” fractions. On the other hand, a steamer will fit as a protection against possible splashing (throwing the mash into the refrigerator) and aromatization of moonshine, if used as an aroma basket.
The conclusion suggests itself: the second and subsequent dry steamers are exclusively decorative in nature, including those with bubbling.
No matter how complex the design of a classic distiller looks, it is not capable of qualitatively separating steam into harmful / foul-smelling and harmless / aroma-forming fractions, even if the technology of fractional distillation has been mastered completely. Strengthening ability is also low: without additional modules – up to 80-85% alcohol maximum after multiple fractional distillation, with strengthening modules up to 90%, but about the same degree of purification (strength ≠ purification).
Alambic
Alambik (fr. alambic) is a classic copper distiller, the archetype of moonshine stills as such. In the classic version, it consists of a distillation cube (usually spherical in shape), a “helmet” (air dephlegmator), a curved steam line (with the poetic name “swan neck”) and a condenser. It is additionally equipped with reinforcing modules, for example, a lens (reflux condenser with air-water cooling).
Since copper is effective in cleaning the distillate from foul-smelling compounds and is involved in the formation of aromatic compounds desired for fruit and grain alcohols (both theses have been scientifically proven), alambicas in one form or another are still used in the production of whiskey, cognac, calvados and other “elite”. “. They are not used so often in home brewing, because they are not cheap (from $ 300 for the simplest kit) and need constant cleaning (however, like any other copper module).
The conclusion suggests itself: a high degree of purification or strengthening is not always required from a distiller. Sometimes it is more important to preserve the flavor of the feedstock, in particular for fruit and grain distillates. But only if their subsequent aging in an oak barrel is supposed, where foul-smelling compounds are converted into pleasant-smelling compounds, and harmful impurities are adsorbed by the barrel. Otherwise, we get a mediocre product that can be drunk without harm to health only after a long cleaning.
Advantages of the classic distiller: low cost and availability, clear and fast distillation process, suitable for quick production of raw alcohol, ease of assembly and maintenance, preservation of the flavor of the feedstock.
Disadvantages: low degree of purification and strengthening, time spent on additional purification of the product, if subsequent refining with an oak barrel is not expected.
Wash (film) column
Column-type moonshine, a hybrid of a distiller and a distillation column. In contrast to the classical distiller, in the beer column (BC) of the standard scheme, a vertical steam pipeline of the appropriate length and a reflux condenser are provided. To maintain high performance, sufficient separation and preservation of flavors, the height of the BC should be in the range of 70-100 cm.
Such equipment works according to the principles of rectification: vapors from the distillation cube rise up along the tsarga, meet with the cooling circuit of the reflux condenser, partially condense and flow down the walls of the column, forming a uniform film on its inner surface (which is why the BC is called the film column).
Moonshine still Phoenix “Sirius”
The liquid cooled by a reflux condenser is called phlegm. Flowing back into the distillation cube, it comes into contact with hot steam, heats up again, re-evaporates, heat and mass transfer processes occur between phlegm and steam, resulting in a finer separation of steam into separate components. While intermediate fractions are held in the column, alcohol with a controlled amount of impurities is sent to the refrigerator. This is where most novice moonshiners start having problems, since the BC is very demanding in setting up.
There are several ways to adjust the amount of moonshine extraction, from the most archaic steam selection after the reflux condenser (cooling control) to modern liquid selection (control through the selection unit). Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, but more importantly, this is not an easy-to-understand process that requires certain theoretical and practical training. A beginner should think twice before buying a bookmaker.
Vocabulary
Tsarga – a cylindrical pipe in column-type moonshine equipment, through which steam moves from the distillation cube to the dephlegmator or directly to the refrigerator. In a classic distiller, it can act as a dry steamer, preventing splashing (in this case, a side length of more than 30-40 cm is impractical), and perform some strengthening effect due to partial condensation (spontaneous reflux).
In BK and RK, it is the most important tool for separating and retaining intermediate fractions, since it is in it that heat and mass transfer processes take place. To increase the contact area of phlegm and steam, the drawer is stuffed with various nozzles (SPN, RPN, etc.).
Dephlegmator – a refrigerator, the main task of which is the complete or partial condensation of vapors to reflux. Mandatory element of film and packed columns. Installed between the drawer and the main refrigerator, if any. Structurally, it can be manufactured according to different schemes, but usually it is a shell-and-tube or jacket type of cooling, less often a Dimroth refrigerator. The reflux condenser can be used as the main condenser for mash distillation.
Phlegm number is the productivity of the column, expressed in relation to the amount of phlegm returned to the column for irrigating the packing (or on the side in the form of a film) to the amount of product taken. The higher the reflux ratio, the slower the rectification proceeds and, as a result, the degree of purification of the product increases. To obtain high-quality alcohol, the phlegm number must be greater than 3-4. To preserve the organoleptics of the feedstock, this indicator should be in the range of 1,5-2.
Liquid selection unit – a structural element of the BC and RC, which divides all the steam condensed in the dephlegmator into phlegm, returned to the column for irrigating the packing, and the finished product with its subsequent post-cooling. Unlike steam extraction adjustment, liquid extraction is not sensitive to the pressure and temperature of the water in the plumbing system, the voltage in the network from which the heating elements are powered, and in general there are much fewer variables. The selection node is easy to automate.
The main difference between a beer column and a distillation column is that it is universal. With the reflux condenser turned off, we have a classic distiller with a vertical steam line, on which you can quickly overtake the mash. With the reflux condenser turned on, we get a film column, that is, a significant strengthening of the product, some purification from harmful impurities and preservation of the organoleptics of the feedstock. It remains only to put an additional drawer with the required volume of nozzles and you can get alcohol of decent quality. BC prices start at $200 for a simple set.
Advantages of mash columns: significant purification and strengthening of the distillate, preservation of the organoleptics of the feedstock, versatility, high performance.
Disadvantages: complexity in the regulation of extraction, dependence on water pressure in cooling (with steam extraction), dimensions.
Distillation (packed) column
The only type of moonshine equipment designed to produce pure edible alcohol with a strength of up to 96о. It differs from BK in the height of the column (minimum 1,5 meters) and the presence of heat and mass transfer contact devices in it, a filler that increases the area of interaction between steam and reflux.
In the industrial sector, tray columns are used, but due to the large dimensions, it is problematic to use such equipment at home, home columns are stuffed with a special packing (therefore, the RC is called packed).
Set HD/4-Prospector-2
Vocabulary
Nozzle – contact devices that fill the side of the BK and RK. It can be irregular (bulk) and regular (formed and properly laid). At home, the first type of nozzles is more often used, which include, for example, a spiral prismatic nozzle (SPN) – it provides a large contact area, is cheap, and light. In beer columns, the more expensive regular Panchenkov wire packing (RPN) is usually used, more often made of copper, which makes it possible to achieve a better quality of distillates (read more about this below).
plate column – a subspecies of column-type moonshine stills, where heat and mass transfer processes between phlegm and steam occur in a column with partitions in the form of plates of various configurations. There are not many plates in a home distiller (unlike industrial plate distillation columns, where there are more than a hundred of them), so this is exactly the distillation module, with moderate separating power and guaranteed preservation of the flavor of the feedstock.
Metal dish-shaped columns with viewing windows are called “flutes”, and in a glass case – “crystal”.
The rectification process takes much more time than distillation (for example, it can take up to 40 hours to rectify 20 liters of raw alcohol), it requires a thorough theoretical preparation and calculation of many parameters. In other words, the moonshiner must know well what and how to do, and also understand why he needs it. Without experience in distillation, we do not recommend considering the purchase of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Moreover, the cost of the RK is very noticeable (from $300 for the minimum set).
Advantages of distillation columns: maximum purification and strengthening of the product, obtaining pure alcohol.
Disadvantages: difficulty in setting up, low productivity, high cost of equipment, dimensions.
Criteria for choosing a moonshine still
So, it has three types of devices in three different price segments in basic configurations. Which is better, a good distiller or a beer column? Distiller or distillation column? Or maybe a copper alambik? Start with a goal!
Purpose: distillate or rectified
There are two fundamentally different approaches to home brewing: distillation and rectification. In the first case, the moonshiner seeks to cut off the maximum amount of unpleasant and harmful compounds from the product, but at the same time leave the taste and aroma of the feedstock (which is important when working with fruit and grain brews). In the second, the moonshiner seeks to cut off everything in general, leaving only alcohol and water, and use the resulting product for the production of vodkas, tinctures, liqueurs and other drinks.
Working with sugar mashes through distillation can be called the third approach, but this is already particular and we will not criticize it now (although it deserves it).
Each of these approaches requires radically different sets of equipment: for aromatic drinks, you need a distiller, for neutral drinks, a distillation column. Nowadays, universal equipment is gaining popularity, which can cope with both tasks, both with obtaining aromatic distillates and with the preparation of neutral alcohol. Basically, these are various modifications of mash columns with stacked modules. But do not be mistaken – not every manufacturer can assemble a truly multifunctional unit, no matter what their advertising booklets say.
Speaking of goals. The photo shows an element of the Des Premium Dwpac AromaMax copper apparatus for 500 liters. The cost of this kit is almost $50000 and it is for DISTILLATION only!
It should be noted here that only raw alcohol is subjected to rectification, which must first be obtained in a distiller. Braga is not distilled to the RK – the nozzle quickly fails, and every time it is troublesome to pour it out of the tsarga. In other words, even having a well-thought-out RK, you still need a reliable distiller, which, with minimal time and effort, will allow you to get raw alcohol for its further rectification.
Short. Do you need a moonshine for whiskey, bourbon, other grain and fruit distillates with a pronounced flavor of the feedstock? Choose according to your pocket a classic distiller, an alambik or a beer column, on which it will be comfortable to work with small reflux numbers (small cubic bulk, short side, large copper nozzle). Disk-shaped columns with copper caps are very good in this area. If the task is to regularly obtain alcohol for vodkas, tinctures, liqueurs and other drinks, start looking at the RK, not forgetting that you will also need a distiller to get raw alcohol.
External restrictions
The goals and means to achieve them were determined. Now you can check the selected equipment for compliance with the requirements of the external environment. This is, first of all, a source of water for cooling and a source of heating of the distilled liquid.
With rare exceptions, all moonshine stills are equipped with flow-through refrigerators, so the presence of running water is a prerequisite for their operation. A stable pressure in the water supply system will be a big plus in working with beer columns, where the selection is carried out by steam – the efficiency of the dephlegmator is very sensitive to the water pressure in the cooling jacket. Otherwise, you will have to make an autonomous connection, for example, through an aquarium pump (or install a selection unit).
Non-flow moonshine Dobry Zhar “Dachny”
Where there is no running water, distillers with stagnant refrigerators will help out there. The water in them is changed manually. So, by the way, simple models of alambiks are usually arranged, which are the best suited for the distillation of fruit brews. If there are a lot of fruits and berries in the suburban area, it is more logical to distill the mash on the spot. Agree, delivering raw alcohol for fractional distillation with more advanced flow equipment in an apartment or private house is much easier than transporting tens and hundreds of kilograms of raw materials.
Heating of the distillation cube can be external (gas, electric, induction stove, gas burner) and internal (heating elements, steam). On gas and electric stoves, you can use any type of container, on induction – only with a ferromagnetic bottom. Induction cookers provide powerful, but at the same time delicate, with an instant response to heating adjustment, high efficiency. Heating elements provide maximum efficiency and high power, but are not suitable for distilling mash (even sugar can burn), and a high-precision controller (and preferably a voltage stabilizer in the network) is needed to adjust the heating power. But stills with heating elements can be automated.
Mobile induction cookers, gas burners and heating elements have one very important advantage: the cube can be placed on the floor, which makes it possible to fit the column-type moonshine into the dimensions of any room. Most of the BC on a stationary gas or electric stove will rest against the hood, and the RK – in general, against the ceiling. Today, almost all rectification kits are equipped with cubes with heating elements. Moreover, it is unsafe to work with alcohol on an open fire!
Moonshine still with steam generator HD/4-DP-3
A separate type of internal heating is steam, when the cube is heated either by a steam-water jacket or by a separate steam generator. A steam boiler (PVK) is a bulky and quite expensive distillation cube, which is usually equipped with the so-called “mini-alcohol plants”. But it is very comfortable to work with him. Steam generators are cheaper, but they are another piece of bulky equipment that needs to be stored somewhere. Steam heating is very delicate, burning is excluded, therefore it is actively used in the distillation of thick fruit and grain brews. Only with such equipment it is possible to prepare real slivovitz, chacha and other original distillates, which are traditionally distilled with cake.
Short. If there is no running water in the house, choose a distiller with a stagnant cooler. Make sure that when fully assembled, the equipment fits under a hood or even under the ceiling. If this is not the case, look for stills with built-in heating elements or use induction cookers. Just make sure that the bottom of the induction tank is ferromagnetic and flat, which is a prerequisite for the stove to work. For regular work with thick mash, consider purchasing a PVC or steam generator.
Materials of manufacture
You will not lose if you buy a moonshine still made of stainless steel. It is an ideal material for the manufacture of any modules of distillers and distillation columns. Inert, resistant to aggressive environments, easy to clean, almost eternal. It is important that stainless steel is suitable for use in the food industry. Today they are: AISI 304, AISI 304L, AISI 430, AISI316, AISI 316L, AISI 316Ti and AISI 321.
Due to low cost and ductility to soldering, AISI 304 grades (analogue according to GOST 08X18H10) and AISI 430 (analogue according to GOST 12X17) are in greatest demand. The first option is better, but not magnetic (austenitic stainless steel), so often the bottom of distillation cubes is made from a cheaper 430th grade – it is magnetic (ferritic stainless steel), which is necessary for working with induction cookers. The wall thickness of the distillation cube and all other modules of the stainless steel moonshine must be at least 1 mm.
Copper refrigerator and dephlegmator from Cuprum&Steel
Copper is a good material for the manufacture of moonshine stills, malleable in processing, has good thermal conductivity, original. But more expensive, not so durable and needs constant chemical-mechanical cleaning from oxides. However, copper fittings are highly desirable in distillers designed to distill grains and, to a greater extent, fruit brews.
Copper acts as a catalyst for various chemical reactions when interacting with alcohol vapors. First of all, its oxides bind various foul-smelling sulfur compounds (especially dimethyl trisulfide), mercaptan, and even dangerous ethyl carbonate. It is also involved in the formation of various flavor compounds that are highly desirable in fruit distillates. Drinks distilled in the presence of copper are more complex and purer.
Laboratory studies have shown that copper modules are particularly effective in the vapor zone during the distillation of mash, as well as in the still and in the vapor zone during the second fractional distillation. It is not recommended to use this metal for the manufacture of refrigerators, where it will be difficult to clean the surface from copper oxides hazardous to health (for example, a coil), since these oxides will fall into the selection during condensation. In other cases, these oxides do not pose a danger, since they are not volatile and cannot get into the selection.
Short. Stainless steel is good in all cases and is suitable for the manufacture of all modules of the moonshine still. Copper is highly desirable in the steam zone (sideboard, nozzle, alambic helmet, plates, caps of tray columns) during the first and second distillations, as well as in the still (modern stills made of copper are already found on the market) during the second, if the moonshiner is aimed at constant work with grain and fruit distillates.
Distillation selection
We look at the volume and constructive. First, you need to count. The cube can be filled to a maximum of 75-80% of the volume, or, more correctly, because the containers can have different geometries, you need to leave 10-12 cm of free space for the steam zone – these are safety rules. As a result, 12-liter tanks, popular in the budget segment, can hold only 8-9 liters of mash or raw alcohol. After distillation, it has no more than 2 liters of product with significant time costs. Draw your own conclusions.
For a distillation column, in order to increase its productivity, it is optimal to use a cube with a volume of 40-50 liters, and for a BC, where work will be carried out with low reflux – 20-30 liters.
The volume of the still must also be comparable to the cooling capacity of the distiller or column. To do this, you need to estimate what heating power in kW a cube can give with an appropriate cubic bulk (volume of distilled liquid), and then compare it with the power that a refrigerator or dephlegmator can “utilize” (we look at the declared figures from the manufacturer, but for reinsurance we consider on one’s own). This dependence is directly proportional: with an increase in the volume of the cube (with comparable heating), the performance of the cooler/column should also increase.
Distillation cube HD-2
The design of the best cube for moonshine:
- comfortable and heat-insulated handles for comfortable movement of the tank;
- blast valve to prevent explosive situations (for example, if the steam outlet was blocked);
- mouth at least 10 cm wide for easy maintenance and washing;
- a high-precision thermometer built below the waterline to regulate the selection according to the boiling point of the bottoms;
- faucet for draining stillage.
It will not be superfluous to pay attention to the geometry of the container. Compared to wide and squat tanks, narrow and tall ones are not as stable, which is not at all critical for compact distillers and is completely incompatible with tall columns. For columns, the rigidity of the top cover should also be sufficient (metal thickness of at least 2 mm, stiffeners), otherwise we lose the stability of the structure. To work with film and packed columns, it is desirable that the distillation cube be insulated, otherwise we have large heat losses, which not only increases energy consumption, but also adversely affects the separation processes in the column.
Short. If moonshine is an occasional hobby for you, feel free to take equipment with a 12-liter alembic. This is more than enough to master the technique. If you have it seriously and for a long time, think long term: a tank of 20-30 liters will close all your distillation questions for many years to come. Make sure that the volume of the cube matches the capacity of the distiller/column, and that it has the correct geometry and good stability to work with column-type apparatus, even if they are only foreseen in the future.
Other constructive
Moment No.1. A modern moonshine still must have at least one built-in thermometer. It is needed to collect information about what is currently happening inside the distiller / column. This information is necessary for the competent separation of the product into fractions. Typically, a thermometer is built into the lid of the distillation still to know the temperature of the still bulk, and at the top of the column, above the reflux condenser, to know the temperature of the steam before it condenses.
With a thermometer at the top of the column, everything is clear, but there are questions about measuring the steam temperature under the cube lid. It would be more correct to place it not in the tank lid, but below the waterline, when the thermometer probe is immersed directly in the liquid being distilled. Otherwise, we have serious distortion of readings and minimal usefulness of the device. The thermometer itself must be electronic, with a high accuracy class – the error of cheap bimetallic thermometers is very large (usually 2,5%), their use is minimal.
Dish-shaped column on clamp connections from Dobry Zhar
Moment No.2. Collapsible equipment is easier to clean and upgrade. Almost all beer columns (and more recently both distillers and beer columns) on the market are collapsible, on tri-clamp connections – this is modern, versatile and convenient. Union nuts are less commonly used. It is good if the selected moonshine still consists of standardized parts, for example, columns with a diameter of 1,5 (38 mm) and 2 (51 mm) inches with the corresponding size of clamps are most common. Then it will be very easy to supplement it with new modules – another drawer, a diopter, a plate column, a gin basket, a selection unit.
Of the other nuances: the gaskets between the modules must be made of high-quality food-grade silicone – rubber is completely inappropriate here. A vertically positioned refrigerator runs smoothly, while a horizontal coil will spit out product. The steam line from the still to the cooler must be at least 10 mm in diameter for safety reasons.
When the choice is made and all the points are taken into account, it remains only to look at the seller. Be sure to check the documentation for the product, and also make sure that the seller is either a manufacturer or an authorized dealer. Beware of equipment that is not covered by an official manufacturer’s warranty. The product must be accompanied by instructions and equipment specifications, and this information can be obtained even before purchase. Once again, be sure to check the documents for the goods! Unfortunately, cases of fakes for well-known brands of distillers have recently become more frequent, especially in the budget segment. Trust but verify!
Enjoy the shopping!