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Of all household containers suitable for making moonshine, beer kegs are the most durable and high quality. The only “minus” of such a foundation is the need for a large-scale alteration. You will have to work hard: you will need skills in working with a grinder, a welding machine, a screwdriver, as well as a lot of time and effort. But the result will justify itself: the distiller will turn out no worse than the factory one.
Advantages of moonshine from kegs
Quality material. Modern beer tanks are made of durable food grade stainless steel. Wall thickness – not less than 1,5 mm. The material tolerates high temperatures well and is inert to alcohol. You can also find old Soviet aluminum vessels, but it is better not to use them.
Optimal size. For compact distillers, 20 and 25-liter containers are suitable: they are conveniently heated on the stove. If you need a bigger cube, you can take a keg for 30 or 50 liters. It is better to equip such a container with electric heaters.
Convenient carrying holes available. Thanks to handles, the distiller is easy to rearrange.
Availability. New beer containers are quite expensive, but you can find second-hand options that do not require serious expenses.
Variability. It is easy to equip the distiller from a keg with any elements: a steam generator, a column, a dry steamer, a heating element, etc.
Instructions for making a distiller from a keg
Cut off the protruding metal edges in the upper part of the container, leaving convenient handles for transporting the cube, clean the edges. In order for the cut to be symmetrical on both sides, it is better to pre-mark the pattern.
Using a grinder, make a round hole in the keg lid for the flange connection. Weld the flange by cutting it out of a piece of stainless steel and drilling 6 bolt holes. A silicone gasket is required for sealing.
Secure the cover with the wing joints.
Install an adapter in the neck, connect a wide steam pipeline made of a sealed stainless steel pipe to it for connection with a dry steamer/column and other elements of the apparatus.
Make a hole for the fitting in the upper part of the keg, fix the thermometer in it, seal the junction with silicone or fum-tape. Optionally, equip the container with a pressure relief valve.
In the lower part of the keg, insert a tap to drain the stillage, seal the joint.
If the container is large (from 30 l), it is recommended to equip it with heating elements (one adjustable or two non-adjustable). To do this, you need to drill the appropriate holes for the clamps on the side of the keg, stepping back 5 cm from the bottom. Optionally equip the cube with legs.
Additional recommendations
If a factory fitting remains in the purchased keg, you need to remove it using levers or a special key. This is quite difficult to do, so it is better to select a container with a screw cap or with a fitting already removed.
When converting a keg to a distiller, you can do without a flange connection, and use the existing hole to drain the stillage and wash. But this will greatly complicate the operation of the device.
It is most convenient to connect the adapter to the steam line or distillation column pipe using a clamp clamp. The required diameter can be selected in specialized stores. An alternative option is to install a fitting in the cover, to which a dry steamer and other devices are attached.
Relevance: 15.02.2019
Tags: Vodka, mash, moonshine, Moonshine stills and accessories