Contents
The novelty of 2018 – moonshine still “Luxstahl 5” does not cease to be the subject of discussion on the forums of distillers. The device in comparison with its predecessor received a number of changes in design. And sometimes good, and sometimes very controversial. Let’s consider everything in order.
Distillation cube
The alembic has undergone the maximum number of changes. Included with the device are cubes with a capacity of 20, 37 or 50 liters. Of course, a 20-liter cube complete with a 2” column can only be considered as a manufacturer’s joke.
Cubes have a 3-layer non-stick ferromagnetic bottom that allows you to work on any type of plates.
On a thick 3 mm cover with a clamp connection for installing the column, there is a safety valve from the pressure cooker. It is clear that there is a checkmark in the configuration: “There is a valve!”, But somehow it is indecent to put a valve in the model of the end of 2018 that does not meet the technological requirements of the process.
Zigovka acts as a stiffening rib and reinforces the distillation cube, which has rather thin walls of 1,5 mm, at the same time allowing you to install a false bottom. This structural element was adopted by many manufacturers in 2018, as it simultaneously solves the issue of recycling regular pot lids. A smart decision to make a nice gift for customers.
True, there is one minus – due to the zigovka, the height of the pan has changed. So do not believe your eyes: a 37 liter tank will hold a maximum of 35 liters to the eyeballs.
The bimetallic thermometer has moved into the liquid zone. According to its accuracy class, it only allows you to determine hot mash in a cube or cold. Of course, it would be great to replace the thermometer with an electronic one, but apparently not all at once. So far, they have not really learned how to install the usual one. Quite often, users complain that the thermometer is leaking. Of course, this is not a reason to give up skillful hands – you can pull yourself up. In general, our assembly is familiar. This applies not only to the thermometer, but also to the tap for draining the stillage. Pay attention to gaps. And what, the gasket is still holding …
In the basic configuration cube of Luxstahl 5, a 2” clamp mount is provided for installing a heating element or a steam generator bubbler. In the base, the mount comes with a plug, and the heating element, together with a seven-storey power regulator, can be purchased as needed. The manufacturer promises smooth power control, however, without its stabilization.
The lid is fixed with an original collar with an adjustable clasp. The clamp consists of two halves fastened together on a loop. How reliable this connection is is unknown. However, the feasibility of such a design is generally unclear. Paired with a decorative blast flap, the clasp yoke brings a sad thought.
Given the recent scandals regarding the material of the Luxstahl pot, the manufacturer correctly indicates that everything is made of food grade stainless steel, emphasizing that the lid is exactly AISI 304.
In general, the quality of workmanship causes a double impression: on the one hand, well-finished welds, on the other, the use of parts with various defects and careless assembly. How did the technical control department miss a hole in the cube? It gives the impression of its absence.
Of the pluses, it should be noted that the manufacturer Luxstal 5 enters into a dialogue with customers and changes obviously defective nodes without any problems. This is evidenced by numerous reviews of the owners on the forums. It seems that the management compensates for the lack of final quality control with a good warranty service.
In fairness, I’ll say that these defects are not of a mass nature and cannot be a reason for refusing to buy, but I would not risk buying it on the Internet without touching and examining the cube carefully.
Tsarga and nozzle
The Luxstahl 5 comes with a 50 cm drawer, which is enough for a moonshine still. If the manufacturer positioned the device as a BC, then one could object, but for an ordinary moonshine still it’s normal: during the first distillation, this drawer completely compensates for the spray at maximum power, during the second distillation it will allow you to place enough nozzles to strengthen the moonshine up to 92-94%.
You can forget about the clear separation of the “heads” at such a height of the tsargi – this is a hoax. Controlled pruning of “tails” is possible, but within narrow limits and without complete cleaning. It is not in vain that the manufacturer refers to GOST 31728-2014 “Cognac distillates” and GOST 33723-2016 “Grain distillates”. They allow them in such quantities that even a simple fractional distillation in a classic distiller allows you to fulfill all the requirements.
Worthy of mention is the copper nozzle of the on-load tap-changer, which comes with the device. The reasons are not clear, but instead of five nets 10-80 cm long, which are necessary with a width of 85 cm, they offer four nets 10×50 cm in size in the basic configuration. Showing that these nets will just fill the entire drawer side. But in reality, even less comes to the buyer – 4 grids 10×45 cm. Just for 2 wads. This practice cannot be called otherwise than sabotage. I doubt that this is a conscious move of the owners, are they not enemies to themselves?
The workmanship of the tsarg is how lucky. For the most part, it’s flawless. But there may also be dents on the side or clamp. The use of clamps without skirts contributes to a good impression, so the search for traces of a seam in a familiar place causes admiration for the quality of its processing – there is simply no seam there!
For the most part, Luxstahl 5 drawers are produced with a fairly high level of quality.
Dephlegmator and refrigerator Luxstahl 5
In this model, the dephlegmator and the refrigerator have 8 tubes with a diameter of 10 mm each. Ten? Of course, it is the outer diameter of the heat exchange tubes that is important for the refrigerator, but for the reflux condenser it is the inner diameter, which is 8 mm.
When using the tap changer, the operating power will be at least 2200 W, the steam velocity in the dephlegmator tubes will be 4,1 m/s. The reflux condenser will not work normally, but will begin to spit phlegm into the selection and create conditions for choking. The only option is an increased selection, a small return of reflux to the column, that is, work in the mode of a moonshine still with reinforcement. Switching to SPN and an operating power of 1700 W will reduce the steam speed to 3.2 m / s, which is also not good.
With such characteristics, one can not even dream of high-quality distillate purification to a level close to the requirements of alcohol GOST. The manufacturer correctly positioned Luxstal 5 as a moonshine with reinforcement.
The refrigerator will allow you to utilize up to 5 kW with a good margin. He is really good. When lengthening with a reflux condenser, it will be possible to cope with the declared 6 kW of power.
To supply water for cooling, quick-release connections and a 12×8 polyurethane hose with a wall thickness of 2 mm are used. This is a very modern solution. The forums sometimes complain about its unreliability. This is more likely from insufficient experience in use. The secret is simple – the hoses must be inserted into the quick couplers not until they touch, but firmly until they stop. Well, do not try to change them to PVC or silicone – this will not work.
The removable spout of the refrigerator, due to the desire to use it as a part for a water seal, remained problematic. The absence of a communication tube with the atmosphere leads to swings in the “body” withdrawal rate and constant pressure fluctuations in the column and cube, which means that there will be no steady-state process of heat and mass transfer in the packing. If the deterioration of the separating ability of the column was the goal of the “designers” of the spout, they achieved their goal. And as a bonus, the low height of the spout in underlay mode contributes to the flooding of the lower pipes of the refrigerator at low angles of inclination.
Additional equipment Luxstal 5
Gin basket – has a simplified and outdated design. The oils evaporated from the flavors will drain into the reflux condenser and nozzle, creating additional problems during selection. Modern designs of gin baskets include a receiving glass and a drain tap.
steel diopter – the result of the creativity of designers to unify production, reduce costs and, accordingly, offer buyers a competitive price. However, at the last step, the sellers stumbled. A steel diopter is offered at a price of 1990 rubles (end of December 2018), and a full-fledged glass diopter can be purchased for 2090 rubles, and even cheaper from component sellers.
A parrot – causes inexperienced users to complain about the leakage of its attachment to the column nose. This is a dangerous delusion – the mount must necessarily be not tight in the absence of a tube for communication with the atmosphere at the spout. And you need to push the mount onto the spout drain tube not all the way, but about half the length, so as not to create problems with draining. If the spout is sealed, then we get a water seal at the column outlet and a pulsating product outlet – a pressure swing in the cube and column.
Question to the parrot: why does he have such a thin tube? The flow area is clearly not enough to ensure unhindered discharge of the product at the power and productivity declared by the manufacturer. Hence the overflow and choking of the parrot, as well as 90% moonshine generously pouring onto the lid of the cube. All this is aggravated by the absence of a tube for communication with the atmosphere on the nose and the unsatisfactory characteristics of the reflux condenser. The created pressure swings lead to periodic ejections of the product at an increased speed, and the parrot meets it with its own problems …
conclusions
- In the basic configuration, on Luxstahl 5, you can get moonshine from fruit or grain brews with a fairly high performance and quality that meets GOST standards for distillates. The device is not designed for the production of alcohol or a distillate of a similar degree of purification. To do this, you will have to not only purchase additional drawers and a nozzle, but also change at least the reflux condenser.
- The complete set causes reasonable claims of buyers regarding the number of copper on-load tap-changers and the absence of a silicone hose for draining the product. Often, the declared equipment does not correspond to the real one.
- Poor output quality control of products requires increased attention when accepting the device. It is better to buy Luxstahl 5 in a regular, rather than an online store.
- Zigovka reduced the volume of cubes, which the manufacturer is modestly silent about.
- Traditional weaknesses for Luxstahl have remained in the new model: a dephlegmator, a refrigerator spout, a blast valve that does not meet safety requirements, and an inaccurate cubic thermometer.
- A twenty liter cube combined with a 2” column is an irrational and controversial decision.
- Nothing can be recommended from the additional equipment for purchase: the genie basket is of an outdated design, the diopter is more expensive than that of competitors, the parrot has a bandwidth that does not correspond to the declared power, and the heating element control unit does not have voltage stabilization.
- The manufacturer works responsibly with the claims of customers, which inspires confidence.
Reviewed by IgorGor.