Overview of moonshine stills Brandimaster (Brendimaster)

The Brandimaster company advertises itself as a modern production site, which, after the reconstruction in 2013, received the latest machines and equipment. The company is proud of its qualified personnel and declares its commitment to continuous improvement of its products. In this review, we will understand what level the company has managed to achieve in the production of distillers and distillation columns.

Brendimaster produces three types of devices, designated with a hint of cognac traditions: VS, VSOP and XO Actually, the differences between the models are minimal:

• VS – without a thermometer in a condenser 20 cm long;
• VSOP – with a thermometer in the condenser (also 20 cm);
• XO – with thermometer and high power capacitor (30 cm).

The productivity of the devices declared by the manufacturer, respectively: 600-800, 1000 and 1500 ml/hour in the distillation mode and 400-600, 800-1000 and 800-1200 ml/hour in the rectification mode.

The question immediately arises: due to what the performance of the VSOP model is higher than that of VS? Is it due to the thermometer or the extra two letters in the name? Since the manufacturer begins to mislead from the first acquaintance, let’s see for ourselves what these devices are capable of.

Stills

Brandymaster cubes, unlike many other companies, are made in-house. The range includes the sizes shown in the table.

The sizes are well-matched with the volumes. In all operating ranges of heating power, distillation can be carried out without fear of uncontrolled foaming. The cubes are made of 2mm AISI 304 stainless steel and are not suitable for induction ovens.

Recently, sellers (not the manufacturer!) have been talking about a 5 mm bottom and the possibility of heating due to induction. Upon closer examination, it turned out that in addition to the “native” cubes with a thin 2 mm bottom, which love to “dance” when heated on the stove, the manufacturer also adopted the Chinese Lukstal pan, although for some reason it does not mention this on the official website. So when buying, you need to be careful.

The Brandimaster company does not hesitate to use threaded connections. The fitting for the steam line and the thermometer sleeve are fixed on the thread. In general, this is good, as it facilitates and expands the possibilities for owners to upgrade the cube. However, the thread creates pockets of possible depressurization. The fitting with the help of contact welding is additionally reinforced with a branded overlay, which gives rigidity to the structure.

The lid of the cube is fastened with clips, and the sealing gasket is clearly made of a silicone hose cut along the length. Original and unpretentious, but the problem is that this seam will turn out to be airtight only by chance. Clamps, as operating experience shows, also do not withstand and simply fall off in places of contact welding.

The device is equipped with bimetallic thermometers with a division value of 2 degrees and an accuracy class of 1,5. This means that the error is 1,5% of the maximum value on the scale of the device – 1,8 degrees. Rounded 2 degrees. But not at all 1 degree, as the manufacturer claims.

In general, with this class of accuracy, it will only be possible to find out whether the cube is cold or hot. But the thermometer sleeve on the lid is threaded, so you can simply unscrew the bimetallic thermometer, replacing it with a modern nipple into which to put an electronic thermometer.

The location of the thermometer in the steam zone of the cube and the lack of thermal insulation of the sleeve from the lid indicate an unfortunate location. The problem is that the thermometer readings will be formed as a result of exposure to the temperature of the steam, lid, ambient air, random drafts, etc. on the sleeve. Therefore, it is better to screw in the safety valve instead of the thermometer, and weld the sleeve into the liquid zone of the cube.

The kit of the cube offers a proprietary water seal that allows you to use the cube as a fermentation tank. The idea itself is doubtful, since most distillers work according to the scheme: the first three distillations – one second. This means that you need a fermentation tank with a volume of three cubic meters, but for lovers of the exotic, the device is pretty.

The main disadvantages of Brandymaster cubes are: the absence of a safety valve and a faucet for draining stillage, as well as a primitive gasket.

Refrigerator

A feature of Brandimaster moonshine stills is the use of an unusual design refrigerator as a condenser. At first glance, it resembles reflux distillation columns, but only at first glance. If it’s a reflux condenser, where’s the vent tube, and what’s the thermometer doing here?

In fact, the design of the apparatus is a trivial coil in a water jacket. The steam pipe passes through the condenser and ends at the top with a thermometer sleeve – this is the measurement of the steam temperature. A coil branches off from the sleeve, which goes down, ending with a fitting for the selection of moonshine. The water jacket, according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, has a water supply from above and a drain from below. All fittings are fixed on threaded connections with silicone gaskets. The quality and reliability of this solution is eloquently illustrated by the following photograph.

The fittings with an outer diameter of 6 mm confirm that the Brendimaster machines are consciously designed by the manufacturer for ultra-low performance. The ascending part of the steam tube in the condenser plays the role of a reflux condenser, and the resulting reflux flows into the cube. The descending part (serpentine) plays the role of a refrigerator. The reflux condenser and refrigerator united by a common water jacket have a reflux ratio that is rigidly specified by the design, which cannot be adjusted by supplying water or pinching the sampling tube (very dangerous).

This is not a dephlegmator-condenser with liquid extraction! With all the external similarity, pinching the selection tube without a safety valve on the cube and the tube for communication with the atmosphere will lead to an explosion!

Even if you equip the apparatus with the drawers offered by the manufacturer with a spiral-prismatic nozzle, you will only get something similar to a distillation column. Rectified alcohol without adjusting the reflux ratio cannot be made. This is blind work.

It should be noted that the kings are made neatly. Height 43 cm, insulated from above with standard pipe insulation. According to the manufacturer’s plan, one tsarga should be enough to strengthen moonshine up to 70-80%, and two – up to 80-90%. But rectification is a rather boring process, its technology is known and painted down to the smallest detail.

The first stage is “work for yourself”. In this mode, the selection of the product is completely blocked, and the column operates autonomously until the temperatures stabilize and the initial separation of the product into fractions. Refrigerator “Brendimaster” is not designed for this mode. Increasing the water supply will only lead to better cooling of the drink at the outlet. The refrigerator will not work as a reflux condenser and will not force the column to work for itself.

Actually, in the “heads” selection mode, the only adjustment is the heating power, as in a conventional classic distiller. In this mode, there is practically no supply of the nozzle with phlegm returned to the cube.

The strength level guaranteed by the manufacturer when using 1 tsargi 70-80% indicates that this is moonshine, and not alcohol, since rectification does not occur. If even 20% raw alcohol is poured into the cube, then the strength of its vapor at the inlet to the nozzle will already be 68,5%. And in order to reach 85% of the fortress at the outlet of the nozzle, only one step of strengthening is needed. It is obvious that the king does not provide it. Two tsargs give a result corresponding to 1-2 steps of strengthening, which is not a rectification.

conclusions

1. The final product of the Brandimaster devices is fortified moonshine. The rest is the manufacturer’s fantasies, which the design does not allow to implement.
2. The entire model range is a conventional low-performance distillers, which, even theoretically, cannot work in the mode of a distillation column. It is pointless to add drawers and try to use these products in distillation column modes, since you first need a full-fledged reflux condenser.
3. Given the high cost of Brandimaster moonshine stills, there is no good reason to opt for them.

Reviewed by IgorGor.