Contents
Moonshine still “Schnapser X2” is sold through a network of representatives and dealers. Techmaterik LLC is registered as a manufacturer and owner of the trademark, which has the status of an official representative of Schnapser in Moscow. This is stated on the official website of the manufacturer. The official dealer of products under the Schnapser trademark is Dom Moonshine. In this review, we will take a closer look at the features of the product.
The first question that arises when getting acquainted with SCHNAPSER products is: where is it actually manufactured? Why does TechMaterik LLC not brag about its production facilities and robotic lines? It’s great for advertising.
According to the certificate of conformity, the Schnapser X2 is manufactured by Techmaterik LLC, and the products presented by the manufacturer meet the technical specifications. That’s just with the TU number? Why is the word “OKPO” itself instead of OKPO of the enterprise, its unique number entered in the register (02075887)? There are doubts about the authenticity of the document. The reference to non-existent specifications is even more alarming!
But it doesn’t matter, there is a link to tests in the Test-Expert laboratory. This is a certified laboratory and all information about its activities is in the public domain. But they have a different numbering system for test reports. Again a bell, does such a protocol exist at all?
No, it doesn’t exist. I quote the answer of the General Director of the Testing and Certification Center “Test-Expert” Spevak Mikhail Viktorovich about the authenticity of the protocol and their cooperation with LLC “Kontur-Certification” that issued the certificate:
“You are right, such a protocol does not exist, the accreditation number is fake, we have never cooperated with this company, the certification body has most likely already been deprived of accreditation. They issued a lot of left certificates indicating us as a testing laboratory, we are contacted weekly with requests similar to yours.
Certificate results:
- there are no technical specifications with the number TU 28.93.14-001-OKPO-2017;
- a certificate confirming the compliance of the Schnapser brand household distiller manufactured by TechMaterik LLC with regulatory documentation, fake;
- The device has not been tested by a certified laboratory.
Well, you need to be attentive to the little things, as they call on the website of OOO TechMaterik. Let’s continue. The manufacturer, after claiming severe tests in a certified laboratory and issued a certificate, declares that the materials used in the manufacture of the Schnapser apparatus comply with GOST ISO 8442-1-2013 “Materials and products in contact with food.” Well, just some kind of kindergarten …
Who are these statements for? We are meticulous about the little things. We open this GOST and read the name carefully to the end: “Cutlery for cooking.” Yes, this is the name of part 1 of this GOST, to which the link goes. In general, in this document we are talking about knives, forks, spatulas, pallets and other tableware. Therefore, recommendations for steels corresponding to AISI 304, 202, 420, 430, 20X13, X30Cr13.
Tableware has nothing to do with pots and pans. The corrosion resistance of stainless steels is highly dependent on the properties of the medium and temperature. For our stills and steam pipelines, the use of many of them is very problematic, if not unacceptable. From this list, without restrictions and reservations, only AISI 304 can be used.
A good start to the Schnapser X2 review. But maybe this device, made by no one knows who, where and no one knows from what, is still a masterpiece of a secret master? Secret, because it is simply naive to believe that a company with 3 people on its staff, and according to Rosstat data (which is in the public domain) without fixed assets at all, is capable of releasing anything other than an advertising booklet. Moreover, among the types of its activities there is nothing but trade.
Well, let’s be objective and consider the design of the “Schnapser X2” in more detail. The device is available in 2 versions: PRO with a column diameter of 1,5 inches and with a 2-inch column – XO. According to the design of the product, they correspond to standard column-type moonshine stills with reinforcement.
Alembic Schnapser X2
The devices are equipped with distillation cubes for 12, 20, 33 and 50 liters. Moreover, a 12-liter cube rightly comes with only a 1,5 ”column.
The cubes are made on the basis of the standard Chinese “LUXSTAHL” pan. About its size, wall and bottom thickness, steel grades have been talked about a lot and more than once.
Only beginners do not know that this pan is made of AISI 201, which even manufacturers of handrails and railings use only for use in dry rooms, and AISI 304 for outdoor or bathroom use. It rusts in mildly aggressive environments. Must be washed and dried thoroughly.
Cubes for a one and a half inch column come with a native thin cover 0,8 mm thick, into which a fitting is cut for a bimetal thermometer, a safety valve and a clamp connection for attaching the column. The lid is fixed with four latches made of wire with a diameter of 4 mm, which, according to the manufacturer, ensures tightness.
Of course, on this cover, the column will feel uncomfortable and sway at the slightest opportunity. The fastening of the handles is not reinforced by welding; for large tanks, this is fraught with rapid loosening of the rivets and loss of tightness.
The gasket is made in the form of a ring placed in the groove of the cover. A decision from the past, almost all manufacturers have long abandoned it. True, a complete set is also possible with a U-shaped gasket worn on the neck of the cube. But according to reviews, it is quite thin and is trimmed during operation.
The cubes, according to the manufacturer, are tested with a pressure of 3 atmospheres. Strange, because the blast valve is designed for much less pressure. However, its very presence is already a plus.
Although, as we have repeatedly discussed, the pressure cooker valve is a decorative detail. Especially if the 2″ column cube is equipped with a thicker 3 mm cap with clamping collar. In this case, a sharp depressurization of the cube is possible if the clamp is torn off or simply opened. At a pressure in the cube above 0,5 atmospheres, depressurization can have catastrophic consequences. In a small enclosed space, an explosive concentration of alcohol vapor will instantly be created. Next up is the spark. The safety valve must have a response threshold not higher than 70-80 mm Hg. Art. (0,1 atm.) This corresponds to the conditions for a stable flow of the technological process.
Cubes are equipped with a fitting with an internal thread for attaching a valve for draining stillage. Looks neat. If they also cleaned the burr hole from the side of the cube, it would have turned out great. And only three or four turns of thread raise doubts about the reliability of fastening.
For a two-inch column, a thermometer is provided for mounting in the liquid zone. Comparing the equipment of these cubes, it seems that they are of different generations. A more modern cube goes for 2” columns.
Well, according to TechMaterik, cubes with a volume of 20, 33 and 50 liters can be supplied with heating elements. Which, however, is not confirmed on the official website of the manufacturer. Here is such an incident.
Column “Schnapser X2 PRO”
The apparatus is made of AISI 304, the outer diameter of the column is 38 mm, everything is assembled on 1,5” clamp connections. The dephlegmator 20 cm long has 4 steam tubes with an inner diameter of 10 mm. The reflux condenser is designed for a power not exceeding 1250 W, while the steam velocity in the tubes will be 3 m/s. If the on-load tap-changer is loosely twisted, the operating power can easily exceed the capacity of the dephlegmator.
Attention! According to dealers, a jacketed reflux condenser can be supplied as standard! And only at the request of the buyer, it is replaced by a four-channel. Let’s say right away – a shirt reflux condenser can utilize a power of no more than 800 watts. In this configuration, you can only count on getting fortified moonshine and no more.
A refrigerator with a length of 50 cm and with 4 tubes of 10 mm inner diameter will cope with the utilization of heating power up to 3,5 kW and a capacity of up to 7 l / h when distilling mash. The sampling nozzle has a TCA (atmospheric connection tube).
The column is completed with a digital thermometer in a 90-degree corner and a heater core. This insulation often becomes the last straw that outweighs the scales in favor of the purchase. But, in fact, this is an absolutely decorative detail. The insulation is too thin and therefore useless. For a very insignificant amount in any hardware store, you can buy pipe insulation and fix it with foil or clamps on the pipe. The thickness of the thermal insulation should be at least 1 cm, and preferably 2 cm.
It is much more important to take into account the toy length of the tsarga – 40 cm. This may not be enough even to protect against splashing when distilling the mash at maximum power. It is also not necessary to talk about a good separation of the “heads” or the retention of the “tails”. Only about getting fortified moonshine.
The internal diameter of the drawer side of 35 mm determines the operating power of the column at 960 W when using the SPN 3,5 nozzle and about 1250-1500 W with the tap changer. The column is completed with a copper on-load tap-changer 1 meter long, which is enough for 3 wads.
The nozzle volume of 0,38 liters means that it can keep the fuselage from breaking into the selection with a bulk volume of no more than 7-8 liters. For normal cleaning, you will have to buy additional drawers. For a 20 liter cube – at least one more, for a 33 liter cube – two. If you need to use a 50 liter cube, it is better to switch to a 2-inch column.
The column can operate in the BC mode, provided that additional drawers are purchased and used as a SPN nozzle. With RPN, much will depend on the density of its driving into the side.
Column “Schnapser X2 XO”
The two-inch column consists of a 50 cm drawer with an internal diameter of 48 mm, a reflux condenser and a refrigerator with 8 tubes with an internal diameter of 10 mm. The length of the reflux condenser is 20 cm, the refrigerator is 50 cm. The operating power of the column when using SPN is 3,5 – 1800 W, when working with on-load tap changer – 2300-2500 W.
The reflux condenser can easily cope with these capacities, while the steam speed will not exceed 2,7-3 m / s. This is quite normal and ensures a stable process.
The refrigerator can utilize up to 6,5 kW of useful heating power, providing a mash distillation capacity of up to 12 l/h.
The column is completed with a digital thermometer, a decorative cover and a copper on-load tap-changer 3 meters long (enough for 3 wads).
As for the degree of purification, then 50 cm of the side eliminates unnecessary discussion about the degree of purification close to alcohol. It is impossible to qualitatively separate the “heads” and keep the fuselage. The volume of the nozzle in this drawer is 0,9 liters, and from the point of view of holding the fusel, cubes with a bulk of up to 18 liters can be recommended. To obtain high-quality cleaning, it is necessary to purchase one more tsarga, to obtain alcohol – two.
It should be given credit – the design is well-made and allows you to talk about the device as a BC, without any discounts.
Attention to details
Attention to details! The call from the manufacturer’s website has already led us to amazing discoveries more than once. So let’s continue.
Further, I simply quote: “To the question – why are the tubes of the dephlegmator and refrigerator magnetized? The manufacturer assured that they are made of AISI 430 food grade steel. Here’s a trifle for you – a link to GOST cutlery. Note that AISI 304Ti is declared on the manufacturer’s website.
Plus, the use of seam pipes is another little thing that reduces the cost, and at the same time the quality.
Many owners complain about seam pipes made of an incomprehensible magnetic material that rusts after the first use. And they also talk about kings. But there is more often a problem in poor cleaning of the weld between the pipe and the clamp. Because of this, the on-load tap-changer clings to the burrs and gets stuck.
Issues of manufacturing quality are very serious and can cross out all the advantages of the device. I would not dare to make a purchase on the Internet with 100% prepayment. Payment is clear only after visual inspection.
The fact that the manufacturer has a high opinion of its customers is eloquently indicated by the equipment of the device with a “professional alcohol meter” with a measurement range from 0 to 96 degrees. These household alcohol meters with an accuracy of “plus or minus how much it will turn out” have long been lying in the garbage heaps even in the most remote villages. Lit-not lit works more accurately.
No less exotic is the assertion that equipping the device with fittings with fixing notches will completely save users from ever-leaking clamps. An interesting innovation. Especially when you consider that the fittings on the previously produced Schnapser X and Schnapser Extra devices were exactly the same.
“New” is clearly outdated a couple of years ago. But complaints about the complete set of PVC hoses of the wrong size continue stably from year to year. And the eternally young storekeeper is always to blame, who did not have time to get comfortable during this time.
Attempts of unscrupulous advertising, designed for inexperienced users, can be traced in almost every detail of the device. For example, diopter. It is clear that it serves to visually control the process. But it is thoughtful to say as a positive feature that the diopter increases the height of the column by 16 cm – what is this about? About increasing separating or holding capacity? Or just size? Probably just about the fact that the column will become higher and will not fit under the ceiling in the kitchen.
Operating modes Schnapser X2
The manufacturer declared 9 operating modes of the device.
Potstill mode has only one problem – the spout. At small angles of inclination of the refrigerator, the central location of the spout creates a small puddle of product in the glass. As a result, 1-2 steam tubes of the refrigerator may overlap. The consequences are clear.
The aromatization mode is overshadowed by the fact that the design of the gin basket is clearly outdated, so the aromatic oils evaporated from the bookmark flow into the dephlegmator and then into the nozzle. Using a gin basket is the first step to labor exploits. Wash – do not wash. Understanding this, dealers offer alternative options for a gin basket with a drain tap, but from a different manufacturer.
A rectification mode with two drawers and an on-load tap changer is from the realm of fantasy. Nothing but the NDRF shines here. It is interesting that the manufacturer’s website openly says: “Add a drawer and turn your device into a professional distillation column with a total height of more than 100 cm to obtain drinks of maximum purification and strength!”. But here’s the bad luck – 40 cm of the main drawer plus 45 cm of the additional one is only 85 cm. In addition, when we talk about 1 meter in height, we mean the height of the column with SPN, which allows you to more or less clearly separate fractions. To obtain high-quality alcohol, you need a 1,5 m column and with a SPN nozzle. The on-load tap-changer supplied with the device is generally not intended for these purposes, and even more so copper. This is outright misinformation.
Conclusion
The general impression of the Schnapser X2 moonshine still is contradictory. Despite the well-calculated parameters of reflux condensers and refrigerators, the detected shortcomings of the product force us to refrain from buying and look for more advanced analogues.
Reviewed by IgorGor.