Contents
The moonshine still “was developed by a real moonshiner, Sanya Samogon, and not by marketers,” the advertisement on the official website of the Home Moonshine company, which owns the Alkash trademark, proudly says. In this review, we will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the Drunk Deluxe 2 device.
Distillation cube
Everything here is without surprises – at the heart of the standard pan “LuxStahl”. Moreover, on the Home Moonshine website, despite all the scandals of the last six months, they continue to deceive customers, claiming that the pan is made of AISI 304.
For those who don’t know, these pans are made from a cheap substitute – AISI 201, famous for the fact that even railings made from it are recommended to be used only indoors.
To adapt to our hobby, the pan was equipped with a 2-inch clamp for attaching the column, an emergency pressure relief valve from the pressure cooker, a bimetal thermometer in the liquid zone, a vinasse drain valve and, in fact, everything. At the request of buyers, preparation for the installation of heating elements has reappeared for some time now. The kit comes with a plug and clamp. Execution is of high quality, however, see for yourself.
We have already talked about the unsuitability of the valve from the pressure cooker in terms of the response range many times, there is no point in stopping again. Let’s just say that such a valve has a purely decorative function.
The thermometer has an accuracy class of 2,5 with a scale of up to 150 degrees, which indicates a maximum measurement error of 3,75 degrees. That is, a standard indicator that allows you to understand with confidence whether the bulk is hot or cold, no more.
Particularly “pleased” with the bard drain tap. Considering that the device is equipped with cubes of 37, 40 or 50 liters, and even with a heating element. You put the cube on the floor, assemble the full column under the ceiling, and the spout of the faucet rests on the laminate. This leads to thoughts … And by no means about the genius of the designer.
The cover is standard, thin. In order for the column not to dangle, the clamp fastening is reinforced with four rather thick legs. The solution is not new, and most of the companies that used it have abandoned in favor of reinforced covers. High, 7 cm clamp allows you to conveniently mount the column.
The gasket is annular and is inserted into the groove of the lid, and not like most manufacturers – a U-shaped ring, dressed on the neck of the cube. This is a rather outdated and poorly proven design. The lid is attached to the cube with an unregulated cheap collar. According to the manufacturer, the clamp is more reliable than its adjustable counterparts. What can I say here … We need to choose suppliers more carefully.
At first glance, this is a budget cube, quite suitable for the production of moonshine. But if you want to bring everything to mind, the cost of modernization negates its apparent cheapness.
Let’s compare, for example, cubes with a volume of 37 liters based on a LuxStahl pan.
The difference in price is only 2160 rubles! At the same time, the cost of additional nodes for the HD cube, even without installation, exceeds 4000 rubles. In the pros of “Alkash” – only a bimetallic thermometer with a price of about 450 rubles.
The conclusion is obvious: the cubes offered by the manufacturer are unreasonably overpriced.
Tsarga
The drawer side with an inner diameter of 48 mm and a length of 50 cm was shortened by 25 cm compared to the previous model. The rationale is simple – the 75 cm drawer side did not fit into the packing box, and not everyone needed it. Moonshiners asked to change it to a cheaper 50 cm, and to the detriment of the quality of the resulting drink.
Well, for cubes from 37 liters and above, 50 cm of the tsarga is not able to hold the fuselage, so the distillation product will be low-quality moonshine. In fairness, it should be noted that the manufacturer provides an opportunity to purchase the necessary drawers, however, for additional money.
When distilling the mash, this side will completely protect the semi-finished product from splashing at maximum heating power. During the second distillation, the nozzle placed in it is enough to strengthen the moonshine up to 92-94%, but not improve the quality.
Refrigerator
The pride of the manufacturer. In their advertising, Home Moonshine constantly claims that the refrigerator is 20% larger than the Luxstahl 5.
The refrigerator with partitions, having 8 tubes of 8 mm inner diameter, 50 cm long, allows you to cope with a power of up to 6 kW in nominal mode. It’s not bad.
Here’s just a simple question: why these bells and whistles? A saucepan with a capacity of 37 liters has a diameter of 36 cm and a bottom area of 1017 cm2. This means that without uncontrolled foaming of the mash, it can operate at heating powers up to about 4,5 kW. For a 40 liter pot measuring 40 x 33 cm, the maximum allowable power is even less – up to 4 kW. And only for 50 liters with dimensions of 40 x 40 cm – the allowable power of the distillation of mash is up to 5,5 kW. Moreover, this applies to sugar mash, for a thicker or denser such power during distillation is beyond reasonable.
There is another side of the coin, though not a good one either. When the mash boils, not only vaporization occurs, but also the release of soluble, but non-condensable gases. The very ones that give moonshine a unique smell of sulfur and nitrogen compounds that are highly soluble in a water-alcohol solution.
Together with steam, nitrogen and sulfur compounds rise along the column and pass without delay to the reflux condenser, then enter the refrigerator. The steam, having condensed in the refrigerator, flows like a film along the walls of the tubes, cooling more and more, simultaneously acquiring an increasing ability to dissolve these gases in itself. The longer the path to the exit and the thinner the refrigerator tubes, the more smelly gases have time to dissolve.
Therefore, they say that moonshine turns out better if it flows out of the refrigerator warm, and not icy. So, compared to Luxstahl 5, the longer length of the refrigerator is not an advantage at all. There is nothing to brag about here. In this case, the excessive power of the refrigerator is harmful.
Dephlegmator
Also 20% more than Luxstahl 5. Hooray! Well, why did the manufacturer take that “Luxstahl 5” is an example to follow?
A dephlegmator with a length of 25 cm and 8 steam tubes with an internal diameter of 8 mm when working with a 2” column is faced with the need to utilize when selecting “heads” a power of 1800 W for the SPN nozzle or about 2200 W when working with an on-load tap-changer. These are their pre-choke capacities, at which the nozzles work with maximum productivity and separating ability.
At 1800 W, the steam velocity in the dephlegmator tubes will be 3,4 m/s, and at 2200 W even more – 4,1 m/s. Steam will throw phlegm into the area above the reflux condenser, organizing not only gifts for selection, but also significantly increasing the likelihood of 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. However, like the role model – the “Luxstahl 5”.
The power of the reflux condenser included in the set of equipment Alkash Deluxe 2 is excessively large. For the disposal of 2,2 kW, 15 cm of working length would be enough, and with a huge margin. However, the problem is not in this, but in the small cross section of the steam tubes. It would be necessary to reduce their number and increase the inner diameter to 10-12 mm. And here’s what’s interesting, there is such a dephlegmator on the official website of “Home Moonshine”!
Handsome man 20 cm high, working length about 15 cm with 7 tubes of 10 mm inner diameter. Pay attention to the workmanship – very decent.
With this dephlegmator, with a heating power of 1800 W, the steam velocity in the tubes will be 2,5 m / s, and at 2200 W – up to 3 m / s. Here we can already talk about high degrees of purification, and about a complete set with a side of 75 cm, and maybe two sides, since everything becomes possible – up to the production of alcohol.
Well, the maximum utilizable power of such a dephlegmator does not matter much, it would block the workers. But for those who are interested, I will say: the estimated power is 3 kW, while the outlet water will not rise above 30 degrees. So the working capacities overlap with a good margin. And this dephlegmator is really better than the Luxstahl 5.
Node selection “heads”
The head selection unit, which comes as standard, solves some problems of the dephlegmator. Well, not washing so skating. Its design is simple and unpretentious. The pipe in the pipe forms an annular cup, which collects part of the phlegm flowing down the walls. This is not enough to organize a complete selection for liquid, but just right for the “heads”.
A sleeve for a thermometer is mounted in the selection unit. Why is it needed under a reflux condenser, where phlegm flows from above, and steam rises from below? It seems that the authors of this decision themselves do not fully understand its essence. I’m not going to guess either.
Product spout
Nothing surprised or pleased. In an upright position – a handsome man with a connection with the atmosphere. But if we turn it to the position corresponding to the “potstill” mode, then the picture changes. Out of 8 tubes, how many tubes will sink in the puddle inside the spout before product flows out of the tube? And how will the refrigerator work? Of course, in a mode far from optimal.
Arch
It consists of two corner outlets, one of which has a nipple for an electronic thermometer. It is a nipple, not a sleeve and not a piece of pipe. A correct and modern solution that increases both the measurement accuracy by an order of magnitude and significantly reduces its inertia.
Equipment
There are no questions about the complete set of the device as a whole. Everything you need to get started right away. A modern plumbing kit, quick-releases are angular, which is not only convenient, but very correct and, unfortunately, is rarely found in basic sets.
Quality nozzle Panchenkov. Suffice it to say that the thickness of the thread is not 0,24-0,3 mm, as in most of those offered on the market, but 0,13 mm. The plus is made of AISI 321, the same one with titanium, unlike AISI 304. This determines its higher strength. In other words, the packing is much less wrinkled when placed in the column. Includes 5 wads 80 cm long.
In addition, in the set, the buyer will receive a fine-tuning tap, 8 meters of polyurethane hose for connecting and draining water, 2 meters of silicone, etc. Everything is in sufficient quantity and of good quality. Attention to detail based on real experience.
conclusions
- The drunk Deluxe 2 in the basic configuration is a column-type moonshine still with a budget price, suitable for a novice distiller.
- The main disadvantages do not interfere with the use of the apparatus for obtaining moonshine. But it is not suitable for obtaining NDRF or alcohol in the basic configuration.
- Drunk Deluxe 2 can be upgraded for use as a BC by requesting the manufacturer to replace the dephlegmator with a 7-tube reflux condenser with an inner tube diameter of 10 mm and replacing the 50 cm side with a 75 cm one.
- The advantages of the device include the quality of welds and their processing – a good level that distinguishes it from competitors, and the manufacturer’s thoughtful approach to the selection of components.
Reviewed by IgorGor.