How to use the distillation column. Diagram of a rectification column What is needed in the production of a rectification unit

Experienced moonshiners are familiar with many types of moonshine stills, but they put the distillation column above all of them. Yes, it is difficult to make it yourself and also difficult to use at home, but what prevents you from buying an industrial-made column? Fortunately, there are a lot of different models of rectification columns on the market.

But one purchase is not enough to get a good product. A moonshiner must know how the distillation column works and how it works. This article will help you find out about it.

Distillation refers to the process distillation of the fermented mixture into volatile components, which then condense and turn into moonshine. This process is inherently primitive. The water boils at 100 ° C, and the alcohol begins to evaporate at 78 ° C. It is enough to heat the wash, but not bring it to a boil, so that the alcohol begins to evaporate. After that, it condenses into moonshine. The resulting product can be distilled again to get an even stronger moonshine.

Remarkable is the fact that in primitive rectification apparatus the first 100 ml of moonshine have the greatest strength. However, in addition to the high alcohol content in this liquid, there are a lot of harmful substances:

Volatile acids.
Efirov.
Aldehydes.

For this reason, experienced moonshiners pour out the first milliliters of distillation alcohol or use it as a means for igniting. Drinking this solution is very dangerous to health..

The first 100 g of distillate obtained at home is called the head.

During the rectification of alcohol in the distillation still, the concentration of alcohol vapors gradually decreases when heated. You can determine the level of reduction of alcohol vapors by the temperature of the alcohol column. Do not wait for it to get very hot. Then from the distillation cube water will begin to evaporate.

At the final stage of rectification, another part of the alcohol that is not suitable for consumption appears. These are tails containing methanol and fusel oils. You can recognize the tail by the unpleasant smell. It appears when the strength of the moonshine at the outlet of the distillation column drops to 40%. The tails do not have to be poured out. They can be overtaken again.

Distillation types

This process is of 2 types:

Simple.
Fractional.

With simple distillation, the heads and tails are not cut off. Remaining after rectification in the distillation still, the wash is usually called the stillage, less often the distillation residue. The resulting product is distillate. In such a product, the percentage of alcohol usually does not exceed 30%. The amount of harmful impurities in such moonshine is much higher than the norm. Therefore, it requires re-distillation.

Fractional distillation so called because the product coming out of the moonshine still is divided into 3 parts:

Head.
Heart.
Tail.

The first and third parts are cut off. The second part remains, usable. Its strength can range from 50 to 70%. The quality of such a product is relatively high.

Distillation and rectification are the same thing. But when using a full-fledged rectification column, the output is not distillate, but ethyl alcohol.

Distillation column for moonshine still allows you to divide brew alcohol into its component parts and get a clean product at the exit, odorless, inherent in fusel oils, acetone and methanol.

Thanks to the rectifier, a moonshiner can make tinctures and other alcoholic beverages at home with his own hands that are not inferior in quality to those sold in stores.

Naturally, the distillation column can be used as a simple distillation unit to produce ordinary moonshine.

The main difference between distillation from rectification lies in the characteristics of the final product. The rectifier produces pure alcohol, but it requires raw alcohol. The latter can only be obtained by distilling the mash in a moonshine still. That is, the rectifier and the moonshine still must be used together.

It should also be understood that a product is obtained from the moonshine still having the taste and smell of the feedstock, and the rectification column produces alcohol with a neutral taste and smell.

The principle of operation of the rectification column

Distillation column diagram can be found on the internet. According to her, the rectifier consists of the following parts:

An evaporation cube in which raw materials are stored and heated.
Column, inside of which, due to a special packing, heat and mass transfer processes take place.
Dephlegmator.
Distillate sampling unit in a rectification column.

To understand the structure of a distillation column, you need to understand the principle of operation of each of its elements.

This is a container for storing and heating mash or distillate. When heated, the still liquid evaporates and slowly rises up the column. In the upper part of the rectifier, the liquid is separated into separate fractions.

Often the cube is the base of the column. It can be heated both on a gas and on an electric stove. In some cube models, a heating element is used - a heating element.

In the manufacture of alcohol in the distillation still, the home brew is initially distilled. So you can get raw alcohol, which is necessary for subsequent rectification.

A cube made in an industrial environment necessarily has a built-in thermometer that allows you to control the temperature of the wash. As a rule, the raw material in the still is first heated to 70 ° C and only then is the cooling liquid supplied to the column.

Tsarga

This is the central part of the column, in which the processes of temperature and mass transfer take place.

Her work is as follows:

Braga in a cube begins to evaporate and rises up the column, in the upper part of which there is a refrigerator.
The dephlegmator provides condensation of alcohol vapors.
The resulting distillate after condensation goes down the alcohol column.
During the descent, the distillate collides with the steam. Heat and mass exchange takes place, as a result of which the most evaporated part of the fraction rises to the top of the column.
It condenses and goes into the selection channel.

The reinforcing column can consist of several tsars. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that with an increase in the height of the column, the processes of heat and mass transfer become more active. This allows you to get more rectified alcohol at the output.

There is a variation of this device called "tornado". It differs from a conventional rectifier in that its walls are heated. This approach causes the phlegm to evaporate directly from the walls until it comes into contact with the refrigerator. This allows you to speed up the rectification process and get a cleaner product.

Rectification nozzle

It consists of 2 parts:

Modern rectification columns are often equipped with automatic rectification control units. This device allows for a given the program to separate the tail and food parts. As a result, the moonshiner may not sit around the moonshine all the time and do the selection with his own hands. The device, thanks to the BUR, will do everything by itself.

Is it possible to make a complete distillation column with your own hands?

You can make a moonshine still with a rectification column at home. But is it worth doing? The savings will be marginal. In addition, due to the fact that it is difficult at home to withstand all the necessary parameters, one may encounter flooding of the home apparatus during the production of rectified alcohol.

This happens due to non-observance of the geometric parameters of the device, as a result of which the maximum speed of steam movement is exceeded. This leads to accumulation of fluid. in the central part of the column, as a result of which the heat and mass transfer processes are terminated. The pressure inside the drawer rises. The moonshiner begins to hear a gurgle inside the apparatus.

To this problem, in addition to design flaws, the following reasons can lead:

Excessive heating of the moonshine still.
Distillation cube overflow.
Clogging of the bottom of the reinforcement column.
Distillation under conditions of low atmospheric pressure.

To avoid these problems, it is better to buy a rectifier than to do it yourself.

Due to the special structure of the rectification column, it becomes possible to almost completely purify the final drink from fusel oils and impurities. Unlike distillation, the quality of the raw materials themselves does not play such a key role, since the organoleptic properties in the final drink are practically absent. The result is an alcohol with a strength of up to 96.6% with poor organoleptic properties, but pure. It can be used for the production of vodka and various tinctures.

Let's consider the principle of the device of the rectification column, and what parts it consists of.

Distillation column, drawing

Distillation column, operating principle

Rectification is the separation of binary or multicomponent mixtures due to countercurrent mass and heat exchange between vapor and liquid. Parts of the distillation column provide a consistent process:

Evaporation cube - storage and heating of bottoms liquid
Column - heat and mass transfer inside the column itself due to packing
Dephlegmator - vapor condensation, reflux formation
Selection unit - selection of phlegm and rectification

Let's consider the work of each part separately.

Evaporation cube

This is a container in which mash or distillate is stored and heated. It is also called a still liquid. When heated, the liquid evaporates, and the vapor rises up the column, where it is separated into fractions. At the same time, the cube serves as the base for the column. The cube can be heated on a regular or. Induction - faster and safer.

Also used as a heat source in some models.

Usually, the mash is distilled first to obtain the raw alcohol. The column must be switched to the distiller mode, that is, open the take-off valve as much as possible. After that, the raw alcohol is distilled again, this time slowly and with the selection of the food fraction.

A thermometer is located on the cube to monitor the temperature of the still liquid. When the cube reaches 60-70 ° C, it is necessary to supply a coolant so that the vapors can condense. Upon reaching 70 ° C, the power of the heating element must be reduced and left at this value until the completion of rectification.

Tsarga

The tsarga is the body of the column, its central part. Heat and mass transfer, which is the principle of operation of the rectification column, takes place here. It is she who makes the rectification process possible:

The liquid in the cube evaporates, and the vapor rises up the column
A reflux condenser (refrigerator) is located at the top, in which steam is condensed
The distillate flows down the reflux condenser and along the walls of the column
The liquid is in contact with steam on the walls of the packing, which is filled with the column
As a result of heat and mass transfer, the lightest boiling fraction accumulates in the upper part of the column.
The low-boiling fraction is condensed in the refrigerator and enters the sampling channel.

The column can be assembled from several drawers. The higher the column, the more intense heat and mass transfer takes place, and the cleaner the liquid is separated into fractions. Inside the column is filled with packing: SPN or RPN. Heat and mass transfer is impossible without a nozzle.

To speed up the rectification process, you can use. The walls of the column are heated, so the reflux, which is not in contact with the packing, evaporates from the walls. As a result, the process is accelerated and the degree of purification is increased.

Additionally, they can be used with a column. Heat-mass-exchange between hot steam and cold reflux also takes place on its surface. The degree of purification is increasing.

Rectification nozzle

The rectifying nozzle is a versatile tool that consists of a selection unit and a cooler. Condensation of alcohol vapors occurs in the refrigerator, which returns downward in the form of reflux. The selection unit allows you to control the amount of alcohol that leaves the column. By controlling this volume, you can change the quality of alcohol, that is, the degree of its purification. The slower the process, the cleaner the alcohol is.

The attachment can be purchased ready-made or separately.

Alcohol collection unit

Used to improve cleaning performance

Distillation column automation

Rectification requires constant monitoring so that the head and tail fractions do not get into the food part. This process can be facilitated using BUR - rectification control unit. The block will restrict the selection of rectified material in accordance with a given program so that the tail section does not mix with the food. This way you can move away from the column without fear that the tailings will end up in a clean rectified material.

BUR is an optional part of the distillation column, but it is much more convenient to work with it.

What's next

The resulting rectified alcohol will have a hard taste. Alcohol must be diluted, filtered and allowed to brew. For cleaning alcohol can be used, it is called. As a result of carbonation, the alcohol acquires a milder taste, the coal binds the remnants of fusel oils, which in small amounts penetrate into the drink even during fractional selection on a rectification column. This is how classic Russian vodka is prepared.

After sorting (diluting) and carbonating with alcohol, you need to rest in a glass container for several days.

Read more about the structure and operation of the rectification column in the corresponding product card.

The rectified column is a necessary device that allows you to extract from the mash not just strong moonshine, but real pure alcohol with a strength of up to 96 degrees. A moonshine still with a rectification column opens up great opportunities for beginners and experienced distillers. What is the difference between a moonshine still and a rectification column? Is it obligatory in the manufacture, and what are the advantages? Let's figure it out.

Distillation column

What is a distillation column?

The column is a component of the distillation circuit, consisting of a metal (stainless steel, copper) or glass flask, as well as a filler and special fasteners-adapters (most often, a clamp connection is used, which allows you to quickly install and remove the device).

Distillation column, scheme

As a filling that increases the useful area of the inner part of the distillation column, various options are used:

glass or ceramic balls;
regular wire nozzle (RPN);
SPN (spiral wire nozzle Selivanenko), etc.

The principle of operation of the rectification column in the moonshine still is based on increasing the contact area of substances evaporating from the mash - alcohol vapors, heavy and ultra-light fractions.

Unlike simple distillation, during rectification with the help of a column, the vapors released from the mash when heated are separated into components. The resulting product is pure alcohol, without impurities in the form of heavy fractions. Foreign substances settle back into the distillation cube, flowing down the walls of the column, and more volatile alcohol vapors pass into the condenser (tube-type refrigerator or with a coil). In addition, the rectification equipment is equipped with special devices - a reflux condenser, a drop catcher, a steam boiler, etc. Each of them serves to improve the quality of the product obtained.

The best moonshine stills and distillation columns allow you to get at home alcohol, moonshine and strong alcoholic drinks of excellent quality.

The principle of operation of the rectification column

Which is better - a simple apparatus or a rectification column?

In fact, posing the question in this way is not the most correct approach. serves to obtain a fairly strong raw alcohol, the strength of which usually does not exceed 70 degrees. With competent distillation with cutting off the "heads" and "tails" at the exit, a strong alcoholic beverage with a rich flavor-aromatic composition is obtained, which includes notes characteristic of the initial raw material. Moonshine made from honey, fruits, berries, cereals are especially popular - their characteristic tastes delight lovers.

The distillation column allows you to get the finished product - rectified alcohol

The product obtained on a simple moonshine still requires additional operations - cleaning, filtration, double fractional distillation.

Columns are used to obtain purified alcohol with a high strength, but without the flavors and aromas of the feedstock. They do not need additional cleaning and, as a neutral alcohol base, are suitable for the preparation of vodka, tinctures, liqueurs. The distillation column allows not to distill the wash twice, getting the finished product at once - rectified alcohol, suitable for both technical needs and food purposes. When distilling through the column, dry steamers and gin baskets are used to improve the flavoring properties. Aromatic raw materials are placed in them, which gives off essential oils when passing through herbs, dried fruits, spices, alcohol vapors. A moonshine still with a distillation column and a dry steamer is perfect for making gins, flavored vodkas, tequila.

Sukhoparnik with gin basket

Pros and cons of using a distillation column in distillation equipment

It should be noted right away that conventional distillation equipment is more affordable - it is cheaper and easier to handle. But its functionality is less broad. Among the advantages of the column:

the ability to obtain pure alcohol - rectified;
distillation mode for obtaining high-purity moonshine;
the absence in the final product of foreign harmful impurities and substances that impair the taste of drinks.

The device also has disadvantages - the columns have a lower productivity, when receiving rectified, it is necessary to pour diluted crude alcohol into the distillation cube. This implies primary distillation on a moonshine still.

Many experienced distillers believe that the column is needed only to obtain alcohol from raw materials that do not have any special valuable taste properties - sugar mash, old jam, etc. For the rest, it is better to use a conventional apparatus.

Distillation sieve column

You can also use a special sieve column. It, depending on the number of installed plates (disks), allows you to get both high-purity moonshine and drinks with the preservation of the original flavor composition of raw materials.

The device is installed on universal distillation apparatus with provided connections for mounting various accessories.

Column packing and their varieties

Truly enthusiastic distillers are eager to experiment with filling nozzles for rectification columns. They use both factory models and all kinds of homemade products. Among the first, three options can be distinguished.

Wire regular nozzles made of metal mesh. The material is copper or stainless steel. Due to the large area, heavy fractions are retained, flowing back into the distillation cube, and volatile vapors of pure alcohol rise higher into a condensing device (refrigerator - tubular or spiral) and are fed to the outlet in the form of a liquid.

Regular wire packing for rectification or mash column

Bulk spiral nozzles. They are made up of many tiny spirals. The material is also metal - stainless steel or copper. The latter is used to eliminate sulfur compounds that strongly spoil the organoleptic characteristics of the final product.

Bulk spiral packing for distillation column

Special ceramic or glass beads. They also serve to increase the working area of the column and to retain heavy ends.

Distillation column "Dobrovar Ermak"

Homemade nozzles sometimes have not the worst working qualities. Amateurs make them from wire, twisting it into a spiral and cutting it into small pieces, use various materials, often combining them.

Some distillers with extensive experience believe that a do-it-yourself distillation column for a moonshine still is the best option. But in order to get a truly effective device, you need to have the necessary knowledge and skills, to understand the principles of the device. Therefore, for beginners, there is only one way out - to purchase a column in a specialized store. But, if you wish, a diagram of a distillation column for a moonshine still can be found on any forum dedicated to moonshine.

Common questions

Newbies in the business of making alcohol and homemade drinks from it often have various questions. Here are the answers to the most common ones.

Is it possible to get a rectified for one distillation from the mash?

No. Direct distillation through the mash column can lead to clogging of the flask and packing due to the rise of foam. It is necessary to distill the mash, having obtained raw alcohol, dilute it to 15-20 degrees and distill it using a rectification column at low temperature.

Do you need a column to get high purity moonshine?

A distillation column for a moonshine still is optional to obtain such a product, although it is easier to do with it. To obtain a quality product, you can use fractional double distillation on a conventional apparatus.

Is it possible to get alcohol with a strength of 96 degrees on a regular moonshine still?

The maximum strength obtained on distillation equipment is 70-80 degrees. To obtain rectified (96 degrees), a rectification column is required.

Does the copper regular packing in the column replace alambikas, caps and coils made of that metal?

Yes, sulfur compounds are removed using copper mesh or spiral filling just as efficiently, and the cost of packing is much less than copper distillation equipment.

The conclusions from the information presented are simple - rectification columns are designed to obtain high quality alcohol from not too valuable raw materials. Distilling mash from fruits, grains, berries will require a more sophisticated approach and familiar distillation equipment. On the other hand, a rectification column is more suitable for beginners. With its help, it is easier to obtain alcohol without harmful and dangerous impurities. As a compromise, you can use a professional moonshine still with a rectification column, other useful devices, and the possibility of modernization.

More and more models of moonshine stills on the modern market are positioned as rectification columns. Some of the consumers boldly follow the technology, while others invariably remain faithful to the good old "classics". However (we recommend choosing a device of the brand) today it is possible from a number of manufacturers. Are they as effective as they are said to be, and what is the purpose of a distillation column in a domestic still? We'll talk about this below.

What is a rectification column for?

In theory, eight to ten distillation cycles are required to produce pure alcohol using a conventional classic still. Each distillation at the exit gives a gradual increase in strength. In fact, alcohol-containing liquids with an ethanol concentration of more than 30% by volume are unsafe and very energy-intensive to distill under normal conditions. It is not for nothing that knowledgeable craftsmen do not recommend cooking at home, for example, absinthe. - please, but it's not safe to distill them undiluted after insisting.

In the rectification column, on special contact elements located inside, all these 8-10 distillations pass along the entire height of the column at the same time. Here, multiple condensation and evaporation of substances occurs, due to which alcohol vapors are purified and strengthened, and unnecessary impurities flow back into the distillation cube with reflux. In other words, the rectification column is that element of the moonshine still in which the process of distillation, purification and strengthening takes place.

At the same time, it is in your power to get the drink that is right for you. It is enough to correctly adjust the temperature of the distillation, and regardless of whether it is possible to obtain both pure alcohol and a distillate that retains the flavoring properties of the feedstock. Any distillation column requires careful preparation and some skills in working with it. To help novice distillers, you can subtract small technological nuances, explored empirically.

Thus, it becomes clear why a distillation column is needed in a moonshine still. Only with its help it is possible to obtain pure rectified alcohol. Neither a classic apparatus with a dry steam bath, nor a beer (film) column will give you alcohol with a strength of 96 degrees (the maximum possible strength under normal conditions). And in more detail about what processes occur in the distillation column, you can read in.

In order to understand the essence of the processes taking place inside the distillation column, we recommend that you refer to the alcohol columns. It discloses the theory of obtaining ethanol, the quality of which is close to the maximum.

Today we will talk about the design of a home rectifier and how this device can be made by hand.

Before proceeding with the creation of a distillation (packed) column (RK), it is necessary to purchase a suitable material. It should be noted right away that all kinds of non-ferrous metals should be deliberately excluded from the design of the device: no copper alloys, no food grade aluminum and similar materials. Only stainless steel is a chemically inert alloy that does not corrode and does not emit toxic impurities during the rectification process.

On the pages of FORUMHOUSE you can find a lot of advice on the use of copper in the design of rectifiers and distillers. But if you read, then you can find even more people who disagree with such opinions. The explanation is quite simple: hot alcohol is a very strong solvent. Therefore, contact of hot alcohol-containing liquids with any non-ferrous metals is extremely undesirable and even hazardous to health.

beutiflet FORUMHOUSE user

Only glass, silicone and stainless steel.

Working scheme of the RK

The figure shows a diagram of a standard RK, having dealt with which, you can independently assemble a home rectifier.

Let's consider the main structural elements in more detail.

Distillation cube

Any metal container made of stainless steel and having a suitable volume can be used as a distillation cube.

As for the volume: someone uses a conventional pressure cooker (with built-in heating), while others have slightly higher requirements. In general, everyone is guided by their own needs.

viktor50 FORUMHOUSE user

The pressure cooker is too small, you need a capacity of at least 15-20 liters. The rectification process takes quite a long time and getting a liter in half a day is not kosher.

As for heating the column: the simplest (but not very practical) option is to install a distillation still on an electric or gas stove. The fact is that the column has a relatively large height, so it will be better if the distillation cube is on the floor (and not on the slab).

Installing the cube directly on the floor allows electric heating, which makes the RC structure less cumbersome, and the entire installation is as convenient as possible in operation.

timofey1

It is necessary to move away from gas to electricity - it is easier to regulate, and the height is added! I pushed the heating elements into the flask, connected the voltage regulator from the TV and forward.

Be that as it may, when heating the feedstock, a smooth adjustment of the power of the heating element must be ensured. Otherwise, the whole undertaking will be doomed to failure.

Many users, in an attempt to improve the design of the RK, equip the device with automatic control systems, as well as complex regulators. But if you are used to controlling the process on your own (and in the case of a home-made distillation column, at first you will not be able to do it any differently), then the installation of an automatic control system is not an absolute necessity. Until you have sufficient experience in the field of home rectification, a simple power regulator included in the circuit of one of the available electric heaters will be enough.

timofey1

I have three heating elements from a Soviet teapot - 1.25 sq. LATR, shown in the photo, perfectly regulates one ten.

The rectification process in this case is carried out using one (regulated) heating element. The remaining 2 are needed exclusively for heating.

If you have already had enough time to enjoy the visual perception of the process, and the lack of time does not allow you to constantly be near the working RC, then the automation system, implemented in the design of the device, will allow you to control the process, requiring minimal human participation. Automation makes it possible to select the contents of the distillation still, preventing the ingress of tail fractions into the "body" of the product. There are ready-made technical solutions that can be bought in specialized stores. Such systems, reacting to changes in temperature, at the right time, shut off the distillate selection unit or, conversely, open the access of cold water to the reflux condenser.

Rectification tsarga

The rectification tsarga includes several components at once:

Pipe with insulation and nozzle.
A reflux condenser with a distillate selection unit, a water jacket and a thermometer.
Connection for connection to the atmosphere.

Considering that alcohol vapors are very flammable, an opening for communication with the atmosphere (which is necessarily created at the top of the distillation column) must be equipped with a fitting and a rubber tube. The end of the tube should be immersed in a container of water. This will help prevent vapors from spreading inside the room and igniting them.

Consider the design of the listed nodes.

Pipe (packed column)

The process of heat and mass transfer takes place in the lower pipe of the rectification column. A special filler is placed in its inner space, which increases the contact area between the hot steam and the cooling phlegm. When making a column on your own, it is easiest to use scouring pads made of stainless steel as a filler (nozzle). Sometimes a special twisted wire (also made of stainless steel) is used.

If you use metal scouring pads as a filler, then the quality of their manufacture should first be checked. To do this, you need to cut off a piece of a washcloth and boil it in a solution of table salt. If, instead of stainless steel, a different alloy is included in the washcloths, then the products will not be able to withstand such a test and will quickly rust. It is imperative to cut the washcloth. After all, if it has a protective coating, then only in this way can its internal structure be exposed.

The density of the packing should correspond to the indicator - 250-280 g of packing per one liter of the internal volume of the packing column.

The quality of separation of boiling fractions directly depends on the size of the packed tube. Having considered the practical experience of FORUMHOUSE users, we can conclude that the minimum pipe diameter should be 32 mm. In general, the higher the pipe, the better the separation of fractions will be. The optimal pipe height should correspond to its 40-60 diameters (at least 20). The outside of the pipe should be insulated with a layer of protective material.

belor44 FORUMHOUSE user

A metal mesh is installed in the inner cavity of the pipe (top and bottom) to hold the filler.

belor44

I have a filler in my column for NDRF - washcloths. At the same time, there are nets from a tea strainer. The pressure is stable. A meter-long column with a diameter of 35 mm produces an underrectification with a strength of 96% at a rate of 950 ml per hour. There are no chokes.

The bottom and top of the distillation pipe, as a rule, are equipped with a thread, which allows the unit to be connected to the distillation still and to the reflux condenser.

Dephlegmator

The main purpose of the reflux condenser is condensation and separation of light fractions, which have a lower (in relation to reflux) boiling point. In practice, the dephlegmator can have different designs. The simplest to manufacture is a direct-flow (jacket) type dephlegmator or, as it is also called, a condenser-refrigerator. It consists of two pipes of different diameters, between which there is a cooling jacket with running water.

In fact, a straight-through dephlegmator is a stainless steel pipe that is welded into another pipe of the same material (only of a larger diameter). Externally, the device looks like the image.

The photo shows that the dephlegmator has two fittings (for supplying and removing coolant) and a tube for communication with the atmosphere (above). In this case, at the bottom of the reflux condenser, there is a fitting for distillate withdrawal.

In order to avoid the appearance of foreign impurities and odors in the composition of the final product, it is recommended to use only silicone tubes for distillate collection.

The body of the dephlegmator can be made from stainless pipes or from an ordinary food thermos and an additional inner pipe. The diameter of the inner tube is usually the same as the diameter of the packed string. If you do not have access to argon welding, then you can fasten the structural elements using an ordinary soldering iron.

The distillate selection unit, located at the very bottom of the reflux condenser, is a shaped washer welded into the inner tube of the device.

In the sampling unit, it is necessary to make holes in advance for the thermometer (if it is planned to be used) and for the sampling tube.

The need to introduce thermometers into the design of the RK is a controversial issue. Experienced people often do without thermometers. At the same time, there are such ferrymen who, on the contrary, measure the temperature where it needs to be done, and where it is not necessary at all. For example, installing a thermometer in the alembic housing only allows you to control the heating process. That is, watching him, you can roughly navigate - how much time is left before the column boils.

But there are two structural units in RK where temperature control brings tangible practical benefits. This is the outlet of the reflux condenser and the reflux condenser selection unit (instead of the extraction unit, the space between the packed column and the reflux condenser can be used to install the thermometer).

If at the outlet of the reflux condenser the temperature of the flowing water is allowed to drop below 45 ° C, then the separation of fractions will not be very effective (due to overcooling of the phlegm). If the temperature is higher than 55 ° C, then during the selection of the “body” “tails” will break through the selection tube.

Temperature control in the sampling unit allows you to determine the temperature of the steam at the outlet of the packed column, and at the same time gives an understanding of which fraction is being separated at the current time. For example, if the temperature of the steam in the take-off unit is within the range - 77.5-81.5 ° C (depending on the atmospheric pressure), then only the “body” of the product will enter the distillate take-off tube.

Siberiafish FORUMHOUSE user

The temperature during the ferry stayed in the range of 78.8-81.3. Before finishing, I started to ride.

The inner end of the thermometer tube, soldered into the column, must be plugged.

In order for the reflux condenser to be uniformly cooled from all sides, a screw spiral can be soldered into the cooling jacket, which will set the correct direction of the cooling flow.

But what kind of dephlegmator design is offered by one of the users of our portal.

timofey1 FORUMHOUSE user

I wound two meters of corrugation in a def - 3 liters per hour removes!

The design of this device is as follows.

In most cases, the corrugation, which passes running water through itself, is wrapped around the inner tube of the dephlegmator (not shown in the figure). But this approach does not always allow achieving efficient heat transfer. The feasibility of introducing such a design can only be determined in a practical way.

In practice, one can find dephlegmators of the most varied design (including horizontal devices). We have described only the most common ones.

Reflux condenser dimensions

The main quantity that determines the dimensions of the device is the contact area of the steam with the cooled surface. This value is often determined empirically. It depends on the power supplied to the column and on the temperature of the coolant.

timofey1

A distillation column I made two weeks ago produces 1200 ml of alcohol per hour. More is possible, but there is not enough cooling! The power input during acceleration is 3.5 kW, and on the stretch - 1.25 kW.

The product output is always proportional to the power input. For example, if the power supplied to the cube (during the rectification process) is equal to 700 W, then the maximum capacity of the column will be equal to 700 ml / h (in practice, with such a power, we have - 300-500 ml / h). The area of the reflux condenser with such a capacity should be equal to - 200-300 cm². This area is possessed by the inner tube of the reflux condenser, which has a length of 300 mm and a thickness of 32 mm.

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The distillation rate, first of all, depends on the strength of the heating. If the stove can boil 1 liter per hour from the mash, then no matter what the apparatus is, you will not get 2 liters per hour. The purer and stronger the product, the slower the distillation. The apparatus itself can slow down the process only in one case - a low power of the dephlegmator, i.e. when it is necessary to reduce the heating for the normal operation of the apparatus. The larger the diameter, the larger the heat transfer area, and the better the heat dissipation.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that it is better to have a reflux condenser with dimensions exceeding the calculated ones. After all, an excess cooling area will never lead to the termination of the formation of condensate, and, consequently, to the termination of rectification.

By the way, on the Internet you can find a calculator for calculating a dephlegmator, which will help you navigate the dimensions of the device being manufactured.

Refrigerator

A laboratory cooler, which is usually purchased from a laboratory glassware store, can be used as a refrigerator for the withdrawn distillate.

In this case, the device can be made independently - according to the principle of a shirt-type dephlegmator (only the refrigerator will turn out to be much smaller in size). For this, again, small diameter stainless tubes should be used. The length of the refrigerator should be approximately equal to the length of the reflux condenser.

In order to regulate the rate of distillate withdrawal or to stop (start) the withdrawal in time, the distillate withdrawal tube should be equipped with a tap or clamp (for example, from a dropper). The location of the clamp is indicated on the general diagram of the RK.

The cooling cavities of the refrigerator and the reflux condenser are interconnected in the following sequence: the bottom of the refrigerator - the refrigerator - the top of the refrigerator - the top of the reflux condenser - the reflux condenser - the bottom of the reflux condenser - sewerage. Simply put, a series connection of the pipes is used, while the water is supplied to the dephlegmator, already slightly warmed up.

The temperature of the cooling water in the reflux condenser, as we already know, must correspond to certain values (approximately 45-55 ° C). And additional taps for adjusting the water flow will help us achieve the required performance. The valve from the gas welding torch regulates the flow most subtly.

Distillate distillation sequence

Let's consider the sequence of work with our distillation column. First of all, we dilute the raw alcohol (obtained after preliminary distillation of the mash) with tap water to a strength of 30% ... 40% (there is no consensus on this indicator, but the lower it is, the less likely it is to accidentally ignite). Then we pour it into the distillation cube, assemble the distillation column and fit it to the distillation tank.

The column, under no circumstances, should deviate from the vertical level. Otherwise, the quality of the final product will suffer noticeably.

After the RC is installed, you can start heating the contents of the cube. At the same time, the distillate sampling valve must be closed. At the moment when the temperature of the steam in the reflux condenser begins to rise sharply, it is necessary to reduce the power supplied to the column to a minimum (the temperature at this moment can quickly reach indicators of 70-78 ° C, which is associated with a sharp rise of vapors through the packing part of the column). The device should be left in this position for 30 minutes. This is necessary in order for the RK to warm up, and the process of heat and mass transfer begins inside it. In this case, the temperature in the upper part of the RK may drop.

After the specified time, we turn on the water supply to the refrigerator (and to the reflux condenser) and begin the selection of "heads". We repeat once again that you cannot drink "heads"!

The end of the selection of "heads" can be determined by several signs: temperature stabilization - in the region of 78 ° C and a change in the organoleptic characteristics of the selected distillate (the distillate begins to smell like alcohol).

After the selection of the "heads", the selection of the "body" can begin: we increase the power of the column and adjust the temperature of the water in the reflux condenser (45 ° C - 55 ° C).

We enjoy the process until the "tails" are cut off. The beginning of the condensation of the tail fractions can be judged by an increase in the temperature in the reflux condenser (up to about 85 ° C) and the appearance of a fuselage odor in the withdrawn distillate. At this point, the rectification process will be considered completed. The tailings can be selected for use in subsequent runs, or simply disposed of. It's up to you to decide.

If you are familiar with in practice, we invite you to take part in the discussion of issues related to this fascinating topic. If you are used to consuming no less sophisticated snacks complete with exquisite drinks, then the article will teach you to endlessly surprise guests with the unusual taste of the prepared dishes.