What to make moonshine at home. How to make a moonshine with your own hands. What you need to make a homemade steamer

There are quite a few recipes for making moonshine. And the technology comes down to one principle of action, based on the distillation of mash into alcohol. To understand the whole system of processing products into an alcohol-containing liquid, let's find out about the device of the moonshine still and its operation.

To obtain the final alcohol-containing product, several steps must be performed.

Obtaining syrup from sugar or juice of sweet berries / fruits with water.
The combination of the resulting contents with a small amount of yeast. This is the braga.
Settling of liquid in heat. In the process of fungal growth, a mixture is obtained, which consists of water, yeast, fusel oils and ethyl alcohol. By itself, the resulting mass has a pronounced characteristic unpleasant odor, and it is not harmful. But alcohol is what you need to achieve your goal (obtaining moonshine).
Harmful alcohol separation - distillation. This stage is performed by a moonshine still, which, under the influence of different temperatures, releases alcohol ready for use.

What is a moonshine?

A moonshine still is equipment for distilling mash into raw alcohol. It consists of two tanks of different volumes, a dephlegmator (dry steamer) and a refrigeration unit (coil). In addition to these components, a thermometer is provided in the moonshine brewing device. Thanks to him, you can control the entire process and the mode of heating / boiling of raw materials. An additional element of equipment is an alcohol meter, which is used to control the strength of the resulting product. The apparatus works on the principle of chemical distillation, the ultimate goal of which is the separation of essential and other volatile liquids - the purification of alcohol vapors from associated harmful substances.

Now we have an idea of how the equipment for creating a strong alcohol-containing drink at home is arranged. Let's find out how the process of moonshine brewing takes place.

How does a moonshine still work?

Each of the design elements of the moonshine apparatus is needed to perform a specific role. Let's learn a little more about their functions.

alembic (large equipment capacity) is needed for mash. It is here that it heats up and rises further along the unit. It is important to install a thermometer on a cube in order to monitor the boiling point of its contents, without missing the process of preparing the right moonshine (high-quality and harmless to humans and their health).

Steam pipeline (connecting element between the parts of the design of the moonshine still) is needed to transfer alcohol vapors from the large capacity of the structure to the cooling element.

Sukhoparnik, it is also called a sump, it is an intermediate vapor cleaner from fusel oil and other heavy compounds formed during the distillation of mash. This structural element can be called a filter that qualitatively cleans the product from all kinds of impurities. Fusel oils, harmful resins, methanol and other harmful components settle on the walls of the vessel during cooling - this is the main function of the steamer (selection and precipitation of harmful liquid fractions).

Note. The sump is also used to saturate the final product. A natural flavoring agent (citrus or other) is added to it, due to which the moonshine becomes more palatable.

Fridge (coil)- a place for the condensation of steam into an alcohol solution. The design of this element of moonshine is not as important as the temperature that provides the effect of condensate. A temperature of 30% Celsius will suffice.

In this unit, alcohol vapors come into contact with the cooled walls and condense into a liquid state, in which they move to a receiving container.

Please pay attention. Reducing the temperature to the desired degree can be done by circulating cold water or using a special container in which the water is periodically replaced with clean water.

As you can see, the process of moving the mash is carried out in stages and at different temperature conditions. To obtain a quality product, it is necessary to limit the boiling point of the mash, since when the vessel is heated, the process of evaporation of not only harmless liquids begins in it:

in the temperature range from 65 to 68 degrees Celsius, boiling and evaporation of light impurities (the so-called "pervacha") occur. They are poisonous and completely unsuitable for consumption, can cause irreparable harm.

Note! This part can be omitted only in cases where the final product will not be used for oral administration;

when the mark on the thermometer reaches 78 and above (up to 85), ethyl alcohol boils. It is in this range (preferably at its lower mark) that distillation should be carried out.

Note. At temperatures above 85 degrees, heavy products called fusel oils begin to evaporate. Their use can be harmful to human health, they worsen the quality of the final product and its combustible properties. If the boiling point reaches 100 degrees, then the water itself will begin to boil, and moonshine will lose all meaning.

Afterword

Moonshine is an art. Knowledgeable people follow each stage of the preparation of alcohol and are interested in obtaining a quality product that is harmless to the human body. Here are some tips from seasoned moonshiners:

for the normal operation of the moonshine still, it is important to ensure the absolute tightness of all its components, connecting and additional (thermometer, alcohol meter) elements;
in no case do not spare the “pervach”: it should not be left for further distillation and it is dangerous to drink. Drain it into a separate bowl and can be used for external use;
alcohol of own production, which is suitable for consumption, is alcohol formed under the influence of a temperature of 78 to 85 degrees, preferably up to 80;
do not heat the moonshine above 85 degrees Celsius. At this boiling point, heavy harmful substances evaporate with alcohols - poisonous fusel oils.
when alcohol begins to drip from the refrigeration unit (from the coil), you can stop the moonshine;
regularly, after each distillation of the mash, it is necessary to wash the vessels and the steam pipeline.

Unfortunately, for many lovers of strong alcoholic beverages, it is quite difficult to buy high-quality alcohol nowadays, especially when it comes to vodka. According to statistics, up to 40% of alcohol in the store is counterfeit. And these numbers are very real. Therefore, many are thinking, and some have already acquired home mini-distilleries. For those who are still at the planning stage, the question of how to make a moonshine still with their own hands will be relevant.

This is the first question to ask yourself. And there is no single answer to it. Each case will have its pros and cons. Of course, it will be much easier for a beginner to buy a ready-made device, since there is no need to spend a lot of time and effort, and you can immediately get a ready-made tasty drink.

Do-it-yourself moonshine from a keg

On the other hand, the prices for ready-made moonshine stills bite, and it is difficult to find exactly what you need. Most of them have extra parts or need to be redone. But the need to determine the exact parameters of the device comes with experience.

If you assemble a simple moonshine still with your own hands, then the obvious plus is the ability to make the device “for yourself”. However, there are pitfalls here too - there is no limit to perfection. You can get stuck for a long time at the stage of manufacturing the device and never reach the production of the product.

To begin with, it is worth understanding what types of moonshine stills exist. Devices for obtaining alcohol at home are of two main types: distillers and rectifiers. Distillers are ordinary moonshine stills in which a pure product is obtained from mash by evaporating and separating moonshine into fractions.

It must be said that the separation is very conditional, in the process of the first distillation, even if the first and last fractions are separated (they are filled with harmful impurities), moonshine is still not very clean. Repeated distillations make it purer. Most often, at least two are required. But some craftsmen do it many times.

Retrieval is fundamentally different. In the distillation column, there is a constant exchange of fractions between the gas and liquid phases, after which the product is separated into fractions. A drink prepared using a distillation column will be much cleaner, this is how vodka is made during the production process in a factory.

But it is worth noting that mash cannot be driven through this column, only raw alcohol, that is, which was previously distilled in a moonshine still. In addition, many doctors have proven that high-purity alcohol has not only positive, but also negative effects, as it is quickly absorbed by the body, causing intoxication much earlier than moonshine.

So, we will consider the process of creating a moonshine still using the example of a distiller, since it is enough to get a pretty decent product. To assemble the simplest moonshine still, you will need the following parts:

The distillation cube is a device where the mash is heated to the boiling point.
Refrigerator - a container with cold water, where the coil is cooled. It is desirable that the water is running.
Coil - a copper tube in the form of a spiral, less often made of glass or stainless steel, along which the product moves and condenses.
Sukhoparnik - a container for trapping fusel oils and residues of raw materials. Optional part.
Receiving capacity - the place where the finished product enters.
Connections.

alembic

Making a moonshine with your own hands begins with a distillation cube. Such a cube, in fact, is the heart of the distiller. Braga boils and evaporates in it. It is easiest to take it ready.

First you need to decide on the volume of the cube. For home production, 10 liters will be enough. With 20 liters it will be possible to please yourself and guests, but they take more for sale, which is prohibited by law.

In addition, it is worth deciding on the material of the device. What to make a distillation cube?

Aluminum is well suited as a metal for home brewing. It is not deformed, not damaged, able to withstand many years. The main thing is not to rub when cleaning, so as not to remove the protective oxide film.
Enamelled containers as a cube are common, but not very suitable. Enamel comes off from shock and temperature, and rust corrodes the container.
Stainless steel is the best material for a cube, durable, reliable. The main thing is that it should be stainless steel, not galvanized.
Glass cauldron - aesthetically pleasing, but not practical, so it is rarely used.

Most often used as a ready-made alembic:

The milk can is a good, proven container. The main task is to throw out the rubber gaskets and replace them with food grade silicone.
A pressure cooker is the simplest type of container for use in urban environments. The main disadvantage is low productivity.
Enameled pan - if nothing else can be found, then it will do, but it is highly not recommended.
Stainless Steel Cube - This can be a finished cube or a container that has had another use, such as a beer keg. The main thing to pay attention to is that the neck is wide.

Another point is the process of heating the mash. If you are not particularly versed in how to embed heating elements into a moonshine at home, then the best way is to heat the container on an electric stove. It is undesirable to use gas, since alcohol can ignite due to open fire. Induction furnaces are also a good option, but in practice it is poorly applicable, since it will be necessary that the alembic has a flat bottom made of magnetic metal.

moonshine refrigerator

In order to properly manufacture a refrigerator, several parameters should be taken into account:

Material. The first requirement that applies to the coil material is that it does not react with alcohol. In addition, it must withstand temperatures up to 100 degrees without problems and have high thermal conductivity. Copper meets all these qualities better than others. Stainless steel is also suitable, but its thermal conductivity is much lower. Copper makes more sense because it is easy to bend into a spiral. In many countries, copper is considered the best material for making distillers. The disadvantage of copper is that it requires constant cleaning.
Dimensions and thickness of the tube. The longer the tube, the stronger the moonshine is cooled on the way to the receiving tank. But there is a side effect: the colder the liquid, the slower it moves. Again, with a large internal diameter, alcohol cools faster, but moves more slowly, a small one is difficult to process. Thus, the following parameters will be optimal: length - 1.5–2 meters, inner diameter - 8–12 mm, thickness - 0.9–1.1 mm. In some moonshine stills, the coil has a horizontal arrangement - this does not make sense at all. Vertical is the best option.

Refrigerator specs:

Substance: air, water or ice is usually used. It is preferable to use water as the most practical medium.
Heat dissipation scheme: open and closed. In open circuits, water circulates. Such a structure of the apparatus is the most advantageous.
Direction of water supply. It is correct to supply water from below, and take it from above. Then the water will move towards the steam, and the cooling efficiency will be as high as possible.
To make a refrigerator, you will need a tube for the coil and a pipe with a diameter of 75–80 mm. First of all, sand is poured into the tube for the coil so that the metal does not flatten during curling. The ends must be hammered in so that the sand does not spill out; a nut can be immediately welded onto one of them.

Wind the tube on a smooth cylinder with a diameter of approximately 35-40 mm, the pitch between the turns should be about a centimeter. Next, the ends of the coil are released, it is washed and installed in the refrigerator. The speed of operation of such a refrigerator using a copper tube and running water will be approximately three liters per hour.

Sukhoparnik

Consider the option of manufacturing another element of the moonshine still - a steamer. This, as already mentioned, is not a mandatory thing, but it can improve the quality of the product. Sukhoparnik is placed between the refrigerator and the distillation cube. How is a dryer arranged? The principle of its operation is as follows: during the boiling of alcohol, fusel oils are also partially captured, the boiling point of which is higher. In the process of making moonshine, it is necessary to get rid of them, since these impurities not only give it an unpleasant odor, but are also very harmful.

Hot steam enters the dryer and condenses; as more vapor is introduced, the water will boil again. The process of secondary evaporation occurs more gently, so most of the fusel oils condense in the steamer. Several of them can be used - for even better cleansing. In addition, it is convenient to have a collapsible steamer or at least with a drain tap. The size of the steamer is selected taking into account the capacity of the distillation cube so that it does not overflow and at the same time does not greatly slow down the distillation process.

For example, if the size of the distillation cube is 30–40 liters, then a steamer should be made for three liters, for a smaller cube, for example, a 10-liter one - a liter and so on.

It is a jar, from the same substance as the rest of the moonshine still. Fittings are cut into the lid of such a jar to connect the pipes for supplying and discharging steam.

If you make a steamer collapsible, then during the second or third distillation, you can put dried fruits or other products in it so that the moonshine is saturated with a pleasant smell and taste.

Important: the volume of the steamer must be sufficient so that it does not overflow, which threatens with an accident.

It is advisable to extend the steam outlet tube to the very bottom of the can in order to eliminate the possible passage of condensed vapors into the refrigerator.

Tubes and hoses

How to assemble a moonshine still, or rather, its parts into one device? After you have prepared the refrigerator and the distillation cube, and also, if you wish, have made a steamer, it becomes necessary to connect all this together.

This is done with tubes. On the market, you will be offered to purchase rubber, copper, PVC or silicone tubes. The latter are best suited, as they are not afraid of exposure to temperature, do not deform, do not bend, and are easy to change and wash.

The use of rubber and PVC is undesirable. Both materials do not withstand temperature well and will give moonshine an unpleasant odor and taste. Copper tubes can also be used, but then the design will not be collapsible and it will be difficult to clean it.

Copper pipes have another disadvantage. In order to connect all parts of the device with them, you must have welding skills. Moreover, such welding must be of high quality, because tightness is required.

In order for the assembly of the structure to be simple, you need to use silicone hoses. At the junctions, they will need to be put on twisting collars. Another option is corrugated stainless steel, but the gaskets in such pipes must be replaced with silicone.

In general, like all hoses, rubber gaskets are also not recommended. They will melt, and harmful substances can get into the moonshine. In addition, a persistent smell of burning rubber will come from it.

Thus, making a homemade moonshine is not so difficult. In a simple version, these will simply be ready-made containers interconnected. With a little more work, you can also assemble the alembic with your own hands, but in most cases this is not required. Such a distiller for moonshine will be reliable, durable and valuable, since it is made by hand. In addition, it will satisfy all the requirements of the author.

This article discusses the schematic diagrams of the simplest moonshine stills that you can make with your own hands in a short time. Designs are available for home production, productive and, most importantly, safe to use. All materials for the manufacture of devices are sold in stores at an affordable price.

The design of any moonshine still is based on the process of distillation - purification, separation of a mixture of liquids of different density and chemical composition into fractions. Our fraction, which we are going to get at home, is called moonshine, or raw alcohol, with a strength of 60 to 90 degrees.

The raw material for the manufacture of alcohol in its classical form is a fermented mixture of sugar and alcohol yeast - mash. The alcohol content in the initial solution reaches 14%. It is theoretically impossible to get more, a further increase in the concentration of ethyl alcohol inhibits the activity of yeast fungi and fermentation stops naturally.

All the recommendations of experts on prolonging fermentation by adding various chemical and biological substances to the mash are from the evil one. Under no circumstances should they be used in practice. The optimal composition of the mash is not that canonized, but it has been tested in practice a thousand times - water, sugar, yeast. As sugar-containing components, old jam, expired caramel or syrups are sometimes used. This is not forbidden. In addition to giving a specific smell to moonshine, they will not bring any more harm.

How the moonshine is arranged

The scheme of the moonshine still is very simple and is no different from a laboratory distiller. Its device is described in detail in any textbook on chemistry or a reference book on laboratory equipment, and the necessary drawings are also there. It consists:

from a container for feedstock (mash);
refrigerator;
pipelines.

More advanced designs are equipped with a variety of devices - dry steamers (reflux condensers), bubblers, coal or wood filters. Their structure and purpose will be discussed below. A home-made moonshine still can be easily turned into a full-fledged professional equipment for the production of high-quality alcohol, which does not differ in purity from a factory distillation product.

The advantage of using moonshine stills at home in the production of home-made alcoholic beverages is evidenced by sad statistics - most alcohol poisoning occurs when drinking vodka from stores. The fact is that the production of fake vodka is put on an industrial basis. As a raw material for it, alcohols of unknown origin are used, most often synthetic, which have nothing to do with wheat or yeast alcohol.

They affect the human body in a completely different way than good food distillation alcohol, and can threaten not only health, but life, even with moderate use. Not too high-quality moonshine can only lead to a severe hangover. Therefore, let's talk about how you can cook high-quality moonshine at home, which you can drink without any special consequences (if in moderation).

The simplest moonshine from a pot

The design of the most primitive distillation apparatus is simple, like everything ingenious. At the same time, it works perfectly normally, efficiently and safely. Do-it-yourself moonshine is made from an ordinary five-liter pan (you can take larger dishes), a plastic bottle of 5-10 liters and a meter-long piece of copper tube with a diameter of 4-5 mm.

The simplest moonshine from a pot

The handle is unscrewed from the lid of the pan and a fitting is screwed into the hole formed, which is fixed from the inside with a nut. These fittings can be purchased at any hardware store. The diameter of the fitting is selected according to the diameter of the hole for the handle. If it is too small - less than 4 mm in diameter, then you will have to ream. After using the lid as part of the moonshine still, the fitting can be removed and the handle reinstalled.

As a steam pipe, we use a silicone tube of a suitable size. It is quite flexible and durable, moreover, it does not interact with alcohol vapors and is resistant to high temperatures. The smell and taste of moonshine does not change when passing through the silicone pipeline. This is supported by the fact that some industrial manufacturers of moonshine still use silicone quite actively as seals and pipelines.

We make a refrigerator from a piece of copper tube, twisted into a coil with a diameter of about 8-10 cm. It is inserted into a plastic bottle with a cut off bottom, installed “upside down” and exits through a hole in the lid. Water is poured into the bottle, mash is poured into the pot, everything is assembled into one design and the moonshine still is ready to go.

For sealing, the lid is pressed against the sides of the pan with clothespins, and the entire perimeter is coated with flour dough of medium density. When heated, it hardens and an effective sealant is obtained. Small carpentry clamps can be used as clamps, and a silicone hose cut lengthwise with a diameter of up to 1 cm can be used for the sealant.

Self-made moonshine is distinguished by its cheapness, speed of assembly and safety of operation. Inconveniences arise with the need to frequently change the water in the refrigerator - at least after 20-25 minutes of operation, and the quality of the product. The moonshine obtained in this way will need to be distilled again. The productivity of the device is quite high - up to 1.5 l / h. From 5 liters of mash, you should get up to 1.5 liters of strong moonshine.

A do-it-yourself moonshine of a more advanced design can be made in a few hours, if you do not take into account the time to purchase purchased components - fittings, nuts, silicone and copper tubes. If there is no suitable pan for 30-40 liters, you will have to buy it too.

The pan, it is desirable to use stainless steel or enameled. Aluminum is not suitable for various reasons. Two holes are made in the lid of the pan for a ¾ inch threaded fitting and for a pin thermometer. It is imperative to install a thermometer - only by fully controlling the temperature in the distillation cube can you get a quality product.

Temperature regime of distillation

The peculiarities of home brewing are that in Braga, in addition to alcohol, a number of accompanying substances are formed with very unpleasant properties that worsen not only the taste and smell of moonshine, but also have a toxic effect on the human body. The lion's share of the hangover falls on these "additives".

If the distillation temperature regime is observed, most of them can be eliminated. From the very beginning of the process, at a temperature of mash up to 60C, about 0.5 liters of the resulting liquid is taken (it cannot be called moonshine) and poured into the sewer. It consists of compounds with a boiling point below alcohol. It includes:

methyl alcohol;
acetone;
acetaldehyde;
ethers.

The selection of alcohol for consumption begins at a temperature of 65C and occurs in the range of 70-83C, which is maintained throughout the distillation.

Agree, it will be very difficult to work here without a thermometer.

Dephlegmator and bubbler

The lid of the pan is pressed against it with clamps around the perimeter. It will take 5-6 pieces. To increase the holding force and distribute it correctly, a clamping ring cut out of plywood or durable plastic 0.5-1 cm thick is installed on the lid.

The lid is pressed with clamps

The outer diameter corresponds to the diameter of the pan collar, while the inner diameter depends on the configuration of the lid and the location of the steam pipe fitting and thermometer. The lid is mounted on a silicone hose seal.

The reflux condenser is a vertical piece of ¾ inch copper tube about 40 cm long. Its role is to separate the heavy fractions of the steam and condense them before entering the main steam pipeline. The essence of the work is that the tube is heated unevenly and its upper part is colder than the lower one.

As the steam rises, substances with a high boiling point (“fusel oils”) condense and flow down, back into the mash. In its action, the reflux condenser column is similar to a dry filter, which is not used in this design of the apparatus. But here it is very appropriate to install a bubbler.

Bubbler design

Bubbling (bubbling) - mixing a liquid with the help of gas or steam bubbles. At the same time, the level of vaporization increases due to an increase in the evaporation surface and the chemical composition of the liquid is leveled. In a moonshine still, a bubbler is used as a filter, flavoring agent and process accelerator.

Its design is quite simple, and manufacturing is not a problem even for a novice master. The basis is a glass jar with a capacity of 2-3 liters with a screw cap. For devices with a cube capacity of up to 25 liters, a can of 1-1.5 liters is enough. Two holes are cut in the cover for tubes with a diameter of 0.5-1 cm, which are inserted with silicone seals or a screw connection with a lock nut. The device must be sealed.

glass jar bubbler

The tube from the entrance side is made long; it does not reach the bottom of the vessel by 1.5-2 mm. The outlet pipe has a length of 1-2 cm below the cover. The lid is tightly screwed onto the jar and connected to the steam line. A silicone hose of a suitable diameter or a stainless corrugated tube is used as a steam line. The second option is better for technical and hygienic reasons.

The long tube connects to the outlet of the cube, the short one leads to the refrigerator. Reverse connection may cause an explosion. The bubbler is a single-acting device.

The bubbler works like this - the vapors coming through a long tube condense and settle to the bottom in the form of a liquid. This happens until the tube cut is immersed in the liquid. The escaping vapors form bubbles, and the liquid begins to "boil", although its temperature is much lower than 100C. Bubbling occurs due to gas pressure.

Alcohol vapor rises and enters the refrigerator, while the heavy fractions of "fuel" remain in the jar. They are unsuitable for further processing and are poured into the sewer. They are mostly poisonous.

You can install several successive bubblers on the apparatus - the alcohol yield will only improve from this. The number of bubblers does not affect the rate of distillation. Fragrant herbs or other substances can be poured into the bubbler - orange or tangerine peels, mint, lemon balm, St. John's wort, oak bark. In this case, it will also serve as a flavoring agent. This simple device allows you to clean moonshine by 50 percent or more.

Fridge

The device of this design is suitable for operation both with a refrigerator for running water and for any other modification. A cooler for running water can be made from a plastic water pipe or a piece of stainless pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and a length of up to 1 m. The ends of the pipe are closed with plugs, two fittings are welded or glued into the walls - inlet and outlet, under the diameter of the water hose. The movement of water is reversed - the inlet fitting is at the bottom, the outlet is at the top.

In the absence of running water, any open container of 50-70 liters and a copper or stainless coil can be used as a refrigerator. Such a refrigerator works efficiently, but it is rather bulky and requires a large area for maintenance during operation.

All-metal block construction apparatus

Making such an installation at home is quite problematic. You will need an argon welding machine and the ability to work with stainless steel. Otherwise, its design is simple and the scheme of operation does not differ from an industrial distiller. Drawings of such an installation can be found on the Internet on sales sites for industrial moonshine stills.

The device consists of:

containers for mash, which simultaneously serves as a body on which all other parts are mounted;
dephlegmator columns with Panchenkov packing;
bubbler;
flow cooler.

The entire "mount" is assembled in the form of a single block located above the body of the apparatus. The cover with the column and the refrigerator is screwed to the neck of the body with 5-6 bolts through a silicone gasket. The lid contains a thermometer and an explosion valve.

Dephlegmator column diameter - 40-50 mm. It is welded to the cap, or screwed onto a ¾ inch diameter fitting. The second option is more technologically advanced and easy to use. Practice shows that threaded connections are much more convenient than welded ones. Homemade moonshine stills are constantly being improved in the process. Attaching or removing any node is much easier if it is threaded.

Several stainless steel wire meshes wound into a ball, pieces of glass tubes or stainless stamping waste are installed in the column. It is difficult to buy a real Panchenkov nozzle, and its imitation works quite effectively.

From the column, the vapors go to a collapsible bubbler equipped with a drain cock, then to a flow-type cooler. The capacity of the cube can be varied from 10 to 30 liters. Handles are welded on both sides for easy carrying. The capacity of such a plant is about 2 l/h. When using a beer keg as a cube, you get another very interesting design.

Thought to collect sooner or later it occurs to everyone who once tried high-quality home-made moonshine. The opportunity to personally prepare a strong drink attracts many. Of course, it is easier to buy a ready-made device, but making it yourself will help you better understand the design of the device and the stages of the distillation process itself. Let's take a closer look at how to make a high-quality device for distilling alcohol yourself.

How is the distillation process

The whole point of distillation or distillation of mash into moonshine is that when heated, the alcohol turns into steam and goes through the tubes to the cooler where it condenses into a liquid and flows into the receiving vessel.

The process can be supplemented with a dry steamer for partial. But you should not rely on it completely, additional cleaning is necessary. Also, do not assume that several dry steamers will help to better purify alcohol. The main mass of fusel oils settles in the first device, all additional ones separate only water and simply make the drink stronger, but not cleaner.

You should also monitor the process temperature. Heating the mash to 65 degrees allows you to separate the first fraction, in this case, harmful impurities and alcohols other than ethyl alcohol evaporate. Heating up to 78 degrees allows you to get the main drink, it is this temperature that is advised to maintain during the process. The thermometer, which is installed at the outlet of the cube or at the inlet to the cooler, allows you to track the indicator.

Alcohol mashine

Before starting the process and collectingdo-it-yourself moonshine,it is necessary to find out what parts the device consists of. All distillers have the same structure and identical components.

In addition, in the future, any home-made distillation structure can be improved and supplemented with carbon filters, thermometers, bubblers, and so on. The result is an almost professional design for obtaining high quality alcohol at home.

The fastest way is to assemble a distiller of the simplest design from improvised elements. But the moonshine obtained from it is unsuitable for consumption after the first distillation, at least a second process and subsequent rectification are needed.

Do-it-yourself moonshine still

Now let's look at each element of the device separately. Let's see how you can make it at home. And how, as a result, to connect all the prepared elements of the distiller into a single apparatus.

Distillation cube

One of the main components of the apparatus, mash boils in it. In order for the container to be convenient for use, it is advisable to choose a container with a wide neck. In this case, it will be convenient not only to fill in the mash, but also to wash the container after the process is completed.

The best material for this container is stainless steel. It does not react with alcohol and does not release unnecessary components into the most. Aluminum tanks, common in the recent past, are unreliable and give an unnecessary reaction.

The volume of containers depends on the scale of moonshine production. It is important to consider that you do not need to fill the cube completely, at least 20% of the volume should remain empty. From about 30 liters of mash, a little less than 3 liters of moonshine is obtained, based on this calculation, you need to choose the size of the cube.

In order to collectdo-it-yourself moonshine stilluse milk cans, enamel pots or pressure cookers. A pressure cooker is good because it allows you to seal the process well, but it has a small volume. The pan requires an additional hermetically sealed lid. Usually, for this, the last handle is removed and a steam hose is passed into it and fixed. The edges are attached with a clamp and the junction is smeared with a dough of medium density, the latter hardens when heated and seals well.

A milk can will be the best solution, as it allows you to tightly clog the container. The main thing is to replace the rubber gasket with a silicone one in order to prevent the release of harmful substances into alcohol. Aquarium sealant works great for this. It is necessary to remove the old gasket and apply the latter in several layers, usually 2-3 is enough. After drying, you need to close the neck of the can with cellophane and close the lid so that the silicone takes the desired shape of the seal.

A hole is made in the cover for connection with the rest of the structural elements. The diameter of the hole depends on the dimensions of the coil. Adapters for connection are bought in plumbing stores.

Coil and cooler

Another important part of the apparatus, which cools the vapors of alcohol and contributes to its condensation. Consists of a coil and a reservoir for cooling. The first requires more attention, it must be safe and not consist of materials that react with alcohol, withstand elevated temperatures and have a high degree of thermal conductivity. The best option for a coil is a copper tube. But it requires cleaning after each distillation process.

Too long a tube reduces the rate of distillation. The ideal option is about 2 meters. The inner diameter, according to the recommendations of professionals, should not exceed 12 mm. Wall thickness, to achieve the best result 0.9–1.1 mm. To make a coil yourself, you need to pick up a suitable copper tube and fill it with sand. The latter is required so that the material does not flatten at the moment of twisting and retains its shape. Then the tube is wound around a cylindrical object of suitable diameter with a distance between the turns of 12 mm. Then sand is poured out and the inner surface is washed.

The coil is placed in the cooler housing, which is also a cylinder with soldered pipes for the inflow and outflow of cold water. It is the flow cooler that is considered the best option. Plugs and all existing seams are installed on top and bottom of the cylinder, and the joints are fixed with sealant.

Connecting pipes

To collect do-it-yourself moonshine stilltogether and finally prepare the design for use, additional tubes are needed. Why use removable pipes when you can weld the structure by welding? The latter will make the apparatus monolithic, which, in turn, will significantly complicate the maintenance of the distiller.

How to make a moonshine still at home? You can assemble the device using improvised means, and it is not necessary to purchase expensive equipment or materials. You can make a distiller if you have certain skills in design, ingenuity and the desire to create devices with your own hands will help in this.

At the same time, a do-it-yourself device is enough to produce moonshine of good quality from mash. Such a product will be quite suitable for use. If everything is done correctly, then there will be no fuselage in it, the taste of the drink will be pleasant, without bitterness, and the absence of smell will complement the overall impression of the evening spent.

A home-made moonshine still can be assembled literally “on the knee”, without using complex drawings and without making blanks. As a base, you can use an ordinary bucket that is in the kitchen.

Self-made moonshine

Braga is poured into the bucket, a container will float on the surface of the liquid, you can use a metal bowl or any other container. From above, the basin is covered with a large container and they begin to heat the mash over a fire.

The quality of such alcohol can hardly be called even satisfactory. The fact is that such moonshine will contain fusel oils, as well as other harmful substances. Drinking such a drink is dangerous to health, since it can cause severe intoxication (poisoning of the whole body, brain damage).

If such a moonshine still does not inspire confidence, then it is worth starting to manufacture a better device.

The classic system contains the following modules:

distillation cube (a container in which the mash will boil and gradually turn into alcohol);
dry steamer (can act as an additional module, its presence can significantly improve the quality of the product);
cooling system, which consists of a coil and a reservoir (necessary for alcohol vapor to turn into condensate);
container for receiving the finished product.

You will also need a few silicone or rubber hoses and materials to seal the structure. You can use glue, sealant or even dough.

Distillation cube: structural features

A home-made moonshine still can be made from a saucepan or a can, any container of an acceptable volume will do, but on condition that it is made of stainless steel. You can also use copper - this metal conducts heat well, but its cost is quite high. But aluminum, which was popular 20 years ago, comes into contact with alcohols and aggressive substances. The oxidation process is slow, but over the years, metal ions will get into the mash, they will spoil the taste of the drink.

You can make a cube from a keg or flask, as long as the container has an airtight lid. If the amount of alcohol consumed is minimal, then you can make an alembic from a pressure cooker, but it is unlikely that you will be able to process more than seven liters of mash at a time.

There should be a valve at the bottom of the cube, it will help remove the remains of the mash from the tank. The distillation cube is connected to a dry steamer and a cooling system, this is done using silicone hoses.

The main thing to pay attention to is the tightness of the structure. The lid should fit snugly on the container - this will avoid steam leakage. You can fix the lid with sealant or glue using food grade silicone gaskets.

A fitting is screwed into the lid of the distillation cube, it is advisable to equip the container with a thermometer - this will help control the distillation process.

After the thermometers are mounted in the container, and the distillation cube is ready for use, it is worth starting the manufacture of the cooling system.

Coil and refrigerator

You can assemble a moonshine from improvised means, but you still have to purchase some parts. As a coil - the main part of the refrigerator - it is worth using a copper pipe with a diameter of 8 to 12 mm. The length of the coil is from 1300 to 1500 mm.

The pipe will have to be twisted into a spiral, and then placed in a tank. As a reservoir, you can use a piece from a sewer pipe.

The coil is needed in order for alcohol vapor to move through it, and the water that enters the tank from a water pipe or a special container turns the steam into condensate. Simply put, water cools alcohol vapors, turns them into ready-made moonshine, free from harmful elements.

The reservoir for the coil must be spacious. I would also like to note that copper is considered the main material for the coil, but many lovers of making alcohol at home say that copper is toxic. In fact, this metal cannot lead to poisoning, it does not oxidize upon contact with alcohols and conducts heat well, unlike aluminum. If it was not possible to get a pipe from copper, then it can be replaced with a stainless steel.

The manufacture of a moonshine still with a cooling system has some nuances - the device can be connected to the water supply. If there is no water supply, then you can make a device with a container in which water will be located.

The coil is installed in the tank, and then fixed on both sides with plugs. The structure is treated using glue or sealant, and then attached to the distillation cube using hoses.

Sukhoparnik (reflux condenser)

A moonshine still with a sukhoparnik is a device that allows you to remove fusel oils from alcohol, make a drink of high quality and taste good.

What can a dephlegmator be made of:

From a glass jar with a volume of 0.5 liters and a tight stainless steel lid.
Of 2 fittings and 2 nuts, as well as 2 silicone tubes.

Two marks are made on the lid, the fittings are circled in diameter with a marker, and then, using an awl, two holes are made in the lid.

Fittings are placed in the holes, they are fixed with nuts, then the cover is screwed on, and the holes are treated with sealant or glue.

With the help of silicone hoses, the device is attached to the distillation cube and refrigerator. The reflux condenser will collect harmful oils, it acts as a kind of sump. Often the device is filled with water, after the distillation of moonshine is completed, it becomes brown.

Making a moonshine still with a steamer is not as easy as it seems. Make sure the lid fits snugly on the fixture. But at the same time, it must be removable - this will make it possible to remove the oils accumulated in it from the steamer.

You can make two reflux condensers for one distiller, one of them should be used as a sump for fusel oil, and flavors of natural origin should be added to the other. Lemon peels, spices and herbs will do - they will give the drink a pleasant smell.

If the refrigerator is connected to the water supply, then you can equip the steamer with two hoses. One of them is lowered into the sink, the fuselage will flow down the hose.

A few nuances

There are several tricks that will help you make your own distillate machine.

When choosing a pipe for a coil, you should pay attention to the thickness of its walls, this figure should not exceed 1.1 mm.
The coil can be positioned in various ways, but it is best if the entire cooling system is vertical. In this case, the steam must flow to the top of the coil in order to minimize production costs.
The coil can be cooled not only with water. You can equip the system with a fan or a cooler from a computer. But such a design for cooling is not as effective as one that involves plumbing.
If the cooling system is equipped with a water tank, then during the distillation process it will be necessary to periodically drain the liquid, adding a new one to the tank.
The flow-through cooling system is more complex, for this reason distillers without experience with distillation prefer those systems that are equipped with a non-flow cooler.
If the cooling system is done correctly, then during distillation moonshine at room temperature comes out of it, it can be cold. But warm or hot alcohol is a sign of insufficient cooling or a malfunction in the refrigerator.
To make even turns on the coil, you should first fill the tube with sand, soda or pour water into it, and then freeze it. After that, it is necessary to wind the pipe onto the workpiece. When the coil is ready, sand or soda is poured out.
The number of turns in the coil is of no fundamental importance, the main thing is that the distance between them does not exceed 12 mm. Devices from Germany have a coil with 5 turns; for Russia, a coil with 6–8 turns is considered the standard.

Do-it-yourself moonshine still is not so easy to make. To have an idea of where to connect the hoses and how to mount the parts of the device to each other, it is worth looking at the drawings. A visual explanation will help to understand and understand the process of creating the device.

If there are no certain skills in designing, but there is a great desire, you should first familiarize yourself with the process of creating an apparatus, watch a video, collect information, and only then purchase material.