Do-it-yourself rectified column. Do-it-yourself distillation column - a detailed description and diagram. Calculation of the volume of a cube

Sooner or later, almost every homemade alcohol lover thinks about purchasing or manufacturing a distillation column (RK) - a device for obtaining pure alcohol. You need to start with a comprehensive calculation of the basic parameters: power, height, drawer diameter, cube volume, etc. This information will be useful both for those who want to make all the elements with their own hands, and for those who are going to buy a ready-made distillation column (it will help you make a choice and check the seller). Without affecting the design features of individual nodes, we will consider the general principles for building a balanced system for rectification at home.

Column operation scheme

Characteristics of the pipe (tsargi) and nozzles

Material. The pipe largely determines the parameters of the distillation column and the requirements for all units of the apparatus. The material for the manufacture of the side is chromium-nickel stainless steel - "food" stainless steel.

Due to chemical neutrality, food grade stainless steel does not affect the composition of the product, which is required. Raw sugar mash or distillation waste (“heads” and “tails”) are distilled into alcohol, so the main goal of rectification is to maximize the purification of the output from impurities, and not change the organoleptic properties of alcohol in one direction or another. It is inappropriate to use copper in classic distillation columns, since this material slightly changes the chemical composition of the drink and is suitable for the production of a distiller (ordinary moonshine still) or a beer column (a special case of rectification).

A disassembled column pipe with a nozzle installed in one of the drawers

Thickness. The drawer side is made of stainless steel pipe with a wall thickness of 1-1.5 mm. A thicker wall is not needed, as this will increase the cost and weight of the structure without obtaining any advantages.

Nozzle options. It is not correct to talk about the characteristics of the column without reference to the packing. When rectifying at home, nozzles with a contact surface area of 1.5 to 4 square meters are used. m/liter. With an increase in the area of the contact surface, the separating ability also increases, but the productivity decreases. Reducing the area leads to a decrease in the separating and strengthening ability.

The productivity of the column initially increases, but then, to maintain the strength of the output, the operator is forced to lower the selection rate. This means that there is a certain optimal size of the packing, which depends on the diameter of the column and will allow you to achieve the best combination of parameters.

The dimensions of the spiral prismatic packing (SPN) should be less than the inner diameter of the column by about 12-15 times. For a pipe diameter of 50 mm - 3.5x3.5x0.25 mm, for 40 - 3x3x0.25 mm, and for 32 and 28 - 2x2x0.25 mm.

Depending on the tasks, it is advisable to use different nozzles. For example, when obtaining fortified distillates, copper rings with a diameter and height of 10 mm are often used. It is clear that in this case the goal is not the separating and strengthening ability of the system, but a completely different criterion - the catalytic ability of copper to eliminate sulfur compounds from alcohol.

Variants of spiral prismatic nozzles

You should not limit your arsenal to one, even the best nozzle, there are simply no such ones. There are the most suitable for each specific task.

Even a small change in the column diameter seriously affects the parameters. To evaluate, it is enough to remember that the nominal power (W) and productivity (ml / h) are numerically equal to the cross-sectional area of the column (sq. mm), and therefore are proportional to the square of the diameter. Pay attention to this when choosing a drawer, always consider the inner diameter and compare options using it.

Dependence of power on pipe diameter

Pipe height. To ensure good holding and separation capacity, regardless of the diameter, the height of the distillation column should be from 1 to 1.5 m. If less, there will not be enough space for the fusel oils accumulated during operation, as a result, the fusel oil will begin to break into the selection. Another drawback is that the heads will not be clearly divided into fractions. If the pipe height is greater, this will not lead to a significant improvement in the separating and holding capacity of the system, but will increase the driving time, as well as the number of "heads" and "headrests". In other words, with increasing pipe height, the increase in the separating capacity of the distillation column for each additional centimeter decreases. The effect of increasing the pipe from 50 cm to 60 cm is an order of magnitude higher than from 140 cm to 150 cm.

The volume of the cube for the distillation column

In order to increase the yield of high-quality alcohol, but to prevent overfilling of the fusel column, the bulk (filling) of raw alcohol in the cube is limited in the range of 10-20 packing volumes. For columns 1.5 m high and 50 mm in diameter - 30-60 l, 40 mm - 17-34 l, 32 mm - 10-20 l, 28 mm - 7-14 l.

Taking into account the filling of the cube by 2/3 of the volume, a 40-80 liter container is suitable for a column with an internal diameter of a tsarga of 50 mm, a 30-50 liter container for 40 mm, a 20-30 liter cube for 32 mm, and a pressure cooker for 28 mm.

When using a cube with a volume closer to the lower limit of the recommended range, you can safely remove one side and reduce the height to 1-1.2 meters. As a result, there will be relatively little fuselage for a breakthrough in the selection, but the volume of “head restraints” will noticeably decrease.

Source and power of column heating

Plate type. The moonshine past haunts many beginners who believe that if they previously used a gas, induction or conventional electric stove to heat the moonshine, then you can leave this source for the column.

The rectification process is significantly different from distillation, everything is much more complicated and the fire will not work. It is necessary to ensure smooth adjustment and stability of the supplied heating power.

Electric stoves operating on a thermostat in start-stop mode are not used, because as soon as a short-term power outage occurs, the steam will stop going into the column, and the phlegm will collapse into a cube. In this case, you will have to start rectification again - with the work of the column for yourself and the selection of "heads".

An induction cooker is an extremely rough apparatus with a step change in power of 100-200 W, and during rectification, you need to change the power smoothly, literally by 5-10 W. Yes, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to stabilize the heating, regardless of the voltage fluctuation at the input.

A gas stove with 40% raw alcohol poured into a cube and a 96-degree product at the outlet is a mortal danger, not to mention fluctuations in the heating temperature.

The optimal solution is to embed a heating element of the required power into the cube, and for adjustment use a relay with output voltage stabilization, for example, RM-2 16A. You can take analogs. The main thing is to get a stabilized voltage at the output and the ability to smoothly change the heating temperature by 5-10 watts.

Power supplied. In order to heat the cube in an acceptable time, one must proceed from a power of 1 kW per 10 liters of raw alcohol. This means that for a 50 l cube filled with 40 liters, a minimum of 4 kW is required, 40 l - 3 kW, 30 l - 2-2.5 kW, 20 l - 1.5 kW.

With the same volume, cubes can be low and wide, narrow and high. When choosing a suitable container, it must be taken into account that the cube is often used not only for rectification, but also for distillation, therefore, they proceed from the most severe conditions so that the input power does not lead to rapid foaming with splashes from the cube into the steam pipeline.

It has been experimentally established that at a heating element placement depth of about 40-50 cm, normal boiling occurs if per 1 sq. cm bulk mirrors account for no more than 4-5 watts of power. With a decrease in depth, the allowable power increases, and with an increase, it decreases.

There are other factors that affect the nature of boiling: the density, viscosity and surface tension of the liquid. It happens that emissions occur at the end of the mash distillation, when the density increases. Therefore, conducting the rectification process at the border of the permitted range is always fraught with trouble.

Common cylindrical cubes have a diameter of 26, 32, 40 cm. Based on the allowable power for the surface area of the cube bulk mirror of 26 cm, the cube will work normally with a heating power of up to 2.5 kW, for 30 cm - 3.5 kW, 40 cm - 5 kW .

The third factor that determines the heating power is the use of one of the tsarg columns without a nozzle as a dry steamer to combat spray. To do this, it is necessary that the steam velocity in the pipe does not exceed 1 m/s, at 2-3 m/s the protective effect weakens, and at high values, the steam will drive the phlegm up the pipe and throw it into the selection.

Formula for calculating steam speed:

V \u003d N * 750 / S (m / s),

N – power, kW;
750 - vaporization (cub. cm / sec kW);
S is the cross-sectional area of the column (sq. mm).

A pipe with a diameter of 50 mm will cope with spray when heated up to 4 kW, 40-42 mm - up to 3 kW, 38 - up to 2 kW, 32 - up to 1.5 kW.

Based on the above considerations, we select the volume, cube dimensions, heating and distillation power. All these parameters are coordinated with the diameter and height of the column.

Calculation of the parameters of the dephlegmator of the distillation column

The power of the reflux condenser is determined depending on the type of distillation column. If we are building a column with liquid extraction or steam below the reflux condenser, then the required power must not be less than the rated power of the column. Usually in these cases, a Dimroth refrigerator with a utilization power of 4-5 watts per 1 sq. see surface.

If the steam extraction column is higher than the reflux condenser, then the calculated capacity is 2/3 of the nominal one. In this case, you can use Dimroth or "shirt". The utilization power of the shirt is lower than that of the dimroth and is about 2 watts per square centimeter.

An example of a Dimroth cooler for a column

Further, everything is simple: we divide the rated power by the utilization one. For example, for a column with an inner diameter of 50 mm: 1950/5= 390 sq. cm area of Dimroth or 975 sq. see shirt. This means that the Dimrot refrigerator can be made from a 6x1 mm tube 487 / (0.6 * 3.14) = 2.58 cm long for the first option, taking into account the safety factor of 3 meters. For the second option, we multiply by two thirds: 258 * 2/3 = 172 cm, taking into account the safety factor of 2 meters.

Column shirt 52 x 1 - 975 / 5.2 / 3.14 \u003d 59 cm * 2/3 \u003d 39 cm. But this is for rooms with high ceilings.

"Shirtman"

Calculation of a once-through refrigerator

If the straight-through is used as an aftercooler in a distillation column with liquid withdrawal, then choose the smallest and most compact option. Enough power is 30-40% of the nominal power of the column.

A once-through cooler is made without a spiral in the gap between the jacket and the inner pipe, then the selection is started into the jacket, and the cooling water is supplied through the central pipe. In this case, the shirt is welded onto the water supply pipe to the dephlegmator. This is a small "pencil" about 30 cm long.

But if the same straight-through is used both for distillation and for rectification, being a universal unit, they do not proceed from the need of the Republic of Kazakhstan, but from the maximum heating power during distillation.

To create a turbulent steam flow in the refrigerator, which makes it possible to ensure a heat transfer rate of at least 10 watts / sq. cm, it is necessary to provide a steam speed of about 10-20 m / s.

The range of possible diameters is quite wide. The minimum diameter is determined from the conditions of not creating a large overpressure in the cube (no more than 50 mm of water column), and the maximum by calculating the Reynolds number, based on the minimum speed and maximum coefficient of kinematic viscosity of vapors.

Possible design of a once-through refrigerator

In order not to go into unnecessary details, we will give the most common definition: “In order for the turbulent mode of steam movement to be maintained in the pipe, it is sufficient that the inner diameter (in millimeters) be no more than 6 times the heating power (in kilowatts).”

To prevent the water jacket from airing, it is necessary to maintain a linear water velocity of at least 11 cm / s, but an excessive increase in speed will require high pressure in the water supply. Therefore, the range from 12 to 20 cm/s is considered optimal.

To condense the steam and cool the condensate to an acceptable temperature, water must be supplied at 20°C at a rate of about 4.8 cc/s (17 liters per hour) for every kilowatt of power input. In this case, the water will heat up by 50 degrees - up to 70 ° C. Naturally, less water will be needed in winter, and when using autonomous cooling systems, about one and a half times more.

Based on the previous data, the annulus cross-sectional area and the inside diameter of the jacket can be calculated. It is necessary to take into account the available assortment of pipes. Calculations and practice have shown that a gap of 1-1.5 mm is quite sufficient to meet all the necessary conditions. This corresponds to pairs of pipes: 10x1 - 14x1, 12x1 - 16x1, 14x1 - 18x1, 16x1 - 20x1 and 20x1 - 25x1.5, which cover the entire power range used at home.

There is another important detail of the straight-through - a spiral wound on a steam pipe. Such a spiral is made of wire with a diameter that provides a gap of 0.2-0.3 mm to the inner surface of the shirt. It is wound with a step equal to 2-3 diameters of the steam pipe. The main purpose is to center the steam pipe, in which, during operation, the temperature is higher than in the jacket pipe. This means that as a result of thermal expansion, the steam pipe lengthens and bends, leaning against the jacket, dead zones appear that are not washed by cooling water, as a result, the efficiency of the refrigerator drops sharply. Additional advantages of spiral winding are the lengthening of the path and the creation of turbulence in the cooling water flow.

A well-made straight-through can utilize up to 15 watts / sq. cm of the heat exchange area, which is confirmed empirically. To determine the length of the cooled part of the direct flow, we use a rated power of 10 W / sq. cm (100 sq. cm / kW).

The required heat exchange area is equal to the heating power in kilowatts multiplied by 100:

S = P * 100 (sq. cm).

Steam pipe outer circumference:

Locr = 3.14 * D.

Cooling jacket height:

H = S / Len.

General calculation formula:

H = 3183 * P / D (power in kW, height and outer diameter of the steam pipe in millimeters).

An example of the calculation of a straight pipe

Heating power - 2 kW.

It is possible to use pipes 12x1 and 14x1.

Sectional areas - 78.5 and 113 square meters. mm.

Steam volume - 750 * 2 \u003d 1500 cubic meters. cm / s.

Steam velocities in pipes: 19.1 and 13.2 m/s.

The 14x1 pipe looks preferable, as it allows you to have a power margin, while remaining in the recommended steam speed range.

The steam pipe for the shirt is 18x1, the annular gap will be 1 mm.

Water supply rate: 4.8 * 2= 9.6 cm3/s.

Annular gap area - 3.14 / 4 * (16 * 16 - 14 * 14) \u003d 47.1 square meters. mm = 0.471 sq. cm.

Linear speed - 9.6 / 0.471 = 20 cm/s - the value remains within the recommended limits.

If the annular gap were 1.5 mm - 13 cm / s. If 2 mm, then the linear speed would drop to 9.6 cm / s and water would have to be supplied above the nominal volume, solely so that the refrigerator does not air in - a waste of money.

Shirt height - 3183 * 2 / 14 = 454 mm or 45 cm. The safety factor is not needed, everything is taken into account.

Result: 14x1-18x1 with a height of the cooled part 45 cm, nominal water flow - 9.6 cubic meters. cm/s or 34.5 liters per hour.

With a rated heating power of 2 kW, the refrigerator will produce 4 liters of alcohol per hour with a good margin.

An efficient and balanced straight-through distillation should have a ratio of extraction rate to heating power and water consumption for cooling 1 liter / hour - 0.5 kW - 10 liters / hour. If the power is higher, there will be large heat losses, if it is small, the useful heating power will decrease. If the water flow is higher, the direct flow is inefficiently designed.

The distillation column can be used as a wash column. The equipment for the beer columns has its own characteristics, but the second distillation differs mainly in technology. For the first distillation, there are more features and individual nodes may not be applicable, but this is a topic for a separate discussion.

Based on real household needs and the existing range of pipes, we will calculate typical options for a distillation column using the above method.

P.S. We express our gratitude for the systematization of the material and assistance in preparing the article to the user of our forum.

Beginning moonshiners usually prefer distillers. But the more experience, the more you want to get a perfect product - devoid of fusel oils and as strong as possible.

Moonshiners who are not familiar with the work of the Republic of Kazakhstan in practice have a prejudice. They believe that the distillation column takes away the smell of the original product. This is only partly true.

It all depends on the purpose, and the column is operated in different ways: in order to obtain rectified alcohol or pure and fortified distillate.

Distillation column in appearance - high pipe, vertically rising above the distillation cube. Indispensable components:

A pipe made of food grade stainless steel with a height of not less than 1 and not more than 1.5 meters. Industrial ones have dimensions that are thousands of times larger than those indicated.
Dephlegmator - the upper part of the pipe with a water jacket.
Nozzles: RPN or stainless steel kitchen weeder scrapers, as well as (not always) SPN spirals of equal diameter and height.
Thermometer. And two are better: one in a cube, the second in a column.
Tube for connection with the atmosphere.
Once-through condenser, which finally condenses the alcohol vapor coming from the column.
Connection elements and pipes for connecting / draining water for cooling.
Column insulation in the compartment where heat and mass transfer takes place (desirable, but not required).

Calculation of system parameters

The calculation is necessary in order for the column to produce a product with a strength of up to 95 °, clean from fusel oil and other impurities. At the same time, it did not choke, it had an optimal speed of haul.

Attention. Any of the home-made distillation columns on the market has a distillation speed several times lower than.

This is due to the need for multiple re-evaporation of the alcohol-containing liquid.

Productivity and quality of work depend on:

height and diameter of the tsarga;
correct calculations for the nozzle;
heating power;
the volume of the distillation cube.

Pipe and nozzle dimensions

To ensure the correct strengthening and separating ability, regardless of the internal section, an acceptable height of the drawer side is 1 - 1.5 m. These parameters have been determined by numerous experiments.

At a lower height, it will not be possible to protect oneself from the breakthrough of fuselage into the finished product, that is, it will not be possible to achieve the proper purity of selection. If you make the height larger, this does not give better performance, and on the contrary, it increases the number of head fractions. Simply put - every extra centimeter of the column reduces the separating ability device and negatively affects the speed of the haul.

Permissible parameters of the inner diameter of the pipe - 28-52mm. These are the dimensions used in the production of household dispensers.

There is a formula: productivity, measured in milliliters of product per hour of work and power (Watts) are equal to the cross-sectional area (cross section) of the pipe in square meters. mm, that is - directly proportional to its diameter squared.

When choosing or constructing a column, calculate the diameter (internal). With large deviations, it will not work correctly.

Nozzle

It does not just increase the contact of alcohol-containing vapor with reflux, it must be tied to a specific column. At home, nozzles are selected that have a contact surface of 1.5 - 4 m2 per liter of rectified.

If you take more, cleaning will improve, but the already low distillation rate will fall. If you take less than 1.5 square meters, then the separation and strengthening will fall, as a result of pure alcohol will not work.

When using only the tap changer, usually the twisted webs are inserted one above the other from below - from the cube to the selection unit. The ratio of SPN to the inner diameter is selected 13-15 times less. That is, with a wire thickness of 0.25 mm, the diameter of the SPN is selected for a pipe of 50 mm - 3.5x3.5; 40 mm - 3x3; 28-32 mm - 2x2.

Attention. For various tasks, their nozzles are used.

For example, when distilling (distilling) grain raw materials, it is advisable to use copper on-load tap-changers or SPNs, rings, saddle-shaped nozzles. For rectification - RPN + SPN, cut wire washcloths.

We select the volume of the distillation cube

Rectification is carried out after the first distillation, when raw alcohol is obtained. 40-degree liquid is poured. The number of nozzles to prevent fuselage from getting into the finished product is calculated from 10 to 20 volumes of alcohol-containing strong liquid in a cube.

It is allowed to fill with raw alcohol only 2/3, then the container should be selected based on the used drawer. Calculations for a 1.5-meter column with a pipe diameter:

50 mm - not less than 30, not more than 60 l. Need a capacity of 40-80 liters;
40 mm - from 17 to 34 liters. Cube up to 50 liters;
32 mm - from 10 to 20 l. Cube up to 30 liters;
28 mm - up to 14 l. Requires a cube up to 18 liters.

With minimal volumes, you can take a pipe with a length of not 1.5, but 1-1.2 m.

How to heat and at what power?

Rectification is not distillation, in which heating is possible on tiles of various industrial manufacture and even wood burning. For the Republic of Kazakhstan, several mandatory conditions must be met:

ensuring the fastest possible heating;
the possibility of fine adjustment of heating for high-quality separation of alcohol into fractions;
safety - protection against ignition and explosion, taking into account the fact that in the cube - not low-alcohol mash, but strong raw alcohol.

In this regard, it is necessary to select a heating source from many options taking into account these requirements:

Wood burning stove. It is rejected unconditionally, since it does not meet any of the requirements.
Gas hob. Not suitable as the heat cannot be precisely controlled and there is a high risk of explosion.
electric stove does not correspond for the reason that it works on the principle of completely stopping heating and resuming after the temperature drops to a critical level (remember the “clicks” made by the electric stove). When the power supply is interrupted, the phlegm will not drain gradually, as provided by the technology, but will collapse and rectification simply will not take place or it will have to be started anew - with a different source of heating.
Induction cooker can be used "at a stretch". It does not have a smooth change in power, and proper rectification requires a smooth, no more than 10 watts at a time.
heating element with regulation, voltage stabilization and a smooth change in heating by 5-10 W - this is the best solution. It is they who should equip the RK.

When choosing power, keep in mind: for quick heating of the cube, a kilowatt heating element is needed for every 10 liters of liquid. That is:

For a 50 liter (40 liters in it), a 4-kW heating element is required.
40 l (optimally 30 l) - 3 kilowatt.
30 (up to 23 l) - 2.5 kW.
20-25 (15-20 l) - 1.5 kW.

Dephlegmator calculations

They are determined based on the type of column. When selecting alcohol below the reflux condenser, the best choice is a Dimroth reflux condenser with a power of up to 5 watts per square cm.

If the selection is higher than the reflux condenser, then the power can be up to 2 watts. Both Dimrot and the "shirtman" are used.

For example, if you have a tsarga 50 mm, then for Dimroth a tube of 6 cm (internal section) up to 50 mm in length is enough (with an accurate calculation - 48.7). The shirt can be from a pipe 52 mm long 39 cm.

Achieving the required power in the table:

Pipe inner diameter (mm)	Drawer height (cm)	Productivity at optimum heating power (ml/h)
52	100	1900-1950
51	150	1750-1790
42	150	1120-1190
40	100	1100-1130
32	150	630-660
28	150	450-490

Calculation of a once-through refrigerator

If the straight-through is an after-cooler in the RV with liquid extraction, a 30 cm “shirt” on the extraction tube is sufficient. Usually, the water outlet is connected to the supply to the dephlegmator.

Another thing is if you intend to operate the RK as a distiller, then make a shirt based on distillation needs.

Without burdening you with obscure details, we note that in order to maintain turbulence in the movement of steam, take the inner diameter of the pipe corresponding to the heating power multiplied by 6. Diameter - in mm, power in kW.

Between the walls of the pipe and the jacket, 1.5 mm is enough for the free movement of water.

Important. When creating a direct-flow refrigerator, wind a wire with such a diameter onto the inner pipe that the 0.3 mm spiral does not reach the inner surface of the shirt.

The spiral is wound in increments of 2-3 diameters of the inner (steam) pipe. It prevents wall deformation, improves cooling and protects against the formation of “dead zones due to thermal expansion.

It is customary to use pairs of pipes for refrigerators with a wall thickness of 1 mm:

10mm-14mm;
12mm-16mm;
14mm-18mm;
16mm-20mm;
20 mm - 25 mm. In this case, a pipe thickness of 25 mm is needed 1.5 mm.

The length of the once-through refrigerator is 50-75 cm.

Based on the above calculations, with the right approach to business, you will get a productive rectifier, in terms of quality - even higher than industrial analogues. But if you decide to buy a finished column, you can check that its parameters meet the requirements.

Useful videos

Do-it-yourself distillation column for a moonshine still - theory, practice, drawings and diagrams:

In the 80s of the XIX century, when moonshine began to gain popularity among alcohol lovers, no one could have imagined that distillation columns, which brought a huge amount of pure alcohol, at low cost, would become available to an ordinary amateur at a reasonable price.

To obtain moonshine, clean mash, distillation, apply distillation column. However, the design of this device is simple and can be made by hand, thereby reducing the cost of equipment to a minimum.

Let's consider how to make it with your own hands, what materials can be used, how to design individual elements and integrate it into a moonshine still.

To begin with, let's figure out what is rectification:

This is a process when one component is released from a mixture under the influence of pressure and temperature.
The heating element evaporates the mash, which passes through the filters.
Part of it goes back, and part goes on.
This is due to the fluid that enters at the bend of the tube.
It condenses part of the solution and returns it back.
The lighter volatile part goes further, to the last segment, where the water flow is.

The final product is deposited in the vessel.

Copper

Standard structure, which assumes a copper structure as a base. A material such as copper has excellent thermal conductivity, compression-expansion characteristics.

Attention! Copper does not add harmful impurities and sediments to the solution, which makes it a reference material.

However, copper has one significant disadvantage - like any metal, it oxidizes and becomes greenish in color.

Corrosion processes negatively affect the quality and purity of the product. The metal filters inside the tube are also oxidized and the whole structure becomes unusable.

Made of polypropylene

Also a common choice.

Polypropylene material used in plumbing:

It is cheaper and available at any hardware store.
It does not deteriorate during many heating-cooling cycles and does not crack from temperature changes.
Due to the large number of forms, it is possible to build a structure with any bend.

The downside is the ingress of impurities into the solution, since part of the polypropylene evaporates during heating.

From plumbing fittings

Budget option for design lovers.

Fitting- these are metal screw-in adapters for connecting pipes and hoses.

Of these, you can build a column by twisting in a certain order. Any metal can be used for such elements (including stainless steel). There are practically no disadvantages to this design, except that it will take more time to collect and switch.

Reference! A good column will consist of all the materials described above, combining the pros and leveling the cons.

How to do it yourself?

At first, when the moonshine business was just beginning to develop, the devices were made from everything that was underfoot, so the quality of the moonshine was appropriate.

With the development of the industry, amateurs have learned to make better and better quality products, modernizing installations and supplementing standard designs with new elements.

alembic

In order to design a cube with your own hands, you will need to weld on a sheet of stainless steel, having previously bent it into a cylinder.

The bottom can also be made by welding the sheet, drained and cut with scissors for metal (you can leave the sheet uncut for greater stability). Tin will serve as solder.

You can build a sealed lid with your own hands by pasting the joint with rubber, or use a lid from a pan.

Reference! The cube can be completely made from a pan or a metal can, if the lid provides for the possibility of connection with the rest of the structure.

How to make a distillation cube with your own hands is described in the video:

Tsarga

The drawer is a conventional filter, which can be built from an ordinary water mixer or a plastic cup, into which a metal sponge for washing dishes will be rammed.

A few criteria that are important for a good tsarga:

presence of entrance and exit,

the ability to detach it to change the filter,

the ability to easily replace the body of the structure in case of breakage (therefore, it is recommended to use plastic cups).

Even a small change in the column diameter seriously affects the parameters. To evaluate, it is enough to remember that the nominal power (W) and productivity (ml / h) are numerically equal to the cross-sectional area of the column (sq. mm), and therefore are proportional to the square of the diameter.

Nozzle

Used as a bait regular wire copper nozzle, nevertheless you can use a regular metal sponge.

The purity of the final product and the duration of the rectification process will depend on the packing material. You can build a multi-layer nozzle by combining several elements and materials.

Selection node

The selection unit is located on a bend in which there is no separation of the initial mixture, incoming water, and the final product.

It is desirable to perform it from copper, since plastic structures tend to expand under the influence of temperature, and changing the trajectory of the solution can delay the rectification process, or even stop it.

Reference! For example, pressure and temperature are not enough for the volatile part of the liquid to overcome the bend and be deposited in the vessel. However, a gentler curve will allow it to pass through and build up easily.

The ideal material for the sampling unit is copper or stainless steel.

Elements of construction can be purchased at thematic specialty stores, or in the plumbing department, choosing what is right for your particular design.

The video shows how to make a do-it-yourself selection node:

Dephlegmator

The dephlegmator is a kind of advanced filter:

It is installed in close proximity to the selection unit and serves to return part of the solution back.

Water entering inside condenses the heavy elements of the solution and separates unnecessary parts from the right ones.

The reflux condenser can be made of metal, iron, steel, or glass, as it gives off heat well and will contribute to the rapid condensation of steam.

Fridge

Most often, refrigeration units of the class are used in moonshine stills. “refrigerator coil”. It received such a name because there is a metal spiral inside, which serves to circulate the liquid. To the naked eye, it resembles a snake that has curled up into a ball diagonally.

The work of the refrigerator is to pass the liquid through itself and transfer it into the moonshine still. Based on this, it is desirable to make the material of the walls non-metallic, since the metal cools for a long time and transfers heat worse.

The best material would be:

plastic,

glass,

polymer.

The refrigerator should contain only two openings - the inlet and outlet of the liquid.

Between the metal spiral and the walls of the refrigerator, there must be water or another liquid that passes the temperature well, since it is this configuration that allows you to absorb heat as quickly as possible and lower the temperature.

How to make a simple refrigerator for a moonshine is described in the video:

Pasteurization drawer (optional)

Pasteurization drawer- this is the final element of the moonshine still, which serves to precipitate and filter the final liquid:

It is a pipe covered with heat-insulating material, at the outlet of which there is a filter.

It is from there, drop by drop, that the liquid will enter the vessel.

The design of such a drawer is simple - a pipe made of polypropylene or PVC, sheathed with any heat-insulating material, at the end of which you can install a standard drawer.

Automation

Perhaps the most complex structural element that can increase efficiency and increase the overall performance of a home-made device.

Automatic control system can independently control the processes occurring in the device, turn it on and off, signal readiness.

The elements of automatic control also include touch analyzers:

pressure meter;

temperature sensor;

indicators of electricity and liquid consumption;

other.

There is no one universal scheme, since all home-made devices have a different design, length, height, volume and other characteristics.

Important! Automation can only be installed by experienced users who have an understanding of electronic circuits, the design of a microcircuit, the process of soldering and switching automatic elements. It is much easier to purchase ready-made automation for a moonshine still, and then connect it to the structure.

The upside is that it saves time. He just needs to describe the design of his device to the seller, who will select the optimal automatic control panel for him.

The device of a home-made moonshine still

Usually a home-made moonshine still consists of:

a source of fire that heats a vessel with mash;

after passing the boiling point, the steam enters the coil, which is filled with coolant;

the temperature in the coil is maintained by the refrigerator;

after exiting the coil, moonshine enters the drawer, where it is filtered and poured into a vessel.

Important! Don't skimp on filters! The more there are, the better. Some raw materials are not as good and pure as manufacturers describe them, and the result is a product of terrible quality.

To compensate for the loss from the dirtiest source, it is recommended to set filters at the input and output of each element.

How to make and assemble the simplest moonshine at home is described in the video:

Let's summarize briefly: you can make a design with your own hands.

There are no complex engineering structures in it, which means that a home-made column will practically not differ in any way from a purchased one, the materials for the columns and you can choose any of the material of the outer wall will depend on the heat transfer parameters, expansion and narrowing of the throughput channel due to thermal drops.

Attention! The source of heating and accessories can be any, however, the purity and strength of the final product will depend on the quality of all the details.

We hope that our article has helped you understand what a distillation column is, what structure it has, what processes take place in it and what materials it is made of.

Distillers create a distillation column with their own hands. This equipment is highly efficient. Columns allow you to separate liquids into fractions. RK is the highest class of household moonshine installations.

Moonshine is obtained at the distiller, and pure alcohol is obtained at the distiller. The rectification process is based on the interaction of liquid and steam. With the necessary equipment, pure alcohol is obtained. Columns are plate-shaped and packed.

Moonshiners use packed columns, which lead to the separation of alcohol into fractions.

Distillation column "Thermosphere F43"

Distillation column device:

tsarga with filler;
alcohol selection unit;
dephlegmator;
additional refrigerator.

Braga is in the still, which is heated. As the temperature rises, evaporation occurs. Vapors (alcohols, ethers, and so on) rush upward along the side and reach the refrigerator with a selection unit. At the initial stage, the tap is closed.

Phlegm - condensed steam - descends into the column through the tube. Heavy fractions accumulate at the bottom, light ones at the top.

The column is filled with nozzles. The steam condenses repeatedly, and the liquid evaporates on the elements of the installation. As a result of this exchange between liquid and vapor, part of the low-boiling component is drawn down.

The reflux ratio is the ratio of the amount of condensate that is returned to the column to that which goes to the selection. The FC for alcohol is 8–9, for noble distillates it is 6–7. As soon as the tap is opened, it is important to maintain the correct reflux ratio.

Column operation modes:

Distillation. Passes without separation.
noble distillates. If the number of nozzles or the pipe is reduced in the column, conditions are created for obtaining calvados and chacha. In this mode, the PF is 6–7. The strength of alcohol is 94.5⁰.
Obtaining rectified alcohol. The nozzles in the column are all the way to the top. Reflux number - 9. Alcohol strength 96.4⁰.

Advantages and disadvantages of the rectification method

Distillation columns have pros and cons. RK are:

Brazhny.
With liquid selection.
With the selection of a couple.
Combined.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of all types.

Brazhnye columns

The role of a dephlegmator is played by a refrigerator. Advantages:

simple design;
cheapness;
easy to manufacture;
distiller + RK.

Flaws:

Non-obvious management (not understanding how much phlegm is returned, you can not estimate the number).
Change of FC in time.
Requirements for constant water temperature.

The column for moonshine must have:

Adjustable selection node.
atmospheric valve.
High performance dehumidifier.

Sampling by liquid

The distillation column scheme for Alex's Bokakob moonshine with inclined planes is used. Having peeped the idea from Bokakob, they cut out two pieces of copper and make cuts. Today they use a selection unit with inclined plates, which the designer came up with.

Advantages:

inexpensive;
easy assembly;
distiller and distillation column.

Flaws:

FC changes over time;
non-transparent management.

The HF changes, so you need to constantly tighten the tap. It is not comfortable.

Pair selection

Working principle: steam rises and separation takes place. Part goes up, the other goes to the right. Determining the through holes, set the reflux number.

Proportions are always preserved. In practice, this means that there is no need to constantly be around. Only when the “tails” start to go do they turn off the equipment.

Advantages:

simple design;
inexpensive;
stable selection.

The column cannot be used as a distiller. This is the only downside. Braga in this RK cannot be distilled.

Combined types

Combined liquid and vapor selection. The highlight happens in pairs. Select "heads" by liquid.

not difficult;
inexpensive;
performs the functions of a distiller and a column;
the process is stable.

The combined column has no disadvantages.

The choice of material for the manufacture of equipment

For the manufacture of RK it is better to use stainless steel. Materials must be inert to alcohol vapors. It is not practical to fill columns of a small type with such contact elements as trays. They install nozzles:

grids;
rings;
balls.

The simplest version of the nozzle is metal mesh for washing dishes. Make sure they are made of stainless steel.

A distillation apparatus is easier to assemble than to make yourself. Without experience it will not be possible to solve this problem. To know what to buy for assembly, you need to calculate the profitability.

Calculations

First, the capabilities of the RC are determined. There are online calculators that can help you do this. The column is calculated based on the height:

Ceiling of the room - 2550 mm.
Dephlegmator - 300 mm.
Cuba - 400 mm.
An additional 50 millimeters.

Total get: 2550 + 300 + 400 + 50 = 1800 (column height).

Calculation of the volume of a cube

Consider that the tank is filled to 2/3 of the volume. This means that for a column with d = 50 mm, a cube of 40–80 liters is suitable. If the drawer side diameter is 40 mm, the volume of the container is 30–50 liters. An alembic such as a pressure cooker is suitable for d = 28 mm.

Calculation of a once-through refrigerator

There are coefficients that are guided by. The first option for refrigerators with good water circulation is 850 W/m2S. The coefficient in a conventional coil is 150 W/m2S.

The voltage at the regulator is 100 volts. Get: 100 * 100: 19.3 = 518 watts.

Power calculation

For a distillation cube of 50 liters, 4 kW is needed. A 3 kW heater is enough to use for a 40 liter tank, and a 2 kW electric heater is required for a 30 liter tank.

Dephlegmator calculation

A Dimroth cooler is suitable for liquid extraction RK. Utilization power - 4–5 W per 1 sq. cm.

Estimated power of the RK with steam extraction is 2/3 of the nominal one. Utilization power - 2 W per 1 sq. cm.

If the column has a diameter of 50 mm, the further calculation is as follows: the rated power is divided by the utilization one. Get: 1950: 5 = 390 cm².

The dephlegmator is made, taking into account the parameters:

pipe length;
power;
stock.

Column manufacturing technology

First make dimrot. They take 4 meters of copper, which they bend around and wind dimrot. To do this, use a lathe. The pipe can be wound by holding it in a vise. This process is simple. The tube easily enters, and the required number of turns is wound.

The distance between them is 1 mm, so the turns are slightly pushed apart. Total length - 28 cm, loop - 5–6 cm.

In order to assemble the column, you need to prepare materials:

pipe 3.2 m (base of the drawer);
copper pipe - 35 mm d;
insulation 9 mm thick;
tubes (15; 10; 8);
tube d 4 mm (4 meters);
threaded flanges;
angle 90⁰;
tee;
plug (35 mm);
adapter from 35 to 15;
needle valve;
fittings for cooling supply;
flux and solder;
water supply system;
nozzles;
needle valves - 2 pcs.;
tee.

Column body

Columns are made from the following materials:

copper;
of stainless steel;
glass.

Basically, the body of the installation is made of stainless steel pipe. Assemble equipment by welding or soldering. In some sources, you can read that RK cannot be made from copper.

If the column was assembled correctly, it can be installed on a home-made moonshine still. RK is made so that it fits any tank from 20 to 50 liters.

Nozzle

There is an industrial filler:

Spiral prismatic nozzles:

copper 4 x 4 x 0.3 (500 ml) - 2560 rubles;
stainless steel 4 x 4 x 0.25 (500 ml) - 1850 r.

Rashig ceramic rings (1 kg) - 2050 r.
Panchenkov nozzles:

copper 50 x 10 - 620 rubles;
stainless steel 50 x 10 - 290 r.

The most affordable material is metal mesh for washing dishes.

thermal insulation

Suitable insulation material:

withstands high temperatures;
chemically inert;
silicone and fluoroplastic gaskets.

Do not use rubber gaskets, as they affect the quality of the alcohol.

RK - universal equipment. The plant has good performance and small dimensions.

Distillation column "Spirtmash"

How to make a column for rectification?

A distillation column of fittings and drawers is assembled independently at home.

Example #1

For work you will need materials:

pipe;
fitting;
thermometer;
welding machine;
nozzles.

First, take a pipe (d 30–50 mm) of the required length. If required, cut. The lower part is covered with a metal mesh. Washcloths or springs are used as a filler. Nets for washing dishes (30–40 pieces) are cut into small pieces. The pipe is filled with the obtained fragments, covered with a mesh and fixed with a washer.

Installed on a distillation cube and insulated. The upper part of the tsargi is closed with a lid. A hole is made in the cork and a tube is inserted there. At the bottom - a hole for the distillate. Under it is a plate for collecting phlegm.

A silicone hose connects the column and the refrigerator. A medical dropper is attached to the hose.

A hole is drilled in the upper part, where a 15 mm tube is mounted. It is inserted at an angle and soldered. This is the place for the thermometer. The drawer side is connected with a fitting to the cube branch pipe.

Example #2

A simple column can be made from the following materials:

Pipes 120–150 cm, 30–40 mm in diameter.
Dephlegmator (length 20–30 cm).

For the column, you need to buy 18 metal washcloths. The body of the reflux condenser can be made from a thermos, which is soldered to the side.

Then pipes are mounted on the drain and water supply. There is also a tube through which chilled water circulates. It connects the refrigerator to the reflux condenser. The installation uses a clamp from a medical dropper. This design uses a laboratory refrigerator.

Example #3

Assemble more complex installations. A steam selection unit is added to the Nixon-Stone column. A nut (3/4 inch) is welded to the tee. Next, insert a tap with a through hole of 20 mm. Outlet diameter - 18 mm. The narrowest diameter of the steam extraction tube is 16 mm. The RK refrigerator is 38-40cm.

Distillers create structures based on the Nixon system with their own hands. The device of the moonshine still with RK contains:

Cube for 70 l.
TEN 2 kW and 1 kW.
Copper king.
Sukhoparnik.
The Nixon system with the return of phlegm.
Dimrot (3 meters).

Example #4

Do-it-yourself distillation column for the production of 40 liters of alcohol. The reflux ratio is adjustable. The design consists of the following parts:

Traffic jams.
Sealing nuts.
Tubes for a thermometer.
Dephlegmator housings.
Discharge of warm water.
Cold water supply to the dephlegmator.
Pipes.
Filler.
Dephlegmator.
Evaporation cube.
Safety valve.

The structure is assembled by welding or soldering. All connections are checked for tightness.

Selection of finished equipment

The Antonych 2.1 distillation column (2 inches) costs 15,856.14 rubles. The design is independently assembled on the Antonych 1.5-V home distiller, having bought an additional drawer. The distiller costs 9542.77 rubles.

The “Medium” SS-2 PRO installation with a 70 cm drawer side costs 13,400 rubles. The bubble column is mounted with an additional stainless steel pipe. You can purchase a 1.5-inch kit with a 50 cm side for 15,000 rubles. Installation price for 2 inches - 16,000 rubles. Drinks up to 96.5⁰ alcohol are obtained on this column.

When buying a distiller, pay attention to the size of the reflux condenser. He has to deal with rectification. Distiller "Stillman-Cosmo" - equipment that produces pure alcohol. The set costs 18,450 rubles. To obtain ethyl alcohol, they additionally buy a tsarga.

The distillation column "Doctor Guber" is completely collapsible. The design can be improved and made universal. Installation without a cube costs 15,539 rubles.

In general, there is a choice, and in any case, you will get good quality moonshine. Preference depends on consumer convenience and price.

Fans of making homemade liquor eventually come to the need to improve quality. The best solution is to obtain pure alcohol and dilute it according to the required recipe.

A distillation column will help you get pure alcohol. More recently, information about home rectification was not available, today a large number of specialized forums and blogs cover in detail the process of home rectification and the construction of related equipment.

Rectification is the process of cleaning alcohol from light ether and heavy fusel components, getting rid of the product from glucose, sugars and acids. The rectification process allows you to get pure ethyl alcohol up to 96 °.

The resulting raw material is used for technical, medical purposes, as well as for the preparation of high-quality alcohol.

Reference. In order to make the device without errors with your own hands, you need to understand the physics and chemistry of rectification processes.

Raw alcohol or mash is heated in a cube. Vapors rise along the side, the heaviest parts condense at the bottom of the packing and flow into the cube. Vapors rise more easily above the packing, condense and flow into the cube. A new portion of vapor rises, heats the already flowing phlegm, light fractions evaporate from it - the fundamental principle of heat and mass transfer comes into force.

The lightest particles reach the Dimroth refrigerator, where they cool and drain. When the vapors in the distillation column "lined up" on the floors in accordance with the density, the selection of alcohol begins in the upper part of the column. Novice rectifiers make a mistake at this very stage - either they make a "choke" - an excessive occurrence of phlegm, or they take a lot of product, then the "number of floors" suffers and the resulting alcohol will be with impurities.

Making a distillation column at home is quite difficult. Serious manufacturers calculate and test their product in detail, attach detailed instructions. The do-it-yourselfer has a choice:

Repeat the idea of popular manufacturers, copy an existing device. If necessary, changes and improvements can be made to the proven schemes.
Design your own scheme, different from others.

What does a distillation column consist of, and its drawing?

A home master can make a tsarg distillation column. She forgives many mistakes, and the result will be guaranteed.

Drawing of distillation column

alembic

This is a container where heaters are built in, mash or raw alcohol evaporates.

Capacity specifications:

Strength. The weight of the distillation pipe will be on the lid, so the cube must be rigid.
Chemical neutrality to alcohol. The ideal material is food grade chromium-nickel steel (stainless steel).
Convenience. The container must be lifted, moved, and the bard (distillation) drained from it. The volume of the container is calculated depending on the required performance of the apparatus, the power of the heaters.
Warming. Heat loss should be kept to a minimum. therefore, both the walls and the bottom should be “packed” in insulation without cold bridges.

Tsarga for moonshine still

The tsarga is a pipe that is installed on a cube. In fact, this is the main frame of the distillation column. There is a plate-shaped tsarga, but it is rarely used at home.

Characteristics:

Strength. The wall thickness of the drawer side is usually taken from 1 to 1.5 mm. This creates sufficient strength at low weight.
chemical neutrality.
Warming. In order to line up a pair of different fractions “by floors” in a column, the tsarga must be well insulated. A sleeve made of expanded polypropylene or expanded polystyrene trays used in plumbing is perfect.
Collapsibility. For ease of cleaning and storage, the drawer can be made collapsible - from knees of 30-40 cm. This will allow you to adjust the height of the device, which affects the speed and quality of products.
The presence of viewing glass areas.
Diameter. If it is a thin tube (up to 2 inches), packing is not needed - all processes take place on the walls. Such a column is called a film column. Diameters higher require the use of a packing - sealing packing to increase the area of heat and mass transfer.

Stuffing or nozzle

The stuffing is needed for the deposition of phlegm, its re-evaporation. The main characteristic of the stuffing is the area. Stones of certain breeds, a stainless steel sieve, stainless steel chip spirals are used as packing.

There are many ready-made solutions on sale, home craftsmen have come up with various inexpensive substitute options. Most often, metal dishwashing nets or metal shavings are used to replace factory packings.

The alignment of vapors by floors depends on the volume and density of the nozzle. If the column uses a small chipping prismatic nozzle, a lattice support must be made so that the nozzle does not fall into the cube.

Dimroth cooler

At the top of the distillation column is a cooler - a tube twisted into a spiral.

Cold water circulates through it. It completely cools all light vapors. It is characterized by the plane of inclination, power, length.

Selection node

It serves to select alcohol from the upper "floor". The selection is not carried out completely, most of the phlegm returns to the tsarga. The ratio of the withdrawn product to the phlegm returned to the back is called the phlegm number.

The higher the reflux number, the lower the productivity of the apparatus, the cleaner the product is.

There are three types of selection:

By the way. the selection unit is located above the Dimroth refrigerator, and catches the erupted vapors. They are cooled in an additional flow-through refrigerator.
By liquid. The cooled phlegm of the “upper floors”, dripping from the refrigerator, is taken through inclined planes or a sump.
For a couple. Part of the steam rises up to Dimroth, and part rushes to an additional refrigerator, where it condenses. A stable reflux ratio is provided, which does not change during the entire distillation time.

Additional refrigerator

Has an auxiliary function.

What is he doing:

cools the resulting product,
besieges accidentally caught vapors,
cools the finished product.

You will learn more about what a distillation column is and what the principle of its operation is from this video:

Design choice

The size and design of the apparatus depends on a number of factors:

Required performance. with greater productivity, the side with stuffing will be higher and wider - the pair passes more. The cooler and extraction unit must also provide sufficient efficiency. The minimum length of the tsarga is 1.5 meters, it is better to make it collapsible from three knees - 1 meter, 0.2 meters, 0.5 meters. this will allow the device to be used for both distillation and rectification.
Possible sizes. Often home distillation columns are limited in size due to the height of the ceiling. To save space will help shifting the dimroth refrigerator in the upper part of the apparatus, or placing it perpendicular to the side (Thor's hammer).
Access to metalworking technologies. A stainless steel apparatus will last a long time and will not oxidize alcohol, but argon welding or stainless steel electrodes will be required to connect the parts. Cooking stainless steel is difficult. If possible, laboratory heat-resistant glass can be used, but it is too fragile. A great option for a do-it-yourselfer is copper. It is easily soldered with a gas burner, there are a large number of
The volume of fueled raw materials. The larger the applied cube, the higher the performance should be. Evaporation of alcohol occurs at 75 - 80 ° C, lowering the temperature will reduce the speed of the process.
Budget. With a minimum budget, a simple but effective design with mechanical adjustments should be considered. If the budget is not constrained, the device is complemented by precise needle cranes, additional nodes and automatic control.

For home distillation, the simplest will be a column with a cube of up to 50 liters with built-in heating elements with a power of 3 kW. Column diameter 32 mm, liquid extraction unit based on the design of Alex Bokakoba, Dimroth cooler inserted above the selection unit.

An additional cooler is not needed; instead, a 1.5-meter long plastic tube cooled by air serves perfectly. As a nozzle, you can use the Panchenko nozzle, SPN or metal stainless steel washcloths for dishes. All connections are made on inexpensive plumbing threaded connections.

Optimal Calculations

The calculation of the column begins with the definition of the following parameters:

Possible height. Practice shows that a height of 1.5 - 2 meters will be optimal for a home device. If a gas stove is used as a heater, the height of the drawer will be 1.2 - 1.5 meters. The diameter depends on the height, the average ratio is 1/50. For example, the tsarga 1.5 meters should be no more than 32 mm. (round up to standard pipes).
The power of the heating element or heater. A 1.5 meter drawer will have a capacity of approximately 300 ml / hour, which corresponds to 300 watts of heating element power. The power of the heater must be sufficient to heat the volume of mash up to 70 ° C for 1 hour, and also have the possibility of optimal regulation.
The volume of the cube. This is an insulated container with a convenient size, transportable. To save room height, the diameter and height should be approximately the same. The amount of heated vapor depends on the volume of the cube. For home use, beer kegs of 25, 30, 50 liters are convenient. It is better not to use aluminum cans or tanks - aluminum corrodes quickly.
Cooler power. The cooler must fully cope with the condensation of vapors with a minimum flow of water. There is no exact formula for calculating the power of a cooler; the number of turns and length are selected empirically. For our design, 30 centimeters of a tightly wound spiral from a 6 mm tube is quite enough. It is better to make a refrigerator with a power reserve and regulate the rate of cold water supply.

How to make from fitting plumbing at home?

The actions are as follows:

We buy materials- 2 meters of 32 mm copper pipe; tin for soldering; 15 cm copper tube with a diameter of 8 mm, 2 meters of 6 mm tube; needle valve, plastic hose with a diameter of 8 mm. We purchase a ready-made nozzle or a substitute - ceramic gravel, metal washcloth. The simplest connectors are clamps or brass threads.
We make a king. We divide the pipe into segments of 1 meter, 0.3 meters, 0.5 meters. We solder a segment of 10 centimeters to the cube lid, insert a mesh to delay the nozzle. At each joint, we solder a clamp connection or plumbing thread made of copper or brass.

Assembling the node selection based on Alex Bocacoba. On a tube 0.3 meters long, closer to the bottom edge, we make two angular cuts at 30 - 40 degrees. We insert copper plates into the cuts, cut and solder. We drill a hole for the liquid sampling tube, the hole should be at the bottom of the "pocket" of the bottom plate. We solder a thread for a needle valve on the sampling tube, which will regulate the sampling. On the side and just above the sampling hole, we insert the “forward flow” tube. It is needed to control the phlegm number. The forward flow conducts the phlegm from the selection “pocket” below, the phlegm drips into the center of the nozzle. The middle part of the forward flow is made of a transparent plastic tube.

Assembling the cooler, for which we tightly wind a copper tube stuffed with sand onto a pin with a diameter of 12 mm. The pin is removed, the sand is shaken out and blown out. It turns out a spiral, one end of which must be threaded inward. The beginning and end of the tube is threaded into a brass "cup" with a thread and sealed - this is a cork. The resulting refrigerator is inserted above the selection unit, dripping phlegm is collected by inclined planes.

Before use, pour the nozzle into the drawer. The nozzle should not tightly clog the pipe, steam should pass freely through it.

If desired, you can make a flow-through aftercooler. It consists of two tubes, with a diameter of 10 and 12 mm. The length of a thin tube is 3 cm shorter than a thick one. The tubes are inserted one into the other and the ends are sealed. The inlet and outlet of cold water are soldered to a thick tube.

The column is assembled and ready to use. Before use, it is better to wash the parts with a weak solution of acetic acid using a brush.

Watch a video that shows how to assemble a distillation column with your own hands:

Operating modes

The modes are as follows:

Heating the mash up to 72 -75 ° С. The Dimroth cooler operates at minimum power.
Warming up the column and building "floors" of reflux condensation. Throughout the column there is active bubbling and steam and mass exchange. It is important to prevent oversaturation of the column, otherwise there will be a "choke" - phlegm will clog the entire diameter of the tsarga. We select the power of the heaters so that the temperature near the sampling unit is 71 - 75 ° C.
Start of selection. When selecting for liquid, the slender pyramid in the side is inevitably violated, so the reflux ratio will need to be adjusted. The vapor density gradually decreases, as does the intensity of selection. The first selected liquid - "heads" - contain volatile ethereal components. The volume of heads reaches 20% of the planned alcohol content.
Selection of the main commercial alcohol goes until the smell of fusel oils.
If you want to extract everything possible from the raw materials, we draw out the "tails" - the last part of the alcohol-containing vapors. They contain a large amount of fusel oils, the tails are mixed in "heads" and used for further rectification.
Completion of rectification- turning off the heater, cooling pipes.

The whole cycle, depending on the desired product quality, can last a relatively long time - from 8 hours to 2 days.

The average productivity of the column assembled by us is 250-300 ml. 96° alcohol per hour.

Do you need to design equipment?

The process of calculating, assembling and testing homemade equipment brings great pleasure. The result after edits and improvements will be guaranteed. However, the first difficulties or failures can cool the ardor of novice rectifiers.

As a result of independent design, even minor nuances affect the result - packing density, angle of inclination, diameter of Dimroth tubes ... If you need a quick and guaranteed result, it is better to purchase a ready-made device from the manufacturer. When buying, it is important to know the device, productivity and purpose of the device, so as not to buy a fake or inefficient device.