Homemade distillation column with plates. Making a distillation column with your own hands - step-by-step instructions. Step-by-step instructions for making a reinforcing column

A distillation column is a complex technical device. It is more difficult to make than a regular moonshine still. But it is doable at home. And although distillation columns are freely sold, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase them. In addition, houses, especially in rural areas, are full of scrap materials from which you can make a workable structure and enjoy a drink homemade. An independent design will cost about 2-3 times less than a purchased mini-distillery.

Components of the structure

The homemade device has the same functional parts as its factory counterpart. The column structure consists of the following elements:

Frame.
Dephlegmator (refrigerator).
Nozzles
Thermal insulating material.
Electronic assistants.

The moonshine still as a whole additionally contains:

Coil.

With proper self-production distillation column It can be installed on any tank with a capacity of 20 liters or more. The optimal volume is in the range from 20 to 50 liters, as the calculation shows. When using a tank of a smaller volume, the column will only be able to be heated to operating temperature and half of the possible product yield will be obtained.

Using a tank of optimal volume makes it easier to set the optimal temperature. This parameter during rectification is the main one for the production of a quality product. In addition, preparing to distill 2-3 liters of moonshine will take the same amount of time as 8-10 liters. Why use time inefficiently when you can waste more? In addition, this reduces the cost of the product.

Column operating principle

The mash is poured into a cube, which is heated. As a result, alcohol-containing vapor is released.. The vapor is lighter than the liquid and rises to the top of the column. There is a reflux condenser, which is cooled by running water. As a result, the steam condenses and flows down, but along the way it hits special elements. At the same time, the mash continues to boil, and its vapors flow upward, where they mix with the condensate. This continuous process is called rectification. A homemade moonshine still is no worse: a do-it-yourself distillation column will have the same properties as a factory-made product, subject to the design parameters.

As a result of rectification, the condensate, which is called reflux, is saturated with vapor. And steam, on the contrary, is saturated with phlegm. As a result of this exchange, the lightest vapor particles, which have a high concentration of alcohol, rise upward. Its boiling point is lower than water. From the top of the column, alcohol vapor is discharged into a reflux condenser for purification and saturation, and then into the refrigerator. The result is pure moonshine.

Features of the still

A container suitable for the distillation cube, which will respond to the following queries:

Consists of stainless steel.
It has a suitable volume - 15−20 liters.

Beginners use a pressure cooker, but for optimal operation of the column, a larger container is required.

Heating of the cube:

Electricity.
Gas.

Many people will decide to install the cube on the kitchen stove, but the height of the column may interfere. Therefore, it is optimal to place the cube on the floor. Accordingly, it is better to heat the mash with electricity.

It is easier to regulate the power of electric heating. For this purpose, I installed a heating element in the cube, and took the voltage regulator from an old TV. The Chatelier principle works - with greater heating, fusel oils enter the body of the product. They are dangerous. Therefore, you need to monitor the heating, and automation copes with this better.

Note! Having a smooth adjustment of the mash heating power will make life much easier. Otherwise, it will be impossible to achieve stable operation from the device.

The use of automatic control systems is not absolutely necessary. To do this, it is better to increase your moonshine brewing experience. Therefore, at first, a simple mash heating power regulator is sufficient.

But with time you can automate the process. In addition, many people are sorely short of time. And the automation system in this case is a good help. The process of brewing moonshine will proceed with minimal human intervention. A ready-made technical solution that will prevent tailings from getting into the product can be purchased at a specialized store. The task of such a system is to shut off the selection of rectified product at the moment when the temperature in the column ceases to be optimal.

Construction and assembly of the structure

Question self-made The distillation column is considered halfway. Now you need to take on the main components of the structure.

The rectification system drawer consists of:

Pipes that have insulation and a nozzle.
Dephlegmator. Includes product selection unit, cooling jacket and temperature sensor.
Connections for external communication.

Alcohol is a volatile substance that is highly flammable. At the top of the column there is a hole for communication with the atmosphere. You can't leave it open. You need to insert a tube into it and put a rubber tube on it. You can also use a tourniquet.

The end of the tube should be lowered into a container of water.. The presence of bubbles will indicate whether the alcohol vapor is spreading outside the device. If there is excess pressure, and it occurs due to overheating, this will help avoid an accident.

Column tube

This is the nozzle itself for the column. Here the process of interaction between cold phlegm and hot steam occurs. To increase the contact area of these substances, a filler is used. The most common filler is metal scourers for washing dishes. But any stainless steel wire will do. The packing density is about 250 g per 1 liter of column volume.

Note! When using washcloths as a filler, you need to make sure of their quality - boil a piece of washcloth in a saline solution. If the product is made of a metal other than stainless steel, then signs of corrosion will appear. It is necessary to cut the product before testing - manufacturers are cunning and sometimes only apply a protective layer of stainless steel. The internal structure must be exposed.

Pipe size:

Minimum diameter - 32 mm.
The length of the requirement affects the quality of the separations into fractions. The longer, the better the separation.
The optimal height is 40−60 diameters.
The minimum height is at least 20 diameters.

The outside of the pipe is wrapped with a thermal insulating layer.

In order for the filler to be securely fixed inside the pipe, a stainless steel mesh should be placed on top and bottom of it. The pipe must have a thread for fastening from below to the distillation cube, and from above for connection to the dephlegmator.

Ideally, the height should be 1.5 m. This will allow you to obtain pure alcohol. Standard version - 2 drawers, 80 cm each.

I fill the apparatus with washcloths and secure them with a tea strainer. At the same time, the pressure does not jump. Output rate - up to 1 liter per hour. Distillation is not as difficult as it seems.

Dephlegmator

Light fractions condense in the reflux condenser. The device may have different designs. In practice, the simplest is a direct-flow dephlegmator. It is also called a shirt or refrigerator capacitor. There are drawings of a reflux condenser on the Internet, but it is easier to make the option described below.

The design is made of two pipes, which have different diameters and are inserted into one another. A cooling jacket is installed between them.

Components:

Fittings for inlet and outlet of cooling water.
At the top there is a tube for communication with the atmosphere.
At the bottom there is a fitting for selecting the product.

Note! To ensure that the quality of the product does not suffer, use only silicone tubes and gaskets as a tapping fitting and seal.

The material for making the reflux condenser can be an old thermos or ordinary stainless pipes. The inner tube is equal in diameter to the nozzle tube. If you don’t have any welding equipment at hand, use a soldering iron.

Note! Experts recommend using copper or titanium for moonshine stills. The thing is that copper absorbs sulfur oxide, and this improves the properties of moonshine. But this material is expensive, and it is difficult to work with it at home without welding.

The product selection unit is a washer that is welded into the inner tube of the reflux condenser. Located below. The selection unit must contain the following holes:

For the sampling tube.
For the thermometer when using it.

For experienced users, a thermometer may not be needed. But for beginners it is advisable to install it. The operating range of the column is 45−55 degrees of cooling water. You can measure the temperature at the junction of the reflux condenser and the drawer. Then the indicators should be around 77-81 degrees.

Before the end of the pasture, the temperature usually fluctuates.

For effective cooling, a screw spiral should be used. Then running water will flow around the dephlegmator better.

Choosing a refrigerator

Note! Using a Dimroth refrigerator is not advisable. The design differs in that substances with a low boiling point can bypass the cooling zone. A dim rotary refrigerator is good for those liquids that boil at temperatures above 160 degrees.

An air cooler should not be used. Cooling in this case will be ineffective. This would be the case if a steam tank was attached to the distillation column. But in this type of device it is not needed.

Laboratory glass cooler- an ideal alternative. It can be purchased at any laboratory glassware store. To regulate the rate of product selection, the tube from the reflux condenser to the refrigerator should be equipped with a tap. You can use a faucet clamp.

Connection sequence:

Bottom of the refrigerator.
Fridge.
Top of the refrigerator.
Top of the reflux condenser.
Dephlegmator.
Bottom of the reflux condenser.
Stock.

Cooling running water will move along this route. It is important that it enters the reflux condenser jacket warm.

Ideal design moonshine still with department fusel oils- This distillation column. Subject to temperature regime in it you can get the purest product. But it will be deprived of its original taste.

But in a regular moonshine still - a distiller - you can get moonshine with a pronounced bouquet. For this purpose, a steam tank is used in the design. But there is a nuance - with a bouquet of aromas, moonshine distillate may contain impurities of fusel oils.

Attention, TODAY only!

To obtain pure moonshine, home cooks usually resort to double distillation. The result is a high-quality product without harmful impurities, with a pleasant taste and aroma.

An even better effect is achieved by distillation in a distillation column. It allows you to obtain the most purified strong alcohol (94–96%) or vodka without additional tastes and odors.

At the same time, the device has practically no disadvantages, with the exception of its large dimensions and the need to work hard on its manufacture. Most experienced moonshiners agree that it is better to assemble the distillation column yourself.

Design and principle of operation of a distillation column

Alembic

Tsarga (pipe) with filler

Alcohol selection unit

Dephlegmator

Additional refrigerator

It works as follows

The mash in the distillation tank heats up and begins to evaporate. The vapors follow up the drawer, reach the refrigerator and the selection unit, the tap of which is initially closed.

The condensed vapor (reflux) flows back down the pipe. In this case, heavy fractions accumulate at the bottom, and light fractions at the top. Thanks to the nozzles, the processes of condensation and evaporation occur repeatedly: vapors and liquids continuously interact.

This process of exchange is the process of rectification. The lightest vapors with a high alcohol content are sent to the refrigerator, where final condensation occurs. As a result, pure distillate enters the receiving tank.

Calculation of parameters and selection of materials

Before you begin assembling the column, you should decide on the dimensions and other characteristics of the apparatus.

Tsar height

If previously distillation columns were multi-meter structures, today home distillers use compact options - about 1.5 meters long. The main principle that should be followed when calculating dimensions is the following: the height of the pipe should be equal to approximately 50 of its diameters. Slight deviations in one direction or the other are allowed. However, the length of the drawer cannot be less than 1 meter. Otherwise, some of the fusel oils will be selected, and difficulties will arise with the separation of fractions. Increasing the height of the column over 1.5 meters does not significantly affect the quality of the product, but lengthens the hauling time. In addition, placing such a structure at home will be problematic. Optimal pipe dimensions: length - 1.3-1.4 m, diameter - 3-5 cm.

Material and wall thickness

The ideal option for the drawer is food-grade stainless steel: it does not affect the composition of the drinks in any way. Copper will also work. The optimal wall thickness is in the range of 1–2 mm. More is possible, but it will make the structure heavier and increase costs without bringing much benefit. In addition, it is worth remembering that you will have to make holes in the walls.

Type and parameters of nozzles

As a contact element, the easiest way is to use household stainless steel sponges, which are used to clean dishes. To check the quality of the metal, you can soak the product in a salt solution and leave it in it for a day: a good product will not rust. Alternative options are glass beads, stones of certain types, and metal shavings. The packing density is 250–270 g of contact element per 1 liter of column volume.

Volume of a cube

The distillation container is filled 2/3, and the amount of alcohol-containing liquid should correspond to 10–20 volumes of the nozzle. For a column with a diameter of 5 cm, it is optimal to use a tank of 40–80 liters, for a width of 4 cm – 30–50 liters.

Heating source

The use of a gas, electric or induction cooker is not recommended. The first option is dangerous, the others do not allow for uniform heat supply. The best option is electric heating using heating elements, which can be installed into the cube yourself. The power of the elements depends on the volume of the cube: for 50 liters at least 4 kW is required, for 40 liters - at least 3 kW, etc.

Type of thermal insulation material

He must withstand high temperatures, be chemically inert. Typically, foam rubber 3–5 mm thick, fluoroplastic or silicone (but not rubber!) gaskets are used.

Docking option

If threaded connections are used, sealant may be required. It is better to give preference to putting elements on top of each other.

When creating a distillation column, every little detail matters, so all recommendations should be strictly followed. It would be a good idea to watch the assembly video.

The selected type of nozzles is poured into one part, which will be located below, after installing a mesh and a thrust washer to prevent the material from falling out. If metal sponges are used (about 40 pieces are required), first cut them into 5 mm pieces. The springs should be distributed evenly by tapping the pipe on a hard surface. Having filled in the nozzle, cover the pipe with a mesh and secure it with a washer.

Connect the resulting structure to alembic and insulate it with heat-insulating material.

The second (upper) part of the pipe is connected to the reflux condenser using a soldering iron. The water housing must have 2 pipes: for water inlet and outlet. You can buy a reflux condenser or make it yourself from a thermos, a pressure cooker, a coil, or a copper tube (the first options are preferable). For example, like this: https://youtu.be/D4ZsbbRH6ds

The upper end of the column is closed with a stopper/lid or sealed, leaving a hole for installing an atmospheric tube. To secure it, use a fitting, the end of the tube is lowered into water.

Make a hole for the outlet pipe for the distillate. It should be located a couple of centimeters above the junction with the bottom of the pipe; a plate is installed under it to collect condensate.

Using a silicone hose, connect the refrigerator to the column. You can buy it or make it yourself. To regulate the process of fluid movement, a clamp from a dropper is attached to the hose.

The cooling elements are connected to each other: the upper part of the refrigerator with the bottom of the reflux condenser, the upper part of the reflux condenser with the sewer. Thus, the water will be heated to the dephlegmator.

Additionally, you can install a water flow regulator and a thermometer (it will require an additional hole in the sampling unit).

You can also divide the drawer into 3 parts: this design is considered more variable in application. The detailed column assembly process can be viewed here:

To build such a unit, you need to know the basic principles of the column’s operation and the essence of the processes that occur in it. And a lot of interesting things happen there - the rectification process differs in its physical and chemical foundations from conventional distillation.

How does a column work?

As in a conventional distiller, the column has both a heater and a refrigerator, which are full-fledged working elements. But on the path of alcohol-containing steam from the surface of the mash to the refrigerator coil there is another complex unit, which is called a distillation column. It is a tall pipe, the diameter of which is 30-50 times greater than its length. Optimal dimensions for heat and mass transfer processes that occur inside the column.

The heated steam rises up the pipe, slowly cools along the way, condenses, and flows down back into the container. As it moves from top to bottom, the condensate comes into contact with hot steam, is reheated, and the low-boiling components turn back into steam. Among these components is ethyl alcohol. If you select the operating mode of the column in such a way that alcohol vapor begins to condense at a certain height, where the intake pipe is installed, then pure alcohol, without impurities, will flow into the refrigerator.

After some time, a dynamic equilibrium mode will be established in the column, due to the difference in heat capacities of the liquid and vapor phases; in addition, the liquid-vapor mixture is divided into fractions according to chemical composition, on which the vaporization temperature depends.

In the very top part, vapors of volatile impurities - aldehydes, acetone and other toxic substances - collect. When the temperature at the top thermometer of the column is above 70 C, they simply fly away into the atmosphere - the column is connected to the outside air by a pipe or valve and operates almost at atmospheric pressure.

At a height of approximately ¾ of the length of the column, alcohol vapors accumulate, which need to be collected. Below are fusel oils and other substances whose boiling point is higher than alcohol. In the alcohol selection zone, the temperature should be maintained at 74-78 C. To make this possible, a significant height of the column is required; the larger the zones of different fractions, the easier it is to separate one substance from another.

How to make a rectification column

A homemade distillation column at home is not a myth. This is confirmed by numerous videos and photographs on the Internet and posts on forums. Even if they are half as good as the craftsmen say about them, then such a device is worth making. But we must take into account the fact that for the production of moonshine, as such, a distillation column, regardless of whether it is home-made or industrially made, is unsuitable.

The rectification apparatus is designed to produce alcohol with a minimum of additives, including aromatic substances and resins, which give moonshine a special aroma and taste. But the resulting alcohol can be used as a base for any alcoholic drinks made at home, without fear of poisoning with fusel or methyls and ethers, which contribute to a severe hangover.

For re-distillation of raw alcohol or ordinary moonshine obtained in a distiller familiar to moonshiners, a rectifier is an indispensable thing. No distillation system can compare with the quality of the resulting product.

Column manufacturing technology

A do-it-yourself distillation column will work properly at home only when its height is at least 1.8-2 m with an internal diameter of 40-50 mm. Such a column is difficult to manufacture, store and operate. It is best to make it collapsible, with clamp or threaded connections; it is also convenient to use couplings. If you have lathe skills, then the coupling connection will not be a problem. Otherwise, you will have to use the paid services of professionals.

What does a column consist of?

The main components of the distillation column:

frame;
refrigerator-reflux condenser;
nozzle (disc or spiral);
thermal insulation;
thermometers.

The entire moonshine still also includes a tank for mash and a refrigerator for condensate, which is a regular coil. If you make a distillation column correctly, it can be installed on any moonshine still with a tank with a capacity of at least 20 liters. At smaller volumes, it will only be possible to accelerate it to operating mode and obtain several liters of alcohol (50 percent of the possible yield).

The optimal evaporator volume is 25-50 liters. This makes it more convenient to regulate the process temperature, which is one of the main factors during rectification. In addition, the production of alcohol with a volume of up to 8-10 liters takes the same amount of time to prepare and disperse the column as 3-5 liters. Saving time is also in most cases very important for reducing the cost of the product.

Column body

It is best to make it in three parts, approximately equal in length. At the bottom, a flange is welded to the stainless pipe for installation on a distillation tank with a strong lid. The height of the column is impressive - about 2 meters. A flange connection with a sealed gasket is the optimal solution. The flanges must be welded in such a way that the column is in a strictly vertical position, this is the only way it will work properly.

The body segments are connected by clamps or threads - whichever is more convenient. The main thing is to ensure tightness. The best material for the main pipe of the column is food grade stainless steel. It has relatively low thermal conductivity, and heat loss in the column is undesirable, up to the point of vapor entering the refrigerator.

The two lower parts of the column are simply sections of pipe. They will contain nozzles - special devices that increase the contact area between steam and liquid. The more complex uppermost part is there:

a flow-through refrigerator must be equipped;
a drain pipe is provided;
thermometer socket;
air valve.

The flow cooler occupies approximately ½ of the top third of the column. The simplest solution is to wind a copper or stainless steel coil over the pipe. A more complex option is to place the same coil, ball cooler or Dimroth cooler inside the pipe. For this purpose, you can use a larger diameter pipe, connecting it to the lower part using an adapter.

There are many options here - the essence is the same, the reflux condenser must provide a barrier to the steam and turn it into condensate before reaching the air valve. Only vapors with a temperature no higher than 60 C should penetrate there. If the refrigerator does not cope with its task, then alcohol will escape into the air along with volatile substances.

The air valve is installed at the highest point of the column and serves to equalize the pressure. You can not install the valve, but simply install a thin copper tube (Ø 3-6 mm). The presence of a tube requires special temperature control at all stages of rectification. When selecting heads, T = 55 – 65 C should be at the level of the intake pipe.

The selection is carried out through a pipe cut into the body below the refrigerator at a distance of 2-5 cm from it. It is a regular tube to which a silicone hose from a medical IV is connected. A do-it-yourself distillation column works very slowly; the main intake is carried out in drip mode. This must be taken into account - the production of 8-10 liters of alcohol takes a whole working day.

Nozzle

This part of the column is one of the most important. For rectification, two types of packings are used - disc-shaped, in the form of cap or sieve elements, and spiral, made of a metal mesh tightly twisted into a spiral or special wires twisted into prismatic spirals, which are simply poured inside the column. In the latter case, a mesh filter is installed at the bottom of the column to prevent the nozzle from falling out.

The most effective cap-type disc nozzle for a do-it-yourself distillation column. You can make it yourself from ready-made parts sold on the Internet. In this case, the work should begin by purchasing the plates - the diameter of the body must correspond to their size. It is easier to find a pipe for the cymbals than vice versa.

Copper plates for column

Mesh partitions are much easier to make; all you need is a drill or drilling machine and a set of 2-3 mm drills. Partitions are made of stainless steel, brass or copper. There should be 8-10 of them per 1 m of column height.

The mesh, special spiral prismatic Panchenkov nozzles (RPN) or analogues will have to be purchased in specialized online stores. You can't do them yourself. You cannot use mesh for washing dishes, as some sites recommend - they use unknown alloys that can react with alcohol vapors or impurities.

Thermal insulation

The column must be protected from heat loss to a height of at least the lower cut of the reflux condenser. Any elastic heat insulator is suitable for insulation - polyurethane foam, Penoizol, basalt tubular foil insulation of the TECHNONICOL type. Warming is a very important stage. If heat loss is excluded, the height of the fractional layers can be reduced by several tens of percent. At the same time, the concentration of the substance, in our case alcohol, in them will increase while maintaining clear fraction boundaries.

A homemade distillation column, with its complexity and low distillation speed, will allow you to obtain alcohol of sufficient purity from proven raw materials. From a properly prepared mash, the product yield, in terms of 40 0 strength, will be 25-30% higher than that of a conventional moonshine still, with incomparably better quality.

Manufacturers homemade moonshine They strive to ensure that their drink is clean from harmful fusel oils and without an unpleasant odor. To do this, they distill the product several times, as a result of which it is purified. And yet the most the best way for the production of alcohol and alcohol-containing drinks is the use of an apparatus with a distillation column. The principle of its operation and the possibility of self-production will be discussed in the article.

Like a moonshine still, a distillation column produces moonshine, only of a higher quality, purified. But first of all, it is intended for the production of pure alcohol 96%, which is used as a base in the preparation of various alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol is a product of rectification, during which the alcohol-containing mixture (mash, raw alcohol) is separated into separate fractions (methyl and ethyl alcohols, fusel oil, aldehydes) with different boiling points as a result of repeated evaporation of the original liquid and condensation of steam.

The distillation cube filled with alcohol-containing liquid is heated. During the boiling process, steam is intensively formed, which rises up the column. There a reflux condenser awaits him, in which the steam is cooled and condensed.

Did you know? The largest distillation columns reach 90 m in height and have a diameter of 16 m. They are used in the oil refining industry.

Drops of condensate (reflux) flow down into a column filled with steam. The cooled reflux flows through special nozzles where it meets hot steam. Heat and mass transfer occurs between them, which is repeated many times and is the essence of rectification.

As a result, pure vaporous alcohol collects at the “head” of the column. For final condensation, it is taken to the refrigerator, from which the distillate, that is, the finished product, comes out.

Video: distillation column and the principle of its operation

Construction of a home distillery

The distillation column device consists of different parts, the dimensions of which must be accurately calculated. For this design you need:

distillation cube, or container with alcohol-containing liquid;
tsarga, or pipe, which will be the body of the column;
a reflux condenser in which steam is cooled and condensed;
nozzles with which to stuff the drawer;
distillate selection unit;
water refrigerator;
smaller parts for connecting parts of the structure and for monitoring its operation (thermometers, automation).

Let's consider each component part of the device separately.

The basis of the entire structure is the distillation cube. This is a container for alcohol-containing raw materials.

It can be any vessel made of copper, enameled or stainless steel. Some moonshiners use a pressure cooker for this if a small alcohol yield is expected.

Or you can independently weld a suitable container from stainless steel sheets.

Video: how to make a distillation cube with your own hands The main requirements that the cube must meet:

absolute tightness: when boiling, the vessel should not allow steam or liquid to pass through, and the lid should not be torn off due to growing pressure;
a hole for steam to escape, which will appear if you cut a fitting into the lid.

If you buy a ready-made distillation cube, it already meets these criteria.
It is very important that the volume of the cube matches the dimensions of the column. For a pipe 1.5 m high and 50 mm in diameter you need to take a container that holds 40-80 liters, for a 40 mm drawer a 30-50 liter container is suitable, for 32 mm you need at least 20-30 liters, and for a diameter of 28 mm it’s excellent A pressure cooker will do.

Important! The distillation cube must be filled with mash no more than 2/3 of its volume, otherwise the column will “choke” when boiling».

The pipe in which rectification occurs is called the drawer. This is a cylinder with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm and a diameter of 30-50 mm. The effectiveness of the drawer depends on its height: the higher the pipe, the slower the harmful fractions are separated and the purer the alcohol is.

The optimal height of the tsar is 1-1.5 m. If it is shorter, then there will be no room in it for the separated fusel oils, and they will end up in the distillate. If the pipe is longer, the rectification time will increase, but this will not affect the efficiency.
Drawer of a distillation column with a nozzle There are ready-made drawers for moonshine stills with a length of 15 cm or more on sale. You can buy 2-3 tubes and connect them into one. Or you can make the drawer of the required length yourself. For this you will need a stainless pipe.

Video: how to make a drawer for a distillation column yourself You need to cut threads at the top and bottom so that the bottom part is attached to the cube, and the reflux condenser is attached to the top part.

You also need to attach a mesh to the bottom to hold the nozzles with which the drawer will be filled. Some home experts wrap the pipe with insulation, such as foam rubber.

Did you know? The Panchenkov nozzle was invented in the USSR in 1981 not for the production of alcohol, but to improve the purification of crude oil for aviation fuel.

Filling the drawer with nozzles is a prerequisite for rectification. If the pipe is hollow, only the distillation process is possible in it, the result of which will be moonshine, but not pure alcohol. The purpose of the filler is to increase the surface area over which reflux flows.

Thus, heavy harmful components are deposited and cannot enter the final product, and the light vapor of pure alcohol is selected. The filling should completely fill the tube.

The nozzle can be any filler made of inert stainless material:

glass or ceramic balls;
stainless steel kitchen sponges, finely chopped (they need to be changed from time to time, as the material deteriorates);
Panchenkov nozzle (the most the best option), which is specially woven from copper or stainless steel. Its advantages: it settles phlegm well and does not fail over time.

Panchenkov nozzle

Important! The sponge attachment should be made of stainless steel. You can check it with a magnet: it attracts stainless steel.

The selection unit is a small piece of pipe between the drawer and the reflux condenser. Its purpose is to collect phlegm: first the “heads” come out, that is, the harmful alcohol fractions, then the “body” comes out, or alcohol without taste and unpleasant odor.
Everyone makes a homemade selection unit differently, but according to the same principle. Eg:

to the outer pipe, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the drawer, a tube of a smaller diameter is welded from the inside so that a pocket is formed between them around the circumference, where part of the reflux will be collected;
Instead of a tube, a stainless plate is welded inside, corresponding to the inner diameter of the pipe, with a round hole inside: part of the reflux will collect on the plate, and part will fall through the hole back into the drawer.

Video: do-it-yourself selection unit Outside, two holes are made in the pipe for two fittings: a tap is attached to one to remove reflux, and a thermometer is inserted into the other (smaller) to measure the temperature of the steam.

The top of the structure is the reflux condenser. Here the steam cools, condenses and is directed downwards in the form of droplets.
You can make several options for reflux condensers with your own hands:

Jacket or direct-flow dephlegmator made from two pipes of different diameters. Running water circulates between them, and inside the smaller pipe the steam turns into condensate. The outer pipe can easily be replaced by a thermos body, the neck of which is screwed to the extraction unit. In the bottom of the thermos, you must make a hole for the TCA, that is, a communication tube with the atmosphere, through which light unnecessary vapors will escape.
Video: operating principle of a direct-flow dephlegmator
Dimroth reflux condenser more efficient than the previous model. The body is a pipe of the same diameter as the drawer. Inside it there is a thin tube, twisted in a spiral, in which it moves cold water. If the diameter of the drawer is 50 mm, then the spiral needs to be twisted from a tube with a diameter of 6 mm and a length of 3 m. Then the length of the reflux condenser will be 25-35 cm.
Video: assembly of a distillation column with a Dimroth reflux condenser
Shell and tube dephlegmator consists of several pipes: small ones are attached inside the large one, in which steam condensation occurs. This model has several advantages: water is used economically and steam is quickly cooled. In addition, this structure can be attached to the column at an angle, which reduces its height.
Video: operating principle of a shell-and-tube reflux condenser

Fridge

A small refrigerator, or aftercooler, is needed to reduce the temperature of the ethylene flowing from the extraction unit. It is done according to the principle jacket reflux condenser, but from tubes of smaller diameter.

It also has two passages for water: cold liquid enters the lower one, it leaves the upper one and is directed through silicone tubes up to the dephlegmator for the same purpose.

The water speed is controlled by the tap.

Video: how to make a refrigerator for a distillation column with your own hands

The pasteurization drawer is not a mandatory element of the column. On the one hand, it complicates the main design. But on the other hand, it improves it, since it more thoroughly purifies alcohol from the main fractions throughout the entire rectification.

This is a smaller drawer (30 cm) with an additional selection unit. It complements the main drawer. “Heads”, as usual, come out of the reflux condenser, but not only at the beginning, but constantly.

The alcohol is collected from the lower selection of a small drawer. This ensures maximum purity of the alcohol.

Automation

The long rectification process can last for hours. At the same time, it must be constantly monitored so that the “heads” and “tails” do not accidentally mix with the “body”. It will not be so tedious if you install good automation to control rectification. The BUR (distillation control unit) is designed for this purpose. The block can do the following:

turn on the cooling water at a certain temperature;
reduce power during reflux extraction;
stop selection at the end of the process;
turn off the water and heating after finishing the selection of the tail section.

You can automate the process by installing a “start-stop” valve: when the temperature rises, it stops the selection, when it stabilizes, it resumes the selection.

You can do without automation, but it is much easier with it.

Video: automation for a distillation column

Advantages:

the finished product is pure alcohol 96% without harmful impurities;
in the distillation mode, you can make moonshine with the desired organoleptic properties;
ethyl alcohol can become the basis of any alcoholic drink;
You can design a device for this yourself.

Flaws:

ethylene does not have the organoleptic properties of the original product;
the rectification process is very long: in an hour you can get no more than 1 liter of distillate;
ready-made structures are very expensive.

Which material is preferable

Rectification is intended for maximum purification of alcohol from various impurities. The parts that make up the column should not affect the quality or taste of the product. Therefore, the material must be chemically inert, not susceptible to rust and not affecting the taste and smell of the distillate.

Food-grade stainless steel, that is, chromium-nickel stainless steel, is best suited. It is chemically neutral and does not affect the composition of the product in any way.

The distillation column can be called a new generation moonshine still, because it produces better quality alcohol. Making this device with your own hands is quite difficult. But if you make an effort, then festive table natural and delicious will always top alcoholic drink homemade.

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To obtain a higher quality distillate, distillers use different ways: from modernizing a moonshine still to purchasing a distillation column. An intermediate option is a mash or strengthening column.

Due to education internal walls moving film during operation it is also called film.

The design differs from the classic distiller appearance, the principle of operation and the degree of the final product.

The mash column allows you to obtain alcohol up to 90% strength. As for quality, the level of purification directly depends on the skill of the distiller. The more experienced the moonshiner, the better the distillate, but in any case it does not reach the characteristics of a rectified distillate.

Design and selection of materials

The classic strengthening column consists of the following parts:

Still

You can use a pressure cooker, a milk flask, a beer keg, a container from a classic distiller, etc. as a basis.

Copper or stainless tube - the column itself

The optimal diameter is 2.5-5 cm, the height should be 30 times the first indicator.

Dephlegmator (precooler)

The coil can be built inside the pipe or located outside. It is installed at the top of the column and should occupy approximately 25% of its length. It is optimal to take a ready-made cooler, but you can make the device yourself. It is recommended to equip the device with a regulator (for example, from a heating battery).

Steam line

It is a metal tube with a diameter of about 1 cm.

refrigerator

For cooling, a classic device is used, which is part of any distiller.

You will also need 2 thermometers (one is installed on the tank, the second - in the upper part of the column, just above the precooler) and connecting elements: nuts, couplings, adapters, clamps, silicone seals, tubes, etc. Home craftsmen make reinforcing columns from stainless steel or copper Both options are good in their own way: steel is more affordable, copper conducts heat better.

Work stages and drawings

It is difficult and impractical to describe the entire process in detail; it is better to focus on diagrams and videos. In general terms the process looks like this:

Connection of tank and column. To do this, make a corresponding hole in the lid of the cube, install a flange/threaded fitting, and install a pipe. It is convenient to use a clamp connection to fasten the elements.

Manufacturing of a reflux condenser. The most simple option is an external coil - winding a copper tube along the contour of the column, but you can use a design with a water jacket, mount it as a separate unit and connect it from above, taking care of the pipes for supplying and draining water.

Preparing holes for thermometers. One is done in the tank lid, the second is at the top of the column, between the reflux condenser and the refrigerator.

Assembly and installation of the main refrigerator with pipes for water supply/discharge. Sometimes a jumper with a tap is made between two vertical pipes, but this element is not mandatory.

If desired, the device can be improved: connect several dephlegmators, fill the pipe with nozzles, install automation, etc. For the column to work efficiently, it is very important to ensure a stable water supply. There is no need to insulate the device.