Do-it-yourself homemade moonshine still. How to assemble a moonshine still with your own hands. What you need to make a homemade steamer

Recently, a huge number of consumers remain dissatisfied with the quality of purchased alcohol. Therefore, many make alcoholic drinks with their own hands. The modern market offers designs for a variety of moonshine stills, from the simplest distillers to home mini-factories for the production of alcohol. But it is better for a novice distiller to try using a homemade unit. After all, you can make a moonshine still with your own hands at home. This mechanism may be simple, but it has been tested by more than one generation of moonshiners and is reliable in operation.

Despite the difficulties, a homemade unit has the following advantages:

This will cost much less than ready-made equipment.
Even if the mechanism is damaged due to inexperience, it is not a shame to send it to a landfill.
Having tried the simplest homemade moonshine still, an amateur homemade alcohol will understand exactly what design of finished mechanism he needs. Then a person will not make a mistake in choosing when purchasing.

Connecting elements

The elements that serve to connect the main parts are important. Therefore, they should be given the same attention as the large components of the mechanism. After all, if the tubes are chosen incorrectly and attention is not paid to the tightness of the process, then the resulting product will be cloudy and have an unpleasant taste. And maybe even harmful to the health of its consumers.

It is better to use tubes made of food grade stainless steel or silicone as connecting tubes. It is allowed to use aluminum and copper in this regard.

And also to connect different parts of the distillery, they use a variety of fittings and fittings. They are bought at plumbing stores. These small parts need to be brass, bronze or stainless steel and can withstand high pressure and temperature. For sealing, heat-resistant glue and cold welding are used.

Rubber gaskets cannot be used. It is not recommended to firmly connect the parts of the moonshine still: the parts will need to be periodically separated to clean them and check their technical condition. However, it is important that the connections are airtight, otherwise a fire cannot be avoided. In a depressurized unit, loss of alcohol-containing vapor also occurs, which affects the amount of the original product.

Alembic

First of all, they think about what will serve as a distillation cube, that is, a container in which the mash boils. For this purpose, enamel dishes of the required volume are adapted. It is neutral to alcohol and acids. If you do not scratch or hit this container, it will last a long time even with frequent use.

You can also use a container made of food-grade stainless steel. It lasts for a long time, because such material does not react with mash, and impurities harmful to human health are not released into the moonshine. However, the cost of food grade stainless steel containers is high.

Copper alembic also used for the production of high-quality moonshine. But it is not a cheap option either.

The capacity of the container is approximately 20–35 liters. The width of the neck of the distillation cube should be convenient for pouring the mash inside. And after use - so that it is convenient to pour out its remains and wash the container.

We must not forget that the distillation cube is placed on a stove or oven, which means its stability is important.

You can make your own electric mechanism for producing homemade alcohol. Then a distillation cube is made from a simple pressure cooker and a hole is made in the lid to install a steam outlet tube.

You can use an aluminum milk can for the distillation cube. After all, it has a convenient tight-fitting lid with a seal. Moreover, the can can be purchased cheaply in the store. It is also easy to supplement the design of the lid of such a container. In it, using a drill and a drill of the required size, holes are made for the fitting and thermometer.

The standard rubber gasket in the can is not suitable for high temperatures. Therefore, it should be wrapped with FUM tape and placed in boiling water for a few seconds.

Moonshine still refrigerator

The refrigerator is an important part of the mechanism for obtaining a homemade alcoholic drink. It's easy to build it yourself. To do this, you need to take a meter-long pipe with a diameter of up to 10 centimeters, then seal it hermetically with lids that have holes in them. A steam line must pass through them. Two fittings are mounted at opposite ends of the refrigerator body, and ordinary rubber hoses are attached to them. They receive cold tap water. With this design of the cooler, the latter is in contact with the outer part of the steam line, and does not affect the composition of the product at the outlet.

Coil parameters

The coil is a coiled tube of at least two meters. It can be copper, aluminum or made of stainless steel. It is better if the diameter of the coil is about 11 millimeters, and the thickness of the tube is about one millimeter.

Refrigerator tank parameters
At home, the coil is cooled with water or air. The first option is the best. Moreover, cooling occurs both with running water and water in a closed system. Using an open system is much better, although more resources are used. In this case, the cooling of alcohol vapor occurs more efficiently, and the resulting product is stronger.

Manufacturing refrigerator cooler

What are the stages of manufacturing a refrigerator cooler?

Fill the coil with bulk substance (sand, soda), and secure the ends with wooden pegs.
Then wind the tube onto the cylinder.
After this, the ends of the coil are released, sand is poured out and the tube is washed with water.
Nozzles are installed on the cooler so that water is supplied and discharged.
The coil is placed inside the housing, and plugs are installed at both ends and the connections are sealed.

Steamer and bubbler

Making a steamer or bubbler is necessary for a homemade moonshine still. A container made of glass or metal can act as a steam container. It is located in the middle of the distillation cube and refrigerator. The steam steamer serves to ensure that alcohol vapors are freed from harmful impurities. A bubbler is needed to transfer alcohol vapor through water. This part is identical in principle to the steamer and allows you to flavor the moonshine during distillation. To do this, pieces of fruit are placed in the bubbler. The only difference between the part and the steam tank is the presence of water in it.

How to make a steamer or bubbler?

To make a steamer, take a glass jar with an airtight lid. Then a fitting is attached to the lid, treating the holes with heat-resistant glue. This part is attached between the distillation cube and the refrigerator.

Installing thermometers in a moonshine still

A thermometer is necessary when producing homemade alcohol. It allows you to regulate the heating intensity of the mash so that only the evaporation of alcohol vapor occurs, and the water does not begin to evaporate. You can use digital, bimetallic or electronic types of thermometers. Such devices are installed at the entrance to the distillation cube and to the refrigerator.

It is better if the first distillation is carried out not with mash, but simply with water. The first procedure will show what problems there are in the device. And the water will at the same time wash all parts of the structure.

In our country, moonshine stills are not new products; they are old, familiar units for preparing home-made drinks with a variety of additives. In Russia, they began making moonshine stills with their own hands during the period of strict Prohibition, when people were forced to look for other ways to obtain alcoholic beverages for the holidays.

The standard design of moonshine stills was known to both children and adults. Even those who did not have such devices at home understood the structure of these home helpers. Today, legislation is favorable to those who make alcoholic beverages for their own use. For selling, of course, there is a penalty. For many now, moonshine still is a hobby. He managed not only to preserve a unique tradition. Modern manufacturers of moonshine stills use progressive technologies, they choose high quality materials, and constantly improve the design.

Stylish, laconic and multifunctional units are a source of pride. They are happily presented to friends and used to make a wide variety of drinks, which are practically not inferior to store-bought ones in quality and taste. Many beginners have a lot of questions when starting moonshine business. Encyclopedias, for example, Wikipedia, do not write about diagrams, drawings and photos of moonshine stills. And various forums and portals of folk craftsmen contain a lot of both useful and very dubious information. If you have firmly decided to create the structure yourself, then this guide and expert advice will come in handy.

Alcohol mashine with your own hands – it’s real!

Some people are intimidated by its complex system just by looking at the distiller. Despite the menacing appearance and many details, the diagram of the moonshine still, when analyzed in detail, is quite simple. The standard design consists of:

Still. This is the main container into which the raw materials are placed. The tank is installed on a hob burner or on a stone stove, heats up, during which the mash boils, releasing vapors containing alcohol.
Fridge. A cooling unit must be present in the circuit of any moonshine still. It is necessary to create condensation. When passing through the cooler, the vapor turns back into liquid and enters the collection container. It is very important to maintain the optimal temperature, as in still. In the simplest designs, cooling occurs due to the presence of this element in a container with water, which is replaced regularly when heated by the room temperature.
Coil. An element of the refrigerator, which is represented by a curved tube, it is ideally made of a thin-walled stainless steel rod. The quality of the moonshine at the outlet directly depends on the length of the tube. It is recommended to use a workpiece of about 2 meters.
Connecting tubes or hoses. They are an intermediate link between the distillation tank and the cooler. Water is supplied through silicone hoses and distillate flows out.
Additional equipment. This includes all kinds of bimetallic thermometers, measuring containers, sealing gaskets, and heating elements.

Obviously, anyone can make a moonshine still at home if they have a great desire and the necessary parts at hand. You can use a regular pressure cooker as a distillation cube. It is initially equipped with a hermetically sealed lid, which simplifies the task. In the absence of such a pan in the house, you can use a metal flask, can or even a beer keg. It is important to observe the following condition: the container must have a tight-fitting lid.

You can also use aluminum flasks, stainless steel cans and other containers with a tight-fitting lid as a distillation cube. Below are the options that can be purchased from Alkopribor.

In the case of making a homemade cube or improving a flask, you should make sure that all seams are well sealed.

Stages of creating a moonshine still with your own hands

1. Alembic

We agreed to use a pressure cooker to serve as a distillation container. This is a good example for making a moonshine still at home; it is economical and easy to use. You can buy any pressure cooker or use an old one, upgrading will be easy in any case. The ideal still should be made of stainless steel, this is something to keep in mind. For strict compliance technological process, it is necessary to install a thermometer, which should be laboratory, but not household. It’s easy to choose the model you need in the online store.

The thermometer is optional equipment. But thanks to its low cost, anyone can purchase a worthy copy. The benefits of constant temperature control are obvious. You can determine at any necessary time how to adjust the moonshine distillation process. This is very important during fractional distillation - timely separation of the “tails” and “heads” from the main part. For example, good moonshine collected at a higher temperature, and when the “tails” begin to be rejected, it is better to lower the temperature by squeezing out the gas. Experienced moonshiners are able to identify undesirable fractions by smell and by eye. It’s almost impossible for beginners to do this, so it’s definitely not worth saving on a thermometer.

If you decide to make a moonshine still with your own hands and do not want to take advantage of the achievements of progress, then you can study the fractions using alcohol meters and measuring cylinders, as our great-grandfathers did. It is known that the “heads” and “tails” account for approximately 10% of the total volume finished product. To use this formula, it is necessary to determine the yield of moonshine as accurately as possible. The thermometer allows you to analyze the strength of a liquid. When it falls, you can track the moment the “tails” appear.

When the strength of the alcohol-containing solution reaches 45% vol. a container is installed to collect the fraction. At the end of the distillation, the density of the liquid decreases and the temperature rises, so you need to immerse the alcohol meter deeper. Over time, you will learn to identify an obscene product by smell, but at the initial stage of moonshine brewing you need convenient devices.

2. Cooling system for home moonshine still

Many consider the coil to be the most complex element of the unit. But it’s quite simple to do if you follow a number of basic rules. It is important to choose the right material, because... Alcohol vapor will pass through the distiller coil. You can buy a cooler in the household goods department. A quartz glass cooler, if one can be found, will be good option. The inert material does not enter into chemical reactions with moonshine products and does not have a harmful effect on the finished drink.

b liquid strength. When it falls, you can track the moment the “tails” appear.

You can make a coil for a moonshine still with your own hands, with minimal time and effort. The classic refrigerator element consists of 5 turns. A stainless steel or copper tube is taken as a blank. The first option is more common, which is explained by the availability of the material, its high strength and durability. The copper coil conducts heat well, heating evenly over the entire surface. The metal itself is a catalyst that accelerates chemical processes well.

The distillate needs high-quality cooling throughout the entire time, and this can be several hours. Therefore, it is important to monitor the ambient temperature. The only negative is the high water consumption, so it is recommended to install a home moonshine still in close proximity to the main line.

Maximum cooling can be achieved in several ways:

1. The coil is placed in a container with water, which is regularly replaced with colder water.

2. Coil in the flow cooler. This option is the most convenient. To do this, the coil is welded into a pipe of larger diameter, in which nozzles and tubes are installed for supplying and discharging water. The hoses are connected to the tap.

3.The coil is cooled by 40 liters of water during the entire process. How is this possible? You can organize such an economical system using 2 buckets and a pump designed for an aquarium. It is important to maintain the optimal distance between containers of water: one bucket should stand at a height of 60 cm from the other. Water from the top container will flow into the cooler under the influence of gravity. A small pump will lift waste water upward, thus creating a cyclic process.

Try the moonshine while it’s still hot – this expression is familiar to many. But it should be understood not literally, but figuratively. If the output is a warm product, you need to think about the serviceability of the unit or cooling system. If you want good pure moonshine, the technology for preparing it must be recreated down to the smallest detail. The ideal distillate is always cold, and in some cases even icy.

3. Connecting elements

Hoses and tubes for connection must be selected no less carefully than the main equipment. They always come into contact with drinking liquids - water and ready-made moonshine. The most suitable in this case are silicone connecting hoses. They don't change chemical composition products, do not react with them, and do not emit an unpleasant odor.

To check the quality of the flexible tube, you can set fire to a section of it. Thus, rubber and plastic materials will always burn, releasing dark smoke and a pungent odor. At the same time, silicone ones smolder evenly, do not create soot, and leave behind white ash.

You can replace the silicone hose with a flexible copper tube. It can easily be found on the market if you decide to completely create a homemade moonshine still with your own hands and strength. An alternative can be corrugated connectors made of metal - high-alloy steel. You can even make a coil from such a liner 1.5-2 meters long.

The photographs below show a simple moonshine still, consisting of a copper coil and a pressure cooker. The cooler is connected to the distillation cube through a fitting. Instead of a refrigerator, a regular 5-liter plastic bottle is used.

From above, water is supplied to the cooler through a hose, which in turn is connected to a tap with cold water. Through the lower waste resource it is discharged into the sewer system. It is important to connect all connections well. To create a complete seal, you can use plumber's tape or silicone glue.

Through the lower hole of the coil, moonshine enters a measuring container, which can be of any size. This is an example of the simplest DIY moonshine still. More complex designs are equipped with steam traps, reflux traps and drawers. The final product depends on the design and quality of execution.

The Alkopribor company offers to familiarize yourself with the most popular types of moonshine stills that can be purchased in our store.

Now you can make a homemade moonshine still at home. If you decide that searching for the necessary materials, manufacturing individual units and parts of the distiller is all very difficult and time-consuming, you can contact our managers for help. They will select a professional moonshine still to suit your needs. It will have high strength characteristics, and in comparison with a homemade one it will look very chic and solid.

This is an example of the simplest DIY moonshine still. More complex designs are equipped with steam traps, reflux traps and drawers. The final product depends on the design and quality of execution.

You can make a moonshine still at home quickly and inexpensively. Its dimensions and other characteristics can be conveniently adjusted to personal requirements for the final product - moonshine. If you want to make a distillate based on berries or other fruits, it is better to choose a distillation cube and a copper coil. Stainless steel is excellent for making raw alcohol.

Do-it-yourself moonshine still is an original Russian, traditional creation of folk thought. Craftsmen manage to make such installations that ensure the receipt of a final product that is not inferior in quality and purity strong drinks industrial production. At making the right choice design and careful manufacturing, you can get a fairly simple device for use that can meet your own needs for high-quality and cheap alcohol.

If you assemble the device according to the instructions below, you will be able to produce alcoholic drinks that are head and shoulders above the quality of store-bought counterparts.

At its core, any moonshine still is a home device for distilling raw materials with an alcohol content of alcoholic drink high strength (moonshine). As a starting product, you can use any mixture that contains ethyl alcohol - this is mash, low-quality wine, alcohol with impurities (raw), etc.

The purpose of using a moonshine still is to produce an alcoholic drink with an ethyl alcohol content of at least 60-70%. At the same time, the final product must be free of impurities that are dangerous to humans, spoil the taste and impart an unpleasant odor.

The operating principle of a moonshine still is based on the fact that alcohol actively evaporates at temperatures at which water remains liquid. As is known, evaporation of water occurs when it boils, i.e. at a temperature of about 100 ºС, while alcohol begins to turn into steam already at a temperature of 55-60 ºС. The intensity of its vaporization increases with increasing temperature.

In the moonshine still, it is necessary to ensure a temperature above 55 ºС, but below 90 ºС.

Alcohol vapor must be removed from the surface of the water, and their transformation back into liquid is ensured by condensation, i.e. contact of hot steam with a cold surface.
The final stage consists of carefully collecting the resulting droplets of alcohol, after which it can be purified from harmful impurities.

The classic design of a moonshine still should include such basic parts as an evaporator and a condenser.

The evaporator is a container where the raw material is heated to the desired temperature.
A condenser is a container with a cooled surface on which condensation is released.

Additional but necessary parts in the design of the device include an element for removing alcohol vapor from the evaporator, a container for collecting condensate and control devices.

In addition, it is important to ensure proper heating of the raw material into the evaporators and constant cooling of the condensing element. Cleaning is ensured by filters and the addition of various sorbents.

What is taken into account when designing

According to the principle of operation, homemade moonshine stills are classified as distillation-type devices, i.e. use the mechanism described above, in contrast to the industrial production of alcohol, where they use distillation columns based on the division of raw materials into fractions. When designing a moonshine still, the following main characteristics are taken into account:

Structural elements

A homemade moonshine still can have different shapes and sizes. Its design can be very simple, made temporarily from improvised means, or quite complex, with process control. The device must include the following required elements:

Making an evaporator

How to make a moonshine still with your own hands? The solution to this problem begins with the creation of an evaporator, i.e. distillation cube. Most often, ready-made containers with a volume of 15-30 liters are used for this purpose.

Stainless steel

The best option is stainless steel intended for food purposes. You can successfully use ready-made household vessels made from this material. Homemade containers are made from stainless steel sheet 1-2 mm thick using welding. When forming a homemade tank, it should be remembered that during operation, in addition to high temperature, excess pressure is created in it, which can reach 0.5-0.7 atm, which requires particularly high-quality welds.

The manufacture of a distillation cube is carried out in the following order.

A container of the required volume is taken ready-made or welded.
An important condition is the presence of a flat bottom if it is installed on a tile or burner.
A cover is installed on top, in which a hole is drilled to attach a coil or steamer.
With an internal diameter of the coil tube of 11-13 mm, a hole with a diameter of 22 mm is drilled and a pipe thread (half an inch) is cut.
The lid is installed on the tank with the joint sealed.

In the case of a collapsible structure, rubber gaskets are used, and in the manufacture of a stationary structure, sealing is ensured by silicone sealant.

During the distillation process, it is desirable to control the temperature provided in the evaporator. To install a thermometer, another hole is drilled in the lid of the distillation cube to insert a thermocouple or install a thermometer.

A convenient option for a distillation cube is a pressure cooker. It has one important drawback associated with its small volume, but for your own needs it is quite suitable. The main advantage of this design is the presence of good tightness. Modification is required only in the part of drilling the hole in the cover. At all perfect option- a multicooker, which provides heating and maintaining the temperature in a given mode.

Making a capacitor

A do-it-yourself condenser or refrigerator for a moonshine still includes 2 main parts - a coil and a cooling source (cooling compartment). The quantity and strength of the final product depends on the correct functioning of the refrigerator.

The coil can be made of non-ferrous metals, stainless steel or glass.

The dimensions of the tube for the coil are selected according to the following parameters:

Inner diameter. Increasing it leads to an expansion of the contact area with steam, which increases the productivity of the device, but affects its dimensions and significantly complicates manufacturing. The recommended inner diameter of the tube is 9-13 mm.
total length. Here again there is an alternative. A longer length increases the condenser area, but at the same time the resistance to flow increases, which slows down the speed of the process. It has been practically established that the optimal length is in the range of 1.6-2.2 m.
Wall thickness. The smaller this parameter, the easier it is to cool the system, but the strength of the element decreases. The use of a tube with a thickness of 1-1.2 mm is considered normal.

The cooling compartment must ensure that heat is removed from the coil in a constant manner. In principle, cooling can be provided by ice, air or water flow. The most commonly used is water.

There are 2 options for submitting it. Is it a closed or open system.

In the first case, the container is filled with cold water. Cooling occurs until it warms up, after which the coolant is replaced with a new portion.
The second option is considered more effective, because cooling is provided by running water.

Step by step

The manufacture of the refrigerator is carried out in the following sequence.

A metal tube of the optimal size is filled with sand to prevent deformation and is wound in the form of a spiral onto a cylinder with a diameter of about 30-36 mm with a turn pitch of 11-14 mm.
The sand is poured out and the spiral is washed under running water.
Next, the cooling compartment body is made from a metal or plastic pipe with a diameter of 76-82 mm. Connections for supplying tap water are installed on the compartment body.
Then part of the coil is passed inside the compartment, the ends of which are hermetically sealed.

Both ends of the coil remain free, one for connection to the distillation cube or steamer, the other for discharging the finished product.

Preparation of moonshine and alcohol for personal use
absolutely legal!

After the collapse of the USSR, the new government stopped the fight against moonshine. Criminal liability and fines were abolished, and the article banning the production of alcohol-containing products at home was removed from the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. To this day, there is not a single law that prohibits you and me from engaging in our favorite hobby - preparing alcohol at home. This is evidenced by the Federal Law of July 8, 1999 No. 143-FZ “On Administrative Responsibility legal entities(organizations) and individual entrepreneurs for offenses in the field of production and circulation of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products" (Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation, 1999, No. 28, Art. 3476).

Extract from the Federal Law of the Russian Federation:

“The effect of this Federal Law does not apply to the activities of citizens (individuals) producing products containing ethyl alcohol for purposes other than sale.”

Moonshining in other countries:

In Kazakhstan in accordance with the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Administrative Offenses dated January 30, 2001 N 155, the following liability is provided. Thus, according to Article 335 “Manufacture and sale alcoholic drinks home-made” illegal production of moonshine, chacha, mulberry vodka, mash and other alcoholic beverages for the purpose of sale, as well as the sale of these alcoholic beverages, entails a fine in the amount of thirty monthly calculation indices with confiscation of alcoholic beverages, apparatus, raw materials and equipment for their production, and also money and other valuables received from their sale. However, the law does not prohibit the preparation of alcohol for personal use.

In Ukraine and Belarus things are different. Articles No. 176 and No. 177 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses provide for the imposition of fines in the amount of three to ten tax-free minimum wages for the production and storage of moonshine without the purpose of sale, for the storage of devices* for its production without the purpose of sale.

Article 12.43 repeats this information almost word for word. “Production or acquisition of strong alcoholic beverages (moonshine), semi-finished products for their production (mash), storage of apparatus for their production” in the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses. Clause No. 1 states: “The production by individuals of strong alcoholic drinks (moonshine), semi-finished products for their production (mash), as well as the storage of devices* used for their production, will entail a warning or a fine of up to five basic units with confiscation of the specified drinks, semi-finished products and devices."

*You can still purchase moonshine stills for home use, since their second purpose is to distill water and obtain components for natural cosmetics and perfumes.

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

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

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

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

How does a moonshine still work?

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

from a container for raw materials (mash);
refrigerator;
pipelines.

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

About the advantages of using moonshine stills at home in the production of alcoholic beverages homemade Sad statistics show that most alcohol poisoning occurs when drinking vodka from stores. The fact is that the production of counterfeit vodka is on an industrial basis. The raw materials used for it are alcohols of unknown origin, most often synthetic, which have nothing in common with wheat or yeast alcohol.

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

The simplest moonshine still from a saucepan

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

The simplest moonshine still from a saucepan

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

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

We make the refrigerator from a piece of copper tube, twisted into a coil with a diameter of about 8-10 cm. It is inserted into a plastic bottle with a cut off bottom, installed upside down, and comes out through a hole in the lid. Water is poured into the bottle, mash into the pan, everything is assembled into one structure and the moonshine still is ready for use.

To seal, the lid is pressed against the sides of the pan with clothespins, and the entire perimeter is coated with medium-thick flour dough. When heated, it hardens and becomes an effective sealant. You can use small carpentry clamps as clamps, and for the seal, use a silicone hose cut lengthwise with a diameter of up to 1 cm.

A home-made moonshine still is inexpensive, quick to assemble, and safe to operate. Inconveniences arise with the need to frequently replace water in the refrigerator - at least after 20-25 minutes of operation, and with the quality of the product. The moonshine obtained in this way will need to be distilled again. The productivity of the device is quite high - up to 1.5 l/hour. From 5 liters of mash you should get up to 1.5 liters of strong moonshine.

A do-it-yourself moonshine still of a more advanced design can be made in a few hours, if you do not take into account the time for purchasing purchased components - fittings, nuts, silicone and copper tubes. If you don’t have a suitable 30-40 liter pan, you’ll have to buy that too.

It is advisable to use a pan made of stainless steel or enameled. Aluminum is not suitable for various reasons. Two holes are made in the lid of the pan for a threaded fitting with a diameter of ¾ inches and for a pin thermometer. It is necessary to install a thermometer - only by completely controlling the temperature in the distillation cube can you obtain a high-quality product.

Distillation temperature

The peculiarities of moonshine brewing are that in the mash, in addition to alcohol, a number of accompanying substances with very unpleasant properties are formed, which worsen not only the taste and smell of moonshine, but also have a toxic effect on the human body. The lion's share of hangovers comes from these “supplements.”

Subject to temperature regime distillation, most of them can be eliminated. From the very beginning of the process, at a mash temperature of up to 60C, about 0.5 liters of the resulting liquid (you can’t call it moonshine) is taken and poured into the sewer. It consists of compounds with a boiling point lower than alcohol. It includes:

methyl alcohol;
acetone;
acetaldehyde;
ethers.

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

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

Dephlegmator and bubbler

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

The lid is pressed with clamps

The outer diameter corresponds to the diameter of the pan collar, and the inner diameter depends on the configuration of the lid and the location of the steam line fitting and thermometer. The cover is installed on a seal made of silicone hose.

The dephlegmator is a vertical section of a ¾-inch copper tube about 40 cm long. Its role is to separate the heavy fractions of steam and condense them before entering the main steam line. The essence of the work is that the tube heats up unevenly and its upper part is colder than the lower.

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

Bubbler design

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

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

Glass jar bubbler

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

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

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

Alcohol vapor rises up and enters the refrigerator, and the heavy fractions of the fusel remain in the jar. They are unsuitable for further processing and are poured into the sewer. They mainly consist of poisons.

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

Fridge

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

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

All-metal device of block construction

Making such an installation at home is quite problematic. You will need an argon welding machine and the ability to work with stainless steel. Otherwise, its design is simple and the operating scheme is no different from an industrial distiller. Drawings of such an installation can be found on the Internet on sales sites for industrial moonshine stills.

The device consists of:

containers for mash, which simultaneously serve as a housing on which all other parts are mounted;
reflux condenser columns with Panchenkov nozzle;
bubbler;
flow refrigerator.

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

The diameter of the reflux condenser column is 40-50 mm. It is welded to the cover, or screwed onto a ¾-inch diameter fitting. The second option is more technologically advanced and easier to use. Practice shows that threaded connections are much more convenient than welded ones. Homemade moonshine stills are constantly being improved as they work. It is much easier to attach or remove any knot if it is threaded.

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

From the column, the vapor flows to a collapsible bubbler equipped with a drain valve, then to a flow-type refrigerator. The capacity of the cube can vary from 10 to 30 liters. For ease of carrying, handles are welded on both sides. The productivity of such an installation is about 2 l/h. When using a beer keg as a cube, you get another very interesting design.