How to make a moonshine still from a keg. Making a distillation cube from a beer keg
Such a keg will make an excellent moonshine still.
A special circular border is welded onto the bottom of the keg, which allows it to be installed horizontally. In the same border, two oval holes for gripping by hands are cut out in the upper part. It is very convenient to carry and load kegs. They are produced in standard volumes of 20, 25, 30 and 50 liters. If you are lucky enough to buy American beer in kegs, they will have a capacity of 58.7 liters (15.5 gallons). You can also find old Soviet aluminum kegs for 50 liters or modern ones for 10 liters (Czech, Finnish or German production).
In Russia you can buy kegs of DIN or Euro standards, occasionally you can find FINN KEG, Schlank-Keg, PLUS KEG. New containers are quite expensive even in Europe. But there is a standard for their operation - 5 years. After that, used kegs, as a rule, are moved to the CIS, where they are operated for an unlimited time. If you find such used kegs, then their purchase will not really hit the family budget.
Depending on what performance you need a hand-made device, you will need to choose a keg of a certain volume. The most practical and convenient containers for use are 20, 25 and 30 liters. They are spacious enough, compact and heat up quickly.
What alteration does the keg require?
Alcohol mashine almost any design can be made from a keg with your own hands - with a coil, a rectification column, a steam boiler, a steam generator, and electric heating. For the most simple option a classic distiller will require minimal modifications to the tank. The standard neck, although rather narrow, is at the same time convenient both for pouring mash and for installing various add-ons.
If you bought a keg with a factory fitting, it is very difficult to remove it. With type A kegs, they are removed by the simultaneous action of levers from both sides, and the force must be quite significant and synchronous. With type G kegs, the plug will have to be unscrewed. For this, a special key is used (a rather rare tool), but the proper effect can be achieved with an ordinary gas key. But there is a little secret - you need to unscrew the cork from the keg installed "upside down". There is a secret lock that cannot be removed in an upright position.
There are kegs, especially large capacity ones, that have a screw stopper with a 1/2 or 3/4 "hole in the center. They are quite convenient, but the thread on the beer container is quite peculiar and does not coincide with the plumbing. You still have to redo it. When shopping, it is best to look for a keg with the cap and fitting removed - there may be other secrets.
We don't touch the neck anymore, fix the pipe on it rectification column or a threaded adapter for the steam line of the still is very convenient with a clamp clamp. Such a mount can be selected by diameter and can be ordered both in online stores and found on the market.
Installing a thermometer
Installing a thermometer socket on a beer keg is as easy as shelling pears - just drill a 5.5 mm hole in the lid and cut a thread in it with a tap. Then, on a piece of a stainless tube with a diameter of 6 mm, we cut an external thread using a die (lerka) and screw it into the lid. The length of the branch pipe is 4-5 cm. A pin electronic thermometer is inserted into it and sealed with silicone or heat-resistant putty. When installing a bimetallic thermometer, the thread is also cut on the top of the nozzle and it is simply screwed on. Sealing is done with a silicone gasket or FUM tape.
In the keg, it is necessary to provide a seat for a thermometer
You can install a superstructure (column or distiller) on the keg, both made by hand and factory-made, for example, produced by Spirtmash. Standard clamps and adapters are suitable for this.
Mounting the superstructure with a clamp
Installation of heating elements
To make the beer keg moonshine still more modern in a technical sense, a tap is cut into it to drain the stillage and heating element. The tap is easy to screw into the threaded hole in the same way as the thermometer socket. The keg wall thickness makes the joint quite strong and can be sealed without any problems.
We mount the heating element in distillation cube A heating element of this type for 2-3 kW is suitable
It is more difficult with heating elements. To install them, you will have to cut a hole 5 cm above the bottom with a grinder. The hole diameter is 6-8 mm. An adapter with an internal thread is welded into it with argon welding or an adapter with an internal thread is soldered with the help of silver solder, into which a heating element of 3.5-5 kW is screwed. This is a rather complex procedure that requires skills in working with welding and soldering iron and accurate calculation.
Complete overhaul of a beer keg
There are variants of keg moonshine stills with more complex modifications. It concerns, first of all, the vessel lid. A hole with a diameter of 20-30 mm is cut out in it and a flange with a branch pipe on bolts or studs is installed. Such a keg is more convenient to wash, and the attachment of the superstructure is more reliable than with a clamp.
You can also find a do-it-yourself structure, where the upper part of the pressure cooker with an adapter, valve and a standard lock is welded into the keg. But in practice, such a complex processing of the keg is not needed - this way you can use an ordinary pressure cooker or weld fasteners to a stainless steel pan without buying an expensive beer container.
If you intend to make a moonshine still from a beer keg, then you need to stop at the option with minimal alteration of the vessel. It only needs to be supplemented with a thermometer and a tap to drain the mash.
Drawing of a keg apparatus with an inclined column
A beer keg is a ready-made, durable container made of food-grade stainless steel, which is not afraid of rough handling, which can be cooked with an electrode if there is no argon, because its walls are 1.2-1.8 mm, depending on the beer and the manufacturer. As a result, a universal device is obtained with which, by welding a 3/4 or 1/2 nipple into the valve, it is possible to drive the distillate on gas. You can weld the coupling closer to the bottom and screw in the Aristnovsky heating element for heating sugar mash... it is better to weld two at once, so it will be more convenient. One ten for overclocking, the second for work. And there will always be a hot reserve.
Instead of a heating element, you can screw in a bubbler and drive with steam
Or you can weld a stainless steel bottom, which MAGNETIZES and heat the keg on an induction cooker. 
Welding a magnetic bottom is generally not difficult. From the beginning, we look for the center in the bottom of the keg and draw a circle with a diameter of 230mm around it. 
Cut out the bottom and a circle with a diameter of 235mm and weld on. At the beginning, I grabbed it at four points and the bottom bent a little inward, which in general did not affect the operation of the induction unit. 
Until recently, the functions of the keg were reduced to one. Be a container for heating mash. Sometimes for fermentation. Now the function of a steam generator has been added, the current design allows it to be done simply. 
To fill it, either the neck of a keg or a welded pressure cooker was used. 
Because stainless steel hatches are not reasonably expensive and are not constructively convenient. I, too, did not escape the fate of "stealing" 10 liters of a keg, but the pressure cooker is not "ice" at all. Its main purpose is to provide access to the interior of the cube. 
But not every hand can reach the bottom of a 50L keg with a pressure cooker on it. If a 1/2 "nipple is sufficient for distillation, a minimum of 1.1 / 4" is required for rectification. Together with the column, this is already a serious load for the rolled lid of a pressure cooker. Plus, boiling a pressure cooker into a keg is a challenge for a skilled argon worker. Recently, many keg designs with "alternative lids" have appeared. 
One of the first designs of such a cube can be realized with the help of a grinder, a drill, and a welder with hands and electrodes at least often. It is not difficult to make such a cover. A flange with an inner diameter of 150mm and an outer diameter of 200mm is cut out. 
Studs are pre-marked and welded to fix the cover. 
Then we put the flange on the keg and circle it from the inside and cut it around. 
We weld on the flange. 
A 40mm milk sleeve is welded in the center of the lid. 
This is the most versatile thing for fastening a column, considering that it is done once and for all it is worth spending money on it, regardless of the price. With seeming completeness, there are no limits to perfection. You can put nipples under thermometers, etc. And if 50 liters is not enough, you can weld on a "prosthesis" 50 centimeters high and the volume will double.
One of the simplest and most optimal materials from which you can make a moonshine still is a beer keg. A kega is a barrel-shaped metal container. The sizes of kegs are different, however, given that they are made of stainless steel, the process of brewing the wort proceeds ideally in beer kegs.
Such a phenomenon as a beer keg moonshine still occurs quite often. Although many experienced moonshiners prefer to use pressure cookers to make a moonshine still. However, it has been proven empirically that kegs are better suited for this purpose. After all, made of cast metal, it will be much more reliable. And the volumes of kegs, as a rule, significantly exceed the volumes of pressure cookers.
In general, if a beer keg is taken as a basis, a moonshine still will consist of the following equipment:
... alembic is the main part from which a moonshine still (keg) is assembled with your own hands;
... the coil is also an important element, without it the structure will not function;
... condenser - or, more simply, "refrigerator", which cools the vapors of the distillate and creates directly moonshine.
How to choose a keg for a moonshine still
Before the final choice of a keg, which will have to be made, one should take a sober look at the working conditions of the future design, and also decide on the tasks assigned to the apparatus. After all, different distillation stills will be needed to brew different drinks.
In principle, in order to make a moonshine still at home with your hands from a beer keg, you can use a barrel of any volume, depending on the needs of the moonshine and the conditions of the process. For example, if the moonshine still heats up on a gas stove, it is recommended to choose a smaller keg so that it fits in the space between the stove and the hood. But if heating heaters are used in the process of home brewing, then you can choose even the largest kegs.
Coil for a home-made moonshine still from a keg
After choosing the optimal size of the distillation tank, it is time to directly collect the moonshine still. And here a lot of attention needs to be paid to the choice of the coil. In classic moonshine stills, the coil is made from a thin, twisted tube. These tubes are made of copper or stainless steel.
Making a moonshine still from a keg with your own hands, for the coil device it is necessary to take a tube of suitable thickness and twist it so that the future coil has at least 2 turns. It is because of the different flow heights that the distillation process takes place as efficiently and efficiently as possible.
For the installation of the connecting pipes, it is reasonable to use pieces of special silicone hose... After all, this material is ideal for firmly fixing and connecting parts of the moonshine still. Silicone does not lose its properties when exposed to high temperatures for a long time, does not melt and does not violate the tightness. In addition, silicone does not emit absolutely any odors, which allows, as a result of home brewing, to obtain an exceptionally pure and natural product, without any unnecessary tastes and odors.
There is a more complex option for attaching the coil and the main part that makes up the moonshine still - a beer keg, which does not use a flexible hose. In this case, it is necessary to make an additional hole in the keg and use a special sealing element; it is best to choose a silicone gasket for this. Also, the junction must be carefully sealed. If soldering is used as a seal, then later there may be slight difficulties with cleaning and caring for the moonshine still. Another sealant option is regular dough... However, this material will not be the optimal solution, since, despite its undoubted cheapness, it does not have a long service life.
Condenser for beer keg moonshine still
And the third important part of any moonshine still is the condensation separation. This device makes it possible to create conditions for a sharp cooling of the distilled vapors. As a result, the vapors condense, and the finished product of the process - moonshine - begins to flow into the receiver.
Making a moonshine still from a beer keg with your own hands, you can choose one of two types of condensers: flowing or non-flowing:
... flowing condenser - consists in connecting the moonshine still to the water tap;
... non-flowing condenser - consists of a tank with cold water, which will have to be me manually in the process of moonshine.
Both options have their pros and cons. However, if it is still possible to connect to the water supply without special requirements, then it is best to choose a flow-through type of condenser. It will independently cool the vapors, and the moonshiner may not be afraid to miss the moment when the water in the tank has warmed up and it is time to change it. And, of course, flow-through condensers are much simpler, easier and more convenient to operate.
Conclusion, or
As you can see, making a moonshine still from a keg with your own hands is not so difficult. Especially if the person who will assemble the structure has a technical education and at least minimal experience in assembling such structures.
However, the creation of such a moonshine still has its drawbacks. For example, additional costs for the necessary items spent in empty consumables, if a mistake was made during the collection of the moonshine, and others.
If a person wants to start quickly brewing high-quality moonshine, then it is recommended to purchase a ready-made, reliable moonshine still in a specialized store. In this case, you can fearlessly do what you love, without fear that the whole structure will collapse due to a minor defect made during the assembly of the moonshine still.
We make a moonshine still from a keg with our own hands
If you are thinking about how to start preparing strong drinks at home, then you need to decide - buy a ready-made moonshine still or assemble a distiller yourself. For a beginner in distilling, it is better to first try to make a moonshine still yourself. In the process of its manufacture, an understanding of the principles of operation of the distiller, the purpose and properties of each device will gradually come. Later you will be able to buy an industrial-made apparatus.
The very first step in making a moonshine still is finding the materials you need. Perhaps the main part of any distiller, which you cannot do without, is the distillation cube. In this article we will look at how to make a moonshine still from a keg with our own hands.
Moonshine still from beer keg
For a moonshine still, a keg is perfect, to which draft beer is transported - a keg. There is one caveat - it is better not to use old Soviet kegs for the manufacture of a distiller, since they were made of aluminum. Aluminum reacts with raw materials during boiling and additional impurities can get into the product, which are not needed there at all. In addition, it is for this reason that the aluminum distillation cube will leak very quickly and fail.
Modern beer kegs are made from stainless steel. This material is excellent for home brewing - it, by definition, does not come into chemical contact with alcohol-containing liquids. In addition, the keg is made in such a way that it remains solid, which will not allow it to burst even under excessive pressure. The optimal keg volume is 20 liters. This volume is ideal for a home-made moonshine still. There are kegs and large volumes, but it will be inconvenient to handle them in the conditions of an urban kitchen, moreover, not every stove can be equipped with such a barrel.
What changes need to be made to the design
For the manufacture of a classic distiller, kegs will require minimal modifications. The neck of the keg is wide enough for pouring the mash; after removing the cork, you no longer need to touch it. Tubes for steam outlet or rectification column are easily and hermetically fixed on this neck using a clamp-clamp.
The nest for the thermometer is also easy. It is necessary to drill holes in the upper part of the barrel and cut a thread into them, into which the thermometer mounts are then installed. All openings must be carefully sealed after installation.
To make it more convenient to work with the moonshine still, you can additionally cut into the bottom of the keg a tap to drain the stillage. Even with the optimal keg size (i.e. 20 liters), it will not be very easy to handle the distiller without such a tap. Before each distillation, you will have to wait until the keg has cooled down and drain the remaining raw materials through the neck.
The keg has very comfortable handles, thanks to which you can move it, but only when it is cold. To make it more comfortable for you to handle the device when it becomes necessary to move it hot, and for your own safety, you need to make the handles heat-resistant. You can buy special pads, or you can simply wrap the handles with cloth tape in several layers. Then you can not be afraid of getting burned even by accidentally grabbing the handles.
More sophisticated keg machines
You can improve your moonshine still by integrating a heating element into it. This is mainly done when the volume of the distillation cube is large and it is difficult to put it on the stove or it does not fit there at all.
To install the heating element in a keg, it is necessary to cut a hole with a diameter of 8-10 centimeters in the barrel wall with a grinder. The hole is cut about five centimeters above the bottom. A special adapter must be welded into this hole or soldered with silver solder, into which a heating element with a capacity of three and a half to five kilowatts is subsequently screwed.
The second way to install the heating element involves making a cutout in the keg, placing the heater inside, fixing it and weld the cut piece into place. When installing an internal heater, it is better to cover the walls and the bottom of the keg with a heat insulator for lower heat losses.
In any case, installing an internal heater in such a distillation cube is a complex procedure that requires special skills and tools. If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to get a smaller keg and use an external heater.
If you are going to make whiskey, calvados, raku and other drinks from thick raw materials at home, then it is better to make a steam generator, thanks to which the mash will not burn on the walls and bottom of the container. To connect the steam generator in the lower part of the cube, it is necessary to drill an additional hole and install a special fitting there.
The rest of the device of a moonshine still from a keg is the same as any other distiller. Connecting pipes will go from the neck through which the alcohol vapor will enter the rectification column or dry steam chamber, and from there into the refrigerator. Completion of the distiller with other accessories depends on your desire and the nature of the drinks produced.
Kegs - containers for drinks, which are most often found in the store draft beer... They are used to transport a drink. Containers are delivered to Russia from European countries. There it is operated for several years, after which it is resold. Manufactured from high quality stainless steel. The thickness is about 1.5 - 1.8 mm.
To make the kegs convenient to carry, they are equipped with handles. The volume is varied - from 20 to 50 liters or more. Before making a moonshine still from a keg with your own hands, it is important to think about heating it. The large capacity will make it difficult to lift the filled container onto the stove. We'll have to use another heating method - heating element. Such devices are good for berry and fruit mash.
Few improvements
When the appropriate volume is determined, and the kegs are purchased, you need to open them. It is better to purchase a container with a removed fitting, but you can do it yourself. You should not abruptly tear off the fitting or unscrew it. Otherwise, the accumulated gas will knock out the fitting.
You will need an adjustable wrench and a pair of pry bars. Unscrew the fitting with gentle movements of the key to the left and right. A hiss will be heard. This is fine. The accumulated gas comes out of the container. The mounts are installed opposite each other. By pressing both at the same time, the fitting is pulled out.
To make a moonshine still from a beer keg are installed:
- Thermometer.
- Coil.
- Fridge.
Thermometer
A hole is drilled in which it is necessary to cut the internal thread. An external thread is cut on the tube. The design is twisted. A pin thermometer is inserted into the tube. A heat-resistant putty or silicone is suitable for sealing. If a bimetallic thermometer is installed, a silicone gasket or fum tape (fluoroplastic sealing material) will ensure the tightness.
Coil
It must be copper. There are 2 options for its installation: directly to the fitting or through a connecting hose. In the first case, it is important to seal the fitting. It is preferable to use silicone connecting pipes and hoses to connect the parts of the structure. The choice of material is due to its inertness (resistance to hot alcohol vapors). This improves taste qualities drink.
The coil can be passed through a dry steamer or an ordinary jar with a metal lid. The distillate will be of better quality. For taste, any natural flavoring agent (for example, lemon zest) is added to the dry stew.
Fridge
It is of 2 types:
Non-flowing: a large container into which water is drawn on its own.
Flowing. The design assumes connection to a crane. You can make it yourself. 2 holes are made in the bucket at different heights. They circulate water.
Heating element
Tubular electric heater is installed at the bottom of the keg. Their number depends on the volume of the distillation cube. Several heating elements are needed to regulate the temperature of the mash by turning them on or off.
You need to cut out a piece of keg, make holes in it and seal them. For re-installation, use a welding machine. The process requires skill and effort. Such heaters are of the water type, but air heaters can also be used. They are attached to the surfaces of the keg or under the bottom of the keg. It is important to remember about the thermal insulation of the walls.
In order to make a moonshine still from a keg at home, you need to choose the right materials, decide in advance on the volume of the container for the mash and take the work with all responsibility. To obtain a cleaner mash, it is recommended to use a second distillation.