How to install a tap in a distillation cube. Oak barrels

Often, when distilling thick mash, the thick burns, badly affecting the aroma and taste of the drink. Steam distillation of the mash allows to prevent deterioration of the quality of the distillate. Making a steam generator at home is relatively simple - you need another container (a pressure cooker, distillation cube, can), connecting hoses and a tube for gas supply.

Scope of application of the steam generator

Any mash can be steam distilled, however, due to the additional cost of time and energy, this method is advisable to use this method for the first distillation of thick mash - usually all cereals and some fruit mash from overripe raw materials with a high pectin content, for example, apple or apricot. Steam distillation is also used for chacha and other moonshine from cake.

To speed up the process, some moonshiners drain the liquid part of the mash separately and distill it the traditional way, and the steam generator is used only for the grounds.

Steam distillation benefits:

• won back the wash is not drained from the sediment and is not clarified;
• you can get alcohol in the thick, which is usually filtered out and disappears;
• allows you to avoid burning and deterioration in the quality of moonshine;
• during distillation, less harmful impurities are "welded";
• does not affect the organoleptic properties of the drink, is the most gentle method of heating the mash;
• suitable for moonshine stills of any design.

Flaws:

• another container is required, which will be a steam generator;
• the distillation time increases (more than 3 hours from the moment the mash boils);
• since alcohol vapors are diluted with condensate, the strength of the outlet decreases, for example, if the maximum strength in the stream is 68% when heating the heating element, then during distillation with steam it will be 50% (the calculations are approximate and depend on the design of the distiller);
• the high pressure in the steam generator increases the risk of using the appliance.

The principle of distillation of mash with steam

In the classic scheme of a moonshine still, a steam generator is a container filled with water, which is installed on a stove (another heating source) and connected through connecting pipes and a bubbler to the bottom of the distillation cube with home brew (not heated separately). In turn, the distillation cube is connected to the refrigerator of the moonshine still.

After the water boils, the generated steam under pressure through the bubbler enters the cube and heats the mash. Bubbles of steam move from bottom to top, cause boiling inside the mash and separation of substances into fractions. As a result, alcohol begins to evaporate, which moves to the surface of the wash. On the surface, bubbles of steam and alcohol burst and mix, forming a vaporous water-alcohol mixture, which rises into the refrigerator (distiller), where it condenses.

Optimal layout with valves and three-way valve

The design of the moonshine still and the distillation scheme remain the same, only one more container with water is added.

How to make a steam generator for mash

You can use a pressure cooker or a distillation cube as a container for heating water. The main requirement is that the container must be airtight and withstand high pressure so that steam passes through the steam line, and does not seep through the lid. The capacity (volume) of a steam generator is usually 30% less than a cube with a wash. Once the lid has been sealed, a saucepan or can will also work.

Attention! Since we are dealing with thick wash, for safety reasons, there must be blasting valves on the cover of the steam generator and the main distillation cube, which will release excess pressure if the connecting pipes become clogged with thick, and this happens.

A fitting is also cut into the cover of the steam generator to connect to the steam line.

A silicone hose or corrugated gas pipe is used for the steam line. In order to reduce heat losses and increase the distillation rate, it is advisable to install thermal insulation on the surface of the steam line that can withstand a temperature of +100 ° C.

For a steam generator bubbler, a metal tube is suitable, on one side of which slits are made. The length of the tube should be slightly less than the diameter of the bottom of the distillation cube with the wash. The bubbler is installed into the cube through the drain valve for the stillage with the slots down, so that the steam first reflects from the bottom, and only then begins to heat the mash. If there is no drain valve, you will have to make a hole near the bottom.

Bubbler
Installing a bubbler in a distillation cube with home brew. The slots must be at the bottom

As a result, a diagram should be obtained: a steam generator - a distillation cube - a dry pot (optional) - a refrigerator (distiller) - a receiving container for moonshine.

It is recommended to fill the cube with mash by 50-60%, since in the process of distillation the volume of liquid in the cube will increase by 20-30% due to steam, and for the normal formation of alcohol vapors, an additional 10-15% of the free volume is required.

Homemade version with a can as a steam generator

The optimal amount of water in the steam generator in relation to the mash is 8:10 (8 liters of water per 10 liters of mash). The minimum amount of water is 6:10. The steam generator is filled to 70-85% of its volume.

The heating power supplied to the steam generator should be as high as possible.

In the event of a blockage in the steam line, turn off the heating and wait for complete cooling before disassembling the apparatus; the overpressure must be relieved of the valves. It is dangerous to open a hot steam generator!

Do you want to do it yourself cheap, high quality and versatile alcohol mashine? Sure, not a problem. We select the optimal dimensions for your home production, we study interesting ideas of moonshiners and get to work. Stock up on patience, strength and time, since you will need a little money (from 300 rubles to 5 thousand rubles for materials).

We are adherents high quality and clean homemade alcohol , so we will make the moonshine still good and efficient. Do not be confused by some crazy decisions of folk craftsmen who drive moonshine from a bucket or saucepan. Any ideas can help in realizing your moonshine plans.

Any adequate distiller consists of several parts:

• Distillation cube (tank)... A stainless steel container from 10 to 50 liters, in which the mash is heated. This is the most important and most expensive part of the apparatus. Buying a good cube of 20 liters will cost you 9-11 thousand rubles, so making it on your own is much more profitable than buying it in a store.
• Steam pipes... The heated mash turns into vapors, which must move from the distillation cube to the dry pot, and then to the refrigerator. These are stainless steel or silicone tubes with a diameter of 0.8 to 1.5 cm (the bigger the better). In commercial distillers, they are welded to the rest of the apparatus, but in some cases it is much easier to simply screw them in.
• Sukhoparnik... Sealed container with two tubes. Heated mash vapors pass through a long tube, which almost abuts against the bottom. Fusel oils and harmful impurities settle at the bottom, and light vapors of alcohol rise to a short tube and evaporate into the refrigerator. Water can be poured into the dry steamer and used as a bubbler. The efficiency of both devices is about the same.
• Flow-through refrigerator... One of the most important and complex but inexpensive parts of a distiller. This is a container in which a spiral tube with a flow-through cold water through which the vapors of the distillate move. They are cooled and turn into moonshine, which drops or in a thin stream falls into the receiving container.
• Faucet for draining the stillage... After the end of the distillation, you need to drain the rest of the mash into the sewer, and also rinse it with plenty of clean water. To make it convenient to empty the distillation cube, a crane is installed on it.
• Safety valve... For safety, you will need to cut a pressure relief valve into the tank, which will fly out at dangerous pressures inside the system. It costs about 150 rubles, but it can save moonshine and your life.
• Thermometer (optional)... During distillation, it is convenient to focus on the temperature at which various things happen: the selection of harmful fractions, the appearance of the first drops of distillate, the boiling of the mash. All these numbers can be found on our website in the article about the temperature of moonshine.

Most of the money goes to distillation cube, that's why we will do it on our own.

What can you make a moonshine still with your own hands?

From a flask (milk can)

A fairly common option for rural areas. You can use only stainless steel can, but you can immediately take the old aluminum to scrap metal (the material is oxidized and the taste of moonshine deteriorates).

The flask has optimal volume 20, 25 and 40 liters, comfortable handles, and a sealed lid. This is a great savings for your distiller as it would cost you 5-10 times more to buy a cube.

The process is pretty simple and doesn't require much skill. The video will be posted below.

1. We make a 12 mm hole in the lid of the can. We screw in the transitional fitting 12 mm.
2. We buy stainless steel hose up to 1 meter and insert it into this fitting.
3. Of the usual glass jars we make a steam bath - we insert 2 tubes of different lengths into the lid, after which we connect the long one to a stainless steam pipe. You can put regular silicone over the short tube to save money.
4. The silicone hose from the steam room goes to refrigerator, which will need to be bought and somehow fixed... For example, bind to a mixer.
5. We take out another silicone hose from the refrigerator into a receiving container, where our distillate will drip.

General expenses: 2000 rubles.

Refrigerator 1500 (from Gorilych "Bolshoi" on chzda.ru), stainless steel hose 300, silicone hose 200, nipple 150, safety valve 150, drain valve 200.

Most good video it turned out to be done to the author of the channel Overcraft... For the first 7 minutes, the author moves step by step from drilling holes to the water supply to the refrigerator, and only at the end, for a few seconds, the entire apparatus is shown in assembly.

If you do not buy a drill and drill, then the price of all the work (without a milk can) will cost you about 2,000 rubles. The approach is very budgetary, but quite adequate - we get decent cooling and a high-quality dry steam bath.

From a beer keg

We propose to use in the design purchased coil (3000 rubles), which will completely close the issue with a steam pipe, a steam boiler and a refrigerator.

This purchase will save you great amount time to find the necessary material and its processing.

The process is pretty simple and doesn't require much skill.

1. We make a 12 mm hole in the lid of the can. We screw in there a transition nipple with an external thread of 12 mm.
2. We buy a coil (steam pipe, steam boiler and refrigerator), after which we screw it to the nipple.
3. We make another 12 mm hole for the safety valve (it will also need to be purchased).
4. We cut in or weld the drain valve closer to the bottom of the container. We do this so that the distiller can stand quietly (and not rest against the floor with a tap).
5. We do the first distillation using plain water to check the tightness and clean the steam line.

General expenses: 3500 rubles.

Coil 3000, nipple 150, safety valve 150, drain cock 200.

There is different ways preparation of a beer keg for home brewing. Most of the craftsmen preferred a long and high-quality approach, as a result of which a chic and convenient tank for heating the mash is obtained.

The most successful series of videos was made by Andrey Golubenko, who long and stubbornly walked towards his goal and achieved it. The end result turned out, as they say, conscientiously. I am posting the entire collection of videos in chronological order.

From the pan

If the hostess in the kitchen does not mind giving you for experiments capacious stainless steel pan, then the issue of making a distillation cube is noticeably simplified. You just have to make a hole for the steam line and tightly close the lid.

In this approach, we also use a commercially available coil, so the device can be made in literally 30 minutes.

1. We buy a meter of 8 mm silicone hose, cut it lengthwise and put it on top rim of the pan... You do not need to glue anything, as we will use paper clips for tightness.
2. Depending on the coil purchased, we drill a 10-12 mm hole and insert an adapter nipple into it.
3. We screw the coil into the fitting.
4. Pour the mash into a saucepan and put on fire.
5. Press the lid paper clips (6-8 pieces around the lid rim).
6. We connect the cooling using hoses and make the first distillation. Next time you will need to do a double distillation with the release of harmful fractions.

General expenses: 3400 rubles.

Coil 3000, nipple 150, silicone hoses 250.

The most visual video prepared by the author of the channel Spy gates... Some kind of "barrel" of 40 liters made of chic metal was chosen as a saucepan, but you can take something much simpler.

The author talks for almost 17 minutes about what tool you need and how to bring the pan to mind with your own hands. I highly recommend watching, as the guy definitely knows what he is doing.

From an enamel bucket

A pretty crazy method shared by a famous moonshiner on Youtube Misha m.

This is one of the cheapest ways to make a moonshine still., since the cost of a bucket is incomparably lower than the cost of a purchased distillation cube.

The process of converting a bucket for a distiller is as follows (instructions from Misha m):

1. We buy an enameled bucket for 12-20 liters with a lid (about 1000 rubles).
2. We coat the rim of the lid from the inside aquarium silicone, let's dry.
3. We prepare 2 wooden plywoods, which you will need as a stop. Similar to a saucepan, you can use paper clips.
4. We drill a 12 mm hole and screw in the adapter fitting there.
5. Connect a commercially available coil using a silicone or stainless steel hose.
6. The device is ready.

General expenses: 4400 rubles.

Coil 3000, bucket 1000, nipple 150, silicone or stainless hoses 250.

In a simple and understandable language, he talks about making this "masterpiece" himself Misha m.

Video is especially valuable because it is recorded directly during the distillation. That is, you will see the entire system not only assembled, but also during operation.

From the multicooker

Perfect tightness, pressure relief valve and automatic heating. What else do you need to make a good moonshine?

In spite of small volume of container, you can pour in the mash directly in the process of the first run and gradually distill it. During the second distillation, this topic will no longer work, because you will need to select the heads and tails.

Multicooker + cooling in a coil inside a bucket.

To implement a full-fledged distiller, you will need to perform the following manipulations:

1. Depending on the appearance pressure relief valve, you will need to match the silicone tube to its diameter.
2. Attach a coil with a ready-made steam boiler and a refrigerator to the tube. As an alternative, you can watch the video just below, which makes a whole series of dry steam rooms and bubblers.
3. It remains to pour the mash into a slow cooker and start distilling.

General expenses: 3250 rubles (excluding multicooker)

Coil 3000 and silicone hoses 250.

The system turns out to be working and quite simple. Problems only always appear at the stage of creating a refrigerator, but there are no such problems with a purchased coil.

From the pressure cooker

Soviet pressure cookers were very popular in the household at one time. Now practically no one uses them, and the remaining pans are gathering dust somewhere in the pantry.

And if you think a little, the pressure cooker is a wonderful alembic. He is very sealed, does not explode due to pressure relief and easy converted into a distiller.

Our actions are practically no different from the previous ideas:

1. Cut out a 12 mm hole in the lid and insert the adapter nipple there.
2. Through silicone or stainless steel, we bring out the steam line to the coil with the steam box and the refrigerator.
3. We connect the water through ordinary PVC hoses or through the remains of silicone.
4. We are chasing!

General expenses: 3400 rubles.

Coil 3000, nipple 150, silicone or stainless steel hoses 250.

Roller from spagyric1 clearly shows how you can make a steam bath and a refrigerator without a purchased coil. It is rather dreary, but it saves about 2 thousand rubles of your budget.

We still believe that cooling must be reliable and of high quality... And therefore, you can easily overpay a couple of thousand for a sealed and high-quality refrigerator.

The cheapest distiller with your own hands (from Georgy Kavkaz)

The cheapest equipment can be made from the materials you already have on hand. The pressure cooker is good. Stainless steel beer keg - great!

If you do not plunge into the jungle, then it is much easier to still pay 3 thousand rubles for a coil with a ready-made steam boiler and a refrigerator. This will save you a lot of effort, time and material.

If you are not looking for simple ways, then moonshine still in Caucasian style, who presented in his video a well-known moonshiner on Youtube George the Caucasus.

The idea is that you only need a distillation cube, plus a few tubes, adapters, and fittings. The manufacturing process looks like this:

1. We take a polypropylene pipe 1 meter long and 25 mm in diameter. We cut into it two tees with fittings under the water.
2. Insert into polypropylene copper tube 1.5 meters long and 14 mm in diameter.
3. Pour sealant along the edges of the PVC pipe so that the space inside it is hermetically sealed. Cold water will move along the polypropylene circuit and cool the vapors of the moonshine in a copper pipe.
4. We connect the copper steam line to the distillation cube through a 12 mm nipple cut into the lid.
5. We turn on the water, heat the mash and get a full-fledged moonshine from the Caucasian distiller.

The total price of the apparatus without alembic: 1500 rubles... Polypropylene pipe 1 meter, copper pipe 1.5 meters, 2 fittings, 2 tees for PVC, 1 nipple, silicone sealant.

If our instructions seemed too complicated for you, then I recommend that you watch a short video from George of the Caucasus... A man on business and without extra water talks about the manufacture of this device and suggests all sizes.

Photos of interesting home-made moonshine stills

Ideas can be drawn not only from standard home-made devices for a beer keg or flask. Craftsmen make moonshine from equipment that would never occur to a person.

We have made a small selection that will expand your understanding of distillers, dryers and refrigerators. Get ideas and get creative!

From a beer keg and copper pipes. From a kettle. With 8 bubblers and a homemade alembic.

If you have questions, then feel free to ask them in the comments on the site or to my mail [email protected]- we will try to answer everyone promptly.

"Sell" models to you famous brands we will not, but we can give advice on the choice of material.

I got a lot of comments about a rather simple question - a tap for "wort" or "wort". I did not think that such a seemingly simple thing would be asked and asked about. In general, all the questions were of the same type, they can be systematized into the following:

• What material is the crane made of?
• How much does it cost?
• Where did you buy it?
• How did you hit?

Well, some others.

Considering that there were many questions about the crane, I decided to answer them in one fell swoop.

The valve is made of stainless steel, like all fittings, nuts and other "pribluda" except for the gaskets. The funny thing is that at the time of purchase, I could not find a stainless steel faucet in plumbing stores. And its cost in specialized shops for home brewing was very high, I think now it is even higher.

Assembling the crane cost me 500 rubles, at that time almost 3 times cheaper than in a store. And I bought it in parts on the same worn-out aliexpress. I will try to post links to all parts a little below, although I'm not entirely sure that at the current rate it will be really cheaper to order in China.

Speaking of the tie-in into the boiler, everything is simple. I cut in with a multi-stage drill, alternately reaming and trying on. There is nothing complicated in this, besides, if you read the articles earlier, then you know that I have an aluminum boiler. This means that it is much softer and easier to drill than from "stainless" or any other material.

The tap itself can be used for both a wort kettle and a mash tank. It can also be adapted for a fermenter, but in my opinion such a bulky design is unnecessary.

Well, now the crane itself is in parts with the promised links.

I needed two tightening nuts (1/2 '' thread) to secure the valve itself to the boiler:

Pay attention to the inner part of the nut, it comes with a cutout for the O-ring: As for the seal itself, you can order it or cut it yourself. Doesn't matter. The main thing is that the material is heat-resistant, not afraid of heating up to 100 degrees, and also rather soft so that it can fill the points of contact we need.

Transitional nipple (½ inch thread) for easy wort drainage:

Boiler wall tapping fitting:

Making moonshine and alcohol for personal use
absolutely legal!

After the end of the existence of the USSR, the new government stopped the fight against moonshine. Criminal liability and fines were abolished, and an 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 prohibiting you and me from engaging in our favorite hobby - making alcohol at home. This is evidenced by the Federal Law of July 8, 1999 No. 143-FZ "On Administrative Liability of Legal Entities (Organizations) and Individual Entrepreneurs for Offenses in the Field of Production and Turnover of Ethyl Alcohol, Alcoholic and Alcohol-Containing Products" (Collected Legislation Russian Federation, 1999, N 28, art. 3476).

Excerpt from the Federal Law of the Russian Federation:

"This Federal Law does not apply to the activities of citizens (individuals) who produce products containing ethyl alcohol not for the purpose of marketing."

Home brewing in other countries:

In Kazakhstan in accordance with the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan On Administrative Offenses of January 30, 2001 N 155, the following liability is provided. So, according to article 335 "Manufacturing and marketing alcoholic beverages home production "illegal production for the sale of moonshine, chacha, mulberry vodka, home brew and other alcoholic beverages, as well as the sale of these alcoholic beverages, entails a fine in the amount of thirty monthly calculation indices with the confiscation of alcoholic beverages, apparatus, raw materials and equipment for their production, and also received from their sale of money and other values. 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 non-taxable minimum wages for the manufacture and storage of moonshine without the purpose of sale, for storage without the purpose of selling devices * for its production.

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

* Purchase moonshine stills for home use it is still possible, since their second purpose is to distill water and obtain components for natural cosmetics and perfumery.