Drawings on how to make a moonshine still. Do-it-yourself moonshine still: the simplest models that do not require large financial costs. Magic cauldron: alembic made from improvised means

A distiller in moonshine is needed to purify the liquid from harmful impurities. Every moonshiner can make such a device with his own hands. Making a distiller is not difficult, but you will need some tools, items and a little time. But the output will be a high-quality, purified product.

A moonshine still is used to distill liquid to produce a strong alcoholic drink. As a rule, it consists of the following parts:

1. Distillation cube. This is a reservoir where mash is poured and it is heated in it. For it, you can use any container that is hermetically sealed and is not afraid of high temperatures and pressure. A can, a pressure cooker, or a saucepan are perfect.
2. Capacitor. Here, various tubes are used to condense the gas.
3. Containers for the finished product. Typically, moonshiners use glass jars for the final liquid. But you can take other containers, the main thing is to be able to monitor the level.

Types of distillers

Distillers come in different types:

1. Industrial. In industry, special rectification columns are used to produce pure alcohol.
2. Household. The devices have a less complex design, but with multi-stage distillation, high-quality moonshine is obtained.
3. Homemade designs. They are more economical, and with a properly structured process, the product turns out no worse than the factory one. At the same time, the moonshiner knows what elements he used for it.

The operating principle of distillers is the same. But the dimensions, materials and design itself have significant differences.

In addition, moonshine stills are:

1. Flow-through. Such structures are connected to the water supply.
2. Not flowing. They are filled with distilled liquid and do not require connection to a water supply.

Some distillers are equipped with steamers, reflux condensers, and thermometers, which allows more precise control of the distillation process.

DIY moonshine distiller

There are a lot of different moonshine stills from the store, but if the moonshiner makes the design himself, he knows exactly what parts are used, how strong and reliable they are.

It is not difficult to make a distiller with your own hands. To begin, select a container for distillation. It must be completely sealed. Many people use large milk cans. They are equipped with the necessary lid that is easy to close and open. The can has a wide neck and has handles for carrying.

An enamel saucepan with a lid will also work. It can withstand high temperatures. The container differs in displacement, so you can expel as much moonshine as you want. Make a hole in the lid of the dish through which steam will escape.

Moonshiners often use a stainless steel pressure cooker for the still. It has a convenient lid and safety valves.

Choose the container based on your needs and capabilities. For a small amount of moonshine, a pressure cooker or small container is suitable. In order to expel a lot of moonshine, use a can or large-capacity pans.

A coil is attached to the cube. Copper tubes are suitable; they have good thermal conductivity and are less oxidized. Glass tubes are fragile and difficult to make. An aluminum tube can be used, but it will oxidize over time.

Prepare a container for the finished product. It is more convenient to use glass jars; in them you can see how pure the product is and you can monitor the level.

After the necessary parts have been prepared, we proceed to assembling the distiller:

1. Remove the rubber bands from the cube. For safety, the lid is attached with reinforced tape, silicone sealant or dough (flour and water). Check that everything is dry and firmly in place.
2. Make a hole in the lid of the distillation container and insert the adapter there. A plumbing pipe of suitable diameter, a copper pipe or a wooden cylinder is suitable for this. Screw a capacitor onto it.
3. To connect the coil with water, rubber or. Check the tightness! Using a hose, water is supplied, steam is removed and the finished product is discharged. Silicone hoses are of higher quality, resistant to high temperatures, fungus, durable, and elastic.

Our distiller is ready, you can start brewing moonshine.

Non-traditional distillers for moonshine

Some moonshiners use unconventional parts for their moonshine still. Distillers are made from an aquarium, old samovars, and metal pipes. Condensers from refrigerators are used to cool the coil. But we must remember about sealing, thermal conductivity, high pressure and temperature.

A distiller is easy and inexpensive to make. In this case, experienced moonshiners will monitor its reliability, strength and regulate the quality of the product.

Few people will undertake to make a moonshine still from scratch on their own - it is much easier to buy a ready-made assembled model, and I know this from personal experience, but this material will be of interest precisely to those who are not looking for easy ways, but want to be independent in everything. I will attach drawings of the moonshine still, but you can completely do without them. Let's start with the fact that it makes sense only for a specialist in the field of argon arc welding with his own equipment to undertake the independent manufacture of a distillation cube, because this is the method used to cook food-grade stainless steel or copper. This is quite complicated, but for general development we will attach these drawings below. Now to the point.

DIY moonshine still - drawings of “components”

So, a moonshine still consists of only two main parts - a distillation cube and a refrigerator. Steamers and bubblers are used as additional accessories. Let's take a look at the schematic drawings in turn, in which I, to the best of my talent and giftedness, tried to clearly depict the components of the moonshine still and show their operating principle.

Alembic

In this incomparable picture we see a classic aluminum flask, which consists of the following parts:

1. Actually - an aluminum flask
2. Hermetic lid with seal made of food grade rubber or silicone
3. Outlet pipe - you can simply drill a hole in the lid and use a threaded tube of a convenient diameter, which is secured with nuts on both sides. The nuts are screwed onto the rubber seal
4. Thermometer showing the temperature of the vapors - can be built in exactly the same way as the outlet pipe
5. Fermented and ready to distill mash
6. Vapors generated by heating

Absolutely nothing complicated - a primitive and reliable device for all times.

Refrigerator or coil

The second important element of the device is the coil or refrigerator. Below you see a unique illustration of a static type refrigerator.

It consists of the following elements:

1. Inlet end of copper tube
2. Spiral twisted coil
3. The outlet end of the tube is where the condensed moonshine will flow from
4. Any plastic or metal container
5. Cold water

The flow-type coil differs only in that water is forced into the cooling compartment, which makes it possible to significantly reduce its size.

Now let’s look at additional accessories that you can make yourself without any problems. You can make a steamer for a moonshine still in 3 minutes.

Sukhoparnik

This wonderful device is nothing more than an ordinary glass jar of canned peas. I think if you take pickles or mushrooms from under, then nothing bad will happen either. Components of this device:

1. The glass jar itself
2. Outlet pipe
3. Inlet pipe
4. Hot alcohol vapors
5. Fusel oils and water

As for the pipes, you don’t have to install them at all, but simply drill two holes in the lid - I personally did just that. From a flask, on the outlet of which I have a special nozzle for a hose, I run a small piece of silicone hose into the steamer, and seal the entry point with bread crumb. A small-diameter silicone hose also goes into the second hole of the steamer, the second end of which I put on the copper tube of the refrigerator. Preparing for the haul takes as much as 1.5 minutes, and making such a steamer takes 30 seconds.

The function that this device performs is additional purification of the resulting product from fusel oils. A steam chamber is installed in the area between the distillation cube and the refrigerator.

Bubbler

As you can see, the bubbler is structurally not much different from the steam steamer, and it consists of the following elements:

1. Hermetically sealed lid
2. Glass jar
3. Outlet pipe
4. Inlet pipe
5. Fusel oils rising closer to the surface
6. Alcohol-laced water
7. Hot vapor passing through a liquid
8. Purified and saturated alcohol vapors rushing into the refrigerator coil

The main design difference is the mandatory installation of pipes in the lid, and one of them must reach almost to the very bottom of the can. The point is that the container is gradually filled with condensate, vapors begin to pass through it, giving away fusel and harmful impurities, taking away ethyl. As a result, the strength and purity of the final product are significantly increased.

That's all, actually. In principle, you don’t need a drawing of a moonshine still with dimensions. The only thing that still needs to be mentioned is the optimal length of the coil, which should be about 1.5 - 2 meters for household devices, provided that a copper tube with a diameter of about 3-4 mm is used.

After the bad moonshine of the 90s, many people were turned away from this drink for a long time, but recently traditions have begun to be restored. People began to understand that bad moonshine is made only from bad raw materials, and from good, high-quality raw materials, excellent alcohol is obtained, superior in quality to the same vodka.

However, it is very difficult to prepare high-quality moonshine without a special apparatus, and it is not always possible to buy it. Let’s put it this way: it costs a lot and it’s difficult to find a normal one.

Therefore, many lovers of homemade alcohol are inclined to think that they need to make a moonshine still with their own hands. What is needed for this?

Firstly, understand the essence of moonshine brewing technology, and secondly, understand which fragments must be present in the apparatus.

The principle of moonshine technology

Despite the variety of all available methods for producing moonshine, the essence of the process comes down to the fact that the raw material is heated in a sealed container, and its vapors containing alcohol are cooled as they pass through the pipe. In the form of condensation, they flow into another container. The resulting distillate is the moonshine we need.

This process is clearly shown in the figure:

Thus, we can clearly see that the moonshine still must have a container into which the raw material (mash) is poured - a distillation cube or evaporator, a pipe through which vapor will pass, a cooler and a container for collecting the distillate.

Despite its simplicity, the combination of these elements gave rise to many designs of moonshine stills. Craftsmen have long figured out how to make a moonshine still using scrap materials.

Moonshine still designs

Any design has its pros and cons, as well as parts that, like a designer, are put together into a specific model of the device. By the way, the quality of moonshine depends more on the accuracy of its preparation than on the complexity of the apparatus itself.

Model 1. Isothermal distillation apparatus

In the picture below you can see two almost identical moonshine stills. These are the simplest schemes that do not require any special skills to create them.

You will need: a gas or electric stove serving as a heat source (5), a large saucepan or stainless steel pot (evaporator) (3), mash (4), a dish (deep bowl) for collecting moonshine and a stand for it (2), a basin , the size corresponding to the width of the pan (entering it to the middle) (1).

The essence of working with such a device is simple: you pour the mash into the evaporator, install a stand for the moonshine collection container and place an empty container on it. Next, you install a basin that should partially fit into the evaporator, but not touch the moonshine bowl. Ice water is poured into the basin, and the entire structure is installed on a heat source (stove). To ensure tight contact, the place where the basin enters the pan can be tied with a towel soaked in cold water or a layer of fresh dough. When heated, the mash vapor comes into contact with a cold basin, and, as a result of condensation, drops into a container for collecting moonshine.

This method has many disadvantages:

• there is a possibility of mash getting into the moonshine collection container
• you cannot determine the strength of the moonshine that is formed until you disassemble the device

However, this device can be improved with the help of a funnel and outlet tube (2), which replace the container for collecting moonshine in the design:

Such a device allows you to collect moonshine outside the evaporator, which reduces the number of disadvantages of such a device and improves the quality of the alcohol itself.

The funnel, like the container for collecting moonshine in the earlier model, must be placed on a stand. This stand can be a tripod or a wire basket.

Model 2. Moonshine from a pressure cooker

Do you remember Soviet pressure cookers? Nowadays they rarely cook in them, but any moonshiner who owns this treasure knows that making a full-fledged moonshine still from it is not too difficult.

How to make a moonshine still from a pressure cooker is shown in the figure:

You will need: gas stove and pressure cooker.

The technology for assembling the device is that the two valves on the cover (1) are replaced with rubber plugs, into one of which a thermometer (2) is inserted, and into the other a fairly long tube (3).

A tap (4) and a device for cooling the vapor with ice water (5) are installed on the tube. The water inlet and outlet are shown in the figure using arrows.

Sometimes a coil is inserted into the vapor cooling device (5) (as a fragment of a tube (3)). How to make it is described in detail below, and now we will tell you how to make a tube - a cooler (as in the photo).

We insert the coil or tube (3) into a piece of plastic or metal pipe:

We prepare fittings for water supply and drainage:

They will need to be glued to the cooler; for this you will need to heat them up and press them against the pipe.

Irregularities may form inside the pipe where the drill inserts. They need to be cleaned with a knife or sandpaper.

The result is a design like this:

To close the pipe on the sides, you need to cut out lids from tin from beer cans or seaming lids. You need to make slots in them for the coil tubes and glue them inside with superglue.

To completely seal the seams, you can use a hot glue gun, first forming a border around the seam using simple baking soda. You will end up with a fairly reliable design.

Next you will have to seal the coil tightly. This is done using epoxy glue, which is used to fill the entry and exit points of the coil. Sometimes, to save glue and make the structure look noble, epoxy is mixed with silver.

Attention! The second edge of the coil is sealed only after the first has completely dried. Only diligence and patience will allow you to create a high-quality cooler.

A glass tip (7) is placed on the outlet end of the tube (3) or coil, through which the moonshine enters the moonshine collection container (6). It must be installed in such a way that the distillate falls into the container, but the tip itself does not lie in it.

The collection container (6) can be a glass jar with a screw cap, in which a hole is made for inserting the tip. This container (6) must be placed in a saucepan with cold water (8).

The essence of working with the device: after the mash is poured into the pressure cooker, it is put on fire, and the cooler (5) is connected to running water. After boiling, the mash should bubble over low heat. Alcohol vapor, rising through the tube, will be cooled by the pressure of running water in the cooler and flow into an additionally cooled receiver.

Design advantages:

• minimum modifications
• Due to double cooling, a higher degree of alcohol is maintained
• there is no chance of mash getting into the moonshine collection container

Design disadvantages:

• when making a large amount of moonshine, you will have to disassemble and reassemble the structure many times
• you cannot separate the “heads” and “tails” of moonshine, which reduces its quality and requires additional purification of the product

Model 3. Alembic with coil

This is the most common model. Using it you can get 0.6-0.8 liters of moonshine per hour.

You will need: a gas stove, a large container for mash (1) with a tight-fitting lid (2), a thermometer that determines the temperature of the mash (3), a tube for removing alcohol vapors (4), a valve (tap) (5), a coil (6 ), a capacious container with inlet and drain (locations indicated by arrows) of cold water (7). In addition, you will need a container to collect the resulting alcohol.

The essence of working with the device: fill the mash container 2/3 with it and wait for it to boil (78°C). It should boil gradually and evenly. This is achieved using low to medium heat. The best option would be to lower the heating temperature after the mash reaches 75°C. Excessively violent boiling can throw mash particles into the outlet pipe and ruin the entire moonshine process.

Passing through the coil, the steam cools and enters the moonshine receiver as a ready-made distillate.

A similar moonshine still can be made from a flask in which milk is usually transported. Let's consider this option in more detail.

During the creation of the apparatus, a 40-liter flask will serve as a distillation cube. To begin, remove the lid from it and disconnect the bar that presses the lid to the flask and the lever with the clamp on the flask itself.

In addition to the dough, the fit of the lid to the flask can be ensured by “fum” tape. It will also work if, for example, you start using not a flask, but a large saucepan:

For cooling, you will need to choose a 30-liter tank made of stainless steel, galvanized iron, hard thick plastic or aluminum. A coil will be located inside it.

How to make a coil.

At home, the coil is made from a copper tube. Its diameter should be 10-12 mm, and its length should be about 3 meters.

To create a coil, a tube is wound around a pipe to form a spiral. The diameter of the spiral matters only in the sense that it should easily fit into the tank for

cooling.

The number of turns can be arbitrary - sometimes it is enough to make only 2 or 3 turns.

The coil must be bent carefully so as not to break it. To do this, a copper tube is tightly filled with sand before bending, with its ends flattened.

The finished coil is inserted into the tank vertically, and its lower end must have an exit from the tank. In this case, the tightness of the outlet can be ensured in different ways, for example, using a brass bushing with a thread along the outer diameter, a nut and a paronite gasket.

From above, the coil is attached to the tank with a clamp.

In addition, the tank must have 2 drilled holes with pieces of tube soldered into them for supplying and draining water (hoses are put on the tubes for this purpose).

It is very good when the water supply to the tank is regulated by a tap.

Model 4. Moonshine still with steamer

The design of this model almost completely duplicates the previous one, with one exception - between the container for mash and the cooler, a steam tank is installed in it (a sealed container that separates fusel oils from alcohol vapors).

In the picture this device looks like this:

The essence of the operation of a steam steamer is that when steam enters it, the pressure inside a container larger than the pipe drops, the temperature decreases, and fusel oils with a small part of the distillate precipitate. Typically, out of 10 liters of mash, this sediment is about 200 ml.

The action of the steamer is well reflected in the figure:

Creating a still with or without a steamer depends on personal preference, but you should know that when assembling a moonshine still with your own hands, it will not be difficult for you to build a steamer.

It is made from a regular 1-3 liter jar with a screw cap. Two holes are made in the lid into which fittings are inserted. They are secured with nuts and additionally treated (outside) with hot melt adhesive.

After the structure is ready, it is connected by hoses to a mash container and a cooler. At the same time, try (if possible) to ensure that the incoming tube of the steam tank is slightly lower than the outgoing tube (by 1-1.5 cm).

There is another design for a home steamer. Everything about it is also simple: one wide hole is made in the lid of the jar into which the coupling is inserted. It needs to be secured with a nut, and the tubes from the coil and mash containers must be placed inside. Before being placed in the coupling, they are cleaned and tied with threads.

Inside the lid, you need to stuff cotton wool into the gaps and fill it with epoxy glue on top. When it dries, the cotton wool is removed.

When assembling a moonshine still with your own hands, you can install a steamer on almost every model (except for the first, simplest one).

There is a similar model of a moonshine still, but still differs from the previous version.

Model 5. Device with two containers

In order to make this moonshine still with your own hands, you will need to study in detail the structure of previous models.

The disadvantage of this option is its complexity and lower alcohol yield, but the big advantage is the high quality of the resulting moonshine.

You will need:

• gas stove with two parallel burners
• large mash container (1) with a tight-fitting lid
• two thermometers (2) - to determine the temperature of the mash and water,
• tube to protect the device from pressure surges (3)
• valve (4)
• tube for removing alcohol vapors (5)
• water container (6)
• tube – cooler with coil (7)
• container for collecting the resulting alcohol, installed in a vessel with cold water (8)

The essence of working with the device:

1. We heat the water in the container (6) to 80-82°C and use a thermometer to constantly maintain it.
2. Heat the mash to 78°C. At this temperature it boils and the release of alcoholic vapors begins.
3. The vapors leaving the heating container (1) enter a container with water (6), where some of the water and fusel oils settle, while the alcohol vapors continue their journey through the cooler into the distillate collection container.

Model 6. A device created from a multicooker

This model is dictated by modernity, but not everyone likes it. Its main disadvantage is that moonshine in it can only be prepared from sugar mash, i.e. absolutely pure liquid.

The design of the device is simple, it contains only 3 elements: the multicooker itself, a glass distillation tube from the laboratory, 3 medical tubes (but better than silicone ones) of 1 meter each. In addition, you will need an outlet and a tap with running water.

The assembled device looks like this:

You need to use the device like this: after installing and securing the hoses (based on the photo), you need to set the “multi-cook” or “cooking” mode on the multicooker. The initial heating temperature should be 120°C, but when steam begins to form it will need to be reduced to 100°C.

The moonshine obtained as a result of this experiment is quite transparent, but many complain about its low strength.

P.S. The models of moonshine stills presented in the article are given as examples of their possible options.

When making a home brewing apparatus, we recommend that you use only stainless steel, glass and silicone as materials for its elements.

If you use other materials, we do not guarantee you the complete absence of harmful compounds in the moonshine produced using these machines.

The chemical composition of the distillate obtained at home can be checked in any chemical laboratory.

How to make a simple moonshine still with your own hands

Nowadays, given the large amount of counterfeit alcohol in stores, more and more of our compatriots are leaning towards making moonshine at home. Nowadays, the law does not provide for punishment for moonshine brewing for personal purposes, so this is a good solution for those who want to have 100% high-quality alcohol at their feasts. Today, stores offer a huge variety of different moonshine stills, ranging from the simplest distillers to almost professional home mini-distilleries. The price also ranges from quite acceptable to very impressive amounts.

But still, for a novice moonshiner it is better to use a homemade moonshine still. Firstly, it will be cheaper than buying ready-made equipment. Secondly, without much understanding of moonshine equipment, you can ruin expensive equipment, and in the process of making a moonshine still, you will begin to understand what is needed for what and how exactly distillation occurs. Thirdly, and this applies not only to beginners, when buying a homemade moonshine still in finished form, you will not be sure of its quality or you may even run into a fake.

In this material we will try to reveal in as much detail as possible all the intricacies of how to make a moonshine still at home. We will consider the classic version of the distiller. Using it, you are unlikely to be able to make exclusive or exotic drinks like Calvados or whiskey, but it is time-tested, simple, reliable and inexpensive to assemble.

Design of the simplest moonshine still

The simplest scheme of a moonshine still consists of a distillation cube and a refrigerator. The mash boils in the distillation cube, and alcohol vapors settle in the refrigerator, resulting in the formation of moonshine. However, this simple moonshine still will saturate the drink with fusel oils and other harmful impurities. To get rid of them, you need to add something else to the design, or, as it is also called, a reflux condenser. We will tell you how to make a moonshine still from available materials, with minimal financial investment.

Alembic

So, the first element we will look at is the distillation cube. A distillation cube is a container in which the mash will boil during the distillation of moonshine. What can it be made from?

Most often in old, still Soviet devices, there is an aluminum cube. The distillation cube was made from a flask or can, in which milk was previously transported. It is not recommended to use such material for the manufacture of a moonshine still, because aluminum partially reacts with various acids and alcohol in the mash. In addition to the fact that unnecessary impurities appear in moonshine, with frequent use the aluminum still begins to leak after a short time and fails.

Enameled dishes. This material is neutral to acids and alcohol. If used carefully, without hitting or scratching, it can last quite a long time even with frequent use. However, it is quite difficult to seal a moonshine still from a pan well. Craftsmen have also learned to make cubes from a milking machine tank for cows, but this option is unlikely to suit a city dweller.

The most reliable option is food-grade stainless steel. Such a cube will serve for a long time; it does not come into contact with the mash, which eliminates additional harmful impurities in the finished product. However, cubes made from this material are quite expensive, and often ordinary galvanized steel is sold under the guise of stainless steel, and this is also not so durable.

You can also use a copper container as a cube, but as a rule, this is too expensive an option for a moonshine still.

The volume of the distillation cube must be selected according to the volumes in which you intend to produce moonshine. Ideal for household needs from 25 to 35 liters.
It is important to follow one rule! Never fill the still completely, it should be filled to about 80%. This is done for safety reasons, so that when boiling, the pressure in the cube does not exceed the permissible value and the cube does not burst. When choosing a container for the distillation cube, pay attention to the width of the neck. It should be large enough to make it convenient to pour the mash and wash the cube after distillation.

Don't forget about the size of the container either. The cube must be placed on the stove, be stable and not interfere with access to the entire apparatus.

You can make an electric moonshine still. For him, a distillation cube is made from a pressure cooker. It has a small volume, but it has its advantages - there is no need to use a stove, since it has its own heater, and it is initially sealed. You only need to make a hole in the lid for the steam outlet tube.

A milk can, preferably made of steel, is best. This is the simplest option. Just be sure to change the rubber gasket under the lid to silicone, because alcohol vapor absorbs harmful substances from rubber. This will certainly affect the quality, taste and smell of the finished product.

How to do it yourself: remove the rubber gasket, then apply silicone sealant to the edges of the lid and leave to dry. Repeat several times. Place cellophane on the neck of the can and close the lid. Keep it this way until completely dry. This will make an excellent silicone seal.

Moonshine still refrigerator

The refrigerator in the moonshine still plays a very important role - it is in it that the alcohol vapors condense and the finished product flows from there. To make a refrigerator, it is enough to understand how the principle of its operation works.

There are two types of refrigerators: direct-flow and coil. A straight-through refrigerator consists of a straight metal tube that is placed inside a pipe with a wider diameter. Water flows continuously through this pipe, acting as a refrigerant. You can make a simple refrigerator for a moonshine still with your own hands from a copper tube with a diameter of up to 10 mm and a polypropylene pipe with a diameter of more than 20 mm. Fittings with plugs are screwed onto the polypropylene pipe, and holes are drilled into them with a diameter similar to that of a copper pipe. The copper tube will need to be inserted into these holes and seal the cracks. The copper tube is connected to the distillation cube, and the fittings are connected to the water tap.

Coils are made of glass, copper, aluminum or food grade stainless steel. Copper and aluminum have good thermal conductivity and are easy to make a coil from. But they have disadvantages - they are oxidized by alcohol vapor, so they must be cleaned with vinegar or citric acid after each distillation. It is impossible to make a glass coil yourself; you can buy it in a special store. However, they are very fragile, so it is not recommended to use such devices. Food steel does not oxidize and does not release any substances into the finished product, however, the thermal conductivity of steel is three to four times lower than that of copper. The best option is a copper coil. In some countries, copper is even the only permitted material for the manufacture of distillers. But it must be constantly cleaned.

The longer the coil tube, the more contact there is with the cooling element, but tubes that are too long have poor performance. The optimal option is 1.5-2 meters. The inner diameter of the tube is approximately 8-12 mm.

The copper tube must be twisted in a spiral with a small distance between the turns. The coil itself is lowered into a reservoir with a coolant, usually water. Systems can be closed - the water is constantly in the tank and does not circulate, and open - the water is constantly moving. A closed refrigerator is easier to manufacture and uses less water, but its characteristics are worse - even if you change the water regularly, it heats up quickly enough, as a result of which alcohol condenses poorly. Therefore, the losses of moonshine are quite large. An open system is more difficult to manufacture, but moonshine condenses better and its quality is higher.

The simplest and cheapest option is to wind a copper tube into a spiral with an outer diameter of approximately 100 mm, and use a 110 mm piece of sewer pipe as a reservoir. Drill two small holes on the sides of the pipe for silicone tubes leading to the coil, place the spiral inside and close the pipe on both sides with special plugs. They also drill holes for the cold water supply and outlet hoses. The structure must be connected to the water supply in such a way that cold water flows in the opposite direction to the movement of steam.

These elements are designed to clean steam from fusel oils and other harmful impurities. The principle of operation of the device is that the condensation temperatures of these impurities are lower than the condensation temperature of alcohol, therefore, alcohol vapors passing through these devices are cleared of fusel oil vapors.

A steamer can be made from an ordinary glass jar with a screw-on lid. You need to drill two holes in the lid for inlet and outlet of vapors, screw the fittings into them and connect the hoses. After which the lid is screwed onto the jar. The inlet tube must be lowered below the outlet tube by 15-30 mm. Alcohol vapor will escape through the outlet tube, and fusel oil vapor will settle on the walls of the jar. A steamer made in this way is easy to clean and rinse.

The bubbler performs the same function as the steam steamer. The difference is that the alcohol vapor passes through a layer of water. In a bubbler, the inlet tube descends almost to the bottom of the jar, not reaching 2-3 cm. Before distillation, cold water must be poured into the bubbler. The outlet tube must not touch the water.

How to assemble a simple moonshine still

Assembling the device is very simple. A hole must be drilled in the lid of the distillation cube to which a tube must be connected to allow steam to escape. This tube is connected to a steamer or bubbler, and from there it is connected to the refrigerator. A refrigerator with an open cooling system must be connected to the water supply and drain. A container for the finished product is placed or connected under the outlet tube of the coil. The assembly of the moonshine still is complete.

Pay attention to the material from which all connecting hoses are made. It is best to use food-grade silicone; it does not react in any way with alcohol vapors. The main thing is not to confuse it with PVC pipes, which begin to melt from the high temperature and harmful impurities are added to the alcohol vapor. You should also not use rubber, due to the fact that alcohol vapor absorbs harmful substances from this material.

It is not recommended to seal the entire structure tightly after assembly. The tubes must be made easily removable, and the connection must be airtight. If you make the tubes non-removable, then servicing, washing and moving the assembled device will be very inconvenient.

If you wish, you can install thermometers on the still or the distiller itself to make it easier to monitor the temperature of the process.

That's all, the home moonshine still is ready. Now you know how to make a moonshine still with your own hands. You can put in the mash and start distilling; you can get your high-quality alcohol at home.

If you still have questions about making a moonshine still, you can look at photos and videos that explain each step in detail. Descriptions and drawings of all devices can be found there.

Thought to collect sooner or later it occurs in everyone who has once tried high-quality homemade moonshine. The opportunity to personally prepare a strong drink attracts many. Of course, it’s easier to buy a ready-made device, but making it yourself will help you more fully understand the design of the device and the stages of the distillation process itself. Let's take a closer look at how to make a high-quality device for distilling alcohol yourself.

How does the distillation process work?

The whole point of distilling or distilling mash into moonshine is that when heated, the alcohol turns into steam and goes through tubes into a cooler where it condenses into liquid and flows into the receiving vessel.

The process can be supplemented with a steam steamer for partial. But you shouldn’t rely on it completely; additional cleaning is necessary. Also, you should not assume that several steamers will help to better purify alcohol. The bulk of fusel oils settles in the first device, all additional ones separate only water and simply make the drink stronger, but not purer.

You should also monitor the process temperature. Heating the mash to 65 degrees allows you to separate the first fraction, in which case harmful impurities and alcohols other than ethyl evaporate. Heating to 78 degrees allows you to get the main drink; it is this temperature that is recommended to be maintained during the process. The indicator can be tracked using a thermometer, which is installed at the outlet of the cube or at the inlet of the cooler.

Alcohol mashine

Before starting the process and collectingDIY moonshine still,It is necessary to find out what parts the device consists of. All distillers have the same structure and identical components.

In addition, in the future, any homemade distillation structure can be improved and supplemented with carbon filters, thermometers, bubblers, and so on. The result is an almost professional design for producing high-quality alcohol at home.

The quickest way to assemble a distiller of the simplest design from available elements. But the moonshine obtained from it is unsuitable for consumption after the first distillation; at a minimum, a repeated process and subsequent rectification are required.

DIY moonshine still

Now let's look at each element of the device separately. Let's figure out how to make it at home. And how to ultimately combine all the prepared elements of the distiller into a single apparatus.

Distillation cube

One of the main components of the apparatus, mash boils in it. In order for the container to be convenient for use, it is advisable to choose a container with a wide neck. In this case, it will be convenient not only to fill the mash, but also to wash the container after the process is completed.

The best material for this container is stainless steel. It does not react with alcohol and does not release unnecessary components. Aluminum tanks, common in the recent past, are unreliable and give unnecessary reaction.

The volume of containers depends on the scale of moonshine production. It is important to consider that you do not need to fill the cube completely; at least 20% of the volume should remain empty. From about 30 liters of mash you get a little less than 3 liters of moonshine. Based on this calculation, you need to choose the size of the cube.

In order to collectDIY moonshine stilluse milk cans, enamel pans or pressure cookers. A pressure cooker is good because it allows you to seal the process well, but has a small volume. The pan requires an additional sealing of the lid. Usually, to do this, the handle is removed last and a steam hose is passed into it and secured. The edges are attached with a clamp and the joint is coated with medium-thick dough, the latter hardens when heated and seals well.

A milk can will be the best solution, as it allows you to tightly seal the container. The main thing is to replace the rubber gasket with a silicone one to prevent the release of harmful substances into the alcohol. Aquarium sealant works great for this. You need to remove the old gasket and apply the last one in several layers, usually 2-3 is enough. After drying, you need to cover the neck of the can with cellophane and close the lid so that the silicone takes the desired shape of the seal.

A hole is made in the lid for connection with the rest of the structural elements. The diameter of the hole depends on the size of the coil. Adapters for connection are purchased at plumbing stores.

Coil and cooler

Another important part of the device, which cools the alcohol vapor and promotes its condensation. Consists of a coil and a cooling tank. The first requires more attention; it must be safe and not consist of materials that react with alcohol, withstand elevated temperatures and have a high degree of thermal conductivity. The best option for a coil is a copper tube. But it requires cleaning after each distillation process.

A tube that is too long will reduce the distillation speed. The ideal option is about 2 meters. The internal diameter, according to the recommendations of professionals, should not exceed 12 mm. Wall thickness, to achieve the best result, is 0.9–1.1 mm. To make a coil yourself, you need to select a suitable copper tube and fill it with sand. The latter is required so that the material does not flatten when twisted and retains its shape. The tube is then wound onto a cylindrical object of suitable diameter with a distance between turns of 12 mm. Then pour sand and wash the inner surface.

The coil is placed in the cooler body, which is also a cylinder with soldered tubes for the inflow and outflow of cold water. It is the flow cooler that is considered the best option. Plugs and all existing seams are installed at the top and bottom of the cylinder, and the connections are secured with sealant.

Connecting pipes

To collect DIY moonshine stillTo put the structure together and finally prepare it for use, additional tubes are required. Why use removable pipes when you can weld the structure together? The latter will make the apparatus monolithic, which, in turn, will significantly complicate the maintenance of the distiller.