An overview of the design of the moonshine still: coil, drying tank, distillation cube
For the production of strong alcohol, home distillers use all kinds of devices, made by themselves or purchased in a store. They may have different dimensions, equipment, performance, etc. д.
A traditional moonshine still is a device for distilling brew and consists of three main elements: a still, a coil and a drying tank. Let us dwell briefly on each detail to better understand the principle of operation of the whole system.
Distillation cube
The largest part of the still in which the mash is heated. It must be equipped with a removable, tight-fitting (hermetic) lid.
The volume of the tank can be different: from 5 to 100 liters.
Home distillers prefer containers of medium capacity - 20-30 liters. Too small give a small product yield, too large are difficult to maintain and require significant costs. Used household and food containers are often used as a distillation still: pressure cookers, cans, pots, beer kegs, enamel buckets, etc. д.
The material of execution can be different: usually metal, but there are other options, for example, glass. The best choice is food grade stainless steel or copper.
Aluminum and other available metals are better not to use, as they can affect the quality of the product and quickly break down. Enamelware also does not last long.
It is good if the distillation cube has a wide neck and is equipped with a thermometer: the first simplifies the care of the container, the second is necessary to control the distillation process.
The tank can be heated on an open fire, induction cooker or from the mains using heating elements. Alcohol-containing vapors rise from the still through a tube and enter the next structural element - the drying tank.
The dry still
It is a sealed container made of glass or metal, which filters out some of the harmful impurities from alcohol vapors.
Based on the purpose, the device is also called a sump. It is placed between the distillation still and the refrigerator, connecting them with silicone hoses or metal tubes.
At home, the most commonly used dry steamer is a glass jar.
The principle of operation of the sump is a sharp decrease in pressure and temperature inside the vessel. As a result, the vapors condense: some of them (a certain percentage of fusel oils and water) remain at the bottom of the container, the rest return to the gaseous state and move on.
It is good if the device is equipped with a tap for draining impurities, which simplifies their removal.
Functions of the drying tower:
Strengthening of the distillate.
Rough cleaning of fusel oils.
Protection against foam and drops of mash (splashdown) getting into the final product during strong heating.
Aromatization of alcohol during the distillation process (for this purpose, pieces of fruit or zest are placed in the jar).
Some moonshiners do without a dry still or replace it with a more advanced version of intermediate purification - a deflemmator. This device works like a refrigerator and retains some of the harmful impurities, returning them back to the distillation tank.
One of the versions of this element is a bubbler. Its difference from the dry steamer is in the presence of a liquid inside the jar, in which some of the toxic substances settle. In this case, the tube coming from the tank is immersed deep into the water.
The choice of a particular design is up to the owner of the device. Vzboltai believes that the best option is to connect a deflagrator, which screens out impurities better, but it is better to install a dry steamer or bubbler than not to use intermediate cleaning at all.
As for the presence of several settling tanks, this solution is considered inappropriate in terms of improving the purity of the product. The only "plus" of such a system in strengthening the strength of moonshine.
The coil
After intermediate purification, the alcohol-containing vapors are transferred to the refrigerator, where they condense and turn into the final product. It is the most important element of the moonshine still. The main part of the cooling compartment is a coil, which is a tube twisted in a spiral. There are two types of coils:
Classic
In this case, alcohol vapors move inside the coil, and the coolant (water, ice, snow) is outside, for example, in a bucket. This option does not require a continuous supply of liquid, so it is not tied to the water supply. Alternatively, air cooling can be used, but it is less efficient.
Reverse
This type of device is otherwise called a Dimroth refrigerator. In this case, there is a coolant inside the coil - running water, and alcohol vapors move along its contour inside a special tank and condense on the tube. The liquid in such a refrigerator is fed from the bottom and removed from the top so that it moves towards the steam and creates a countercurrent.
Also, coils differ in location in space. They can be placed horizontally, vertically or at an angle. For classic options, a vertical arrangement is preferable so that the moonshine naturally flows under its own weight into the receiving tank.
You can buy a refrigerator ready-made or make it yourself. Different materials are used for manufacturing:
Copper
Has optimal thermal conductivity, easy to process, improves the quality of moonshine. However, it requires high-quality cleaning with citric acid or vinegar and is more expensive than other options.
Aluminum
Affordable, cheap, easy to operate, but negatively affects product characteristics.
Stainless steel
More affordable than copper, but worse at conducting heat. Difficult to process, but easy to use. Does not affect the quality of alcohol.
Glass
Fragile, has poor thermal conductivity, cannot be processed at home. Among the "pros": affordable cost, inertness to alcohol.
As for the other parameters of the tube, the following are optimal: length (in the straightened state) - 1.5 - 2 m, thickness - about 1 mm, inner diameter - about 1 cm.
The moonshine still can be completely made by yourself, buy separate elements and assemble them into a single structure, or buy a ready-made factory device.
Update: 17.02.2019
Category: Vodka an Moonshine