Instructions on how to make a moonshine still with your own hands

When thinking about home production of alcohol, novice distillers usually choose an inexpensive factory-made distiller. More experienced moonshiners prefer to make the device on their own, adjusting it to their own needs and apartment conditions. A homemade device does not require special expenses, since affordable materials are used, and containers that are out of use are often taken as a basis. The main thing is to have minimal skills in working with metal and construction tools.

In this article, Vzboltai will share the secrets of making a simple moonshine still.

The design of the moonshine apparatus

Before you get started, you should decide on the equipment. The simplest distiller consists of two parts: a distillation cube and a coil (refrigerator) connected by a steam pipe. Such a device is quite suitable for making moonshine. However, the quality of the drink will be mediocre: to improve it, you need double or even triple distillation.

To improve the device (and hence the characteristics of moonshine), it is recommended to include one or more additional elements in it:

1. Dry still (bubbler). Removes some of the fusel oils, protects against splashing, and allows you to flavor the drink.

2. A deflagromator. It will provide better purification, improve the flavoring properties of the distillate, and allow you to limit yourself to a single distillation, which will save time.

3. Parrot with a spirit meter. Allows you to accurately measure the strength of the drink at the output and clearly separate the fractions.

4. Tsarga. Turns the still into a still column producing stronger and better quality alcohol.

5. HEATING ELEMENT. A special heater will allow you to refuse to use an open flame and make the device more mobile.

Any device requires connecting elements: hoses, fittings, adapters, etc. д. It will also be useful to equip the device with a thermometer to control the process. It is better to use silicone/metal tubes, copper or stainless steel fittings/nuts/nipples, silicone gaskets, but not rubber gaskets to connect the parts of the device.

We make a distillation cube

Pressure cookers/multi-cookers, beer kegs, pots, cans, buckets, etc. are often used as a tank. д. When choosing a container, you should pay attention to the following parameters:

1. Quality material. Food grade stainless steel or copper are ideal. Glass can be used, but it is impractical. It is better to refuse aluminum.

2. Volume. Optimal tank capacity: 15-30 liters. Less/more is possible, but inconvenient in operation.

3. The presence of a tight-fitting lid and a pressure relief valve (if not, it is recommended to install it yourself).

Instructions for making a simple and cheap cube from a saucepan

1. Cut a piece of silicone hose (d=8 mm) lengthwise, stretch it over the edge of the pot along the entire diameter to seal it.

2. Drill a hole in the lid for the steam line, clean the edges.

3. Insert the adapter, fasten it with a nut from the inside, providing a silicone gasket for tightness.

4. Connect a steam line from the outside - a silicone hose or a metal tube to connect the cube with other elements of the device.

5. Before distillation, fix the lid with paper clips around the entire diameter (6-8 times).

6. Optionally, equip the structure with a heating element by drilling a corresponding hole in the cube just above the bottom and inserting a connecting coupling (clamp) into it.

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In a similar way, you can make a distillation tank from a bucket, pressure cooker, or beer keg. When welding a container made of stainless steel or copper by yourself, it is recommended to carefully process the seams. To equip the device with a thermometer and a safety valve, you need to cut holes in the lid and fix the devices with fittings.

Making a dry steamer/bubbler

A glass jar with a lid is usually used as the basis for a simple sump. For effective operation, its volume should be 10 times less than the corresponding parameter of the tank. An alternative version is made of stainless steel: it is stronger and more durable. It is very important to connect the device correctly to avoid an explosion.

Instructions for making a sump bubbler from a jar:

1. Make 2 holes in the metal lid with an awl or drill, round the edges.

2. Insert external threaded fittings into the holes so that the ends for the hoses are outside.

3. Treat the joints on both sides with cold welding/ hot melt adhesive for sealing or seal with a silicone gasket.

4. Connect a piece of silicone hose to one of the fittings on the inside of the lid so that its lower end is 2-3 cm above the bottom in a closed jar. Fix the end of the steam pipe coming from the cube from the outside.

5. Connect the second fitting from the outside to the refrigerator with a tube, and screw the lock nut to it inside.

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In order to turn a bubbler into a drying vessel, the hoses should be placed as follows: the inlet tube (from the cube) should be lowered into the jar 2-3 cm lower than the outlet tube (to the refrigerator). Otherwise, the pressure in the device will exceed the permissible pressure and cause damage to the device.

The disadvantage of glass drying tanks is the absence of a drain valve, which makes it difficult to remove fusel oils from them. It is recommended to clean the container from impurities before collecting the main fraction ("body"). The use of several drying vessels in one apparatus is considered inexpedient, as it does not improve the quality of cleaning, but leads to losses of moonshine. The advantage of this design is the increased strength of the product. A more rational alternative is to connect a deflagrator, which does a better job of pre-cleaning.

We make a refrigerator

The simplest version of the coil is a copper or steel tube twisted into a spiral. It is immersed in a bucket of cold water or snow, as a result of which the alcohol vapors inside condense and turn into moonshine. It is enough to connect this design to the hose coming from the sump, and equip the bucket with a drain valve.

You can make a better and more modern refrigerator with a tank. For the coil, you will need a stainless steel or copper tube 1.5-2 m long, 0.8-1.2 cm in diameter, with a wall thickness of about 1 mm. For the tank you need a wide metal (plastic) pipe with a diameter of 7-8 cm and 2 plugs for it.

Manufacturing instructions:

1. Fill a long tube with sand/soda to prevent deflections during twisting. Alternatively, you can pour water into it and freeze it.

2. Hammer the ends with wooden pegs / clamp / weld to prevent the filler from spilling out.

3. Wrap the pipe on a smooth cylindrical object (d=3.5 cm), keeping a 1.2 cm pitch between turns.

4. Release the ends of the coil from pegs/soldering/clamps, remove sand, rinse thoroughly with water under high pressure.

5. Cut 2 holes in a wide tube (refrigerator body) for water inlet and outlet according to the diagram, install nozzles in them.

6. Place the finished coil in the case: the ends of the spiral should go out. Provide the body with plugs at the top and bottom, cutting holes for the coil to be led out, and seal the joints.

Another version of a homemade cooler:

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Connect the refrigerator to the dry steamer (deflagration unit) using a silicone hose or metal tube. In this case, the water drainage hole should be closer to the settling tank, and the water supply pipe should be further away.

A simple moonshine machine is ready. Before distilling the brew, it is recommended to test it on water distillation.

Update: 16.02.2019

Category: Vodka an Moonshine