Like a do-it-yourself moonshine. How to make a moonshine with your own hands - step by step instructions. Serpentine: transport artery of the system

In our country, moonshine stills are not new products, they are old, familiar to everyone units for preparing drinks of our own production with a variety of additives. In Russia, do-it-yourself moonshine stills began to be made during the period of strict Prohibition, when people were forced to look for other ways to get alcoholic beverages for the holidays.

The standard design of moonshine stills was known to both children and adults. Even those who did not have such devices at home understood the structure of these home helpers. Today, the legislation is loyal to those who make alcoholic beverages for their own use. For sale, of course, threatens punishment. For many now moonshine still is a hobby. He managed not only to preserve the unique tradition. Modern manufacturers of moonshine stills use progressive technologies, they choose high quality materials, constantly improve the design.

Stylish, concise and multifunctional units are a matter of pride. They are happily presented to friends, used to make a variety of drinks, which are almost as good as store-bought ones in terms of quality and taste. Many beginners at the beginning of the moonshine business have a lot of questions. In encyclopedias, for example, on Wikipedia, they do not write about schemes, drawings and photos of moonshine stills. And various forums and portals of craftsmen contain a lot of both useful and very dubious information. If you firmly decided to create a design yourself, then this guide and expert advice will come in handy.

Do-it-yourself moonshine is real!

Some at a glance at the distiller are intimidated by its complex system. Despite the formidable appearance and many details, the scheme of the moonshine still is quite simple with a detailed analysis. The standard design consists of:

• Alembic. This is the main container in which the raw material is placed. The tank is installed on the burner of the hob or on a stone stove, heated, during which the mash boils, and vapors containing alcohol are released.
• Fridge. The cooling unit must be present in the circuit of any moonshine still. It is necessary to create condensate. When passing through the cooler, the vapor again turns into a liquid and enters the collection container. It is very important to maintain the optimum temperature, as in the still. In the simplest designs, cooling occurs due to the presence of this element in a container with water, which is replaced regularly when heated from the temperature in the room.
• Coil. The refrigerator element, which is represented by a curved tube, is ideally made from a thin-walled stainless steel bar. The quality of moonshine at the outlet directly depends on the length of the tube. It is recommended to use a workpiece of about 2 meters.
• Connecting pipes or hoses. They are an intermediate link between the distillation tank and the cooler. Water is supplied through silicone hoses and distillate flows out.
• Additional equipment. It includes all kinds of bimetallic thermometers, measuring containers, sealing gaskets, heating elements.

Obviously, everyone can make moonshine at home, having a great desire and the necessary details at hand. As a cube for distillation, you can use a regular pressure cooker. It is initially equipped with a hermetically sealed lid, which simplifies the task. In the absence of such a pan in the house, you can use a metal flask, a can or even a beer keg. It is important to observe the condition: the container must necessarily have a tight-fitting lid.

Also, aluminum flasks, stainless steel cans and other containers with a tight-fitting lid can be used as a still. Below are the options that can be purchased at Alkopribor.

In the case of making a homemade cube or improving some kind of flask, care should be taken that all seams are well sealed.

Stages of creating a moonshine with your own hands

1. Alembic

We agreed to take a pressure cooker for the role of the distillation vessel. This is a good example for making moonshine at home, it is economical and easy to operate. You can buy any pressure cooker or use an old one, upgrading in any case will be simple. The ideal alembic should be made of stainless steel, this must be remembered. For strict adherence to the technological process, it is necessary to mount a thermometer, which must be laboratory, but not household. In the online store it is easy to find the right model.

The thermometer is optional equipment. But due to the low cost, a worthy copy can be purchased by everyone. The benefits of constant temperature control are clear. You can at any time determine how to adjust the distillation process of moonshine. This is very important for fractional distillation - the timely separation of "tails" and "heads" from the main part. For example, good moonshine is harvested at a higher temperature, and when tailings begin to be discarded, it is better to lower the temperature by choking the gas. Experienced moonshiners are able to identify unwanted fractions by smell and "by eye". It is almost impossible for beginners to do this, so it’s definitely not worth saving a thermometer.

If you decide to make a moonshine still with your own hands and do not want to use the achievements of progress, then you can study fractions using alcohol meters and measuring cylinders, as our great-grandfathers did. It is known that the share of "heads" and "tails" accounts for approximately 10% of the total volume of the finished product. To use this formula, it is necessary to determine the yield of moonshine as accurately as possible. The thermometer allows you to analyze the strength of the liquid. When it falls, you can track the moment the “tails” appear.

Upon reaching the strength of the alcohol-containing solution of 45% vol. a container is installed to collect the fraction. At the end of the distillation, the density of the liquid decreases and the temperature rises, so you need to immerse the alcoholometer deeper. Over time, you will learn to identify an indecent product by smell, but at the initial stage of home brewing, convenient devices are needed.

2. The cooling system of home moonshine still

Many consider the coil the most complex element of the unit. But to make it is quite simple, if you follow a number of capital rules. It is important to choose the right material, because. alcohol vapor will pass through the distiller coil. You can buy a cooler in the household goods department. A quartz glass cooler, if one can be found, would be a good option. The inert material does not enter into chemical reactions with moonshine products, does not have a harmful effect on the finished drink.

b strength of the liquid. When it falls, you can track the moment the “tails” appear.

You can make a coil for a moonshine still with your own hands, with minimal time and effort. The classic refrigerator element consists of 5 turns. A tube made of stainless steel or copper is taken as a blank. The first option is more common, due to the availability of the material, its high strength and durability. The copper coil conducts heat well, warming up evenly over the entire surface. The metal itself is a catalyst that speeds up chemical processes well.

The distillate needs high-quality cooling throughout the entire time, and this can be several hours. Therefore, it is important to monitor the ambient temperature. The only negative is the high water consumption, so it is recommended to install a home moonshine in the immediate vicinity of the highway.

Maximum cooling can be achieved in several ways:

1. The coil is placed in a container with water, which is regularly replaced with a colder one.

2. Coil in the flow cooler. This option is the most convenient. To do this, the coil is welded into a pipe of a larger diameter, in which branch pipes and tubes are installed for supplying and discharging water. The hoses are connected to the faucet.

3. The coil is cooled by 40 liters of water during the whole process. How is this possible? You can organize such an economical system using 2 buckets and a pump designed for an aquarium. It is important to observe the optimal distance between water containers: one bucket should be at a height of 60 cm from the other. Water from the upper container will flow into the cooler under the influence of gravity. A small pump will lift the waste water up, so a cyclic process is created.

Try moonshine still hot - this expression is familiar to many. But it should not be understood literally, but figuratively. If the output is a warm product, you need to think about the health of the unit or cooling system. If you want a good pure moonshine, the technology of its preparation must be recreated to the smallest detail. The ideal distillate is always cold, and in some cases even icy.

3. Connecting elements

Hoses and tubes for connection must be selected no less carefully than the main equipment. They are always in contact with drinking liquids - water and ready-made moonshine. The most suitable in this case are silicone connecting hoses. They do not change the chemical composition of products, do not react with them, and do not emit an unpleasant odor themselves.

To check the quality of a flexible tube, you can set fire to its segment. Thus, rubber and plastic materials will always burn with the release of dark smoke and a pungent odor. At the same time, silicone ones smolder evenly, do not create soot, and leave behind white ash.

You can replace the silicone hose with a flexible copper tube. It can be easily found on the market if you decide to completely create a home-made moonshine with your own hands and strength. An alternative can be corrugated connectors made of metal - high-alloy steel. From such an eyeliner 1.5-2 meters long, you can even make a coil.

The photographs below show the simplest moonshine still, consisting of a copper coil and a pressure cooker. The cooler is connected to the distillation cube through a fitting. Instead of a refrigerator, a regular plastic bottle with a volume of 5 liters is used.

From above, water is supplied to the cooler through a hose, which in turn is connected to a cold water tap. Through the lower waste resource is discharged into the sewer. It is important to dock all connections well. To create a complete seal, you can use plumbing tape or silicone glue.

Through the lower hole of the coil, moonshine enters a measuring container, which can be of any size. This is an example of the simplest do-it-yourself moonshine still. More complex designs are equipped with dry steamers, reflux traps and drawers. From the scheme and the quality of execution depends on what product will eventually be obtained.

The Alkopribor company offers to get acquainted with the most popular types of moonshine stills that you can buy in our store.

Now you can make a homemade moonshine still at home. If you decide that the search for the necessary materials, the manufacture of individual units and parts of the distiller - all this is very difficult and time-consuming, you can contact our managers for help. They will pick up a professional moonshine still for your needs. It will have high strength characteristics, and in comparison with a home-made one, it will look very chic and soundly.

This is an example of the simplest do-it-yourself moonshine still. More complex designs are equipped with dry steamers, reflux traps and drawers. From the scheme and the quality of execution depends on what product will eventually be obtained.

You can make a moonshine at home quickly and inexpensively. Its dimensions and other characteristics are conveniently adjusted to personal requirements that apply to the final product - moonshine. If you want to make a distillate based on berries or other fruits, it is better to choose a distillation cube and a copper coil. Stainless steel is excellent for making raw alcohol.

Thought to collect sooner or later it occurs to everyone who once tried high-quality home-made moonshine. The opportunity to personally prepare a strong drink attracts many. Of course, it is easier to buy a ready-made device, but making it yourself will help you better 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 is the distillation process

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

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

You should also monitor the process temperature. Heating the mash to 65 degrees allows you to separate the first fraction, in this case, harmful impurities and alcohols other than ethyl alcohol evaporate. Heating up to 78 degrees allows you to get the main drink, it is this temperature that is advised to maintain during the process. The thermometer, which is installed at the outlet of the cube or at the inlet to the cooler, allows you to track the indicator.

Alcohol mashine

Before starting the process and collectingdo-it-yourself moonshine,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 home-made distillation structure can be improved and supplemented with carbon filters, thermometers, bubblers, and so on. The result is an almost professional design for obtaining high quality alcohol at home.

The fastest way is to assemble a distiller of the simplest design from improvised elements. But the moonshine obtained from it is unsuitable for consumption after the first distillation, at least a second process and subsequent rectification are needed.

Do-it-yourself moonshine still

Now let's look at each element of the device separately. Let's see how you can make it at home. And how, as a result, to connect 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 in 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 into the most. Aluminum tanks, common in the recent past, are unreliable and give an 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 must remain empty. From about 30 liters of mash, a little less than 3 liters of moonshine is obtained, based on this calculation, you need to choose the size of the cube.

In order to collectdo-it-yourself moonshine stilluse milk cans, enamel pots or pressure cookers. A pressure cooker is good because it allows you to seal the process well, but it has a small volume. The pan requires an additional hermetically sealed lid. Usually, for this, the last handle is removed and a steam hose is passed into it and fixed. The edges are attached with a clamp and the junction is smeared with a dough of medium density, the latter hardens when heated and seals well.

A milk can will be the best solution, as it allows you to tightly clog the container. The main thing is to replace the rubber gasket with a silicone one in order to prevent the release of harmful substances into alcohol. Aquarium sealant works great for this. It is necessary to remove the old gasket and apply the latter in several layers, usually 2-3 is enough. After drying, you need to close 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 cover for connection with the rest of the structural elements. The diameter of the hole depends on the dimensions of the coil. Adapters for connection are bought in plumbing stores.

Coil and cooler

Another important part of the apparatus, which cools the vapors of alcohol and contributes to its condensation. Consists of a coil and a reservoir for cooling. 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.

Too long a tube reduces the rate of distillation. The ideal option is about 2 meters. The inner diameter, according to the recommendations of professionals, should not exceed 12 mm. Wall thickness, to achieve the best result 0.9–1.1 mm. To make a coil yourself, you need to pick up a suitable copper tube and fill it with sand. The latter is required so that the material does not flatten at the moment of twisting and retains its shape. Then the tube is wound around a cylindrical object of suitable diameter with a distance between the turns of 12 mm. Then sand is poured out and the inner surface is washed.

The coil is placed in the cooler housing, which is also a cylinder with soldered pipes 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 on top and bottom of the cylinder, and the joints are fixed with sealant.

Connecting pipes

To collect do-it-yourself moonshine stilltogether and finally prepare the design for use, additional tubes are needed. Why use removable pipes when you can weld the structure by welding? The latter will make the apparatus monolithic, which, in turn, will significantly complicate the maintenance of the distiller.

In the old days, when the production of household moonshine stills had not yet been put on stream, craftsmen made them manually. After all, the first distillers appeared long before the formation of manufactories and factories - remember the same alambic. And during the years of the Prohibition, when even just making a home-made moonshine still was a criminal offense, the Russian people got out of the situation in the most unthinkable ways. And although it is now quite legal to get homemade alcohol, and the market is rich in a variety of models, home-brewed still is still produced “on the knee” or on work machines after hours. Someone prefers moonshine as an independent drink, someone prepares a distillate for. But the fact that the Russian people “driven and will drive” remains unchanged.

It is, of course, possible to make a moonshine still with your own hands. Especially if those hands are golden. And the material you need these days is not such a problem to get. The recipe for making a moonshine still at home will, of course, be more complicated, but you will only be responsible to yourself for the quality of the distiller.

How to make moonshine at home

To start, let's define diagram of a classic moonshine still:

We have a distillation cube of the required volume (from 10 to 50 liters according to your taste and requests), a dry steamer (also called a sump), a cooler (or simply a “refrigerator”). The system is hermetically connected by a steam pipeline, and there is a receiving tank at the outlet. The key word in the previous sentence is airtight. This must be remembered when making a moonshine still with your own hands. This is important to prevent the loss of alcohol and the general release of vapors into the room, since most of them have an unpleasant odor.

How and from what to assemble the device?

First you need to decide on the material. Most often it is a stainless steel with a thickness of 1 to 3 mm. But the thicker the steel, the more difficult it is to work with it without special tools and a machine. You can work with copper, it is more ductile, but it costs more. Copper for food purposes is also more difficult to find, and then it will have to be regularly looked after.

Element one: distillation cube. You can “weld” a cylinder of the required volume yourself, or you can use a saucepan (preferably a pressure cooker, it is most suitable for this, and the lid fits tightly). It is important to provide holes on the lid for hermetic installation of the steam pipe and thermometer. The lid itself should be firmly attached and fit snugly against the cube itself, if it is not completely removable, then you will need to pick up a silicone gasket seal.

Element Two: sump (sukhoparnik). Better with it than without it, although this element is optional. The optimal dimensions are shown in the drawing.

Note that the connections of the elements of the moonshine still can be made from a silicone hose or using a stainless steel (or copper) tube. If you choose a hose, it is better to use silicone. It, unlike rubber, is inert and will not react with hot steam containing alcohol vapors. The final product will not get a "rubber" taste and smell.

It is easy to distinguish rubber from silicone by the type of combustion: when silicone burns, white ash remains, and rubber smokes and emits black soot.

Element Three: cooler (“refrigerator”). An integral part of the distiller, like the alembic. Here the vapors condense to become a liquid. A refrigerator is a spiral tube with a length of 800 mm or more, a container with cold water is placed. The coil can be made from a copper tube or a tube for air conditioners, the coolant supply must be from below.

Almost any do-it-yourself scheme of a moonshine still involves welding metal. Stainless steel is welded in an argon atmosphere. It is important that the seam is even, ideally sanded. This is important to avoid leakage and corrosion. The desired dimensions of the steam pipe tube are from 10 mm in diameter to avoid blockage.

Do-it-yourself moonshine still with a distillation column

You can assemble yourself not only a classic apparatus, but also a beer or even a distillation column. Here it is important to observe the exact proportions of the dimensions of the elements of the apparatus, since this is important for the optimal passage of the physical processes of rectification. Below is one of the options for the design of a distillation column with dimensions.

Element one: distillation cube. The column apparatus differs in its design from the classical one almost completely. Only the distillation cube remains the same. However, the column requires the same tightness when connecting the elements and the tightness of the cube lid.

Element Two: king. There is no sukhoparnik here, but there is a tsarga. This is a vertical tube filled with regular wire packing (RPN). The nozzle can also be irregular (bulk) - it can be twisted from small pieces of copper or steel wire, but it will take a lot of them. A regular nozzle still works more efficiently and without complaints. It is still better to purchase an on-load tap-changer for a drawer, although some craftsmen use metal “washcloths” for washing dishes for this purpose.

Element Three: dephlegmator. The dephlegmator refrigerator (as well as the refrigeration refrigerator) has a “pipe in pipe” design, where cold water is supplied to the outer pipe.

Important: fitting for a thermometer. It can be located in the upper part of the drawer, or it can be located in the upper part of the reflux condenser (as manufacturers of household distillation columns usually do). It is preferable to place the thermometer at the top of the dephlegmator.

Element Four: refrigerator refrigeration. It is a “pipe-in-pipe” design, but has a length much greater than that of a dephlegmator. The longer the path in the cooler, the more efficient condensation occurs, and the product enters the receiving container cold, not hot. The loss of alcohol in this case is minimal.

Important: connections. In the case of a column structure, a silicone hose can no longer be used as a steam pipeline, all connections are made only of metal.

Welding such a design is much more difficult than a simple “classic”, it requires already solid skills in working with metal and a welding machine.

In general, creating a moonshine with your own hands requires effort, time and significant skills. In addition, there is a risk that this will not bring savings, but on the contrary, this option cannot be called budgetary. (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand) these days it has become much easier, and mass production makes the price very attractive. The choice is not so difficult to make, and thanks to you you can clarify the nuances and hidden features of the models you are interested in.

Preparation of moonshine and alcohol for personal use
absolutely legal!

After the demise of the USSR, the new government stopped the fight against moonshine. Criminal liability and fines were abolished, and an article prohibiting 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 that prohibits 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 the administrative responsibility of legal entities (organizations) and individual entrepreneurs for offenses in the field of production and circulation of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products" (Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation, 1999, No. 28 , item 3476).

Excerpt from the Federal Law of the Russian Federation:

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

Moonshine in other countries:

In Kazakhstan in accordance with the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan On Administrative Offenses dated January 30, 2001 N 155, the following liability is provided. Thus, according to article 335 “Manufacture and sale of home-made alcoholic beverages”, illegal production for the purpose of selling moonshine, chacha, mulberry vodka, mash 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 confiscation of alcoholic beverages , apparatus, raw materials and equipment for their manufacture, as well as money and other valuables received from their sale. However, the law does not prohibit the preparation of alcohol for personal purposes.

In Ukraine and Belarus things are different. Articles No. 176 and No. 177 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine provide for the imposition of fines in the amount of three to ten tax-free minimum wages for the manufacture and storage of moonshine without the purpose of sale, for the storage without the purpose of sale of apparatus * for its production.

Article 12.43 repeats this information practically word for word. “Production or purchase of strong alcoholic beverages (moonshine), semi-finished products for their production (mash), storage of devices for their production” in the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses. Paragraph No. 1 states: “Manufacturing by individuals of strong alcoholic beverages (moonshine), semi-finished products for their manufacture (mash), as well as storage of devices * used for their manufacture - entails a warning or a fine in the amount of up to five basic units with confiscation of the indicated drinks, semi-finished products and devices.

* It is still possible to purchase moonshine stills for home use, since their second purpose is to distill water and obtain components for natural cosmetics and perfumes.

Anyone who once tried good moonshine can no longer be deceived by various "breech" or "cognac" tinctures, exhibited in wide rows in the departments of alcoholic beverages. By "good" we mean a product with the following qualities:

1. Clean as a tear.

2. After it, the head does not hurt.

3. Pleasant and easy to drink (well, up to a certain point, of course).

To use home-made alcohol with these characteristics, you need: a little experience, reading the theory (does not hurt) and (most importantly) - having a means of producing it. This is where the age-old question arises: how to make a moonshine still?

It all started with a traditional still and refrigerator. And, based on the above three points, at all stages of the development of mankind, various elements were added to them, developing the technology for the production of alcohol.

If you want to do well - do everything yourself

Purchased models are good until you start using them. We do not scold manufacturers of ready-made moonshine stills - there are very worthy manufacturers on the market. But if you take the matter seriously, then it is better to make moonshine and the apparatus yourself.

The advantages of this approach:

1. Self-developed apparatus you will know "by sight" - all its shortcomings and best sides.
2. Understanding the design, you can easily repair it, understanding what leads to a breakdown or malfunction.
3. Purchased models are difficult to upgrade to your needs. For example, it is made of some kind of stainless steel, a piece of which is easier to cut from the same new one than to find in your area of ​​\u200b\u200bresidence. In cities, this matter is easier, of course, but in the outback you will not find good metal during the day with fire. And a welder capable of brewing it, or an intelligent locksmith - and even more so.

Magic cauldron: improvised alembic

Anyone can make a moonshine with their own hands. The heart of any distiller is the alembic. In fact, it is a container where the mash boils, evaporating that very valuable substance. First, decide on the volumes: how much finished product you need and how often you will drive.

Also, the choice of capacity depends on the conditions of production: if you have your own garage or cottage, you can also swing at a 40-liter can. This is very convenient: I expelled 10-20 liters every three months and it’s enough for myself and guests, and the product goes well as a presentation.

For home production in an apartment, a smaller capacity is needed - up to 10 liters will be enough. This is the optimal cube size for the conditions of small kitchens located in cramped high-rise buildings. Now you understand that before you make a moonshine, you need to understand all aspects: how the moonshine will work, where, what is your experience and all other points. And then we turn to the choice of materials and components.

container material:

1. Aluminum: good quality material, able to work for a long time without significant damage and deformation, almost eternal material for the cube.
2. Enamelled container- quite common, but does not like aggressive environments very much, withstands an average of 3-5 years, then repair issues begin: from the action of temperature, shocks, the enamel first comes off, and then rust corrodes the metal. It is repaired with wooden “chopics” (insert from wood chips) for another 2-3 years, and then thrown away. This container wears out especially quickly when it is used together for “winning” mash and further distillation.
3. Stainless steel. This is, of course, aerobatics. But a completely stainless alloy is expensive. Often, under the guise of "stainless steel", they sell galvanized steel, nickel-plated steel, and anything else. When assembling the structure, you will need to break this coating (drill a hole, weld something, etc.). And in places where the coating is broken, rust will form over time, which will destroy the container. This option is enough for different periods: from 2 years (if just a stainless steel alloy) to eternal use with the right to inherit to grandchildren (very expensive).
4. glass cauldron. This is a very rare "laboratory option" for domestic use. Beautiful, aesthetic, but impractical. For moonshine aesthetes.

Type of container:

1. aluminum milk can- an excellent, time-tested capacity for a distillation cube. Your task: to replace rubber gaskets with silicone ones, for food products. So it will be safer for health, moonshine will not smell like rubber. This is the most popular cube when they mean moonshine, which will be made by hand.
2. pressure cookers- a favorite type of container for a cube for urban conditions of small kitchens. You do not need to change anything, just add a fitting for the coil. Minus - low productivity, the design is inefficient for full-fledged production.
3. enamel pot: if there is no other container, then you can use it. You will have to deal with the tightness of the lid thoroughly. The best reliable option: make a gasket, hinges with holes are installed on the lid and walls of the pan, through which the entire structure is connected with studs with wing nuts. Cheap, cheerful, reliable. All hinge attachment points are also sealed with food grade silicone.
4. Full cube made of real stainless steel: you can buy ready-made (but only in trusted places), you can find friends and acquaintances in the bins, who not only come from the USSR, but also lived in it most of their lives. The volume should be 30 liters at a minimum, otherwise there is no point in talking about mass production to meet the needs of one cell of society.

Important note! When choosing a container, pay attention to the neck: at least a hand should fit into it so that you can wash the device after use.

Serpentine: transport artery of the system

We go further in the constituent parts: we have a coil coming out of the distillation cube to the refrigerator. It is in the coil that the magic of condensation takes place: alcohol vapors turn into liquid. But not immediately: before that, they must get into the refrigerator.

The coil is made of stainless or copper tube. Here the choice of material is up to you: copper gives off heat better, but is more expensive. There are also fears that copper, as a very active element, reacts with alcohols, after which aldehydes and other harmful substances are formed. But these concentrations are extremely small: to get aldehyde poisoning, you need to drink at least 100 liters of moonshine. (But you will die before the concentration of aldehydes from the ingested alcohol becomes lethal). Copper is ideal as the most technologically advanced material.

Food grade stainless steel is also expensive, but still more affordable and safer. True, there is another problem with it: the quality can “limp” even if you purchased the handset at a high price.

Under the selected tubes, select the required size fittings. Often this is a ¾ pipe, so be guided by it.

Last: it is forbidden to use non-metallic hoses under the alcohol line. Any PVC, rubber tubes react very actively with alcohol, break down and pollute moonshine.

The line must be sealed!

It is important to note that the fewer coil connections in your design, the better. Simple devices without a sukhoparnik with a bulk cooler can be made even with a coil from one tube: it is connected to the cube through an American nut.

For an apparatus with a dry steamer, the coil must be divided into at least two parts. The inlet pipe into the steamer should go lower, and the outgoing pipe should be located under the very top - in the lid.

The fact that you have a self-made moonshine does not exempt you from the thoroughness of working on it: its device must be airtight, at the level of industrial designs. Otherwise, it makes no sense to start the whole process of its manufacture.

Sukhoparnik: if you need quality

A very useful item. This is an intermediate container between the cube and the cooler, through which the coil passes. The purpose of using the element is to reduce the amount of fusel oils in alcohol vapors.

"Sivuha" is an additional by-product of home brewing. It is from them - fusel oils - that your head hurts the next day, even if you drank only 100-200 grams. They are heavy in all respects: both for the body and by weight - alcohol vapor is much lighter.

The dryer is an empty container. All the steam from the cube enters it already slightly chilled. This temperature difference is enough for the fuselage to condense and glass, and the alcohol vapors go further along the coil to the refrigerator. Usually, for 40 liters of home brew, up to half a liter of a yellow-brown oily liquid with a disgusting odor condenses in a steamer: this is something that is bad for health.

A sukhoparnik can be made both from a glass jar and from a small metal container up to 2 liters. The structure must be sealed. They place it closer to the cube - so that the module is warm and the alcohol vapor has time to leave the steamer further along the coil.

But on the other hand: the efficiency of a dephlegmator (this is the scientific name of a dry steamer) grows with the temperature difference: the greater it is at the outlet of the tank and at the entrance to the module itself. Then condensation occurs better: more fusel oils remain at the bottom. But this reduces the yield of moonshine. In the absence of experience, losses can be large. In this direction, it is necessary to experiment and identify the most optimal distances to the cube and the volume of the steamer.

Dry steamers can be made of various designs, several dry steamers can be installed to obtain a cleaner product. You can also add various dried fruits, aromatic oils, berries to saturate the moonshine with a pleasant smell.

It is more difficult to make a moonshine with a steamer with your own hands, but this simple device improves the quality of the finished product by several orders of magnitude. Moonshine after a steamer can not be additionally cleaned by chemical methods. Simple mechanical filtration through cotton wool or filter paper will suffice.

More details about the dryer in the video:

Refrigerator: the last stage of the moonshine still

There are two options: flowing (more often found in urban environments) and non-flowing (proven rural version). A coil passes through the container of the refrigerator, where alcohol vapors, cooling and condensing, become moonshine.

Both schemes should be considered as sides of their advantages and disadvantages. The flow cooler is smaller in volume, cools more efficiently, but it has a large water consumption and a more complex design. "Protochnik" requires quality materials, it is more expensive.

The traditional non-flow cooler takes up more space, requires constant monitoring to change the water on time, but is simple in design. Can be made from any tank, pot or bucket and serpentine. Without plumbing, no other option is available to you besides this.

The refrigerator is very important: the yield of the finished product and the normal operation of the moonshine as a whole depend on its correct setting. You need to experimentally determine how often you need to change / supply water, how to heat the cube so that the device works as efficiently as possible.

The only advice that will definitely not hurt you: the larger the container and the cooler the water in it, the better. If you cook moonshine in a cube of 40 liters, then the refrigerator should be sufficient. For example, a bulk refrigerator requires a volume of at least 1:2 from the heating tank. Water should be monitored every 30-40 minutes and changed in time.

Instead of a toast "on a horse"

A moonshine still with a steamer is the most progressive method for the production of home-made moonshine. It is assembled with its own hands with minimal locksmith skills and the availability of appropriate materials. A very inexpensive and fast payback way to get delicious drinks. And safe for health: you certainly know what you are driving the product from.

With proper care of the equipment and the growth of experience in home brewing, you can independently improve the device, experiment with its components and reach the heights in this traditional business.

Video instruction