How to choose a frame for a moonshine still, mash or distillation column. Nozzles for distillation columns Dependence of power on pipe diameter

People involved in moonshine brewing know about the release of fusel oils (a byproduct of mash distillation, a viscous liquid with a pungent odor) when distilling mash.
To reduce the amount of oil release and purer distillation of mash, various absorbers are used. Let us define such a strange term as absorption - this is the transfer of components (atoms) of a gas mixture into the volume of the condensed phase in contact with it. An absorber is an element (filler) of the apparatus on the surface of which the absorption process occurs. It should be noted that during the process, selective absorption of one or more components from the gas mixture by liquid absorbers occurs.
There are two types of nozzles: random (we simply pour them into the drawer, due to their small size) and regular (placed in the equipment in a special way)
The following are used as absorbers in moonshine brewing: RPN Panchenkov nozzle, Selivanov nozzle (or spiral-prismatic nozzle), Raschig rings.
The use of attachments allows us to achieve high results during distillation and thus reduces cleaning time.
Let's take a closer look at them separately.

And the first thing we’ll start with is quite popular - RPN Panchenkova nozzle, is a wire nozzle. Used in drawer-type distillers to improve cleaning, alcohol vapors are filtered through a nozzle, while fusel oils and impurities from the mash are deposited onto the mesh.
The undoubted advantage of this nozzle is the possibility of its regulation in the drawer, i.e. we can roll it up to the density we need and remove it from the apparatus to remove deposited fusel oils.
The nozzle is made of food grade stainless steel.
You can buy a Panchenkov nozzle on our website

Next comes Selivanov nozzle, which is a spiral prism (made of wire materials). Intended for installation in the king distillation column, acts as a contact device. Typically, nozzles of this type are made of copper and stainless steel. The nozzle is reusable and can serve as a filler for any drawer.

And the last of the declared attachments in this discussion is Raschig rings. This nozzle belongs to the regular type of nozzles. It has a cylindrical shape with a thin wall, and the outer diameter is equal to the height of the ring. Size range: from 25 mm to 150 mm. The most commonly used rings are made of ceramic (porcelain is also possible), carbon-graphite rings are found, and steel rings are least common.

A small note - nozzles. used to purify moonshine during the distillation process are not the know-how of recent years. They have been used in the chemical and oil industries for quite some time (disc nozzles are another type), having proven themselves in this direction only from the best side. Therefore, trusting proven cleaning methods, attachments gradually entered moonshine brewing.

Sooner or later, almost every lover of homemade alcohol thinks about purchasing or making a distillation column (RC) - a device for producing pure alcohol. You need to start with a comprehensive calculation of the basic parameters: power, height, drawer diameter, cube volume, etc. This information will be useful both for those who want to make all the elements with their own hands, and for those planning to buy a ready-made distillation column (it will help make a choice and check the seller). Without touching on the design features of individual units, we will consider general principles building a balanced system for rectification at home.

Characteristics of the pipe (tsar) and nozzle

Material. The pipe largely determines the parameters of the distillation column and the requirements for all components of the apparatus. The material for the manufacture of the drawer is chromium-nickel stainless steel - “food grade” stainless steel.

Due to its chemical neutrality, food-grade stainless steel does not affect the composition of the product, which is what is required. The raw material is distilled into alcohol from sugar mash or distillation waste (“heads” and “tails”), therefore the main goal of rectification is to maximize the purification of the output from impurities, and not to change the organoleptic properties of the alcohol in one direction or another. It is inappropriate to use copper in classic distillation columns, since this material slightly changes chemical composition drink and is suitable for the production of a distiller (ordinary moonshine still) or mash column(a special case of rectification).

Thickness. The drawer is made of stainless pipe with a wall thickness of 1-1.5 mm. A thicker wall is not needed, as this will make the structure more expensive and heavier without providing any benefits.

Nozzle parameters. It is not correct to talk about the characteristics of a column without reference to the nozzle. When rectifying at home, nozzles with a contact surface area of ​​1.5 to 4 square meters are used. m/liter As the contact surface area increases, the separating ability also increases, but the productivity decreases. Reducing the area leads to a decrease in separating and strengthening ability.

The productivity of the column initially increases, but then to maintain the strength of the output, the operator is forced to reduce the extraction rate. This means that there is a certain optimal size of the nozzle, which depends on the diameter of the column and will allow you to achieve the best combination of parameters.

The dimensions of the spiral-prismatic packing (SPN) should be approximately 12-15 times smaller than the internal diameter of the column. For a pipe diameter of 50 mm - 3.5x3.5x0.25 mm, for 40 - 3x3x0.25 mm, and for 32 and 28 - 2x2x0.25 mm.

Depending on the tasks at hand, it is advisable to use different attachments. For example, when preparing fortified distillates, copper rings with a diameter and height of 10 mm are often used. It is clear that in this case the goal is not the separating and strengthening ability of the system, but a completely different criterion - the catalytic ability of copper to eliminate sulfur compounds from alcohol.

You shouldn’t limit your arsenal to one, even the best attachment, there simply aren’t any. There are those that are most suitable for solving each specific problem.

Even a small change in the diameter of the column seriously affects the parameters. To evaluate, it is enough to remember that the nominal power (W) and productivity (ml/hour) are numerically equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the column (sq. mm), and therefore are proportional to the square of the diameter. Pay attention to this when choosing a drawer, always consider the internal diameter and compare options according to it.

Dependence of power on pipe diameter

Pipe height. To ensure good retention and separation capacity, regardless of the diameter, the height of the distillation column should be from 1 to 1.5 m. If it is less, there will not be enough space for the fusel oils accumulated during operation, as a result the fusel oil will begin to break through into the selection. Another drawback is that the heads will not be clearly divided into factions. If the pipe height is greater, this will not lead to a significant improvement in the separating and containing capacity of the system, but will increase the distillation time, as well as the number of “heads” and “headrests”. In other words, with an increase in the pipe height, the separating capacity of the distillation column increases for every additional centimeter decreases. The effect of increasing the pipe from 50 cm to 60 cm is an order of magnitude higher than from 140 cm to 150 cm.

Cube volume for distillation column

To increase the yield of high-quality alcohol, but to prevent overflow of the fusel column, the bulk (filling) of raw alcohol in the cube is limited to the range of 10-20 packing volumes. For columns with a height of 1.5 m and a diameter of 50 mm - 30-60 l, 40 mm - 17-34 l, 32 mm - 10-20 l, 28 mm - 7-14 l.

Taking into account that the cube is filled to 2/3 of the volume, a 40-80 liter container is suitable for a column with an internal diameter of the drawer of 50 mm, a 30-50 liter container for 40 mm, a 20-30 liter cube for 32 mm, and a pressure cooker for 28 mm.

When using a cube with a volume closer to the lower limit of the recommended range, you can safely remove one drawer and reduce the height to 1-1.2 meters. As a result, there will be relatively few barnacles to break through into selection, but the volume of “headrests” will noticeably decrease.

Column heating source and power

Slab type. The moonshine past haunts many beginners who believe that if they previously used a gas, induction or conventional electric stove to heat the moonshine still, then they can leave this source for the column.

The process of rectification is significantly different from distillation, everything is much more complicated and a fire will not work. It is necessary to ensure smooth adjustment and stability of the supplied heating power.

Electric stoves operating according to a thermostat in start-stop mode are not used, because as soon as a short-term power outage occurs, the steam will stop flowing into the column, and the phlegm will collapse into the cube. In this case, you will have to start rectification again - with the column working on itself and selecting the “heads”.

An induction cooker is an extremely crude device with a stepwise change in power of 100-200 W, and when rectifying, you need to change the power smoothly, literally by 5-10 W. And it is unlikely that it will be possible to stabilize heating regardless of input voltage fluctuations.

A gas stove with 40 percent raw alcohol poured into the cube and a 96-degree product at the outlet poses a mortal danger, not to mention fluctuations in the heating temperature.

The optimal solution is to embed a heating element of the required power into the cube of the column, and for adjustment use a relay with output voltage stabilization, for example, RM-2 16A. You can also take analogues. The main thing is to get a stabilized voltage at the output and the ability to smoothly change the heating temperature by 5-10 W.

Power supplied. To heat the cube in an acceptable time, you need to proceed from a power of 1 kW per 10 liters of raw alcohol. This means that for a 50 liter cube filled with 40 liters, a minimum of 4 kW is required, 40 liters - 3 kW, 30 liters - 2-2.5 kW, 20 liters - 1.5 kW.

With the same volume, cubes can be low and wide, narrow and high. When choosing a suitable container, you need to take into account that the cube is often used not only for rectification, but also for distillation, therefore, the most stringent conditions are used so that the supplied power does not lead to violent foaming with the emission of splashes from the cube into the steam line.

It has been experimentally established that with a heating element placement depth of about 40-50 cm, normal boiling occurs if per 1 sq. cm of bulk mirror accounts for no more than 4-5 W of power. As the depth decreases, the permissible power increases, and as the depth increases, it decreases.

There are other factors that influence the boiling behavior: density, viscosity and surface tension of the liquid. It happens that emissions occur at the end of distillation of the mash, when the density increases. Therefore, carrying out the rectification process at the border of the permitted range is always fraught with troubles.

Common cylindrical cubes have a diameter of 26, 32, 40 cm. Based on the permissible power per surface area of ​​the mirror of a 26 cm cube, it will work normally with a heating power of up to 2.5 kW, for 30 cm - 3.5 kW, 40 cm - 5 kW .

The third factor that determines the heating power is the use of one of the column sides without a nozzle as a dry steam tank to combat spray entrainment. To do this, it is necessary that the steam velocity in the pipe does not exceed 1 m/s; at 2-3 m/s the protective effect weakens, and at higher values ​​the steam will drive the reflux up the pipe and throw it into the selection.

Formula for calculating steam speed:

V = N * 750 / S (m/sec),

• N – power, kW;
• 750 – steam generation (cubic cm/sec kW);
• S – cross-sectional area of ​​the column (sq. mm).

A pipe with a diameter of 50 mm will cope with splash entrainment when heated to 4 kW, 40-42 mm - up to 3 kW, 38 - up to 2 kW, 32 - up to 1.5 kW.

Based on the above considerations, we select the volume, dimensions of the cube, heating and distillation power. All these parameters are consistent with the diameter and height of the column.

Calculation of parameters of the distillation column reflux condenser

The power of the reflux condenser is determined depending on the type of distillation column. If we are building a column with liquid or steam extraction below the dephlegmator, then the required power must be no less than the rated power of the column. Typically, in these cases, a Dimroth refrigerator is used as a capacitor with a utilization power of 4-5 Watts per 1 sq. cm surface.

If the column with steam extraction is higher than the dephlegmator, then the calculated power is 2/3 of the nominal one. In this case, you can use Dimrot or “shirt maker”. The utilization power of a shirtmaker is lower than that of a dimrot and is about 2 watts per square centimeter.

Then everything is simple: divide the rated power by the utilization power. For example, for a column with an internal diameter of 50 mm: 1950 / 5 = 390 sq. cm area of ​​Dimrot or 975 sq. see "shirt maker". This means that a Dimrot refrigerator can be made from a 6x1 mm tube with a length of 487 / (0.6 * 3.14) = 2.58 cm for the first option, taking into account a safety factor of 3 meters. For the second option, multiply by two thirds: 258 * 2 / 3 = 172 cm, taking into account a safety factor of 2 meters.

Shirt for column 52 x 1 – 975 / 5.2 / 3.14 = 59 cm * 2/3 = 39 cm. But this is for rooms with high ceilings.

Calculation of a once-through refrigerator

If the direct-flow unit is used as an aftercooler in a distillation column with liquid extraction, then the smallest and most compact option is chosen. A power of 30-40% of the rated power of the column is sufficient.

A direct-flow refrigerator without a spiral is made in the gap between the jacket and the inner pipe, then a selection is launched into the jacket, and cooling water is supplied through the central pipe. In this case, the shirt is welded onto the water supply pipe to the reflux condenser. This is a small “pencil” about 30 cm long.

But if the same direct-flow unit is used both for distillation and rectification, being a universal unit, they proceed not from the need of the dispenser, but from the maximum heating power during distillation.

To create a turbulent steam flow in the refrigerator, allowing for a heat transfer intensity of at least 10 Watts/sq. cm, it is necessary to ensure a steam speed of about 10-20 m/s.

The range of possible diameters is quite wide. The minimum diameter is determined from the conditions of not creating a large excess pressure in the cube (no more than 50 mm of water column), but the maximum by calculating the Reynolds number, based on the minimum speed and the maximum coefficient of kinematic viscosity of vapors.

In order not to go into unnecessary details, we will give the most common definition: “In order for a turbulent regime of steam movement to be maintained in a pipe, it is sufficient that the internal diameter (in millimeters) is no more than 6 times the heating power (in kilowatts).”

To prevent airing of the water jacket, it is necessary to maintain the linear speed of water at least 11 cm/s, but an excessive increase in speed will require high pressure in the water supply. Therefore, the optimal range is considered to be from 12 to 20 cm/s.

To condense the steam and cool the condensate to an acceptable temperature, you need to supply water at 20 ° C in a volume of about 4.8 cubic cm / s (17 liters per hour) for each kilowatt of power supplied. In this case, the water will heat up by 50 degrees – up to 70°C. Naturally, in winter you will need less water, and when using autonomous cooling systems, about one and a half times more.

Based on the previous data, the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular gap and the inner diameter of the jacket can be calculated. The available range of pipes must also be taken into account. Calculations and practice have shown that a gap of 1-1.5 mm is quite sufficient to comply with all necessary conditions. This corresponds to pairs of pipes: 10x1 - 14x1, 12x1 - 16x1, 14x1 - 18x1, 16x1 - 20x1 and 20x1 - 25x1.5, which cover the entire range of capacities used at home.

There is another important detail of the direct flow unit - a spiral wound onto the steam pipe. Such a spiral is made from wire with a diameter that provides a gap of 0.2-0.3 mm to the inner surface of the shirt. It is wound in increments equal to 2-3 diameters of the steam pipe. The main purpose is to center the steam pipe, in which during operation the temperature is higher than in the jacket pipe. This means that due to thermal expansion, the steam pipe lengthens and bends, leaning against the jacket, causing dead zones that are not washed by cooling water, as a result of which the efficiency of the refrigerator drops sharply. Additional advantages of spiral winding are lengthening the path and creating turbulence in the cooling water flow.

A properly designed direct-flow unit can utilize up to 15 watts/sq. cm of heat exchange area, which has been experimentally confirmed. To determine the length of the cooled part of the direct flow unit, we will use a nominal power of 10 W / sq. cm (100 sq. cm/kW).

The required heat exchange area is equal to the heating power in kilowatts multiplied by 100:

S = P * 100 (sq. cm).

Steam pipe outer circumference:

Locr = 3.14 * D.

Cooling jacket height:

H = S / Lamb.

General calculation formula:

H = 3183 * P/D (power in kW, height and outer diameter of the steam pipe in millimeters).

Example of direct flow calculation

Heating power – 2 kW.

It is possible to use pipes 12x1 and 14x1.

Sectional areas - 78.5 and 113 square meters. mm.

Steam volume – 750 * 2 = 1500 cubic meters. cm/s.

Steam velocities in pipes: 19.1 and 13.2 m/s.

The 14x1 pipe looks preferable, as it allows you to have a power reserve while remaining within the recommended steam speed range.

The paired pipe for the shirt is 18x1, the annular gap will be 1 mm.

Water supply speed: 4.8 * 2= 9.6 cm3/s.

The area of ​​the annular gap is 3.14 / 4 * (16 * 16 – 14 * 14) = 47.1 sq. mm = 0.471 sq. cm.

Linear speed – 9.6 / 0.471 = 20 cm/s – the value remains within the recommended limits.

If the annular gap were 1.5 mm - 13 cm/s. If 2 mm, then the linear speed would drop to 9.6 cm/s and it would be necessary to supply water above the nominal volume, solely to prevent the refrigerator from airing - a pointless waste of money.

Shirt height - 3183 * 2 / 14 = 454 mm or 45 cm. No safety factor is needed, everything is taken into account.

Result: 14x1-18x1 with a height of the cooled part of 45 cm, nominal water consumption - 9.6 cubic meters. cm/s or 34.5 liters per hour.

With a rated heating power of 2 kW, the refrigerator will produce 4 liters of alcohol per hour with a good supply.

An effective and balanced direct-flow distillation unit must have a ratio of extraction rate to heating power and water consumption for cooling of 1 liter/hour - 0.5 kW - 10 liters/hour. If the power is higher, there will be large heat losses; if the power is low, the useful heating power will decrease. If the water flow rate is higher, the direct flow pump has an inefficient design.

The distillation column can be used as a mash column. Equipment for mash columns has its own characteristics, but the second distillation differs mainly in technology. For the first distillation there are more features and individual components may not be applicable, but this is a topic for another discussion.

Based on real household needs and the existing range of pipes, we will calculate typical options for a distillation column using the given methodology.

P.S. We would like to express our gratitude to the user of our forum for systematizing the material and assistance in preparing the article.

To get high quality alcoholic drink at home, appropriate equipment is required. Classic alembic for these purposes is not enough, since fusel oil vapors and volatile ethers enter the product along with alcohol vapor.

They are the ones who give moonshine a nasty smell, addiction and hangover. headache.

A radically new step in home brewing is the emergence of column-type devices.

Important! Instead of a steamer, it is installed on the distillation cube Tsarga- a hollow tube filled with a fine stainless steel mesh or filled with small pieces of spiral-prismatic metal.

The essence of the improvement is the principle of reflux.

Refluxation is the precipitation of vapors and their flow into the cube:

• An important process takes place in the tsar - the “lining up” of vapors on floors.
• The lighter the pairs, the higher up the tsar they are able to break through.
• We need heavy, stinking fusel vapors to settle at the bottom, and pure alcohol vapors to rise upward, where the selection unit is located.

The video explains in more detail what a drawer is and why it is needed in a moonshine still:

Kinds

The drawer is the basis for mash and film distillation columns. It can be tubular or disc-shaped. The physics of the phenomena in these devices is different.

In a tubular drawer the vapors turn into condensation on the walls and surface of the nozzle. The vapors freely return back into the cube, evaporating along the way. The heat and mass transfer mechanism works.

1. The disadvantage of this drawer is its large length, bulkiness and difficulty in arranging the phlegm in levels.
2. Plus - the simplicity of the device.

In a plate-shaped drawer vapors settle on the surface of the mesh. Vapors entering from below pass through the accumulated layer of phlegm, and bubbling occurs.

Phlegm allows light vapors to pass through, while heavy vapors remain in liquid form. Depending on the diameter and type of drawer, there can be from 3 to 12 plates.

1. The disadvantage of this drawer is the complexity of manufacturing, the need for glass sections to control bubbling and the level of phlegm on the plates.
2. Plus - compact size, highest quality products.

Nuances

For a skilled craftsman, making a drawer with your own hands is no problem.

To get a great thing, we need:

1. Materials. Copper is better processed, but very expensive. Stainless steel will require the help of an argon welder, but finding stainless steel pipes is much easier. Brass plumbing connections are perfect as a connector for copper pipes; it is better to connect stainless steel with clamps.
2. Tools. A roller pipe cutter will help you cut the pipe straight, but it is not available to everyone. Therefore, we use a grinder or sandpaper to remove burrs. To solder copper pipes you will need a gas torch, solder and flux. Stainless steel will have to be welded either with a TIG machine or with special electrodes for stainless steel.
3. Skills. Soldering copper pipes is not difficult - the theory of soldering can be found on specialized websites or from bloggers. Working with stainless steel is more difficult - when welding with an electrode it is very easy to make a hole, and welding with a non-consumable electrode in an argon environment requires experience and skill. Before starting work, it is better to practice on scraps or unnecessary pieces.

How to do it yourself?

Making a good mash or distillation column is a rather complicated and troublesome task. If you have the opportunity to purchase a reliable and tested device from the manufacturer, the result will be more predictable.

A factory-made device is often unavailable due to its high cost. Making a drawer with your own hands is more accessible and cheaper.

Calculation of length and diameter

Different capacities require the use of different pipe diameters and lengths.

Reference! For distillation - producing raw alcohol - a pipe 0.5 - 1 meter long is suitable. The diameter is not that important.

For rectification, the drawer parameters depend on the required performance, heater power, and cube volume. There are extensive formulas for calculations, as well as standard solutions. For a 3 kW, 40-liter cube, you will need a drawer 1.5 meters long, with a minimum diameter of 3 inches.

The most affordable option for a home craftsman would be to make a tubular drawer. It consists of the following elements.

Frame

Thin-walled stainless steel or copper pipe.

Important! The use of conventional pipes, plastic or aluminum is undesirable - an aggressive “cocktail” of chemical compounds can lead to destruction of the pipe and impurities in the final product.

The use of heat-resistant laboratory glass is justified if there is a need for visual control of processes. Glass is difficult to process, very fragile, but absolutely not subject to chemical destruction.

It is better to make the body cranked - composed of 2-3 parts. This will make cleaning easier and also allow you to achieve different results.

Connections

There are several ways to connect pipes.

• Plumbing thread. The simplest and cheapest method. With each assembly, the knee columns are “twisted” using tow or fum tape. Disadvantage: the method is cumbersome
• Butt couplings - “American”. Flat flares are compressed by threaded nuts. The pipes are sealed using gaskets; they will have to be replaced with silicone ones - they are not damaged by aggressive environments.
• Clamp clamps. The pipes at the joints have extensions that are secured with cone clamps. The most convenient and quick-release connection. Popular, but harder to find on sale.

Mesh for stuffing

To prevent the spiral-prismatic packing from spilling into the distillation cube, you need to make a restrictive mesh at the bottom of the drawer.

The main property of this mesh is that it should be thick and made of thin stainless wires. This way the cross-section of the pipe will not decrease.

Using a plate with drilled holes as a limiter will significantly worsen the parameters of the column.

Work progress

We select the pieces of pipes we need. They must be of the diameter we need - from 24 to 60 mm. The performance of the device and the quality of the output product depend on the diameter.

Cut the pipes to size.

Important! The ends must be smooth; an oblique cut can lead to tilting of the device, which will affect the quality of operation of the entire system.

We solder with tin solder or weld the connectors. It is better to use clamps - they are more reliable.

We make a mesh-limiter for the SPN (spiral-prismatic nozzle). We need a piece of pipe and a mandrel with a diameter of 1-2 mm. thinner. We insert the mesh into the pipe, press it with a mandrel - you get a cylinder from the mesh.

The drawer is assembled from the bottom up along the knees:

• A limiter for the nozzle is placed, the first elbow is attached to the cube.
• The nozzle is filled in, after which the next elbow is installed.
• After use, the drawer must be washed with caustic soda and a brush.

Insulation

Depending on the technology used, the drawer needs to be insulated.

If normal distillation occurs, insulation of the drawer is not necessary. It will be difficult to improve the result of rectification without insulation.

As insulation, you can use plumbing couplings made of foamed polyethylene, trays made of polystyrene foam. You can fasten using disposable clamps or wire.

Watch the video in which an experienced moonshiner explains how to properly insulate the drawer:

Place of the device in the distiller

Moonshine stills come in various types. A drawer is not required to obtain raw alcohol; a steam chamber and a cooler are sufficient.

Reference! To obtain noble distillates or pure alcohol, you cannot do without a distillation column. In this case, sampling units, coolers, bypass valves, temperature and pressure sensors are attached to the frame.

The drawer is not just a pipe. The main processes take place in it - the separation of alcohol vapors into fractions, as well as heat and mass transfer - the basis for producing high-quality alcoholic beverages at home.

There are many models of moonshine stills of various designs on sale - with steamers, bubblers, distillation columns and other effective equipment. But what to do if your moonshine still is of an old design, but well made, and you just can’t bring yourself to throw it away? The advice is simple - modernize.

The role of the tsarga is to remove high-boiling oily substances from the mash vapor under the general name - fusel. It is these impurities that spoil the taste of moonshine and its aroma. The drawbar in an industrial moonshine still can theoretically make it possible to obtain fairly pure raw alcohol after the first distillation, but this device should not be idealized.

Many articles provide data that a drawer with a length of 15 cm gives a 20-fold degree of cleaning, 35 cm - 50-fold and 45 cm - 65-fold, without explaining what this is - the cleaning rate. Many people think that the resulting moonshine becomes 20, 50 or 65 times purer. This is not entirely true. The cleaning frequency shows how many times there is mutual contact of the condensate inside the drawer with the nozzle and the vapor phase.

Naturally, the higher the frequency, the better the cleaning. But in a household moonshine still, both an industrial drawer and a do-it-yourself drawer will allow you to get moonshine three to four times purer after the first distillation than without it. Is it worth upgrading the device? Absolutely yes. Having tried the product obtained from the apparatus using a drawer, you will be convinced of this. Repeated distillation will further strengthen your opinion that such a fairly simple device can radically change your idea of ​​what homemade moonshine is.

How to make a king with your own hands

There is nothing complicated in the process of making the drawer. Even a person who has at least once held a grinder, a soldering iron and a drill in his hands can make simplest option this device. It is better if the master knows how to operate a lathe or weld stainless steel. Cutting threads on stainless steel by hand is quite difficult, almost impossible. But if you find dies marked P18 or P18F2, then you can try.

What will you need for the job? Depending on which drawer option you choose. If there is a tendency to experiment, then you can make a collapsible drawer, consisting of several parts. If you just want to try whether what they say about the role of the tsarga in moonshine is true, then you can make one fragment. The design allows for the possibility of increasing the length in any case.

So, let's start making the drawer with our own hands. To do this you will need:

A piece of pipe with a diameter of 35 - 45 mm made of stainless steel, copper or brass. Regular steel, cast iron and plastic are not suitable. The first metal will rust very quickly, cast iron is heavy and pipes like this are not found, and plastic is unsafe when in contact with alcohol fumes. It will not catch fire or melt, but such compounds may form that no chemist can determine their composition, and it will be difficult for doctors to make a diagnosis.

In addition to the pipe, you will need a threaded fitting, which must be secured to the lid of the distillation cube using two clamping nuts on silicone gaskets. It is not recommended to use rubber, unless you can find a heat-resistant one. If the cube lid is made of stainless steel, then the fitting can be welded.

We will begin work from this fitting. You need to cut an internal thread on the drawer so that it can easily be screwed onto the pipe. If you made an internal thread on the fitting, then cut an external thread on the drawer body. When working with your own hands, such liberties are allowed.

The length of the thread is at least 3 cm. Please note that it will hold the entire upper part of the device. If the drawer for a moonshine still serves as the base of a distillation column, then no lateral loads are expected. But if a side pipeline with a refrigerator is connected to it, then it is desirable that the base be strong.

There should also be a thread on the top of the drawer. To it we will connect the outlet of the steam line to the refrigerator, the second section of the drawer or the head of the rectification column. We select the lower part of the drawer with a length of 35 - 40 cm. If necessary, it is very easy to lengthen it. If there is a thread, you can use any of the known methods of connecting two pipes - American, coupling, etc.

Below 2-3 cm of the edge of the upper thread, we drill a hole with a diameter of 3 - 4 mm and screw into it, having previously cut the thread, a piece of tube 3-4 cm long - a socket for the thermometer probe. It will be inserted there during operation using a silicone seal.

Seat for thermometer

In the drawer, the most important thing is not the mechanical method of connection, but its internal part. The volume of the drawer is filled with metal wire spirals - nozzles. Their diameter is 2–3 mm, visually they resemble small springs. They are made from stainless steel or copper.

You need a lot of them and it’s impossible to do it yourself. It is best to buy special filling on specialized sites. To prevent the filler from spilling inside the tank, a fine mesh made of stainless steel or copper is inserted into the lower part of the drawer body. It can be cut from an old kitchen strainer, or donated to a new one.

As a last resort, use a mesh for washing dishes, but you need to choose only stainless steel. We push several of these meshes inside the pipe and seal them. An even better option is to buy a regular Panchenkov wire nozzle. This is a woven stainless steel strip that is twisted into a spiral and tightly inserted inside the drawer body.

To some, all these fillers may seem excessive, but they are what turn an ordinary pipe into a drawer. It works not only as a filter - the most complex physical and chemical processes of interaction between steam and condensing liquid take place inside, as a result of which the steam is divided into batch fractions and purified from all kinds of impurities.

When using a drawer, it should be taken into account that the distillation speed will decrease by 30 percent. But the time spent is compensated by the quality of the product.