Film column moonshine still: principle of operation and device. The principle of operation of the beer column in a moonshine still Drawing of a distiller with reinforcement

Column) is an apparatus for the production of "under-rectified", that is, strong and relatively pure moonshine. At the output, the product is better than distillate, but it does not reach rectified. You can read about its difference from the usual moonshine and distillation apparatus here -.

Today we will consider the option of making a reinforcing column with our own hands. This work requires knowledge of its device, as well as possession of a welding machine and a grinder. It is rather difficult to assemble something adequate from the trash, but we will try to offer you the most budgetary and affordable option that will produce a strong and relatively high-quality product at the output.

There are not as many components as it might seem at first glance.

• Three pipes with a diameter of 32 mm made of stainless steel.
• Two nuts for connecting to the cube.
• Stainless steel refrigerator
• Sewer pipes, coupling and adapter for a washing machine (reflux condenser).
• As a basis alembic is used .

So how are we going to do solid column, then you will need a welding machine with electrodes and a grinder.

The design will not imply parsing, and it will need to be washed directly with water.

I propose to study the device and the principle of its operation of this apparatus before work.

Did it most successfully Lucky on your Youtube channel. A lot of questions are closed in the comments, so study this section too.

Blueprints

Probably your base for the apparatus will not be the same as ours. For this reason, you will not be able to make an identical column, as your pipe and connection sizes will be different.

Therefore, we have prepared for you selection of drawings which you can navigate while you work. Choose the best option for yourself, collect all the parts and you can get to work. The video will be presented below.

Drawing with dimensions and part names.
From copper.
With 22 mm drawer side.
Visual scheme.

Step-by-step instructions for making a reinforcing column

It is very difficult to explain the practical part in words, so I suggest you watch 2 videos from the Youtube channel samopal PRODUCTION. It is these videos that are considered the most popular, as they show a budget option for manufacturing a reinforcing column.

The whole process can be divided into several parts:

1. Preparation of equipment and components of the apparatus.
2. Connection and welding of pipes, that is, the creation of a sealed system.
3. Testing and improving the distillation (adding or working with a reflux condenser).

The output is a rather dumb, but working moonshine still. On it you can make moonshine with reinforcement, removing most of the harmful fractions from the product.

copper column

If stainless steel does not suit you, then the only alternative would be copper. The device will be more expensive, more efficient and better. This material is difficult to care for, but the result is always fantastic.

I propose to study the scheme of operation of the copper reinforcing column and understand its main nodes. The author will talk about the parts that make it up, so after watching the video you will have an objective picture of how it can be done.

Fans of making homemade liquor eventually come to the need to improve quality. The best solution is to obtain pure alcohol and dilute it according to the required recipe.

A distillation column will help you get pure alcohol. More recently, information about home rectification was not available, today a large number of specialized forums and blogs cover in detail the process of home rectification and the construction of related equipment.

Rectification is the process of cleaning alcohol from light ether and heavy fusel components, getting rid of the product from glucose, sugars and acids. The rectification process allows you to get pure ethyl alcohol up to 96 °.

The resulting raw material is used for technical, medical purposes, as well as for the preparation of high-quality alcohol.

Reference. In order to make the device without errors with your own hands, you need to understand the physics and chemistry of rectification processes.

Raw alcohol or mash is heated in a cube. Vapors rise along the side, the heaviest parts condense at the bottom of the packing and flow into the cube. Vapors rise more easily above the packing, condense and flow into the cube. A new portion of vapor rises, heats the already flowing phlegm, light fractions evaporate from it - the fundamental principle of heat and mass transfer comes into force.

The lightest particles reach the Dimroth refrigerator, where they cool and drain. When the vapors in the distillation column "lined up" on the floors in accordance with the density, the selection of alcohol begins in the upper part of the column. Novice rectifiers make a mistake at this very stage - or they make a "choke" - an excessive occurrence of phlegm, or they take a lot of product, then the "number of floors" suffers and the resulting alcohol will be with impurities.

Make a distillation column home environment pretty hard. Serious manufacturers calculate and test their product in detail, attach detailed instructions. The do-it-yourselfer has a choice:

1. Repeat the idea of ​​popular manufacturers, copy an existing device. If necessary, changes and improvements can be made to the proven schemes.
2. Design your own scheme, different from others.

What does a distillation column consist of, and its drawing?

A home master can make a tsarg distillation column. She forgives many mistakes, and the result will be guaranteed.

Drawing distillation column

alembic

This is a container where heaters are built in, mash or raw alcohol evaporates.

Capacity specifications:

1. Strength. The weight of the distillation pipe will be on the lid, so the cube must be rigid.
2. Chemical neutrality to alcohol. The ideal material is food grade chromium-nickel steel (stainless steel).
3. Convenience. The container must be lifted, moved, and the bard (distillation) drained from it. The volume of the container is calculated depending on the required performance of the apparatus, the power of the heaters.
4. Warming. Heat loss should be kept to a minimum. therefore, both the walls and the bottom must be “packed” in insulation without cold bridges.

Tsarga for moonshine still

The tsarga is a pipe that is installed on a cube. In fact, this is the main frame of the distillation column. There is a plate-shaped tsarga, but it is rarely used at home.

Characteristics:

1. Strength. The wall thickness of the drawer side is usually taken from 1 to 1.5 mm. This creates sufficient strength at low weight.
2. chemical neutrality.
3. Warming. In order to line up a pair of different fractions “by floors” in a column, the tsarga must be well insulated. A sleeve made of expanded polypropylene or expanded polystyrene trays used in plumbing is perfect.
4. Collapsibility. For ease of cleaning and storage, the drawer can be made collapsible - from knees of 30-40 cm. This will allow you to adjust the height of the device, which affects the speed and quality of products.
5. The presence of viewing glass areas.
6. Diameter. If it is a thin tube (up to 2 inches), packing is not needed - all processes take place on the walls. Such a column is called a film column. Diameters higher require the use of a packing - sealing packing to increase the area of ​​heat and mass transfer.

Stuffing or nozzle

The stuffing is needed for the deposition of phlegm, its re-evaporation. The main characteristic of the stuffing is the area. Stones of certain breeds, a stainless steel sieve, stainless steel chip spirals are used as packing.

There are many ready-made solutions on sale, home craftsmen have come up with various inexpensive substitute options. Most often, metal dishwashing nets or metal shavings are used to replace factory packings.

The alignment of vapors by floors depends on the volume and density of the nozzle. If the column uses a small chipping prismatic nozzle, a lattice support must be made so that the nozzle does not fall into the cube.

Dimroth cooler

At the top of the distillation column is a cooler - a tube twisted into a spiral.

Cold water circulates through it. It completely cools all light vapors. It is characterized by the plane of inclination, power, length.

Selection node

It serves to select alcohol from the upper "floor". The selection is not carried out completely, most of the phlegm returns to the tsarga. The ratio of the withdrawn product to the phlegm returned to the back is called the phlegm number.

The higher the reflux number, the lower the productivity of the apparatus, the cleaner the product is.

There are three types of selection:

1. By the way. the selection unit is located above the Dimroth refrigerator, and catches the erupted vapors. They are cooled in an additional flow-through refrigerator.
2. By liquid. The cooled phlegm of the “upper floors”, dripping from the refrigerator, is taken through inclined planes or a sump.
3. For a couple. Part of the steam rises up to Dimroth, and part rushes to an additional refrigerator, where it condenses. A stable reflux ratio is provided, which does not change during the entire distillation time.

Additional refrigerator

Has an auxiliary function.

What is he doing:

• cools the resulting product,
• besieges accidentally caught vapors,
• cools the finished product.

You will learn more about what a distillation column is and what the principle of its operation is from this video:

Design choice

The size and design of the apparatus depends on a number of factors:

1. Required performance. with greater productivity, the side with stuffing will be higher and wider - the pair passes more. The cooler and extraction unit must also provide sufficient efficiency. The minimum length of the tsarga is 1.5 meters, it is better to make it collapsible from three knees - 1 meter, 0.2 meters, 0.5 meters. this will allow the device to be used for both distillation and rectification.
2. Possible sizes. Often home distillation columns are limited in size due to the height of the ceiling. To save space will help shifting the dimroth refrigerator in the upper part of the apparatus, or placing it perpendicular to the side (Thor's hammer).
3. Access to metalworking technologies. A stainless steel apparatus will last a long time and will not oxidize alcohol, but argon welding or stainless steel electrodes will be required to connect the parts. Cooking stainless steel is difficult. If possible, laboratory heat-resistant glass can be used, but it is too fragile. A great option for a do-it-yourselfer is copper. It is easily soldered with a gas burner, there are a large number of
4. The volume of fueled raw materials. The larger the applied cube, the higher the performance should be. Evaporation of alcohol occurs at 75 - 80 ° C, lowering the temperature will reduce the speed of the process.
5. Budget. With a minimum budget, a simple but effective design with mechanical adjustments should be considered. If the budget is not constrained, the device is complemented by precise needle cranes, additional nodes and automatic control.

For home distillation, the simplest will be a column with a cube of up to 50 liters with built-in heating elements with a power of 3 kW. Column diameter 32 mm, liquid extraction unit based on the design of Alex Bokakoba, Dimroth cooler inserted above the selection unit.

An additional cooler is not needed; instead, a 1.5-meter long plastic tube cooled by air serves perfectly. As a nozzle, you can use the Panchenko nozzle, SPN or metal stainless steel washcloths for dishes. All connections are made on inexpensive plumbing threaded connections.

Optimal Calculations

The calculation of the column begins with the definition of the following parameters:

1. Possible height. Practice shows that a height of 1.5 - 2 meters will be optimal for a home device. If a gas stove is used as a heater, the height of the drawer will be 1.2 - 1.5 meters. The diameter depends on the height, the average ratio is 1/50. For example, the tsarga 1.5 meters should be no more than 32 mm. (round up to standard pipes).
2. The power of the heating element or heater. A 1.5 meter drawer will have a capacity of approximately 300 ml / hour, which corresponds to 300 watts of heating element power. The power of the heater must be sufficient to heat the volume of mash up to 70 ° C for 1 hour, and also have the possibility of optimal regulation.
3. The volume of the cube. This is an insulated container with a convenient size, transportable. To save room height, the diameter and height should be approximately the same. The amount of heated vapor depends on the volume of the cube. For home use, beer kegs of 25, 30, 50 liters are convenient. It is better not to use aluminum cans or tanks - aluminum corrodes quickly.
4. Cooler power. The cooler must fully cope with the condensation of vapors with a minimum flow of water. There is no exact formula for calculating the power of a cooler; the number of turns and length are selected empirically. For our design, 30 centimeters of a tightly wound spiral from a 6 mm tube is quite enough. It is better to make a refrigerator with a power reserve and regulate the rate of cold water supply.

How to make from fitting plumbing at home?

Actions are as follows:

• We buy materials- 2 meters of 32 mm copper pipe; tin for soldering; 15 cm copper tube with a diameter of 8 mm, 2 meters of 6 mm tube; needle valve, plastic hose with a diameter of 8 mm. We purchase a ready-made nozzle or a substitute - ceramic gravel, metal washcloth. The simplest connectors are clamps or brass threads.
• We make a king. We divide the pipe into segments of 1 meter, 0.3 meters, 0.5 meters. We solder a segment of 10 centimeters to the cube lid, insert a mesh to delay the nozzle. At each joint, we solder a clamp connection or plumbing thread made of copper or brass.

• Assembling the node selection based on Alex Bocacoba. On a tube 0.3 meters long, closer to the bottom edge, we make two angular cuts at 30 - 40 degrees. We insert copper plates into the cuts, cut and solder. We drill a hole for the liquid sampling tube, the hole should be at the bottom of the "pocket" of the bottom plate. We solder a thread for a needle valve on the sampling tube, which will regulate the sampling. On the side and just above the sampling hole, we insert the “forward flow” tube. It is needed to control the phlegm number. The forward flow conducts the phlegm from the selection “pocket” below, the phlegm drips into the center of the nozzle. The middle part of the forward flow is made of a transparent plastic tube.

• Assembling the cooler, for which we tightly wind a copper tube stuffed with sand onto a pin with a diameter of 12 mm. The pin is removed, the sand is shaken out and blown out. It turns out a spiral, one end of which must be threaded inward. The beginning and end of the tube is threaded into a brass "cup" with a thread and sealed - this is a cork. The resulting refrigerator is inserted above the selection unit, dripping phlegm is collected by inclined planes.

• Before use, pour the nozzle into the drawer. The nozzle should not tightly clog the pipe, steam should pass freely through it.

• If desired, you can make a flow-through aftercooler. It consists of two tubes, with a diameter of 10 and 12 mm. The length of a thin tube is 3 cm shorter than a thick one. The tubes are inserted one into the other and the ends are sealed. The inlet and outlet of cold water are soldered to a thick tube.

The column is assembled and ready to use. Before use, it is better to wash the parts with a weak solution of acetic acid using a brush.

Watch a video that shows how to assemble a distillation column with your own hands:

Operating modes

The modes are as follows:

1. Heating the mash up to 72 -75 ° С. The Dimroth cooler operates at minimum power.
2. Warming up the column and building "floors" of reflux condensation. Throughout the column there is active bubbling and steam and mass exchange. It is important to prevent oversaturation of the column, otherwise there will be a "choke" - phlegm will clog the entire diameter of the tsarga. We select the power of the heaters so that the temperature near the sampling unit is 71 - 75 ° C.
3. Start of selection. When selecting for liquid, the slender pyramid in the side is inevitably violated, so the reflux ratio will need to be adjusted. The vapor density gradually decreases, as does the intensity of selection. The first selected liquid - "heads" - contain volatile ethereal components. The volume of heads reaches 20% of the planned alcohol content.
4. Selection of the main commercial alcohol goes until the smell of fusel oils.
5. If you want to extract everything possible from the raw materials, we draw out the "tails" - the last part of the alcohol-containing vapors. They contain a large amount of fusel oils, the tails are mixed in "heads" and used for further rectification.
6. Completion of rectification- turning off the heater, cooling pipes.

The whole cycle, depending on the desired product quality, can last a relatively long time - from 8 hours to 2 days.

The average productivity of the column assembled by us is 250-300 ml. 96° alcohol per hour.

Do you need to design equipment?

The process of calculating, assembling and testing homemade equipment brings great pleasure. The result after edits and improvements will be guaranteed. However, the first difficulties or failures can cool the ardor of novice rectifiers.

As a result of independent design, even minor nuances affect the result - packing density, angle of inclination, diameter of Dimroth tubes ... If you need a quick and guaranteed result, it is better to purchase a ready-made device from the manufacturer. When buying, it is important to know the device, productivity and purpose of the device, so as not to buy a fake or inefficient device.

The fact that 80% of vodka in our stores is made from imported alcohol somehow never really bothered me, even once I looked at the production of alcohol from pah, feces, I was also not very impressed - well, what do I think, sometimes it’s not like that, but there is so much wheat in our mother Russia. But the flashing information that China has become the main importer of alcohol in Russia seriously alerted - but what exactly is it produced there?
On the Internet, as always, there were a thousand versions about the origin of Chinese alcohol, but one of the convincing ones nevertheless confirmed my fears - organic waste products serve as raw materials.
The last straw that prompted me to buy equipment for distillation was the tasting of moonshine visiting friends, people who are quite wealthy and very hospitable, who, in the presence of others alcoholic beverages, proven and not cheap, politely offered everyone to try moonshine. My relationship with this natural product somehow didn’t work out from my youth, having tried it once in the student brigade on potatoes, I decided to avoid this “refined” drink in the future - the smell, taste and especially the hangover were just terrible for that chatterbox. Subsequently tried other moonshine products left approximately similar sensations. And what was my amazement when the moonshine offered by friends for testing was radically different from everything that I had tried before - neither in smell nor in taste was there any fuselage. But for objectivity, it is worth noting that it was not pure moonshine, but already infused with some kind of berries, but I had a chance to drink moonshine tinctures before, so there was something to compare with. I didn’t manage to find out on what equipment that moonshine was made, but the brain has already received food for thought and research.
After reading specialized articles, websites, forums, I decided on what I want and already chose a ready-made kit for home brewing for purchase, but it turned out that one old acquaintance had been “in the know” for a long time and he dissuaded me from the chosen option, arguing that, too I started with a similar kit and the moonshine there turned out to be good, but still “spirited”. He managed to achieve a pure taste only on distillation equipment of the XD / 4 series manufactured in Taganrog. I still don’t understand whether it’s a full-fledged plant or some kind of small-scale production. As you know, learning from one’s mistakes is a thankless task, so I didn’t become smart, I took a distiller with a strengthening film column from the online store at this plant, which was advised by a friend - HD / 4-2500PK.
As I understand it, the abbreviation HD / 4-2500PK is deciphered as follows:
HD - abbreviation of the words HomeDistiller (homedistiller translated from English home distiller)
4 is a series of distillation equipment sharpened for domestic use for 1" plumbing fittings
2500 is the maximum power in W utilized by this distiller, although it is not clear for what type of heating this is calculated, the heat transfer is different for everyone.
PC - film column (reflux film flows down the pipe wall into a cube).
The main difference between a film column and a classic moonshine still is that the alcohol vapors rising into the primary refrigerator condense on its inner walls, forming a film that, under the influence of gravity, flows back into a boiling cube and so on dozens of times in a circle. This makes it possible to achieve a more accurate separation of high-boiling fractions and, accordingly, a cleaner and stronger product at the outlet.

A little simplified theory of making alcohol

The process of alcohol production can be divided into two types - distillation and rectification.
Distillation is the process of heating low-strength feedstock (mash) in a closed volume (alembic), as a result of which the vapors ascending into the distiller condense in it and drain into a receiving tank. The trick is that alcohol vapors begin to evaporate first (the boiling point of alcohol is about + 78 ° C), first the head fractions, the so-called “heads”, evaporate: higher alcohols, volatile acids, esters, and after them the “body” we already need is drinking ( ethyl) alcohol, after which tail fractions boil - “tails” (fusel oils) and only at the very end it comes to water. Therefore, the main task of distillation is to correctly separate the "body" of the distillation - alcohol, from the "heads" and "tails".
Rectification is the same process of heating in a distillation cube, as a result of which there is an absolute (due to the design features of the distillation column) separation of the liquid into fractions, that is, almost pure alcohol is obtained at the output.
It would seem that rectified is better than distillate - just add water ©, but not everything is so simple. Distillation makes it possible to preserve the taste and aroma of the raw materials in alcohol: grapes for obtaining chacha, grappa and cognac spirit; apples for Calvados, etc. There is also an opinion that the presence of microdoses of fusel oils and esters in alcohol has a beneficial effect on the negative impact that alcohol has on the body, at least causes milder hangover symptoms.

9 days after payment, the parcel reached me


I didn’t take photos of the packaging, and actually there wasn’t much packaging there - a stretch tape in several layers, and scotch tape for fidelity, but actually, why be smart there, I didn’t buy crystal.
The appearance of the column pleased me, there are no crooked welds and burrs at all, it is immediately clear that the thing was not made on the knee.


There is even an old Soviet atavism - OTK stamp on the sticker


Made by PC from food grade stainless steel 1mm thick


column weight 1.45 kg


The height of the assembled column is 650 mm, the width at the extreme points is 200 mm. External diameter of the hardening cooler 32mm


Outer diameter of cooling tubes 8 mm


Inner diameter of hole for thermometer 6 mm


The column comes with silicone tubes that connect the cooling circuits of the ascending and descending refrigerators with the so-called Hoffmann clamp


which allows you to separate and regulate water flows, thereby increasing or decreasing the rate of product selection.
Cooling circuit inside the column


The column is fastened with a stainless steel union nut with a diameter of 1”


a paronite gasket is used for sealing


For some reason, they put four of them to me.
I decided to start at a low cost, so as not to regret the money spent (if I don’t like the moonshine or the moonshine process itself), so I didn’t buy anything else from the equipment, except for the adapter for the pan. It would be possible to save on this by assembling it from a 1 ”stainless drive with nuts and washers sold on the market, but in our market the sellers were not sure that they were made of food grade stainless steel, so I didn’t risk it, I ordered it in the same store. I decided to make a distillation cube myself from the 12 liter pot I had.


Since the distillation cube must be absolutely airtight, it will be necessary to seal the lid of the pan. To do this, I bought metal dies in a furniture fittings store, a set of screws with wing caps, nuts and washers in a hardware store, and a silicone tube with a diameter of 5 mm in a pharmacy shop.


We proceed to the manufacture of the distillation cube: we drill a hole in the center of the lid with the largest drill and one more on the side with a diameter of 6 mm for a thermometer.


saw off the lid handle


and then with a round file we expand the central hole to 32 mm, the metal of the cover is soft and things went quickly, it took about half an hour to do everything about everything.


We put the adapter and clamp it tightly with two adjustable wrenches


I cut furniture dies, drilled holes for the diameter of the screws and bent them under the profile of the cover - screw clamps turned out




I cut the tube lengthwise and put it on the edge of the pan


the first tests showed that the clamps cut the tube, and the tube itself diverges at the edges, although I cut it clearly end-to-end. To eliminate the identified shortcomings, I wrapped the edges of the clamps with tape


and sewed the edges of the tube with a thread


The second test of the homemade cube was successful, no steam escaped anywhere.
This is how the final design turned out.

Another obligatory cost for a successful moonshine brewing process is an alcohol meter, a silicone tube for collecting distillate, PVC pipes for inlet and outlet of water, a volumetric flask, an adapter for a tap and two thermometers, one in a cube, the second at the top of the column.


All this, with the exception of thermometers (thanks to Ali for coupons 2 from 2.01), I bought for cheap in the Summer Resident. Since the idea was only to try and invest to a minimum, I made an adapter for the faucet from a plastic fitting for a garden hose, it ideally turned on the thread of my mixer with the siphon removed.


After the production of wine, I was left with grape pomace, the use of which was not found and I had to throw it away. Now such waste will no longer occur, the pomace will serve as the basis for my first mash. I used 20 kg of pomace, 30 liters of water for a 60 l barrel, and now I’m afraid to lie, I don’t remember how many kilograms of sugar (about 5-6). It was impossible to close the barrel hermetically with a lid, so I used the same water seal as during the fermentation of grape must - a bag with a puncture. It was not necessary to add any yeast to the mash, wild grapes did everything themselves, at first the bag inflated very intensively


Braga even went over the edge, had to piss in three-liter jar. The whole fermentation process went on for quite a long time - about a month. As soon as the pomace has gone to the bottom and the mash has acquired a bitter taste, you can start distillation.
Instructions for film column recommends distillation to be carried out in two stages, first primary distillation at maximum speed without the selection of heads and tails, and then secondary fractional distillation.
A detailed video instruction on working with HD / 4-2500PK is available for those who are enthusiastic about this distiller.
We assemble the moonshine, put thermometers with silicone tubes for tightness, put on hoses, apply test cooling. The kitchen turns into a distillery and is almost completely occupied by me, household members are expelled to other rooms. You can drive.


The primary distillation is carried out with the strengthening column cooling circuit completely closed, the Hoffmann clamp is mounted on a vertical tube and completely screwed.


Thus, all alcohol vapors freely pass through the ascending column and condense in the descending column.
Water must be supplied with the most minimal flow of 30-40 l / h, then there will be practically no smell from moonshine.


When my mash burned, the smell was very noticeable, I even had to open the window and turn on the hood to the full, the next time I didn’t make such a mistake and there was practically no smell during distillation, in an apartment you can safely drive without fear that it will cause discomfort to other family members, and even the neighbors will not sniff it out.
By adjusting the degree of heating and water pressure, you can relax and do other things, the process does not require further human participation, it is only necessary to control the alcohol content of the resulting distillate. I drove moonshine to a fortress in a jet of less than 10%. The maximum speed that I managed to achieve on HD / 4-2500PC is 1.5-1.6 liters per hour. The final alcohol content of Pervak ​​was slightly more than 45%.


In total, about 8 liters of raw alcohol turned out


At the primary distillation, I made a mistake - I heated the cube at the maximum power of the induction cooker and the grape pomace burned on me, the instruction advised the mash to be filtered before pouring it into the cube, but moonshine gurus from the Internet said that chacha should be driven with pomace otherwise there will be no taste of grapes. I don’t know, I didn’t feel the smell of grapes in Pervak, but there was a burnt tone.
Next, you need to distill the resulting raw alcohol again with separation into fractions. Experienced moonshiners make such a separation by smell - they quickly rub a drop of distillate between their fingers and sniff it, the head fractions smell of acetone, the tail fractions of fuselage, and the body of the distillation, respectively, should have a pure alcohol smell. Well, all this comes with experience and over time, or maybe it doesn’t come at all, for someone else. For beginner moonshiners, there is a special method for calculating the selection of head fractions, it is as follows: first you need to calculate the volume of pure (absolute) alcohol in the raw material according to the following formula: The volume of raw alcohol * Fortress, and the heads will be 10% of the result obtained. For example, if we have 8 liters of raw alcohol with a strength of 45%, then the volume of heads will be 8 * 0.45 * 0.1 = 0.36 liters. You can also download various applications from the market (I liked it), which themselves calculate the volume of heads according to the initial data (and many other useful things, especially the proportions of further dilution of alcohol to the desired degree).


The secondary distillation technology is slightly different, the Hoffmann clamp is moved to a horizontal tube and clamped completely


thus all the water goes to the primary fortifying cooler. Then you need to adjust the water flow in such a way that after boiling the mash in the cube, nothing flows from the column, the vapors must be completely retained by cooling in the primary column and flow back into the cube with a film, this is necessary to concentrate the head fractions in the strengthening column, since they boil first . This mode of operation of the column is called "working for yourself." In this mode, the column should work for half an hour, having accumulated a maximum of heads, then the Hoffmann clamp is removed from the horizontal nozzle and moved to a vertical one, then slowly twisted until drops of distillate appear.


Next, the clamp must be adjusted so that the selection of heads proceeds at a minimum speed of 2-3 drops per second, this will give the greatest clarity in separating the heads from the body. You need to turn the screw literally by a micrometer and wait 30 seconds until the system overcomes inertia. If the temperature of your cold water is low, then you can drive another tube of a smaller diameter into the vertical pipe and then it will be possible to regulate not by micron, but by wider movements. We substitute a pre-marked receiving container under the silicone tube


and wait until the volume of heads calculated by us earlier is selected. As soon as this happens, we change the receiving capacity to a large one and start the selection of the body


the Hoffmann clamp is gradually twisted in such a way that an even stream of distillate goes out. It is important not to overdo it here, the temperature on the thermometers should settle down and show some stable values, if the temperature rises, then you have exceeded the maximum withdrawal rate and you need to reduce it by unscrewing the clamp back, thereby adding more water to the cooling circuit. Exceeding the extraction rate will also be indicated by a splash of distillate from the atmosphere connection tube, which is located above the distillate collection tube.


The upper temperature shows us what strength we have steam and, accordingly, distillate; in the moonshiner's calculator, you can calculate the alcohol content by temperature. Pure alcohol boils at about +78C.


For additional strengthening and purification from sulfur compounds, on the recommendation of Internet gurus, I inserted into the adapter made of wire extracted from the VVG cable.


After distillation, a gray coating forms on them, they still precipitate something on themselves, I don’t know, maybe this is self-hypnosis again.


To give the spirals their original copper sheen, they must be boiled in water with citric acid.
We select the body until the temperature in the cube reaches 93 degrees, it is believed that after this temperature various bad impurities (fusel oils) begin to boil in the cube. You can stop the distillation process on this, or you can also select the tails, since they also contain alcohol and can be reused by adding mash to the next portion and distilling again.
After the second distillation, I got an alcohol content in the region of 88%


But this indicator is far from the limit for this distiller, for example, widely known in narrow circles, it received a fortress of 90 degrees, but it was used in tandem with a column filled to the top with copper spirals.
Next, you need to dilute the resulting alcohol with water to the required strength, the water must be purified and preferably softened, I use water from a stationary filter installed under the sink. Someone uses spring water, someone bottled, for whom it is more convenient. The volume of water required for dilution, according to the initial data of alcohol, can be calculated in the same Moonshiner's Assistant. It is believed that alcohol should be poured into water, and not vice versa, otherwise the moonshine will become cloudy, I did this and that. Yes, indeed, at first the alcohol solution becomes cloudy, but very quickly, in just a minute, it acquires its previous transparency.


That's actually all, the moonshine is ready for use, but to improve its quality, carbonization (filtering with charcoal) and rest (settling) can be done.
There is practically no smell of fuselage from moonshine obtained with the help of this film column, I don’t feel it at all, but my wife catches some notes, but she doesn’t drink strong alcohol, so I don’t particularly trust her nose, maybe she confuses it with something else . Intoxication compared to purchased budget vodka, more calm and soft, I don’t think any of the drinkers will have any demolition of the roof and the need to fill someone’s face. Well, here, as they say, the question of the culture of drinking and knowledge of the measure. Comparing my feelings the next day, I can unequivocally state that the hangover from the same doses as vodka is much milder, and even then it manifests itself when it has gone too far. If I drank in moderation, then in the morning there are no symptoms at all, for example, 150 grams are enough for me to get full satisfaction from alcohol.
Moonshine is a rich testing ground for the subsequent preparation of various alcoholic beverages - tinctures, liqueurs, brandy, whiskey and much more. According to Storm, respected in the circles of distillers, I roasted myself oak chips to insist on it moonshine.


I poured it into a three-liter jar and put it in the pantry for a couple of weeks.
It turned out to be a very interesting straw-colored drink, as it seemed to me with notes of prunes.


I also liked the juniper tincture with a pleasant smell of a Christmas tree and the classic honey with pepper, there are many on the Internet. different recipes I will slowly try. There you can also find various labels and design options for your bottles.


Take care of yourself, buy high-quality alcohol in trusted stores, or learn from my experience and then alcohol will not only be harmful, but also a little useful, the main thing is to know when to stop.
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One of the flagships of home distillation is the HD4 2500pc set. A series of HD4 moonshine stills is an excellent equipment for obtaining high-quality rectified alcohol - pure alcohol, as well as for distilling moonshine. It is in demand to work with small volumes typical for home use, and also requires little space. XD4 2500pk is a classic example of a film (or mash, as it is often called) column, due to which the first distillation of mash takes place with a significant increase in the strength of raw alcohol.

Operating methods

This universal moonshine is usually used for the following situations:

• In order to overtake the mash for moonshine (raw alcohol). Various types of mash are used, such as classic sugar, popular berry or fruit, etc.
• When working, the moonshine still is capable of producing a distillate that has the required taste properties. During the process, you can set the semi-automatic mode or manual.
• It will be possible to effectively distill raw alcohol through a shulman moonshine still into rectified alcohol (drinking).
• Using fractional distillation xd4 kit for distillation and rectification is in operation, the output will be absinthe class drinks, gin, etc.

Positive qualities

The moonshine still xd 4 has mostly only positive reviews, which indicates a high degree of reliability and excellent performance properties. At the same time, the xd4 distillation kit belongs to the middle price category and wins in the price / quality ratio.

• The resulting product has all the advantages of high-quality pure alcohol or raw. It is almost completely devoid of such "diseases" of cheap equipment as extraneous odors, the taste of raw materials or fusel oils. The final alcohol strength is obtained at the level of 96.0-96.3%.
• Work on moonshine still xd is available even for distillers who have little experience with such devices. All procedures and settings are intuitive.
• This moonshine is universal, which expands the owner's ability to use it. With it, it is easy to get raw alcohol, distillate for making vodka, various rectified products.
• The modern xd 4 moonshine still has positive reviews due to the fact that it takes less time to get the result than when using the classic model with a gas or electric oven. "Home" volume can be obtained within one day, which is usually impossible for "can" portions. The average output is about 3 liters with self-maintenance of the installation.
• Affordable cost allows you to buy xd 4 moonshine for 10 thousand rubles. In this case, the owner receives a complete set of universal purpose. The amount is affordable for almost any family who is fond of making alcoholic beverages at home.
• All structural elements have a high degree of durability and reliability. These properties provide a high operational resource to a set.
• An important factor when working with high temperature and pressure is increased safety. Subject to all fire and electrical safety measures, manufacturers guarantee long-term and trouble-free operation of the device.
• The elements included in the kit can be easily detached from each other and can be used as universal parts for their intended purpose. For example, a pressure cooker is quite suitable for cooking something edible at home.

All products that xd 4 moonshine produces can be consumed both immediately after they are received (moonshine, grappa, rum, chacha, etc.), and after the time has elapsed and they have been kept in prepared barrels (whisky, calvados, etc.). d.).

Equipment set

The main part of the set is a cube, the role of which is performed by a pressure cooker. Depending on the variety of the xd 4 2500pc model (reviews can be left below), a volume of 8 and 12 liters is used. Such a pan provides pressure build-up inside, which has a positive effect on productivity and work speed.

High tightness is a prerequisite for reliable distillation. Alcohol vapors do not go into the atmosphere, but thanks to the pressure cooker they go to the desired nozzle. The silicone gasket helps to increase the tightness.

The lid is equipped with two valves to ensure stable pressure. One valve is working, and the second is used as an emergency valve to prevent the formation of excess pressure inside the tank.

Instead of an emergency valve, it is customary to mount a pressure gauge or thermometer to control the processes inside the mash tank.

The column joins through the built-in adapter. A classic distiller can be installed in the same place. If regular use of a pressure cooker is planned, then the welded-in adapter is easily silenced with a pre-prepared metal plug.

VIDEO: Pros and cons of a copper column

The cube is heated in any convenient way:

• gas home oven;
• electric stove;
• induction hob.

For large 20-liter models, electric heating elements are prudently welded into the cavity. If periodic regular use of a pressure cooker is provided, then the heating elements are simply not included in the mains. With this design, heat loss is significantly reduced, which increases the efficiency of the device.

There are conditional design flaws with built-in heaters:

• there is an irreducible balance in the cube, about 2-3 liters;
• excessively thick mash, when using built-in heaters, may burn a little on them, which will affect the final taste as a result;
• there is some difficulty in normal use;
• the use of heating elements increases the price tag of the product, although the final electricity consumption will be slightly less than on the stove.

VIDEO: Copper reinforcing column

Advantages of built-in heaters

• effective efficiency is more than 90% in terms of power parameters;
• the heating time of the mash is reduced, unlike other structures;
• product and film column xd 4 2500pc have a compact appearance;
• The design parameters made it possible to exclude an extra power regulator from the design, which reduces the cost of the device.

What is a film (wash) column

So why is the column in this design given special attention? The operation of the column is based on the principle of recurrence, when part of the alcohol-containing liquid (reflux) flows down the walls back into the cube to react with the rising concentrate. When it drains, a film is formed on the column wall, which periodically reacts with rising alcohol-containing vapors, strengthening the product and facilitating its separation into fractions.

The film retains fractions that usually flow back into the cube, increases the concentration percentage of the finished product.

This effect is possible due to an additional refrigerator-reflux condenser (there is a special article about), which is installed on the base of the column and contributes to the return of reflux. Depending on the size of the ascending part, the strength of the finished raw alcohol will increase proportionally - the higher it is, the greater the concentration of the product. This is precisely the principle of the beer or film column, when a reflux film is formed, which additionally reacts with condensate. At the same time, please note that the productivity of the beer column is always lower than that of the direct flow - up to 2 liters per hour.

If you turn off the refrigerator on an ascending basis, it will be a regular column, which at the exit gives a maximum strength of 60 degrees.

You can see the work in more detail in the video from Igor Shulman.

To calculate fractions, I use the work of more experienced colleagues and my own practical experience.

When selecting heads, I focus on the standard of 10% of absolute alcohol. But the previous experience of driving exactly rice mashes testified that after the selection of 5% AS, there was a SAM without heads. I put into account another 2% for force majeure situations. Details on fractions, in the table below.

Second (fractional) stage

1. Acceleration of the column at the maximum. I reduced the heating power after reaching a temperature of about 75-80 degrees in the tank.

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2. At 75 degrees in the tank, turned on the cooling (water supply to the refrigerator)

3. Controlling the temperature in the refrigerator and observing the return of phlegm to the column through the diopter, I set the supplied heating power (for me it is about 1/3 of the maximum power)

during "rectification", it is desirable to adhere to the water temperature (at the outlet of the refrigerator) in the region of 35-45 degrees, since with strong cooling of phlegm, part of the nozzle part is "lost" due to the fact that cold phlegm until it is heated and enters into heat and mass transfer, more than necessary rolls down the nozzle. In addition, the likelihood of liquid plugs (choke) increases.

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4. He let the column work for himself (within an hour)

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5. Began drop-by-drop selection of heads. The volume of goals turned out to be higher than the calculated indicator. I took it until the smell of chymosa disappeared in the selection.

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6. After removing the heads, he brought the power supplied to about 50% of the maximum and selected the body until the bitterness characteristic of the tail fractions began to appear in Sam.

7. I did not take tails.

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Intermediate indicators and totals are presented in the table below.