Do-it-yourself moonshine still in a water bath. How to make a good moonshine still with your own hands at minimal cost

Many people, having tried homemade liqueur or cognac at a party, think about preparing such a drink themselves. However, it turns out that this is not so simple, because to prepare drinks based on homemade alcohol you need a special device. Of course, the easiest way is to buy a standard distiller in a store, but using a home-made moonshine still is more reliable and practical.

The purpose of creating and using this device is very clear - to obtain an alcoholic drink with an ethyl alcohol content of at least 60-70%, which is also popularly called “moonshine”.

It is made in different ways and the quality of homemade alcohol also varies. Often the final product contains impurities that are dangerous to humans, spoil the taste and give an unpleasant odor. But this only happens in cases where such production is started for the sake of mass sales, which, by the way, is illegal and punishable by law. A person who produces a drink for himself must take into account all the features of the assembly and operation of the mechanism. Only in this case will the alcohol be of high quality and suitable for consumption.

The device for producing moonshine is very similar in design to a laboratory distiller, so a person who plans to make such an installation on his own must have minimal knowledge of chemistry and physics. The operating principle of the moonshine still is the active evaporation of alcohol at a temperature of 55−60 ºС. The intensity of the formation of such “alcohol” vapor increases with increasing temperature.

To make such a device with your own hands, you first need to study its main parts, as well as find a diagram or detailed drawing of such an installation. This device consists of:

a distillation cube in which the starting material, that is, the mash, is heated to the required temperature;
a coil in the form of a spiral copper or glass tube through which steam moves and is divided into fractions;
refrigerator, which is a container of cold water for cooling the coil. Such a reservoir can be flow-through or storage;
a steam trap that traps fusel oils and mash residues;
a receiving container into which the cooled finished product - moonshine - flows;
additional connecting elements.

Of course, in the purchased version, all components are factory-made and do not require adjustment. When assembling a moonshine brewing machine with your own hands, you often have to improvise and make the necessary spare parts from scrap materials. This is not always convenient, but it saves a lot of money.

What to consider when assembling

Making a list of the main parts and studying the operating principle of the device is not all. There are nuances that must be taken into account, especially if there is no experience in moonshine brewing, namely:

Apparatus volume, that is, its performance. Typically, devices are made that are able to process 20 liters of raw materials. The distillation tank in this case should have a volume of about 12 liters.
Material for body parts. The most suitable is stainless steel with a thickness of 2 mm. You can use copper, but it is much more expensive. Some parts are made exclusively from glass, as it is resistant to chemical processes occurring in the device.
Ensuring cleaning. A prerequisite is the installation of a special filter - a steam filter.
Temperature accounting. Since in the process of making moonshine it is necessary to monitor the temperature, you should definitely install a thermometer. Experienced moonshiners advise either the most reliable bimetallic meters, or digital ones - more accurate, but also more expensive. It is better not to use electronic thermometers: they break at the slightest impact. The operating temperature during distillation should range from 68 to 82 ºС.

All elements of a homemade moonshine still must be reliable and resistant to high temperatures, because an important component of the distillation process is safety. It is worth worrying about this in advance and carrying out the necessary testing of the materials and main units of the device, because the result of inattention and negligence can be injury or a chemical burn.

Manufacturing of parts

Making parts for a moonshine still with your own hands is not an easy task, but it is quite doable. You should start by making the main parts, namely, a distillation cube, a refrigerator and a steamer.

A distillation cube is a tank in which mash boils. The most common version of such a homemade cube is an aluminum can, a pressure cooker or a large enamel pan.

By the way, cans were very common in Soviet apparatus, as they were used on the farm to store milk. Despite their popularity, they do not last long - about six months, and then become unusable due to the constant reaction of aluminum with acids during distillation.

Enameled cookware lasts longer - about 3-5 years.

The optimal volume of the cube is 25 liters. It should have a removable lid, a wide neck for hassle-free cleaning, and be placed on a stove or other heating element.

Despite its fragility, a milk can is the most practical solution. Of course, its design requires modification: remove the rubber gasket and replace it with silicone sealant, drill a hole for steam, and also seal the lid and connections with the coil or steam steamer.

In order to extend the life of the can, it should be treated with a soap solution after each distillation. The use of soda and similar cleaning products is strictly prohibited.

The most significant element of the entire structure, which consists of two parts: coil tube and tank for cooling this tube. Not only the quantity, but also the quality of moonshine depends on the correct operation of this part of the apparatus.

A coil is a tube made of glass, copper or aluminum, the optimal length of which is 1.5-2 meters, and the internal cross-section is 8-12 mm. It is not possible to make this part of the moonshine still with your own hands, so it is better and easier to buy a ready-made spare part at a laboratory equipment store.

The cooling reservoir is often running water (open system) or a bucket into which water is poured and the coil is lowered. Moonshine comes out of a properly made refrigerator almost cold. The refrigerator is made something like this: the coil tube is filled with sand, the ends are hammered with wooden pegs or clamped, the tube is wound on a cylindrical object with an even cross-section, and then the sand is washed out. After installing the pipes for supplying and draining water, the coil is placed inside the housing and the connections are sealed.

A desirable, but optional element of a moonshine still, which is an airtight metal or glass container. In it, the vapors first cool, and then partially boil again and return to the coil.

The steamer is installed between the distillation cube and the refrigerator. Once in this module, the alcohol vapor first cools, and then boils again and moves into the coil. An alternative to a steamer is a bubbler, which is also designed to filter alcohol vapors using liquid.

The purpose of such an intermediate device is to increase the strength of moonshine, remove fusel oils and flavor it during distillation.

To make a steamer or bubbler, you need to assemble a glass jar with a metal lid, an awl, cold welding, nuts and fittings. Holes are made in the jar using an awl, fittings and nuts are installed, and additional sealing is carried out using glue or cold welding. There is only one drawback of this element - there is no drain for accumulated liquid.

In addition to the main elements, when mounting the device, metal tubes made of stainless steel, aluminum or copper, as well as food or medical silicone hoses are used. You can also use regular dough to seal the tubes and components, which does not affect the distillate.

Heating of the structure

Heating the device is another good issue that needs to be resolved when operating a home moonshine still. There are also possible options here, namely:

Open fire - on a stove or burner. It is simple, affordable and economical, but it is difficult to control the temperature and the fire hazard is very high.
Built-in electric heating element, which is mounted directly into the cube. It makes it possible to integrate automation, but requires more thorough cleaning of the mash and is more expensive to maintain.
An induction cooker operates using electricity and heats the entire bottom of the cube well, but it is quite expensive and does not heat all containers (only those that have a magnet).
Steam generator - eliminates the risk of burning, but requires the purchase of special equipment.

When starting up for the first time, the moonshine still should be thoroughly tested with water, and at the same time, check the sealing and rinse all parts of the device. You should not weld the tubes tightly, but the device must still be airtight. Depressurization threatens not only a significant loss of moonshine, but also a fire.

Anyone can make a distiller with their own hands. With the help of this device, the liquid is purified as efficiently as possible and then used for its intended purpose. The distiller removes various impurities from the liquid. Treated water does not even contain microelements. You can make hydrolates using a distiller, and evaporate essential oils from herbs in addition to water purification. A homemade distiller will differ in appearance from industrial devices, but the performance characteristics will be equal. The transition of a liquid to another phase state is called distillation. Condensation of steam can turn into liquid or into ice, this is the solid phase.

Distiller

The scope of application of the purified liquid is quite large:

Distilled water is used in medicine to make medicines;
in industry, treated water is used for various devices that can only operate on purified water;
car batteries run on distilled water;
This water is also used for domestic purposes.
Some people take purified water in small quantities, but it is not advisable to do this frequently.

A self-made distiller has some advantages. This device is made from safe materials, which can effectively purify liquid from various impurities. The distiller does not require much energy to operate, and it is very easy to use. Water purification and supply can be adjusted automatically. The distiller may also have additional functions. There is no noise during operation of the device. But such a device also has disadvantages. The distiller can be large in size and you need to monitor it very carefully, since such a device will require the use of a gas burner, this is necessary so that the water begins to evaporate at a high temperature.

The necessary materials need to be collected and prepared to make a distiller yourself. You can easily make your own liquid purification device, but first you will need to familiarize yourself with the design. To boil water, you need a container, to cool the steam, you need tubes, and for processed moisture, you need a receiving vessel. This design of the distiller is the most primitive and can be done very quickly with your own hands. Liquid purifiers of a more complex design have various filters and additional elements; making such a device will not be so easy.

DIY distiller

Before you start designing a distiller. It is necessary to understand the operating principle of this device. An outlet tube is inserted into a container intended for boiling water, and the second end of the tube is attached to the receiving vessel. Water turns into steam when its temperature becomes too high. The steam begins to turn into water, passing through the tubes and cooling, it is this moisture that collects in the receiving vessel. A distiller works on this simple principle.

What is needed to make a distiller:

You need to find a small diameter tube made of a safe material. It will be used to cool the steam. A tube made of copper or brass is most suitable for this.
The container for boiling water must be airtight. An ordinary kettle can be used as such a container, but you will have to seal its spout. You also need to pay attention to the volume of the container.
An ordinary glass jar can be used as a container for collecting purified water.

You will need various clamps, clamps, a rubber hose, and wire. And pliers will be needed as a tool. The stainless steel tube should be of high quality. It is important that the metal does not begin to rust or corrode. Due to constant moisture and high temperatures, the tube may be negatively affected. The device will gain high strength if you use high-quality material. There is no need to clean a stainless steel tube to remove limestone deposits. A non-working pressure cooker can be used instead of a kettle to make a distiller with your own hands. The pressure cooker seals tightly and hermetically, which is a huge advantage when making a liquid cleaner. In order to insert the tube into the pressure cooker, you will need to make a hole in the lid, but this will not cause problems. The work of making a distiller with your own hands consists of several stages. It won't be difficult to do it.

DIY distiller

The coil is made from a pipe, it is bent in the form of a spiral. Without much effort, you can make a spiral from a plastic pipe; making a spiral from a metal material will be more difficult. You can make your work easier and buy a factory-made coil; a soldering iron or welding will not be needed if you use this option. The pipe is connected to the containers using a clamp. A rubber hose is sometimes used for these purposes. Using a clamp or wire will help create a seal for the connections. It is worth remembering that the device may explode if there are plugs in it, so there should not be any. This completes the manufacture of a distiller with your own hands. The manufacturing process has some nuances, but in general making a distiller is simple.

It is necessary to take into account that all connections must be sealed. Also, do not forget that all elements of the device will be very hot during operation and should not be touched. It is necessary to follow certain rules and safety precautions when manufacturing and using the distiller.

The direction of the steam must be correct, it must flow from top to bottom. Thanks to this, the device will work more efficiently. The device must be kept clean, but it does not require special care. Before making this unit, you need to draw the correct drawing and only then start manufacturing. Calculations must be as accurate as possible and there should be no errors. Ordinary ice can be used to quickly cool the tube in which the steam condenses. The plastic bottle must be placed on the tube and secured, carefully sealing the inlet and outlet openings. If the plastic is heated strongly, the holes are well sealed.

You can also take a large saucepan, which will serve as a distiller at home. Small dishes are placed in it on a durable stand; it is advisable to use a wooden stand. The raw materials are placed in a large pan, the entire structure is covered with a bowl, which is placed upside down. Cold water is poured into the dish or you can put ice. This is one of the simple ways to make a distiller with your own hands.

If you need to make a distiller to obtain essential oils, then it is done as follows. A large saucepan is placed on the stove; a heat-resistant ceramic or glass container is placed in the saucepan. There must be sufficient space between the walls of the containers; the raw materials are placed in this space. Various plants, herbs, and flowers can be used as raw materials for essential oils. It is better to choose a large pan so that you can process large volumes of raw materials at a time. A smaller container located in the pan is filled with water so that it is pressed to the bottom. The raw materials from which the essential oil is obtained should not be higher than the container level, this is very important. To collect essential oils, place a plate on top of the container. She should press tightly against her. The plate should have protruding edges. The liquid must be brought to a boil and covered with an iron lid, then reduce the heat and continue to keep the container on low heat. You can put ice on the lid to cool it down. It is necessary to monitor the water level in the distiller so that it does not boil away; if this happens, then you need to carefully add new distilled water. This distillation takes approximately 3 hours. The essential oil is on top of the liquid after this procedure and must be removed carefully. The hydrolate remaining after essential oils can be used for various purposes. You can also make scented candles or soap from this water.

For many, it is necessary to purify liquids from various impurities, volatile components, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, and heavy metals. The water must settle for at least eight hours before it is sent to the distiller. Then the sediment must be drained and the water condensed or frozen. Making a distiller at home is very simple, and all harmful impurities are removed from the liquid. The required amount of water must be poured into the pan and covered with a cone-shaped lid. It is necessary to prepare a clean container. After the water boils in the pan, droplets will begin to collect on the inside of the cone-shaped lid, and they need to be poured into a clean container.

Water can be of varying degrees of purification. Distillers became famous not so long ago; previously, water was purified from various impurities by boiling, a kitchen filter, bottled water and liquid purified by reverse osmosis are still pure. But the best purification is provided by a distiller; with its help, all harmful impurities evaporate from the water. Anyone can make a water purifier at home. There is nothing complicated in making a distiller with your own hands; you just need desire and a little free time.

Moonshine brewing in Eastern Europe is an integral part of the culture; all kinds of distillation units are used for these purposes.

These are mainly homemade moonshine stills, and their production at home is almost a competitive discipline, in which moonshiners share their successes on various Internet forums.

This topic is very extensive, and every year the culture of moonshine brewing and the manufacture of distillation units becomes even greater.

And in order to fully understand what a moonshine still is and what it is needed for, as well as what its structure and principle of operation are, and most importantly, how to assemble it at home with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the issue in more detail.

A moonshine still is a device designed for the production of alcohol-containing drinks at home through evaporation and further condensation of the liquid part of the mash.

There are two main modern types of units based on the type of distillation process. The first are distillers; evaporation and condensation of the liquid occurs once.

This group also includes double distillation apparatuses, in which the “evaporation-condensation” cycle occurs twice in a row, but does not fundamentally change the process.

The second group is rectifiers, in which constant cyclical repeated evaporation and condensation of liquid occurs with simultaneous mass exchange between rising steam and flowing reflux.

Design and principles of operation

Distillers have a simpler structure; the basic design of such a device includes a distillation cube, hoses and a refrigerator. In addition, it may include additional purification units, such as a steam steamer, a bubbler or a simple film reflux condenser, which does not introduce significant changes to the distillation process.

The design of rectifiers is more complex; in addition to the listed distillation cube, hoses and refrigerator, they necessarily include a drawer, a reflux condenser and a thermometer.

The first two nodes physically ensure rectification; a thermometer is necessary to maintain the correct temperature, which in this process, unlike distillation, is critically important.

How to make a homemade moonshine still with your own hands at home

In order to assemble a household distiller, it is necessary to manufacture its component parts; we will consider the necessary and possible additional devices.

The basic components include:

, the mash is heated in it, and the power of the entire system depends on its volume. The container can be made from scratch, for this purpose food-grade stainless steel is most often used, with copper in second place in popularity. In addition, a distillation cube can be made from a pressure cooker, multicooker, enamel pan or food flask.
—Hoses— are necessary for transferring hot steam between the component parts of the device, as well as for supplying water to cooling devices, such as a refrigerator or a reflux condenser jacket. Most often, food-grade silicone is used, which is easy to process, chemically inert and inexpensive, but due to its poor temperature resistance it requires supporting devices. A more reliable, but also more expensive option are tubes made of food grade stainless steel or copper. The first metal is very durable and difficult to process; copper is more malleable, but is more expensive and requires regular cleaning of the surface.
necessary for condensation of alcohol-containing vapor. Two main designs are used: co-cooling and direct-flow cooling. The first model has a more compact size and can be used without running water, but has problems with condensate plugs. The second does not have such problems, moreover, the efficiency and power of this model is higher, weaknesses: it works only from water supply and is quite large in length, which places demands on the working area.

Additional nodes:

- this is a means of additional purification; it can also be used for maceration - saturating alcohol with the aroma and flavor of fruits, berries and spices by passing alcohol-containing steam through them. The design of the product is very simple - a hollow container with two pipes: inlet and outlet. As the steam passes through the air gap, it cools, and some of the impurities, condensing, settle in the container, the cleaning intensity is low.
It is almost identical to the dry steam tank in design, but has a longer inlet pipe that reaches to the bottom of the container. This feature is necessary for the steam to pass through the water column with which the bubbler is filled before operation. As a result, more significant cooling occurs and, accordingly, more intensive purification of moonshine.
necessary to maintain the optimal temperature at which more fusel oils, which have a higher boiling point, will precipitate from the steam.
- This is a small product that is installed at the outlet of the refrigerator. Designed to determine the strength of the distillate directly during distillation.

It’s not difficult to make a moonshine still at home if you choose a fairly simple configuration shown in the diagram.

It is better to use a pressure cooker as the basis for the distillation cube, in which you only need to arrange pipes in the lid for steam outlet and a thermometer.
You can easily make a steamer or bubbler with your own hands from a glass jar with a screw-on lid, a pair of fittings and silicone sealing gaskets.
A direct-flow refrigerator will require a pair of copper tubes for the inner layer and a pair of plastic ones for the cooler jacket. You can buy a food grade silicone hose at a hardware store or market.
Financially, a design of this kind is very economical, and the quality of the moonshine will not suffer, since high-quality materials are used in all important areas: stainless steel, glass, silicone and no rubber, plastic or aluminum.
Of course, such a home-made moonshine still will be far from the aesthetics of a factory unit.

For the manufacture of more complex units, for example, a rectification or strengthening (mash) column, which includes units such as drawers and frames, you will need not only materials, but also some metalworking skills. The same applies to simple ones created from scratch from food-grade stainless steel or copper.

Popular types of moonshine stills

Among homemade homemade units made by yourself, one of the most popular is. The widespread use of this kitchen utensil is due to the high quality of the base container.

It is made of food-grade stainless steel, has a convenient and reliable sealing system and is structurally almost identical to a distillation cube; all that remains is to drill a couple of holes.

Another popular option in the last decade is . The device has even more advantages than a pressure cooker:

In addition to the food-grade stainless steel container and sealing system, it is equipped with a non-stick coating, but, more importantly, it is equipped with a high-quality heating system with convenient controls.

In addition, making such a moonshine still at home is easy for both experienced and just beginning moonshiners.

Those who need a high-power distiller will be interested in the model. They have been manufactured for almost 50 years, but previously only Soviet-style aluminum cans were used as a basis, in which harmful oxides began to form when the protective coating was damaged.

Now there is an opportunity to purchase new or used food grade stainless steel containers. A product of this kind is distinguished by high quality both in material and workmanship and can serve as the basis for both a simple distiller and a more complex column system.

All fans of noble alcohol will appreciate it. It is the ability of this metal to bind sulfur compounds that eliminates the unpleasant taste and aroma in any moonshine.

This is useful not only for the distillation of grains and grains, but even for simple sugar mash, the distillate from which will become noticeably better.

Those who have a garden and need to make alcohol without transporting raw materials, or simply those who live in the countryside, will like it.

Its characteristic feature is a large water container in the refrigerator, thanks to which the coil has time to cool due to natural heat exchange, and not from adding new portions of cold water.

The most original and controversial is. In it, evaporation and condensation of liquid occurs not once, but twice in a row.

The complex design and principle of operation makes it difficult to create an effective model, so this model has equal numbers of fans and critics. The latter mainly include those who have had bad experiences with this technology.

When choosing what you can use to make a moonshine still at home, you need to equally look at both the requirements for the future unit and the possibilities for its implementation.

In addition, there must be rationality in everything: when creating a distiller from a multicooker, there is no point in spending money on a steam line made of food-grade stainless steel, and if you have a flask made of it, it is better to think about a mash column than about a simple model with a steamer and a refrigerator.

However, not only the material is important, the quality of processing of materials and the correct selection of the power of each unit have no less weight.

Before taking on a project, it is better to estimate the future unit on paper several times and consult with experienced moonshiners on the forum

The design of a moonshine still is not particularly complex; for this reason, some craftsmen make devices literally “on their knees”. And device manufacturers are coming up with more and more new designs that should provide people with high-quality alcohol. Moonshine stills have been known to mankind for quite a long time; some of them were familiar to the Egyptians back in the 3rd century. In Rus', similar devices appeared a little later - in the 16th-17th centuries.

Classic version

What exactly is included in the design of the device and what are its parts responsible for?

Design principle of the classic model:

A moonshine still of the correct design must certainly have a distillation cube and a container for storing mash. The cube must be made of durable material, preferably stainless steel, but it is permissible to use an aluminum can as a distillation cube. An aluminum milk storage can is best used for this purpose as it has a sealed lid. If the cube is made of stainless steel, then it tolerates contact well with aggressive substances, alcohols and fusel oils. Aluminum is not as stable as stainless steel, so over the years, harmful substances that are formed during the oxidation of aluminum can enter the mash.
The thermometer helps maintain the temperature: the fact is that during the boiling process, fusel oils and water evaporate at one temperature, and alcohol at another. For this reason, it is worth monitoring the indicators and avoiding overheating, since it is dangerous for moonshine and can affect its quality.
The device is also equipped with a coil - it acts as a connecting element. It is through the coil that alcohol-containing vapors pass, which arise during the heating or boiling of the mash. The vapor enters the steamer from the coil and is converted into a ready-to-use product.
The role of the vaporizer is to clean alcohol-containing vapors from fusel oils and other harmful substances. The dry steam tank is often called a deflector or sump. Passing through the device, harmful substances settle in the steam chamber. But this part of the device can not only clean alcohol from impurities, it is often used to add a certain aroma to the drink. Orange or lemon peels are placed in the steamer to give the moonshine additional piquancy, pleasant taste and smell.
A refrigerator is a zone in which condensation is produced and the vapor is converted into an alcohol solution. If we are talking about a device that has a connection to running water, then cooling occurs due to its circulation, and if there is no access to water, then use a container filled with cool liquid.

Moonshine still design

But good alcohol can be produced not only with the help of a moonshine still; ratification columns are often used to obtain high-quality alcohol.

Ratification column and its structure

Many people think that the ratification column is the apparatus for distilling moonshine, but in reality this is not the case. A ratification column is a device that has a unique structure and differs from a device for producing moonshine from mash in that it allows you to obtain high-quality alcohol with a strength of up to 90 degrees.

In the production of tinctures, liqueurs and other strong drinks, a ratification column is indispensable, since only this device can be used in the production of such drinks.

To understand the principle of operation of the device, it is worth considering what the ratification column consists of and what are the features of its design.

The device has:

A container that heats up during operation of the device.
Distiller with nozzles and cooling device.
There is also a column in the design.

Today, such devices are used not only for the production of alcohol. The ratification column has found application in pharmacology, the oil industry and other industries.

The operating principle of the column is as follows:

The container containing the mash or solution is gradually heated, and the liquid is brought to a boil. During the boiling process, abundant steam is released.
The steam that appears during the boiling process gradually rises as a result of rising temperatures; the steam flows through the column. It “gains strength” due to attachments that increase heat transfer.
The steam reaches the cooling device and distillation converts the vapor mixture into alcohol. The liquid returns back, it flows down the column again, nozzles are involved in this process.
As the liquid moves down the column, it encounters vapor and goes through distillation a second time. Thanks to the repeated distillation process and contact with vapor, the quality of the main product and the strength of the drink increases. This ultimately allows you to obtain alcohol with a strength of up to 90 degrees.

The design features of the ratification column ensure its high productivity. Naturally, this device cannot be compared with a high-power moonshine still. But it is worth noting that given the column’s ability to produce high-quality alcohol, it is not much inferior in characteristics to a home brewing apparatus.

However, any device has its pros and cons, but for those who like to produce alcoholic beverages at home, a ratification column or a moonshine still are essential devices.

Naturally, the devices are quite expensive; the price of a good apparatus for the production of strong drinks can reach 20–30 thousand rubles. But some people successfully solved this problem and made their own moonshine still from improvised materials. What is the operating principle of these devices?

Manufacturing of moonshine stills

It’s not easy to make a moonshine still with your own hands, but don’t despair, the devices of some devices are so primitive that even a beginner can assemble them with their own hands without certain skills.

Everyone knows that most often devices are made of stainless steel, since it is durable and resistant to acids, alcohols and solvents.

A homemade moonshine production plant at home can have the following varieties:

You can make the device from a can, which is used for storing and transporting milk. Instead of a can, you can take a flask or any other container. The can will play the role of a distillation cube; it will be equipped with a flow-through coil or a refrigerator, which is basically the same thing. The refrigerator is made of copper tube. To improve product quality, it is worth attaching a steam steamer to the structure.
The second type of device can also be assembled from a can for storing milk; it is equipped with a powerful refrigerator of five tubes, which increase the reliability and efficiency of the device. In order to obtain the highest quality alcohol, a steamer is attached to the apparatus.
For experienced engineers, a device made entirely of stainless steel is suitable. Its advantage is its compactness and the possibility of complete disassembly. The design is very interesting, it is full of unique engineering solutions and ideas. In addition, the device will help to expel high-quality alcohol due to the fact that it is equipped with a double steam chamber.
You can make a device for dispensing strong drinks from any pot you have in the house. The saucepan is supplemented with a tube, which serves as a refrigerator, and a steamer, in which harmful substances, fusel, settle.
In 2–2.5 hours you can assemble a moonshine still from a glass jar and a coil. If you need to enhance the quality of the product, then you will have to attach a steamer to the device. Despite this simplicity of design, the device will help produce alcohol of good quality. But, naturally, its productivity is low.
If you combine a glass jar and a computer cooler, you can make a device for distilling moonshine. An attempt to abandon water cooling leads to its replacement with a small fan. And the jar will act as a distillation cube. This device is simple in design and can be assembled in just a few hours.
But this is not the simplest device that was created by craftsmen. If you take a bucket, pour mash into it, cover it with a bag, make a small hole in it and fill it with water and ice, you can get a device for preparing alcohol-containing drinks. Such a device will help distill alcohol from mash, but the quality of the drink obtained in this way leaves much to be desired. Instead of a bag with a recess, you can use a bowl of cold water that will float on the surface of the bucket and cool the mash. But there must certainly be a container above the mash, in which the alcohol vapor will condense, turning into the coveted moonshine.

The desire to create a device for the production of moonshine does not always end in success, although the design of the device is simple. But it has certain features, for this reason there is a risk of spending money on raw materials, time, and getting nothing as a result.

For those who are not good at constructing devices for converting mash into alcohol, you can use special kits. They contain all the parts that are necessary to assemble the device and also instructions - it will help you understand the design features and do everything correctly.

Today in stores you can easily find devices that are equipped with all the necessary parts. Such kits are cheaper than the assembled device.

If you want to create a device for producing alcohol with your own hands, then you should approach the process with all responsibility. You should not skimp on the source code and you need to think through all the design features in advance, make drawings, or at least find samples on the Internet. Only by thinking through all the features of the device down to the smallest detail can you not only make the device yourself, but also ultimately get the pleasure of assembling the device and distilling alcohol. And also subsequently enjoy the result of your labor!

Sooner or later, everyone who has at least once tried homemade moonshine (or its variations - cognac, bourbon, liqueur, etc.) sets out to make the same thing, only even better. First, the owners are interrogated - as best they can, teach, show, lend. This is the first wave of moonshiners. Afterwards, he begins to explore the Internet in the hope of finding how to make a moonshine still with his own hands. This is the most inquisitive wave, which is trying to understand tons of information, what is true and what is false. We have already talked about how to manufacture and assemble individual parts of the unit, now it’s time to talk about how to assemble a full-fledged device.

History of the moonshine still

They first learned about moonshine back in the 4th century AD, when a Chinese alchemist compared the drink to clear wine distilled 9 times. Its technology was used at different times by the Greeks, Romans and even the Egyptians.

This is what, according to official documents, one of the first moonshine stills developed by the ancient Greeks looked like.

But if this unit was mostly made of stone, then the Arabs went further - and made the structure out of copper. This allowed the mash to heat up evenly, gradually, completely remove fusel oils (remember, extremely harmful to health) and create a drink suitable for internal use.

The term alcohol was also proposed by the Arabs; literally translated, the word meant an intoxicating drink - al gogol.

In the 9th century, a coil was invented in Persia - a copper tube was bent into several turns, but still left in the air for cooling.

Since the 10th century, with the help of alchemists and healers, moonshine literally began to flourish, combined with the development of recipes for potions and elixirs. At the same time, in Italy, the monk Valentius declares that he has invented the water of life, which is capable of turning old people into young men. Need I say that it was moonshine?

In the 15th century, Basil Valentin came up with the idea of immersing a coil in cold water to increase the alcohol condensate, and this was the starting point for the creation of a modern apparatus with a distillation cube, a refrigerator and a steamer.

This is what the device looked like in the 16th century (the principle of operation has been preserved to this day):

A vat for heating the tincture
Tube for supplying hot tincture to the cube
Stove
Cap
swan neck
Coil
Coil in the refrigerator
Refrigerator with cold water

The first moonshine still in Rus'

In Rus', moonshine was first tried only in the 17th century, when a unit was brought from Venice to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich as a gift.

Until the 17th century, the only homemade alcoholic drinks in Rus' were mead and mash. It was only in the 19th century that they learned to create highly purified 96% alcohol.

This concludes the brief excursion into history; now it’s time for modernity.

Buy or collect

There is no clear answer to this question. Of course, for a beginner, it is much more preferable to buy a ready-made device, when there is no need to look for individual parts and bring them to perfection. But, on the one hand, such a purchase can cause a hole in the budget - a good device with normal performance will cost 15 thousand rubles or more, on the other hand, it is still more interesting to create and invent.

We will tell you how to make a moonshine still with your own hands, and from what materials.

First, let’s define what moonshine (distillate) is and how it differs from rectified distillate. The principle of obtaining one or the other is absolutely identical. A sugar-containing (less often starch-based) mash is prepared, yeast is added, then over a certain period of time the mushrooms create a colony and secrete waste products. Actually, they are precisely the concentrate of various alcohols, of which only ethyl is suitable for internal consumption.

Under the influence of temperature, the mash decomposes into a liquid residue and alcohol-containing vapors, which during the distillation process break down into gaseous and liquid fractions.

Even after repeated distillation, it is not possible to clear the drink of all harmful impurities. The only way that allows you to obtain a perfectly pure product is rectification using a drawer or distillation column. In this case, alcohol-containing vapors are divided into fractions in several stages. Making a distillation column with your own hands is not easy, and a completely reasonable question arises - is it necessary to obtain pure alcohol in this way, if it can be bought at any pharmacy?

Rectified alcohol is extremely harmful to health precisely because of its purity, since pure poison is absorbed by the body much faster and better than moonshine with a certain amount of harmful impurities. In addition, all famous drinks - bourbon, rum, whiskey, Calvados, scotch, etc. - are made on the basis of distillate.

So, taking into account the given characteristics of moonshine, it is clear that the main stage of production is heating the alcohol-containing liquid to a state where the alcohol begins to separate. Afterwards, it is cooled until it is converted into a liquid fraction in the form of a finished drink.

Taking this into account, we can determine the main components of a moonshine still:

a distillation cube, where the mash is heated to the required temperature;
refrigerator - a storage or flow-through container with cold water where the coil is cooled;
coil - a spiral tube made of copper, stainless steel or glass, through which alcohol-containing steam moves and is divided into fractions;
steam trap - catcher of fusel oils and mash residues;
receiving tank - a place where cooled moonshine flows;
connecting elements.

This is the first and main element of the moonshine still, on which the efficiency and final taste depend.

Most often, milk cans, pressure cookers (multi-cookers), and beer kegs are used as such. Less commonly, a distillation cube is made by hand from stainless steel or steel, welded into a container, but this option is not reliable. On the one hand, the mash will stick to the stainless steel, and you won’t be able to stir it due to its tightness. On the other hand, the slightest error in the weld can lead to the fact that when the mash boils, when the pressure reaches 180-220 Pa, the cube will simply burst.

How to make a still from a can

This is the simplest version of the still, since the can is relatively airtight, especially if we are talking about a new container. But its “adaptation” for distillation has its own characteristics.

The rubber gasket on the lid of the can is absolutely not suitable for heating - the mash will absorb a specific aroma, which will immediately affect the taste of the finished drink. It is optimal to use silicone gaskets, or even better - aquarium silicone. Experts advise using food-grade silicone as such gaskets, which is used to make baking molds. But in general, this option is suitable for sealing the lid and will not give any taste or smell.

How to make a silicone seal correctly

This process is carried out in several stages, the minimum of which should be three. First, apply aquarium silicone sealant to the edges of the lid, let it dry completely, apply a second and third, also leaving time for drying. After the third layer has been applied, apply regular cellophane to the neck of the can and close the lid. Leave for several hours to allow the silicone to dry completely. The result is a truly airtight vessel that can be used for several years.

To prevent the can from becoming like a colander over time, wash it thoroughly after each use. You can use regular or laundry soap and plenty of running water. The use of soda is strictly prohibited. Stainless steel or aluminum reacts very poorly to alkali.

If you don’t want to change the rubber gasket to silicone, you can simply wrap it with several layers of overlapping fum tape. This is also a fairly tight connection.

Some “experienced” moonshiners recommend using dough to seal the joint. It would seem, why not? It seems like a decent sealant, and it smells like bread in the room, and not fusel during the cooking process. But! After the first volumetric distillation, when you have to start the unit several times, you will get tired of constantly scraping off the dough and gluing a new one. Scraps of dough all over the kitchen, broken nails and wasted time are unlikely to make the process enjoyable.

To connect the can with the coil, make a hole on the lid for a 22 mm pipe and a 12 mm coil using a 0.5 inch thread. You can buy an adapter at a plumbing supply store.

What else to look for when choosing a flask for a moonshine still:

the material of manufacture is stainless steel, since aluminum will withstand a small number of cycles;
the minimum volume is 25 liters to obtain 4-4.5 liters of moonshine;
wide neck, which is convenient to work with - pour mash and wash after cooking;
wall thickness and overall build quality directly depend on the price, and ensure a period of normal operation.

Distiller (moonshine still) based on a milk can

How to make a distillation cube from a pressure cooker (multi-cooker)

Scheme of a moonshine still based on a pressure cooker:

This is a minimum program for a beginner. Today, every second person tries to make a moonshine still with their own hands using a pressure cooker. And there is a completely logical explanation for this:

price - the cost of the most inexpensive pressure cooker is 1500-1700 rubles, which is quite acceptable for any budget;
tightness - this is an absolutely sealed device that does not require any additional manipulations;
ease of inserting fittings into the lid - anyone can handle this.

The downside, it should be noted, is much more significant than all the advantages - this is the volume. The bowl of the largest household pressure cooker is only 6 liters, respectively, the mash will fit only 4.5 liters, since the volume should not exceed 2/3 of the total quantity. With this amount of mash after double distillation you will get a little less than 750 ml of moonshine. You can try, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to taste it.

Screw a fitting into the place of the valve on the lid, to which attach a connecting hose (silicone or copper).

If you don’t want to reinvent the wheel and look for a suitable option for making a cube, buy a ready-made one. The average price of such an element depends on the volume - 12-liter up to 4,000 rubles, 25-liter - from 5,500 rubles, etc.

Moonshine still from a pressure cooker with a steamer on video:

Fridge

An equally important element of a homemade moonshine still, on which the distillation speed and volume of the finished drink depend.

If the water in the refrigerator is not cold enough, the volume of moonshine is reduced by 15-20%.

Refrigerators for moonshine stills are divided into 2 types:

flow-through;
cumulative.

In flowing water, as the name suggests, it constantly moves through the coil without having time to heat up. In order to make such a unit, it is enough to connect two hoses to the container - the inlet, as a rule, from the tap, and the outlet - from where the water comes out into the sink.

The storage tank is a closed container into which water is first poured and drained as it heats up. This is the worst type of refrigerator because it does not allow the coil to cool completely and constantly, which reduces condensation and reduces the amount of final product.

A storage refrigerator is installed only if it is not possible to make a flow-through one. It’s precisely the lack of opportunity, not laziness or lack of time.

This type of equipment is quite compact in size, where the main area is occupied by the coil. The refrigerator itself is closed on both sides, but two tubes are connected to it - receiving and discharging water. Making a refrigerator with your own hands is not difficult, but it is necessary to ensure that it is level in relation to the device so that the water moves constantly.

A flow-through refrigerator is more productive, unlike a storage refrigerator, even with a smaller coil size. At the junction of the two media, the tube is instantly cooled, which ensures faster separation of fractions.

Manufacturing process

You will need:

pipe and adapter weaving - 300 mm;
2 meters of bellows hose for the coil;
half-inch nipples;
3 half-inch nuts;
soldering iron;
gun and silicone;

Procedure:

Roll up the bellows hose into a spiral

Make holes in the pipe and cut the plastic with a knife

Screw in the nipple

Install gaskets and tighten nuts

Screw the coil to the plug

This is what the entrance and exit look like

Anything that leaks or leaks is filled with sealant; the vessel must be completely sealed.

As such a device, a bucket or tank with a volume of about 20-30 liters is usually used, where a hole is made in the lower segment for collecting water.

In non-flowing devices, water is always drained from the top, and always poured into the refrigerator from the bottom.

The simplest and most affordable is a regular plastic bucket. In winter, it is easier with such a handy device, since you can add snow or ice, which is much better for cooling the coil than water.

When choosing a storage refrigerator, try to keep the temperature in the distillation cube at minimum heat in order to reduce the amount of alcohol-containing steam released and, as a result, increase the volume of the finished moonshine.

In order to check how effectively the coil is cooled, periodically test the escaping moonshine on your wrist. Ideally, it should be cool, worse - if warm, and even worse when the drink is hot - in this case, a third of the steam comes out unprocessed. In addition, this is also dangerous, since the distillation cube is heated over an open fire, the alcohol can catalyze and there will be a big disaster.

Coil

The best material for the coil is copper. This is a relatively inert material that does not react with alcohol materials, has good thermal conductivity and an adequate price.

Those who are truly professional in preparing moonshine only have a copper moonshine still based on such a coil. Any experiments. Including fragile glass, they are fraught with loss of quality of the drink and the raw materials.

How to make a coil

Before we begin the description, we note that a coil is a tube connected to a distillation cube (if there is a steamer, with it) and placed in cold water, through which alcohol-containing vapors move and the fractions are separated into gas and moonshine.

The longer the coil and the more compact its spirals, the more the steam is cooled and the greater the amount of condensate.

You will need:

copper tube with a diameter of 15-20 mm and a length of 2000 mm;
base for winding the tube, fixed in a vice.

Before you start screwing the tube onto the base, it must be filled with sand. This is done in order to prevent deflection or one-sided deformation, which will subsequently retain condensation. Close the tube on one side with a wooden or cardboard cap, pour sand in a thin stream, periodically tapping it on the table so that the sand is compacted well. When the tube is filled to capacity, close the other end with a similar clip and begin to wind it onto the base, making even turns and trying to ensure that they do not touch each other.

This is what a ready-made coil looks like, which is immersed in the refrigerator and connected with hoses through fittings to a cube or steam chamber.

This completes the assembly of the required elements of the moonshine still; all that remains is to find out which hoses can be used and what materials are acceptable when working with alcohol.

Well, for now let’s focus on such an optional, but extremely useful device as

Sukhoparnik

We do not know whether there were discussions about the need for a steamer in those ancient times, which were written about at the beginning of the article. But now there is fierce debate on this issue. Some insist that fusel oils should be removed as much as possible, others claim they are useless and a waste of time.

Without actively taking either position, we will present only dry facts.

The steamer is really not an integral part of the moonshine still, and it is installed at will. Structurally, this container is 10 times smaller in volume than the distillation cube, which is located between it and the coil.

The main task of the steam chamber is to instantly reduce pressure and, as a result, temperature due to different media. When the steam enters this container, it suddenly becomes liquid, but is immediately pushed out by the next portion of hot alcohol-containing steam from the cube. And although this is only a moment, during this time some of the fusel oils have time to settle on the walls of the steam tank. With double or even triple distillation, practically no fusel remains in the finished drink, which has a very beneficial effect on well-being.

How does a steam generator work according to the laws of physics?

As water boils in the distillation cube, alcohol begins to separate and evaporate. Taking into account the fact that boiling is a rather violent process, the alcohol fractions have time to “pick up” the heavier fractions of fusel oils. Probably everyone has heard that moonshine is often called fusel - precisely because of the characteristic smell that fusel oils emit. The less fusel in moonshine, the less aggressive its aroma and the more acceptable its taste. It is not possible to completely get rid of oils; this can only be achieved using a distillation column, but no one set out to obtain medical alcohol.

The vast majority of alcoholic drinks are bourbon, whiskey, rum, Calvados, etc. made on the basis of moonshine with a certain amount of fusel oils. The production process varies in nuances, but in general it is the most banal distillation of mash.

Collecting fusel oils with a steamer allows you to make the drink, on the one hand, not so strong and “fragrant”, on the other hand, safer for health with an almost imperceptible feeling of a hangover (if consumed wisely).

Particularly common is the use of three steam tanks at once, located relative to each other in a cascade. With this organization, the strength of the drink reaches 80% already on the first distillation. This will really be a very high-quality and highly purified product that can be consumed immediately after distillation, and not wait until it is purified with a carbon filter or potassium permanganate.

Three cans in a cascade is the optimal number. Less is not enough, more is a waste of time, since after the third can, each subsequent can does not perform any function.

How to make a steamer from a can

We remind you that the volume of the container should be 10 times less than the volume of the distillation cube. If you have a 20-liter cube, take a 2-liter jar, for a 30-liter jar, take a 3-liter jar.

The method of preparing such an element is quite simple and suitable for any volume. All manipulations are carried out with the lid - holes are made and fittings are cut into. Next, the lid can be put on any jar with a threaded neck.

You will need:

screw-on jar lid;
2 fittings;
connecting tubes.

Cut 2 holes in the lid - they can be made with a screwdriver in a circle or with a knife, so that there are no burrs.

Insert the fittings and connect them to the hoses.

The steamer is placed immediately after the distillation cube. In any other place it is of no use. It is necessary to periodically drain the accumulated liquid so that excess does not enter the coil and spoil the taste and aroma of the product.

By the way, the steamer can be used not only as a fusel oil trap, but also as a flavoring agent for moonshine. Here the same process of sharp cooling of the steam and its movement further occurs, but with the collected amber of berries or herbs.

As an aromatic component in a jar you can use:

dried fruits - apples, pears, apricots;
berries - any, preferably dried, they give off more flavor;
spices - any to taste, you can use hops, suneli, cinnamon, vanilla, etc.;
aromatic herbs;
citrus fruits - orange peel, lemon zest.

Since such a binding of aroma will be subtle and not palpable at all, you can try a variety of additives. In this case, experiments will only be beneficial, even if the result is not impressive.

Connecting tubes

The finished moonshine still is a detachable connection of all required elements using threaded connections. There is no need to look for additional tubes and choose their quality in order to connect everything together.

There are completely permanent connections, for example, the lids of the distillation cube, steamer and refrigerator. This is done to facilitate labor and installation.

You can, of course, make the work easier when assembling a homemade moonshine still by connecting all three pipes by welding, but this will not in any way affect the taste of the final product, but maintenance can make it very difficult.

The most optimal way to connect the elements is a silicone hose. Some people don’t understand the difference between PVC and silicone and don’t even pay much attention when choosing. We explain - polyvinyl chloride is a non-inert material with respect to alcohol. When in contact with hot alcohol-containing steam and alcohol, PVC releases toxic substances, which in high concentrations are harmful to humans. It is clear that nothing will happen to you in 1-2 times, but if we are talking about systemic use, it is better to refuse such a connection.

How to distinguish silicone from polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Set fire to a piece of both materials. PVC burns hard, smoky, with a very specific smell. Silicone burns with a subtle aroma, does not smoke, and light ash remains after combustion.

Silicone feels much more pleasant to the touch than PVC, it feels silky.

If you suddenly find yourself in a dilemma - silicone or PVC - outside in the cold, know that silicone, even at -10, remains flexible and elastic, and polyvinyl chloride hardens, although it does not lose its properties.

What metal is suitable for use

Despite the abundance of opinions on this matter, there can only be one definite answer - food-grade stainless steel. It is this material that does not react with any of the elements in the moonshine chain and is easy to maintain and use. And over the entire period of time it does not form deposits that are of little benefit to health.

Previously, it was believed that copper was the “head of everything,” since copper moonshine was ubiquitous. However, this is a misconception. Copper began to be actively used during Soviet times. Because it was an affordable material both in price and in quantity. If we talk about a truly correct tincture, then you won’t find anything better than an oak barrel. Oxygen penetrates through its walls, aldehydes and ethers evaporate, which, by the way, are formed, among other things, when the copper elements of the device come into contact with hot alcohol vapor.

Aluminum reacts negatively to vinegar, which is always present in mash. In this case, poisonous salts - alum - are released.

Glass, which is inert (not active) to aggressive environments, is also considered optimal, but a moonshiner’s kitchen bears little resemblance to a laboratory, and this material is also very fragile.

Of course, you can get poisoned or die more quickly from general intoxication due to alcohol abuse or purchasing low-quality products than from copper oxide. Moreover, as a coil, copper has no analogues at all in terms of thermal conductivity and manufacturability. Therefore, a combined combination of materials is completely justified. This can be a cube made of stainless food steel or an aluminum can, and a refrigerator with a copper coil in a stainless or plastic case.

And finally, a video on how to make a moonshine still with your own hands