Usually, when you hear the words “make moonshine,” you imagine a gloomy person with a red nose that turns blue, throwing wood into the stove, on which stands a device with a gurgling brew and a large coil. It's the same moonshine that drips from the end of the tube. And all this is accompanied by characteristic smells, which the local homeless people slowly crawl towards.

It turns out that moonshine became widespread back in the fifteenth century, and there are a great many recipes for making it. But its production is based on one technological chain, which we will consider in this article.

The essence of the process of producing ethyl alcohol

(called alcohol) from sugar-containing products is as follows. Sugar or fruit glucose is converted into alcohol by the yeast during its growth. That is, ethyl alcohol is a waste product of the fungus. Thus, the process is divided into several stages.

1. Obtaining sugar-containing liquid. This can be not only diluted sugar, which is possible, but not economically viable, but also, for example, sweet berry juice. There are also ways to make sugar from the starch found in grains.

2. Add a small amount of yeast to the sugar-containing liquid. After which the liquid settles in heat. As a result of fermentation, a mixture of water, yeast, alcohols and fusel oils is formed - mash. This liquid is very harmful in its essence, has an unpleasant characteristic odor, but - most importantly - contains the coveted ethyl alcohol - alcohol.

3. Separation of ethyl alcohol or distillation process.

Separation of ethyl alcohol or distillation process.

This is precisely the function that the moonshine still performs. The idea is the difference in the boiling-evaporation temperatures of the components that make up the mash.

A classic moonshine still consists of a hermetically sealed container with mash and a condenser, the function of which is usually performed by a long tube twisted in a spiral - a coil. When the container is heated, the components begin to evaporate from the surface of the liquid. The vapors in the coil are cooled and, condensing on the inner surface of the coil, then flow into the prepared container. To make it work more efficiently, it is necessary to either increase its length or forcefully cool it. For example, running cold water. In order to control what exactly is dripping at the moment, a thermometer is used.

When heated, liquids evaporate in the following order:

1. at a temperature of 65-68 degrees, light impurities begin to boil and actively evaporate. Moonshiners call this “pervach”. They are poisonous to humans, and if you are going to use the product internally, this part must be drained.

2. When the temperature rises to 78 degrees, ethyl alcohol begins to boil. It is the range of 78-86 degrees that should be adhered to to obtain a quality product.

3. At a temperature of 86 degrees, the evaporation of heavy products - fusel oils - begins. They are harmful for internal consumption and worsen the flammable properties of spirt.

4. 100 degrees is the boiling point of the main component - water.

The most difficult component of this device to manufacture is the coil. For experiments at home, you can do without it.

The simplest distillation apparatus consists of two glass jars with different capacities. The large jar is used to heat the mash, and the smaller one is used as a condenser.

A large jar is filled 1/2 full with mash and placed in a water bath (take a basin or wide low pan with water and place it on an electric or gas stove). This is necessary to limit the heating temperature of the liquid. The jar is closed with a stopper with holes for the thermometer 5 and tube 6. The small jar is also closed with a stopper with two holes - for the connecting tube 6 and the outlet tube 9 - and is turned over. The end of tube 6, which goes into a small jar, should reach almost to its bottom; along it, alcohol-containing vapors enter the refrigerator, condense on the walls of the jar and flow down. For greater efficiency, the refrigerator jar is placed under running cold water. Tube 9 serves to equalize the pressure inside the refrigerator. Some of the vapor that did not have time to condense will escape through this tube to the outside. They can be caught if you place a water seal at the end of the tube: the alcohol will dissolve in water.

In the era of the fight against moonshine, craftsmen disguised moonshine stills in every possible way. In particular, they say that there was a version of the device built into the TV. Moreover, the TV worked perfectly! Nowadays, moonshine is no longer a criminal offense (however, if you suddenly decide to do it, keep in mind that you cannot make alcohol for sale, the criminal code is adamant here!). But left-handed people are still improving the devices for their own pleasure. In particular, American enthusiast James Charman (http://www.exaflop.ru/) managed to make a computer-based device. An AMD K6 processor with a clock frequency of 233 MHz (supply voltage - 3.3 V) was used as a heating element. To heat the liquid, Charman soldered a sealed vessel measuring 5 x 5 x 1 cm from a thin copper sheet with inlet and outlet copper tubes. This vessel was placed directly on the processor. To test the resulting system, Charman loaded the Linux operating system and a small amount of software code that would put a heavy load on the processor. To ensure maximum cooling, the container into which the alcohol would flow was placed in a small bowl of cold water, and the heating vessel was half filled with rum. Within ten minutes, condensation appeared inside the flexible transparent tubes, and the heating vessel became very hot. After about an hour, during which the computer had to be rebooted twice due to overheating, about 2 ml of clear liquid was poured into the alcohol collection container, which tasted like very strong alcohol. The resulting liquid also burned very well.

Before you begin to study the circuit of a moonshine still and understand the principles of its operation, it must be said that they come in several varieties:

If a device with a steamer makes it possible to obtain a drink with a milder taste and aroma of the raw material, then devices with a strengthening column are aimed at creating drinks of a higher strength, up to 90-95°.

To fully understand the distillation process, let's briefly consider their operating principles.

Scheme and principle of operation of a moonshine still with a steamer

The mash in the distillation cube begins to heat up and then boil, as a result of which alcohol vapors separate and rise up to the steam chamber.

The principle of operation of the steamer is based on the difference in boiling temperatures of various substances: for alcohol it is higher, and for most harmful compounds it is lower. In practice, it turns out that when dangerous impurities enter the steam boiler, they condense in it, but cannot boil again, since the energy is spent on evaporating the alcohol. If the steamer has a collapsible design, then the drink can be flavored by adding fruit peels or any other additive to taste.

After being purified in a steam bath, the alcohol vapors enter the refrigerator, where they are sharply cooled, as a result of which the vapors leave the apparatus in the form of a cold distillate.

Scheme and principle of operation of a moonshine still with a reinforcing column

Another type of apparatus is apparatus with a reinforcing column. They are capable of producing high-proof strong alcohol. But the process of obtaining it is much longer and more complicated, and the price of such devices is higher.

The design and operating principle of such a device is more complex than a conventional distiller. At the very beginning, alcohol vapors rise up the column and pass through dense layers of Panchenkov nozzles, after which they end up in the reflux condenser. Most of the fusel oils settle on the nozzles, and those that have passed further condense and flow back into the cube. Thus, after being purified, the vapors enter the refrigerator, where they are cooled and released in the form of a distillate. This design makes it possible to achieve an order of magnitude higher alcohol strength, which can be 90-95°.

You can also find on sale professional distillation columns, but we won’t analyze them in detail - firstly, they have a rather complex design and are intended mainly for professionals who have been brewing moonshine for a long time, and secondly, the price of such devices is an order of magnitude higher than those listed above, and the development of this It is still better to start crafts with simpler devices.

Hi all!

Today I have another topic dedicated to moonshine brewing. In this article I will tell you why you need a steamer in a moonshine still. I will explain the principle of operation, show photos of the simplest designs and a video of it in action.

This device, simple in design, when used correctly, can improve the quality of moonshine, increase its strength and remove unpleasant odors.

Why do you need a steamer?

• The main function of a dry steamer (also known as a jug) is to separate harmful and foul-smelling high-boiling impurities (fusel oils) from moonshine during distillation.

This cloudy liquid remains in it after distilling just 1 liter of raw alcohol

In this case, two more side functions are performed:

• Protection against splashing (boiling mash splashing into a receiving container, as a result of which the moonshine becomes cloudy and smells bad);
• Increased strength of the final product due to the fact that part of the water also remains in the steamer.

I often read on the Internet, especially on the websites of stores for moonshiners, that a steamer replaces the second distillation. You shouldn't believe this. A jug helps improve the quality of the drink, but to get truly high-quality moonshine you can’t do without it.

Read also: What can you put in a steamer to flavor moonshine?

Principle of operation

As you know, mash consists of a mixture of various substances. In addition to ethyl alcohol, it contains harmful impurities that boil at low temperatures (acetone, methanol, etc.), they are also called “heads”, and high-boiling fusel oils (“tails”). It’s these “tails” that the juniper helps to cut off. To the best of my ability.

The steamer is a container connected between the distillation cube and the refrigerator of the moonshine still. The principle of operation is illustrated in the picture below.

From the cube, steam enters the container of the jug, where it cools and condenses. Then, due to the constantly supplied heat from the cube, the alcohol and lower boiling substances evaporate again and are sent to the coil. High-boiling harmful impurities remain in the container. For the dry steamer to work effectively, the temperature in it must be lower than in the distillation cube. Don’t even think about insulating it, as some people advise!

Steamer is possible make it yourself or buy in a specialized store

Photos and Videos of the bite maker's work

I have selected for you, dear readers, several photos of purchased and homemade steamers, as well as a video of using the bitebox for its intended purpose.

In conclusion, I want to say that the bite holder is a very useful thing and, at the same time, easy to make. Very soon I will publish an article with a tutorial on how to make it yourself. Do not miss!

This is where I end. Good luck to you in our common hobby!

Best regards, Pavel Dorofeev.

Fusel oils give moonshine its characteristic aroma. In low concentrations they are completely safe for health, but getting rid of them is not so easy. The boiling point of the latter is higher than that of ethyl alcohol; accordingly, they are not separated during ordinary distillation. For high-quality cleaning you need a moonshine still with a steamer. It is here that, due to the temperature difference during distillation, about 80% of all fusel milk settles.

To obtain a strong drink, an experienced moonshiner uses not only a steamer, but also a bubbler. What is this and can you count on a good product without these devices - in our article.

Why do you need a steamer?

Moonshine brewing has always been popular in our country, and today with the advent of professional machines it has become even more in demand. Literally every third family makes different interesting drinks. And we must admit, this is not always the muddy fusel with which the word moonshine is associated among the ignorant.

The perfection of moonshine stills makes it possible to produce, for example, high-quality vodka, liqueurs and more elite drinks from available inexpensive products. But there is one more element - a steamer on this device - due to which the quality and strength of the finished product increases many times over.

A dry steam tank, also known as a sump tank, also known as a sump tank, is a sealed device where fusel oils settle due to temperature differences. This is a complex of substances of an oily consistency with an unpleasant odor, having a boiling point higher than ethyl alcohol and being a by-product of moonshine production.

If you use a moonshine still without a steamer, it is impossible to obtain a completely pure product free of third-party aromas. Some substances are not removed even during the purification and filtration process.

In order to understand exactly why steamers are needed and how to install a homemade product, let’s understand the basic concepts. Despite the fact that all the drawings of this device are more or less the same, there are differences in size, shape and price.

How to get moonshine

In general, the production of not only moonshine, but also alcohol, is divided into two main blocks:

1. Preparation of mash, where ethyl alcohol is obtained due to the activity of fungi (yeast) during the fermentation process.
2. Distillation of mash to obtain a concentrated alcohol-containing liquid, freed from by-products. It is at this stage that a dry steamer is required, with the help of which the concentration is further increased and the quality is enhanced.

Interesting! The need for a steamer on a moonshine still is a subject of dispute between two opposing sides. Some insist on preserving the fusel shade, that is, without a sump. Others, on the contrary, believe that the design of a moonshine still with the separation of fusel oils makes it possible to obtain a perfectly pure product.

VIDEO: Steamer: necessary or not?

A moonshine still works great without a steamer, but the final drink always has an unpleasant odor.

The alcohol is separated from the wort during the boiling process precisely due to the temperature difference. The process of division into fractions is clearly reflected in the table

Heating temperature, °C	What's happening	Where does it happen?
	The mash heats up, but remains solid for now	Alembic
	The first vapors of alcohol with a high concentration of methanol begin to separate. Liquid dangerous to life and health. Capturing methanol molecules is one of the main tasks of a steam trap for a moonshine still
	Separation of the alcohol fraction from water and wort. This is the purest drink obtained through the process of re-distillation.
	Final decomposition of mash into fractions with separation of up to 80% fusel oils	Still/cooler
	Stopping the distillation process

Now it becomes clear why a steamer is needed in a moonshine still. As everyone remembers from a school physics course, the boiling point of water is 100°, but this is the limit at which intense seething begins and the transition to a gaseous state. But in fact, vapors begin to evaporate already at temperatures above 65°C, which mix with ethyl alcohol vapors. From the distillation cube, the mixture passes into the steam chamber, where the temperature is lower, and accordingly, heavy impurities immediately settle out. Next comes the cooler, where the temperature does not exceed 30°C, and here the water and alcohol vapors instantly separate, after which the water flows back and the moonshine drips into the storage tank.

The simplest sump design

It’s great when a moonshine still with a steamer is provided - in this case, the task is reduced only to preparing high-quality wort and controlling the moonshine process. But what if the original design does not contain this device? Nothing prevents you from assembling it, since you can make a steamer for a moonshine still even from simple glass jars with screw-on lids.

The design includes:

• glass container with a volume of 0.5 to 3 liters;
• screw cap for tight screwing;
• fittings - 2 pieces;
• silicone washers - 2 pieces;
• clamping nut and washer - 1 piece each;
• silicone tube - 2 pieces.

Let us repeat, this is the simplest example of how to assemble a sufficiently effective and reliable sump from available materials.

The fittings on the lid are needed to connect tubes, one of which is incoming from the distillation cube, the other is outgoing to the refrigerator

Place the still on the moonshine still after the still and before the cooler. The boiling temperature is constantly monitored so that drops of mash do not splash out and clog the tubes.

Even during one distillation, the jar is periodically opened - simply unscrewed from the lid without breaking the sealed connection - rinsed and returned to its place. This is a mandatory procedure, since gradually the temperature becomes comparable to the cube and then the meaning of the steamer is completely lost.

How to use it correctly

To be completely precise, there is no way to use it separately. Moonshine stills with a built-in or home-made steamer completely cope with the assigned tasks.

If you doubt the advisability of such a device, try preparing the product using a sump and without it to feel both the process and the taste.

But there is a certain procedure - the first 50-70 ml that come out of the coil is drained, preventing its use for the purpose of treatment or with any others. The same applies to the liquid that collects in the steamer during the cooking process. It is dangerous to use even for external use, so it must be disposed of.

Next, get the drink as usual, monitoring the water in the refrigerator and not forgetting to periodically check the strength of the drink with an alcohol meter or the old-fashioned way - by setting it on fire in a spoon or on the table. As soon as it stops burning or ignites for a long time, stop the distillation.

During the second distillation, there is practically no fusel in the steamer, but drops of alcohol collect. It is recommended to pour these residues into the finished product to increase the strength and final quality.

Effective flavoring

When making a moonshine still with a steamer with your own hands, do not forget that it is not only a settling tank, but also a storage tank for aromatic herbs and spices. You can put lemon balm, anise, cloves, orange peels, etc. here. When passing through the jug, the alcohol has time to absorb the entire “bouquet” of aromas and the result is a pleasant taste.

We will not argue whether moonshine stills with a steamer are 100% necessary, but we know for sure that if you have one, the product will be clean, healthy and even useful to some extent. The strength after the second distillation will be at least 70°C, the transparency will be like a tear, there will be no aftertaste, and the organoleptic properties will be above average.

VIDEO: Diagram and purpose of the design of the device

It is believed that the first distillers were made back in the 11th-12th centuries by Arab alchemists and were used to distill wine and obtain its “soul” (namely, ethyl alcohol). The first versions of moonshine stills were made from copper, as the most practical and affordable material for this purpose in those days. Time passes, the types of moonshine stills have become more numerous, but it remains unchanged since those ancient centuries.

How does a moonshine still work and what is the physics of its operation?

Whatever the design of the apparatus, the process of producing ethyl alcohol is based on the distillation process: evaporation of liquid followed by condensation. This process requires at least two blocks: in the first, the alcohol-containing liquid is heated, the alcohol evaporates and passes through a tube into the second block, called a cooler (refrigerator). Here, alcohol vapor condenses into liquid and leaves this block, ending up in a receiving container. The receiving tank is already the third block, formally optional for the distillation process itself, but absolutely mandatory for the distiller - because why bother with a garden?

In fact, you can build a structure for the distillation of alcohol-containing liquid (ALL) from two pans of different diameters and cling film, but the quality of the resulting product will be approximately the same as the reliability of the structure itself. That is, none. Therefore, humanity has long been making specialized distillers for home use, which make it possible to obtain drinks of high quality and maximum purity. And these days (we recommend choosing an apparatus with a distillation column of the brand or with a steam steamer of the brand) it is much simpler and more pleasant than making do with improvised means.

For the distillation of SSG to produce ethyl alcohol? First, let's determine what types of distillers exist.

By the way, as a rule, only three types of SSG are distilled: mash, raw alcohol obtained by distilling the mash, or wine.

Let's consider the main types, design and characteristics of moonshine stills, which the modern market is rich in.

1. Classic distiller

It consists of a distillation cube (a container in which the SSF is heated) and a refrigerator, usually represented by a coil - a spirally twisted hollow tube up to 2 m long, which is immersed in cold water. Most often, between one and three steam chambers are placed between the distillation cube and the refrigerator - intermediate links in purifying ethyl alcohol vapors from impurities. The dry steamer literally “dries the steam”: the so-called “fusel oils” settle here. It protects the system from splashing (throwing drops of boiling mash into the coil), and also often allows aromatization of alcohol vapors during the distillation process. To do this, herbs, fruits or berries, spices, etc. are placed inside the steamer. The refrigerator can be either flow-through (the coil is placed inside a tube to which tap water is supplied through a hose, and then the waste water is discharged into the sewer system) or non-flow-through (the coil is placed in a tank with cold water or ice, which are replaced with new portions as they heat up ). A classic moonshine still, depending on its design, allows you to produce distillate with a strength of up to 90 degrees, and has a working capacity of usually up to 3 l/h.

2. Alambik

A moonshine still of a special design, made entirely of copper. At its core, it is a classic distiller, but is used exclusively for distilling wine. This is the same ancient moonshine still that alchemists used for their experiments. The modern alambic has a more complex structure, but the principle of its operation has not changed at all over the centuries. Alambics, as a rule, are quite rare and expensive (due to the narrow specificity of their use and the purity of the manufacturing material), but this in no way detracts from their dignity for connoisseurs of strong homemade alcohol.

3. Column-type distiller - mash (film) column, rectification column

It has a fundamental difference from the classics in the structure of that part of the apparatus that is located above the distillation cube. The first part of the column in the direction of movement of alcohol vapor is most often equipped with a reflux condenser. This is a kind of cooling jacket to create a certain temperature in the column.

In the column, the rising alcohol vapors are cooled to the temperature point at which high-boiling impurities (“fusel oils”) condense again and flow back into the cube in the form of reflux, and the ethyl alcohol vapors continue their path to the refrigerator, carried away by new portions of hot steam. Thanks to this process, alcohol vapors are further strengthened. If there is no reflux condenser on the column, then it is just a metal tube that has nothing to do with the precise separation of fractions.

The column with a reflux condenser can be hollow, or it can be filled with various regular nozzles (made of stainless steel or copper) for even more complete purification of vapors due to a multiple increase in the internal surface area or, for example, the deposition of sulfur compounds on copper in the case of distillation of wines or grain mashes . Column devices allow you to obtain the strongest distillate possible - up to 96 degrees (100% alcohol instantly captures water from the air, these are its physical properties), ensuring its high quality and purity. An apparatus of this type is often called a distillation column, but you need to carefully study the design. In the classical sense, a distillation column is a vertical cylinder, inside of which contact “plates” or packings are located. Accordingly, a distinction is made between plate and packed distillation columns. Therefore, a column-type distiller can be called a distillation column if the design of the apparatus has the above-described nozzles (or frames).

Thus, we have two main types of moonshine stills - classic and column design. Different models of moonshine stills have different configurations, but their operating principle is the same. If you have already read