Is it possible to make a distillation column? Do-it-yourself reinforcing column: what and how to do it correctly Drawings of a distillation column for moonshine with your own hands

28.10.2023

Experienced moonshiners are familiar with many types of moonshine stills, but they place the distillation column above all of them. Yes, it is difficult to make it yourself and also difficult to use at home, but what prevents you from buying an industrially manufactured column? Fortunately, there are a lot of different models of distillation columns on the market.

But one purchase is not enough to get a good product. The moonshiner must know how the distillation column works and the principles of its operation. This article will help you find out about this.

Distillation refers to the process distilling the fermented mixture into volatile components, which then condense and turn into moonshine. This process is inherently primitive. Water boils at 100 ° C, and alcohol begins to evaporate at 78 ° C. It is enough to heat the mash, but not bring it to a boil, so that the alcohol begins to evaporate. After this, it condenses into moonshine. The resulting product can be distilled again to produce even stronger moonshine.

It is noteworthy that in primitive distillation devices the first 100 ml of moonshine have the greatest strength. However, in addition to the high alcohol content, this liquid contains a lot of harmful substances:

Volatile acids.
Ethers.
Aldehydes.

For this reason, experienced moonshiners pour out the first milliliters of rectified alcohol or use them as a means for ignition. Drinking this solution is very dangerous for your health..

The first 100 g of distillate obtained at home is called the head.

When rectifying alcohol in a distillation cube, the concentration of alcohol vapor gradually decreases when heated. The level of alcohol vapor reduction can be determined by the temperature of the alcohol column. Don't wait for it to get very hot. Then from the alembic The water will begin to evaporate.

At the final stage of rectification, another part of the alcohol unsuitable for consumption appears. We are talking about tailings containing methanol and fusel oils. You can recognize a tail by its unpleasant smell. It appears when the strength of moonshine at the exit from the distillation column drops to 40%. It is not necessary to pour out the tails at all. They can be re-distilled.

Types of distillation

This process comes in two types:

Simple.
Factional.

In simple distillation, the heads and tails are not cut off. Remaining after rectification in a distillation still, the mash is usually called stillage, or less commonly the stillage. The resulting product is a distillate. In such a product, the percentage of alcohol usually does not exceed 30%. The amount of harmful impurities in such moonshine significantly exceeds the norm. Therefore it requires re-distillation.

Fractional distillation it is called so because the product coming out of the moonshine still is divided into 3 parts:

Head.
Heart.
Tail.

The first and third parts are cut off. The second part remains, suitable for consumption. Its strength can range from 50 to 70%. The quality of this product is relatively high.

Distillation and rectification are the same thing. But when using a full-fledged distillation column, the output is not distillate, but ethyl alcohol.

Distillation column for moonshine still allows you to separate the fermented alcohol into its component parts and obtain a pure product without the odor inherent in fusel oils, acetone and methanol.

Thanks to the rectifier, a moonshiner can make tinctures and other alcoholic drinks at home with his own hands, the quality of which is not inferior to those sold in stores.

Naturally, a distillation column can be used as a simple distiller to produce regular moonshine.

The main difference between distillation from rectification lies in the characteristics of the final product. The rectifier allows you to obtain pure alcohol, but it requires raw alcohol. The latter can only be obtained by distilling the mash in a moonshine still. That is, the rectifier and moonshine still must be used together.

It should also be understood that the moonshine still produces a product that has the taste and smell of the original raw material, while the distillation column produces alcohol with a neutral taste and smell.

Operating principle of a distillation column

Distillation column diagram can be found on the Internet. According to it, the rectifier consists of the following parts:

An evaporation cube in which raw materials are stored and heated.
A column within which heat and mass transfer processes occur due to a special nozzle.
Dephlegmator.
Distillate selection unit in a distillation column.

To understand the structure of a distillation column, you need to understand the operating principle of each of its elements.

This is a container for storing and heating mash or distillate. When heated, the still liquid evaporates and slowly rises up the column. In the upper part of the rectifier, the liquid is separated into separate fractions.

Often a cube is the base of a column. It can be heated on both a gas and electric stove. Some cube models use a heating element - heating element.

When making alcohol, the mash is initially distilled in a still. This way you can obtain raw alcohol necessary for subsequent rectification.

A cube made in an industrial environment must have a built-in thermometer that allows you to control the temperature of the mash. As a rule, the raw material in the cube is first heated to 70 ° C and only after that coolant is supplied to the column.

Tsarga

This is the central part of the column, in which temperature and mass transfer processes occur.

Her work looks like this:

The mash in the cube begins to evaporate and rises up the column, in the upper part of which a refrigerator is installed.
The reflux condenser provides condensation of alcohol vapors.
The resulting distillate, after condensation, flows down the alcohol column.
During descent, the distillate collides with steam. Heat and mass transfer occurs, as a result of which the most evaporated part of the fraction rises to the upper part of the column.
It condenses and goes into the selection channel.

The strengthening column can consist of several frames. In addition, one must take into account the fact that as the height of the column increases, heat and mass transfer processes become more active. This allows you to get a more rectified alcohol at the output.

There is a variety of this device called "tornado". It differs from a conventional rectifier in that its walls are heated. This approach causes the phlegm to evaporate directly from the walls before contact with the refrigerator. This allows you to speed up the rectification process and obtain a purer product.

Rectifying nozzle

It consists of 2 parts:

Modern distillation columns are often equipped with automatic distillation control units. This device allows, according to a given program to separate the tail and food parts. As a result, the moonshiner may not sit near the moonshine all the time and do the selection with his own hands. The device, thanks to the BUR, will do everything itself.

Is it possible to make a full-fledged distillation column with your own hands?

You can make a moonshine still with a distillation column at home. But is it worth doing? The cost savings will be negligible. In addition, due to the fact that it is difficult to maintain all the necessary parameters at home, you may encounter the home apparatus choking during the production of rectified alcohol.

This happens due to non-compliance with the geometric parameters of the device, as a result of which the maximum speed of steam movement is exceeded. This leads to fluid accumulation in the central part of the column, as a result of which heat and mass transfer processes stop. The pressure inside the drawer increases. The moonshiner begins to hear gurgling inside the still.

To this problem In addition to design flaws, the following reasons can be given:

Excessive heating of the moonshine still.
Overflow of the distillation cube.
Clogging of the lower part of the reinforcing column.
Distillation under low atmospheric pressure.

To avoid these problems, it is better to buy a distillation apparatus than to make it yourself.

In the 80s of the 19th century, when moonshine began to gain popularity among alcohol lovers, no one could have imagined that distillation columns, which produced huge amounts of pure alcohol at low cost, would become available to the average drinker at a reasonable price.

For the production of moonshine, purification of mash, distillation, it is used distillation column. However, the design of this device is simple and you can make it yourself, thereby keeping hardware costs to a minimum.

Let's look at how to make it yourself, what materials you can use, how to design individual elements and integrate them into a moonshine still.

First, let's figure out what it is rectification:

This is a process where one component is separated from a mixture under the influence of pressure and temperature.
The heating element evaporates the mash, which passes through the filters.
Some of it comes back, and some goes further.
This happens due to the liquid that enters at the bend of the tube.
It condenses part of the solution and returns it back.
The lighter flying part passes further into the last segment where the water flow is located.

The final product is deposited in the vessel.

Copper

Standard structure which assumes copper structure as the base. A material such as copper has excellent thermal conductivity and compression-expansion characteristics.

Attention! Copper does not add harmful impurities and sediments to the solution, which makes it a reference material.

However, copper has one significant disadvantage - like any metal, it oxidizes and acquires a greenish color.

Corrosive processes negatively affect the quality and purity of the product. The metal filters inside the tube also oxidize and the entire structure becomes unusable.

Made from polypropylene

Also a common option.

Polypropylene material used in plumbing:

It is cheaper and available at any hardware store.
It does not deteriorate during multiple heating-cooling cycles and does not crack due to temperature changes.
Due to the large number of shapes, you can build a structure with any bend.

The downside is that impurities get into the solution, since part of the polypropylene evaporates during heating.

From plumbing fittings

A budget option for construction enthusiasts.

Fitting– these are metal screw-on adapters for connecting pipes and hoses.

You can build a column from them by twisting them in a certain order. Any metal can be used for such elements (including stainless steel). There are practically no downsides to this design, except that it will take more time to assemble and switch.

Reference! A good column will consist of all the materials described above, combining the pros and eliminating the cons.

How to do it yourself?

At first, when the moonshine business just began to develop, the devices were made from everything that was underfoot, so the quality of the moonshine was appropriate.

With the development of the industry, hobbyists have learned to make products of better and better quality, modernizing installations and supplementing standard designs with new elements.

Alembic

In order to construct a cube with your own hands, You will need to make a weld on a stainless steel sheet, having previously bent it into a cylinder.

The bottom can also be made by welding a sheet and cutting it with metal scissors (you can leave the sheet uncut for greater stability). Tin will serve as solder.

You can build a sealed lid with your own hands by covering the joint with rubber, or use a lid from a saucepan.

Reference! The cube can be made entirely from a pan or metal can, if the lid allows for connection with the rest of the structure.

How to make a distillation cube with your own hands is shown in the video:

Tsarga

The drawer is an ordinary filter, which can be constructed from an ordinary water mixer or a plastic glass into which a metal sponge for washing dishes will be pressed.

Several criteria that are important for a good drawer:

presence of entrance and exit,

the ability to detach it to change the filter,

the ability to easily replace the structure body in case of breakdown (therefore, it is recommended to use plastic cups).

Even a small change in the diameter of the column seriously affects the parameters. To evaluate, it is enough to remember that the nominal power (W) and productivity (ml/hour) are numerically equal to the cross-sectional area of the column (sq. mm), and therefore are proportional to the square of the diameter.

Nozzle

Used as a nozzle regular wire copper nozzle, nevertheless you can use a regular metal sponge.

The purity of the final product and the duration of the rectification process will depend on the material of the nozzle. You can build a multi-layer nozzle by combining several elements and materials.

Selection unit

The selection unit is located at a bend in which there is no separation of the initial mixture, incoming water, or final product.

It is advisable to make it from copper, since plastic structures tend to expand under the influence of temperature, and changing the trajectory of the solution can delay the rectification process or stop it altogether.

Reference! For example, pressure and temperature are not enough for the volatile part of the liquid to overcome the bend and settle in the vessel. However, a shallower curve will allow it to pass and accumulate more easily.

The ideal material for the selection unit is copper or stainless steel.

Design elements can be purchased in thematic specialized stores, or in the plumbing department, choosing what is suitable specifically for your design.

The video explains how to make a selection unit with your own hands:

Dephlegmator

A dephlegmator is a kind of advanced filter:

It is installed in close proximity to the sampling unit and serves to return part of the solution back.

The water entering inside condenses the heavy elements of the solution and separates unnecessary parts from those needed.

The reflux condenser can be made of metal, iron, steel, or glass, since it transfers heat well and will facilitate rapid condensation of steam.

Fridge

Most often, refrigeration units of the class are used in moonshine stills “coil refrigerator”. It received this name because there is a metal spiral inside, which serves to circulate liquid. To the naked eye, it resembles a snake that has curled up diagonally into a ball.

The job of the refrigerator is to pass liquid through itself and transfer it inside the moonshine still. Based on this, it is advisable to make the wall material non-metallic, since metal takes a long time to cool and transfers heat worse.

The best material would be:

plastic,

glass,

polymer.

The refrigerator should contain only two holes - liquid inlet and outlet.

Between the metal spiral and the walls of the refrigerator there should be water or another liquid that allows temperature to pass through well, since it is this configuration that allows you to absorb heat as quickly as possible and lower the temperature.

How to make a simple refrigerator for a moonshine still is shown in the video:

Pasteurization drawer (optional)

Pasteurization drawer- this is the final element of a moonshine still, which serves to sediment and filter the final liquid:

It is a pipe covered with heat-insulating material, at the outlet of which there is a filter.

It is from there, drop by drop, that the liquid will fall into the vessel.

The design of such a drawer is simple - a pipe made of polypropylene or PVC, lined with any heat-insulating material, at the end of which you can install a standard drawer.

Automation

Perhaps the most complex design element that can enhance the efficiency and increase the overall performance of a homemade device.

Automatic control system can independently control the processes occurring in the device, turn it on and off, and signal its readiness.

Automatic control elements also include touch analyzers:

pressure meter;

temperature sensor;

indicators of energy and liquid consumption;

other.

There is no one universal scheme, since all homemade devices have different designs, lengths, heights, volumes and other characteristics.

Important! Automation can be installed only by experienced users who have an understanding of electronic circuits, the structure of a microcircuit, the process of soldering and switching automatic elements. It is much easier to purchase ready-made automation for a moonshine still, and then connect it to the structure.

The advantage is that a person saves time. He just needs to describe the design of his device to the seller, who will select the optimal automatic control panel for him.

The device of a homemade moonshine still

Typically, a homemade moonshine still consists of:

a fire source that heats a vessel with mash;

after passing the boiling point, the steam enters the coil, which is filled with coolant;

the temperature in the coil is maintained by the refrigerator;

After leaving the coil, the moonshine enters the drawer, where it is filtered and poured into a vessel.

Important! Don't skimp on filters! The more there are, the better. Some starting materials are not as good and pure as manufacturers describe them, and the resulting product is of terrible quality.

To compensate for the loss from the dirtiest source, it is recommended to install filters at the input and output of each element.

How to make and assemble a simple moonshine still at home is shown in the video:

Let's summarize briefly: you can make the design yourself.

There are no complex engineering structures in it, which means that a home-made column will be practically no different from a purchased one, the materials for the columns and you can choose any from the material of the outer wall will depend on the heat transfer parameters, expansion and narrowing of the passage channel due to thermal changes.

Attention! The heating source and accessories can be any, however, the purity and strength of the final product will depend on the quality of all parts.

We hope that our article helped you understand what a distillation column is, what its structure is, what processes occur in it, and what materials it is made from.

In order for the moonshine to be clean and without the characteristic fusel odor, it must be passed through the still at least twice. During distillation, most of the fusel oils settle, which gives reason to call the finished product pure. However, experts insist that you can only get a truly pure alcohol-containing drink at home by using a distillation column.

In order to understand how to make a distillation column for a moonshine still and why it is needed at all, let’s try to understand the principle of its operation. Here we will look at what materials are needed and whether it is advisable to make it at home.

How does a distillation column work?

When the distillation cube, into which the mash is poured, is heated, a gradual boiling begins with the intense release of alcohol-containing steam. These vapors, lighter than the liquid, rise up the distillation column, from where they enter a water-cooled reflux condenser. Here, at the highest point, steam condensation begins, and it again flows into the column in the form of condensate. That, in turn, is filled with special elements through which liquid flows. At this time, the mash continues to boil, and its vapors rise up the column, meeting condensate along the way. It is this continuous process of exchange of liquid and vapor that is called rectification.

During such an exchange, the liquid condensate (reflux) is saturated with steam, and the steam, on the contrary, is saturated with a liquid with a lower boiling point. This process occurs continuously while the mash boils and condensation forms. As a result, the lightest vapor with the highest concentration of alcohol is collected at the head of the distillation column, which is sent to the refrigerator for final condensation. Already from the refrigerator, absolutely pure distillate - moonshine - descends into the receiving container.

The operating principle of a distillation column is shown in this figure

What causes continuous rectification?

In order for the steam and the flowing liquid (reflux) to contact most effectively, special contact elements are used in the distillation column. In industrial designs, this function is performed by physical plates, in home designs - a metal sponge for washing pans. Due to their disparate structure, these elements increase the contact area between phlegm and steam, and, accordingly, the efficiency of such interaction. This becomes possible due to the fact that equilibrium is very quickly achieved between the two phases (liquid and vapor).

As reflux flows down the column, it bypasses an entire layer of metal springs, meeting steam along the way. At the moment when the steam overcomes the first layer of the contact element, the phase of physical equilibrium begins. To obtain the optimal height of a household distillation column, its diameter must be at least 30 and no more than 50 mm.

Manufacturing of a distillation column

The issue of purchasing such equipment is very pressing for many. If we are talking about industrial production, then most samples have many flaws. Still, streaming production is making its presence felt. You can, as an option, order manual assembly, but then its price will be approximately the same as the “wing” of a good SUV. Therefore, the best option is to make a distillation column with your own hands. Of course, its structure is a little more complex than that of a homemade moonshine still, but still not so complex that you lose consciousness from the drawing and instructions.

The material used for manufacturing is stainless steel - a chemically inert material that does not corrode and does not produce foreign impurities or odors.

This is a diagram of a distillation column, according to which it can be assembled

Now in more detail about the main elements of equipment and what they can be made from.

Body - stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 30-50 mm and a total length of 1300-1400 mm. The permissible pipe wall thickness is 2-3 mm, since you will have to make holes for the threaded connection.
Water body (dephlegmator) - most often made from a regular thermos. Literally 10-15 minutes, and this element will ideally replace an industrial design. In some cases, the reflux condenser is made of copper pipe. The most exotic and ineffective option is a coil made of a copper tube. It is wound around the top of the column and cold water is run through it. From experience, even a flattened tube does not provide the necessary heat loss due to the small contact patch.
Refrigerator - a container with a submerged coil and cold water. The tank and tubes are made of copper. You can also purchase a ready-made laboratory refrigerator at a chemical store.
The contact element is several metal mesh sponges, which housewives usually use to remove scale and burnt food from pots and pans.

In addition, silicone connecting and copper tubes, thrust washers, threaded nuts, and adapters are also required.

The column has 2 connection points - a turn-off point and a connection to the distillation cube. Typically, threaded elements are used for connections, but the danger here is leakage. You can also put one element on top of another, while joining it as tightly as possible to prevent the passage of steam and the leakage of phlegm. You can, of course, treat the edges with sealant and join the structure forever, but then you will not be able to disassemble and clean it.

How to assemble a distillation column

We take a copper pipe with a height of 1300-1400 mm and a diameter of 30-50 mm. We cut it into 2 parts, they can be either equal length or with slight deviations - this does not matter. You clean the edges of both parts, trim them, be sure to chamfer them and connect them to each other with threaded connections or using an adapter. We remind you! The connection must be tight.
Install a mesh and thrust washers on one part of the pipe to prevent the contact element from falling out. This is the lower part of the column that will fit onto the distillation cube. Metal springs are poured here.

Not only springs, but also small glass balls can be used as such a contact element, although this is quite expensive. In terms of contact area and quality of heat transfer, ordinary metal sponges are absolutely not inferior. Made of stainless steel, they are absolutely inert to the alcohol mass and are not subject to corrosion.

Before you buy such a sponge, check with a magnet whether it is really made of stainless steel. If another metal is used, over time the springs will begin to rust, which will negate the quality of purification of moonshine.

Buy 30-40 steel wool and cut them into small pieces up to 5 mm.
Place the contact element in the lower part of the pipe, where the metal mesh-retainer is installed, periodically tapping it on the table. There is no need to force it in so that the springs, if possible, do not intertwine, but are compacted compactly. Like this, shaking and tapping, fill the entire section of pipe, then close it with a mesh and secure it with a thrust washer.

This part of the pipe, already installed on the distillation cube, should be insulated with any insulator; even foam rubber 3-5 mm thick will do.

On the second part of the pipe, use a soldering iron to solder a water housing (deflector) with two pipes - one for the water inlet, the other for the outlet.
Cover the top of the pipe with a lid or seal it, making a hole for the tube.

At 15-20 mm from the joint with the bottom of the pipe, make a hole for a pipe for discharging distillate, and under it a small plate for collecting condensate - phlegm.

You connect the column and the refrigerator with a silicone hose, on which a clamp from a dropper is installed - this is a very convenient tool for regulating the movement of liquid.

At this point, the manual production of the distillation column is completed, and you can begin distillation.

If you still have questions, watch the video to see how to make a column correctly and in what order.

Distillers create a distillation column with their own hands. Such equipment is highly efficient. Columns allow you to separate liquids into fractions. RK is the highest class of household moonshine installations.

The distiller produces moonshine, and the distiller produces pure alcohol. The rectification process is based on the interaction of liquid and steam. If you have the necessary equipment, pure alcohol is obtained. Columns can be plate-shaped or packed.

Moonshiners use packed columns, which lead to the separation of alcohol into fractions.

Distillation column "Thermosphere F43"

Distillation column design:

drawer with filler;
alcohol selection unit;
reflux condenser;
refrigerator is additional.

The mash is in a distillation cube, which is heated. As the temperature increases, evaporation occurs. Vapors (alcohols, ethers, etc.) rush upward along the drawer and reach the refrigerator with a selection unit. At the initial stage, the tap is closed.

Reflux - condensed steam - descends into the column through a tube. Heavy fractions accumulate at the bottom, light fractions at the top.

The column is filled with nozzles. The steam condenses repeatedly, and the liquid evaporates on the installation elements. As a result of this exchange between liquid and vapor, part of the low-boiling component is removed downward.

The reflux ratio is the ratio of the amount of condensate that is returned to the column to that which is taken out. The PF for alcohol is 8–9, for noble distillates it is 6–7. As soon as the tap is opened slightly, it is important to maintain the correct reflux ratio.

Column operating modes:

Distillation. Passes without division.
Noble distillates. If the number of nozzles or pipes in the column is reduced, conditions are created for the production of Calvados and chacha. In this mode, the PF is 6–7. The alcohol strength is 94.5⁰.
Obtaining rectified alcohol. The nozzles in the column are located all the way to the top. Reflux ratio - 9. Alcohol strength 96.4⁰.

Advantages and disadvantages of the rectification method

Distillation columns have pros and cons. RKs are:

Brassy.
With liquid selection.
With a selection of couples.
Combined.

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of all types.

Brass columns

The refrigerator plays the role of a reflux condenser. Advantages:

simple design;
cheapness;
easy to manufacture;
distiller + RK.

Flaws:

Non-obvious management (not understanding how much phlegm is returned, the number cannot be estimated).
Change of PF over time.
Requirements for constant water temperature.

The column for a moonshine still must have:

Adjustable selection unit.
Atmospheric valve.
High-performance reflux condenser.

Selection by liquid

A distillation column diagram for Alex’s Bokakob moonshine still with inclined planes is used. Having picked up the idea from Bokakob, they cut out two pieces of copper and make cuts. Today they use a selection unit with inclined plates, which was invented by the designer.

Advantages:

inexpensive;
easy assembly;
distiller and distillation column.

Flaws:

The PF changes over time;
non-transparent management.

The filter frequency changes, so you need to constantly tighten the tap. It is not comfortable.

Selection by couple

Operating principle: steam rises and separation occurs. Some go up, some go to the right. When determining the through holes, the reflux ratio is set.

Proportions are always maintained. In practice, this means that there is no need to constantly be nearby. Only when the “tails” begin to flow do they turn off the equipment.

Advantages:

simple design;
inexpensive;
stable selection.

The column cannot be used as a distiller. This is the only drawback. Braga cannot be distilled in this Republic of Kazakhstan.

Combined types

Combined liquid and steam selection. The main point happens in pairs. The “heads” are selected based on the liquid.

not difficult;
inexpensive;
performs the functions of a distiller and column;
the process is stable.

The combined column has no disadvantages.

Selection of material for the manufacture of equipment

For the manufacture of RC it is better to use stainless steel. Materials must be inert to alcohol vapors. It is not practical to fill small columns with contact elements such as plates. Nozzles are installed in them:

grids;
rings;
balls.

The simplest nozzle option is metal mesh for washing dishes. You should make sure that they are made of stainless steel.

It is easier to assemble a rectification apparatus than to make it yourself. Without experience it will not be possible to solve this problem. To know what to buy for assembly, you need to calculate the profitability.

Calculations

First, the capabilities of the Republic of Kazakhstan are determined. There are online calculators that can help you do this. The column is calculated based on its height:

The ceiling of the room is 2550 mm.
Dephlegmator - 300 mm.
Cuba - 400 mm.
Another additional 50 millimeters.

The total is: 2550 + 300 + 400 + 50 = 1800 (column height).

Calculation of cube volume

Take into account that the tank is filled to 2/3 of its volume. This means that for a column with d = 50 mm, a cube of 40–80 liters is suitable. If the diameter of the drawer is 40 mm, the volume of the container is 30–50 liters. A distillation cube such as a pressure cooker is suitable for d = 28 mm.

Calculation of a once-through refrigerator

There are coefficients that are oriented towards. The first option for refrigerators with good water circulation is 850 W/m2C. The coefficient in a conventional coil is 150 W/m2C.

The voltage on the regulator is 100 volts. They get: 100 * 100: 19.3 = 518 watts.

Power calculation

For a still of 50 liters you need 4 kW. A 3 kW heating element is enough to use for a 40 liter tank, and for a 30 liter tank you will need a 2 kW electric heater.

Dephlegmator calculation

A Dimroth refrigerator is suitable for liquid withdrawal refrigeration systems. Utilization power - 4–5 W per 1 sq. cm.

The design power of the RC with steam extraction is 2/3 of the nominal. Utilization power - 2 W per 1 sq. cm.

If the column has a diameter of 50 mm, the further calculation is as follows: the rated power is divided by the utilization capacity. They get: 1950: 5 = 390 cm².

The reflux condenser is manufactured taking into account the following parameters:

pipe length;
power;
stock

Column manufacturing technology

First they make dimrot. They take 4 meters of copper, which they bend around and screw on with a dimrot. A lathe is used for this. The pipe can be wound by holding it in a vice. This process is simple. The tube fits in easily and the required number of turns is wound.

The distance between them is 1 mm, so the coils are moved apart a little. Total length - 28 cm, loop - 5–6 cm.

In order to assemble the column, you need to prepare the materials:

pipe 3.2 m (base of the drawer);
copper pipe - 35 mm d;
insulation 9 mm thick;
tubes (15; 10; 8);
tube d 4 mm (4 meters);
threaded flanges;
angle 90⁰;
tee;
plug (35 mm);
adapter from 35 to 15;
needle tap;
fittings for cooling supply;
flux and solder;
water supply system;
pipes;
needle valves - 2 pcs.;
tee.

Column body

Columns are made from the following materials:

copper;
of stainless steel;
glass

Basically, the installation body is made of stainless pipe. Equipment is assembled by welding or soldering. In some sources you can read that it is impossible to make RK from copper.

If the column is assembled correctly, it can be installed on a homemade moonshine still. The RK is made so that it fits any tank from 20 to 50 liters.

Nozzle

There is an industrial filler:

Spiral-prismatic nozzles:

copper 4 x 4 x 0.3 (500 ml) - 2560 rub.;
stainless steel 4 x 4 x 0.25 (500 ml) - 1850 rub.

Rashig ceramic rings (1 kg) - 2050 rub.
Panchenkov nozzles:

copper 50 x 10 - 620 rub.;
stainless steel 50 x 10 - 290 rub.

The most affordable material is metal mesh for washing dishes.

Thermal insulation

Suitable thermal insulation material:

withstands high temperatures;
chemically inert;
silicone and fluoroplastic gaskets.

Rubber gaskets should not be used as they affect the quality of the alcohol.

RK - universal equipment. The installation has good performance and small dimensions.

Distillation column "Spirtmash"

How to make a rectification column?

A rectification column from fittings and a drawer is assembled independently at home.

Example #1

For work you will need materials:

pipe;
fitting;
thermometer;
welding machine;
nozzles

First, take a pipe (d 30–50 mm) of the required length. If necessary, cut. The lower part is covered with a metal mesh. Sponges or springs are used as filler. Dishwashing nets (30–40 pieces) are cut into small pieces. The pipe is filled with the resulting fragments, covered with a mesh and secured with a washer.

Installed on the distillation cube and insulated. The upper part of the drawer is covered with a lid. A hole is made in the plug and a tube is installed there. At the bottom there is a hole for distillate. Below it is a plate for collecting phlegm.

A silicone hose connects the column and the refrigerator. A medical dropper is attached to the hose.

A hole is drilled in the upper part where a 15 mm tube is mounted. It is inserted at an angle and soldered. This is the place for the thermometer. The drawer is connected with a fitting to the cube pipe.

Example No. 2

A simple column can be made from the following materials:

Pipes 120–150 cm, 30–40 mm in diameter.
Dephlegmator (length 20–30 cm).

For the column you need to buy 18 metal scourers. The reflux condenser body can be made from a thermos, which is soldered to the drawer.

Then the tubes for draining and supplying water are installed. There is also a tube through which cooled water circulates. It connects the refrigerator to the reflux condenser. The installation uses a clamp from a medical dropper. This design uses a laboratory refrigerator.

Example No. 3

More complex installations are assembled. A steam selection unit is added to the Nixon-Stone column. A nut (3/4 inch) is welded to the tee. Next, insert a tap with a 20 mm through hole. The outlet diameter is 18 mm. The narrowest diameter of the steam extraction tube is 16 mm. The RK refrigerator is 38–40 cm.

Distillers create their own designs based on the Nixon system. The device of a moonshine still with a resonator contains:

Cube 70 l.
Heating element 2 kW and 1 kW.
Copper drawer.
Steamer.
Nixon's reflux system.
Dimrot (3 meters).

Example No. 4

DIY distillation column for producing 40 liters of alcohol. The reflux ratio is adjustable. The structure consists of the following parts:

Traffic jams.
Sealing nuts.
Tubes for thermometer.
Dephlegmator housings.
Discharge of warm water.
Supply of cold water to the reflux condenser.
Pipes.
Filler.
Dephlegmator.
Evaporation cube.
Safety valve.

The structure is assembled by welding or soldering. All connections are checked for leaks.

Selection of finished equipment

Distillation column "Antonych 2.1" (2 inches) costs 15,856.14 rubles. The structure is assembled independently using a home distiller “Antonych 1.5-V”, purchasing an additional drawer. The distiller costs 9542.77 rubles.

The “Medium” SS-2 PRO installation with a 70 cm drawer costs 13,400 rubles. The bubble column is mounted with an additional stainless steel pipe. You can purchase a 1.5-inch kit with a 50 cm drawer for 15,000 rubles. Installation price for 2 inches - 16,000 rubles. This column produces drinks up to 96.5⁰ alcohol.

When purchasing a distiller, pay attention to the size of the reflux condenser. It must cope with rectification. The Stillman-Cosmo distiller is equipment that produces pure alcohol. The set costs RUR 18,450. To obtain ethyl alcohol, an additional drawer is purchased.

The distillation column "Doctor Guber" is completely dismountable. The design can be improved and made universal. Installation without a cube costs 15,539 rubles.

In general, there is a choice, and in any case you will get good quality moonshine. Preference depends on consumer convenience and price.

We all treat with great pride and love what is grown and produced with our own hands, calling these products environmentally friendly. I did not stay away from the attraction to naturalness and purity.

The product is certainly of high quality and, in reasonable quantities, healthy. However, the question still remains acute for the masters of making strong drinks: on ridding the product of harmful impurities.

Do you know how to clean moonshine? After all, fusel oils are certainly contained even in a “clean as a tear” liquid, flowing thinly from the tube of an ordinary one, which does not have a distillation column, into a substitute jar.

Ready-made vodka, which we all periodically buy in stores, is free of harmful substances, primarily fusel oils. And the secret is quite simple.

In factories producing alcoholic beverages, they do not use distillation (as in moonshine), but rectification, a fundamentally different method.

Therefore, the “breech” is free of impurities and usually has a milder effect on the body. Naturally, we are talking about high-quality vodka.

Let's look at what a distillation column is and why a moonshine dock needs it. First of all, this is a kind of superstructure over the distillation tank, serving as a filter in which they settle. A detailed diagram of the distillation column is shown below.

The basic principle of operation of the column is mechanical purification of moonshine from various impurities still at the production stage.

During ordinary distillation (distillation), all alcohol, as well as other vapors, are released from the mash during heating, mixed with each other in order to escape together through the outlet tube into the refrigerator, and then turn into a liquid dripping into a nearby container.

The separation of these vapors into alcohol and fusel vapors is difficult under ordinary household conditions.

Only partially can the result be achieved by temperature control, and separation of "heads" from "tails".

And here’s how a distillation column works: during rectification, mixed vapors, rising upward, are converted into liquid, which flows into special “plates” that are equipped with the rectification and purification column of the distillation apparatus.

In phlegm (liquid in plates) highly volatile compounds remain (boiling at fairly low temperatures), and higher, in the cooling system, difficultly volatile compounds rise, where they turn into an alcohol-containing liquid - purified moonshine.

Fusel oils and other harmful compounds remain in the phlegm, and the alcohol freely condenses into and flows into the placed container.

For home-made devices, the principle of operation of the distillation column remains the same, but the function of delaying reflux is performed not by plates, but by multiple small springs made of kitchen sponges made of stainless steel.

How to do it at home?

There are ready-made moonshine stills with a distillation column that can be purchased online. As a rule, they are convenient and of fairly high quality, but the prices of rectifiers stop many even in their desire to produce exceptionally high-quality moonshine.

So, should we give up and use “old-fashioned” methods for cleaning the product: cotton wool, activated carbon, coffee filters? Of course not, folk craftsmen found a way out of this situation.

We will teach you how to make a distillation column yourself, literally from scrap materials. But before you start implementing your idea, carefully weigh the pros and cons of this device.

pros rectification:

Almost perfect purification of moonshine from harmful impurities.
Using moonshine obtained from a device equipped with a do-it-yourself moonshine purification column, you can prepare very high-quality various drinks with a high alcohol content.
The quality of the resulting product will comply with GOST standards for industrial production.
Only with the help of a distillation column can one obtain really clean and high quality final product. With ordinary distillation, even such a result cannot be achieved.

Minuses:

According to many seasoned moonshiners, after passing through a distillation column, the final product is “emasculated”, losing not only fusel, but also most of the aromatic component (for example, the taste of jam that you added to it).
The process of manufacturing the final product is more time-consuming, which means it requires more energy (electricity, gas, firewood).
You need the column itself, which you need to either buy or make yourself.

To make a distillation column with your own hands, it is necessary, having understood the principle of operation, to make one device.

Remember that the distillation column for a moonshine still requires quality raw materials so that it can fulfill its main purpose.

You will need:

stainless pipe with a diameter of 30 to 50 mm and a height of 1.3 - 1.4 meters. It is advisable to maintain exactly this diameter in order to achieve the most correct operation of the equipment. Stainless steel is a chemically inert material, it is not subject to corrosion, does not emit foreign odors or chemical impurities;
many believe that it is even better to make a distillation column made of copper, but this is at your discretion and capabilities;
connecting elements, as well as silicone and/or copper tubes;
insulation(a piece of foam rubber will do);
clamp from a medical IV (not necessary, but adds convenience);
2 metal mesh clips– along the inner diameter of the pipe and thrust washers for them;
contact elements, which will purify alcohol vapors from impurities. Small glass beads are simply excellent in this regard, but the question is where to get them in the right quantity (they should fill the inside of the column by 2/3, or at least half). Therefore, a replacement was found - metal sponges for cleaning dishes in the amount of 30 - 40 pieces.

The selection of metal spring sponges is the most important stage in the manufacture of a rectifier. You can go shopping only with magnet. Food grade stainless steel (which is approved for use in the food industry) IS NOT MAGNETIC!

Otherwise, you can buy a sponge that will rust inside the column, or one made of technical stainless steel that releases harmful compounds.

That, in fact, is all the additional equipment, taking into account that you already have a moonshine still, including a cube and a refrigerator.

Manufacturing process

What your own distillation column will be like is up to you to decide. The assembly principle also provides several possible solutions:

Cut the selected pipe into two parts (the upper one is 0.5 – 1/3 of the total height).
After chamfering, join the edges. You can use an adapter or a threaded connection.
A metal mesh must be installed at the bottom of the pipe to prevent filler particles from falling into the cube. With this part, a homemade distillation column will be installed on the distillation cube.
Cut your existing stainless steel sponges into small pieces of about half a centimeter. Fill the bottom part (remember, it should be at least 0.5 of the total height of the rectifier, but no more than 2/3) with pieces of metal sponge. After this, cover the pipe with a mesh and secure with a thrust washer.
Connect the lower part of the pipe directly to the tank and insulate the connection.
The general design of the distillation column provides for the presence of a water jacket, so a water casing with two pipes for inlet and outlet of water for cooling is hermetically soldered onto the upper part of the pipe.
The top of the pipe must be closed with a lid or soldered, making a hole for the atmospheric tube.
Above the junction with the lower pipe, 1.5-2 cm, make a hole for the pipe through which the distillate (moonshine) is discharged. Attach a plate under it on which condensation will collect - phlegm.
Connect the pipe sections together. Here is a column designed for cleaning moonshine with your own hands and it’s ready.

Important! The pipe connection must be sealed, but collapsible. If you put it on a sealant, it will no longer be possible to wash the internal filling, and also, if necessary, replace it.

It is important that the pieces of springs do not intertwine with each other, but compactly compacted. Do not force the filler in; it is better to shake and tap the pipe, filling the entire section.

The final stage is connecting to the refrigerator already in the moonshine still. This can be done conveniently using a silicone tube with a drip clamp installed in it. This way you can adjust the speed of liquid movement at any time.

Useful videos on the device and making it yourself

Operating principle of the distillation column:

New rectification column "Prima", the principle of a quick-release connection, look:

Practical work on the column from the moment of pouring raw alcohol to separating the tails:

Having looked at the drawing of the distillation column, you will understand how to assemble it correctly. And after checking it in action, you will understand that now you are making strong and perfectly purified moonshine. Share the information with your friends on social networks!