We make mash columns ourselves. Distillation column from scrap materials How to make a simple distillation column with your own hands

A do-it-yourself distillation column is made based on the diagram. The diagram is needed in order not to make mistakes. It does not contain large volumes when compared with other devices that reach 19 meters. A distillation column made at home, its design and the mechanism itself cannot be characterized as lightweight - it consists of many components. Initially, you should buy a metal tube - its ideal length is approximately 119-149 cm.

Instead of a reflux condenser, you can use a regular thermos. In addition, you will need:

• adapters that will combine the tube with the tanks;
• Insulation and stainless steel sheet for the production of main washers;
• A small reinforcing tube used to drain water;
• Cooling mechanism.

The equipment you will need is a hammer, a drill with a drill, pliers, a file, hard paper, a soldering iron with solder or flux, an adapter device for a faucet, a rubber tube of small parameters and a temperature indicator.
A homemade device is produced according to an established scheme. The tube must be of the required length, and its ends must be polished. To assemble the tube and distillate unit, a Euro adapter is used. The union of the pipe and the cube should be soldered, and part of the soldering will require stripping later.

Then you need to make metal nozzles that fill the pipe right to the very top. Now the main washer is inserted into the pipe, and a small extraction end is inserted into it. The section of connecting points is soldered. The next step will be thermal insulation of the pipe.

The thermos that will be used as a reflux condenser must be examined and the bottom removed. The inner tube must be removed from the outside and the vacuum cover of the thermos must be removed. A passage should be made in the test tube, in the central part of the very bottom of the part and the main place of its rear edge.
You need to install a pipe through the upper passage and seal it there. The base is then placed on the cone.

In addition, holes are made in the outer flask for tubes for water inlet and outlet. They are located at the top and bottom of the test tube. Zones must be secured. It is necessary to make a passage in the distillate selection unit for the purpose of inserting the temperature indicator bushing. The distillation column is created with special care so as not to harm your health.

In our generation, a small distillation column is quite relevant. This device is available to absolutely everyone, and the device requires a little space. A drawing for the industrial production of a distillation column is a little complicated for ordinary people. Nevertheless, making alcohol at home occurs quite often, and many people practice it.

The distillation column model requires a large number of plates in order to obtain the highest quality product. This greatly complicates the installation process. To make this kind of apparatus, such as a distillation column, with your own hands at home, you will need some parts. The cooling mechanism is made from a reddish-yellow tube. To do this, it is necessary to wrap it around the rectifier column.

Iron scourers are made from stainless steel. The validity period and their reserve for use in the distillation column are quite long. It is necessary to take 1 washcloth into the existing 9.8 cm pipes. It's a good idea to use a medical clamp from a dropper instead of a faucet. The distillation column circuit is usually completed with a tube in order to interact with the environment.

The essence of the column's work

If we briefly discuss the system of alcohol production and rectification, then this is, in fact, repeated distillation of mash, which occurs in special plates. Instead, as a rule, all kinds of components are used. For the purpose of producing alcohol at home, a distillation column with a diameter of 3 to 5 cm, iron wool can be used as a connecting component. It is through it that the distillation column for the moonshine still will be filled.

During the process of operation of the distillation column, the distillate smoothly descends to the bottom, and the evaporation rises to the top. A rectifier is needed in order to increase the degrees. Some modifications of this device involve the use of a boiler and a flowing cool stream to cool. All elements of the device can easily be combined with each other using an ordinary soldering tool. Minor differences in volumes in the production of a much-needed unit on the farm will not particularly affect the quality of the product.

However, in order to increase the amount of alcohol, it is necessary to significantly increase the volume of the distillation device; a 1.5 m column tube guarantees up to 28 liters of alcohol element, in about two days. Upon completion of the production of the device, it is necessary to lubricate all connections with a detergent. In a similar way, it is possible to inspect extra holes, if there are any, bubbles appear. When a steam-water cooler is connected to a tube through which water flows and whether there are holes is determined during operation, it is a column type system.

All of the above makes it possible to understand what kind of homemade device this is and why people need it at all. With a distillation column you have the opportunity to obtain pure alcohol. In addition, we can conclude that it is not at all difficult to create a device with your own hands - you just need to carefully read the instructions. It is also enough to have a strong desire and the necessary details to create it. Everyone decides for themselves what is better - buying alcohol or making it at home, because such moonshine will not contain any harmful additives, and its quality depends solely on the distillation design.

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:

1. It is cheaper and available at any hardware store.
2. It does not deteriorate during multiple heating-cooling cycles and does not crack due to temperature changes.
3. 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:

1. a fire source that heats a vessel with mash;
2. after passing the boiling point, the steam enters the coil, which is filled with coolant;
3. the temperature in the coil is maintained by the refrigerator;
4. 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.

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At the next stage, you can work on the heating element of the entire device. For this you can use a regular boiler. Having retreated some distance from the end of the wire, so that it is enough to reach the device, you need to cut off a part, you will have to screw everything back afterwards. The ends of the cord from the boiler must be threaded so that when the lid is closed, the element is inside the body. After stripping the wires, they need to be connected back

It is important to take care of high-quality insulation.

The boiler should not touch the bottom; it is advisable that it be completely covered with liquid during operation. Into the same hole through which the boiler cord passes, you need to insert the long end of the coil for the apparatus. The remaining gaps between the tube and the cord must be filled with pieces of cotton wool, making it quite tight. It is important to achieve the best sealing possible.

The resulting structure made of cotton wool must be filled with superglue, which is made on a cyanoacrylic base. This will allow you to obtain the most airtight connection using composite materials. After the glue hardens, you will be able to get a tight, strong connection. All that remains is to make something like a casing for the fan so that the air washes over the fins of the heat exchanger, represented by a coil.

To make the casing, you can use Tetra-Pak packaging. If you are making a moonshine still, then you can use the technology presented in the article. You need to cut a rectangle from the packaging, the width of which will correspond to the dimensions of the fan. These elements will be used to cover the fan on 3 sides. The end of the coil needs to be brought to the fourth side in order to drain the moonshine. In the remaining side wall you need to make a hole for this part of the tube and glue it with the superglue used earlier. The walls can be glued together with tape. When it is necessary to ensure maximum safety, it should be covered with a transparent protective screen.

At this point we can assume that the mash column is ready. You can use a computer power supply as a power source for the fan. To turn it on without using the motherboard, you need to connect the black wire with the green one. Experts use more compact 12-volt sources, which you can find yourself.

Calculation of parameters and selection of materials

Before you begin assembling the column, you should decide on the dimensions and other characteristics of the apparatus.

1. Tsar heightIf previously distillation columns were multi-meter structures, today home distillers use compact options - about 1.5 meters long. The main principle that should be followed when calculating dimensions is the following: the height of the pipe should be equal to approximately 50 of its diameters. Slight deviations in one direction or the other are allowed. However, the length of the drawer cannot be less than 1 meter. Otherwise, some of the fusel oils will be selected, and difficulties will arise with the separation of fractions. Increasing the height of the column over 1.5 meters does not significantly affect the quality of the product, but lengthens the hauling time. In addition, placing such a structure at home will be problematic. Optimal pipe dimensions: length – 1.3-1.4 m, diameter – 3–5 cm.
2. Material and wall thickness The ideal option for the drawer is food-grade stainless steel: it does not in any way affect the composition of the drinks. Copper will also work. The optimal wall thickness is in the range of 1–2 mm. More is possible, but it will make the structure heavier and increase costs without bringing much benefit. In addition, it is worth remembering that you will have to make holes in the walls.
3. Type and parameters of nozzles The easiest way to use household stainless steel sponges as a contact element is to use them to clean dishes. To check the quality of the metal, you can soak the product in a salt solution and leave it in it for a day: a good product will not rust. Alternative options are glass beads, stones of certain types, and metal shavings. The packing density is 250–270 g of contact element per 1 liter of column volume.
4. Volume of the cube The distillation container is filled 2/3, and the amount of alcohol-containing liquid should correspond to 10–20 volumes of the nozzle. For a column with a diameter of 5 cm, it is optimal to use a tank of 40–80 l, for a width of 4 cm – 30–50 l.
5. Heat source: Gas, electric or induction cooker is not recommended. The first option is dangerous, the others do not allow for uniform heat supply. The best option is electric heating using heating elements, which can be installed into the cube yourself. The power of the elements depends on the volume of the cube: for 50 liters at least 4 kW is required, for 40 liters - at least 3 kW, etc.
6. Type of thermal insulation material It must withstand high temperatures and be chemically inert. Typically, foam rubber 3–5 mm thick, fluoroplastic or silicone (but not rubber!) gaskets are used.
7. Joining optionIf threaded connections are used, sealant may be required. It is better to give preference to putting elements on top of each other.

Design selection

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

1. Required performance. with higher productivity, the padded drawer will be higher and wider - the pair passes more. The cooler and extraction unit must also provide sufficient efficiency. The minimum length of the drawer is 1.5 meters, it is better to make it collapsible from three bends - 1 meter, 0.2 meters, 0.5 meters. this will allow the device to be used for both distillation and rectification.
2. Possible sizes. Often home distillation columns are limited in size due to ceiling height. Shifting the dimrot refrigerator in the upper part of the apparatus, or placing it perpendicular to the drawer (Thor's hammer) will help save space.
3. Access to metalworking technologies. A stainless steel device will last a long time and will not oxidize alcohol, but to connect the parts you will need argon welding or stainless steel electrodes. Cooking stainless steel is difficult. If possible, you can use laboratory heat-resistant glass, but it is too fragile. An excellent option for the DIYer is copper. It is easily soldered with a gas torch; there are a large number of them on sale.
4. Volume of refilled raw materials. The larger the cube used, the higher the productivity should be. Evaporation of alcohol occurs at 75 - 80 °C; lowering the temperature will reduce the speed of the process.
5. Budget. With a minimum budget, you should consider a simple but effective design with mechanical adjustments. If the budget is not tight, the device is supplemented with precision needle taps, additional components and automatic control.

To build such a unit, you need to know the basic principles of the column’s operation and the essence of the processes that occur in it. And a lot of interesting things happen there - the rectification process differs in its physical and chemical foundations from conventional distillation.

How does a column work?

As in a conventional distiller, the column has both a heater and a refrigerator, which are full-fledged working elements. But on the path of alcohol-containing steam from the surface of the mash to the refrigerator coil there is another complex unit, which is called a distillation column. It is a tall pipe, the diameter of which is 30-50 times greater than its length. Optimal dimensions for heat and mass transfer processes that occur inside the column.

The heated steam rises up the pipe, slowly cools along the way, condenses, and flows down back into the container. As it moves from top to bottom, the condensate comes into contact with hot steam, is reheated, and the low-boiling components turn back into steam. Among these components is ethyl alcohol. If you select the operating mode of the column in such a way that alcohol vapor begins to condense at a certain height, where the intake pipe is installed, then pure alcohol, without impurities, will flow into the refrigerator.

After some time, a dynamic equilibrium regime will be established in the column, due to the difference in heat capacities of the liquid and vapor phases; in addition, the liquid-vapor mixture is divided into fractions according to the chemical composition, on which the vaporization temperature depends.

In the very top part, vapors of volatile impurities - aldehydes, acetone and other toxic substances - collect. When the temperature at the top thermometer of the column is above 70 C, they simply fly away into the atmosphere - the column is connected to the outside air by a pipe or valve and operates almost at atmospheric pressure.

At a height of approximately ¾ of the length of the column, alcohol vapors accumulate, which need to be collected. Below are fusel oils and other substances whose boiling point is higher than alcohol. In the alcohol selection zone, the temperature should be maintained at 74-78 C. To make this possible, a significant column height is required; the larger the zones of different fractions, the easier it is to separate one substance from another.

How to make a rectification column

A homemade distillation column at home is not a myth. This is confirmed by numerous videos and photographs on the Internet and posts on forums. Even if they are half as good as the craftsmen say about them, then such a device is worth making. But we must take into account the fact that for the production of moonshine, as such, a distillation column, regardless of whether it is home-made or industrially made, is unsuitable.

The rectification apparatus is designed to produce alcohol with a minimum of additives, including aromatic substances and resins, which give moonshine a special aroma and taste. But the resulting alcohol can be used as a basis for any alcoholic drinks made at home, without fear of poisoning with fusel or methyls and esters, which contribute to a severe hangover.

For re-distillation of raw alcohol or ordinary moonshine obtained in a distiller familiar to moonshiners, a rectifier is an indispensable thing. No distillation system can compare with the quality of the resulting product.

Column manufacturing technology

A do-it-yourself distillation column will work properly at home only when its height is at least 1.8-2 m with an internal diameter of 40-50 mm. Such a column is difficult to manufacture, store and operate. It is best to make it collapsible, with clamp or threaded connections; it is also convenient to use couplings. If you have lathe skills, then the coupling connection will not be a problem. Otherwise, you will have to use the paid services of professionals.

What does a column consist of?

The main components of the distillation column:

• frame;
• refrigerator-reflux condenser;
• nozzle (disc or spiral);
• thermal insulation;
• thermometers.

The entire moonshine still also includes a tank for mash and a refrigerator for condensate, which is a regular coil. If you make a distillation column correctly, it can be installed on any moonshine still with a tank with a capacity of at least 20 liters. At smaller volumes, it will only be possible to accelerate it to operating mode and obtain several liters of alcohol (50 percent of the possible yield).

The optimal evaporator volume is 25-50 liters. This makes it more convenient to regulate the process temperature, which is one of the main factors during rectification. In addition, the production of alcohol with a volume of up to 8-10 liters takes the same amount of time to prepare and disperse the column as 3-5 liters. Saving time is also in most cases very important for reducing the cost of the product.

Column body

It is best to make it in three parts, approximately equal in length. At the bottom, a flange is welded to the stainless pipe for installation on a distillation tank with a strong lid. The height of the column is impressive - about 2 meters. A flange connection with a sealed gasket is the optimal solution. The flanges must be welded in such a way that the column is in a strictly vertical position, this is the only way it will work properly.

The body segments are connected with clamps or threads - whichever is more convenient. The main thing is to ensure tightness. The best material for the main pipe of the column is food grade stainless steel. It has relatively low thermal conductivity, and heat loss in the column is undesirable, up to the point of vapor entering the refrigerator.

The two lower parts of the column are simply sections of pipe. They will contain nozzles - special devices that increase the contact area between steam and liquid. The more complex uppermost part is there:

• a flow-through refrigerator must be equipped;
• a drain pipe is provided;
• thermometer socket;
• air valve.

The flow cooler occupies approximately ½ of the top third of the column. The simplest solution is to wind a copper or stainless steel coil over the pipe. A more complex option is to place the same coil, ball cooler or Dimroth cooler inside the pipe. For this purpose, you can use a larger diameter pipe, connecting it to the lower part using an adapter.

There are many options here - the essence is the same, the reflux condenser must provide a barrier to the steam and turn it into condensate before reaching the air valve. Only vapors with a temperature no higher than 60 C should penetrate there. If the refrigerator does not cope with its task, then alcohol will escape into the air along with volatile substances.

The air valve is installed at the highest point of the column and serves to equalize the pressure. You can not install the valve, but simply install a thin copper tube (Ø 3-6 mm). The presence of a tube requires special temperature control at all stages of rectification. When selecting heads, T = 55 - 65 C should be at the level of the intake pipe.

The selection is carried out through a pipe cut into the body below the refrigerator at a distance of 2-5 cm from it. It is a regular tube to which a silicone hose from a medical IV is connected. A do-it-yourself distillation column works very slowly; the main intake is carried out in drip mode. This must be taken into account - the production of 8-10 liters of alcohol takes a whole working day.

Nozzle

This part of the column is one of the most important. For rectification, two types of packings are used - disc-shaped, in the form of cap-shaped or sieve elements, and spiral, made of a metal mesh tightly twisted into a spiral or special wires twisted into prismatic spirals, which are simply poured inside the column. In the latter case, a mesh filter is installed at the bottom of the column to prevent the nozzle from falling out.

The most effective cap-type disk packing for a do-it-yourself distillation column. You can make it yourself from ready-made parts sold on the Internet. In this case, the work should begin by purchasing the plates - the diameter of the body must correspond to their size. It is easier to find a pipe for the cymbals than vice versa.

Copper plates for column

Mesh partitions are much easier to make; all you need is a drill or drilling machine and a set of 2-3 mm drills. Partitions are made of stainless steel, brass or copper. There should be 8-10 of them per 1 m of column height.

The mesh, special spiral prismatic Panchenkov nozzles (RPN) or analogues will have to be purchased in specialized online stores. You can't do them yourself. You cannot use mesh for washing dishes, as some sites recommend - they use unknown alloys that can react with alcohol vapors or impurities.

Thermal insulation

The column must be protected from heat loss to a height of at least the lower cut of the reflux condenser. Any elastic heat insulator is suitable for insulation - polyurethane foam, Penoizol, basalt tubular foil insulation of the TECHNONICOL type. Warming is a very important stage. If heat loss is excluded, the height of the fractional layers can be reduced by several tens of percent. At the same time, the concentration of the substance, in our case alcohol, in them will increase while maintaining clear fraction boundaries.

A homemade distillation column, with its complexity and low distillation speed, will allow you to obtain alcohol of sufficient purity from proven raw materials. From a properly prepared mash, the product yield, in terms of 40 0 ​​strength, will be 25-30% higher than that of a conventional moonshine still, with incomparably better quality.

The rectification column, which 20 years ago was only used in distilleries, is now used in everyday life to produce high-quality alcohol - rectified alcohol, which is an impossible task for a conventional moonshine still.

And in order to better understand what it is, what the structure and principle of operation of the distillation column is, as well as how to make the unit with your own hands, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the issue in more detail.

A distillation column is a complex device consisting of several units: a drawer, a selection unit and a thermometer, which are necessary for full rectification to take place. This process allows you to separate a multicomponent mixture consisting of substances with similar boiling/evaporation points.

The main difference between rectification and conventional distillation is that with it the evaporation and condensation of substances is not a single phenomenon, but a constant cyclic process. As a result, a column-type moonshine still produces alcohol of the highest quality - rectified alcohol.

Design and principle of operation of a distillation column

Tsarga

It is located at the base of the column and is one of its main parts. Gas-liquid mass exchange takes place inside it - one of the main phenomena in the rectification process. This happens as follows:

• The liquid, boiling in the distillation cube, evaporates and passes through the frame in gaseous form.
• The steam, having reached the reflux condenser, cools and condenses on its walls.
• The condensate flows first along the walls of the reflux condenser, and then along the walls of the drawer back into the cube.
• At this moment, gas-liquid mass exchange occurs between the draining condensate and the rising steam. It involves the transfer of heat and a certain amount of evaporated substances from steam to condensate. Under this influence, part of the reflux is its low-boiling components: alcohol and a small proportion of water evaporate again, not reaching the distillation cube, and the more difficult-boiling ones: fusel oils and other impurities continue to flow into the distillation cube.

Thus, mainly alcohol accumulates in the upper part of the column, and impurities mainly circulate in the lower part of the unit. As a result, the output is a rectified product with a strength of about 95%.

A distillation column can have one drawer or several. Moreover, the higher the column, the larger the area on which mass transfer takes place between reflux and steam, which in turn improves the quality of the resulting product.

Inside the drawer there are nozzles, on the surface of which the main mass transfer occurs. Stainless steel products are well suited for sugar and grain, and copper - for fruit mash.

In addition to nozzles, plates can be placed inside the drawer, which further increase the area where gas-liquid mass exchange takes place, which affects the quality of the resulting rectified product.

The walls of the drawer may have additional heating, which enhances the evaporation of phlegm that does not reach the nozzles and plates. This addition also improves the quality of the final product.

Dephlegmator

The upper part of the distillation column, responsible for collecting and cooling the rising vapors to reflux. From here the condensed liquid flows down into the drawer.

The dephlegmator can be made according to several circuit diagrams, the simplest is the film version, and one of the most popular is the Dimroth refrigerator,

Selection unit

Responsible for collecting part of the condensed phlegm and discharging it outside into a collection container. Depending on the settings of the selection unit, the amount of condensate collected also varies. The lower its selection, the higher the quality of the rectified product.

Thermometer

In a distillation column, unlike a standard moonshine still, it is a mandatory component of the system. The fact is that rectification is a very delicate process, highly dependent on maintaining the correct temperature.

Distillation cube with heating elements

Although a distillation column can be used with a conventional gas, electric or gas still, it is much better to equip it with a heating element unit.

This feature, like a thermometer, is associated with the need for precise and fine regulation of the temperature inside the system, and therefore with the regulation of the power of the device that heats the mash.

Gas valves require great skill, induction cookers have a fixed step from 100 to 300 W, but heating element regulators allow you to change the power by 3-5 W.

Which is better, a classic moonshine still or a distillation column?

To understand the advantages of rectification over distillation, it is worth making a clear comparison of these technologies.

Criterion	Distillation	Rectification
Taste and aroma qualities of the final product	The taste and smell correspond to the raw material of the mash.	Very pure alcohol, tasteless and odorless.
Drink strength	Depending on the design of the apparatus and the number of distillations, from 40 to 65%.	up to 97, on average 93-95%.
Degree of separation of substances with different boiling/evaporation temperatures	Low, even substances with a large difference in evaporation temperature remain together after condensation.	Very high, if necessary, you can not only separate the alcohol, but also separate fusel oils into components.
The degree of separation of harmful substances from alcohol	Low to medium. The quality of separation can only be improved by increasing the number of distillations.
Loss of alcohol	Large, in the best case it will be possible to collect up to 80% of the product contained in the mash.	Small, losses in practice range from 1 to 3%, although under ideal conditions they may not exist.
The complexity of creating and using a technology-based unit	Low to medium, primitive models do not have strict sizing criteria, equipment improvement potential is limited. Handling technology is easy and simple.	High. To create, you will need specialized equipment and a strict list of materials. For effective use, theoretical knowledge is required.

In order to obtain a product of the same quality through distillation as through rectification, it is necessary to carry out about 10 consecutive distillations. It should be taken into account that distilling an alcohol-containing product stronger than 20-30% is explosive (moonshine is explosive by default, but in this case the risk increases significantly).

How to make a distillation column with your own hands according to a detailed diagram

The unit has a simple design.

Calculation and assembly of a distillation column with your own hands is carried out as follows:

Instead of an afterword

The alcohol obtained through rectification is much higher quality than the distillate from a classic moonshine still.

But along with the positives come flaws: the requirements for equipment are much higher, and its production is more expensive; in addition, operation also requires high skill.

Therefore, it is not so easy to clearly determine which is better, a good moonshine still or a distillation column, but, of course, there is an intermediate solution - a mash column. It produces a distillate, but not a rectified product, of very high quality, and it is easier to use, it’s all a matter of priorities.