What diameter should be the distillation column. Do-it-yourself distillation column

Moonshiners in their practice use, come up with designs that make it possible to obtain a product of high strength with a minimum content of harmful substances. The reinforcing column, which copes with this task, is especially popular.

This device is often called tsargoy. The basis of the device is repeated evaporation of liquids from mash.

Due to this, the final product is cleaned from, which constantly, trying to escape from the fermented wort, are forced to return back along with condensed water. Due to the fact that water vapor also partially condenses before reaching the refrigerator, moonshine is obtained with a high degree.

Film is a column that is not filled with nozzles (hollow). What's going on inside?

1. Evaporating from the mash, alcohol vapors, along with impurities, enter the strengthening column.
2. Here they are cooled, either forcibly with a water jacket (which is preferable) or in air.
3. There is a division into factions:

• alcohol, having a boiling point of 78 ° C, rises higher in the form of steam, first enters the second refrigerator, where it condenses, turning into a liquid, and from there it flows down a tube into a receiving dish;
• all heavier fractions (including water and fusel oils) do not pass further. They condense already in the strengthening column and flow like a film along its walls back to alembic. That is why this type of reinforcing column is called film.

Reference. Inventive moonshiners sometimes direct a stream of air from a fan onto the side.

This has an effect, but at the same time, for your own safety, you should use only electric stove so that the fan does not blow out the gas flame.

The reinforcing column cylinder is filled with nozzles (for example, pieces of stainless steel washcloth etc.) In addition to the fact that such a column selects phlegm with a high content of fusel oil, it still does not allow methanol to rise above. Therefore, at the output, a strong alcoholic distillate will be cleaner from impurities than when using a film side.

The need for a column

The presence of a strengthening column in the moonshine still is due to the desire to obtain high-grade and already largely moonshine.

In the partial cooler, the most harmful, most saturated with harmful substances, "head" vapors are selected. That is, what we call the “heads” of moonshine and pour out mercilessly, despite the high strength, is no longer harmful.

The “heads” freed from phlegm do not have a sharp fusel smell and almost do not contain dangerous impurities, due to which they got rid of the strongest part of the moonshine.

Principle of operation

Cooling in the column, moonshine vapors are separated and those that have a lower boiling point (alcohols) go further, and the remaining components flow back into the distillation cube.

During this process, steam containing alcohol, going up the side, interacts with phlegm flowing down the walls.

The ongoing process is called heat and mass transfer: the vapors again take the remaining components from the condensed liquid, which have a low degree of boiling, and also give to the phlegm the water and fusel preserved in the alcohol vapors. This is how the degree of the future rises.

At the beginning of the distillation, the minimum temperature is set, which at the top of the column should not exceed 76 °. So, only the head fractions pass into the second cooler (or the only one, if the first one is not available) (they drip 2-4 drops per second, they are taken separately).

Peculiarities. Experienced distillers define "heads" by a specific smell.

As soon as it changes for the better, it is already a body. For beginners, this is 50 ml (if 15-17 liters of mash are distilled). When using a strengthening column, alcohol does not exit, but returns to the cube. Then we raise the temperature and drive the alcohol already, without taking away the “tails”.

Device

The drawer is a pipe made of stainless steel or copper, which is installed vertically directly on the distillation cube. In most cases, it is tightly connected to a lid that is screwed on or otherwise fixed on a container with mash.

note. The reinforcing column can also have its own refrigerator, to which a water jacket is connected. This device is called partial cooler.

With a simplified scheme, there is no flow cooler, the pipe is cooled by air. But with such a device, it is possible to select fuselage only from the very first (by the way, really the most poisonous) portions of alcohol vapors.

The body of moonshine is already chasing, as usual. It is advisable not to “pick up” the tails or drive them into a separate bowl, in order to add them later on the next stage.

The pipe of the reinforcing column sometimes passes into (in more complex designs), where the alcohol vapor is finally released from the fuselage.

With this design, it is really possible to obtain almost pure rectified alcohol - alcohol with a strength of up to 95 °.

More often, the tsarga passes into, which additionally frees alcohol from impurities, and from there - into, where the alcohol vapors are finally cooled and drain already in the form of a liquid into the substituted dishes.

This is a model of an improved distiller, with which you can get moonshine with a strength of 80 ° and more.

The simplest design when the column goes directly to the cooler. The distillate will also be strong (subject to separation into fractions), but requires additional purification using either other substances.

How to do it yourself?

Is it possible not to buy a reinforcing column, but to make it yourself? Yes, it's not a very complicated mechanism. You will need:

• pipe from food stainless steel or copper. The most common size: width - 22 mm, height - from 40 to 90 mm;

Important. The greater the height, the better the separation of vapors into fractions, but the distillation speed (productivity) decreases.

• fitting transitional from 22 to 15 mm. The amount depends on how the column is connected to the lid of the still. If this is a blind connection, then one fitting is needed - at the point where the strengthening column passes into the refrigerator;
• welding machine or a soldering iron with consumables;
• a piece of tube and a plug - for a thermometer;
• thermometer. Preferably - kitchen mechanical (with a round dial);
• optional - metal grid(fixed at the bottom of the column) and pieces of stainless steel (copper) washcloths if you plan to make a column with nozzles.

Attention. At a column with nozzles, it is periodically necessary to change pieces of washcloth or other material used (copper springs, etc.).

Operating procedure:

1. We cut off a piece of pipe with a diameter of 22 mm of the required length.
2. When using nozzles, we close the bottom hole with a mesh so that the pieces of washcloths do not fall into the cube, but the vapors can freely rise, and the phlegm can flow down.
3. Not reaching 1 cm to the top of the pipe, we drill a hole for a 15 mm tube into which a thermometer will be inserted.
4. We cut the 15 mm tube, muffle it and insert it at an angle into the hole made. We solder or weld.
5. We reliably connect the reinforcing drawer with the branch pipe (cork) of the distillation cube by welding or fitting.
6. If we make a column with nozzles, we fill the pipe with them.
7. We fix the fittings, check the tightness of the entire structure and test it in action.

Peculiarities. Copper is also preferable if you are going to drive grain whiskey with the help of a machine with a side. It is this material that is used in (including industrial).

When using a copper pipe and fittings (suitable for connecting food water pipes), it is easier to work, because copper lends itself perfectly to soldering and you do not need to use a welding machine.

Complicating the task and wanting to make an additional water casing, you can use a 15 mm tube for the column, and a 22 mm tube for the casing. You will also need pipes (0.9 - 10 mm) for connecting and draining water.

With certain skills, you will cope with the task without extra hassle make your own reinforcing column.

To obtain a better distillate, distillers use different ways: from the modernization of the moonshine still to the purchase of a distillation column. An intermediate option is a wash or strengthening column.

Due to the formation of a moving film on the inner walls during operation, it is also called film.

The design differs from the classic distiller appearance, the principle of operation and the degree of the final product.

The beer column allows you to get alcohol up to 90% of the fortress. As for quality, the level of purification directly depends on the skill of the distiller. The more experienced the moonshiner, the better the distillate, but in any case it falls short of the characteristics of rectified.

Design and selection of materials

The classic reinforcing column consists of the following parts:

Alembic

As a basis, you can take a pressure cooker, a milk flask, a beer keg, a container from a classic distiller, etc.

Copper or stainless tube - the column itself

The optimal diameter is 2.5-5 cm, the height should be 30 times the first indicator.

Dephlegmator (pre-cooler)

The coil can be built into the pipe or located outside. It is installed at the top of the column and should occupy approximately 25% of its length. It is optimal to take a ready-made cooler, but you can make the device yourself. It is recommended to equip the device with a regulator (for example, from a heating battery).

Steam pipeline

It is a metal tube with a diameter of about 1 cm.

Refrigerator

For cooling, a classic device is used, which is part of any distiller.

You will also need 2 thermometers (one is installed on the tank, the second - in the upper part of the column, just above the pre-cooler) and connecting elements: nuts, couplings, adapters, clamps, silicone seals, tubes, etc. Home craftsmen make reinforcing columns from stainless steel or copper. Both options are good in their own way: steel is more affordable, copper conducts heat better.

Stages of work and drawings

It is difficult and impractical to describe the whole process in detail; it is better to focus on diagrams and videos in the work. In general terms, the process looks like this:

Tank and column connection. To do this, a corresponding hole is made in the cube lid, a flange / threaded fitting is installed, and a pipe is installed. It is convenient to use a clamp connection to fasten the elements.

Deflector manufacturing. by the most simple option is an external coil - winding a copper tube along the contour of the column, but you can use the design with a water jacket, mount it as a separate unit and connect it from above, taking care of the water inlet and outlet pipes.

Preparation of holes for thermometers. One is made in the tank lid, the second is done at the top of the column, between the reflux condenser and the refrigerator.

Assembly and installation of the main refrigerator with pipes for water supply / drainage. A jumper with a faucet is sometimes made between two vertical pipes, but this element is not required.

If desired, the device can be improved: connect several dephlegmators, fill the pipe with nozzles, install automation, etc. In order for the column to work efficiently, it is very important to ensure a stable water supply. The device does not need to be insulated.

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

A distillation column will help you get pure alcohol. More recently, information about home rectification was unavailable, today a large number of specialized forums and blogs covers in detail the process of home rectification and the construction of related equipment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drawing of distillation column

alembic

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

Capacity specifications:

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

Tsarga for moonshine still

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

Characteristics:

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

Stuffing or nozzle

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

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

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

Dimroth cooler

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

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

Selection node

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

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

There are three types of selection:

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

Additional refrigerator

Has an auxiliary function.

What is he doing:

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

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

Design choice

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

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

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

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

Optimal Calculations

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

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

How to make from fitting plumbing at home?

Actions are as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Operating modes

The modes are as follows:

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

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

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

Do you need to design equipment?

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

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

In this article, your attention is invited to a variant of a distillation column assembled from available materials, with dephlegmator made from an ordinary household thermos. A thermos with a volume of 0.5 or 0.75 liters is an almost ready-made reflux condenser, which greatly simplifies the design and reduces the amount of work. The productivity of the column, according to rectified alcohol, is 1-1.5 l/hour, depending on the diameter of the pipe. For the manufacture of some elements of the column, turning will be required. As an evaporation tank (alembic cube, hereinafter just a cube), for raw alcohol (moonshine), you can use any suitable size, starting from two liters, the upper limit is not limited. The cube can be heated in any way, but for safety reasons, you should try, if possible, not to use an open fire for heating.

To make a column you will need:

Of the tools and fixtures you will need:

During operation of the column, to control temperature regime and tracking the order of release of fractions, you will need:

thermometer up to 100 gr

You can use a mercury thermometer with a division value of 0.5 g, in extreme cases 1 g. And better with an accuracy of 0.1 gr. You can use inexpensive multimeter with thermometer function.

It will also be needed to measure the pressure drop in the cube, although you can do without it.

For the supply and removal of coolant, a flexible or hose with a diameter of 5-6 mm is required.

To select the resulting distillate, a diameter of 5-6 mm is required.

And so, if there is a desire, to independently make a column to obtain pure 96% alcohol, then go ahead, to the store, for the purchase of the above materials and the missing tools.

To do this, first of all, we will take the pipe to the turner, so that he would cut off the centimeters we do not need from the pipe, carefully remove the chamfers and thus trim the edges of the pipe. If there is no turner, it does not matter, we cut off evenly with a hacksaw for metal, as much as necessary, trying to maintain the cut plane at an angle of 90 degrees to the pipe body. To do this, you can wrap the pipe at the cut point, evenly wrap it with electrical tape and cut along its edge. Then, with a flat file, we align the edges of the cut and remove the burrs. We process the inside of the cut with a round file. Then we polish with sandpaper in order to prepare the surface for further soldering. Next, we will need to make an adapter for connecting the pipe to the cube lid, as well as a distillate selection unit. If there is a turner, then we order these parts to him. Adapters must be firmly inserted at one end from the inside or put on from the outside of the pipe. This will depend on the diameter of the pipe itself and the ability to carve or get an adapter for this diameter. On the other hand, the adapter must have carving . The thread can be either metric or inch or pipe. It is preferable to make the thread pitch at least 1.5 and not more than 2. If there is no turner, then you will have to buy an adapter at a plumbing store. 1" or 1¼" adapters will work, depending on the diameter of the pipe. It is better to take the adapter not nickel-plated, but brass, in order to make it easier, then tin it. But with the selection unit it is more difficult, you will have to improvise on the go, depending on the available parts and the configuration of the thermos neck. You can pick up suitable parts in a plumbing store and, by fitting to each other and their subsequent soldering, assemble a selection unit. Then you need to make support washers for nozzle. The diameter of the washer should be such that it provides a tight fit of the washer into the pipe. Holes in the washer should be drilled as often as possible and have a diameter of at least 3 mm and not more than 4 mm. Insert from one side into the pipe, the washer to the desired depth. Next, you need to solder an adapter to the pipe to connect it to the cube lid. To do this, you need a soldering iron, solder (preferably pure tin, it does not contain lead) and soldering acid. First, we clean the places of the intended soldering on the pipe and adapter with sandpaper or a file. Then we apply soldering acid and heat it with a soldering iron with a drop of tin. Additionally, you can heat the place of soldering with a gas burner. As it warms up, the tin will begin to melt and spread. Thus, it is necessary to tin the entire surface of the adapter to be soldered, as well as the surface that will be in contact with alcohol (but this is if the adapter is not made of stainless steel). The stainless steel adapter does not need to be tinned. Remove excess tin deposits while hot with a rag made of natural material (not synthetics). Then insert the tinned adapter into the pipe tinned in the same way and heat the place of soldering with a soldering iron, and preferably with a gas burner. The tin will melt and securely fix the parts together. Then we start making column nozzles . Next, we pour the nozzle into the pipe, periodically shaking the pipe slightly to evenly lay the nozzle. No need to shake too hard. Thus, we fill the pipe to the very top. We insert into the pipe, another support washer for the nozzle. Then we insert the tinned end of the selection unit and heat the soldering point (naturally, the second end of the pipe is also tinned). We put a heat insulator of the required diameter on the pipe and on this we can consider the manufacture of the distillation part of the column completed.

To do this, clean the bottom of the thermos with sandpaper.

Make a semblance of a bracket out of a strip of tin.

Then make a kind of loop out of steel wire, insert it into the hole in the bracket and twist it with pliers.

Clamp the other end of the wire in a vise or nail it to the wall. Take the thermos with both hands, take it away from you and pull hard. The lid (bottom) should fly off. It should be mentioned that some bottoms are set loosely and fly off quite easily, and some with very great effort and sometimes the bracket comes off at the place of soldering, and the bottom remains in place. In this case, you need to increase the contact area between the bottom and the surface bracket, re-solder these parts and try again.

It is necessary to grind around the perimeter of the welding seam connecting the lid and the flask. Do it better on an emery machine.

But it is possible with the help of a nozzle to a drill. You need to grind as evenly as possible and monitor the appearance of a small, barely visible gap between the lid and the flask.

It is necessary to grind until the gap appears around the entire circumference.

After that, the lid is easily removed from the flask. Under the lid, another flask will be visible.

If necessary, it can also be removed by turning the welding seam around the perimeter on emery.

After that, the inner flask is easily removed from the outer one.

As a result of all the manipulations to disassemble the thermos, we have two separate flasks.

But if there are no alterations in the design of the thermos, then the inner flask should not be removed from the outer one. To make a reflux condenser, it is enough to remove the bottom and the vacuum cover and gain access to the inner flask. Further, in the inner flask, in the center, from the back side, you need to drill a hole for the tube to communicate with the atmosphere. Clean and then tin the place of soldering, both flasks and tubes. Then insert the tube into the hole and solder securely. The hole should be of such a diameter that the tube would be inserted into it with an interference fit. This will make soldering easier. When soldering, try to prevent the solder from flowing onto the inside of the bulb. Then also drill a hole in the center of the bottom and tin the soldering point, tin the mating surfaces of the bulb and the bottom. Put the bottom on the flask and solder. Then solder the tube and the bottom. Then tin the neck of the thermos and the selection unit. Insert the sampling unit into the neck and solder by heating with a soldering iron or gas burner. Carefully, without damaging the inner flask, drill holes in the outer flask at the bottom and top for the pipes for supplying and discharging cooling water. Tin, insert tubes and solder. In the distillate extraction unit, drill a hole for the thermometer bushing. The bushing is preferably made of fluoroplastic. Drill a hole in the sleeve according to the diameter of the thermometer probe. Insert the sleeve into the selection unit. It is also necessary to drill another hole in the selection unit for distillate selection. Insert tube and solder. On this, the manufacture of the reflux condenser can be considered complete. Next, you need to thoroughly rinse all soldering points with a solution of baking soda in water. Then screw the reflux condenser to the column and rinse everything as an assembly under running water.

Before using the column for the first time, carefully study rectification theory. Then it is necessary to drive the column for as long as possible (several hours) without taking the distillate in order to wash the contaminants remaining after washing with water from the surface of the packing, pipe and dephlegmator. After that, you can start making selections. head fractions into a separate container. These fractions will wash the refrigerator and distillate sampling tubes from contamination. And only after that proceed to the selection of the main - food fraction . If something is not clear to you from the description, ask questions in the reviews and comments. I'll try to answer them as soon as possible.

Dephlegmator variant with large-diameter removable lid made of stainless steel cup

Welding in this version is also absent. Make a big hole in the bottom. The hole should be of such a diameter that a small bulb would be difficult to push through, that is, if possible with a minimum clearance. I did this with a special drill, which I made myself some time ago. Now taie (like), they sell for cutting round holes in ceramic tiles. There is a drill in the center and two more cutters with victorious soldering along the edges, you set these two cutters to the desired diameter and drill at low speeds, pouring water. It's 1-2 minutes. The hole is smooth, without burrs and scuffs. But it is desirable to drill on a drilling machine, with a drill there is a risk of breaking the incisors or turning the bottom out. If there is neither such a drill nor a machine, then you need to sharpen exactly in the center. Take a caliper with a sharp edge and draw a circle of the desired diameter, then drill the maximum possible drill, then take a cone-shaped nozzle on the drill and bore the hole to the drawn circle, especially at the end you need to be careful so that the hole is even. Well, naturally try on more often at the end of the boring. This job usually takes 15-20 minutes. Next, you sand the edges to be tinned to a shine with sandpaper and tin them. Then you pull the bottom onto the flask with light wiggles and solder the junction. Further, or rather, this must be done at the very beginning. In the inner flask, you also need to drill a large hole. Why is it big, but because instead of a lid, a conical stainless steel cup, roughly cut in half, will be inserted there, do you know the principle of closing a coffee can? There is a rather large hole there, but it closes hermetically, due to the tightness and springy properties of the lid. The same is true here, the cone of the cup cuts very tightly into the hole of the flask, and no fluoroplastic and other covers are needed. and through this large hole, firstly, everything is visible what is happening there, and secondly, a hole is drilled in it for a tube that connects with the atmosphere, as well as for a tube into which the thermometer probe is subsequently inserted.

However, at factories for the production of alcohol, or rather vodka, a fundamentally different method is used - rectification. What is a distillation column for home brewing, what are its pros and cons, and how to make it yourself, we will figure it out.

General principles of rectification and distillation

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Distillation. Alcohol and other vapors are separated from the hot wash as they heat up, mixed in the upper part of the cube and almost all go into the outlet pipe and then to the refrigerator and tank. It is very difficult to separate these pairs into useful (alcohol) and harmful (the so-called "fuel fumes"). Partially achieve the result allows control over temperatures and separation of "heads" and "tails".

Rectification. Vapors do not rise directly, but pass through a liquid - phlegm. It is located in "plates", which are installed in the column of the distillation apparatus. Highly volatile substances settle in the liquid (they boil easily, at low temperatures), and hardly volatile substances remain in the vapor. As a result, vapors purified from heavy fractions rise up. Unfortunately, flavoring components also belong to the hardly volatile ones.

Scheme of movement of vapors and liquids in a distillation column Plate in distillation column

Both have fans, and the other version of the distillation of mash. And both groups of "fans" are irreconcilable. simple homemade alcohol mashine with a prybnik (aka a dry steamer) gives alcohol, albeit not very clean, but still meeting the standards. And most importantly - it turns out delicious.

If the raw material is driven by a distillation purchased or home-made column, the quality and purity of moonshine will be higher. But, as connoisseurs complain, the tastes and aromas of natural raw materials disappear - the product becomes emasculated. This happens because it is based on a different principle of processing.

Read also: Choosing a cube for distilling moonshine

Advantages and disadvantages of distillation systems

Pros of distillation:

Minuses:

• it is impossible to get pure and at the same time strong alcohol - chemical dehydration will be required.

Benefits of rectification:

• with a column, especially multilevel, distillation, it turns out very pure product, unattainable for moonshine distillate;
• you can immediately produce high-strength alcohol.

Minuses:

• the process takes longer;
• high water and heating costs;
• the device is not cheap;
• the process is quite difficult to figure out.

You can weigh everything and decide which way to choose for yourself. But in any case, rectificate is not alcohol 100% purified from harmful impurities, this is especially true for imperfect and home-made devices. And the distillate has quite acceptable characteristics, and if the distiller approaches the process responsibly and being savvy, his drinks will be much better than store-bought ones.

Scheme of the simplest rectifier

To make a home-made moonshine for purification by rectification, you will have to work a little. Here is a simple and reliable design that you can make with your own hands at home:

Scheme of a packing column for the manufacture of rectified products

For a moonshine device of this type, you will have to spend a little money. The main materials that will be needed:

1. Stainless steel pipe - D about 50 mm, length 1.2–1.5 m.
2. Stainless steel washcloths. They will need to be cut with scissors for metal and half fill the pipe with them.
3. Adapters for faucet and cube lid.
4. An ordinary thermos that will act as a reflux condenser. It will need to be fixed with a neck with a drip pipe using an adapter. Also, it will be necessary to weld adapter tubes for the supply / discharge of water and a tube for communication with the atmosphere to it.
5. We fix the insulation material around the pipe.
6. You will need a sheet of metal to cut thrust washers from it.
7. We will also need: Scheme of a column for obtaining a rectified product with explanations for manufacturing

   Summarizing

   As a result of distillation, insufficiently purified alcohol is obtained, although it corresponds to GOSTs for impurities. Distillation column their cleaning capabilities are much better. However, the columns are quite expensive and emasculate the alcohol. So connoisseurs of natural aromas and aftertaste in moonshine, as well as those who consider their occupation only a hobby, may well get by with a kitchen distiller.