Since ancient times, people began to drink alcoholic beverages - then there was not the abundance of alcohol that is available today. That is why people were looking for ways to make their own strong drinks. A similar method was the creation of a moonshine still. Today, many are turning to this invention, as it is believed that alcoholic drinks prepared independently are of higher quality and less harmful to health. We will talk about what it consists of and how to make a moonshine still in this article.
The structure of a moonshine still: what it consists of and how it works
Many people have the opinion that a moonshine still is a simple device that even inexperienced people use, but this is not the case. This mechanism is often called a distiller. It allows you to produce a strong alcohol-containing liquid using mash. It is subjected to a process of distillation from a liquid containing a lower percentage of alcohol. The end result is an alcoholic product with a high degree of alcohol.
This device works on the following principle:
- separates ethyl alcohol (a light boiling substance) from water and various fusel oils (heavy boiling substances);
- the concentration of alcohol in the manufactured product (moonshine) increases and the concentration of other substances decreases.
At first glance, the device is intimidating with its complexity, large number of mechanisms and parts, but if you look in more detail and understand how the device works, everything will turn out to be much simpler. A standard moonshine distillation apparatus consists of:
- distillation cube;
- refrigerator (cooler);
- coil;
- connecting tubes and hoses;
- other equipment.
A distillation cube is a square-shaped container into which the base raw materials are placed during the process of making moonshine. This container is placed on the hob surface of the stove or on a heated stone oven. Under the influence of temperature, the base raw material heats up 
and releases alcohol vapor.
The refrigerator (cooler) in the presented device is a cooling unit, which must be present. Its presence is necessary to create condensate. Passing steam through the refrigerator turns it into a liquid, which is collected in a separate container. It is important to maintain the required temperature in the refrigeration unit.
The coil is one of the components of the refrigerator. It looks like a curved tube that is made of stainless material. It is believed that the quality of alcoholic products depends on a given pipe - the longer it is, the better.
Connecting tubes and hoses are intermediaries between the distillation cube and the refrigerator.
Other equipment includes all kinds of thermometers, shadows, containers, etc.
Thus, we can say that you can easily make a moonshine still if you have all the necessary components of the device.
What can you make a home moonshine still from?
Is everything brilliant? Just! Find what to make a moonshine still from 
possible at every home.
The pressure cooker or saucepan you use daily can be used as a still. By using a lid that fits tightly and seals the container tightly, you can achieve the desired effect. You can also use a metal flask or can as a distillation cube. The main condition is that the container must have a tight lid that will cover it. Many people make this part themselves.
The coil should be made of stainless steel or copper. The first material is common in use, as it is more affordable, stronger and more durable. As a refrigerator, use quartz glass containers, which can be bought at any hardware store, or ordinary 5 liter plastic bottles.
Connecting hoses are purchased at hardware stores - there is no need to pay special attention to them, since they are standard. It is better to purchase silicone hoses, as they are more durable and hygienic. You can also use copper tubes instead of such hoses.
Water must flow into the cooler constantly - a hose for supplying water to the washing machine is suitable here.
Making such a device at home is quite feasible and inexpensive. The cost of materials spent on manufacturing is quite low, which allows anyone to make a similar mechanism. Its dimensions can be adjusted to personal requirements.
Increasing the productivity of a moonshine still
Making moonshine is a very painstaking process that often takes a long time. The moonshine device can be upgraded, after which it will quickly implement the production of moonshine. How to increase the speed and productivity of a moonshine still?
This can be realized by increasing the capacities and all other components of the mechanism. Large sizes and volumes of components allow you to increase the amount of the finished product - moonshine. In this way, the performance of the presented device can be increased.
The performance of a moonshine still is often confused with. Productivity is the speed of product selection in one hour. Advertising slogans often exaggerate data who mislead their clients. Statements such as “more than 9 liters of raw alcohol per hour” or “at least 6 liters per hour at maximum cooling” are in most cases far from the truth, because theoretical and practical performance usually do not match.
Moonshiners just want to the moonshine was of high quality and dripped as quickly as possible. What kind of performance can be called normal? Is it possible to somehow increase it without compromising the quality of the product? We will try to answer these questions objectively, taking into account the modern realities of moonshine brewing.
Each steamer increases the distillation time by about 20–30 minutes.
Focus on 2–4 liters per hour.
How to calculate: Turn on the maximum heat and increase the water pressure in the refrigerator. Place the receiving container and collect the moonshine for 60 seconds. Measure the resulting volume of product and multiply it by 60. The resulting number will be your sampling rate (liters per hour).
Classic devices in distillation mode in most cases this is exactly what they give out. Columns in different modes are also better oriented towards these numbers. If you have much less or more, then there is some kind of problem (unless you have an elite copper column with three-stage cleaning and a 100-liter cube).
During rectification, the selection rate decreases, since the reflux condenser and Panchenkov nozzles slow down alcohol vapor on the way to the refrigerator. In this case, you improve the quality of the product by cutting off harmful fractions, but reduce the speed.
Rectification in columns is always slower than distillation in conventional apparatus.
What does productivity depend on?
I propose to consider all aspects that affect the speed of product selection:
Panchenkov grids improve the quality and strength of the drink, but reduce the distillation speed.
- Heating intensity. The stronger the heating, the faster the selection occurs. There is a certain critical point, after which there is no point in wasting extra energy. That is why it is recommended to turn on full power during warming up, and reduce it during sampling.
- Tube diameters. The larger the diameter of the steam line, the greater the amount of alcohol vapor that can pass through it per unit of time. It is for this reason that there is a big difference in 1.5 inch and 2 inch distillation columns.
- Thermal conductivity of the material. Copper conducts heat about 20 times better than stainless steel (401 versus 19). This means that the liquid inside the copper cube can be heated faster and cooled faster. Here there is already a question of expediency, since you can make a silver tank and distill moonshine even faster, but for some reason I have never seen anything like it. 🙂
- Heat loss. The environment is trying to make all temperatures equal. The more we heat the cube, the more it tries to cool down. That is why the drawers and the distillation tank are sometimes insulated with thermal insulation to reduce heat loss.
- Availability of steam steamer, bubbler or reflux condenser. Settlers and refrigerators retain alcohol vapors on their way to the receiving container, although they improve their quality. Having one of these devices increases the distillation time from 30 minutes to 5 hours.
- Panchenkov nozzles. They clean mash, especially grain mash, but slow down the speed. Because of this, productivity drops.
- Double distillation function. Devices of the type perform double distillation in one cycle. Due to the very long path and complex process, the selection drops to 0.36 liters per hour, which is completely unacceptable for adequate work. That is why we strongly do not recommend such equipment to you.
Most affects performance heating power And obstacles, which reduce the speed of vapor movement through the steam pipeline.
The faster the product gets from the cube into the refrigerator, the higher speed and worse moonshine. That is why experienced moonshiners try not to rush and select the distillate drop by drop.
Timofey, the author of the channel, gives very good theoretical information HANHI. Very good videos with useful tricks for moonshiners of any level periodically appear on his Youtube channel. We recommend.
In the same video, Timofey will name the reasons that affect performance and will clearly show the formulas used to calculate power for work. All this the information is quite complex, but he guides very well in matters of device performance when choosing in a store.
How to increase productivity
Knowing the theory, you can achieve the maximum “exhaust” of moonshine per unit of time, but seriously lose as a drink.
Therefore, use only those factors that will minimally affect the distillation process and will give an adequate result. We will tell you what can be implemented and what is better to refuse.
- Buy a device with thick steam pipes. The thinnest tubes of the distiller should be at least 10 mm, and the diameter of the column should be at least 1.5 inches, or even better, all 2 (,). Anything below these parameters significantly limits the capabilities of moonshine equipment.
- Use an induction cooker. It is more efficient, faster and safer. For a still less than 35 liters, 2 kW is sufficient, but for distillation columns and large tank volumes, a power of up to 3.5 kW can be considered. Remember that in most cases more power is needed only at the start, and then it will still need to be reduced.
- Insulate the distillation cube and drawers. Foil insulation 5 mm thick is best suited. It wraps all possible parts, after which it is secured with metallized tape. Some tanks sell special shirts, but this is rare.
- Use a copper cube. It is expensive and costly to maintain, but very effective. If performance is a critical issue for you, then you can even consider this option.
- Methods that degrade product quality: turning off the reflux condenser, refusing to use a steam steamer and bubbler, distillation without Panchenkov nozzles. If the design of your device includes at least one of these functions, then it must be used.
These simple manipulations will allow you to increase the efficiency of your distillation and increase the productivity of the apparatus. We highly recommend that you speed up without sacrificing quality, since good moonshine is the key to health in the morning.
I am not only a seller, but also a practitioner, a distiller with extensive experience. I personally worked on all the moonshine stills from my store and know all their strengths and weaknesses. Proof? Video channel Sur-Likbez .
Rest assured, all the mistakes were not pulled out of thin air, this is the experience of 3638 buyers, most of whom were novice distillers. So:
1. Think for a long time and collect information. Yes, of course, you shouldn’t rush headlong into the pool. Especially if you are completely off topic. But there is a lot of information on the Internet, it is contradictory and scattered. The more you read, the more confused you become and the less you understand which moonshine still is better.
Remember how you learned to drive a car. It seemed so unrealistically difficult. But as soon as we got behind the wheel and started driving, things got better. Right?
It’s the same here, because at the beginning of your journey you have no idea what you’ll encounter. Maybe you like distillate more than rectified or vice versa? You tried? At the neighbor's? What if you do better?
We can say that moonshine is one of the branches of cooking. There are a lot of nuances, directions, assumptions and almost no rules. Some people like it fried, some like it steamed. You put so much salt, I put so much, you put so much pepper, I add so much. Trying to study the theory completely and thoroughly, as in higher mathematics, will not work here. Understanding comes with experience.
Don’t think twice, buy what you like and make the first run. Only practice will give you answers to all questions. Even if you made a mistake, and the first moonshine still will soon no longer suit you. Rest assured, such a product will leave you quite quickly. Either on Avito or to a neighbor. This is me again, as the owner of a moonshine still store, telling you :)
2. Search miracle, so-called - " the best moonshine still" Unfortunately, there is none.
What is good for one distiller is absolutely unacceptable for another. I write more about the best device here. There is no such miracle of a device from which Hennessey flows. Success largely depends on you, how you follow the technology and select the ingredients.
But at the same time, due to the great interest in this topic, various “cool” and “sophisticated” moonshine stills appear every day.
The main task of such creators is to pump out as much money as possible from newcomers like you. Taking advantage of your ignorance and lack of experience, various fairy tales are composed on the fly, for example, some of them:
The double distillation apparatus is complete nonsense. I won't even discuss this.
100% clean. Explain to me how there can be 100% purification if the alcohol can only be 96%, huh???
Two steamers replace the second distillation. Is it really true, what about three steamers for a third? Absolute nonsense.
A moonshine still with five, six or ten steam chambers produces a crystal clear product. This will only lead to greater losses, but not to crystal purity.
And so on, go online and you will be bombarded with such offers. A fake product is easy to recognize; as a rule, it is sold through landing pages (one-page) sites and at the same time they promise simply unrealistic quality of the product. They also offer a bunch of useful and useless gifts + a 250% discount today only.
3. Want buy imported device. This is in some way a continuation of the second point. Here in Russia they make complete g... I’ll take an imported moonshine still, that’s where the quality is. Perhaps the quality is better abroad. But we don’t have imported devices in Russia.
At least in mass sale. You can, of course, find and buy something abroad. And the price will be appropriate. But those products with big names from European and Asian countries, which the Internet is full of, have nothing to do with imports. Well, perhaps, some parts for “European” moonshine stills are purchased in China.
Of course, among these pseudo-Europeans there are also worthy models and they can be considered for purchase. But only as an ordinary moonshine still, and not as an example of European quality.
4. Buy a device according to the principle: “ device for 5000(6000, 7000, etc. rub.) and that’s it. The rest doesn’t interest me.” Of course, I understand that everyone has their own capabilities. And besides, I’m not at all advocating buying the most expensive device. There are quite normal budget models. But it’s better to save up, rather than take outright nonsense, just because it’s cheap. Read what is hidden under a cheap moonshine still here.
5. Buy a moonshine still with small still. “What are you saying, I’m not an alcoholic, I’m doing it for myself! Why a big tank?! Give me the smallest one!” And at the same time theatrically rolling his eyes - a typical picture of a newcomer to my store.
Dear distillers, a 20 liter tank is FAR from 20 liters of moonshine, which you need to drink without a snack. Believe me, they still need to be made, and with a small cube it will take you a LOT of time.
The mash is poured into the cube to the extent of ¾ of the volume of the cube; you need to proceed from the planned production volumes. And strive to distill all the mash in one, maximum - two times.
Remember, a small cube is not a little moonshine, it is a lot of wasted time.
60% of my store’s customers who didn’t believe it and bought a small cube come back to buy an additional larger cube.
6. Don’t analyze yours before purchasing living conditions. For example, buy a column moonshine still and only find out at home that it rests on the hood. Such an irresponsible approach, although rare, does happen.
7. Check stainless steel magnet. Well, this is generally a bearded joke for me. Believe it or not, this still happens, people come to the store with a magnet. This is a method from the 80s of the last century, then it was relevant. People, it's the 21st century! There have long been grades of stainless steel that are magnetic!
8. Look for a moonshine still with the thickness of the metal is like that of a tank. Tell me, why is this necessary? Will the bottom burn out? Seriously? Think for yourself how you need to operate the device so that the bottom burns out. Will you really have such volumes? So that the mash does not burn. Again, thick mash should not be distilled over an open fire; it will actually burn. A steam generator is needed. In general, the purer the mash, the better for the product. Clean with bentonite, or simply through gauze (colander) and you will be happy.
A metal thickness of 1-1.5 mm is more than enough. Thick metal, this is a big price + a heavy device. And if the properties of the metal allow you to work on an induction cooker, then this is a great idea. There, even not quite liquid mash will definitely not burn and the bottom of the cube will not burn out.
9. Expect performance of a moonshine still 5.7 or more liters per hour. Yeah, put up the buckets. Think for yourself, how realistic is this? I don’t argue that sometimes you can find such numbers in descriptions, but we are educated people.
10. Wait for that collapsible steamer- this is a panacea for the smell of moonshine. Yes, steam maceration has its place, it is necessary and very interesting. Taking this opportunity, I recommend that if you need a moonshine still with a steamer, then let it be collapsible. You will be able to get drinks with green flavor and red color. BUT, don't expect a miracle. Few people know that moonshine obtained in this way is saturated with essential oils and will most likely turn white if it is diluted to 40%. That is, you may not get clear drinks. The smell is also a controversial issue. Only with a collapsible steamer will it not disappear. This is a set of events.
11. Prays for Panchenkov nozzle. Hurray, it's there, I'll get alcohol, cool! Yeah, now. If we put a nozzle into a moonshine distiller, we won’t get any alcohol. The nozzle increases the area of interaction between reflux and steam. It works only on column devices and only on those with a reflux condenser. In other devices it is nothing more than a pleasant, but useless addition.
12. Buy a device from narrow filler neck. Yes, they are cheaper, but you will be tired of washing and cleaning it. Your hand should fit into the neck.
13. Steamer without drain. From the same opera. Inexpensive, but it's like putting your pants on over your head. It's possible, but it's damn inconvenient.
So, dear distillers, I shared with you the most invaluable thing - the experience of 3638 novice distillers who have already gone through the agony of choosing a moonshine still. They say you need to learn from other people's mistakes. What do you think?
If you have any questions, call 89627664555.
A moonshine still is a complex device. But if you use it according to all the rules, you can end up with a clean, tasty and aromatic drink. One of the most important criteria that you should pay attention to when purchasing a specific model is its performance.
By productivity we mean the number of liters of moonshine that the device produces per hour of operation. In this case, the time is counted from the moment the first drops of distillate appear.
If you are using ready-made equipment, approximate data on its performance are indicated in the device description. But in practice, these figures are usually slightly overestimated: this is how manufacturers try to increase customer loyalty. The actual parameters of the haul directly depend on the design features of a particular model: the more complex the device, the slower it works.
The metal from which the coil and steam removal tubes are made is no less important: the higher the thermal conductivity, the faster the distillation will be carried out. The best characteristics have:
- copper - 401 W/(m*K);
- aluminum - 202–236 W/(m*K);
- stainless steel - 16–19 W/(m*K).
The device can be made at home from a trough and a milk flask, but if its coil is made of aluminum, the distillation speed will be high.
Improper assembly and operation of equipment leads to a decrease in productivity. Among the most common mistakes:
- the distillation cube does not fit tightly enough to the heating element;
- Warm water is used for cooling;
- the refrigerator is not connected correctly;
- blockage of tubes.
Check the data provided by the equipment manufacturer: if the actual transfer speed is significantly lower, the matter is due to erroneous assembly or defect.
Passage parameters
When calculating the hauling speed, five parameters are taken into account:
- Cooling coefficient of alcohol vapors. It is directly related to the temperature of the water in the refrigerator casing: the higher it is, the longer the cooling process and subsequent condensation will take.
- Tube cross-section diameter. The standard value is 8–10 mm.
- Product heating rate. The parameter is determined by the power of the heating element - heating element or gas stove: it must be at least 1.5 kW.
- The length of the coil and the material from which it is made. Optimal parameters for high-speed transport: diameter 18 mm, length 2.00 m.
- Type of design, presence of additional filtration systems, other improvements. These elements will make the finished product cleaner, but the production rate will be slower. If one dry steamer is added to the design, the haul will take half an hour longer; installation of the reinforcing column will result in a delay of an hour.
A high distillation speed can negatively affect the quality of the finished product: if you want to get aromatic, you will have to sacrifice performance.
Moonshine still "Germany"
Ways to improve productivity
How to increase the productivity of a moonshine still? Taking into account the main factors influencing the speed of the haul, it is worth taking the following measures:
- Enlarge the exit hole from the cube. The standard 5–10 mm must be increased to 20–25 mm by replacing the outlet fitting. In this case, you can reinstall the steam pipes, choosing options made of silicone or stainless steel.
- Replace the coil with a longer and wider one.
- Increase heating rate. To do this, you need to either increase the power of the heating element, or wrap the cube with a heat-insulating layer, for example, glass wool. The latter measure is advisable when the temperature in the kitchen is significantly lower than normal.
If you assemble the device yourself, you should give preference to materials with high thermal conductivity. Copper has the best characteristics, but over time it oxidizes, giving the drink a peculiar taste.
Aluminum is an inexpensive material with optimal thermal conductivity, but it easily undergoes chemical reactions. As a result, compounds are formed that are harmful to our body. That is why it is undesirable to use an aluminum coil and steam removal tubes.
Regular maintenance also indirectly affects the performance of the moonshine still. Scale and salt deposits that accumulate on the walls reduce thermal conductivity and reduce the working diameter of the steam pipes. As a result, they lead to a slowdown in transportation and equipment breakdown.
How much moonshine can you get in an hour?
If you are content with standard equipment and do not upgrade it, the moonshine still will produce two to four liters of the finished drink per hour of operation. Professional devices are more productive:
- “Dobrovar” - 6 l/h;
- "Chicago" - 6 l/h;
- “Magician NEW” - 7 l/h;
- "Vegas PRO" - 8 l/h;
- "Madrid-extra" - 9 l/h.
These are the basic parameters of the equipment. If high transfer speed is important to you, choose a more productive machine or improve the performance yourself.
For many centuries, people have been making their own alcoholic beverages at home, and they are all faced with two main questions: how to improve the quality of moonshine and how to increase the productivity of the moonshine still? You can, of course, purchase a device that will meet all the necessary characteristics, but what to do if there is no financial opportunity to acquire a new device. And what should you do if your device does not provide the performance declared by the manufacturer?
Alcohol mashine
Today, there are various attachments and devices that make moonshine cleaner and free of foreign odors, but the quality of the product also greatly depends on the skills of the operator himself. Therefore, this issue is not so easy to solve, but it is possible to increase the performance of the device.
What is the main problem in increasing productivity? The fact is that often when trying to achieve distillation of alcohol using faster methods, people lose a lot in the quality of the product. Therefore, before starting experiments, it is necessary to carefully prepare and find out how you can influence the speed of the process without affecting the quality. This is usually done in the following ways:
- Increasing the capacity of the distillation tank and some components of the mechanism.
- Purchasing a reliable drawer to increase the height of the distillation column, which leads to improved drink quality.
- Installation of carbon columns for additional filtration.
- The use of several drawers.
Of course, no matter how hard you try to improve the performance of a finished device, it would be much better to purchase a new one, specially designed for large volumes. When choosing such a moonshine still, it is very important to know one fundamental point: productivity will directly depend on how much alcohol in the form of steam per unit of time the distiller can detect. And this will depend on how quickly the reflux condenser can remove heat from the steam. This indicator will be measured in kilowatt-hours. Thus, we can conclude that the most effective will be the device that has a higher thermal conductivity coefficient.
In this regard, it immediately becomes obvious that a steel moonshine still will be much less efficient than a copper one, since the thermal conductivity coefficient of copper is 20 times higher.
Therefore, do not be surprised if two absolutely identical devices made of stainless steel and copper will produce different volumes of distillate at the output. On copper, five liters will be obtained in the same time as one on steel. In addition, shell-and-tube heat exchangers are now installed on industrial devices.
If the device does not produce the declared performance
There are certain testing methods that can be used to determine whether the performance is within the parameters of the device. The simplest thing that can be done is to conduct an experiment using water as a distillation product. Water is good as a standard because its boiling point is almost always the same, rarely differing by small amounts depending on atmospheric pressure. The heat of vaporization is also the same, unlike mash or other alcohol products, the composition of which can vary depending on the preferences of the moonshiner.
The main problems that may arise with the device if the performance is lower than stated:
- The problem may be caused by insufficient heating of the distillation cube. It is recommended that the power of the heating elements exceed one and a half kilowatts.
- There may also be insufficient heat transfer between the heating element and the cube. This happens if, for example, the cube does not fit very tightly to the slab.
- Insufficient steam passage from the cube to the refrigerator. Occurs when purchasing device tubes. This is either a manufacturing defect, or particles from previous distillations are stuck there.
- Another possible reason is incorrect operator actions. For example, trying to maintain the same temperature throughout the distillation process.
- There may be insufficient cooling. For example, the water is not cold enough or static cooling is used.
- Another reason is an incorrect water connection. Cold water should be supplied to the fitting closest to the product outlet.
Procedure for checking the functionality of the device:
- It is very convenient to do this before the first use, since, in addition to checking, it becomes possible to wash the device. But if the device has already been used and you were unhappy, this method will also work.
- First of all, you need to assemble the device. This must be done according to the instructions.
- Place it on the stove and connect the cooling water.
- Pour regular cold water into the cube, five liters will be enough. It is very important that if the device has a built-in heating element, it is below the water level. Turn on the heat to maximum and note the time until the first drops appear. If the device has a thermometer, record its readings after the water boils. If the water in the tank is boiling violently, and the thermometer shows 100 degrees or higher, and no distillate is released, complete the process and contact a specialist to repair the device.
- The output product should be non-hot, except when using a Dimroth refrigerator. If steam comes out of the fitting, reduce the heat.
- After which you need to take a container and measure how much it takes to produce 100 ml of distillate. If the device is being used for the first time, you can continue to clean it of technological contaminants. Check the device while doing this to see if there are any leaks or steam coming out of unusual places.
So, the test results should correspond to the following data for 5 liters of water: it should boil in a certain time, depending on the power of the heating element installed. For a 0.7 kW heater this time is 45 minutes, 1 kW - 35 minutes, for one and a half - 20 minutes, for two - about 15. If you have a stove, try boiling water in a saucepan. If the water in the pan boils for the same amount of time, then it is recommended to look for a more powerful stove. If faster, then you need to check the contact of the cube with the plate.
The temperature reading should be between 98 and 100 degrees while the water is boiling. If they are different, the thermometer needs to be adjusted.
After the water boils, the thermal energy entering the cube is used to evaporate it. In this case, the distillate output will be proportional to the power of the heating element. 100 ml should be collected: for 0.7 kW in six minutes, for one kilowatt - in four, for one and a half - in 2 minutes 50 seconds, for two - in two minutes. Compare the indicators with the reference ones; if they differ, then you need to check the patency of the tube.
Thus, it is possible to increase the power of the device only within a few tenths of a liter per hour. If there is a need for a more significant increase in product yield per unit of time, it makes sense to purchase a new device. In addition, replacing the heating element with a more powerful one, insulating the cube, checking the permeability of all tubes, and so on can increase productivity.
