Wash column bk 51. Technical features of the nationwide distiller

The evolution from grandmother's serpentine to home distillation columns followed bizarre paths, spawning many dead-end branches and "monsters", but sometimes useful hybrid designs were developed. One of these devices was the beer column (BC), the popularity of which among home distillers is growing every year. However, such a device requires an understanding of the theoretical foundations and proper operation, otherwise the result will be disappointing.

The history of the appearance of the beer column

What did not suit the good old serpentine? First, poor performance. Secondly, even with fractional distillation, the distillate contains a significant amount of harmful impurities. A distillation column (RC) copes with these shortcomings, but has its own problems: expensive equipment, after rectification, the drink does not have the smell of the feedstock, and a distiller is still needed for the first distillation.

The advent of once-through and shell-and-tube refrigerators solved the performance problem. These designs of coolers made it possible to distill the mash into raw alcohol relatively quickly, and an empty pipe was added to the design to overcome splashing. So the distiller of the new generation has acquired a finished form.

Example of a once-through cooler
Example of a shell and tube cooler

The pipe served as a dry steamer - not allowing splashes from the cube, which are formed in wild phlegm, to fall into the selection. Such a distiller easily coped with any heating power available in everyday life. A small fortification of the product also appeared in order to enhance this, as previously thought, a useful property - a reflux condenser was used, which gave rise to a whole family of distillers with fortification, related by the common name: “mash column”.

Attention! The continuous beer column (NBK), despite the similar name, has a completely different purpose and principle of operation.

Film mash column

The main scheme was the BC with a shirt reflux condenser, shown in the figure.

An example of a film column in assembled form

Available materials, ease of manufacture and strengthening of moonshine up to 90-91% contributed to the growth in popularity of such a scheme. With operating experience, the main requirements were formulated.

A film mash column was considered good if:

• the diameter was 25-28 mm, and the height was 30 to 50 times the inner diameter;
• there was a sufficiently powerful and well-controlled dephlegmator capable of extinguishing the working heating power;
• there was a fine adjustment of the flow of cooling water to the dephlegmator using a needle valve;
• implemented a separate water supply to the refrigerator and dephlegmator;
• a thermometer is installed above the reflux condenser in the steam pipe;
• there was a sufficiently productive refrigerator to work with full heating power both in the second and in the first stage.

Working with the film column was not easy and required the owner's constant attention. During the first distillation, the reflux condenser was not turned on so as not to increase the boiling time of the mash, but during the second distillation, the reflux condenser was already working, making it possible to select the “heads” drop by drop and strengthen the “body” up to 90%. True, it was not always possible to achieve the intended goals with the help of a reflux condenser, then heating was used, which eventually became the main one for the BC. However, the product obtained as a result of distillation on film BC seemed to enthusiasts to be much better than moonshine after fractional distillation on a conventional apparatus.

Euphoria can be explained by the fact that the high strength masks the unpleasant smell of the drink. True, after dilution with water up to 40-45%, all the shortcomings of the distillate manifested themselves in full in a couple of days. Users consoled themselves with the fact that they did not seek to obtain alcohol, but wanted to drink well-purified moonshine with the aromas of the raw materials.

Film column disadvantages

"Strong does not mean clean"- this simple idea did not immediately take possession of the minds of moonshiners, but there were sensible skeptics who gave the product for analysis. The results were amazing: laboratory testing showed that the removal of impurities on this equipment is a myth.

Moreover, if the film column still somehow allowed to select the “heads”, then there was almost more fusel in the selection than in the feedstock. This made me think and understand how harmful impurities get into the selection, then determine the reasons and try to overcome them.

1. Sensitivity to water pressure. Even a slight decrease in the flow of water in the dephlegmator is enough for all intermediate harmful impurities accumulated in the pipe to instantly slip into the selection. It is enough to open the faucet in the bathroom or flush the toilet so that the water pressure in the system drops, and the drop-by-drop selection of “heads” turns into a vigorous stream.

Rational proposals fell like a cornucopia: stabilization with the help of pressure regulators, water supply through an intermediate tank under the ceiling or an aquarium pump, autonomous cooling systems, etc. In general, things that are very useful and applicable not only for BC.

It seemed that the problem was solved, but in addition to stabilizing the flow of supplied water, it was also required to control the reflux ratio with its help, and this is very inconvenient due to the large inertia of the system.

2. Small holding and separating ability. Trying to fit coils or a couple of washcloths into the column improved things a bit, but not enough to solve the whole cleaning problem. As a result, the “heads” were selected carelessly, and even despite the drop-by-drop selection, the necessary esters responsible for aroma were also removed along with harmful substances.

Due to the impossibility of concentrating the "heads" in the selection zone in large quantities due to the practically absent holding capacity, it was necessary to select them in excess, losing a significant part of the alcohol. The transition to the selection of the "body" by increasing the heating power instantly sent intermediate impurities accumulated in the pipe to the selection.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that during the selection of the "body" the separation fell to 2-3 plates and could not hold up the sivukh. When the temperature in the cube approached 90-92 °C, if they did not switch to the selection of “tails” in time, the remains of the fusel oil flew into the receiving tank, leaving only water in the “tails”.

Even in the best samples of moonshine obtained on film columns, the content of fusel oils is at least 1-2 thousand mg per liter, more often much more. Due to the design features of the film BC, the distillate turns out to be unbalanced - with a clear bias in the chemical composition towards fuselage.

The emergence of the modern brew column

The solution to the problem of cleaning from fusel oils matured quickly - you need to fill the drawer with a nozzle. As a result, the BK has turned into a mini RK (distillation column) with the same rules and equipment requirements. The differences remained only in the versatility of the design, which allows the use of BC for the distillation of mash. The traditional BC selection by steam is also used, although many distillers appreciated the convenience of liquid selection and installed it on their columns, while others began experiments with selection by steam to the dephlegmator.

Example of a beer column

After that, the BC in the classic form of a film column with a selection of steam above the dephlegmator solemnly marched to the museum of the history of moonshine, where it took a place of honor. You can object: "Full is for sale!". The answer is simple: you never know dealers and collectors of antiques who sell and bribe not only obsolete things, but also their fakes.

Requirements for a good mash column

In most cases, a modern BC has a column with a diameter of 40-50 mm and a height of 75 to 100 cm, as well as a cube of 20-30 liters, liquid extraction and automation. In general, this corresponds to the standards and requirements for the Republic of Kazakhstan, but the main thing remained for the beer column: the versatility of the design and the desire to obtain a well-purified distillate with the taste and aroma of the feedstock, which can be drunk immediately without a long correction-aging in oak barrels.

However, during operation, ordinary users had a problem: using standard rectification technologies during the distillation of mash, they received not the expected well-purified and fortified distillate, but rather dirty alcohol, which they called NDRF semi-contemptuously - under-rectified. It seemed that the evolution of the development of beer columns had reached a dead end.

Then BK fans began experiments on the use of low reflux numbers in the distillation of raw alcohol. Everything fell into place. Smaller volumes of still bulk and short sides, which do not allow pure alcohol to be obtained on the BC, have become a strong point for the production of distillate. The high side of the RK has a separating ability that is excessive for the distillate, cutting off not only the superfluous, but also the useful.

The low side of the BC made it possible to implement the technology of a balanced reduction in the concentration of all impurities in the product with the removal of some that are definitely not needed. This was facilitated by the use of larger nozzles. So, for 50 mm BC, SPN 4 x 4 x 0.28 is used instead of 3.5 x 3.5 x 0.25 in the Republic of Kazakhstan. For certain tasks, tray columns and copper rings as packings have proven themselves well, but this is a topic for a separate article.

How to work on the beer column

Beginners often complain that despite their best efforts, they end up with pure alcohol on the beer column, and not a tasty drink. There is no universal technology, since many of the nuances of distillation depend on the design of the apparatus, however, following the basic rules, you can make a fragrant and well-purified distillate on the BC.

1. BC and RK are devices that implement heat and mass transfer technologies, so the requirements for preparing equipment for operation are almost the same for them. In order to confidently manage the reflux ratio during operation, you need: stable, controlled heating and cooling, as well as good thermal insulation of the cube and column.

2. Calculate the planned rate of "body" selection. We proceed from the fact that the reflux number should not exceed 2. For example, if the operating heating power for a 50 mm column is 1700 W, then approximately 4.93 x 1.7 = 8.3 liters of liquid per hour evaporate from the cube. We must take away a third, and return two-thirds with phlegm back to the column and cube. This means that the planned selection rate is 2.8 liters per hour, and the reflux ratio is (8.3 -2.8) / 2.8 = 2. Greater accuracy is not required.

3. A long and dull selection of “heads”, adopted during rectification, removes not only aldehydes, but also esters responsible for the aroma of the drink. Therefore, "heads" should be selected no more than 2-3% of the AC (absolute alcohol) in bulk. The rate should be approximately 25-300 ml/h (about 10% of the "body" withdrawal rate).

4. We set the starting speed of the “body” selection equal to the planned one (in our example, 2.8 l / h). And after the start of the selection, we adjust it so that the yield strength is 90-91% with a bulk strength of 40%.

No more speed change! By the end of the “body” selection, the speed will drop anyway, and the strength in the stream will decrease to 87-88% (with a residual strength of raw alcohol in a cube of 5%). The speed compared to rectification is enormous, but this is precisely what allows medium esters and a moderate portion of higher alcohols to pass into the receiving container. You need to finish the selection of the "body" at a bottom temperature of no higher than 95 ° C.

5. If we distill grain raw materials, then we select the “tails” fractionally (2-3 portions of 100-150 ml each) at a speed two to three times less than the starting one when selecting the “body”. "Tails" will go the next day for blending or for further processing in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The main thing is not to be afraid of a high selection rate: if it is lowered, then the output will no longer be a good distillate, but poorly purified alcohol, which is quite suitable for a barrel - impurities are not completely removed, but only “slightly combed”, freed from excess fusel oil and aldehydes.

If the goal is a distillate for consumption without long exposure, then you can experiment with adjusting the reflux ratio, remembering that the higher the reflux ratio, the greater the degree of purification and approximation to alcohol.

For the distillation of sugar raw materials, only the maximum purification from all impurities and the distillation technology adopted in the Republic of Kazakhstan are suitable. If the volume of the bulk does not exceed 15-20 volumes of the packing in the column, this SPN packing of the size corresponding to the diameter of the column, and the column itself is at least 1 meter high, there are chances to get quite decent alcohol on the BC from raw sugar alcohol.

P.S. Thanks for preparing the material for the article to the user from our forum.

Technical features of the nationwide distiller

On the market for moonshine brewing devices, there are models from very inexpensive semi-handicraft devices to almost professional home distilleries. It all depends on the level of the moonshiner, the desired range of drinks produced and the amount that the distiller is willing to spend on equipment. The moonshine still "National Distiller" from the company "Rectifay" is a very budget model.

Technical features

The moonshine still "National distiller" is a budget version of the film mash column. Another name for BK-51 (mash column 51 mm). It has a direct-flow reflux condenser with a shirt cooler. One of the features is the thermometer sleeve, which is located at the outlet of the dephlegmator.

If you use an additional drawer side, according to the manufacturers, you can get a pervach with a strength of up to 96 degrees. With direct distillation, it is capable of producing up to eight liters of moonshine per hour, but if a product of greater strength and higher purification is required, then the productivity is much lower - up to two liters at 80 degrees and up to one and a half liters at 96 degrees of the strength of the drink.

From the manufacturer, only the distiller itself is for sale, but on some sites you can order it complete with a twenty-liter distillation cube. The cost of a distiller ranges from four and a half to five thousand rubles. However, the kit does not include drawers to increase the strength of the product. They can be purchased separately from the same manufacturer. In order to assemble a full-fledged moonshine, you will have to spend an additional two to four thousand. So the moonshine still "People's Distiller" will not be so cheap.

Consumer opinion

Although the company "Rectify", which is the manufacturer of this equipment, positions its moonshine as a budget one, in fact it costs quite an impressive amount. The kit includes only the distiller itself and a silicone tube, all other components have to be purchased separately. Even if you purchase the "People's Distiller" complete with a distillation cube, the mount to the cube is sold separately. As a result, you will have to spend at least nine thousand rubles in order to get at least 80 percent moonshine.

At the same time, the device does not have such devices as a steamer or a bubbler. Accordingly, this machine can only produce drinks with the aroma of the feedstock. It will not work to receive noble and exclusive drinks like cognac or whiskey on this equipment. For these purposes, you can purchase a gin basket from this manufacturer, which costs from three thousand rubles.

The device itself works properly, there are no complaints about the functioning. However, the appearance of the device leaves much to be desired. Pretty roughly welded seams, and in general the device looks rather sloppy and unpresentable. In many reviews there are complaints about the quality of the tsarga, which does not last long.

In light of all of the above, the question arises - why spend at least ten thousand rubles on a moonshine that is not capable of producing anything other than ordinary moonshine or alcohol, and even with dubious workmanship. For the same money, you can buy a quite decent distiller with a distillation column and other additional devices, which will not only produce many different drinks, but will also have a presentable appearance and can serve as a gift. Despite the claims of the manufacturers, this device is not so budgetary, the low price of the distiller itself is more of a trick to attract a buyer, since it will take two to three times the amount to assemble a full-fledged device.

POTSTILL operating mode
"BK" ("BK") is designed to work in three modes: as a simple distiller (Pot Still "Pot Still" mode), as a beer column (BK) and as a distillation column (RK).
Pot Still - a variant with a minimum height of the device. During the first distillation, the vapors from the cube in which the mash is located rise up the reflux condenser (it is not connected or disconnected) and enter the refrigerator where they are cooled. Vapors fill the chamber of the refrigerator, in which water moves towards them along a tubular coil.
In the refrigerator, they condense and flow as a liquid through a hose into a receiving container. After the first distillation of the mash, a distillate is obtained, which is called raw alcohol with a strength (40-50%). It is not advisable to drink the resulting product, as it contains many harmful impurities. It is necessary to overtake it again, that is, to produce a fractional distillation. The angle of inclination of the refrigerator is chosen depending on the distance to the receiving container. The refrigerator should face down.
IMPORTANT! We supply water for cooling when the temperature in the cube reaches 60-70 ° C (according to the thermometer in the cube).

Operating mode "MAG COLUMN"
For distillation, you can use both mash and raw alcohol. First, dilute the raw alcohol obtained after the first distillation to 35% -40%. Fill the cube no more than 2/3 of its volume and install the apparatus on the cube. Between the cube and the mini-reflux condenser, install a reinforcing drawer filled with a regular wire nozzle (RPN). Connect the cooling water hose to the main cold water supply. Direct the drain from the main refrigerator and from the mini-reflux condenser to the sink. Lower the finished product extraction hose into a receiving container of sufficient volume.
The sampling hose MUST extend to the collection container. The container must be of sufficient size (for example, a regular 3 liter jar).
DO NOT ALLOW overflow by changing containers in a timely manner. Turn on the heater to maximum power. Gradually open the needle valve so that cold water enters the mini-reflux condenser through the fitting. When the temperature in the cube reaches 60-70 ° C, open the cold water tap NOT AT FULL power. The trickle coming out of the hose (red) from the main refrigerator should be about the thickness of a matchstick and at a temperature of -40-50°C (slightly hot to the touch). If you notice that steam is coming out of the atmospheric connection tube, increase the pressure of cold water. If you notice that there is no product withdrawal, reduce the water supply with a needle valve to the mini-reflux condenser until the desired product withdrawal rate appears.

We look at the thermometer in the column. The temperature on it will gradually drop. After about 5-10 minutes, it usually stabilizes to 79.3 - 80.5 ° C. The water supply to the mini-reflux condenser is fully open. All product flows back into the cube through the on-load tap-changer (no selection occurs). Let the column work in this mode for about 10 - 20 minutes (work in this mode is called "work for yourself" - the selection is closed), then we proceed to the selection of heads.
Head selection.
"Heads" are acetones, aldehydes and other low-boiling toxic substances. So that they do not get into the drinking part of the finished product, the re-distillation must be fractional, that is, separate. Turn on the heater to maximum power. Turn on the water when the temperature in the cube reaches 60 - 70°C and watch it. The contents of the cube will begin to boil and the temperature on the digital thermometers will begin to rise. At about 75°C, the first drops will begin to appear in the product extraction hose. It is necessary to reduce (adjust) the power of the heater and the water pressure in the mini-reflux condenser (using a needle tap) so that the selection rate is 1 - 2 drops per second. By volume, the “heads” should be approximately 10% of the amount of absolutely alcohol (AU) in the cube. Or 50 ml with 1 kg of sugar
Example 1: 10 liters of raw alcohol with a strength of 40% are poured into a cube, therefore, we consider 4 liters of AC (absolute alcohol).
That is, we must select drop by drop 10% of 4 l = 400 ml of heads.
Example 2: 6 kg of sugar is poured into the wash.
6 kg * 50 ml = 350 ml should be taken drop by drop.

Body selection.
The body is the drinking part of the final product with a high alcohol content of 60-93%. After the end of the selection of heads, change the receiving container. Increase cube heating power. When re-distilling at maximum power, the apparatus can produce distillate up to 8 l / h. We would recommend driving at medium speed (with about 2 kW of heat). The pressure of cold water should also not be large. Complete the process of selecting the "body" when the thermometer in the cube shows 93-94 ° C.
The yield of the body is approximately 40% of the filled volume of raw alcohol, depending on the resulting strength (the stronger the product comes out, the smaller the resulting volume of the body). Further, the resulting distillate, the strength of which can reach 93%, dilute with soft (softened) water to the desired strength. By the way, with a needle valve and heating the cube, you can both reduce and increase the strength of the distillate at the outlet. The skills to manage this operation will come after a few distillations. Opening the needle valve - we increase the water supply to the mini-reflux condenser (we reduce the selection and the fortress grows).

Selection of "tails".
"Tails" are fusel oils. After the selection of the body at your request, the distillation can be completed, or you can change the receiving container and continue it to a temperature in the cube of 98-99°C. The resulting product is called "tails".


Work in the distillation column (RK) mode.
During the rectification of raw alcohol, alcohol vapors from the cube rise along the tsargs to the main refrigerator. Pour raw alcohol into the cube. A digital thermometer is inserted into the cube and into the lower side. Water hoses are not connected to the mini dephlegmator. A silicone hose with a Hoffmann clamp is connected to the tube of the liquid sampling unit (the silicone hose must reach the receiving container). Cold water is supplied to the main refrigerator (reflux condenser) through a blue hose. Hot is drained from the top of the refrigerator through a red hose to the drain. In the main refrigerator, the vapors condense and the condensate flows down to the liquid selection unit and to the tube through which the reflux is returned back to the drawers. Over-evaporation occurs on the SPN nozzle, due to which the product is purified and strengthened. The resulting product is alcohol 96.6% With the help of the Hoffmann clamp, we can adjust the rate of product selection from drop by drop (selection of heads) to the maximum. Thus, we can regulate the strength of the product (more opening of the Hoffmann clamp (needle cock) - less strength of the product and vice versa). We can regulate the so-called phlegm number - this is the ratio of the selected product to the product returned to the drawers. To reduce the overall height of the structure, the main refrigerator can be tilted. The angle of inclination of the refrigerator should be positive 15-25 degrees (that is, it should look up).

Rectification.
First, dilute the raw alcohol obtained after the first distillation to 40%. Fill the cube no more than 2/3 of its volume. Between the cube and the mini-reflux condenser, install reinforcing drawers filled with a spiral prismatic nozzle (SPN) Selivanenko. For the most pure product, the recommended height of the tsarg is 150 cm. Close the Hoffmann clamp (needle valve) on the silicone hose, put on the liquid sampling fitting. The silicone sampling hose MUST extend to the receiving container. The container must be of sufficient size (for example, a regular 3L jar). DO NOT ALLOW overflow by changing containers in a timely manner. Turn on the heater to maximum power. When the temperature in the cube reaches 60-70 ° C, open the cold water tap NOT AT FULL power. Reduce cube heating. The trickle coming out of the hose (red) from the main refrigerator should be about the thickness of a matchstick and at a temperature of -40-50°C (slightly hot to the touch). If you notice that steam is coming out of the atmospheric connection tube, increase the pressure of cold water.
Stabilization of the regime (work for yourself).
We look at the thermometer in the tsar. The temperature on it will gradually drop. After about 5-10 minutes, it stabilizes, usually it is 78.3 - 78.5 ° C. Let the column work in this mode for about 30 - 40 minutes (work in this mode is called "work for yourself" - the selection is closed). Then we proceed to the selection of heads. Head selection. "Heads" are acetones, aldehydes and other low-boiling toxic substances. So that they do not get into the drinking part of the finished product, the re-distillation must be fractional, that is, separate.
IMPORTANT!! DO NOT leave the device for a long time.
It needs to be checked periodically!
Turn on the heater to maximum power. Turn on the water when the temperature in the cube reaches 60 - 70°C and watch it. The contents of the cube will begin to boil and the temperature on the digital thermometers will begin to rise. At about 75°C, the first drops will begin to appear in the product extraction hose. It is necessary to reduce (adjust) the power of the heating device so that the selection rate is 1 - 2 drops per second. By volume, the “heads” should be approximately 10% of the amount of absolutely alcohol (AU) in the cube.
Example 1: 10 liters of raw alcohol with a strength of 40% are poured into a cube, therefore, we consider 4 liters of AC (absolute alcohol).
That is, we must select drop by drop 10% of 4 l = 400 ml of heads.

Body selection.
It is the drinking portion of the final product with a high alcohol content of 95 - 96.6%. After selecting the "head" change the receiving container. Increase cube heating power. During rectification, the device can dispense the product, up to 1.1 litas/hour (on Ø50 mm drawers).
But we would recommend driving at an average speed of 0.8 l / h (with a heating of about 1.5 kW).
The pressure of cold water should also not be large. Cold water consumption 30 - 60 lit/h. Outgoing water from the red hose should have a temperature of 50 - 60°C. Complete the body selection process when the thermometer in the cube shows 93-94°C. The alcohol extraction rate should be 0.8 - 1.1 l / h (depending on the diameter and height of your drawers).
We regulate the rate of selection with a Hoffmann clamp (needle tap) and heating the cube. 0.8 l / h is the optimal rate of selection of the product (alcohol). The yield of the body is approximately 40% of the filled volume of raw alcohol, depending on the resulting strength (the stronger the product comes out, the smaller the resulting volume of the body). Further, the resulting product, the strength of which can reach 96.6%, is diluted with soft (softened) water to the required strength. By the way, with the Hoffmann clamp and heating the cube, you can both reduce and increase the strength of the product at the exit. By opening the Hoffmann clamp, we increase the rate of product release while lowering its strength. The skills to manage this operation will come after a few distillations. The strength of pure alcohol should be 96.6% at a product temperature of +20 °C. Selection of "tails".
After the selection of the body at your request, the distillation can be completed, or you can change the receiving container and continue it to a temperature in the cube of 98-99°C.
The resulting product is called "tails".
After completing all processes, turn off the heater, turn off the cold water supply. Wait until the apparatus cools down and disconnect the apparatus from the still, drain the still residue, observing the precautionary measures. Inside is a hot liquid with a pungent odor (avoid inhalation). After draining the liquid, rinse the cube.