How to make a good and inexpensive moonshine with your own hands. Oak barrels How to install a drain valve on a still

I got a lot of comments about a fairly simple matter - a tap for a wort brewer or a mash maker. I did not think that they would ask and be interested in such a seemingly simple little thing. In general, all questions were of the same type, they can be systematized into the following:

• What material is the faucet made of?
• How much does it cost?
• Where did you buy?
• How did you hit it?

Well, and some others.

Given that there were a lot of questions regarding the crane, I decided to answer them in one fell swoop.

The faucet is made of stainless steel, as are all fittings, nuts and other "stray" with the exception of gaskets. The funny thing is that at the time of purchase, I could not find a stainless steel faucet in plumbing stores. And its cost in specialized stores for home brewing was very high, I think now it is even higher.

The assembled crane cost me 500 rubles, at that time almost 3 times cheaper than in the store. And I bought it in parts on the same hackneyed aliexpress. I will try to post links to all parts a little lower, although I’m not entirely sure that at the current exchange rate it will be really cheaper to order it in China.

Speaking of tie-ins into the boiler, then everything is simple. I cut it with a multi-stage drill, alternately reaming and trying on. There is nothing complicated about this, besides, if you read the articles earlier, you know that I have an aluminum boiler. This means that it is much softer and easier to drill than from stainless steel or any other material.

The faucet itself can be used for both the wort kettle and the mash tun. You can also adapt it to a fermenter, but such a bulky design is unnecessary in my opinion.

Well, now the faucet itself in parts with the promised links.

I needed two tightening nuts (½ inch thread) to secure the faucet itself to the boiler:

Pay attention to the inside of the nut, it comes with a cutout for the sealing ring: As for the seal itself, you can order it or cut it yourself. Doesn't matter. The main thing is that the material is heat-resistant, not afraid of heating up to 100 degrees, and also quite soft so that it can fill the points of contact we need.

Adapter fitting (thread ½ inch) for easy draining of the wort:

Fitting for tapping into the boiler wall:

Do you want to do it yourself cheap, high quality and versatile alcohol mashine? Sure, not a problem. We select the optimal sizes for your home production, study the interesting ideas of moonshiners and get to work. Stock up on patience, strength and time, as you will need a little money (from 300 rubles to 5 thousand rubles for materials).

We are adherents high-quality and pure home-made alcohol, so we will make a moonshine still good and efficient. Do not be confused by some crazy decisions of craftsmen who drive moonshine from a bucket or pan. Any ideas can help in the implementation of your moonshine plans.

Any adequate distiller consists of several parts:

• Alembic (tank). A stainless steel container from 10 to 50 liters, in which the mash is heated. This is the most important and most expensive part of the apparatus. Buying a good cube of 20 liters will cost you 9-11 thousand rubles, so making it on your own is much more profitable than buying it in a store.
• Steam pipes. The heated mash turns into vapors, which must move from the distillation cube to the steamer, and then to the refrigerator. These are stainless steel or silicone tubes with a diameter of 0.8 to 1.5 cm (the more the better). In purchased distillers, they are welded to the rest of the apparatus, but in some cases it is much easier to simply screw them in.
• Sukhoparnik. Sealed container with two tubes. Heated mash vapors pass through a long tube, which almost rests on the bottom. Fusel oils and harmful impurities settle to the bottom, and light vapors of alcohol rise to a short tube and disappear into the refrigerator. You can pour water into the steamer and use it as a bubbler. The efficiency of both devices is about the same.
• Flow refrigerator. One of the most important and complex, but inexpensive parts of the distiller. This is a container in which a spiral tube with running cold water passes, through which distillate vapor moves. They are cooled and turn into moonshine, which falls into the receiving container in drops or a thin stream.
• Bard drain valve. After the end of the distillation, you need to drain the rest of the mash into the sewer, and also rinse it with plenty of clean water. To make it convenient to empty the distillation cube, a crane is installed on it.
• Safety valve. For safety reasons, you will need to embed a safety valve into the tank, which will fly out when the pressure inside the system is dangerous. It costs around 150 rubles, but it can save moonshine and your life.
• Thermometer (optional). During distillation, it is convenient to focus on the temperature at which various things happen: the selection of harmful fractions, the appearance of the first drops of distillate, the boiling of mash. All these figures can be found on our website in the article about the temperature of moonshine.

Most of the money goes to alembic, so we will do it on our own.

What can you make moonshine with your own hands

From a flask (milk can)

A fairly common option for rural areas. Can be used only stainless steel can, but you can immediately take the old aluminum to scrap metal (the material oxidizes and the taste of moonshine deteriorates).

The flask has optimal volume 20, 25 and 40 liters, comfortable handles, as well as a sealed lid. This is a great savings for your distiller as it would cost you 5-10 times more to buy a still.

The process is quite simple and does not require much skill. The video will be posted below.

1. We make a 12 mm hole in the lid of the can. We screw in the transitional fitting 12 mm.
2. We buy stainless steel hose up to 1 meter long and insert it into this fitting.
3. From an ordinary glass jar we make a steamer - we insert 2 tubes of different lengths into the lid, after which we connect the long one to a stainless steam pipeline. Ordinary silicone can be put on a short tube to save money.
4. The silicone hose from the dryer goes to refrigerator, which will need to be bought and somehow fixed. For example, bind to a mixer.
5. We bring another silicone hose out of the refrigerator into a receiving container, where our distillate will drip.

General expenses: 2000 rubles.

Refrigerator 1500 (from Gorilych "Big" on chzda.ru), stainless steel hose 300, silicone hose 200, nipple 150, safety valve 150, drain cock 200.

The most successful video was made by the author of the channel Overcraft. For the first 7 minutes, the author moves step by step from drilling holes to supplying water to the refrigerator, and only at the end, for a few seconds, the entire apparatus is shown as an assembly.

If you do not buy a drill and drills, then the price of the entire work (without a milk can) will cost you about 2000 rubles. The approach is very budgetary, but quite adequate - we get decent cooling and a high-quality dry steamer.

From a beer keg

We propose to use in the design purchased coil (3000 rubles), which will completely close the issue with the steam line, dryer and refrigerator.

This purchase will save you a huge amount of time searching for the necessary material and processing it.

The process is quite simple and does not require much skill.

1. We make a 12 mm hole in the lid of the can. We screw in the adapter nipple with an external thread of 12 mm.
2. We buy a coil (steam line, dryer and refrigerator), after which we fasten it to the nipple.
3. We make another 12 mm hole for the safety valve (it will also need to be purchased).
4. We cut or weld the drain valve closer to the bottom of the tank. We do this so that the distiller can stand quietly (and not rest against the floor with a tap).
5. We do the first distillation with ordinary water to check the tightness and clean the steam line.

General expenses: 3500 rubles.

Coil 3000, nipple 150, safety valve 150, drain cock 200.

There are different ways to prepare a beer keg for moonshine. Most masters have preferred a long and high-quality approach, which results in a chic and convenient tank for heating the mash.

Made the most successful series of commercials Andrey Golubenko, who long and stubbornly went to his goal and achieved it. The end result turned out, as they say, on the conscience. I post the entire collection of videos in chronological order.

From the pan

If the hostess in the kitchen does not mind giving you for experiments large stainless steel pot, then the issue with the manufacture of a distillation cube is noticeably simplified. You just have to make a hole for the steam line and close the lid hermetically.

In this approach, we also use a purchased coil, so the device can be made in just 30 minutes.

1. We buy a meter of 8 mm silicone hose, cut it lengthwise and put it on upper rim of the pan. You do not need to glue anything, since we will use paper clips for tightness.
2. Depending on the purchased coil, we drill a hole of 10-12 mm and insert a transition fitting there.
3. We screw the coil into the fitting.
4. Pour the mash into a saucepan and put on fire.
5. We press the lid clips for papers (6-8 pieces along the rim of the cover).
6. We connect the cooling with hoses and make the first distillation. Next time you will need to do a double run with the release of harmful fractions.

General expenses: 3400 rubles.

Coil 3000, nipple 150, silicone hoses 250.

The most visual video was prepared by the author of the channel Spy Gates. Some kind of “barrel” of 40 liters of chic metal was chosen as a pan, but you can take something much simpler.

The author talks for almost 17 minutes about what tool you will need and how to bring the pan to mind with your own hands. Highly recommend for viewing, as the man definitely knows what he is doing.

From an enameled bucket

Pretty crazy method shared by famous moonshiner on Youtube Misha m.

This is one of the cheapest ways to make moonshine., since the cost of a bucket is incomparably lower than the cost of a purchased distillation cube.

The process of converting a bucket into a distiller is as follows (instruction from Misha m):

1. We buy an enameled bucket of 12-20 liters with a lid (about 1000 rubles).
2. Lubricate the rim of the lid on the inside aquarium silicone let dry.
3. We prepare 2 wooden plywood, which you will need as a stop. Similar to a saucepan, you can use paper clips.
4. We drill a hole of 12 mm and screw in the adapter fitting.
5. Use a silicone or stainless hose to connect a purchased coil.
6. The device is ready.

General expenses: 4400 rubles.

Coil 3000, bucket 1000, nipple 150, silicone or stainless hoses 250.

In a simple and understandable language, he tells about the manufacture of this "masterpiece" himself Misha m.

The video is especially valuable because it is recorded directly during the distillation. That is, you will see the entire system not only assembled, but also during operation.

From the multicooker

Perfect tightness, pressure relief valve and automatic heating. What else is needed in order to make good moonshine?

Despite small volume of container, you can add the mash directly in the process of the first stage and gradually distill it. During the second distillation, such a topic will no longer work, because it will be necessary to select heads and tails.

Multicooker + cooling in a coil inside a bucket.

To implement a full-fledged distiller, it will be necessary to perform the following manipulations:

1. Depending on the appearance of the pressure relief valve, you will need to match the silicone tube to its diameter.
2. Attach a coil with a ready-made steamer and a refrigerator to the tube. Alternatively, you can watch the video below, which makes a whole series of dry steamers and bubblers.
3. It remains to pour the mash into the slow cooker and start the distillation.

General expenses: 3250 rubles (excluding multicooker)

Coil 3000 and silicone hoses 250.

The system is working and quite simple. Problems only always appear at the stage of creating a refrigerator, but there are no such problems with a purchased coil.

From a pressure cooker

Soviet pressure cookers at one time were very popular on the farm. Now almost no one uses them, and the remaining pots are gathering dust somewhere in the pantry.

And if you think a little, then a pressure cooker is a wonderful alembic. He is very sealed, does not explode due to pressure relief and easy converted to distiller.

Our actions are practically no different from previous ideas:

1. We cut a hole in the cover by 12 mm and insert the adapter nipple there.
2. Through silicone or stainless steel, we bring the steam pipeline to the coil with a steamer and a refrigerator.
3. We connect water through ordinary PVC hoses or through the remnants of silicone.
4. Let's go!

General expenses: 3400 rubles.

Coil 3000, nipple 150, silicone or stainless hoses 250.

Roller from spagyric1 clearly shows how you can make a steamer and a refrigerator without a purchased coil. This is quite dreary, but it saves about 2 thousand rubles of your budget.

We still think that cooling must be reliable and of high quality. And therefore, you can overpay a couple of thousand for a sealed and high-quality refrigerator without any problems.

The cheapest do-it-yourself distiller (from George Kavkaz)

The cheapest equipment can be made from the materials that you already have on hand. The pressure cooker is good. Stainless steel beer keg - great!

If you don’t plunge into the wilds, then it’s much easier to still give 3 thousand rubles for a coil with a ready-made steamer and a refrigerator. This will save you a lot of effort, time and material.

If you are not looking for simple ways, then it is suitable for you Caucasian moonshine, which was presented in his video by a well-known moonshiner on Youtube Georgy Kavkaz.

The idea is that all you need is an alembic and a few pipes, adapters and fittings. The manufacturing process looks like this:

1. We take a polypropylene pipe 1 meter long and 25 mm in diameter. We cut into it two tees with fittings for water.
2. We insert a copper tube 1.5 meters long and 14 mm in diameter into polypropylene.
3. Pour sealant along the edges of the PVC pipe so that the space inside it is airtight. Cold water will move along the polypropylene circuit and cool moonshine vapors in a copper pipe.
4. We connect the copper steam pipeline to the distillation cube through a 12 mm nipple embedded in the lid.
5. We turn on the water, heat the mash and get a full-fledged moonshine from a Caucasian distiller.

The total price of the apparatus without a distillation cube: 1500 rubles. Polypropylene pipe 1 meter, copper pipe 1.5 meters, 2 fittings, 2 tees for PVC, 1 nipple, silicone sealant.

If our instructions seemed too complicated for you, then I recommend that you watch a short video from George of the Caucasus. The man on business and without extra water tells about the manufacture of this device and suggests all the sizes.

Photos of interesting home-made moonshine stills

Ideas can be drawn not only from standard home-made devices for a beer keg or flask. Craftsmen drive moonshine from such equipment that would never have occurred to a person.

We have made a small selection that will expand your understanding of distillers, steamers and refrigerators. Get ideas and get creative!

From a beer keg and copper pipes. From a kettle. With 8 bubblers and a homemade alembic.

If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments on the site or email me [email protected] We will try our best to respond promptly.

We will not “push” you models of well-known brands, but we can give advice on the choice of material.

Preparation of moonshine and alcohol for personal use
absolutely legal!

After the demise of the USSR, the new government stopped the fight against moonshine. Criminal liability and fines were abolished, and an article prohibiting the production of alcohol-containing products at home was removed from the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. To this day, there is not a single law that prohibits you and me from engaging in our favorite hobby - making alcohol at home. This is evidenced by the Federal Law of July 8, 1999 No. 143-FZ “On the administrative responsibility of legal entities (organizations) and individual entrepreneurs for offenses in the field of production and circulation of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products” (Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation, 1999, No. 28 , item 3476).

Excerpt from the Federal Law of the Russian Federation:

"The effect of this Federal Law does not apply to the activities of citizens (individuals) who do not produce products containing ethyl alcohol for the purpose of marketing."

Moonshine in other countries:

In Kazakhstan in accordance with the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan On Administrative Offenses dated January 30, 2001 N 155, the following liability is provided. Thus, according to article 335 “Manufacture and sale of home-made alcoholic beverages”, illegal production for the purpose of selling moonshine, chacha, mulberry vodka, mash and other alcoholic beverages, as well as the sale of these alcoholic beverages, entails a fine in the amount of thirty monthly calculation indices with confiscation of alcoholic beverages , apparatus, raw materials and equipment for their manufacture, as well as money and other valuables received from their sale. However, the law does not prohibit the preparation of alcohol for personal purposes.

In Ukraine and Belarus things are different. Articles No. 176 and No. 177 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine provide for the imposition of fines in the amount of three to ten tax-free minimum wages for the manufacture and storage of moonshine without the purpose of sale, for the storage without the purpose of sale of apparatus * for its production.

Article 12.43 repeats this information practically word for word. “Production or purchase of strong alcoholic beverages (moonshine), semi-finished products for their production (mash), storage of devices for their production” in the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses. Paragraph No. 1 states: “Production by individuals of strong alcoholic beverages (moonshine), semi-finished products for their manufacture (mash), as well as storage of devices * used for their manufacture - entails a warning or a fine of up to five basic units with confiscation of the indicated drinks, semi-finished products and devices.

* It is still possible to purchase moonshine stills for home use, since their second purpose is to distill water and obtain components for natural cosmetics and perfumes.

Often, when distilling thick mash, the thick burns, badly affecting the aroma and taste of the drink. To prevent deterioration of the quality of the distillate, steam distillation of the mash allows. Making a steam generator at home is relatively simple - you will need another container (pressure cooker, distillation cube, can), connecting hoses and a gas supply pipe.

Scope of application of the steam generator

Any mash can be steamed, but due to the additional time and energy it is advisable to use this method for the first distillation of thick mash - usually all grains and some fruits from overripe raw materials with a high pectin content, such as apple or apricot. Steam distillation is also used for chacha and other moonshine from cake.

To speed up the process, some moonshiners drain the liquid part of the mash separately and distill it in the traditional way, and use the steam generator only for thick.

Advantages of steam distillation:

• the mash that has won back is not drained from the sediment and is not clarified;
• you can get alcohol in the thick, which is usually filtered and disappears;
• avoids burning and deterioration of the quality of moonshine;
• during distillation, less harmful impurities are "welded";
• does not affect the organoleptic properties of the drink in any way, is the most gentle method of heating the mash;
• suitable for moonshine stills of any design.

Flaws:

• one more container is required, which will be a steam generator;
• the distillation time increases (more than 3 hours from the moment the mash boils);
• since alcohol vapors are diluted with condensate, the yield strength decreases, for example, if when heated by a heating element, the maximum strength in the jet is 68%, then during steam distillation it will be 50% (calculations are approximate and depend on the design of the distiller);
• The high pressure in the steam generator increases the danger of operating the machine.

The principle of steam distillation of mash

In the classic scheme of a moonshine still, a steam generator is a container filled with water, which is installed on a stove (another source of heating) and connected through connecting pipes and a bubbler to the bottom of the distillation cube with mash (it does not heat up separately). In turn, the distillation cube is connected to the refrigerator of the moonshine still.

After the water boils, the formed steam under pressure through the bubbler enters the cube and heats the mash. Vapor bubbles move from bottom to top, cause boiling inside the mash and the separation of substances into fractions. As a result, alcohol begins to evaporate, which moves to the surface of the mash. On the surface, the bubbles of steam and alcohol burst and mix, forming a vaporous water-alcohol mixture, which rises to the refrigerator (distiller), where it condenses.

Optimal scheme with valves and a three-way cock

The design of the moonshine still and the distillation scheme remain the same, only one more container of water is added.

How to make a steam generator for mash

As a container for heating water, you can use a pressure cooker or alembic. The main requirement is that the container must be airtight and withstand high pressure so that the steam passes through the steam line, and does not seep through the lid. The capacity (volume) of the steam generator is usually 30% less than that of a mash cube. After sealing the lid, a saucepan or can will also work.

Attention! Since we are dealing with thick mash, for safety reasons, there must be blast valves on the lid of the steam generator and the main distillation cube, which will bleed excess pressure if the connecting pipes become clogged with thick, and this happens.

A fitting is also cut into the cover of the steam generator for connection to the steam pipeline.

For the steam line, use a silicone hose or a corrugated gas pipe. In order to reduce heat losses and increase the speed of distillation, it is desirable to install thermal insulation on the surface of the steam pipeline that can withstand temperatures of +100 °C.

For the bubbler of the steam generator, a metal tube is suitable, on one side of which slots are made. The length of the tube should be slightly less than the diameter of the bottom of the distillation cube with mash. The bubbler is installed in the cube through the drain valve for the bard with the slots down so that the steam is first reflected from the bottom, and only then begins to heat the mash. If there is no drain tap, you will have to make a hole near the bottom.

bubbler
Installing a bubbler in a distillation cube with mash. The slots must be at the bottom.

The result should be a scheme: a steam generator - a distillation cube - a steamer (optional) - a refrigerator (distiller) - a receiving container for moonshine.

It is recommended to fill the cube with mash by 50-60%, since during the distillation the volume of liquid in the cube will increase by 20-30% due to steam, and for the normal formation of alcohol vapors, an additional 10-15% of the free volume is required.

Home version with a can as a steam generator

The optimal amount of water in the steam generator in relation to the mash is 8:10 (8 liters of water per 10 liters of mash). The minimum amount of water is 6:10. The steam generator is filled to 70-85% of the volume.

The heating power supplied to the steam generator must be as high as possible.

In case of clogging of the steam line, turn off the heating and wait for complete cooling before disassembling the apparatus, the excess pressure must be relieved by the valves. Opening a hot steam generator is dangerous!