A copper distiller is an effective home alcohol purifier. Copper myths: the pros and cons of moonshine from copper

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the vast majority of moonshine stills were made of copper. Of the metals discovered at that time, it was copper that was the most effective and easiest to perform moonshine brewing tasks. When stainless steel appeared, preference was immediately given to it, since it doesn't need to be cleaned, yes and it costs less. So are copper moonshine stills relevant now or are they already things of bygone days?

On the one hand, they say that copper oxidizes and an unpleasant taste is transmitted to moonshine. On the other hand, they say that the entire production of cognac and whiskey is built on copper distillers, and there they should know a lot about proper distillation. We offer to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of copper in home brewing and conclude whether it can now be used or is it better to give preference to stainless steel.

Fully made of copper moonshine (even a built-in thermometer).

Such distillers have two advantages that flow from each other and have an extremely positive effect on the taste of mash:

Often manufacturers combine copper and stainless steel cube.

1. Copper cleans alcohol vapors from sulfur.
2. Braga with any taste (fruit, grain, berry) is more saturated and bright.

It is for this reason that cognac and whiskey producers use copper apparatus to preserve flavor and aroma notes in their drinks.

As you may have guessed, for moonshiners who prefer this metal is absolutely useless and impractical.

There is no point in overpaying extra money and taking a steam bath with the choice of a good unit if you do not produce any non-standard drinks.

Cons of copper moonshine stills

There are more disadvantages than advantages, however, all of them are completely solvable if the quality of moonshine and its taste play a role for you.

Oxidation has a very negative effect on taste. Plaque must be constantly cleaned.

1. Higher price (at least 1.5-2 times compared to stainless steel).
2. The need to periodically clean the apparatus with citric acid to wash off the oxide from the walls of the pipes.
3. Difficulty of choice. There are few such units on the market, so the probability of making a mistake is quite large. Giving a lot of money, you do not guarantee yourself a good distillation.
4. Less service life. Over time, copper will deform, break, beat, so it will last less than good stainless steel (not Chinese with aliexpress).

Copper will have to be monitored more and cleaned more intensively.

For some, this is not so critical and will receive as a gift for their honest work cooler distillate, but for others it is difficult. For example, I would not want to spend so much time and effort for a few liters of moonshine. It’s easier for me to go to the store and buy normal alcohol for the evening. Especially if you are not going to use something else besides sugar, water and yeast. Yellow metal will be useless for you.

More and more people prefer to produce alcohol on their own, especially since there are a huge number of recipes that allow you to create various drinks, including elite varieties - cognac, whiskey at home.

Naturally, for each type and variety, not only special ingredients and recipes are needed, but also appropriate equipment. Today we will talk about how to make copper - after all, it is a copper product that makes it possible to achieve the highest quality of alcohol.

Why moonshine is better than vodka?

At the very beginning of the article, we suggest talking about why you need to “drive” alcohol on your own at all, if the notorious, famous and sung in songs, stories and films, including American, Russian vodka is presented in abundance on store shelves!

Currently, vodka is produced under different brands and has a different price, depending on the quality and production features - that is, almost everyone can choose the brand that best suits their taste. However, not all so simple. Self-made alcohol, especially if copper equipment was used for these purposes, has several undeniable and clear advantages, including:

• it is prepared exclusively from natural pure natural products;
• variety of species - no matter what brand vodka is produced under, it remains vodka and nothing more, but a home-made product can be completely different, depending on what additives were used and what recipe it was prepared for;
• price - in the end, the cost of vodka may seem even lower than the cost of the same volume of homemade drink. but, firstly, let's not forget about the price-quality ratio, and secondly, remember that you yourself can control how much you better cook.

The purest self-made moonshine is an exceptional basis for creating a variety of types of alcohol, from brandy and calvados to other elite varieties.

Equipment features and manufacturing secrets

Now it's time to talk about how to create a moonshine from copper pipes with your own hands. In fact, there is nothing complicated about this, you just need to follow certain rules.

A self-made moonshine made from a copper pipe has a number of advantages and features. In particular, all processes, including chemical ones, occurring in it differ significantly from those that take place in other products.

The main alcohol product - high-quality alcoholic beverages (brandy, calvados, whiskey, cognac) - is made exclusively on copper devices. Copper absorbs all the sulfur compounds that appear in the mash during the fermentation process, but this is especially true for grain and fruit and berry brews.

If we talk about the most pronounced differences, then we should highlight a few of them:

• high level of thermal conductivity - has a positive effect on the final quality of the product;
• durability and reliability - a copper moonshine still, made by hand according to the drawings, is actually eternal, not wearing out;
• richer taste - it has long been established that it is this metal that makes it possible to obtain a more delicate aroma and pleasant taste, which is due to special chemical processes that almost completely eliminate sulfur oxide and certain fatty acids;
• faster exposure - the infusion time is reduced;
• environmental friendliness - unlike aluminum products or models made of low-quality plastic, in this case there is no release of harmful, dangerous and absolutely useless compounds and substances that can change the taste and reduce the final strength;
• presentable appearance - a hand-made copper coil for a moonshine still looks incredibly beautiful and atmospheric, fully in line with the process that you are performing.

Among the negative points, it is worth noting the relatively high final cost of such a model. However, it can be significantly reduced if copper tubes are used, and all other components are made of steel or plastic.

Over time, a thin oxide layer appears on the copper product. It does not have a noticeable effect on taste, but experts recommend getting rid of it in a timely manner, preventing a large increase. The best remedy for copper oxide is lemon juice or concentrated citric acid.

How to make a copper moonshine still

It is immediately necessary to understand that this is not a traditional moonshine still, about which we have written so much. This is a reinforcing column, where two streams interact simultaneously - liquid and gaseous.

Distillation - it is on this principle that the traditional moonshine still works - implies the separation of steam into steam itself and condensate, which flows down the coil and enters the receiving tank. This process is one-time within one distillation.

Rectification is a process that is different in nature, which ensures the constant interaction of both fractions - liquid and gaseous, due to which crystal purification and high (up to 960) strength of the drink occur. When the mash boils in the distillation cube, the steam tends up the column and condenses in the reflux condenser located at the top. Further, the condensate flows down, and a new portion of steam is already moving towards it. As a result, it turns out that at each stage of the column there is a constant interaction of both fractions.

The most optimal material for the manufacture of such a column is copper, which is absolutely safe for health even at high temperatures and is the least affected by alcohol. The main advantage of copper is that it absorbs all the sulfur-based compounds that inevitably appear as a result of mash fermentation. The smallest amount of sulfur in the production of mash based on sugar and water, the largest - on the basis of fruits and grains.

The height of the copper column is selected in such a way that in its upper part there is a temperature of 78 ° C - the boiling point of alcohol. In this case, only alcohol reaches the top, and ALL fusel oils whose boiling point is above 100 ° C settle in the evaporator.

To make copper moonshine stills with your own hands, it is recommended to additionally watch the corresponding video - so you can clearly appreciate all the nuances.

Before starting production, make an estimate so that you know exactly how much money you will have to spend on the purchase of copper sheets, tubes and special materials and tools.

First decide on the dimensions of the device - so you will not miscalculate the volume of consumables and estimates.

• put a pattern on the copper sheet;
• cut it out;
• prepare the holes according to the drawing;
• give the patterns the desired shape;
• using a small tube, bend it into a serpentine.

Each connection in the column must go as deep as possible! There should not be a single place on the column with butt soldering - everything is exclusively on the fittings.

The assembly involves soldering - it must be of the highest quality in order to exclude even the slightest chance of skipping:

• evaporation;
• liquids.

So, the ideal option would be to use silver or lead for soldering, but the first would be preferable, since it guarantees greater tightness, more resistant to temperature extremes. Although it should be noted that silver is a more expensive material for soldering than lead.

Great importance is given to the diameter of the tube coming out of the distillation cube. The minimum allowable diameter should be 8-10 mm. Anything less is extremely dangerous to life and health.

Currently, a huge number of copper moonshine stills are on the market, where the tube diameter is up to 5 mm. The danger of such a pipe lies in the fact that any mote can clog it, and even more so when it comes to grain or fruit and berry mash. A stone, grain, lumps that fall into the tube instantly clog it. Considering that the pressure in the cube is approaching 200 Pa, with a clogged tube, this means a 100% explosion.

Principle of operation

The copper moonshine is a distillation column of a simplified design, which allows you to quickly get the desired drink.

The base is a reinforcing column with a special nozzle, which is connected to the distillation cube, and from where the process of vaporization begins. Next comes a miniature refrigerator (reflux condenser), turning into a swivel elbow. The copper moonshine is completed by a direct-flow refrigerator, made parallel to the reinforcing column. Water is supplied into it from below, cools the coil, through the jacket it simultaneously enters the jacket of the mini-refrigerator (reflux condenser), where, connecting with water, it exits the direct-flow.

When the mash boils, steam begins to be released, passes into a strengthening column and into a dephlegmator. Cooling due to the action of water, it breaks up into 3 fractions - water, alcohol and fusel oils. The condensate flows down the phlegm (flat spiral wire or balls in the reinforcing column) and interacts with the steam that continues to flow from the still. As a result of such condensation, the heaviest fractions (fusel oils) settle on the phlegm, the water flows back into the evaporator, and the alcohol, having recondensed, rises up into the rotary knee. It is here that a high-quality product is obtained in one distillation!

In its pure form, this drink is not suitable for consumption. 960 is a substance that is detrimental to life and health, which must be diluted to an acceptable 38-400.

Conclusion

A do-it-yourself copper moonshine still is an example of a distillation column (see). The main advantage is the high quality of the resulting alcohol. Copper allows you to effectively eliminate harmful impurities that have accumulated in the mash during the fermentation process, and the design of the column allows you to get pure alcohol in just one distillation.

A little about cleaning

When using a traditional moonshine still, it is impossible to obtain such pure alcohol as in a copper column. The main problem is residual fusel oils, which can significantly worsen the quality of the product and provoke a severe hangover.

In order to obtain a perfectly pure product, free of impurities and fusel oils, it is necessary to clean it as best as possible. For these purposes, activated carbon is ideal, which is used in water filters and gas masks.

A good choice would be coal, which is being developed for use in the related industry of home brewing and distillation. Three brands stand out:

• OU-A;

Its price is relatively low, especially since you do not have to spend money on buying a filter, because it is easy to make it yourself.

How a filter is made

The process of creating a filter involves the following steps:

• take an ordinary one and a half liter plastic bottle;
• cut off the bottom;
• make a small hole or even several in the lid;
• screw on the cover;
• turn the bottle upside down;
• put cotton wool in the neck, a layer of gauze, then a layer of activated carbon and another layer of gauze;
• pour the finished product through the resulting design, which will ensure the cleaning of the product.

You can buy them on many sites dedicated to alcohol topics. Available as original Portuguese or Spanish devices, as well as those made in the CIS or China. Regarding the latter, there are very big doubts that they are copper - their price is very suspicious, and a very large number of alloys, sometimes not entirely safe, can be disguised as copper.

In Europe, copper moonshine stills have received the common name "Alambik" (Alambic). This is a derivative of either Arabic or Semitic Al-Ambic. What this phrase means is also not entirely clear. Some researchers say that it means "pumpkin". It is this form that distillation cubes are made by most manufacturers.

exotic products

Moonshine stills (distillers) made of copper are designed to produce a small amount of alcohol from a variety of raw materials. Our native sugar-yeast mash is not in the first place. Grape wine, apple cider, complex fruit composites are distilled in alambicas.

The volume of imported distillers made of copper is in the range of 1.5 - 4 liters. Agree, if you put it on the table and get a certain amount of aromatic alcohol in the presence of guests and immediately use it - this is very cool. Especially when accompanied by a barbecue or other freshly prepared dish. But it’s hardly worth paying about 100 euros for such a copper moonshine if you intend to do moonshine on a more serious scale. This is nothing more than a beautiful, and, no doubt, high-quality souvenir with some functionality.

Copper devices of domestic production

There are few of these for sale. Some, such as Omega with a distillation column, are quite high quality and productive. True, only a distillation column and a refrigerator are made of copper in them (depending on the modification of the apparatus). The evaporator tank is made of good stainless steel. This combination is most common and does not cause any complaints - the metals are perfectly combined and work in pairs for high-quality alcohol.

But, if you come across a moonshine made of copper with a distillation column in combination with an aluminum tank, bypass it. Complex electrochemical reactions that accompany the contact of these metals, and even when exposed to hot alcohol vapors, will not bring good unambiguously.

Copper only works with copper, stainless steel and glass. Everything else should be excluded.

I recently met on the Internet a copper moonshine still "CONGO" (copper distillation column). The representative of Max Cuprum, in all seriousness, claims that the productivity of the column with a height of 26 cm and a diameter of about 6 cm is 14 liters per hour (14 per hour!). This is industrial productivity and there is a well-founded idea that we are being deceived in the most brazen way. Without delving into the conspiracy theory, the Chinese trace can be traced quite clearly here, especially in relation to metal.

Why copper?

There is an opinion, especially favored by manufacturers of copper stills with a distillation column, that copper during distillation absorbs sulfur oxides and other substances that impart unpleasant odors to the distillation products. Maybe this is so, but, for some reason, no one says that copper is given in return. All arguments are that copper has been used in distillers since the time of the Arab alchemists. What else could they use? Stainless steel was invented at the beginning of the last century (the first official mention of Sheffield (chrome) steel was published in 1915). And copper has always been an easy metal to work with, moreover, it has a very good thermal conductivity (which is important for coolers) and corrosion resistance. That's why copper.

Stainless steel, despite its low thermal conductivity - 20 W / (m K) versus 382-390 W / (m K), remains the best material for the production of moonshine stills with a distillation column or dry steamer, both by hand and on an industrial scale. It is only important to choose food grade stainless steel - AISI 304, AISI 304L, AISI 316L, AISI 430, AISI316, AISI 316Ti, AISI 321. It is best to choose a steel grade containing titanium for the distillation cube and distillation column - in this case, complete corrosion resistance is ensured.

Another argument is that pure copper is not used in industry. You can get (do not say buy) technical copper grades M0, M1, M1K, M3r, alloys with nickel MH0.6, MHA13 - 3, heat-resistant alloys such as MK or BrK. All reference books contain thermal, chemical and mechanical properties, but not a word about interaction with food products, including hot alcohol vapors. In addition, a question arises for supporters of traditional copper utensils - why the ancients tinned it (covered it with a layer of tin or an alloy of tin and lead). Apparently these metals are safer. Copper moonshine is very problematic in terms of safety.

Be that as it may, alambiks and other moonshine stills made of copper exist and are actively used. But they are not suitable for serious home brewing. It is better to keep them as a souvenir and for the preparation of exclusive drinks for the purpose of entertainment. By the way, this is a good gift for men for all occasions. And for the production of moonshine or alcohol, use safe and reliable stainless steel machines.

Copper moonshine stills, alambiks, have a very ancient history. But despite this fact, they still have a huge number of fans to this day. The main feature for which alambicas are so highly valued by moonshiners is the ability to get more delicious drinks with the aroma of raw materials.

Outwardly, the device looks somewhat unusual, but at the same time very dignified: a bright golden color and rounded shapes unusual for a moonshine still make it look like an attribute from some oriental or Arabic fairy tale.

Perhaps the ability to make tasty and aromatic drinks is achieved due to some unique design features of the alambiks. The classic design includes:

1. distillation cube;
2. a helmet in the form of an onion;
3. steam tube;
4. coil in the refrigerator.

As we can see, the design differences between copper and stainless steel are minimal. In addition to the alambic, you can purchase a special column that is installed between the helmet and the tank of the device. Various aromatic additives (lemon peel, orange peel, grape pomace, etc.) can be added to it to give the final product a certain smell and taste. The column, so to speak, is a kind of analogue flavoring, which have long been used in traditional stainless steel moonshine stills.

The design of the alambik allows you to get on it not only a strong distillate, but also various essential oils. It is made very simply: instead of mash, we fill the cube with ordinary water, and add, for example, flower petals to the column. After passing through the column, the vapor simply takes the aromatic elements with it. Quite often, alambicas are used to produce strong drinks such as whiskey, brandy or cognac.

In addition to such a classic version of alambic, today you can find some of its varieties:

• Alambik whiskey- special high-quality devices for the production of whiskey and other drinks, the strength of which reaches 70%.
• Alquitara - apparatus, capable of obtaining noble varieties of alcohol, as well as aromatic components of various cosmetics. The device is able to receive drinks up to 60%. The distillation rate is on average 3 l/h.
• Alambik charantes- French apparatus, produced in the province of Charente. Allows you to do the primary distillation of wine, the strength of which is not more than 30%, and then the secondary distillation into raw alcohol 70%.

Features of stainless steel moonshine stills

A classic stainless steel moonshine usually consists of the following components:

• Hermetically sealed still, where the mash is heated
• Built-in thermometer
• Sukhoparnik
• Refrigerator that cools alcohol with cold water
• Container for collecting the final product

Due to the increased popularity these days, there are dozens of stainless steel devices of various types, subspecies and varieties. I would single out from all this mass 3 types of devices that really have design differences.

Moonshine stills with dryer

The easiest to learn of all three categories. A moonshine still with a dry steamer will allow you to get high-quality distillate with a strength of up to 40%. Sukhoparnik is a reservoir located between the tank and the refrigerator of the apparatus. It is in it that alcohol vapors are purified and get rid of various impurities and fusel oils.

The most popular devices are Germany, Slavyanka-Premium, Peasant Woman.

Moonshine stills with a strengthening column

This category of devices capable of obtaining already stronger alcohol, up to 94%. This becomes possible due to the vertical column, in which the purification of alcohol vapor is already an order of magnitude higher. Such devices are universal, they are able to operate in several modes, due to which the number of varieties of drinks obtained is an order of magnitude greater: you can make traditional moonshine, as well as high-grade distillates, such as whiskey or absinthe.

The most popular products in this category are Wein , Spring .

distillation columns

Distillation column - devices of a more complex design, devices of a new generation. They will help you get at home not only ordinary moonshine, but even alcohol with a strength of up to 96%. It belongs to the category of professional devices, therefore, for full development it requires considerable experience.

Device differences

As we found out above, there are almost no differences between the devices in the design. In fact, they work on the same principles with slight deviations or variations. What are the differences between the devices?

The most important difference is the material of manufacture of the device. Inside the apparatus, during the production of moonshine, the most complex chemical reactions of the interaction of alcohol vapors and metal occur. If in a moonshine made of stainless steel, the manufacturer strives for the alcohol to react with the metal as little as possible, then with copper devices, alambiks, the situation is completely opposite. Inside the "Aladdin's lamp" there is a very violent reaction of the metal with the contents. Due to this, sulfur compounds bind and precipitate, namely, they are responsible in the final moonshine for an unpleasant smell and taste. We conclude that a copper apparatus is more suitable for creating a fragrant and tasty drink. But here you should not forget the factor of the distiller's skill - if a person is new to moonshine, then the development of this craft should be started with simple stainless steel apparatus with a steamer, they are simpler and more practical.

The second very important factor is the price. Here, we certainly win devices made of stainless steel due to the low cost of the material itself. Of course, there are also stainless steel devices costing tens, and even hundreds of thousands of rubles, but they rather belong to the category of professional devices and should not be compared with alambiks.

But still, copper alambikas have one indisputable advantage - its appearance. If the external device of traditional devices does not cause surprise or admiration, then the alambic will always attract attention with its elegant forms and beautiful color tints.

Which device is better?

Which of the devices is better, it is quite difficult to say for sure. Stainless steel devices are definitely more practical and reliable. They are much less susceptible to corrosion than copper devices. Alambicas, despite their unique chemical characteristics, are very impractical and require a lot of maintenance. And traditional devices with the help of a flavoring agent can create aromatic drinks today.

Another argument not in favor of copper is that today no one uses pure copper in industry. You can find some of its markings (M0, M1, M1K) or alloys, but no reference book indicates that they are safe and food.

But one way or another, alambiks and other devices made of copper are quite often used. But for serious home brewing, they are of little use, but for the infrequent production of some exclusive drinks - that's it. They can also be a great gift for the male part of the population. If you intend to seriously engage in home brewing, then it is much better to use more reliable and stainless steel devices, of which there are a large number of varieties today.

The range of moonshine stills on the modern market is quite large. The devices differ in design and equipment, volumes of distillation cubes and ergonomics. But according to the material of manufacture, all devices are divided into only two categories: food grade stainless steel or copper. How to figure out which is better to take a moonshine still, copper or stainless steel? Let's look at the features of each material.

Stainless steel

Usually, in the conscientious production of moonshine stills, steel is used that complies with GOST for materials and products in contact with food. It is rare to find complaints about the quality of steel. As a rule, it is corrosion resistant, does not require special care, and has good thermal conductivity. Such material is relatively inexpensive, and devices are produced, as a rule, on a machine tool.

Copper

Copper is a more capricious metal in terms of care and cleaning. It must be cleaned with special means, polished. For example, a copper still needs to be rinsed with a citric acid solution before and after use. Currently, a copper distiller is not only alambic. Some companies produce models of column apparatuses or apparatuses of classical design with a dry steamer from copper. The thermal conductivity of copper is higher than that of steel, but copper is also softer. Copper is also capable of entering into chemical compounds with certain substances. Alambiks are made by hand, modern moonshine stills are made using a machine. And copper is quite expensive.

Is the moonshine still copper or stainless steel? Which is better?

There are two main advantages of copper over stainless steel: higher thermal conductivity and the ability to adsorb sulfur compounds. What does it mean? Copper moonshine still heats up quickly and evenly, cools down quickly. And the ability of copper to enter into chemical compounds with sulfur compounds allows you to better purify drinks. This is especially true or brags cooked from and. As a result, a black coating of water-insoluble copper sulfide is formed on the structural elements of the copper distiller. It's not scary or harmful. On the contrary, this indicates that the resulting drink is cleared of sulfur compounds, and it is known that they are largely responsible for the headache in hangover syndrome. The resulting highly purified distillate is good to use, for example, for medicinal purposes.

At the same time, stainless steel is more unpretentious in maintenance, chemically inert, and is much cheaper than copper. Stainless steel is also more durable. Finding and (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand or with a dry steamer of the brand) a suitable model is much easier. Another caveat: a copper distiller cannot be heated on an induction stove, but most modern stainless steel moonshine stills have a ferromagnetic bottom just for use on this type of stove. Copper requires special storage conditions (dryness, lack of dust), while food grade stainless steel can stand in the garage. In short, each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is important that the device itself is made with high quality and conscientiously. Only in this case, you can be sure that the resulting drink, when consumed in moderation, will not bring unnecessary harm to health.