Each of us who has tried high-quality kitchen-made alcohol at least once in our lives would be happy to do something similar - after all, even a homemade moonshine still for home allows you to make aromatic whiskey, delicious rum, noble cognac, or ordinary vodka. There are cases when a distillate is simply ordered, technology is asked, a drawing of a moonshine still is looked for, and much more. The younger segment of society spends days searching the Internet for ways to obtain alcohol, but when asking about how to make a moonshine still with your own hands, the search engine returns hundreds or thousands of pages with different resources. So, let’s figure it out: how to assemble a moonshine still, what it is, what it consists of, or maybe it’s easier to just buy it?

Buy or invent?

A home moonshine still is not the most complex device, but if you are still a complete beginner and have not held tools in your hands, then it is better to find a ready-made option. Today's Internet offers hundreds of online stores, where among an endless number of models you can choose suitable equipment, for example, made of stainless steel or copper. But a finished device will be disproportionately more expensive than a homemade one.

In this article you will learn that the best option is to make a moonshine still at home from scrap materials at minimal cost. At the same time, here you are an inventor, a technologist, and a creator. For our part, we will explain in detail how and what to do, giving many examples.

At its core, moonshine brewing is bringing the mash to a boiling point, at which alcohol-containing substances evaporate, condensing in their pure form in the refrigerator. No, you don’t need a big refrigerator in your kitchen, everything is much simpler!

Moonshine still design

The simplest moonshine still consists of three or four elements: a distillation cube, a refrigerator and hoses between them. Cold water is also needed to convert alcohol vapors into distillate.

1. Distillation cube. This device is intended for mash from which moonshine can be distilled. In fact, any container with a volume of 10-30 liters is suitable for a cube. The only requirement is that a good cube must be hermetically sealed. All sorts of distillations, Soviet aluminum cans, pressure cookers and even enamel pans are used as containers - making a distillation cube yourself is not difficult. True, a pressure cooker, despite the fact that it is the simplest option, will not fit a lot of mash into such a container, although such a unit is well sealed.

An enamel pan is convenient due to its versatility - it is easy to pour mash into the vessel, distill it, and pour out the rest, or initially prepare raw materials for the distillate in it. An enamel pan is large, but it is better not to do this, because the harmful sediment will also turn into a gaseous state. The negative side of the assembled distillation cube from a saucepan is the lack of tightness. Many moonshiners cover the lid with dough or plasticine.

A good old milk can made of aluminum or stainless steel is the most correct option due to its practicality. The only thing that needs to be changed is to remove the rubber from the cover and make a similar gasket from sealant or silicone. The reason lies in the absorption of rubber substances by alcohol vapor, which will significantly spoil the final product. But a stainless steel moonshine still is the ideal solution.

Making a moonshine still from a can with your own hands

The distillation cube must have a narrow opening and an airtight lid. Let's figure out how to make a simple moonshine still based on an old milk can in the form of a distillation cube. In addition, this method is applicable to other containers.

1. First we make the lid of the can - to do this, we remove the old rubber using a knife and other available means.

2. Clear the area of ​​rubber residues, and carefully apply silicone sealant used for aquariums. We wait until it dries completely, repeating the procedure once or twice. Why is this sealant needed? The fact is that aquarium silicone is absolutely harmless to the environment.

4. If this homemade process is difficult for you, you can wrap the rubber with fum tape in several layers, and then keep it in boiling water for one hour.

5. All that remains is to drill a small hole on the lid so that you can put a tube on it that goes to the steam tank or refrigerator. The drill needs to be selected a little wider than the coil - if the diameter of the steam tube is 15 mm, then you need to drill all 25. All necessary adapters can be purchased at sales points of plumbing equipment.

6. If you are interested in the maximum service life of the distillation cube, try to wash a simple moonshine still after each distillation process.

What is a dry steamer and why is it needed?

The diagram of a moonshine still implies the presence of a steam chamber - this is not a mandatory element, but a necessary one. The device is any empty but sealed container where alcohol vapor enters and exits. The fact is that when the mash is heated, ethyl substances boil at a temperature of at least 95 degrees Celsius. Resins, fusel oils, methyl alcohol, and other elements harmful to human health boil at a lower temperature - from 65 to 90 degrees. Accordingly, the fusel is the first to go to the refrigerator.

The steamer was invented to prevent these vapors from reaching the refrigerator, because these vapors also cool at a lower temperature. Thus, it turns out that the ethyl vapors will reach their final destination, and the harm will remain in the steam tank. This way you can get a good cleansing effect. At the same time, experienced moonshiners make both three and four steamers. There were cases when people assembled a moonshine still from improvised materials, using all the bottles in the house - up to twenty steamers were obtained. Even the famous Jack Daniels technology involves copper or stainless steel steamers for the necessary purification of the distillate. The main thing is not to worry that all the steam will remain in the steamer and you won’t get the desired product. This is not true - ethyl alcohol does not condense before the refrigerator.

In addition, the presence of a steamer makes the final product stronger. If there is more than one dry steamer, then re-distillation is not required at all. However, it is not recommended to use more than three - to make a simple moonshine still, which will give excellent results, best with two or three cleaning devices. If you do more, the moonshine brewing process will drag on for a long time, and the efficiency of each subsequent steamer will be close to zero.

The first steamer is of greatest importance for a self-made moonshine still. A glass jar with a sealed lid, into which two hoses will be placed - one that lets in the vapor, the other that releases further, will do this role perfectly. The volume of the purification container is proportional to the distillation cube. If an enamel bucket is used as a cube, a liter jar will be enough. If the distillation cube is a thirty-liter can, then a larger bottle will do. The main thing is to make fittings in the lid that are the same in diameter as the steam tube in order to ensure maximum tightness. The drawings show that it is impossible to allow vapors to escape, which will lead to a decrease in the result obtained and a deterioration in its quality. To saturate the moonshine with a special taste and aroma, various fruits and spices are added to the steamer:

• Slices of orange, lemon.
• Dried fruits, apples, pineapple pieces, and much more.

Fragrant herb in the form of mint, sage, St. John's wort, etc.

Spicy spices - bay leaf, cumin, paprika.

It is these additives that will prove that we are delivering a good product.

Fridge

A refrigerator is a necessary unit in any moonshine brewing process, because a refrigerator is the container where steam condenses, becoming moonshine. This device can be of two types - flow-through and non-flow-through, or capacitive.

A flow-through refrigerator is a structure of any shape, inside which there is a spiral of a tube called a coil. The container is filled with cold water by connecting one hose to the water tap and the other directed to the drain. Thus, the alcohol-containing vapor receives maximum cooling, as a result of which it condenses, transforming into liquid form. Such a refrigerator does not have large dimensions, being a compact device.

We make a flow refrigerator

Any metal sealed container, even a large tin can or an old car muffler, is suitable to perform the function of a refrigerator.

1. Place a long piece of copper or stainless steel tube in the future refrigerator. It is recommended to make a spiral inside the container so that the steam can cool well.

3. It remains to make two holes for the inlet and outlet of running water, and connect the hoses to them.

Non-flowing refrigerator

A static refrigerator is somewhat easier to make - it will be enough to pass a steam tube through an old tank, bucket, or canister. During the distillation process, it will be enough to fill the vessel with cold water, and when heating it, change 20% of the liquid. This activity may cause inconvenience, but water consumption will also be reduced to a minimum.

1. A static refrigerator can be made from scrap materials in a short time.

2. In winter, you can fill the container with snow or frozen water in a plastic container.

3. If there is no running water in the room, then a static refrigerator is the only way out.

Steam pipe

As mentioned above, the distillation cube, steamer and refrigerator must be connected by a steam tube. The ideal moonshine still has no connectors, but this option can only be found in the store. But, if you decide to make a moonshine still from copper with your own hands, as well as from any other metal, it is unlikely that you know how to weld metal. Of course, you can find a welder or anyone else, but no one will work for free.

Therefore, you should look at silicone hoses, which will do the job perfectly. With the help of clamps and nuts you will get a wonderful moonshine still. The main thing is not to use rubber and PVC materials unless you need a distillate that tastes like rubber and other chemicals. Silicone hose is available in any market, in plumbing stores, or on the Internet.

How can you tell if a hose is made of silicone? At high temperatures, the tube becomes softer and more flexible. And, if you set fire to a piece, then, unlike rubber and PVC, silicone will not leave soot, leaving a blurry white ash or completely transparent.

What metal is the moonshine still made from?

Copper and stainless steel and enameled metal are the most common materials used in moonshine stills. The beneficial properties of copper have been known for many years, but debate on the topic of this metal does not subside. It is known that previously there were simply no other available metals, after which the distillate went into a barrel, where oak endowed the drink with beneficial properties, neutralizing aldehydes and other harmful substances. It is also known that a film of oxides forms on copper, which is not safe for human health. Therefore, the copper still needs to be thoroughly washed regularly.

Aluminum, which reacts with acetic acid released by the mash during the boiling process, forms alum - not the most healthy salt. Stainless steel is perhaps the best option if the container has not previously been used in technical industries.

With your own hands? What materials and equipment to use, how to choose the right containers? This article provides clear instructions and describes the design of a moonshine still with diagrams and precise drawings. Following the recommendations of experts will help you create a unit for distilling mash at home, spending a minimum of money and effort.

The process is fully described here using the example of creating a real unit. This moonshine still was made with my own hands more than 2 decades ago, it still works properly and produces a finished product of excellent quality. To ensure that your homemade assistant lasts no less, you should carefully select materials. Aluminum and copper are not suitable for such purposes. Ordinary steel also reacts with acidic environments. Our choice should fall on those materials that can safely interact with food. These are titanium and stainless steel. Alloys with titanium are very expensive, and in many cases it is advisable to choose a store-bought moonshine still and build something else with your own hands.

Parts and containers made of stainless food steel are quite easy to find; they are found in every home. Do not use rubber hoses and gaskets. When in contact with alcohol-containing drinks and products, they begin to negatively affect their smell and taste. At the time of the creation of this unit for moonshine, high-quality silicone was not available. Therefore, the sealing elements are made of good quality genuine leather.

The quality of the container for heating the mash greatly affects the quality of the final product. You can use a milk can for this. Industrial containers with a volume of 38-40 liters are made of food-grade aluminum. Sealing is ensured thanks to the presence of a special clamp. If such containers are not available, you can purchase special tanks and cans and stainless steel High Quality.

One of the important elements of a moonshine still is the cooler. In the simplest drawings you can see that it is represented by a metal coil. Recommended diameter is 8-10 mm. But it all depends on the dimensions of the entire structure and the volume of distilled mash. The picture shows how to make a coil for a moonshine still with your own hands. Any flat and smooth object with a round, even cross-section can be used as a base onto which a thin-walled tube is wound. A glass bottle, for example, a wine bottle, is also perfect for such purposes.

The figure shows the creation of a cooler from a stainless tube, which is wound on a bar with a diameter of 35 mm. Initially, it is necessary to fill the future coil with sand so that it does not deform or break during the winding process. The ends can be closed with plugs or clamped with pliers. 2 meters is the optimal length of the workpiece. On one side, a nut of suitable diameter must be welded to the rod as shown in the figure. After the coil is ready, the ends should be freed and the sand should be poured out. Then rinse the cooler thoroughly with running water.

In the example, a pipe with a diameter of 75 mm is used for the refrigerator body. Holes with a diameter of 8 mm were made in the lower and upper parts, through which the ends of the coil of the moonshine still, made by hand, will subsequently be brought out. The cooler must be placed according to the drawing, then the covers and pipes are put on, all parts are welded well. At the next stage, it is important to check the tightness of the structure. It is necessary to weld a fitting with an external thread; it must be in the hole in the water supply. The homemade refrigerator for the moonshine still is ready.

The device under consideration has shown in practice excellent condensate throughput - up to 8 liters per hour. But for this it is important to adhere to the scheme; the tube must be at least 2 meters long. If you want to get good homemade moonshine, you should distill the moonshine at a speed of no more than 3 liters per hour. At higher rates in homemade devices, intense boiling of the mash may be observed. And this is the entry of excess impurities into moonshine, which is a negative point. When assembling the cooler, it is important not to break the rules: cold water is supplied from below, and waste water is drained through the upper hole. If you do the opposite, the efficiency of the heat exchange unit drops significantly due to the counterflow of the liquid.

The steam-gas mixture line must be equipped with a settling tank, which is located between the cooler and the distillation tank. This is necessary to delay and collect heavy fractions (fusel oils).

Between the tank and the refrigerator on the steam-gas mixture (PGM) line, it is advisable to install a settling tank that traps heavy fractions, thereby significantly improving the quality of the product. For lack of anything better, you can use a standard glass jar with pipes connected to it to dump the fusel.

The drawing of the moonshine still shows a body made of stainless steel. In the cylinder, which is played by a pipe with a diameter of 57 mm, 2 holes with a diameter of 8 mm should be drilled. Curved tubes should be installed in them, as shown in the sketch. A fitting is welded to the upper tube; it is important that it has an external thread. The seams must be well welded to ensure the tightness of the sump. The inner part of the cylinder is equipped with 2 swirlers located on opposite walls. When connecting the covers at the ends of the sump, remember that the top one must be blind. And a pipe is mounted into the lower part through a previously prepared hole, as shown in the drawing of a moonshine still, or rather, a sump for it.

The principle of operation of this unit: the ASG enters the cylinder. At the same time, the mixture expands and passes through the created labyrinth, during which fusel oils precipitate and are discharged through the lower pipe through a rubber tube. While the product is being taken, the tube can be clamped with a regular clothespin. The sediment can be drained once an hour, during which time it does not have time to rise to the pipe and spoil the finished product.

Having completed all the individual elements according to the drawings of the moonshine still, you can assemble the entire structure. Initially, it is necessary to make a hole in the lid of the milk can and pass a tube with an external thread through it. The inside of the lid must be sealed with a gasket. A stainless steel nut is screwed onto the thread on top. The upper part is also sealed with a silicone gasket (leather), a fitting is installed and secured. Then you need to weld the tube coming out of the bottom of the sump. It is good to check its connection to the fitting for leaks. Using a nut, a union nut is attached to the tube leading from the sump of a home-made moonshine still.

Now the moonshine still, made with your own hands and efforts, is completely ready for work. Before pouring the mash, you must once again check the tightness of all seams and threaded connections.

How to make a simple moonshine still with your own hands

Nowadays, given the large amount of counterfeit alcohol in stores, more and more of our compatriots are leaning towards making moonshine at home. Nowadays, the law does not provide for punishment for moonshine brewing for personal purposes, so this is a good solution for those who want to have 100% high-quality alcohol at their feasts. Today, stores offer a huge variety of different moonshine stills, ranging from the simplest distillers to almost professional home mini-distilleries. The price also ranges from quite acceptable to very impressive amounts.

But still, for a novice moonshiner it is better to use a homemade moonshine still. Firstly, it will be cheaper than buying ready-made equipment. Secondly, without much understanding of moonshine equipment, you can ruin expensive equipment, and in the process of making a moonshine still, you will begin to understand what is needed for what and how exactly distillation occurs. Thirdly, and this applies not only to beginners, when buying a homemade moonshine still in finished form, you will not be sure of its quality or you may even run into a fake.

In this material we will try to reveal in as much detail as possible all the intricacies of how to make a moonshine still at home. We will consider the classic version of the distiller. Using it, you are unlikely to be able to make exclusive or exotic drinks like Calvados or whiskey, but it is time-tested, simple, reliable and inexpensive to assemble.

Design of the simplest moonshine still

The simplest scheme of a moonshine still consists of a distillation cube and a refrigerator. The mash boils in the distillation cube, and alcohol vapors settle in the refrigerator, resulting in the formation of moonshine. However, this simple moonshine still will saturate the drink with fusel oils and other harmful impurities. To get rid of them, you need to add something else to the design, or, as it is also called, a reflux condenser. We will tell you how to make a moonshine still from available materials, with minimal financial investment.

Alembic

So, the first element we will look at is the distillation cube. A distillation cube is a container in which the mash will boil during the distillation of moonshine. What can it be made from?

Most often in old, still Soviet devices, there is an aluminum cube. The distillation cube was made from a flask or can, in which milk was previously transported. It is not recommended to use such material for the manufacture of a moonshine still, because aluminum partially reacts with various acids and alcohol in the mash. In addition to the fact that unnecessary impurities appear in moonshine, with frequent use the aluminum still begins to leak after a short time and fails.

Enameled dishes. This material is neutral to acids and alcohol. If used carefully, without hitting or scratching, it can last quite a long time even with frequent use. However, it is quite difficult to seal a moonshine still from a pan well. Craftsmen have also learned to make cubes from a milking machine tank for cows, but this option is unlikely to suit a city dweller.

The most reliable option is food-grade stainless steel. Such a cube will serve for a long time; it does not come into contact with the mash, which eliminates additional harmful impurities in the finished product. However, cubes made from this material are quite expensive, and often ordinary galvanized steel is sold under the guise of stainless steel, and this is also not so durable.

You can also use a copper container as a cube, but as a rule, this is too expensive an option for a moonshine still.

The volume of the distillation cube must be selected according to the volumes in which you intend to produce moonshine. Ideal for household needs from 25 to 35 liters.
It is important to follow one rule! Never fill the still completely, it should be filled to about 80%. This is done for safety reasons, so that when boiling, the pressure in the cube does not exceed the permissible limit and the cube does not burst. When choosing a container for the distillation cube, pay attention to the width of the neck. It should be large enough to make it convenient to pour the mash and wash the cube after distillation.

Don't forget about the size of the container either. The cube must be placed on the stove, be stable and not interfere with access to the entire apparatus.

You can make an electric moonshine still. For him, a distillation cube is made from a pressure cooker. It has a small volume, but it has its advantages - there is no need to use a stove, since it has its own heater, and it is initially sealed. You only need to make a hole in the lid for the steam outlet tube.

A milk can, preferably made of steel, is best. This is the simplest option. Just be sure to change the rubber gasket under the lid to silicone, because alcohol vapor absorbs harmful substances from rubber. This will certainly affect the quality, taste and smell of the finished product.

How to do it yourself: remove the rubber gasket, then apply silicone sealant to the edges of the lid and leave to dry. Repeat several times. Place cellophane on the neck of the can and close the lid. Keep it this way until completely dry. This will make an excellent silicone seal.

Moonshine still refrigerator

The refrigerator in the moonshine still plays a very important role - it is in it that the alcohol vapors condense and the finished product flows from there. To make a refrigerator, it is enough to understand how the principle of its operation works.

There are two types of refrigerators: direct-flow and coil. A straight-through refrigerator consists of a straight metal tube that is placed inside a pipe with a wider diameter. Water flows continuously through this pipe, acting as a refrigerant. You can make a simple refrigerator for a moonshine still with your own hands from a copper tube with a diameter of up to 10 mm and a polypropylene pipe with a diameter of more than 20 mm. Fittings with plugs are screwed onto the polypropylene pipe, and holes are drilled into them with a diameter similar to that of a copper pipe. The copper tube will need to be inserted into these holes and seal the cracks. The copper tube is connected to the distillation cube, and the fittings are connected to the water tap.

Coils are made of glass, copper, aluminum or food grade stainless steel. Copper and aluminum have good thermal conductivity and are easy to make a coil from. But they have disadvantages - they are oxidized by alcohol vapor, so they must be cleaned with vinegar or citric acid after each distillation. It is impossible to make a glass coil yourself; you can buy it in a special store. However, they are very fragile, so it is not recommended to use such devices. Food steel does not oxidize and does not release any substances into the finished product, however, the thermal conductivity of steel is three to four times lower than that of copper. The best option is a copper coil. In some countries, copper is even the only permitted material for the manufacture of distillers. But it must be constantly cleaned.

The longer the coil tube, the more contact there is with the cooling element, but tubes that are too long have poor performance. The optimal option is 1.5-2 meters. The inner diameter of the tube is approximately 8-12 mm.

The copper tube must be twisted in a spiral with a small distance between the turns. The coil itself is lowered into a reservoir with a coolant, usually water. Systems can be closed - the water is constantly in the tank and does not circulate, and open - the water is constantly moving. A closed refrigerator is easier to manufacture and uses less water, but its characteristics are worse - even if you change the water regularly, it heats up quickly enough, as a result of which alcohol condenses poorly. Therefore, the losses of moonshine are quite large. An open system is more difficult to manufacture, but moonshine condenses better and its quality is higher.

The simplest and cheapest option is to wind a copper tube into a spiral with an outer diameter of approximately 100 mm, and use a 110 mm piece of sewer pipe as a reservoir. Drill two small holes on the sides of the pipe for silicone tubes leading to the coil, place the spiral inside and close the pipe on both sides with special plugs. They also drill holes for the cold water supply and outlet hoses. The structure must be connected to the water supply in such a way that cold water flows in the opposite direction to the movement of steam.

These elements are designed to clean steam from fusel oils and other harmful impurities. The principle of operation of the device is that the condensation temperatures of these impurities are lower than the condensation temperature of alcohol, therefore, alcohol vapors passing through these devices are cleared of fusel oil vapors.

A steamer can be made from an ordinary glass jar with a screw-on lid. You need to drill two holes in the lid for inlet and outlet of vapors, screw the fittings into them and connect the hoses. After which the lid is screwed onto the jar. The inlet tube must be lowered below the outlet tube by 15-30 mm. Alcohol vapor will escape through the outlet tube, and fusel oil vapor will settle on the walls of the jar. A steamer made in this way is easy to clean and rinse.

The bubbler performs the same function as the steam steamer. The difference is that the alcohol vapor passes through a layer of water. In a bubbler, the inlet tube descends almost to the bottom of the jar, not reaching 2-3 cm. Before distillation, cold water must be poured into the bubbler. The outlet tube must not touch the water.

How to assemble a simple moonshine still

Assembling the device is very simple. A hole must be drilled in the lid of the distillation cube to which a tube must be connected to allow steam to escape. This tube is connected to a steamer or bubbler, and from there it is connected to the refrigerator. A refrigerator with an open cooling system must be connected to the water supply and drain. A container for the finished product is placed or connected under the outlet tube of the coil. The assembly of the moonshine still is complete.

Pay attention to the material from which all connecting hoses are made. It is best to use food-grade silicone; it does not react in any way with alcohol vapors. The main thing is not to confuse it with PVC pipes, which begin to melt from the high temperature and harmful impurities are added to the alcohol vapor. You should also not use rubber, due to the fact that alcohol vapor absorbs harmful substances from this material.

It is not recommended to seal the entire structure tightly after assembly. The tubes must be made easily removable, and the connection must be airtight. If you make the tubes non-removable, then servicing, washing and moving the assembled device will be very inconvenient.

If you wish, you can install thermometers on the still or the distiller itself to make it easier to monitor the temperature of the process.

That's all, the home moonshine still is ready. Now you know how to make a moonshine still with your own hands. You can put in the mash and start distilling; you can get your high-quality alcohol at home.

If you still have questions about making a moonshine still, you can look at photos and videos that explain each step in detail. Descriptions and drawings of all devices can be found there.

How to make moonshine at home. Simple instructions in 5 steps.

Do you want to make real moonshine yourself and feel the thrill of making moonshine? In this article I will talk about how to prepare high-quality alcohol at home. Everything is straightforward, in simple language, without formulas or clever terms.

People have known about moonshine for thousands of years, but they still don’t stop making it now. Yes, in 2019 supermarkets are filled with alcoholic beverages of various types, but moonshine is not dying, but is only gaining popularity. And not only because purchased alcohol is becoming more expensive (vodka from 215 rubles, cognac at least 388 rubles), but also because it is simple, interesting and, in addition, moderately safe for health!

In the arsenal of our ancestors there were no moonshine stills made of food grade steel, no alcohol meters, no water seals. At the same time, they managed to brew a wonderful and safe drink for health. Today you have a lot of bonuses at your disposal in the form of affordable moonshine brewing equipment for every taste and budget. You will be surprised, but there are even specialized stores for moonshiners that make life so much easier that making moonshine is no more difficult than making soup.

Read 5 simple steps and you will learn how to make your first alcohol.

Wort preparation

Wort is the basic raw material for mash. To prepare it you need to mix just two ingredients:

1. water;
2. sugar containing products. To choose from:
   • sugar (to obtain classic sugar moonshine);
   • fruits, berries or jam (to make brandy);
   • grain or malt (to make whiskey).

• Water - 10 liters.
• Sugar - 2 kg.

The water must be clean, soft and unboiled.

Before mixing the ingredients, you need to prepare an airtight container for subsequent fermentation of the wort. Suitable:

• Plastic (cheap and practical);
• glass (beautiful and more expensive);
• enameled;
• container made of food grade stainless steel or copper.

Glass container

Do not use an aluminum flask. Aluminum is harmful to health.

The container must first be cleaned, rinsed with hot water and wiped dry.
Stir the sugar in the water and the base is ready! Now it's time to "revive" the wort.

The wort turns... into mash

To make mash from wort, add yeast to it. Yeast can be:

• Dry (alcohol)- 30 grams;
• Pressed (baking)- 150 grams.

Just 10-15 years ago, all home distillers used ordinary baker’s yeast to make mash. They are cheap, but have a number of disadvantages - they ferment for a long time, produce a low strength (no more than 9%) and emit an unpleasant odor during fermentation.

Specially designed for making homemade drinks. They make the mash stronger (alcohol content up to 20%), do not emit foam or odor, and ferment faster. I recommend using alcohol based ones.

Do not add yeast to hot wort - it will die. The wort temperature should be no more than 28°C.

After adding yeast, tightly close the lid, install a water seal to allow carbon dioxide to escape, then place in a warm environment of 20-25°C and wait for the yeast to convert all the sugar into alcohol. This is not fast, you will have to wait 4-5 days. The exact timing depends on the type of yeast. At the end of fermentation you will get sugar mash.

If the yeast fermentation period has passed, then the mash is checked for readiness. Signs that the mash is ready:

• Bitter taste. This means that all the sugars have turned into alcohol.
• No foam. The surface is smooth, the characteristic hissing has disappeared.
• Transparency. The mash became more transparent, and sediment formed at the bottom.

If all the signs of readiness are present, then the last thing left to do is lighten the mash. This is necessary to completely remove yeast residues, which have an unpleasant taste and odor.

A simple and accessible material is used as a clarifier - bentonite. This is white clay ground into powder. Once in the mash, in just 24 hours it collects all the residual fermentation products and falls with them to the bottom. Low consumption - 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of mash.

We get raw alcohol

Now the most interesting part - we will distill the mash into raw alcohol using a moonshine still. Here I will not analyze the features of purchased devices and homemade ones, but I will immediately recommend purchasing a ready-made moonshine still. They are now accessible to everyone, easy to use, and most importantly, they give the same and predictable results. There are a great many models of moonshine stills, but here I will tell you how it works classical, he's in the first photo.

Classic moonshine still with steamer "Germany". Professional moonshine still "Wein 4".

A good device is high-quality and safe moonshine.

Before use, rinse the device thoroughly. Pour clarified mash into it 3/4 full, connect it to a kitchen mixer, put it on the stove and bring to a boil. The selection of raw alcohol is carried out until the thermometer on the device shows 98⁰C. Then you can stop selection. At the end you will get 30-40° alcohol.

The alcohol obtained after the first distillation cannot be consumed. It is full of harmful impurities and needs to be cleaned.

To make our alcohol suitable for consumption, pure and hangover-free, it is necessary to carry out a second distillation.

The birth of moonshine

Dilute the resulting alcohol with clean drinking water to a strength of 20–25⁰.

Rule: moonshine is added to water, not vice versa! Otherwise it will become cloudy.

During the second distillation, we will use a moonshine still to distill the resulting raw alcohol into moonshine. The connection diagram is the same, but additional equipment will be required to select a harmless part. You will need an alcohol meter to determine the strength of the drink and a measuring cylinder for convenient work with the alcohol meter.

Connection diagram for the second distillation

The second distillation is carried out by dividing the resulting product into 3 parts, which follow each other during the distillation process:

1. "Heads". This is the first and very harmful part that needs to be separated from the useful “body”. To understand what volume of “heads” needs to be selected, it is necessary to calculate the volume of absolute alcohol in the raw material. We multiply the volume of raw material being distilled by its strength and divide by 100. In our case: we have 20 liters of raw material with a strength of 25⁰. We calculate: 20*25/100 = 5 liters of absolute alcohol. “Heads” are 10% of the volume of absolute alcohol, which means we get the volume of “heads” - 500 ml.
2. "Body". This is what we need, what we will drink. It is selected after the “heads” until the strength on the alcohol meter drops to 45⁰. Everything after that is “tails”.
3. "Tails". This is also a harmful part of moonshine, which should not end up in the finished drink.

An alcohol meter immersed in moonshine will immediately show its strength.

Congratulations, we got real moonshine! Now, having received the “body”, we will make the drink truly ideal, clearing it of all impurities.

Moonshine cleaning

You can use birch or coconut charcoal for cleaning. There are 2 ways:

• Infusion. Moonshine is poured into a filled container with coal and infused for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Filtration. It is carried out by passing moonshine through a container with coal.

Before using charcoal, you need to get rid of coal dust, which can cause cloudiness in the drink.

The drink purified in this way is already suitable for consumption.
As a result: with 2 kg of sugar we got 2.5 liters of a pure hangover-free drink.

Finishing touches

Before use, moonshine is usually diluted to the desired strength. Again, remember the golden rule of mixing: add alcohol to water. And before serving, let the moonshine steep in the refrigerator for a couple of days so that it becomes soft, pleasant and light.

Wasn’t I right when I claimed that making moonshine is easy?! In fact, this is just the tip of the moonshine iceberg. The opportunities for experimentation and new recipes are immeasurably numerous. Prepare cognac by infusing moonshine in barrels; get new flavors using different ingredients; recycle old jams and harvests into homemade drinks!

Homemade natural drinks with your own hands.

Thought to collect sooner or later it occurs in everyone who has once tried high-quality homemade moonshine. The opportunity to personally prepare a strong drink attracts many. Of course, it’s easier to buy a ready-made device, but making it yourself will help you more fully understand the design of the device and the stages of the distillation process itself. Let's take a closer look at how to make a high-quality device for distilling alcohol yourself.

How does the distillation process work?

The whole point of distilling or distilling mash into moonshine is that when heated, the alcohol turns into steam and goes through tubes into a cooler where it condenses into liquid and flows into the receiving vessel.

The process can be supplemented with a steam steamer for partial. But you shouldn’t rely on it completely; additional cleaning is necessary. Also, you should not assume that several steamers will help to better purify alcohol. The bulk of fusel oils settles in the first device, all additional ones separate only water and simply make the drink stronger, but not purer.

You should also monitor the process temperature. Heating the mash to 65 degrees allows you to separate the first fraction, in which case harmful impurities and alcohols other than ethyl evaporate. Heating to 78 degrees allows you to get the main drink; it is this temperature that is recommended to be maintained during the process. The indicator can be tracked using a thermometer, which is installed at the outlet of the cube or at the inlet of the cooler.

Alcohol mashine

Before starting the process and collectingDIY moonshine still,It is necessary to find out what parts the device consists of. All distillers have the same structure and identical components.

In addition, in the future, any homemade distillation structure can be improved and supplemented with carbon filters, thermometers, bubblers, and so on. The result is an almost professional design for producing high-quality alcohol at home.

The quickest way to assemble a distiller of the simplest design from available elements. But the moonshine obtained from it is unsuitable for consumption after the first distillation; at a minimum, a repeated process and subsequent rectification are required.

DIY moonshine still

Now let's look at each element of the device separately. Let's figure out how to make it at home. And how to ultimately combine all the prepared elements of the distiller into a single apparatus.

Distillation cube

One of the main components of the apparatus, mash boils in it. In order for the container to be convenient for use, it is advisable to choose a container with a wide neck. In this case, it will be convenient not only to fill the mash, but also to wash the container after the process is completed.

The best material for this container is stainless steel. It does not react with alcohol and does not release unnecessary components. Aluminum tanks, common in the recent past, are unreliable and give unnecessary reaction.

The volume of containers depends on the scale of moonshine production. It is important to consider that you do not need to fill the cube completely; at least 20% of the volume should remain empty. From about 30 liters of mash you get a little less than 3 liters of moonshine. Based on this calculation, you need to choose the size of the cube.

In order to collectDIY moonshine stilluse milk cans, enamel pans or pressure cookers. A pressure cooker is good because it allows you to seal the process well, but has a small volume. The pan requires an additional sealing of the lid. Usually, to do this, the handle is removed last and a steam hose is passed into it and secured. The edges are attached with a clamp and the joint is coated with medium-thick dough, the latter hardens when heated and seals well.

A milk can will be the best solution, as it allows you to tightly seal the container. The main thing is to replace the rubber gasket with a silicone one to prevent the release of harmful substances into the alcohol. Aquarium sealant works great for this. You need to remove the old gasket and apply the last one in several layers, usually 2-3 is enough. After drying, you need to cover the neck of the can with cellophane and close the lid so that the silicone takes the desired shape of the seal.

A hole is made in the lid for connection with the rest of the structural elements. The diameter of the hole depends on the size of the coil. Adapters for connection are purchased at plumbing stores.

Coil and cooler

Another important part of the device, which cools the alcohol vapor and promotes its condensation. Consists of a coil and a cooling tank. The first requires more attention; it must be safe and not consist of materials that react with alcohol, withstand elevated temperatures and have a high degree of thermal conductivity. The best option for a coil is a copper tube. But it requires cleaning after each distillation process.

A tube that is too long will reduce the distillation speed. The ideal option is about 2 meters. The internal diameter, according to the recommendations of professionals, should not exceed 12 mm. Wall thickness, to achieve the best result, is 0.9–1.1 mm. To make a coil yourself, you need to select a suitable copper tube and fill it with sand. The latter is required so that the material does not flatten when twisted and retains its shape. The tube is then wound onto a cylindrical object of suitable diameter with a distance between turns of 12 mm. Then pour sand and wash the inner surface.

The coil is placed in the cooler body, which is also a cylinder with soldered tubes for the inflow and outflow of cold water. It is the flow cooler that is considered the best option. Plugs and all existing seams are installed at the top and bottom of the cylinder, and the connections are secured with sealant.

Connecting pipes

To collect DIY moonshine stillTo put the structure together and finally prepare it for use, additional tubes are needed. Why use removable pipes when you can weld the structure together? The latter will make the apparatus monolithic, which, in turn, will significantly complicate the maintenance of the distiller.