Brass columns are very common among lovers of strong drink. If you decide to make such a design yourself, then you need to familiarize yourself with the technology for carrying out the work and find out what features the device should have.
Preparatory work
The best mash column must have a certain height. You can choose this parameter yourself, but ideally it should be 50 diameters. According to experts, this is not so important; the equipment owner himself must decide what strength the product will have, and also decide how good the separation will be. However, there is a certain objective criterion that determines the smallest height of the manufactured column. You must avoid the possibility of splashing. Based on this, mash columns are not made below 30 centimeters. Otherwise, carrying out the work will be inappropriate.
Work technology
When manufacturing the described structure, it must be equipped with a controlled reflux condenser. The design features of this element may vary depending on your preferences. The element can be created based on a shirt or dimrot. The main condition is the fact that the dephlegmator must have the ability to extinguish the power that is planned to be supplied. This element can be installed not in one quantity, but in quantity 2 or 3. In this case, the element will be primary or secondary. This structure allows for more stable operation of the column. You must understand that such additions are only possible on tall structures.
Work methodology
The mash columns must be able to adjust the cooling of the reflux condenser; this component must be quite thin. To do this, you should stock up on a tap that will allow you to use the liquid as accurately as possible. Experts recommend using the needle type, but you should avoid using a ball valve, as it is completely unsuitable. If we consider available household solutions, then the best option for carrying out this adjustment installation work will be a radiator tap, which is used when installing a heating system.
You can prepare the drawing of the mash column yourself. The column must be equipped with a place for installing a thermometer, which is mounted in front of the condenser entrance. This statement is true for structures that will operate according to a steam extraction scheme. If a liquid withdrawal dephlegmator is used on a film column, the location of the thermometer will be determined by the specific design of the system. The mash columns are equipped with a refrigerator-condenser, which will be responsible for condensing and cooling the supplied steam. If the design has liquid extraction, then a refrigerator will be required that will lower the temperature of the finished product.
It is important to take into account during manufacturing that the supply of liquid to the reflux condenser or to each of them, as well as to the refrigerator, must be done separately. The tubes that will be used for the outlet of the refrigerator and reflux condenser must be used exclusively on a silicone basis. This statement is true for hot water products. If we are talking about cold water, then you can use polyvinyl chloride-based tubes. The copper mash column must be manufactured taking into account the technical requirements described above, for which different design solutions are suitable. However, you can not limit yourself and come up with your own modification. The main condition for this is that in the end you will be able to get your drinks, which will have different qualities and organoleptic characteristics. However, in the end it will not be possible to obtain pure alcohol. The final product will not smell like moonshine, but it will not be pharmaceutical alcohol either. But for making vodka, this design is quite suitable; the master will be able to start making the base for high-quality distillates.
Description of the manufacture of a column with a jacket reflux condenser
A continuous mash column can be made on the basis of a jacket reflux condenser. To carry out the work, you will need copper tubes, the length of which should be 500, 2000, 1000 and 300 millimeters. Each of them should have dimensions of 28 x 1.22 x 1.1 x 1.8 x 1 millimeters, respectively. Among other things, you will need a transitional double-socket coupling in the amount of 2 pieces, another transition coupling should have slightly different parameters, equal to 22 x 15 millimeters, 3 such elements will be needed. The master must prepare a single-socket corner, the dimensions of which are equal to 22 millimeters. It will be impossible to carry out the work without a tee, the dimensions of which are 15 millimeters. Be sure to make sure you have an adapter for a 1/2-inch external thread. You will need an adapter for 3/4" internal thread. The element will be required to attach to the cube, however, in each specific case there may be other sizes. If you make a continuous mash column using the elements described above, you will end up with a product with a maximum temperature of 92 degrees.
Features of manufacturing an air-cooled device
A piece of copper pipe will be used to make a coil. A roll of aluminum-based wire will be used without insulation. You can use a computer cooler, superglue and a 500-watt boiler during the work. The power may turn out to be less impressive.
First you need to take a copper tube, bending it to connect to the body of the device. That part of this workpiece that will go down must be included in the spiral. should be wound onto the tube from above, leaving some distance between the turns. In order to reduce thermal resistance, the turns should be as dense as possible. This will increase the heat exchange area and the efficiency of the coil.
When making a mash column with your own hands, at the next stage you need to use any cone-shaped object, the diameter of which should be compared with the dimensions of the selected fan. You need to wind a moonshine coil onto this item. In this example, we will consider a regular beer bottle, the capacity of which is 0.5 liters. The coil must be bent so that it evenly covers the cross section of the fan. You need to try the element on the selected case and make sure that everything is in order. This concludes the work with the coil for now.
Now it’s time to move on to the lid of the device. To do this, you can use a regular polyethylene-based lid. The brass coupling must be heated to half an inch before fusing into the polyethylene cap. The structure must cool down; you can cool it in water. After the coupling is removed, it should be cleaned of adhering polyethylene, and the resulting burrs should be carefully cut off. You need to wrap a fluoroplastic tape around the coupling, which is essential for making a moonshine still. This way you will be able to get something like a gasket. When you make a mash column with your own hands, the next step is to install the coupling in a hole made in advance in the lid. The fluoroplastic should be between the coupling and the cover. The nut should be tightened from the inside without applying excessive force.
At the next stage, you can work on the heating element of the entire device. For this you can use a regular boiler. Having retreated some distance from the end of the wire, so that it is enough to reach the device, you need to cut off a part, you will have to screw everything back afterwards. The ends of the cord from the boiler must be threaded so that when the lid is closed, the element is inside the body. After stripping the wires, they need to be connected back. It is important to take care of high-quality insulation.
The boiler should not touch the bottom; it is advisable that it be completely covered with liquid during operation. Into the same hole through which the boiler cord passes, you need to insert the long end of the coil for the apparatus. The remaining gaps between the tube and the cord must be filled with pieces of cotton wool, making it quite tight. It is important to achieve the best sealing possible.
The resulting structure made of cotton wool must be filled with superglue, which is made on a cyanoacrylic base. This will allow you to obtain the most airtight connection using composite materials. After the glue hardens, you will be able to get a tight, strong connection. All that remains is to make something like a casing for the fan so that the air washes over the fins of the heat exchanger, represented by a coil.
To make the casing, you can use Tetra-Pak packaging. If you are making a moonshine still, then you can use the technology presented in the article. You need to cut a rectangle from the packaging, the width of which will correspond to the dimensions of the fan. These elements will be used to cover the fan on 3 sides. The end of the coil needs to be brought to the fourth side in order to drain the moonshine. In the remaining side wall you need to make a hole for this part of the tube and glue it with the superglue used earlier. The walls can be glued together with tape. When it is necessary to ensure maximum safety, it should be covered with a transparent protective screen.
At this point we can assume that the mash column is ready. You can use a computer power supply as a power source for the fan. To turn it on without using the motherboard, you need to connect the black wire with the green one. Experts use more compact 12-volt sources, which you can find yourself.
Deviation from the above requirements
If you are making a mash column with your own hands, the drawings of which you must complete in advance, then it is important to think about deviations from the mentioned requirements. The main one is an uncontrolled reflux condenser. If we are talking about the Malyutka column, then uncontrollability is sacrificed for compactness. To do this, the condenser and reflux condenser are located in a single container with running water. If you decide to use this scheme, then you will not be able to regulate the process using a reflux condenser, therefore, separation will not be achieved. If you are making a mash column with your own hands, you can borrow the drawings of this design from the article. It should also be remembered that the reflux condenser has low utilization capacity. You may encounter the problem of low column height. Some craftsmen cannot refuse to place the structure on a gas stove under the hood. In this case, separation will be quite difficult to achieve, which is especially true for tall columns.
The Rectify beer column has proven itself among lovers of strong drink. However, if you decide to manufacture such a design yourself, then it is best to use stainless steel-based parts. The fittings must be welded to the pipe, while an internal thread is installed on them on both sides, to which the necks of the kegs are fixed. Using fluoroplastic, you can machine a sleeve-coupling, which will be equipped with a gasket for the clamp. All this will form a single whole. The mash column “Baby” must be equipped with insulating material, which is first cut along the length, then put on the pipe, on which it is glued. You should put a dephlegmator stick on the top cover and secure everything with a clamp clamp. The liquid will be fed into a tube through which the phlegm returns. You should put a piece on it that will prevent splashing to the level of the top plate.
Conclusion
If you cannot decide what you will make - a mash column or then you can make the first of them. It is easier to make and will also allow you to immediately start preparing a strong drink. As an alternative solution, you can try to purchase this device. Home craftsmen today sell them in completely different configurations and at different prices. From the available assortment you will choose something for yourself.
Hi all!
A couple of weeks ago I came across some very interesting equipment for moonshiners - mash column. It is also called a film column or a reinforced distiller. A distiller I know bought it and kindly offered to test this unit.
What is the result you ask? My colleague makes excellent 88-degree moonshine, and now I know what to answer to readers when they ask me “How to make strong moonshine.” Interested?
And so, in today’s article I will tell you what a mash column is, the principle of its operation and how to properly distill moonshine on it.
What is a mash (film) column
Now I will briefly tell you why a mash column is needed, and in the next chapter I will examine in more detail the principle of its operation.
So, a film column is equipment that allows you to produce very strong and pure moonshine. Up to 90 degrees! And at the same time, the equipment is quite simple in design and use, and its price is relatively low. It is installed directly on the distillation cube.
In appearance, the mash column resembles an ordinary one straight-through distiller. In fact, this is how it is, the only difference is that there is another refrigerator installed on the pipe rising from the cube. The so-called reflux condenser or partial condenser.
This is where the whole point lies. But more on that in the next chapter.
Operating principle of film column
To make it more clear, I drew a simple diagram of the work.
So, as I already said, the column is placed directly on the distillation cube. The heated vapors of moonshine from the cube enter a partial (in Russian - partial) condenser. There, part of the vapor condenses and settles on the walls of the cooler, and the other part goes further.
That's why the first cooler is called partial, because it does not condense all the steam.
The liquid that settles on the walls of the cooler is called phlegm. Hence another name for the partial cooler - reflux condenser.
As you remember, moonshine consists of various impurities, which are conventionally divided into three main groups - “heads”, “body” and “tails”. The heads evaporate at a lower temperature than the other groups. The body is higher than the heads, and the tails are the highest boiling fraction. We drink, as we know, only the body, and cut off everything else. This distillation is called fractional.
So, when cooling the moonshine vapors in a reflux condenser, we separate them and pass on the lower boiling components, while everything else condenses on the walls of the cooler and flows back into the still as a film.
Hence the second name of the column - film.
In this case, the alcohol-containing steam rising in the drawer of the partial condenser constantly interacts with the phlegm flowing towards it. A process of heat and mass transfer occurs - the steam snatches low-boiling components from the reflux and gives it high-boiling ones (fusel oils and water). Hence such crazy strengthening - up to 90 degrees of the final product!
By adjusting the water supply to the temperature in the dephlegmator, we can quite efficiently divide the moonshine into fractions and cut off its unnecessary parts. To begin with, we set the temperature so that only the “heads” pass into the second cooler, and return the alcohol and everything else to the cube. And then we raise the temperature and drive out the alcohol, leaving “tails” in the phlegm.
But in order to clearly cut off the heads and tails and get pure and strong moonshine with the column, you need to work correctly. Fortunately, this is quite easy to learn.
How to work on a mash column correctly
- First distillation.
Well, everything is simple here. Our column will only work as a distiller; a reflux condenser is not used. We supply water only to the second refrigerator and distill the mash into raw alcohol as quickly as possible. For those who don’t know why this is done, read the article double fractional distillation.
- Second distillation.
Goal selection
We begin to heat the cube. When the temperature in the cube approaches 75 degrees, we supply water to both coolers. Moreover, it is necessary to supply enough water to the reflux condenser so that the steam in it is completely condensed and does not enter the second cooler. Those. Nothing should flow into the receiving container.
This mode of work is called “self-employment.” It should last 25-30 minutes. During this time, the head fractions will concentrate in the tsarg.
Now, very carefully, we begin to reduce the water supply to the strengthening distiller until moonshine begins to drip from the second cooler at a rate of 2-3 drops per second. It is worth noting that the response time of the column to changes in water supply is quite long.
Therefore, it is necessary to pause between changes in the incoming parameters - slightly reduce the water and wait 30 seconds. Then look at the result and, if necessary, reduce it further. Or they added.
And so, at a speed of 2-3 drops per second, we select the heads. They are usually selected based on smell, but if your moonshine brewing experience does not yet allow you to do this, then use the standard proportion - 50 ml for every kilogram of sugar in the mash.
When we run out of heads, we change the container and begin selecting the body.
Body selection
Slowly reduce the water supply to the reflux condenser. The moonshine starts to come out faster. The less water you supply, the faster the process begins. But at the same time, the strength and purity of the distillate decreases.
Here, choose for yourself - either faster at the expense of the degree of purification and degree, or stronger and cleaner, but longer.
A compromise solution, in my opinion, is the speed at which the moonshine flows in a thin stream.
Now it’s time to pay attention to the thermometer installed above the film column. At this moment, a certain temperature should be recorded on it. I can’t say which one you will have, because... it depends on the strength of your raw alcohol poured into the device.
But here's what you need to remember. If you have chosen the correct selection mode, then the temperature should remain at this level. If it grows, even very slowly (by 1-1.5 degrees), but constantly, then we are supplying too much heat and the moonshine is of poor quality. Therefore, we either increase the water supply or reduce the heating.
Now that we have adjusted the column and a stream of strong moonshine flows from the second direct flow, and the temperature of the alcohol-containing steam leaving the column is constant (fluctuates between 0.1-0.2 degrees), we select the body.
But after some time, the temperature still begins to increase - all because there is less alcohol in the cube. Then it is necessary to slightly increase the amount of water supplied to the reflux condenser. The temperature will return to its previous value, but the amount of moonshine coming out will decrease.
In this mode we select the body down to the tails. Experienced moonshiners will be prompted by their own nose. For beginners, I recommend moving on to tailings selection when the temperature in the cube (in the cube, not above the column!) rises to 93ºC.
Tailings selection
If you are engaged in the selection of tailings, then simply turn off the water supply to the reflux condenser and squeeze out the residues as in normal distillation. Just in case, let me remind you that we collect the tails in a separate container.
Update: In February, I purchased my own film column HD/4-2500 PC produced by Samogon and Vodka. It has been slightly modified compared to the factory design - the reflux condenser has been insulated and needle valves have been installed to regulate the water supply.
General impression and conclusions
I liked working on the film column. And the resulting product was also to my taste.
Let me list the advantages that I noted
- The heads come concentrated, with a pungent odor. The line where they end and the body begins is clearly noticeable. It's the same with tails. Therefore, you can clearly divide the moonshine into fractions and get a very high-quality product.
- The strength of the distillate reaches 80-90%. Of course, you won’t get alcohol; this requires more serious equipment, but we didn’t set that goal either.
- Fruit and berry mash do not lose their taste and aroma.
- Sugar moonshine it turns out softer and more pleasant to the taste
- Simplicity of design, relatively low price and ease of use.
In general, I drew conclusions for myself - for sugar moonshine, a mash column is required. And very desirable for fruit and berry production.
Such equipment allows us to produce a product of very high quality. Personally, I have already decided that I will order myself such a column. True, after the New Year holidays, when the family budget is restored.
Update: I finally bought the column in February. Her photo is in the previous section.
Bye everyone.
The mash column is a recent invention used at home for distilling alcohol from any kind. This simple device has gained popularity among summer residents and owners of country gardens who use substandard fruits to prepare mash.
Home distillation has undergone a significant evolution in a relatively short time, moving from an ancient coil to a continuous column, which, according to its operating principle, is a simplified (home) version of a factory distillation column. What is a mash column and what is the principle of its operation?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this device? Is it possible to make it yourself at home or is it easier to buy a ready-made one? Let's try to figure it out.
A mash column is a device designed for distilling alcohol from any type of mash and equipped with a reflux condenser - a device for partial condensation of the vapor of various liquids that arise during the distillation process.
The reflux condenser separates the vapors leaving the column into separate fractions, returning heavy condensate for further separation of alcohol from high-boiling organic compounds of the fermentation solution (fusel oils).
A continuous column retains the same distillation stages as a conventional moonshine still equipped with a steamer: evaporation plus condensation. The difference lies in the principle of evaporation, which provides high-quality purification of the final product.
The continuous mash column, in accordance with the principle of operation, has a simple structure. It consists of the following key elements:
- containers (tank, container, cube) for fermentation solution, having three threaded holes for installing a thermometer, outlet tube and safety valve;
- columns made of copper pipe or stainless steel;
- a reflux condenser, which is mounted at the top of the column;
- nozzle for connecting to a condenser of any design (coil, shell cooler, etc.);
- two thermometers, one of which is mounted at the top of the column, the second shows the temperature in the fermentation liquid container.
Various design modifications of this device may contain: silicone gaskets, clamp joints, adapter couplings of different diameters and bushings. The entire set of elements is usually given in the drawing specification.
Operating principle of a continuous mash column
Before starting the process, it is necessary to install a column with a distillation tank using clamp fasteners. Place the cube on a heat source (electric stove, gas stove, etc.).
As the solution heats up, alcohol-containing vapors from the tank rise into the condenser, where they partially condense, settling on the walls of the refrigerator. The rest of the steam continues to move upward.
The first cooler is called partial precisely because it only partially condenses the steam. The settled liquid is called “reflux”, and the cooler, accordingly, is called a “reflux condenser”.
The reflux flows down the walls of the reflux condenser back into the tank, encountering uncooled steam on its way and breaking up into three types of fractions: head, main and tail.
The head fraction (head), including aldehydes, esters and other light substances, is cut off at low temperature at the initial stage. Then it comes to the main fractions (body), containing the alcohol itself, and at the very end of the process, the tail (tails) compounds from fusel oils and other heavy impurities are removed.
During the heating process, condensate fills the walls of the column, reaching the reflux condenser. This happens when the thermometer on the upper cooler shows 51 - 55 degrees.
At this stage, the vapors of light fractions complete condensation and are removed into a special container. This is a poisonous solution and is not used for further distillation. On average, 20 liters of moonshine yield one liter of head fractions.
As the tank heats up, the temperature at the reflux condenser reaches 77 degrees. This is exactly how it should remain during the entire distillation process. During this period, the main fractions—the alcohol itself—are separated from the fermentation vapors.
Fifteen minutes before the end of work, it is necessary to raise the temperature at the upper cooler to 81 - 83 degrees in order to collect “tails” - impurities of fusel oils and other heavy compounds, which are subsequently sent for the second distillation.
The operating temperature of the device is regulated by the top tap at the cooler inlet and the heat source regulator.
Did you know? The standard technological description of the distillation process looks like this: alcohol vapor rising to the reflux condenser continuously reacts with reflux flowing towards it. A heat exchange reaction occurs. Steam takes away the light, low-boiling fractions from the phlegm and leaves it with high-boiling heavy compounds (fusel oils and water). The product of this long reaction becomes alcohol with a strength of 88 - 90 degrees.
The quality of the output alcohol (purity of moonshine) is achieved by temperature control, which helps to separate the head and tail fractions of alcohol-containing vapor from the final product.
Important! For novice moonshiners, it is necessary to remember: during the distillation process, under no circumstances should the mash be allowed to boil. The temperature in the tank should not rise above 87 - 89 degrees;
Pros and cons of the distillation process in a mash column
pros
- Simplicity of the distillation process: the device will work until the fermentation solution in the cube runs out and the water in the steam generator disappears.
- Good quality of the final product. The short distillation time does not allow the yeast membranes to “explode” and introduce a fusel smell into the alcohol.
- The reflux condenser makes it possible to almost completely remove heavy tailings, sending fusel oils to the tank for new distillation.
- There is no need for additional operation: pour the mash into the cube and then pour it out. —The mash container is placed on the stove, then after work, the remaining solution is disposed of in household waste.
- Economical use of water for cooling. During the distillation process, it is recommended that the fermentation solution be preheated, so that water is needed only to cool the product and for nothing else.
- For continuous operation of the device there is no need for automatic and semi-automatic control regulators. When supplying mash and heat, the device will operate stably in the specified mode throughout the distillation period.
Minuses
- The device can only work with liquid mash made from sugar, flour solutions and “fruit mash.” Malt types of mash must be passed through a filter.
- Frequent breakdowns of the tubular electric heater. Due to the large volumes of mash, there is a danger of it being exposed. This requires constant monitoring of the solution level in the tank.
- Foamy mash cannot be used for distillation, since the foam is often thrown into the main fractions, which requires additional purification of the final product. - You can remove foam from the mash only with the help of a special defoamer.
How to make a column with your own hands
If you have decided to make a continuous mash column with your own hands and are already mentally imagining the drawings of the future device with all the dimensions, you need to moderate your ardor and stop in time to answer the questions for yourself: how often will you use the device and what volumes of alcohol do you intend to receive at the output?
If you have a small summer cottage with two dozen fruit trees, then seasonal distillation will not require large expenses for making a simple continuous mash column with your own hands and according to your own drawings.
For a farm with a large orchard, you need a powerful machine with high productivity.
Finding drawings for making a continuous mash column with your own hands is not difficult. They are in specialized literature and on the pages of thematic sites on the Internet.
In order to get started, you need to purchase some equipment. Each drawing specification contains a complete list of what needs to be purchased.
In its most general form, the entire list looks something like this:
- container for fermentation solution and evaporator (volume is indicated in the specification of each specific drawing) – 2 pcs.;
- copper or stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 50 - 100 mm and a length of 1.5 - 2 meters - 2 pcs.;
- thermometers – 2 pcs.;
- silicone hoses (length is indicated in the specification of each specific drawing);
- assembled cooler or separate parts for it;
- clamp holder – 2 pcs.;
- couplings, fittings (quantity and dimensions in the specification);
- mesh filters and partitions (quantity and dimensions in the specification).
Did you know? It should be remembered that the cost of making a device with your own hands is not without common sense only if you have plumbing skills, as well as general engineering knowledge in the field of heating and electrical engineering.
However, if you wish, you can overcome the difficulties and make the device yourself to get a quality drink that will truly be yours: from your harvest to your equipment.
After drawing up the drawings and purchasing the components, the work on manufacturing the device can be divided into the following stages:
- Preparation of the column itself from a pipe (copper or stainless steel), the height of which must correspond to the dimensions of 50 diameters. Drill a hole for the column in the fermentation tank and prepare an outlet for clamp mounting. Then drill another hole in the tank for the thermometer and mount everything into a single system.
- Manufacturing of a reflux condenser. You need to take four copper tubes of sizes 20, 12, 6 and 3 centimeters, five couplings with a transition to internal threads. Then twist the coil on which you need to wind an aluminum wire to make the refrigerator more efficient and make a cover for the reflux condenser. This can be an ordinary polyethylene lid for a jar, into which you need to melt a nylon sleeve in order to tighten the holder nut during installation. Mount the dephlegmator as a separate unit and only then connect it to the column.
- Hole. You need to drill a hole in the column for the second thermometer, which should be located in front of the reflux condenser.
- Assembly and installation of a refrigerator-condenser with a tap for water inlet and outlet. Install the tap using silicone gaskets as a single block and then attach it to the column through an adapter.
Listed here are the most necessary operations for the manufacture, installation and assembly of a mash column. However, many craftsmen are trying to improve the device. They include two, three and four dephlegmators in the general distillation system, install automatic relays for supplying water to the condenser cooler, and much more. Everyone decides for himself which device he needs.
No one on Earth knows exactly who, where and when was the first to try to distill alcohol from a fermented food product. The custom of moonshine goes back to ancient times. And now mash columns or a moonshine still can be freely purchased in retail chains.
There are dozens of varieties of moonshine stills on the market. The principle of their operation is no different from the operation of a rectifier, only they are much simpler and strengthen the strength of the original product. Technically a column The brewhouse looks like a piece of stainless steel or copper pipe with coolers. From 25 mm to 50 mm in diameter. You can install the device yourself. Therefore, some craftsmen construct the mash column themselves.
Types of mash columns
There are two types of moonshine stills:
- Attachments.
- Nozzleless.
The nozzle column is the very first and simplest moonshine still. A copper steam steamer is installed on the “cube” with mash. Due to the high thermal conductivity of copper, some of the steam condenses on the surface of the steam tank and returns to the “cube”. This helps strengthen the final product. A column with a water reflux condenser is a modern and perfect version of a packless column. A reflux condenser is a device, also called a settling tank, that separates fusel oils and other impurities. With some distillation skills you can get a quality product.
Packed column
Columns of this type come in three types:
- Disc-shaped.
- Attachments.
- Continuous mash columns.
Disc column used to obtain a high quality product. Its peculiarity: low ability to separate raw material vapors, which is why the taste of the original material is preserved.
In classical columns, packings mainly use the RPN type (regular Panchenko packing). There are options using SPN type nozzles (spiral - prismatic nozzle). These attachments are wire windings. The wire can be made of stainless steel, copper or another metal.
A continuous mash column can only be classified as a mash column conditionally. In essence, this is the same disc-shaped one. Only mash is served from the fermentation tank using a pump.
BC industrial production
Today there are many options for moonshine stills on sale. One of them is the Rectify mash column. This is a compact distiller that strengthens the mash. With its help, a distillate with the aroma of the raw materials is obtained. The required strength is obtained by adjusting the cold water tap. The column itself consists of a reflux condenser, an on-load tap-changer and a cooler. "Rectify" operates in two modes. Like a simple moonshine still and as a rectifier. The kit consists of a digital thermometer, the mash column itself, a dephlegmator tap and a silicone hose.
In addition to the described moonshine still, there are other brands on sale, such as the mash column “Malyutka”, the BC (the mash column) “Buran”, the BC “Bogatyr” and others. The simplest one is the small mash column.
Preparing to design a moonshine still
First you need to draw a drawing or a simple diagram of the future product. There should be a place for a thermometer. A mash column or a good moonshine still must be of a certain height. This height should be approximately fifty centimeters. Each moonshiner himself determines the strength of the future product. But in any case, experts It is recommended to make the device at least thirty centimeters high.
You need to decide on the number of reflux condensers. Experts recommend mounting three such elements. A mandatory element of moonshine stills is a condenser-cooler. It is responsible for cooling and condensing the steam rising from the tank. To regulate the cooling of the reflux condenser, a source of running water is needed. It must be taken into account that the coolant must be supplied to each reflux condenser and refrigerators separately. Flexible tubes for supplying and discharging water, as well as the condensed finished product, should only be made of silicone.
Each master can contribute your know-how. The main condition here is that all design improvements should improve the quality of the product, and not vice versa.
Manufacturing a column with a reflux condenser equipped with a “jacket”
A continuous mash column is made with a jacket reflux condenser. Here you will need four copper tubes. Their length should be 20 centimeters, 10 centimeters, 5 centimeters and 3 centimeters. The diameter of the tubes from the brake system of the original Zhiguli will fit. You will need five two-raster adapters. But depending on the inventor’s decision, more may be required. Five pieces is the smallest number. Adapters for internal threads will be required.
First, a spiral is made with an outlet for removal from the device body. An aluminum wire must be wound onto the resulting spiral to increase the efficiency of the coil.
Then the cover of the device is made. A regular plastic jar lid will do. Only with a brass coupling fused into it and a tightened nut.
The manufacturer of the moonshine still independently chooses the method of heating the “cube”. You can heat the starting material on a gas or electric stove. Some moonshiners prefer that the container with raw materials be independently heated. To do this, the heating element is mounted in the container itself. . A regular electric boiler will do.. The built-in boiler should not reach the bottom of the “cube”. The hole for the boiler cord must be well sealed.
Possibility of deviation from requirements
When assembling a mash column with your own hands, it is not always possible to adhere to the basic requirements for their manufacture. It happens that it is not possible to install controlled dephlegmators. There are also industrial options in which the reflux condenser is uncontrollable. These are mash columns “Malyutka”. In this case, handling has become a victim of compactness. In it, the reflux condenser and condenser are mounted together in one cylinder and are cooled by running water from a common water main. Such a column does not provide a high-strength product. Maximum fifty degrees.
For most moonshiners, the best mash column is Rectify. To make a device with your own hands, many recommend simply copying this design and using stainless steel materials. Use clamp gaskets on all threaded connections. A clamp is a connecting part that is used only in dairy, food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The connections are reliable and tight.
Conclusion
A lover of home-produced strong drinks will decide for himself which device to use: buy an industrial one or his own assembly. But it may also be that a neighbor in a garage cooperative is constructing a moonshine still that is in no way inferior to an industrial one, but much cheaper in price. And he can make it in any configuration which is required by the customer.
To make a strong alcoholic drink at home, you usually need two things.
- Choose and prepare it correctly.
- Have a reliable and efficient moonshine still to distill the resulting mash.
A distiller such as a mash column, in terms of the quality and purity of the resulting product, is between a steamer and a distillation column. The drink turns out cleaner and stronger than with the “classic” one, but the absolute purity of rectified alcohol cannot be achieved with a simple mash column. The maximum strength of the distillate obtained on a film (mash) column is 90-95 degrees. But this is more than enough even for cooking r.
How is the mash column constructed?
The mash (or film) column is a hollow vertical tube with a diameter (d) of 25-50 mm and a height of 30*d, the upper part of which is necessarily equipped with a cooling “jacket” - a reflux condenser. It is usually mounted in the top quarter of the column. It is thanks to the dephlegmator in the column that it is possible to create the desired temperature regime and regulate it carefully.
The basic structure of the mash column is shown in the figure:
Hot vapors rising from the distillation cube partially condense on the walls of the column. Heat and mass transfer also occurs here: the liquid (condensate) is saturated with high-boiling impurities from the rising vapors, and the vapors themselves are saturated with low-boiling substances, evaporating them from the liquid. The liquid, called phlegm, flows like a film back into the distillation cube. Hence the name - film column.
The thermometer at the top of the column must be calibrated, because it controls the distillation temperature to a greater extent.
Main types of mash columns
As such, there are only two types of mash columns: a regular mash column, described above, and a continuous mash column. If there are nozzles and fillers inside the column, then it can already be considered rectifying, and it cannot be called mash.
How is a continuous type mash column constructed? Its design differs significantly from a conventional film column, because the key word here is continuous.
This column is designed for continuous distillation of large volumes of mash (from 100-120 l). In this case, the mash should not have small particles, should not be very thick and foamy, and should be uniform in composition. This is important because mash is supplied to a continuous column from above with a constant flow through a pump. And heat and mass transfer occurs on special contact plates. The mash travels the entire way from top to bottom in 12-15 seconds, so high-boiling impurities simply do not have time to evaporate, while alcohol at the desired temperature evaporates almost instantly, carried away into the selection by water vapor.
This technology is well applicable in industry, but it is not easy to implement at home: you need a special pump and volumes of mash that are astronomical by home standards. NBKs are mentioned quite rarely, since they are rarely used in everyday life, and there are only a few models for home use.