Plumbing

Brazhnaya column baby do-it-yourself drawings. Making a mash column with your own hands

At the end of November 2010, I went to the site homedistiller.ru I was carried away by the topic of home brewing, read, looked, became interested in how masters of intoxicating crafts make interesting models of moonshine stills, distillation columns with their own hands, ... Together with them, I analyzed the principle of operation of one of the operating devices, considering its image in photographs, in a specially dedicated forum thread http://homedistiller.ru/forum/index.php?topic=13314.0 It so happened that while looking at one photo in the imagination of the members of the forum, various assumptions and new schemes arose. One of them I liked so much that I wanted to bring it to life. Compactness, ease of manufacture and minimum prices for components - all these factors further contributed to the manufacture of a new model of moonshine. Thus, I became obsessed with this idea and began my journey of making interesting product. I had to pick up and buy everything necessary materials in stores, starting from the lower part - a stainless steel tank and ending with the upper part of the device - a glass jar of a steamer. And so, the day came when I assembled the model according to the scheme and tested it on water distillation. The first results were negative. It was necessary to analyze several options to resolve the issues that arose. And this path was overcome by me together with the forum participants. Thanks to my forum friends, I managed to improve the product, bring it to working condition, improving the performance of my device with each test. In addition to the creative work done, I learned new technologies for the manufacture of various alcoholic beverages. That's how my little one was born alcohol mashine, which was named the author of the scheme, a forum member by the nickname MOUNTAIN - the beer column Malyutka. The last two runs of the mash and one run of diluted moonshine were more than successful. The strength of the resulting moonshine can be adjusted depending on the speed of distillation. At a low speed, keeping the temperature in the steamer at 78 degrees Celsius, we get the strength of moonshine - 94 degrees; at a higher distillation speed, we get moonshine with an average strength of 75 degrees. The distillate is wonderful in every way. Chemical composition, three samples, obtained in the chemical laboratory of St. Petersburg, confirms the quality of the product. The results of chemical analyzes are summarized in a table and published, - answer 594, at: http://www.homedistiller.ru/forum/index.php?topic=13314.580 Now everyone can assemble the Malyutka beer column with their own hands. The assembly sequence is described in detail at: http://forum.homedistiller.ru/index.php?topic=13314.640 I express my deep gratitude to everyone who helped me make my device.

The beer column is a recent invention used at home to distill alcohol from any. This simple device has gained popularity among summer residents and owners of suburban garden plots who use substandard fruits to make mash.

Home distillation has undergone a significant evolution in a relatively short time, having gone from an ancient serpentine to a continuous column, which, according to the principle of operation, is a simplified (home) version of the factory distillation column. What is a beer column and what is the principle of its operation?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this device? Is it possible to make it with your own hands at home or is it easier to buy ready-made? Let's try to figure it out.

A beer column is an apparatus designed for the distillation of alcohol from any kind of mash and equipped with a reflux condenser - a device for partial condensation of vapor of various liquids that occur during the distillation process.

The reflux condenser separates the vapor 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).

Column continuous action retains the same distillation steps as a conventional moonshine still equipped with a “dry steamer”: evaporation plus condensation. The difference lies in the principle of evaporation, which gives high-quality cleaning of the final product.

Continuous beer column, in accordance with the principle of operation, has simple design. 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 from copper pipe or stainless steel;
reflux condenser, which is attached to the top of the column;
branch pipe for connection with a condenser of any design (coil, shell cooler, etc.);
two thermometers, one of which is attached to the top of the column, the second indicates the temperature in the container for the fermentation liquid.

Various constructive modifications of this device may contain: silicone gaskets, clamps of clap joints, adapter sleeves of different diameters and bushings. The entire set of elements is usually given in the drawing specification.

The principle of operation of a continuous mash column

Before starting the process, it is necessary to mount the column with the distillation tank using clamp fasteners for this. Put the cube on a heat source (electric stove, gas stove, etc.).

As the solution heats up, alcohol-containing vapors from the tank rise to the condenser, where they are partially condensed, settling on the walls of the refrigerator. The rest of the pair continues to move up.

The first cooler is called a partial cooler precisely because it only partially condenses the steam. The settled liquid is called "phlegm", and the cooler, respectively, is called "reflux condenser".

Phlegm 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 a low temperature at the initial stage. Then comes the turn to the main fractions (body) containing the actual alcohol, and at the very end of the process, tail (tails) compounds are removed from fusel oils and other heavy impurities.

In the process of heating, the condensate fills the walls of the column, reaching the dephlegmator. This happens when the thermometer on the upper cooler shows 51 - 55 degrees.

At this stage, the pairs of light fractions complete the condensation and are removed into a special container. This is a poisonous solution that is not used for further distillation. For 20 liters of moonshine, on average, one liter of head fractions comes out.

As the tank heats up, the temperature on the dephlegmator reaches 77 degrees. This is how it should be kept during the entire distillation process. During this period, the main fractions are separated from the fermentation vapors - the alcohol itself.

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 a second distillation.

The temperature mode of operation of the device is regulated by the upper valve 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 phlegm flowing towards it. A heat exchange reaction takes place. Steam takes light, low-boiling fractions from phlegm and leaves high-boiling heavy compounds ( fusel oils and water). The product of this long reaction is alcohol with a strength of 88 - 90 degrees.

The quality of the alcohol at the outlet (purity of moonshine) is achieved by temperature control, which helps to cut off the head and tail fractions of the alcohol-containing steam from the final product.

Important! For beginner moonshiners, you need to remember: during the distillation process, in no case should the mash be allowed to boil. The temperature in the tank should not rise above 87 - 89 degrees;

Pros and Cons of the Beer Distillation Process

pros

The simplicity of the distillation process: the device will work until the fermentation solution runs out in the cube and the water in the steam generator disappears.
Good quality end product. A short distillation time prevents the yeast membranes from "exploding" and introducing a fusel smell into the alcohol.
The reflux condenser makes it possible to almost completely remove heavy tail fractions, sending fusel oils to the tank for a new distillation.
No additional operation is needed: pour the mash into a cube, and then pour it out. - The container for the mash - is placed on the stove, then after work, the remains of the solution are disposed of in household waste.
Economical use of water for cooling. During the distillation process, it is advised to preheat the fermentation solution, so water is only needed to cool the product and nothing else.
For continuous operation of the device, automatic and semi-automatic control regulators are not needed. The device, when supplying mash and heat, will work stably in the specified mode for the entire period of distillation.

Minuses

The device can only work with liquid mash from sugar, flour solutions and “fruit mash”. Malt types of mash must be passed through the filter.
Frequent breakdowns of the tubular electric heater. Due to the large volumes of mash, there is a danger of its exposure. This requires constant monitoring of the solution level in the tank.
Foamy mash cannot be used for distillation, since foam is often thrown into the main fractions, which requires additional purification of the final product. -Remove the foam from the mash - you can only use a special defoamer.

How to make a column with your own hands

If you have decided to make a continuous brew column with your own hands and already mentally imagine the drawings of the future device with all sizes, 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 get at the output?

If you have a small country cottage area with two dozen fruit trees, then seasonal distillation will not require large expenditures for the manufacture of a simple continuous beer column with your own hands and according to your own drawings.

For a farm where there is a large Orchard, you need a powerful device with high performance.

Finding drawings for the manufacture of a continuous mash column with your own hands is not difficult. They are in the specialized literature and on the pages of thematic sites on the net.

In order to get started, you need to purchase some equipment. In the specification of each drawing there is a complete list of what you need to buy.

In its most general form, the entire list looks something like this:

container for fermentation solution and evaporator (the 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 (the length is indicated in the specification of each specific drawing);
prefabricated 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 the device with your own hands is not without common sense only when you have locksmith skills, as well as general engineering knowledge in the field of heat and electrical engineering.

However, if you wish, you can overcome the difficulties and make the device yourself in order to get a quality drink that will be truly yours: from your crop 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 the clamp. Then drill another hole for the thermometer in the tank and mount everything into a single system.
Deflector manufacturing. You need to take four copper tubes with sizes of 20, 12, 6 and 3 centimeters, five couplings with a transition to an internal thread. Then twist the coil, on which you want to wind the aluminum wire for greater efficiency of the refrigerator and make a cover for the dephlegmator. It can be an ordinary polyethylene lid for a jar, where it is necessary to melt a nylon sleeve in order to tighten the holder nut during installation. Mount the reflux condenser as a separate assembly 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 in front of the dephlegmator.
Assembly and installation of a refrigerator-condenser with a tap for supplying and discharging water. The crane is to be mounted using silicone gaskets as a single block and then connected through an adapter to the column.

Here are listed the most necessary operations for the manufacture, installation and assembly of the beer column. However, many craftsmen are trying to improve the device. They include two, three and four reflux condensers in the general distillation system, install automatic relays for supplying water to the condenser cooler, and much more. Everyone decides for himself what kind of device he needs.

When there is a desire to make a quality spirit drink, the question often arises of choosing the installation that is most suitable for this. Everyone can be guided by a variety of tips from experienced moonshiners or independently familiarize themselves with the existing rating of available devices. A reasonable decision will always be an individual determination of the priority qualities of alcohol, its technical and financial capabilities and the required volume of precious liquid at the outlet. Almost all the requirements that arise in the process of creating a drink will be fulfilled by a good moonshine still with a mash or distillation column.

How is the beer column designed in the moonshine still?

The beer column consists of two parts - a dephlegmator and a condenser. Each part has its own refrigerators that work autonomously and can be regulated. Fine adjustment on the dephlegmator cooler is especially important. In self-made columns, it is possible to install a regulator valve from the heating battery on the inlet water pipe. It allows you to achieve quite acceptable results.

Dephlegmator

It is a vertical segment of a tube with a diameter of at least 22 mm and a length of 65-80 cm. In any case, the height must be 30 or more times greater than the inner diameter. At a lower height, the column will work, but the effect of its use will not affect the quality of the product. Do not get carried away with too high a height - the inertia of the apparatus and, consequently, energy costs will increase. The maximum d/l ratio should not exceed 45.

The dephlegmator is equipped with a refrigerator (in the upper part). This can be a coil wound on a column, a built-in coil or a water jacket (which is technologically more complicated and is available only on industrial-made devices). The column is installed on the distillation cube strictly vertically. The upper part of the pipe is connected to the condenser, its structure will be discussed below.

In the upper part of the column (side wall) it is necessary to provide a socket for a thermometer. This is a mandatory attribute, without which it is impossible to work with the mash column.

Like a distillation column, the beer column works on the principle of heat and mass transfer between the flowing phlegm and hot vapors rising from the cube. Similar processes take place in the distillation column, but in the beer column they are simplified as much as possible - there are no fillers, plates, nozzles, etc. Phlegm flows down the walls, the so-called film heat and mass transfer occurs.

In translation, this means that chilled to certain temperature phlegm flows down, heats up with vapor along the way, alcohol additionally evaporates from it and continues to move to the condenser, while high-boiling fractions remain liquid and flow into the cube.

Such a system assumes that the walls of the column will be cold enough that the phlegm will not re-evaporate. Therefore, unlike rectifiers, the column should not be insulated.

Capacitor

Nothing different from a distiller. Any design may be used. Steam enters the coil already cleaned of fusel oils and the installation of a steamer will not give any result.

How the mash column works

Steam from the distillation cube enters the beer column and gradually fills it. When the temperature reaches 50-55 C (on a cube), the refrigerator of the reflux condenser is turned on. Vapors condense on the walls of the column and flow down. Along the way, they come into contact with steam, and light-boiling fractions rise up, entering the condenser through the steam pipeline. The selection of heads begins.

Upon reaching T=72 C (at the top of the column), the selection of heads is stopped and a vessel for the main product is placed under the branch pipe. The selection of heads and the main distillation take place at a minimum level of heating and constant adjustment of the water flow in the dephlegmator.

The condenser refrigerator does not need to be adjusted. On the cube, the maximum temperature should not exceed 95 C. With rapid boiling, the column simply cannot cope with the separation of fractions and will turn into a conventional distiller.

What's better?

The beer column has a number of undeniable advantages:

a high level of alcohol purification (lower than that of a distillation column, but an order of magnitude higher than a dry steamer);
relative simplicity of design (no more complicated than a distiller);
convenient in operation.

In terms of energy consumption per unit of production, both types of devices are approximately equal, as well as in terms of the cost of materials for self-manufacturing.

If you found a beer column in online stores, you can safely buy it. But only if its price is not much higher than the distiller. A reasonable difference is 10-15%. Many manufacturers offer mash columns twice as expensive. This is economically and technologically unjustified. It's easier to do it yourself.

The distillation process on the beer column will be interesting for both beginners and experienced moonshiners, allowing you to get a good product without much difficulty.

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 home brewing goes back to ancient times. And now the beer columns or moonshine can be freely bought in retail chains.

There are dozens of varieties of moonshine stills on the market. The principle of their work does not differ from the work of a rectifier, only they are much simpler and strengthen the strength of the original product. Technically column the wash has the form of a piece of stainless steel or copper pipe with coolers. From 25 mm to 50 mm in diameter. The device can be mounted by hand. Therefore, some artisans construct the bast column themselves.

Varieties of mash columns

Moonshine stills are of two types:

Packed.
Headless.

A beznasadochny column is the very first and simple moonshine still. A copper sukhoparnik is installed on the "cube" with mash. Due to the high thermal conductivity of copper, part of the steam condenses on the surface of the steamer and returns to the "cube". This helps to strengthen the final product. The column with a water reflux condenser is a modern and perfect version of a non-packed column. A dephlegmator is a device, which is also called a sump, which separates fusel oils and other impurities. With some distillation skills, you can get a quality product.

packed column

Columns of this type are of three types:

Disc-shaped.
Packed.
Continuous mash columns.

plate column used to obtain a high quality product. Its peculiarity: low ability to separate vapors of raw materials, which preserves the taste of the source material.

In classical packing columns, the tap-changer type (regular Panchenko packing) is mainly used. There are options with the use of nozzles of the SPN type (spiral - prismatic nozzle). These nozzles are wire windings. The wire can be stainless steel, copper or another metal.

A continuous mash column can be attributed to mash only conditionally. In fact, this is the same dish. Only mash is served from the fermentation tank with a pump.

BC industrial production

Today on sale there are many options for moonshine stills. One of them is the beer column "Rectifay". This is a compact distiller that strengthens the mash. With its help, a distillate is obtained with the aroma of the raw material itself. The required strength is obtained by adjusting the tap for supplying cold water. The column itself consists of a dephlegmator, an on-load tap changer and a cooler. Rectify works in two modes. Like a simple moonshine still and as a rectifier. The set consists of a digital thermometer, the mash column itself, a reflux faucet and a silicone hose.

In addition to the moonshine still described, there are other brands on sale, such as the Malyutka beer column, BK (brew column) Buran, Bogatyr BK and others. The simplest is the baby column.

Preparation for the design of moonshine

First you need to draw a drawing or a simple diagram of the future product. There must be a place for a thermometer. The wash column or a good moonshine should be of a certain height. This height should be about fifty centimeters. Each moonshiner himself determines the strength of the future product. But in any case, experts It is recommended to make the device not less than thirty centimeters high.

It is necessary to determine the number of dephlegmators. 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 dephlegmator, a source of running water is needed. It should be noted that the coolant must be supplied to each dephlegmator and refrigerators separately. Flexible tubes for supplying and discharging water, as well as condensed finished product, must be only silicone.

Each master can contribute its know-how. The main condition here is that all design improvements should affect the quality of the product, not vice versa.

Manufacture of a column with a reflux condenser equipped with a "jacket"

The continuous mash column is made with a jacketed reflux condenser. This will require four copper tubes. Their length should be 20 centimeters, 10 centimeters, 5 centimeters and 3 centimeters. They will fit the diameter of the tube from the brake system of the native Zhiguli. You will need five two-raster adapter sleeves. But, depending on the inventor's decision, more may be required. Five pieces is the smallest number. Requires female adapters.

To begin with, a spiral is made with a release for withdrawal from the body of the apparatus. An aluminum wire must be wound on the resulting spiral to increase the efficiency of the coil.

Then the cover of the device is made. An ordinary polyethylene lid for jars will do. Only with a brass sleeve fused into it and a tightened nut.

The manufacturer of the moonshine still chooses the method of heating the "cube" independently. You can heat the source material on gas or electric stove. Some moonshiners prefer the container with raw materials to have autonomous heating. To do this, the heating element is mounted in the tank itself. . Fits a regular electric kettle. The built-in boiler should not reach the bottom of the "cube". The hole for the boiler cord must be well sealed.

Deviation options

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 mount controlled dephlegmators. There are also industrial options in which the dephlegmator is uncontrollable. These are the “Baby” mash columns. In this case, handling has become a victim of compactness. In it, a dephlegmator and a 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. Fifty degrees maximum.

For most moonshiners, the best beer column is Rectifay. To make the device with your own hands, many recommend simply copying this design and using stainless steel materials. Place gaskets from the clamp on all threaded connections. Clamp is a connecting piece that is used only in dairy, food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Connections are reliable and tight.

Conclusion

At its core, the beer column is a conventional reflux condenser, in which alcohol vapors are separated from high-boiling impurities (fuel fumes) with great efficiency. There is no significant increase in the yield of alcohol, an increase of 5-10% can be achieved, but is this due to the use of a beer column, or due to careful observance temperature regime. According to the effect of the action, the beer column is equal to the tandem sukhoparnik-bubbler.

Column design

Technically, the beer column is a piece of copper or stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 25-50 mm and a height equal to thirty times the diameter. Columns with a smaller ratio perform more decorative functions.

In the upper part of the column, approximately at a segment of 25% of the entire length, a primary refrigerator is mounted. It must cool the mash vapors to the point of condensation of heavy impurities and return the condensate back to the tank. The refrigerator can be made in the form of a built-in coil, an external coil in the form of a copper tube wound on a column, a water jacket.

In a do-it-yourself beer column, it is best to use the first two options. It is quite difficult to make a water jacket on your own, it is only available if you have industrial equipment and certain engineering knowledge and locksmith skills. The refrigerator scheme is selected based on specific conditions.

A little above the coil, a place is provided for installing a thermometer. In an apparatus with a beer column, there must be two thermometers - on the tank and on the top of the column. Moreover, they should work with the same accuracy, both electronic and bimetallic.

The presence on the market of numerous thermometers from the Celestial Empire does not guarantee that you will be able to buy two that show the same temperature in the same conditions. They'll have to be graded. This is done very simply and accessible to any student - 1 liter of water is poured into a bowl or pan and 1 kg of crushed ice is poured (it will have to be prepared in advance in the freezer of the refrigerator).

After 15-20 minutes, when the ice begins to slowly melt and about half of the previous amount remains, we immerse the thermometer sensors in this mixture. After two minutes, both thermometers should show 0 C. If the readings are different, then you at least know how much they diverge.

But the scaling doesn't end there. Boil water on the stove and immerse the thermometers in boiling water. The one that shows 100 C is working correctly. It should be used as the base one, and the error should be taken into account on the second one.

The upper part of the column is connected by a steam pipeline from a tube with a diameter of 8-10 mm to a refrigerator of a classical design, which is used in conventional distillers. In the beer column, alcohol vapors are purified, and their condensation occurs in the refrigerator.

Both coolers, on the column and on the condenser, operate independently of each other. In this case, the cooler on the column must be adjustable. It is convenient to do this by mounting a conventional faucet-regulator from a heating battery on its inlet (lower) pipe. Why it is needed will be discussed below.

Manufacturing materials

The tank of the apparatus with a mash column with your own hands is best made of stainless steel. A threaded or flanged fitting should be made in the cover for connection to the column. It is very convenient to use Klamp clamps. The connection is strong, the device is mounted and dismantled quickly and does not require the use of tools.

The column itself is made of copper or food grade stainless steel. You can use brass if you can find it suitable pipe. It is not recommended to insulate the mash column.

The refrigerator and steam lines are also made of copper or stainless steel. Of these materials, it is easy to manufacture coils and all types of connections. You can buy a copper tube of any diameter (or stainless steel) on the Internet or in a hardware store.

How does a film-type mash column work?

The principle of operation of the beer column is very similar to the operation of a rectifier, but in a somewhat simplified form. Vapors containing alcohol and associated liquids (aldehydes, ethers, fusel alcohol and other impurities) rise up the slowly warming column pipe and condense on the walls, flowing back into the tank. As it warms up, the height of the level of complete condensation becomes more and more until it reaches the refrigerator of the reflux condenser. This happens at a temperature on the upper refrigerator of about 50-56 C.

Condensate, phlegm, together with alcohol, flows down, and light-boiling vapors (heads) enter the refrigerator-condenser and are collected in a separate bowl. Before the start of the main distillation, from 10 liters of mash, you need to collect up to 0.5 liters of heads, an extremely poisonous liquid that is unsuitable either for re-distillation or for consumption.

Continuing heating the cube, we bring the temperature on the upper refrigerator to 76 C. It should be this way for almost the entire session, only at the end of distillation it can be raised by 2-4 degrees and the resulting liquid can be collected in a separate container. She will go to the re-distillation. The required temperature is maintained by means of a tap at the inlet of the refrigerator and a stove regulator or heating element.

In the column itself, the process of interaction between the liquid flowing down the walls of the pipe and the hot vapors rising from the evaporator takes place. The phlegm warms up, and the remaining alcohol evaporates from it, rising to the steam line of the refrigerator. The fusel remains in a liquid state and flows back into the tank.

All the interaction of hot vapor and phlegm occurs on the walls of the column, where the liquid forms a thin film moving down. Therefore, columns of this type are called film.

When distilling, do not allow the mash to boil. The temperature in the cube should not exceed 85-90 C.

A copper beer column is better than stainless steel due to the high thermal conductivity of copper. It better removes heat from the phlegm film and its condensation begins earlier, which allows you to reduce the height of the column without reducing performance. Copper tube and fittings provide reliable sealing with high strength and reliability of the entire structure.

Other types of brew columns

Often one comes across descriptions of columns with filler, prismatic nozzles and other devices that allegedly increase the efficiency of the column. This is not entirely true. Nozzles and filler are an attribute; they are not entirely appropriate in a brew.

It differs in design. In it, the mash is fed from above in a continuous stream and along the way interacts with water vapor rising from the bottom from the steam generator. The flowing mash along the way is divided into many streams by special plate devices and heated to the temperature of alcohol evaporation. The remaining liquids flow freely into the intake container.

Sivukha and other harmful liquids simply do not have time to evaporate. This principle of operation is very effective in the industrial production of alcohol, but it is difficult to implement in domestic conditions.

Among craftsmen for the manufacture of home-made moonshine, disputes have not subsided for a long time about how much beer columns are needed, and whether they justify the cost of acquiring them or making them on their own. Let's try to understand this issue.

Hardware Benefits

Unlike a distillation column, a continuous mash column operates at high speed, providing moonshine of very high strength (almost alcohol) at the outlet. It, like distillation, relieves the final product of fusel vapors.

Some disadvantages

What is a disadvantage for some is an advantage for others. However, before purchasing or making such a device (preferably from copper with your own hands), you should know something.

For the usual practice of home brewing (from time to time, in small batches), it is not suitable, since the product intended for processing (mash), the mash column requires at least 70 liters, and even better - 100-120.
Costs are necessary - either monetary or labor in order to have such a device.
The need for accurate and correct regulation of temperature, water flow, etc. it is best to entrust the electronics, which in other cases causes difficulties.

If funds allow, it is best to purchase a ready-made column that provides continuous action, equipped with electronic control. This will eliminate additional adjustments and initial errors.

How it works

Let's consider the principle of operation of the beer column so that you can finally understand: do you want such equipment for yourself?

Braga is supplied to the heat receiver (upper part of the column pipe) using a pump.
While in the column, it begins to interact with water vapor heated to almost 100°C in countercurrent mode.
Heat exchange occurs: alcohol evaporates, other components of the mash, which have a high boiling point, flow down and are removed.
On jumpers made of mesh material, located horizontally, focal bubbling occurs. Because of this, the percentage of alcohol in the vapor increases. This is what determines the high strength of the resulting moonshine.
Unnecessary components (fuel fumes) are removed from the mash in a column with liquid selection, at a temperature below 76°C. The temperature must be regulated using the speed at which the mash is supplied, as well as its temperature.

The moonshine obtained in the beer column no longer needs to be selected for either heads or tails - the final product is strong and clean from unnecessary impurities.

Design features

According to the device, the continuous mash column simultaneously resembles a distiller and a rectifier. Comprises:

dephlegmator - a part that takes care of getting rid of moonshine from fusel fumes;
distiller - in fact, a distillation device;
refrigerator - common or separate for the reflux condenser, and for the distiller;
a pump feeding the mash into the column;
thermometers, and even better - temperature sensors.

Handmade production

In order for a do-it-yourself continuous mash column to be not just operational, but its operation to be trouble-free, you need to take into account many nuances, including frequency of use and production volumes.

You can see a drawing of the popular beer column Malyutka. It's not that hard to implement. The name itself already speaks of its compact size. However, it is worth knowing that "compact" does not mean low.

The height of the column should not be lower than 1.5 meters, preferably about 2 meters. With a lower design, it will not provide a high-quality selection of alcohol vapor, and a significant amount of it will go to waste.

A feature of the Baby is that the condenser with the reflux condenser are located in the same refrigerator, that is, the container with running water is the same for them. This, of course, saves costs and partly - materials.

However, this design has a drawback - it is quite difficult to regulate the reflux process, and you may be dissatisfied with the quality and strength of moonshine. Of course, you can get medium quality alcohol, but you want to be known as a true master of a quality product.

This will help the beer column of Maris, or as it is also called - Modernized. Refrigerators in it for the reflux condenser and distiller are separated, and it makes it possible, with proper adjustment, to obtain rectified alcohol, free from unnecessary impurities, with a strength of up to 97%.

Necessary materials

Familiarize yourself with the diagrams for self-manufacturing before starting work, it is necessary to purchase devices and materials. You will need:

container for mash with a capacity of 100 to 200 liters;
one - two containers for arranging refrigerators, depending on the chosen design or materials that allow you to make it yourself;
a pipe with a diameter of at least 50 and not more than 100 mm made of stainless steel or copper with a height of 1.5 to 2 meters;
mash pump;
to control the beer column, a voltage regulator of the LATR type is needed;
thermometers (2 pcs.);
heating element (if provided);
fitting, according to the drawing;
screen partitions-filters;
silicone hoses.

Naturally, in order for manufacturing to be possible, you must also have tools and fixtures for installation.

Now you have learned what a beer column is, and how to use it to get moonshine with excellent (let's be honest - unthinkable with other methods) indicators of strength and purity. Easy to manufacture and enjoy using!

No one on Earth knows for sure who, where and when was the first to try to distill from fermented food product alcohol. The custom of home brewing goes back to ancient times. And now the beer columns or moonshine can be freely bought in retail chains.

Varieties of mash columns

Moonshine stills are of two types:

Packed.
Headless.

packed column

Columns of this type are of three types:

Disc-shaped.
Packed.
Continuous mash columns.

plate column used to obtain a high quality product. Its peculiarity: low ability to separate vapors of raw materials, which preserves the taste of the source material.

A continuous mash column can be attributed to mash only conditionally. In fact, this is the same dish. Only mash is served from the fermentation tank with a pump.

BC industrial production

In addition to the moonshine still described, there are other brands on sale, such as the Malyutka beer column, BK (brew column) Buran, Bogatyr BK and others. The simplest is the baby column.

Preparation for the design of moonshine

First you need to draw a drawing or a simple circuit future product. There must be a place for a thermometer. The wash column or a good moonshine should be of a certain height. This height should be about fifty centimeters. Each moonshiner himself determines the strength of the future product. But in any case, experts It is recommended to make the device not less than thirty centimeters high.

It is necessary to determine the number of dephlegmators. 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 dephlegmator, a source of running water is needed. It should be noted that the coolant must be supplied to each dephlegmator and refrigerators separately. Flexible tubes for supplying and draining water, as well as the condensed finished product, should only be silicone.

Each master can contribute its know-how. The main condition here is that all design improvements should affect the quality of the product, not vice versa.

Manufacture of a column with a reflux condenser equipped with a "jacket"

To begin with, a spiral is made with a release for withdrawal from the body of the apparatus. An aluminum wire must be wound on the resulting spiral to increase the efficiency of the coil.

Then the cover of the device is made. An ordinary polyethylene lid for jars will do. Only with a brass sleeve fused into it and a tightened nut.

The manufacturer of the moonshine still chooses the method of heating the "cube" independently. You can heat the source material on a gas or electric stove. Some moonshiners prefer the container with raw materials to have autonomous heating. To do this, the heating element is mounted in the tank itself. . Fits a regular electric kettle. The built-in boiler should not reach the bottom of the "cube". The hole for the boiler cord must be well sealed.

Deviation options

Conclusion

Strong drink lover own production he decides which apparatus to use: buy industrial production or own assembly. But it may also be that a neighbor in a garage cooperative is constructing a moonshine that is in no way inferior to an industrial one, but much cheaper in price. And he can make it in any configuration required by the customer.

Brazhny 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 of work and find out what features the device should have.

Preparatory work

The best mash column should 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 owner of the equipment himself must decide how strong 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 exclude the possibility of splashing. Based on this, mash columns are not made below 30 centimeters. Otherwise, the work will be inappropriate.

Work technology

In the manufacture of the described design, it must be equipped with a controlled dephlegmator. Design features this item may vary depending on your preference. The element can be created on the basis of a shirt or dimroth. 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 the quantity of 2 or 3. In this case, the element will be primary or secondary. Such a structure allows for more stable operation of the column. You must understand that such additions are possible only on high structures.

Work methodology

The beer columns must be able to adjust the cooling of the reflux condenser, this component must be sufficiently thin. To do this, stock up on a tap that will allow you to use the liquid as accurately as possible. Experts recommend using a needle variety, but from the use ball valve should be discarded, as it does not fit at all. If we consider affordable household solutions, then the most the best option for carrying out these works on installing the adjustment will be a radiator valve, which is used when installing the heating system.

You can prepare a drawing of the mash column yourself. The column must be provided with a place to install a thermometer, which is mounted in front of the condenser inlet. This statement is true for structures that will work according to the steam extraction scheme. If a liquid sampling reflux condenser is used on the film column, then the location of the thermometer will be determined by the specific design of the system. The beer columns are supplied with a condenser cooler, which will be responsible for condensing and cooling the supplied steam. If the design will have a liquid selection, then a refrigerator will be required, which will lower the temperature of the finished product.

It is important to take into account during manufacture that the liquid supply to the dephlegmator or to each of them, as well as to the refrigerator, must be carried out separately. The tubes that will be used to exit the refrigerator and dephlegmator must be used exclusively on the basis of silicone. This statement is true for products hot water. If it's about cold water, then you can use tubing based on polyvinyl chloride. The copper wash column must be manufactured taking into account the above technical requirements for different design solutions. However, you can not limit yourself and come up with your own modification. In this case, the main condition is what you will eventually be able to get into 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 the preparation of vodka, this design is quite suitable, the master will be able to start making the basis for high-quality distillates.

Description of the manufacture of a column with a shirt reflux condenser

A continuous beer column can be made on the basis of a jacketed 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 two-pipe adapter in the amount of 2 pieces, another adapter should have slightly different parameters equal to 22 x 15 millimeters, 3 of these elements will be needed. The master must prepare a single-pipe corner, the dimensions of which are 22 millimeters. Work cannot be done without a tee, the dimensions of which are 15 millimeters. Be sure to take care of the presence of an adapter for a 1/2 inch external thread. You will need a 3/4" female adapter. The element will be required to attach to the cube, however other sizes may be available on a case-by-case basis. If you make a continuous beer column using the elements described above, you will be able to end up with a product with a maximum degree of 92.

Features of the manufacture of an air-cooled apparatus

A piece of copper pipe will go to make a coil. A coil of aluminum based wire will be used without insulation. Can be used during work computer cooler, superglue and a 500 watt boiler. Power may 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, which will go down, must be included in the spiral. should be wound on the tube from above, while leaving some distance between the turns. In order to reduce thermal resistance, the turns must be as tight as possible. This will increase the heat exchange area and the efficiency of the coil.

When a do-it-yourself beer column is made, the next step is to use any cone-shaped object, the diameter of which should be compared with the dimensions of the selected fan. On this item you need to wind a coil for moonshine. In this example, we will consider a regular beer bottle, the capacity of which is 0.5 liters. The coil must be bent in such a way that it evenly overlaps the fan section. The element must be tried on to the selected case and make sure that everything is in order. This completes the coil work.

Now it's time to move on to the lid of the apparatus. To do this, you can use a conventional polyethylene-based lid. The brass sleeve should be heated to half an inch, and then it can be fused into the polyethylene cap. The structure must cool, you can cool it in water. After the coupling is taken out, it should be cleaned of adhering polyethylene, the resulting burrs should be carefully cut off. A fluoroplastic tape must be wound around the coupling, without which the manufacture of a moonshine still is indispensable. Thus, you will be able to get something like a gasket. When a beer column is made with your own hands, the next step is to install the coupling in the hole made in advance in the lid. The PTFE should be between the sleeve and the cover. FROM inside tighten the nut without applying excessive force.

In the next step, you can heating element the entire apparatus. To do this, you can use a conventional 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 after. The ends of the cord from the boiler must be threaded in such a way 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 desirable that it be completely covered with liquid during operation. In 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 tight enough. It is important to achieve the best sealing.

The resulting construction of cotton wool must be filled with superglue, which is made on a cyanoacrylic basis. This will allow you to get the most tight connection, using composite materials. After the glue has hardened, you will be able to get a tight, strong connection. It remains to do something like a casing for a fan, so that the air washes the fins of the heat exchanger, represented by a coil.

Tetra-pak packaging can be used to make the casing. If you will be making a moonshine still, then you can use the technology presented in the article. From the package you need to cut a rectangle, the width of which will correspond to the dimensions of the fan. These elements will be used to glue the fan on 3 sides. On the fourth side, you need to bring the end of the coil to carry out the withdrawal of 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 adhesive tape. When it is made to ensure maximum safety, it should be covered with a transparent protective screen.

On this 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 close the black wire with the green one. Specialists use more compact 12 volt sources that you can find on your own.

Deviation from the above requirements

If you will be doing a do-it-yourself mash column, 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 dephlegmator. If we are talking about the "Baby" column, then uncontrollability is sacrificed for compactness. To do this, the condenser and dephlegmator 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 by means of a reflux condenser, therefore, separation cannot be achieved. If you do the mash column with your own hands, you can borrow the drawings of this design from the article. It should also be remembered that the dephlegmator has a low utilization capacity. You may run into the problem of a small column height. Some masters cannot refuse the location of the structure on gas stove under the hood. In this case, separation will be quite difficult to achieve, which is especially true for high columns.

The beer column "Rectifay" has established 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. Futorki must be welded to the pipe, while on both sides of them there is an internal thread, to which the necks of the kegs are fixed. Using fluoroplastic, it is possible to machine a sleeve-sleeve, which will be supplied with a gasket for the clamp. All this will form a single whole. The “Baby” column must necessarily be supplied with insulating material, which is first cut along the length, then put on the pipe, on which it is glued. On the top cover you should put on a dephlegmator stick and strengthen everything with a clamp clamp. The liquid will be fed into the tube through which the phlegm returns. A piece should be put on it to prevent splashing to the level of the upper plate.

Conclusion

If you cannot decide what you will make - a beer column, or then you can make the first of them. It is easier to manufacture, and will also allow you to immediately start preparing a strong drink. As an alternative solution, you can try to purchase this unit. Home craftsmen today sell them in completely different trim levels and at different prices. From the available range you will choose something for yourself.