First of all I want to warn that the production of moonshine FOR SALE – a criminal offense (though not strictly punishable). Therefore decided to make moonshine you must learn to respect a certain neatness in the selection of those whom you intend to treat. And do not give a reason in the slightest degree suspect himself in the manufacture of distilled liquor with intent to sell.

Secondly, please consider this article not as a call for making moonshine (correct to call them distillers) and the production of moonshine for vodka from any desired products. And as a description of how to dispose of surplus domestic wine, its mounting and stabilizing, making vintage ports, sherries, Madera, serving excellent aperitif, manufacturer of cognac, calvados, and plum brandy, is an excellent digestive.

In fact, the home winemaker often left a lot of surplus, and is not entirely successful wine that is impossible to fix. And it is better to have 15-20 liters of high-quality brew than 100 liters of some sour. And as an experiment, you always want to try something new and create a special product. And it is impossible to do without ethyl alcohol, and derived from the same foundation as the wine for the experiment. The addition of an alien spirit soon spoil everything.

So what’s inside distiller. It is not my aim to tell you about all the possible designs distillers , but to introduce the classics.

Classic moonshine consists of two main parts. This is an evaporator, ie, device in which the evaporation of alcohol (and its separation from the rest of the feedstock). And condenser, which condenses the alcohol that is in the gaseous state to liquid state.

These two elements – a necessary and sufficient condition for the production of moonshine. Everything else – this is the technical bells and whistles.

Consider the schematic device brewed apparatus – distiller.

At home, the easiest way to make the evaporator is from the pressure cooker. Pressure cooker – that such a pan, with virtually airtight lid, and safety valves. Therefore, for the simple refinement cloche we get a nearly perfect vaporizer. Perhaps its only shortcoming – insufficient volume. It is unlikely that you will be able to find the pressure cooker of more than 5.6 liters.

Refinement of the pressure cooker lid is in the sidebar of the two unions, but better – futorok thread from 1 / 2 inch to 3 / 4 inches. I prefer to just plumbing futorki. They allow you to use the available abundant connective elements to ensure integrity.

As you can see in the diagram, the evaporator is desirable to mount a laboratory thermometer. The device is not mandatory but highly desirable. It will very accurately distinguish high-quality brew of all that has been turned out. As the development of technology and learning the habits of his distilyatora can do without him. But if you are a beginner – it is better with a thermometer.

Much more trouble may occur with a capacitor, often referred to as the coil. The most ideal way – is to go to the store and buy a chemical glassware coil – condenser made of quartz glass. Sometimes, because you can find at flea markets or simply get through a friend of himichekoy laboratory.

If this seems impossible, you can make a coil and myself. The most suitable material for homemade coil – a thin copper tube. It will take about one meter copper tube. The handset can be bought in stores plumbing and construction markets. Circumferential tube to the round object and placed into either a vessel is filled with cold water.

Generally speaking, the organization of the cooling coil is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Judge for yourself. The process of distillation of high-quality brew takes 1-2 hours. All this time, the coil must be actively cooled. The colder the water around the coil, the more efficient running machine.

Sometimes you can hear, say, trying to moonshine still hot. In fact, this is nothing more than a metaphor. If the moonshine on the output coil is really hot, it means the machine works very badly. High-quality brew must leave the ice coil.

So, throughout the entire process time, the coil must be actively cooled. This means that the coil must be either pre-placed in a container with plenty of water (which is very inconvenient and cumbersome). Either need to organize the cooling coil tap water, but it is not so simple. Water consumption may reach several hundred liters.

I have arranged a cooling coil with 2 buckets and aquarium pumps. Buckets are at different heights (with a height difference of about 50-60 cm from the upper water bucket by gravity enters the condenser (in the bottom hole) on the tube – tubing. And flows into the lower bucket. From the lower buckets it with aquarium pump rises to the top bucket. Since the performance of the pump is not high and easily regulated, managed to achieve the perfect balance of inflow and water consumption and to organize a closed system cooling coil only 30-40 liters of water.

However, the organization of the cooling process is creative and everyone here that it invented the basis of their abilities.

Another fairly important part of this distillers fixers elements, ie tube. Especially those on which the actual proceeds of drinking the product. Absolutely do not recommend using any or rubber and plastic parts. They will leave your taste (and rather unpleasant) in the final product. Ideal – the same copper tube. Another excellent solution to the problem – the metal corrugated gas hoses from non-ferrous metal or high-alloy stainless steel. By the way, they are quite long, up to five feet and with their help we can immediately arrange and coil, thereby avoiding unnecessary connections.

The process of distillation (distillation) of moonshine. Technology generation (production) of moonshine and quality
Category: Recipes

In a previous article we looked at the device distillers – brewed apparatus, and now to the actual with the processes of distillation and the product was called moonshine.

The boiling point of ethanol, about 78 degrees. However, in the initial product (Braga or wine) alcohol is in a bound state with different essential oils with water, it dissolved minerals, etc. increase the real boiling point of the product to 85-87 degrees. In any case, at this temperature begins the massive evaporation of alcohol vapors and proper process of distillation.

Accordingly, we need a heater or vaporizer. In my opinion, the best – Coffee with a very smooth power adjustment. The fact that a quality brew is obtained at the source material from 86 to 94 degrees. If the temperature of mash or wine will be higher, it starts to evaporate in a lot of fusel oil and water. The quality and strength of moonshine falls sharply. It is therefore very important to have an opportunity at a temperature of 88-89 degrees to reduce the flow of heat so that it would be sufficient only for the evaporation of alcohol, rather than heating wash. As the evaporation temperature of the alcohol itself will rise, as it reduces the weight of the original product and the amount of heat input will be the same. And to achieve this effect can only be having a very fine adjustment of the heater.

Another important aspect is the physical location of the coil. Not yet begun the process of distillation, it makes sense to keep the coil closed. This can be achieved either by a valve (which I think excessive). Or using the device for fluids, the shutter. To achieve this the easiest way to install the coil at a certain angle so that the pair of alcohol did not pass freely through the coil, and were on their way a little resistance in the form of Small and quantity of moonshine is accumulated in the coil. Ie a pair of alcohol should be in the coil under slight pressure. This will increase the rate of condensation and not allow them to evaporate into the air. It is therefore important to select such a position the coil, which would be his last turn of the formed liquid valve.

In my opinion, as important to carefully insulate the connecting tube evaporator leaving Jo since her entry into the condenser – coil. This will get the lightest fraction of alcohol. They will not condense in the side tubes to the coil.

Thus, we describe the actual process of distillation.

During the heating should be sufficiently accurate. Heat the raw product to 70-75 degrees can be quite intense. Next, heat must be very slow because probably a mixture of ebullition and discards it in the coil, which is unacceptable. Have to stop the whole process and to wash the whole apparatus. When the temperature of the source material to 87-88 degrees is reached, then the coil starts to drip-brew. Use multiple removable receiving tanks! The fact that the first 50 grams of vodka (aka Pervatsch) – it does not brew at all, but a mixture of fusel oil, alcohol and aromatic oils. This compound has the turbid liquid and very pungent odor and can be simply discarded. Once the liquid is clear water (this solution water-spirit strength of 60-80 degrees, should reduce the input of heat and observe the process.

Qualitative moonshine distillers mixture to a temperature 94-95 degrees. Approximate ratio in volume relative to the initial strength of the product 10-12 degrees about 1: 6 – 1:8. Ie of 5-6 liters of source material can be 0,7 – 1 liter high-quality vodka with the strength of at least 50-60 degrees. It is absolutely clear liquid, without typical brewed smell. Feels light aroma of the original product (if it’s wine). Colorless flame burns, leaving behind burning a little water.

After raising the temperature above 94 degrees, you should change the receiving container and continue the distillation to increase the temperature to 98 degrees. Thus get the so-called double vodka (ie homebrew designed for double distillation). His strength drops to 20 degrees. Next, distill the raw material is meaningless.

Double vodka is added to the raw material for distillation, thereby increasing the alcohol content in it. Respectively increased and the ratio of the final product in relation to the original.

The resulting high-quality brew not need any treatment because it contains almost no fusel oils. However, because of its great strength (60-70 degrees) to drink it in its pure form rather difficult. Therefore, it soften and normalzuyut to be acceptable to drink fortress (no more than 60 degrees, usually 40-50). This is done with natural pure water, the use of bitters with herbs and various roots, adding a quality wine from the same material, from which it was received by the moonshine, etc.

Feedstocks can be assured of different recipes and cooking alcohol beverages is very diverse, from potato peelings to the tomatoes. Describe recipes like Brag me, honestly, do not want to. But for me the starting material for moonshine serves only wine and wine. This could be apple wine or plum wine obtained by fermentation of the juice under the water gate (in this case is not formed fusel oil). Generally, it should be noted that the quality of the final product (moonshine) is determined by the quality of the source. If the original product is worthy, then he gets a very high quality, strong and sweet (but not smelly) Moonshine performs its function as a decent digestive or raw materials for production of calvados, or plum brandy.