How to make a distillation column - calculation of system parameters. Do-it-yourself distillation column: purpose, design and assembly features Do-it-yourself alcohol column

A distillation column is a complex technical device. It is more difficult to make than a regular moonshine still. But it is doable at home. And although distillation columns are freely sold, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase them. In addition, at home, especially in rural areas, there are plenty of scrap materials from which you can make a workable structure and enjoy your own homemade drink. An independent design will cost about 2-3 times less than a purchased mini-distillery.

Components of the structure

The homemade device has the same functional parts as its factory counterpart. The column structure consists of the following elements:

• Frame.
• Dephlegmator (refrigerator).
• Nozzles
• Thermal insulating material.
• Electronic assistants.

The moonshine still as a whole additionally contains:

• Coil.

If you make your own distillation column correctly, it can be installed on any tank with a capacity of 20 liters or more. The optimal volume is in the range from 20 to 50 liters, as the calculation shows. When using a tank of a smaller volume, the column will only be able to be heated to operating temperature and half of the possible product yield will be obtained.

Using a tank of optimal volume makes it easier to set the optimal temperature. This parameter during rectification is the main one for the production of a quality product. In addition, preparing to distill 2-3 liters of moonshine will take the same amount of time as 8-10 liters. Why use time inefficiently when you can waste more? In addition, this reduces the cost of the product.

Column operating principle

The mash is poured into a cube, which is heated. As a result, alcohol-containing vapor is released.. The vapor is lighter than the liquid and rises to the top of the column. There is a reflux condenser, which is cooled by running water. As a result, the steam condenses and flows down, but along the way it hits special elements. At the same time, the mash continues to boil, and its vapors flow upward, where they mix with the condensate. This continuous process is called rectification. A home-made moonshine still is no worse: a do-it-yourself distillation column will have the same properties as a factory product, subject to the design parameters.

As a result of rectification, the condensate, which is called reflux, is saturated with vapor. And steam, on the contrary, is saturated with phlegm. As a result of this exchange, the lightest vapor particles, which have a high concentration of alcohol, rise upward. Its boiling point is lower than water. From the top of the column, alcohol vapors are discharged into a reflux condenser for purification and saturation, and then into the refrigerator. The result is pure moonshine.

Features of the still

A container suitable for the distillation cube, which will respond to the following queries:

• Consists of stainless steel.
• It has a suitable volume - 15−20 liters.

Beginners use a pressure cooker, but for optimal operation of the column, a larger container is required.

Heating of the cube:

• Electricity.
• Gas.

Many people will decide to install the cube on the kitchen stove, but the height of the column may interfere. Therefore, it is optimal to place the cube on the floor. Accordingly, it is better to heat the mash with electricity.

It is easier to regulate the power of electric heating. For this purpose, I installed a heating element in the cube, and took the voltage regulator from an old TV. The Chatelier principle works - with greater heating, fusel oils enter the body of the product. They are dangerous. Therefore, you need to monitor the heating, and automation copes with this better.

Note! Having a smooth adjustment of the mash heating power will make life much easier. Otherwise, it will be impossible to achieve stable operation from the device.

The use of automatic control systems is not absolutely necessary. To do this, it is better to increase your moonshine brewing experience. Therefore, at first, a simple mash heating power regulator is sufficient.

But with time you can automate the process. In addition, many people are sorely short of time. And the automation system in this case is a good help. The process of brewing moonshine will proceed with minimal human intervention. A ready-made technical solution that will prevent tailings from getting into the product can be purchased at a specialized store. The task of such a system is to shut off the selection of rectified product at the moment when the temperature in the column ceases to be optimal.

Construction and assembly of the structure

The issue of self-manufacturing a distillation column is half considered. Now you need to take on the main components of the structure.

The rectification system drawer consists of:

• Pipes that have insulation and a nozzle.
• Dephlegmator. Includes product selection unit, cooling jacket and temperature sensor.
• Connections for external communication.

Alcohol is a volatile substance that is highly flammable. At the top of the column there is a hole for communication with the atmosphere. You can't leave it open. You need to insert a tube into it and put a rubber tube on it. You can also use a tourniquet.

The end of the tube should be lowered into a container of water.. The presence of bubbles will indicate whether the alcohol vapor is spreading outside the device. If there is excess pressure, and it occurs due to overheating, this will help avoid an accident.

Column tube

This is the nozzle itself for the column. Here the process of interaction between cold phlegm and hot steam occurs. To increase the contact area of ​​these substances, a filler is used. The most common filler is metal scourers for washing dishes. But any stainless steel wire will do. The packing density is about 250 g per 1 liter of column volume.

Note! When using washcloths as a filler, you need to make sure of their quality - boil a piece of washcloth in a saline solution. If the product is made of a metal other than stainless steel, then signs of corrosion will appear. It is necessary to cut the product before testing - manufacturers are cunning and sometimes only apply a protective layer of stainless steel. The internal structure must be exposed.

Pipe size:

• The minimum diameter is 32 mm.
• The length of the requirement affects the quality of the separations into fractions. The longer, the better the separation.
• The optimal height is 40−60 diameters.
• The minimum height is at least 20 diameters.

The outside of the pipe is wrapped with a thermal insulating layer.

In order for the filler to be securely fixed inside the pipe, a stainless steel mesh should be placed on top and bottom of it. The pipe must have a thread for fastening from below to the distillation cube, and from above - for connection to the dephlegmator.

Ideally, the height should be 1.5 m. This will allow you to obtain pure alcohol. Standard version - 2 drawers, 80 cm each.

I fill the apparatus with washcloths and secure them with a tea strainer. At the same time, the pressure does not jump. Output rate - up to 1 liter per hour. Distillation is not as difficult as it seems.

Dephlegmator

Light fractions condense in the reflux condenser. The device may have different designs. In practice, the simplest is a direct-flow dephlegmator. It is also called a shirt or refrigerator capacitor. There are drawings of a reflux condenser on the Internet, but it is easier to make the option described below.

The design is made of two pipes, which have different diameters and are inserted into one another. A cooling jacket is installed between them.

Components:

• Fittings for inlet and outlet of cooling water.
• At the top there is a tube for communication with the atmosphere.
• At the bottom there is a fitting for selecting the product.

Note! To ensure that the quality of the product does not suffer, use only silicone tubes and gaskets as a tapping fitting and seal.

The material for making the reflux condenser can be an old thermos or ordinary stainless pipes. The inner tube is equal in diameter to the nozzle tube. If you don’t have welding equipment at hand, use a soldering iron.

Note! Experts recommend using copper or titanium for moonshine stills. The thing is that copper absorbs sulfur oxide, and this improves the properties of moonshine. But this material is expensive, and it is difficult to work with it at home without welding.

The product selection unit is a washer that is welded into the inner tube of the reflux condenser. Located below. The selection unit must contain the following holes:

• For the sampling tube.
• For the thermometer when using it.

For experienced users, a thermometer may not be needed. But for beginners it is advisable to install it. The operating range of the column is 45−55 degrees of cooling water. You can measure the temperature at the junction of the reflux condenser and the drawer. Then the indicators should be around 77-81 degrees.

Before the end of the pasture, the temperature usually fluctuates.

For effective cooling, a screw spiral should be used. Then running water will flow around the dephlegmator better.

Choosing a refrigerator

Note! Using a Dimroth refrigerator is not advisable. The design differs in that substances with a low boiling point can bypass the cooling zone. A dim rotary refrigerator is good for those liquids that boil at temperatures above 160 degrees.

An air cooler should not be used. Cooling in this case will be ineffective. This would be the case if a steam tank was attached to the distillation column. But in this type of device it is not needed.

A laboratory glass cooler is an ideal alternative. It can be purchased at any laboratory glassware store. To regulate the rate of product selection, the tube from the reflux condenser to the refrigerator should be equipped with a tap. You can use a faucet clamp.

Connection sequence:

• Bottom of the refrigerator.
• Fridge.
• Top of the refrigerator.
• Top of the reflux condenser.
• Dephlegmator.
• Bottom of the reflux condenser.
• Stock.

Cooling running water will move along this route. It is important that it enters the reflux condenser jacket warm.

The ideal design of a moonshine still with fusel oil separation is distillation column. If the temperature conditions are observed, you can obtain the purest product. But it will be deprived of its original taste.

But in a regular moonshine still - a distiller - you can get moonshine with a pronounced bouquet. For this purpose, a steam tank is used in the design. But there is a nuance - with a bouquet of aromas, moonshine distillate may contain impurities of fusel oils.

Attention, TODAY only!

Sooner or later, almost every lover of homemade alcohol thinks about purchasing or making a distillation column (RC) - a device for producing pure alcohol. You need to start with a comprehensive calculation of the basic parameters: power, height, drawer diameter, cube volume, etc. This information will be useful both for those who want to make all the elements with their own hands, and for those planning to buy a ready-made distillation column (it will help make a choice and check the seller). Without touching on the design features of individual units, we will consider the general principles of building a balanced system for rectification at home.

Characteristics of the pipe (tsar) and nozzle

Material. The pipe largely determines the parameters of the distillation column and the requirements for all components of the apparatus. The material for the manufacture of the drawer is chromium-nickel stainless steel - “food grade” stainless steel.

Due to its chemical neutrality, food-grade stainless steel does not affect the composition of the product, which is what is required. Raw sugar mash or distillation waste (“heads” and “tails”) are distilled into alcohol, so the main goal of rectification is to maximize the purification of the output from impurities, and not to change the organoleptic properties of the alcohol in one direction or another. It is inappropriate to use copper in classic distillation columns, since this material slightly changes the chemical composition of the drink and is suitable for the production of a distiller (a regular moonshine still) or a mash column (a special case of rectification).

Thickness. The drawer is made of stainless pipe with a wall thickness of 1-1.5 mm. A thicker wall is not needed, as this will make the structure more expensive and heavier without providing any benefits.

Nozzle parameters. It is not correct to talk about the characteristics of a column without reference to the nozzle. When rectifying at home, nozzles with a contact surface area of ​​1.5 to 4 square meters are used. m/liter As the contact surface area increases, the separating ability also increases, but the productivity decreases. Reducing the area leads to a decrease in separating and strengthening ability.

The productivity of the column initially increases, but then to maintain the strength of the output, the operator is forced to reduce the extraction rate. This means that there is a certain optimal size of the nozzle, which depends on the diameter of the column and will allow you to achieve the best combination of parameters.

The dimensions of the spiral-prismatic packing (SPN) should be approximately 12-15 times smaller than the internal diameter of the column. For a pipe diameter of 50 mm - 3.5x3.5x0.25 mm, for 40 - 3x3x0.25 mm, and for 32 and 28 - 2x2x0.25 mm.

Depending on the tasks at hand, it is advisable to use different attachments. For example, when preparing fortified distillates, copper rings with a diameter and height of 10 mm are often used. It is clear that in this case the goal is not the separating and strengthening ability of the system, but a completely different criterion - the catalytic ability of copper to remove sulfur compounds from alcohol.

You shouldn’t limit your arsenal to one, even the best attachment, there simply aren’t any. There are those that are most suitable for solving each specific problem.

Even a small change in the diameter of the column seriously affects the parameters. To evaluate, it is enough to remember that the nominal power (W) and productivity (ml/hour) are numerically equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the column (sq. mm), and therefore are proportional to the square of the diameter. Pay attention to this when choosing a drawer, always consider the internal diameter and compare options according to it.

Dependence of power on pipe diameter

Pipe height. To ensure good retention and separation capacity, regardless of the diameter, the height of the distillation column should be from 1 to 1.5 m. If it is less, there will not be enough space for the fusel oils accumulated during operation, as a result the fusel oil will begin to break through into the selection. Another drawback is that the heads will not be clearly divided into factions. If the pipe height is greater, this will not lead to a significant improvement in the separating and containing capacity of the system, but will increase the distillation time, as well as the number of “heads” and “headrests”. In other words, with an increase in the pipe height, the separating capacity of the distillation column increases for every additional centimeter decreases. The effect of increasing the pipe from 50 cm to 60 cm is an order of magnitude higher than from 140 cm to 150 cm.

Cube volume for distillation column

To increase the yield of high-quality alcohol, but to prevent overflow of the fusel column, the bulk (filling) of raw alcohol in the cube is limited to the range of 10-20 packing volumes. For columns with a height of 1.5 m and a diameter of 50 mm - 30-60 l, 40 mm - 17-34 l, 32 mm - 10-20 l, 28 mm - 7-14 l.

Taking into account that the cube is filled to 2/3 of the volume, a 40-80 liter container is suitable for a column with an internal diameter of the drawer of 50 mm, a 30-50 liter container for 40 mm, a 20-30 liter cube for 32 mm, and a pressure cooker for 28 mm.

When using a cube with a volume closer to the lower limit of the recommended range, you can safely remove one drawer and reduce the height to 1-1.2 meters. As a result, there will be relatively few barnacles to break through into selection, but the volume of “headrests” will noticeably decrease.

Column heating source and power

Slab type. The moonshine past haunts many beginners who believe that if they previously used a gas, induction or conventional electric stove to heat the moonshine still, then they can leave this source for the column.

The process of rectification is significantly different from distillation, everything is much more complicated and a fire will not work. It is necessary to ensure smooth adjustment and stability of the supplied heating power.

Electric stoves operating according to a thermostat in start-stop mode are not used, because as soon as a short-term power outage occurs, the steam will stop flowing into the column, and the phlegm will collapse into the cube. In this case, you will have to start rectification again - with the column working on itself and selecting the “heads”.

An induction cooker is an extremely crude device with a stepwise change in power of 100-200 W, and when rectifying, you need to change the power smoothly, literally by 5-10 W. And it is unlikely that it will be possible to stabilize heating regardless of input voltage fluctuations.

A gas stove with 40 percent raw alcohol poured into the cube and a 96-degree product at the outlet poses a mortal danger, not to mention fluctuations in the heating temperature.

The optimal solution is to embed a heating element of the required power into the cube of the column, and for adjustment use a relay with output voltage stabilization, for example, RM-2 16A. You can also take analogues. The main thing is to get a stabilized voltage at the output and the ability to smoothly change the heating temperature by 5-10 W.

Power supplied. To heat the cube in an acceptable time, you need to proceed from a power of 1 kW per 10 liters of raw alcohol. This means that for a 50 liter cube filled with 40 liters, a minimum of 4 kW is required, 40 liters - 3 kW, 30 liters - 2-2.5 kW, 20 liters - 1.5 kW.

With the same volume, cubes can be low and wide, narrow and high. When choosing a suitable container, you need to take into account that the cube is often used not only for rectification, but also for distillation, therefore, the most stringent conditions are used so that the supplied power does not lead to violent foaming with the emission of splashes from the cube into the steam line.

It has been experimentally established that with a heating element placement depth of about 40-50 cm, normal boiling occurs if per 1 sq. cm of bulk mirror accounts for no more than 4-5 W of power. As the depth decreases, the permissible power increases, and as the depth increases, it decreases.

There are other factors that influence the boiling behavior: density, viscosity and surface tension of the liquid. It happens that emissions occur at the end of distillation of the mash, when the density increases. Therefore, carrying out the rectification process at the border of the permitted range is always fraught with troubles.

Common cylindrical cubes have a diameter of 26, 32, 40 cm. Based on the permissible power per surface area of ​​the mirror of a 26 cm cube, it will work normally with a heating power of up to 2.5 kW, for 30 cm - 3.5 kW, 40 cm - 5 kW .

The third factor that determines the heating power is the use of one of the column sides without a nozzle as a dry steam tank to combat spray entrainment. To do this, it is necessary that the steam velocity in the pipe does not exceed 1 m/s; at 2-3 m/s, the protective effect weakens, and at higher values, the steam will drive the reflux up the pipe and throw it into the selection.

Formula for calculating steam speed:

V = N * 750 / S (m/sec),

• N – power, kW;
• 750 – steam generation (cubic cm/sec kW);
• S – cross-sectional area of ​​the column (sq. mm).

A pipe with a diameter of 50 mm will cope with splash entrainment when heated to 4 kW, 40-42 mm - up to 3 kW, 38 - up to 2 kW, 32 - up to 1.5 kW.

Based on the above considerations, we select the volume, dimensions of the cube, heating and distillation power. All these parameters are consistent with the diameter and height of the column.

Calculation of parameters of the distillation column reflux condenser

The power of the reflux condenser is determined depending on the type of distillation column. If we are building a column with liquid or steam extraction below the dephlegmator, then the required power must be no less than the rated power of the column. Typically, in these cases, a Dimroth refrigerator is used as a capacitor with a utilization power of 4-5 Watts per 1 sq. cm surface.

If the column with steam extraction is higher than the dephlegmator, then the calculated power is 2/3 of the nominal one. In this case, you can use Dimrot or “shirt maker”. The utilization power of a shirtmaker is lower than that of a dimrot and is about 2 watts per square centimeter.

Then everything is simple: divide the rated power by the utilization power. For example, for a column with an internal diameter of 50 mm: 1950 / 5 = 390 sq. cm area of ​​Dimrot or 975 sq. see "shirt maker". This means that a Dimrot refrigerator can be made from a 6x1 mm tube with a length of 487 / (0.6 * 3.14) = 2.58 cm for the first option, taking into account a safety factor of 3 meters. For the second option, multiply by two thirds: 258 * 2 / 3 = 172 cm, taking into account a safety factor of 2 meters.

Shirt for column 52 x 1 – 975 / 5.2 / 3.14 = 59 cm * 2/3 = 39 cm. But this is for rooms with high ceilings.

Calculation of a once-through refrigerator

If the direct-flow unit is used as an aftercooler in a distillation column with liquid extraction, then the smallest and most compact option is chosen. A power of 30-40% of the rated power of the column is sufficient.

A direct-flow refrigerator without a spiral is made in the gap between the jacket and the inner pipe, then a selection is launched into the jacket, and cooling water is supplied through the central pipe. In this case, the shirt is welded onto the water supply pipe to the reflux condenser. This is a small “pencil” about 30 cm long.

But if the same direct-flow unit is used both for distillation and rectification, being a universal unit, they proceed not from the need of the dispenser, but from the maximum heating power during distillation.

To create a turbulent steam flow in the refrigerator, allowing for a heat transfer intensity of at least 10 Watts/sq. cm, it is necessary to ensure a steam speed of about 10-20 m/s.

The range of possible diameters is quite wide. The minimum diameter is determined from the conditions of not creating a large excess pressure in the cube (no more than 50 mm of water column), but the maximum by calculating the Reynolds number, based on the minimum speed and the maximum coefficient of kinematic viscosity of vapors.

In order not to go into unnecessary details, we will give the most common definition: “In order for a turbulent regime of steam movement to be maintained in a pipe, it is sufficient that the internal diameter (in millimeters) is no more than 6 times the heating power (in kilowatts).”

To prevent airing of the water jacket, it is necessary to maintain the linear speed of water at least 11 cm/s, but an excessive increase in speed will require high pressure in the water supply. Therefore, the optimal range is considered to be from 12 to 20 cm/s.

To condense the steam and cool the condensate to an acceptable temperature, you need to supply water at 20 ° C in a volume of about 4.8 cubic cm / s (17 liters per hour) for each kilowatt of power supplied. In this case, the water will heat up by 50 degrees – up to 70°C. Naturally, in winter you will need less water, and when using autonomous cooling systems, about one and a half times more.

Based on the previous data, the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular gap and the inner diameter of the jacket can be calculated. The available range of pipes must also be taken into account. Calculations and practice have shown that a gap of 1-1.5 mm is quite sufficient to meet all the necessary conditions. This corresponds to pairs of pipes: 10x1 - 14x1, 12x1 - 16x1, 14x1 - 18x1, 16x1 - 20x1 and 20x1 - 25x1.5, which cover the entire range of capacities used at home.

There is another important detail of the direct flow unit - a spiral wound onto the steam pipe. Such a spiral is made from wire with a diameter that provides a gap of 0.2-0.3 mm to the inner surface of the shirt. It is wound in increments equal to 2-3 diameters of the steam pipe. The main purpose is to center the steam pipe, in which during operation the temperature is higher than in the jacket pipe. This means that due to thermal expansion, the steam pipe lengthens and bends, leaning against the jacket, causing dead zones that are not washed by cooling water, as a result of which the efficiency of the refrigerator drops sharply. Additional advantages of spiral winding are lengthening the path and creating turbulence in the cooling water flow.

A properly designed direct-flow unit can utilize up to 15 watts/sq. cm of heat exchange area, which has been experimentally confirmed. To determine the length of the cooled part of the direct flow unit, we will use a nominal power of 10 W / sq. cm (100 sq. cm/kW).

The required heat exchange area is equal to the heating power in kilowatts multiplied by 100:

S = P * 100 (sq. cm).

Steam pipe outer circumference:

Locr = 3.14 * D.

Cooling jacket height:

H = S / Lamb.

General calculation formula:

H = 3183 * P/D (power in kW, height and outer diameter of the steam pipe in millimeters).

Example of direct flow calculation

Heating power – 2 kW.

It is possible to use pipes 12x1 and 14x1.

Sectional areas - 78.5 and 113 square meters. mm.

Steam volume – 750 * 2 = 1500 cubic meters. cm/s.

Steam velocities in pipes: 19.1 and 13.2 m/s.

The 14x1 pipe looks preferable, as it allows you to have a power reserve while remaining within the recommended steam speed range.

The paired pipe for the shirt is 18x1, the annular gap will be 1 mm.

Water supply speed: 4.8 * 2= 9.6 cm3/s.

The area of ​​the annular gap is 3.14 / 4 * (16 * 16 – 14 * 14) = 47.1 sq. mm = 0.471 sq. cm.

Linear speed – 9.6 / 0.471 = 20 cm/s – the value remains within the recommended limits.

If the annular gap were 1.5 mm - 13 cm/s. If 2 mm, then the linear speed would drop to 9.6 cm/s and it would be necessary to supply water above the nominal volume, solely to prevent the refrigerator from airing - a pointless waste of money.

Shirt height - 3183 * 2 / 14 = 454 mm or 45 cm. No safety factor is needed, everything is taken into account.

Result: 14x1-18x1 with a height of the cooled part of 45 cm, nominal water consumption - 9.6 cubic meters. cm/s or 34.5 liters per hour.

With a rated heating power of 2 kW, the refrigerator will produce 4 liters of alcohol per hour with a good supply.

An effective and balanced direct-flow distillation unit must have a ratio of extraction rate to heating power and water consumption for cooling of 1 liter/hour - 0.5 kW - 10 liters/hour. If the power is higher, there will be large heat losses; if the power is low, the useful heating power will decrease. If the water flow rate is higher, the direct flow pump has an inefficient design.

The distillation column can be used as a mash column. Equipment for mash columns has its own characteristics, but the second distillation differs mainly in technology. For the first distillation there are more features and individual components may not be applicable, but this is a topic for another discussion.

Based on real household needs and the existing range of pipes, we will calculate typical options for a distillation column using the given methodology.

P.S. We would like to express our gratitude to the user of our forum for systematizing the material and assistance in preparing the article.

A distillation column is a special apparatus that is intended for separating liquids that have excellent properties. Such apparatuses are mainly used in industry, however, sometimes a distillation column is made with one’s own hands for home use.

The design is mainly used in the process of moonshine brewing. The principle of its operation is to separate pure alcohol or moonshine from the original liquid. It happens like this: raw materials are poured into the column tank and heated to a certain temperature. As the liquid boils, steam is released, which settles in the upper part of the device, condenses and collects in an additional vessel, and the unused liquid is returned back to the tank.

Naturally, in order for a do-it-yourself distillation column to turn out to be of high quality, you need to choose the right material for manufacturing. If all elements are carefully selected, and the design of the apparatus is made without errors, then the result should be pure alcohol, free of impurities, odor and foam. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the manufacture of the device, its structure and circuit.

A do-it-yourself distillation column is made in accordance with the diagram. Moreover, it is much smaller in size than an industrial device, which can have a height of more than 20 meters. A home-made distillation column, the design of which cannot be called simple, consists of many elements. First of all, you need to purchase a steel pipe, the length of which is about 120-150 cm. A liter thermos can be used as a reflux condenser. You will also need adapters that will connect the pipe to the tanks, insulation for the nozzle part of the device, a stainless steel sheet for making support washers, a small tube used as a water drain and a refrigerator. It should also be noted that the steel must be safe for health, that is, it could be used in the food industry.

The tools you will need are a hammer, an electric drill with drills, pliers, a file, sandpaper, a soldering iron with solder or flux, tap adapters, small-diameter rubber tubes and a thermometer.

A homemade distillation column is manufactured using a certain technology. The pipe must have the required length, and its edges must be trimmed. A special adapter is used to connect the pipe and the distillate unit. The connection between the pipe and the cube must be soldered, and the soldering area subsequently requires cleaning. Next, you need to make steel nozzles, which are poured into the pipe to the very top.

Now a support washer is inserted into the pipe, into which the narrow end of the selection is inserted. The connection point is also soldered. The next step is to thermally insulate the pipe.

The thermos, which will be used as a reflux condenser, must be disassembled and the bottom removed. The inner flask should be pulled out from the outer one and the vacuum lid of the thermos should be removed. You need to make a hole in the flask in the center of the bottom of the element and in the central part of its back side. You need to insert a pipe into the top hole and solder it there. Next, the bottom is put on the flask. Holes are also made in the outer flask for water drainage and supply pipes. They are located in the upper and lower parts of the flask. The connections must be soldered. In the distillate sampling unit you need to make a hole for the thermometer sleeve.

A do-it-yourself distillation column is made with careful observance of safety rules. Naturally, during work, protective gloves, clothing, a mask and a respirator are used. After making the device, all soldering areas should be washed with a solution of water and soda and rinsed with running water.

The question often arises: what is better: a distillation column or a moonshine still. There are many supporters of each device, but definitely with the RK you can get good moonshine, but vice versa it will not work. Rectification allows you to obtain pure alcohol with a strength of 96-98° from raw alcohol (moonshine). Good alcohol has practically no organoleptic properties, there is no smell of raw materials, the pure product can be used for the production of homemade vodkas and all kinds of liqueurs and tinctures. You can get such a product at home using a mini-distillery. Today it is quite easy to purchase a home mini-distillery in specialized stores. It is also possible to make a real distillation column yourself with your own hands.

In addition to technical skills, you must know the operating principle of this device, how a distillation column works. To produce alcohol, packed columns are used; they have small dimensions and easily fit in height in an ordinary apartment. The productivity of such a device reaches 300-1000 ml per hour, which is quite enough for home needs.

Distillation column - operating principle. As a nozzle for the column, various materials neutral to the action of alcohol are used - glass, stainless steel, ceramics. The main property of all nozzles is to wet and retain reflux on their surface. That is, alcohol vapor from the distillation cube rushing up the column, condenses at the top and returns down, flowing down the nozzle. An exchange of components occurs, alcohols rise up the column, and water and heavier impurities flow back into the distillation cube. When a stable distillation column enters operating mode, a balance occurs between the supply of steam and the selection of alcohol. The temperature in the column is stabilized and during the entire rectification process it remains at the same level, not exceeding 0.1-0.3 degrees. This mode can be maintained by good insulation of the column, supplying a specific power for each column and maintaining the required pressure in the system

Distillation column design

How to make a distillation column worries many home distillers. But you can make a small mini-distillery for your home yourself, saving a lot when purchasing a ready-made kit. The amount will be 2-3 times less if you decide to make a homemade distillation column. All details, how the distillation column is constructed and the drawing are described in detail below.

Each home mini-distillery consists of:

1. Distillation cube;
2. Tsarga;
3. Nozzle;
4. Selection unit;
5. Dephlegmator;
6. Fridge;
7. Pasteurization drawer (optional);
8. Automation.

Drawing diagram of a distillation column

Distillation cube. In another way, an evaporation cube, raw (moonshine) is poured into it for rectification. The cube is also a strong base for the column; the weight of the column with the nozzle is quite large. For home use, a capacity of 15-50 liters is usually used. The cube can be universally suitable for distilling mash and alcohol; in this case, it is advisable to use a large capacity of 30-50 liters. When making a cube, stainless steel beer kegs of 30 and 50 liters or food kettles are often used. The container must be equipped with a heating element, which is a heating element or two heating elements with a power of 1-3 kW. As a heating source, you can use an electric or induction stove with the ability to adjust the heating power. A thermometer is installed on the cube for internal monitoring of the still liquid. To reduce heat loss, it is recommended to insulate the cube from the outside.

Tsarga. The main, main part of any distillation column. All processes take place in it. The column for a home mini-distillery can be assembled from several connected parts (tsargs). It is better to make connections of all drawers using milk couplings or clamp connections. Such a system will be universal and can be used as a mash column for moonshine and a mini-distillery. For the drawer, a food grade stainless steel pipe with an internal diameter of 25-60 mm is used.

The distillation column for a moonshine still, which produces alcohol NDRF (under-rectified with a strength of 94-95°) can be made of copper. The diameter of the column must be selected approximately 25mm - 0.5 kW, 32mm - 1 kW, 38mm - 1.5 kW, 50mm - 2.5 kW. The length of the packed part of the distillation column should be 30-50 diameters, i.e. if the internal diameter of the pipe is 50 mm, then the height should be 1500 - 2500 mm. The higher the column, the better the exchange of vapor and liquid occurs in it, and as a result, the purer the alcohol. The wall thickness is preferably no more than 1 mm.

The column requires careful thermal insulation. The insulation for pipes has proven itself well; the drawer can also be insulated using other methods by winding twine around the pipe and wrapping it with foil tape on top. The better the thermal insulation, the more stable the column will operate. You need to make a seat for the thermometer 20-30 cm from the bottom of the nozzle.

This can be done by soldering a tube of the required diameter to the drawer. Or weld a sleeve under the sensor or thermometer. Stainless steel and a high-quality argon welder are not always available, so a distillation column for alcohol can be soldered from copper fittings. It is very easy to solder a rectification column from plumbing fittings with your own hands; you can easily pick them up in specialized stores.

Nozzle. Today, the highest quality nozzle is considered to be SPN (spiral-prismatic nozzle). It is made of stainless or nichrome wire, which should not react with alcohol and other distillation products.
The price of the nozzle is high, but if desired, it is easy to wind it yourself. In order for the nozzle to stay in the pipe, a crosspiece made of a stainless steel electrode for welding is soldered at the bottom of the drawer, and 2-3 cm of wire (nichrome) is placed on it. The SPN nozzle is not tightly poured on top and another wire wad is inserted on top.

The second most effective nozzle can be called the RPN - Panchenkov nozzle; it is a mesh of wire wound into wads the diameter of your pipe. There are also ceramic Rashiga rings and glass balls. The simplest attachment is a stainless steel sponge, but the effectiveness of such a filler is very low. For a pipe 1.3 meters long with a diameter of 35 mm, you will need 16-18 pieces. washcloths.

Dephlegmator with RK selection unit. The reflux condenser crowns the upper part of the river column. Alcohol vapor enters it and condenses, turning into liquid phlegm. Part of the liquid phlegm is returned down the nozzle, and part is discharged outside through the selection unit. The design of the reflux condenser can be different. The simplest to manufacture is considered to be a jacket or direct-flow reflux condenser. It is made of two pipes of different diameters, between which water circulates for cooling. Water is supplied from below, warm water comes out from above. The outer casing of such a reflux condenser can be made from an ordinary thermos. The diameter of the inner pipe is usually made the same as the packed column. At the top of any reflux condenser there is a TCA - a communication tube with the atmosphere.

Another option is a dimrot reflux condenser. It is a piece of pipe (a continuation of the drawer) in the middle of which there is a spiral of a thin tube with a diameter of 6-10 mm through which coolant circulates. For a column with a diameter of 50 mm, the dimrot is wound from a 6 mm tube 3 meters long. The reflux condenser is 25-35 cm long. This design has a larger contact area between steam and liquid and is considered more efficient.

And the third option is a shell-and-tube reflux condenser. Several thin tubes are welded into a large-diameter pipe in which vapor condensation occurs. The advantage of such a device is its versatility; it can also work as a distiller’s refrigerator. The second advantage of this type is low water consumption and large cooling area. The shell and tube can be made inclined, which reduces the height of the column, which is important for a home mini-distillery in apartments with low ceilings.

Under the reflux condenser above the packing part there is a distillate selection unit in the distillation column. Typically its design consists of one or two partitions and an alcohol sampling tube. The partitions are welded or soldered into the drawer at an angle. A needle valve with fine adjustment or a Hoffmann clamp is installed on the selection tube to limit or increase the selection of fractions.

Pasteurization drawer. The pasteurization tsar makes it possible to more efficiently purify commercial alcohol from the main fractions. Which are formed in the upper part of the distillation column and the reflux condenser throughout the entire distillation process. The alcohol pasteurization frame complicates the design of the distillation column and may not be installed as a separate element, but it allows you to significantly improve the quality of the alcohol. A slow selection of heads is also carried out during the selection of rectified alcohol from the pasteurization chamber.

Fridge. The alcohol at the outlet flows hot and in order to cool it, an additional refrigerator (before the cooler) is installed after the selection unit and the tap. You can purchase a ready-made glass refrigerator at medical equipment stores.
Or make a homemade refrigerator from tubes like a jacket reflux condenser, but with smaller dimensions. The length of the refrigerator is approximately equal to the length of the reflux condenser or slightly longer. Water first enters the lower inlet of the refrigerator, then from the upper it goes to the reflux condenser. By adjusting the water flow with a tap, the desired indicators are achieved.

Automation for distillation column. The complex rectification process requires constant presence and supervision.
Good automation makes it possible to carry out rectification without constant human participation in the process. It prevents “tails” from getting into the commercial alcohol and allows you to select the head fractions into a separate container. The rectification control unit, abbreviated as (BUR), will turn on the cooling water at the desired temperature, reduce the power during extraction and automatically reduce the extraction at the end. After collecting the tails, turn off the heating and water. The simplest automation option is a start-stop installation with a valve that stops sampling when the temperature in the column rises; after the temperature has stabilized, sampling resumes. It is cheaper to assemble automation for a home mini-distillery using Chinese components or purchase it on specialized forums.

For the home production of strong drinks, you need modern equipment made from high-quality materials. In stores, manufacturers offer models that are divided into distillers and rectifiers. Many novice distillers are tormented by the question: what is better for home brewing - a column or a moonshine still.

The principle of operation is not much different, but the final product from the distillation column is better and cleaner, and in terms of strength it has no equal, since it is almost pure alcohol. To find out how these devices differ, what technical parameters they have, individual nuances, and whether there are any disadvantages, you need to read this article.

The entire distillation procedure consists of heat exchange that occurs in the product; during the cooling process, the raw material is separated, and the purified substance appears at the outlet of the device. At different heating temperatures you get different substances:

• t=+56 C - we get acetone;
• t=+65 C - methyl alcohol can be isolated;
• and only at t=+78 C is rectified alcohol obtained;
• if we continue heating to the boiling point of water and higher, for example, up to 100 degrees, then at the output we will get water flavored with fusel oils and all sorts of impurities.

The basis of the entire process occurring in the column is the contact of the liquid and vapor states of various substances, as a result of which various vapors are released, which settle in the reflux condenser, and only those containing alcohol pass on.

Additional heating occurs in the evaporator, but only up to +78 degrees, so all harmful impurities and water condense and remain in the device. In different areas of the product, individual interaction of vapor and condensate occurs, and fractions of different temperature levels precipitate into condensate and flow to the lower part.

A column is a device that has a certain height, with a container elongated along its entire length, so different temperatures are obtained: only alcohol-containing vapors reach the very top, all other fractions fall into condensate, because the temperature is less than what is needed for them to boil. The taste and strength of the final product differs significantly for the better from moonshine passed through a standard distiller.

Modern models of columns are characterized by very high productivity, and the alcohol resulting from rectification does not have a fusel odor or foreign impurities.

What is the difference between a moonshine still and a distillation column?

The most important difference: a standard apparatus for home brewing consists of a distillation cube and a refrigerator coil, where condensation of alcohol-containing vapors occurs. Some models have a dry steamer, where high-quality separation of impurities and aromatization of vapors occurs to produce elite alcohol in the form of brandy or whiskey.

The column is a rather complex device; it is mainly intended for purifying already produced moonshine in order to eliminate all the smallest foreign inclusions and obtain pure alcohol. The design is made of stainless steel, copper or brass, since very complex high-temperature processes take place inside and the corrosion resistance should be quite high.
The lower part of the column is called the drawer, and the upper part is called the cooler or reflux condenser, because this is where the final separation of the various phlegms occurs. Its cover has a tube for communication with the environment so that the internal pressure does not exceed the permissible value. We have already discussed all the nuances of the work, so we omit them.

The product is installed on a distillation tank or cube, and all connections must be perfectly sealed. At the very top there is an outlet tube for alcohol vapor; the best option is when it also has an additional refrigerator. The height of the product is decent, some samples are up to 2 m, so this design may not fit indoors: 2 m + tank + stove. The best option is to heat the tank on a special stove for home brewing: it has small dimensions, like a tabletop electric stove.

It is not recommended to distill mash through a column, although today manufacturers have already mastered the production of improved samples that can cope with this application. The verdict is simple: moonshine stills are designed for distilling raw alcohol, and the column can clean it almost completely of odor and harmful impurities.

Remember! A distillation column is used to obtain pure alcohol, and if you want to make rakia or brandy, where you need the aroma and specific taste of the original product, then use only a moonshine still.

Types of moonshine stills and distillation columns

In total, there are two main types of devices for practical moonshine brewing in the world:

1. Alcohol-containing vapors are discharged to the side for cooling - directly into the coil or through a steam chamber.
2. The vapors are discharged upward into a rectification device, where impurities are separated, completely purified from odors, and subsequently cooled.

Classic devices are divided according to the cooling system: using a coil or direct-flow, where the cooling element is the refrigerator body.

Columns are divided according to the amount of the final product obtained:

• simple, ensuring the separation of the feedstock into two final products - rectified product and sediment;
• complex - they provide separation into more than two products, columns with the selection of additional fractions in the form of side streams and from special strippers.

There is also a division according to purpose, amount of pressure, principle of operation or organization of contact within the structure.

In addition, columns are divided into complete and incomplete. Incomplete products are divided into two more types:

1. A mash or distillation column, which operates on the following principle: alcohol-containing steam enters the upper plate, and clean water comes out of the cube. Condensation falls out in the refrigerator, but the reflux condenser is not installed.
2. In alcohol columns, everything happens in a mirror way: steam is supplied under the lower plate. Alcohol is removed from the upper part, and the remainder with water is removed from the bottom; the reflux condenser performs the function of feeding a liquid medium. Such columns are installed on alambiks.

The first ones are not intended for producing pure alcohol, and the second option is not used for producing pure water.

Characteristics of both devices

Everyone knows that the main purpose of a moonshine still is to obtain alcohol-containing liquid from mash through distillation and subsequent purification. The main technical parameters are:

Volume

It is this factor that influences the scale of production at home, so the choice of product is based on this parameter: the more mash, the more liters of raw alcohol, which is purified using various methods or re-distilled.

Material

Basically, all parts of modern models are made of food or medical stainless steel. The following brands are used in production:

• AISI 304, due to its fairly high cleaning properties, is used in medicine, on dairy farms and similar factories;
• 430 steel is of low quality, but products made from it can be heated on induction cookers;
• alloys with copper and combinations of steels of different grades are found in many models of moonshine stills of domestic and foreign production.

Aluminum is still used in home-made devices, but it is almost being replaced by more reliable materials. Coils are made of copper or brass; only elite devices called alambiks, which are used for the production of home-made elite alcohol, are made entirely of copper.

Additional devices

These include a thermometer, an alcohol meter, a steamer, a reflux condenser and others that help control the distillation process. Repeated cleansing gives a good result, but it is not carried out when you need to get an aromatic drink with a smell.

For clarity, it is better to present the technical characteristics of universal distillation columns in the form of a small table:

All sealing joints in the column are made of high-temperature food-grade silicone with a guaranteed service life of at least 10-20 years, temperatures are allowed up to +150°C.

Advantages and disadvantages

A standard apparatus for the production of moonshine has the following advantages:

1. The simplest design, the operating principle is clear to all users, can be made independently without large financial costs.
2. There are a large number of recipes that come with the finished model, but you can significantly expand them by studying the recipe on the Internet.
3. High reliability of the design and all materials.
4. Low cost, which especially affects wide availability for all segments of the population.

Distillation columns have their advantages:

1. Obtaining a pure product without odor and foreign impurities.
2. The strength of the final product is much higher than that of a simple device.
3. It is used to separate alcohol-containing liquid from sugar-based mash, since there are a lot of foreign impurities and odors there.

In comparison, the classic device has more negative features:

• low productivity;
• low percentage of alcohol content - no more than 70%;
• low degree of purification during primary distillation;
• danger if safety precautions are not followed.

Distillation columns have only one drawback - the large height of the structure.

What is better to choose

If we compare the design of a classic moonshine product and a distillation column, the difference is noticeable, and they are used for different purposes. Therefore, your choice will directly depend on your goals, as well as on what you are going to distill:

1. For wine mash, as well as those based on berries and fruits, it is better to use a moonshine still.
2. For sugar mash, it is better to use a column, since the final product is clean and odorless.

Today, there are models of universal products on sale that can work as a simple distiller or as a powerful distillation column.

Devices made by German manufacturers, which have an additional drawer that is screwed into the distiller, are in particular demand among experienced distillers. For example, the column and the apparatus have the same productivity of 2 l/h, but the product is quite different:

• the density or strength of a classic product is only 60%, and that of a column is 96%;
• The purification level of a distiller is 60 times lower than that of a column.

Moonshine stills are more practical due to their dimensions, and the columns are much taller - the most compact one will be about a meter in height.

If we compare the productivity of different products, then the classic produces 2 liters of raw alcohol per hour, and the column - 2 liters of pure alcohol 96.6%, or in terms of 60% moonshine - 6-7 liters. Therefore, when purchasing, you need to decide what is more important to you - the purity of the final product or the simple use of the product anywhere. Financial capabilities also play an important role.

conclusions

If we talk about the purity of the final product, then distillation columns are head and shoulders above a simple moonshine still, but the financial side is of great importance. Each user chooses the necessary model for himself, but we dispassionately state that the classics of the genre still lose to technical progress in the form of a more productive distillation column in terms of basic technical indicators.