Distiller - what is it? What is a distiller, varieties, main purpose, principle of operation

Humanity has long consumed alcoholic beverages. To create an alcohol-containing drink, people created primitive devices. Over time, the devices improved and supplemented.
How was alcohol created? We will consider the answer to this question in more detail in our article.

What is a distiller?

Many people ask: distiller - what is it? Let's try to figure it out.The main method for producing alcohol is the distillation process, a device based on it is called a distiller (moonshine).The formation of alcohol in an alcohol distiller occurs through the evaporation of the liquid part of the mash, followed by the assembly of condensed steam into a container. This action is called distillation.

If you use a distiller based on clean tap water, then by the end we get a crystal clear distilled water, purified from impurities, salts and bacteria.

Types of devices

The quality of the resulting alcohol largely depends on the varieties of devices and their constituent elements. Here are some proven types of devices:

Alambik is a copper distiller, the most primitive of devices. The device consists of a cube, a helmet, a coil, a non-flowing refrigerator, and a container for the final product. The direct-flow distiller gives us the opportunity to distill at home. The only negative is that the performance is low, fusel oils may be in the drink. Do not re-run the distillate.
A more advanced design for a copper or stainless steel distiller. The design includes a cube, a sucker, a lid, a thermometer, a valve, a water cooling system with a pipe, a coil, a fitting for supplying / discharging liquid. There is a control valve on the vent pipe. There are models with separate glass parts - a diopter, a refrigerator. It has great performance, can also be used at home. A repeated run of the liquid is carried out, for thorough cleaning of fusel oils from alcohol.

IMPORTANT! An alcohol distiller with a collet can be understaffed with a distillation column.

The most advanced is the third type of alcohol distiller equipped with a distillation column. It is equipped with a furnace, containers for water / mash / moonshine, a steam pipe, a pipe for alcohol evaporation, a thermometer, a steam tank, a jar, a pipe to the filter, filters with copper plates, a coil, a cooling system, and a hydrometer. The design produces a 100% pure product. The only drawback is the high cost and bulkiness.

All presented types of distillers are designed to produce pure moonshine. You can independently control the distillation process, as a result of which you get a high-quality product at an affordable cost.

Which one to choose? For the production of grain, grape moonshine, whiskey or cognac, the first type is suitable - alambric. The fragrant traditional moonshine will produce a second distiller, with a strengthening column. If you produce both in large volumes, you should choose the third unit with a distillation column. On it, easily make high-quality moonshine or liquor.

Main purpose

The internal structure of moonshine distillers is typical; four important components interact in them - a distillation cube, a coil, a cooler, and containers. In the distillation cube, processes of separation of alcohol from water occur. It is usually made of copper. The cooler is a water jacket wrapping a coil, through cooling, the vapors are cooled in it. The coil is made of copper or stainless steel, the materials have good thermal conductivity. Accordingly, condensed steam is formed at the outlet flowing into the tank.
Additional devices:

Sukhoparnik - a tank into which steam enters, then it is cooled, dividing into elements. In it, phlegm (a liquid of a foul smelling sivuha) is partially separated. Alcohol-containing light vapors move further along the coil with a cooler. A distiller can have two dry steamers, aromatic herbs, zest, spices are added to one of them to give a pleasant smell to the final product.

REFERENCE. Sukhoparnik made of stainless steel. It looks like a flask with integrated fittings for supplying / withdrawing steam.

Reinforcing column (tsar) - a long tube (40 cm) mounted vertically to the distillation cube. It produces purified moonshine with a strength of 80-85%.
Distillation column is a kind of multilayer filter (45 cm). At its levels, nozzles of different filling are used (shavings made of stainless steel or copper, springs, shredded pieces of wire). It produces alcohol with a strength of up to 96 degrees.

Principle of operation

The most primitive moonshine still works by technology: evaporated - cooled - condensed - collected.

Let us consider in more detail the internal interaction of the elements. When the initial mash is heated, the liquid part evaporates (water + alcohol + impurities). Then the steam is further cleaned in a suction cup before condensation. After that, the vapor trapped in the coil is cooled and condensation forms. Next, the resulting moonshine flows into a container for selection. If, after the first distillation of the liquid, a cloudy liquid flows into the tank, it means that the condensate contains a certain amount of impurities. Then a repeated cycle of fractional distillation is recommended.