Types and capabilities of refrigerators for moonshine stills. What and how to make it with your own hands? How to make a moonshine still at home - instructions and drawings What types of refrigerators are there?

There are two types of capacitors: coil and direct-flow.

A coil is a tube coiled into a spiral. Due to its considerable length, the steam passing through it has time to cool to the condensation temperature. The effectiveness of this design directly depends on the length of the tube used to create the coil.

The easiest way to think of direct flow is as a tube through which steam flows, inserted into a tube with a cooler. There are a variety of variations: a tube with several thickenings throughout, a straight tube, a tube bent in a zigzag, and so on. But the point remains the same: it is important that the area of the inner tube be as large as possible. Then it will be possible to transfer more energy (heat) from the steam to the cooler.

Refrigerator materials

A refrigerator for a moonshine still is made from a variety of materials. But the four most popular are:

Stainless steel;
Copper;
Aluminum;
Glass.

The first material is found on almost every factory-assembled moonshine still. It was chosen due to its price and ease of cleaning.

Copper is found in more expensive models. Has much higher thermal conductivity. In order to condense the same amount of alcohol from steam, all other things being equal, you will need much less copper tube. Through it, heat is removed more efficiently, due to which alcohol passes from gaseous to liquid state earlier.

Aluminum is a popular material. Almost any homemade moonshine still cooler consists of it. And all thanks to adequate thermal conductivity, low price and easy availability of aluminum tubes.

Glass. Conducts heat well. In addition, it is also transparent, thanks to which you can control the condensation process. Doing it yourself is unrealistic. Sold in chemical supply stores.

How to make a refrigerator for a moonshine still

To begin with, we suggest deciding what we need: autonomy or efficiency. There is no middle ground here. The exception is the homemade “Kulibins”, when the coil is immersed in a river, which provides cold running water. But this option is too complicated, so we will not consider it. Our task is to make a copy of the refrigerator with minimal expenditure of time, effort and money.

Autonomous cooling for moonshine still

An autonomous cooling system is not that difficult to manufacture. We will need a coil already bent into a spiral, a bucket, fum tape, plasticine, a drill and a metal drill. The diameter of the drill is equal to the diameter of the coil tube.

To begin, we insert the coil into the bucket and try on where its lower end will come out. Make a mark on the bucket and drill a hole in this place. Now we insert the coil into the seat, connect it to the moonshine still, and only after that isolate the place where the coil exits the drilled hole. For insulation, fum tape is ideal, wound in several layers with a wedge around the place where the tube comes out of the bucket. If this seems not enough to you, then you can additionally coat the joint with plasticine. And only after completing all the above operations can you pour water into the bucket. Now we periodically test the water in the bucket with our finger. As soon as it heats up, it needs to be cooled down immediately. To do this, simply select the heated one and pour in the cold one. The system is simple and straightforward.

You can make a small improvement: drill another hole in the side of the bucket and insert a drain valve into it. You won’t need a lot of time and money, but it will save you nerves and effort!

Stationary system

Now we will make a flow cooler for the moonshine still. Moreover, we will only have to spend money on the tube and electricity. Everything else can be obtained for free. So, we will need:

1 meter silicone tube;
1 liter plastic bottle;
Autogen gas lighter (turbo lighter);
Scissors.

So let's get started. First, we make a hole in the bottom of the bottle the same size as the silicone tube. By the way, you need to use a silicone tube. Rubber and its ilk may affect the taste or benefit of the final product.

Now we insert a third of the hose through the neck and take out its small end on the other side. By the way, the removed end can already be fixed by fusing the hose and plastic together. Now we begin to rotate the end that comes out of the neck around the longitudinal axis. Under the influence of twisting forces, the hose will begin to twist into a spiral. Now, continuing to twist, we gradually insert the hose into the bottle. Ideally, it should remain in the form of a spiral even after fixing both ends. After this, we wrap the fum tape on the remaining end in a layer sufficient to form a cork that can plug the neck of the bottle.

The next step is to burn two holes in the side of the bottle. One is at a distance of 5 cm from the neck, and the second is at a similar distance from the bottom. In both resulting holes we insert a pipe through which coolant will flow.

Conclusion

Using the schemes described above, you can make a refrigerator for a moonshine still with your own hands in a matter of minutes. Each of them will take no more than an hour to make. And they will function no worse than purchased samples for tens of thousands of rubles.

As for the calculations for the refrigerator, they are not necessary. The main thing is that the diameter of the tube is at least 10 mm, and its total length is at least 1 meter. If the coolant is flowing, then this is enough. For a system with a bucket, you will have to take a longer tube - 2 meters and it is important that it is made of metal.

Before moving on to a consideration of the refrigerator manufacturing technology, it is necessary to say a few words about what this structural element is used for and what it represents. To begin with, it is important to understand the very principle of operation of a moonshine still.

The prepared and fermented mash is placed in a distillation cube.
When it is heated to a certain temperature, it evaporates. The essence of the process is that the evaporation temperature of alcohol is slightly lower than that of water or the bulk of fusel oils, so the initial separation into its constituent components occurs.
Alcohol-containing steam moves through a system of tubes into a cooler, inside which the steam condenses and the output is moonshine.

This description is simplified as much as possible, since the design of a moonshine still usually contains additional elements, such as a steamer or a bubbler, but in the context of the article, their consideration is inappropriate.

Moonshine still design

So, one of the main stages of obtaining a distillate, which is moonshine, is the condensation of alcohol-containing steam. In order for this process to occur more intensively, a refrigerator for a moonshine still is designed.

Refrigerator design

As for the technological device, the cooler most often consists of a coil and a sealed reservoir with circulating coolant. There are other manufacturing options, but it is the direct-flow refrigerator that is most efficient combined with simplicity of design, and therefore manufacturing. For a more complete understanding of the issue, it is worth considering it in a little more detail.

Refrigerator coil

The coil's twisted shape allows it to cool the steam on its own. There are varieties of refrigerators in which the cooler is not equipped with additional chambers, and the process occurs upon contact with air. The efficiency of such a system will be lower than when using a full-fledged refrigerator, but it will work. The presence of an additional chamber is due to the fact that during operation the coil heats up from the action of steam, so it is not enough to simply pour water inside the chamber. The cooler must be direct-flow, since only in this way will it be possible to ensure the constant temperature necessary for effective condensation of alcohol-containing vapors.

So, a refrigerator for a moonshine still that is optimal in its functionality should consist of the following elements:

A sealed tank, the dimensions of which will be sufficient to accommodate a coil inside it and sufficient for water circulation. You can often see refrigerators with stainless steel tanks, but recently systems using elements made from polypropylene pipes are gaining popularity due to their simplicity of design.
The coil itself is made of a material that is resistant to mash vapors, as well as water, and is not prone to deformation under the influence of temperature changes. You can make a refrigerator for a moonshine still with your own hands using a coil made of a copper tube, a stainless steel tube or a polyethylene tube.
Two valves for water inflow and outflow.

As for the coil, its extreme end, which extends from the wall of the refrigerator and is the outlet for the entire system, can be equipped with a tap that will allow the system to be shut off, which is important when the device is not in use.

Making a refrigerator

Making a refrigerator for a moonshine still is not so difficult if you know the technology for assembling this element. The tank itself can be made, for example, from stainless steel or polypropylene plumbing pipes. If we take into account the difficulties in working with stainless steel (it is difficult to weld elements) and the prevalence of polypropylene today, then the second option would be more appropriate. It will be discussed below.

Let's take a polypropylene pipe as a base.

Tools and materials

In order to make a direct-flow cooler, you will need a small set of tools and a certain amount of polypropylene elements used in plumbing.

Plumbing plugs – 2 pcs.
Plumbing coupling suitable for diameter plugs – 1 pc.
Connecting element with coupling and narrowing at the ends – 1 pc.
Cable gland PG-29 – 2 pcs.
Plumbing fitting – 2 pcs.
Copper or corrugated stainless steel tube about 2 m long
Feather drills
Silicone sealant
adjustable wrench
Screwdriver or drill

The entire set can be easily purchased at a plumbing store without requiring a large investment.

Build process

If all the tools and materials are ready, you can proceed to the assembly process. The work should be divided into several stages, which must be performed sequentially.

At this point, the main stages of work on assembling the refrigerator for the moonshine still can be considered complete. All that remains is to connect the coil to the rest of the system and run water through the fittings. Moreover, it is worth paying attention that the water circulation should be organized in such a way that the upper valve will be the outlet and the lower the inlet. This way the system will function most efficiently.

In conclusion, it is worth adding that the homemade refrigerator for the moonshine still obtained as a result of the described manipulations will not be inferior in functionality and efficiency to analogues manufactured at the factory. It is only important to show a little diligence and comply with the necessary assembly conditions.

Home distillers are always looking for new alcohol recipes, and are also always thinking about improving their equipment. One of these upgrades is the modernization of the cooling system of the moonshine still.

An autonomous cooling system for a moonshine still is a dream that many lovers of making strong alcoholic drinks want to make come true. Many people can make such a system at home; this requires a small investment, the ability to work with a screwdriver, and minimal electrical knowledge. The system works with any apparatus from grandfather’s old one to a distillation column.

What will such a system achieve? Is it justified?
Pros of an autonomous system:

There is practically no water consumption, which is especially important in our time, with rising housing and communal services tariffs. In an autonomous system, you only need to fill the system once. The water can be changed after each rectification, distillation, or less often - once a month, or even more.
Constant water pressure in the system, no surges like in some water mains.
There is no need to dispose of water, this is especially true in a private house where there is a septic tank. Several cubic meters of water can be consumed during one rectification.
Moonshiner equipment can be installed in any place where there is no water supply or sewage system. For example, in the garage, on the balcony, basement, etc.
There are times when the water is turned off in an apartment or house; in our case, such a situation will not happen.
In winter, by installing a radiator outside, you don’t have to turn on the fan; due to the subzero temperature, the water will cool itself.

There are, of course, disadvantages to such a system:

An autonomous cooling system consumes electrical energy, and it is not cheap. It is worth saying that the battery consumption is 50-200 W. Depending on the power of the fan and what power the pump is used.
Heat removal from the radiator. It can be solved by installing the unit outdoors or using it as additional heating for the room.
Noisy.
Equipment price. The pump, radiator and fan are quite expensive.

Composition and operating principle of autonomous cooling:

1 – distillation cube of a moonshine still
2 – refrigerator (reflux condenser) of the moonshine still
3 – cooling radiator, where hot water is cooled in a coil using fan blowing.
4 – tank with cooling water, any tank or canister will do
5 – pump pumping water along the “tank - column - cooling radiator - tank” circuit; you can use a regulator for the pump, which will limit the rate of coolant supply.

The figure shows the principle of operation of an autonomous system: coolant from the tank, using a pump, enters the refrigerator of the device and condenses alcohol vapor, then the heated water enters the lower inlet of the radiator and through the upper pipe, cooled by a fan to ambient temperature, returns to the container, and so on. circulates in a circle.

How to assemble autonomous cooling with your own hands

As a radiator, you can take a car radiator or use an air condenser from refrigeration equipment; you can also make a self-contained system at home from an external air conditioner unit. The larger the radiator, the larger the cooling surface area and, accordingly, it will utilize more heat.

The radiator must be washed if it is used, and all dents must be straightened out with a knife. You can make a protective case around it from thin metal, and build a wooden stand on wheels, which are sold in furniture stores. The design must be stable, since a running fan creates a strong air flow.

Low-power micromotors, household fans, and cooling coolers from computer equipment can be used as airflow. Air condensers are sold complete with a fan, protective grille and impeller. In some cases, you will need an engine speed controller to reduce airflow. There are special devices that regulate the fan speed and maintain the set temperature, but this leads to a significant increase in the cost of the design.

A pump for an autonomous cooling system can be purchased at heating stores; any circular pump for water will do, but it works quietly and is designed for a long operating time. Small aquarium Chinese pumps at an affordable price are often used in autonomous cooling devices. But such a pump has two drawbacks: 1 - it makes a very loud noise, 2 - the power supply is 12 or 24 volts, which requires an additional power supply in the design. The pump may also need a regulator that increases or decreases the rate of water flow through the system.

To make a direct-flow refrigerator for a moonshine still with your own hands, you do not need any specific tools, and the procedure itself will take a little time. This is a necessary element for even the simplest moonshine brewing system. Since it is compact, it takes up little space and is easier to store. Making such a capacitor is very simple.

The most economical option is a cooler, which is made of polypropylene pipes and fittings. Such materials can be easily purchased at any hardware store. To do this you will need:

copper tube;
polypropylene pipe;
tee turning onto thread;
coupling, plug and fitting;
FUM tape.

You need to cut a small piece from the pipe - this will be the casing. At the end of the pipe, tees will need to be installed on one side and the other. Then you will need to place the tee in boiling water and hold it for a couple of minutes. Place the part on the pipe, without allowing it to cool. You can put on a muff in a similar way.

After this, in the middle of the plugs you need to make a hole for the copper tube. Heat the couplings and install plugs there. Screw the fittings into the tees, and make the thread tighter with tape. Cut the copper tube so that it can protrude a few centimeters from all sides of the casing. The tube will need to be inserted between the holes in the plugs, and the cracks will need to be sealed with sealant. The refrigerator is ready for use. It can be connected to the distillation cube with a silicone hose.

How to choose the right size for your refrigerator

A suitable size is when the length of the casing is 500-600mm, and the distance between the tubes is from 2 mm. When purchasing materials, you need to pay attention to the thickness of the pipe walls: the internal diameter must match the diameter of the pipe. Wall thickness also plays an important role. And the smaller it is, the better. It is not recommended to purchase a tube whose walls are thicker than 1 mm.

Water should flow towards the steam. It must be connected on the other side of the steam connection.

The most ideal position for the refrigerator is vertical, because in this case the moonshine condensate can flow down freely. In addition, being in this position, the direct-flow cooler will have maximum efficiency and there will be no condensate plugs.

After distillation is completed, it is imperative to clean the pipe. This can be done using a brush, or you can simply wash it under hot water. If this is not done, copper sulfate, which is a toxic substance for the body, may appear in the tube.

Advantages of a direct-flow refrigerator

Most people who have tried high-quality and natural alcohol, be it moonshine, cognac or tinctures based on them, sooner or later wonder how they can prepare something similar on their own. If you think about your needs or preferences, there are not many options. If we talk about the process of brewing moonshine, then everything is simple - it is heating the liquid until the alcohols evaporate and cooling the vapors until they condense into a liquid.

A DIY moonshine still with a direct-type refrigerator has a number of advantages. Visible advantages include the ease of making a refrigerator yourself. No additional materials are required for work. This device is also easy to use at home.

The following advantages of the refrigerator can be highlighted:

no formation of condensate plugs;
temperature can be easily adjusted;
low water consumption and, accordingly, its costs.

It is also easy to transport. In addition, this device is not afraid of shocks and is not susceptible to the action of chemicals in moonshine.

Conclusion

Having studied all the information about making a once-through cooler yourself, we can conclude that this product is not particularly complicated. However, the entire process must be approached with special responsibility, having become thoroughly familiar with all the nuances and details. After all, a poorly prepared product can significantly harm human health.

Today, distillers have the opportunity to choose any moonshine still, from the cheapest and simplest to the most advanced in terms of its configuration. Nevertheless, any unit used for the purpose of distilling moonshine must include the required elements: a distillation cube and a cooler (refrigerator), which is called a coil. How does this component of a moonshine still work? How to make a refrigerator for a moonshine still with your own hands?

Coil purpose: direct flow

The coil, or refrigerator, is a winding thin hollow tube through which the vapors released during the heating of the mash pass. As steam circulates through the refrigerator, heat is removed through its walls using water or air, which leads to the conversion of steam into condensate.

Drawing for making a refrigerator for a moonshine still

Conventionally, all cooling coils can be divided into direct flow and return. An air, or direct-flow, refrigerator for a moonshine still has a simpler design, and making such an element for a distiller is quite simple. This coil is a simple thin tube made of stainless steel, copper or glass. Distillation hoses are attached to this tube, after which such a coil can be operated. A significant disadvantage of refrigerators of this design is that they cannot be improved.

It is easy to make a coil for direct flow with your own hands. How to make a refrigerator for a moonshine still:

Before you start making a refrigerator with direct flow, you should find out the operating principle of such a part. In order for such a coil to fulfill its function, it is necessary that a refrigerant flow towards the steam entering the tube, which will provoke condensation of the steam. Immediately after this, the recycled liquid will be replaced by a new one, and the process of functioning of the coil will continue.
To make a direct-flow refrigerator, you will need a PVC pipe, the diameter of which does not exceed 4 centimeters. The length of the tube should not exceed 30 centimeters. You should also prepare a couple of plugs and couplings. A bellows liner is also useful for the job. The liner should be screwed to the plugs, and after that the prepared fittings should be inserted into the casing.
Take a tin can, which will serve as a housing for the coil, and place the structure made at the previous stage into it.
At this stage, the manufactured refrigerator is equipped with a distiller. Regardless of the choice of method of equipping the device with a coil, first of all, care should be taken to ensure that after use this element can be disconnected from the device without obstacles. At the same time, sealant must be freely applied to the junction of the refrigerator and the device. Therefore, the choice should be made in favor of installation using the threaded nut method. After installing the cooler, you should lubricate the place where it is attached to the device with sealant, after which you can begin testing the design. Important: when checking the manufactured coil for the first time, you should not turn on the full water pressure.

Reflux condensers and Graham tubes

As for return coils, they exist in several varieties. Ball air chambers can be classified as return coils. They have a large heat exchange area, which provides them with high performance. Such coolers are used for liquids that have a low boiling point.

Liebig chambers can perform the functions of both reflux and direct-flow refrigerators. The design of the Liebig chamber consists of a single copper or glass tube. In moonshine stills, Liebig chambers have the form of tubes, attached using self-tapping screws or by soldering.

All return coils differ from direct-flow coils in that the refrigerant is supplied to them from the bottom up. This feature is considered an advantage of this design, allowing the introduction of additional substances into the chamber with moonshine vapors.

Most often in moonshine stills you can find coolers that are a winding tube, and such coolers are called Graham tubes. Such elements are installed vertically, which allows the distillate to flow freely into the substituted container. Such coils differ from each other in the number of spirals. The larger the volume of the mash, the more such spirals there should be on Graham’s refrigerator.

You can also make a refrigerator with coils yourself, but before you begin this task, you should make an accurate drawing of the coil design using special calculations. The thing is that the diameter of the spirals of such a device should be the same, regardless of their number. Carrying out a diagram of the future coil will allow you to accurately determine the parameters of the spirals and recreate them in the finished product.

To make your own coil tube, you should prepare a copper (alternatively aluminum or brass) tube up to two meters long, with a cross-section of 8 to 12 millimeters and a metal thickness of up to 1.1 millimeters. You should also prepare the body of the future refrigerator, because the parameters of the tube spirals will depend on its size. For the housing, you can choose a plastic sewer pipe with a diameter of 80 millimeters.

How to make your own Graham refrigerator:

First, the copper (brass, aluminum) tube should be well filled with fine sand, which will avoid deformation of the material when curling the structure.
Wood pegs are attached to the ends of the tube. You can also tightly clamp the ends or solder them completely.
Next, you should take a smooth object with a circular cross-section of the required diameter and screw a tube onto it. When choosing a step between turns, you should pay attention to the diagram and the calculation performed.
The ends of the almost finished coil should be opened and the filler poured out of them. Afterwards, the tube should be rinsed thoroughly.
The coil body should be equipped with pipes for water drainage and supply.
The coil itself should be inserted into the housing and plugs installed at both ends. All connections must have perfect tightness, and this can be achieved through the use of superglue.

Before use, it is also better to test such a refrigerator with low water pressure in the distiller.

All coils are cooled by ice, air or water. The last option is considered the simplest and most convenient from the point of view of distillation. Coolers powered by water can be either open or closed. Open refrigerators require running water, while closed refrigerators are filled with liquid manually.

Today, all ready-made moonshine stills offered for sale are equipped with refrigerators. Therefore, if you do not want to make a cooler yourself, you can give preference to a ready-made distiller.