Despite the huge selection of moonshine stills, many still make it with their own hands. This is done in order to improve the quality of the distiller and save money , since some parts may already be in the household. We will show you several paths you can take to make a full-fledged moonshine distillation apparatus. We will consider the fastest , cheapest and highest quality option.
It is not always profitable to manufacture all parts of the device yourself. You can buy some things, but somewhere else it’s better to save money. We will tell you the most profitable options, and you will already choose the one that is most suitable for you.
Construction of a moonshine still: what parts do we need?
I suggest immediately making a moonshine still with a steamer so that you get a purer and better quality drink. By the way, it is the steamer that is the part that is much more profitable to make on your own rather than buy in a store.
What does a classic and high-quality distiller for moonshine consist of:
Components of a moonshine still.
- Distillation cube (tank) . This is a container from 5 to 100 liters in which the mash is heated. It is best to make it from stainless steel or copper. Enameled steel will also work, but is less preferred. Food grade aluminum only as a last resort.
- Steam line . These are tubes through which alcohol vapor moves. They can be made of stainless steel or silicone. The main thing is that they are as airtight as possible and do not absorb odors.
- Sukhoparnik . A device for purifying moonshine from harmful impurities. It is highly recommended in moonshine stills, as it definitely has an effect. Most often it is made of stainless steel, but we will use a regular small glass jar. Do not confuse with bubbler and reflux condenser.
- Fridge . The most complex part in the design of the distiller, which helps cool the alcohol vapor and condense it into moonshine. There are several ways to make it yourself, although it is also available for sale.
The operating principle of a moonshine still.
Registration certificate
A registration certificate is permission to produce and sell water distillers in Russia . Manufacturers of water distillers are responsible for the quality of the purified water. They must have a document confirming its safety for human health.
The registration certificate is issued by Roszdravnadzor after presentation of test results.
Laboratory toxicological studies of distilled water and technical testing of devices are carried out. This document contains the following information:
- name of the manufacturer;
- name of the device;
- location of the enterprise;
- Potential risk class;
- number of the registration dossier and the order of Roszdravnadzor on approval for use of the device on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Both domestic and foreign devices are registered.
Example of a registration certificate:
Fastest option #1
Photo of a finished moonshine still from a pan
The distillation cube is an ordinary pan made of stainless steel or enameled steel. The steamer and refrigerator are purchased separately and are simply inserted into a pre-drilled threaded hole.
You can make such a unit in 10 minutes, and the total cost will be about 2,500 rubles.
Ready-made apparatus from a saucepan.
Turning a pot into a moonshine still
Simply cutting a hole in the lid and inserting a steam line there will not work; you need to make the pan airtight and dense. Only after this can you connect the refrigerator and steamer.
We perform the following actions:
A coil with a steam steamer costs around 2.5 thousand rubles.
- We buy a meter of silicone hose, cut it lengthwise and stretch it over the upper diameter of the pan . This will be a homemade gasket that will keep the container tightly sealed.
- We drill a hole in the lid for a steam line with a steamer and a refrigerator. You will most likely need a 12mm drill bit.
- We insert the adapter into the pan, secure it inside with a nut and gasket, and attach our steam line to the outside.
- To press the lid as much as possible, we use paper clamps : we clamp the lid and the pan 6–8 times along the entire diameter.
- The distiller is ready for distillation.
Reading the instructions is a bit of a task, so it’s better to watch the video attached just below.
Try not to accelerate the mash to maximum temperatures so that it does not begin to leak through the silicone gasket. Heat gradually.
Video instructions for making
Better to see once than hear a hundred times. For sixteen minutes, the author of the Youtube channel Spy Gates talks and shows what actions and what tool you need to perform in order to make the device yourself.
This is a fairly budget-friendly and good option for all novice moonshiners for whom speed is important.
Separator
Perhaps the key element in automating the distillation process is the separator - a device for separating distillation fractions: “heads”, “body”, “tails” (and, subsequently, “strong body”).
Without a separator and a control unit, the distillation process must be constantly monitored. This is extra time. You sit and wait for it to heat up and start flowing. And that's a long time. Which is exactly why the idea was conceived. Saving time and managing the process is where the point is. And for this you need a separator - a fraction separator. There were also several separator options.
First option
- valve from a washing machine. A bad option is a small cross-section of the duct, continuous holding of the valve for many hours. All this is heating up and humming. I abandoned this option almost immediately.
The valve from the 3W180 washing machine is a bad separator option.
Second option:
a separator made of three cut glass medical bottles embedded in epoxy resin. Maybe - this would be a good option, but with knowledge of the properties of the epoxy composition. I poured the entire “dose” of epoxy (about 450 ml) at once out of ignorance. The epoxy composition heated up to 70 degrees. As a result, all the bottles cracked inside the filling, but did not crumble. The sediment remains. I abandoned the idea. Although it's a good option.
Photo of a separator on an epoxy composition. Cracks inside.
More photos of an epoxy-based separator
Photo of a separator on an epoxy composition. How it should have been attached.
Photo of a separator on an epoxy composition. Output pipes. Third option:
vertical type separator, wooden with copper funnels. Not a bad option. But, since there was an attempt to use the engine from the DSM2-L-220 recorder, it could only rotate in one direction - in principle - no big deal, but then it was necessary to control the position of the separator beak above the funnel, and these are additional optical sensors, increased voltage 220 volts through the signal wire. Plus, the idea suddenly came to me to select a “strong body”, and this is the fourth funnel. For those in the know, all tinctures are made from a strong “product”, which are then diluted to the desired concentration. 40 percent is oak (the basis of any cognac or whiskey) - well, it doesn’t want to infuse at all. And 60% is just on the road. Therefore, we had to abandon this option, although it was quite reasonable.
Photo of a vertical type separator. Frontal view.
More photos of the vertical type separator
Photo of a vertical type separator. View from above.
Photo of a vertical type separator. Beak. Optical sensors.
Photo of a vertical type separator. Motor from the recorder 2 rpm.
There is also one “nasty” thing about the return separator: the pipe is constantly rotating, that is, each distillation is one full revolution of the beak of the vertical type separator. Naturally, the silicone hose will twist. To prevent this from happening, the pipe must be inserted into the bearing. The bearing must be secured in some kind of fastener into which a copper pipe must be pressed. That is, an additional “complex” unit is another disadvantage of this type of separator. Here in the photo the beak consists of 2 plates, between which there is a piece of plywood into which a bearing with a fixed pipe is inserted. All this is screwed together with screws and fixed on a rotating axis. Is it hemorrhagic? Crazy!
Photo of a vertical type separator. The copper pipe rotates in the bearing.
Well, now - the last
final
version of the separator - the current one. Made from plywood, guides, a stepper motor, its drivers and limit switches.
Photo of a separator on a stepper motor.
Photo of a separator on a stepper motor. View from above.
It was made of plywood, 21 mm thick. and 10 mm. Stainless steel funnels for pouring alcohol into a pocket metal flask.
About funnels:
Search on Ali for the phrase: “6 Piece Stainless Steel Flask Funnel Set, Small (6 pcs).” From 6 pieces, choose 4 normal ones. There are defective ones.
Small stainless steel funnel for a flask.
There are also similar funnels, but smaller in height, and sometimes rounded. I met 3 types in total. These tall ones seemed to me the easiest for installation work. There are also aluminum ones, just for snipers, with a diameter of 18 mm. They are called: “Funnel for spirits.” But it seemed to me that the exit hole was very small. Here the effect of tension on the surface of the liquid will already appear. Besides, she's kind of sweet. If you glue it into plywood, it will be fine, but like this, it bends by hand.
Aluminum funnel for perfume. Lyabeznaya.
How the mechanical part is assembled:
The funnels are glued into the plywood with ordinary epoxy-based glue in 2 passes (otherwise such a column of glue will leak through the masking tape). The holes were cut with a 38mm wood cutter. When gluing, the funnels were inserted until the rim stops and taped with masking tape. In fact, at first, for the previous version of the separator, I ordered copper funnels from a master at the Masters Fair. And they cost me a pretty penny with delivery (about 2 thousand rubles)
Bottom view of the separator showing the glued funnels.
Then I started fiddling with the drive mechanisms. I found some strips and wanted to take the printer apart. And again, my Chinese partners seduced me: a kit for a 3D printer with ready-made guides, 8 mm in diameter, a drive shaft, a screw, with all the fasteners and nuts + a stepper motor - for only 1,500 rubles!
Request to Ali:
“3D Printer guide rail sets T8 Lead screw length 200mm linear shaft 8*200mm KP08 SK8 SC8UU nut housing coupling step with motor”
A set of guides for a 3D printer.
Why, one wonders, will I suffer from nonsense? All is ready. You just need to secure everything to the plywood. So I decided. All that remains is to mark, make a plywood running bar (on which the copper pipe is attached) and two sidewalls.
Separator on a stepper motor.
The entire interior with guides, carriage, funnels, and outlet pipe will subsequently be covered with plexiglass with a longitudinal slot on top for a silicone hose. It will be just like in a pharmacy - no dust, no dirt.
The movable outlet pipe (if it’s easier to call it “pisunok”) is made of a copper tube with a diameter of 14 mm. The end is specially narrowed so that there is no emission of liquid beyond the funnel. To do this, 8 longitudinal cuts were made at the end of 7 millimeters, the resulting antennae were bitten out through one, the rest were bent inward. Thus, the liquid will be more or less directed in a thin stream into the center of the funnel. The pipe itself is fixed to the movable carriage using the same screws that are attached to the running bearings and the running screw. The mounting brackets for the outlet pipe, by means of which it is screwed to the movable carriage, were cast from epoxy resin into a cardboard form with pieces of denim fabric added inside. The result was a fairly strong improvised composite that did not crumble when drilled. After casting, the pipe brackets are carefully processed with a file. This pipe will subsequently be connected with a silicone hose to the refrigerator.
Photo of a copper pipe (“pisunok”).
Design of the electronic part of the separator:
Next, how to manage all this? It is clear that limit switches are needed for ease of control: left, right limits of the lead screw (Limit1, Limit2). This is a functionality for ease of management. I used mechanical limit switches. You can use both optical and magnetic reed switches - depending on what you like best. The stepper motor was included in the 3D kit (17HS2408S). Voltage 4.8 volts. 0.8 amperes per phase. Need a driver. A driver like Stepper driver L298N will do.
L298N stepper motor driver.
But the L298N is simply a “current amplifier” of the signal from the microcontroller. In this mode, you need to connect 4 ports from the microcontroller to the L298N. Additionally, in the program, monitor the direction of rotation (the order of the pulses), observe the sequence of the pulses. There is some kind of software hemorrhoids. It’s much easier to do it all “hardwired”. For this case, there is EasyDriver v4.4 based on the A3967.
Stepper motor driver EasyDriver v.4.4.
In this case, everything becomes completely simple: set one (pulled up +5 volts) at the “direction” input, gave one pulse at the “step” input - took a step forward. I set 0 (pulled up gnd) at the “dir” input, gave one pulse at the “step” input - took a step back. If the stepper motor is idle, set 0 to “Enable” - and that’s it - the drive is de-energized and does not heat up. Beauty! Just 3 microcontroller ports and without unnecessary software distortion.
As for the stepper motor, it is weak. But for our needs it’s quite enough. And the running nut or coupling, if the limit switch slips, will not collapse. When it rests, it just starts to hum. Therefore, in the future, the program can even provide for verification of the limit switch failure: we take 20,000 steps to the left, and if we do not find the Limit1 limit switch, it means the limit switch is broken, but we are obviously at the left zero. Something like this.
This is what the electronic filling of the separator assembly looks like:
Photo of the separator from the drive and drivers side.
All this is powered by 5 volts. Even though it is written that Easy Driver works from 6-30V, everything works nicely from 5V. Easy Driver itself does not support this stepper. Its maximum current is 750 mA. This is not even enough for one phase. Therefore, only through L298N. And yes, the jumpers on the L298N driver “Enable A”, “Enable B” are left in place (I already managed to disassemble and reassemble everything once before I realized what was the matter, why the stepper motor did not work). The Step input is optimally supplied with a pulse repetition rate of about 500 Hz. At a frequency of 230-240 Hz. The stepper motor is very noisy and vibrates. I don’t recommend microstepping mode - the L298N starts to heat up - and no one really needs this mode - we’re not turning out 3D models here - clear positioning is not required. Therefore, on EasyDriver v4.4, inputs MS1, MS2 need to be grounded. The “Enable” input of EasyDriver v.4.4 may not be connected to the microcontroller, but then the stepper motor will be constantly powered during the 5-hour distillation process.
The connection diagram for L298N, EasyDriver v4.4 is as follows:
L298N:
1. OutputA, OutputB are the stepper motor phases AA*, BB*. 2. At +12V Power - apply +5 volts. 3. Power GND - common. 4. Do not touch the 5V Enable jumper - it outputs +5V to the output. 5. Power - stabilized 5 volts (may be useful). 6. Jumpers A Enable, B Enable - do not touch. 7. Input - pulse inputs from Easy Driver v.4.4 (Motor Coil A, Motor Coil B).
On EasyDriver v.4.4
:
1. PDF Input, Reset, Sleep Input - we don’t touch it at all. 2. Inputs MS1, MS2 - ground (you can directly on the board itself at the GND inputs - all grounds are connected). 3. On Power In (6-30V) - we supply +5 volts and ground. 4. On Step Input - there are impulses, like, take a step. 5. DIR - Direction - Direction of rotation of the stepper motor (high/low level 5/0 volts). 6. Enable - can be used, can not be used - disables/enables the “power” on the stepper. If you don’t use it at all, then by default, “strength” is applied.
The operation of the separator was checked using a microcontroller simulator (a homemade control panel with indicators) based on the NE555 timer. Soldered, literally - on my knees. The timer frequency was set to approximately 500 Hz. The switches simulated the outputs from the Enable, Dir, Step microcontroller for EasyDriver. One two-position switch is direction + steps (forward + steps / neither here nor there / back + steps), the second is permission / prohibition. Plus - LED control of the operation of limit switches Limit1, Limit2. The remote control diagram below will make everything clear.
Photo of a homemade stepper motor control panel.
Drawing of the ne555 remote control circuit diagram.
Here is a video of the separator in action. Switching the remote control with one hand (with the camera in the other) is not very convenient, so it’s as is. But everything is clear there. Permission/prohibition, right/left, LEDs on the remote control light up white and red—limit switches. Well, the green LED - the frequency of 500 Hz is generated from the timer - glows with a uniform glow.
Video demonstrating the operation of the separator from the remote control:
Another separator option is expensive:
It would be possible to make a separator from 4 electric ball valves. This is an option. But each of them costs 1000 rubles. In addition, one way or another, when combined into a distribution manifold, stagnant zones will remain, and mixing of the remaining fractions in ball valves is inevitable. Well, all this is 220 volt power. And this is also an option.
Photo of an electric ball valve.
Cheapest option #2
Photo of the finished machine from a milk flask (can)
Finding a milk can is not a problem now. There are quite a few of them left over from Soviet times, and you can easily find a suitable option Avito or Yulia
A flask makes a really good distillation cube of decent size, which is suitable for distilling a large volume of mash. It is not so difficult to process it into a moonshine still, because the principle remains the same as with a saucepan.
A possible option for implementing a moonshine still from a flask.
How to convert a can into a moonshine still
I suggest reading the instructions in text format again, and then watching the video.
Hole in the cover for the fitting.
- Using a 20 mm feather drill, we make a hole in the can lid.
- We insert a brass fitting into it, which is tightly clamped from the inside with a nut and gasket.
- If you plan to monitor the temperature, you can make another hole for a bimetallic thermometer.
- We put a stainless steel gas hose on the fitting, which we connect to the steam tank.
- We make a dry steamer with our own hands from a jar; for detailed instructions, read the link provided or continue watching in a separate video.
- From the steamer we move the hose to the refrigerator, which can be made flow-through or regular. The first option is more effective and complex, but for the second you just need a large container of water (bucket).
- Let's tighten all the nuts and start making moonshine!
For moonshine, it is best to use stainless steel or copper. But brass is not the worst option either, so nuts made from this material are not a problem.
Making a distiller from a can on video
One of the most detailed videos from Youtube, the OverCraft , has collected almost 250 thousand views. The author shows all his actions on video and makes pop-up tips that describe the diameters and names of the necessary equipment.
The video is short, but it is enough to understand the general principles of processing a can into a moonshine still.
Making a steamer with your own hands
As a bonus, we are posting a video from Antonich and Alexey Podolyak , where the author makes a steamer from an ordinary can. Using this principle, you can even make a bubbler (filtration occurs through water), if it seems to you a more useful and effective device for purifying alcohol vapor.
We believe that any classic distiller should have 1 steamer or 1 bubbler. Combining them or making several at once does not make practical sense. Just wash unnecessary equipment and increase alcohol losses.
Instructions for making a once-through refrigerator
I looked at many different designs and settled on the option of polypropylene pipe and fittings. This is one of the cheapest materials that can be bought at almost any plumbing store or construction supermarket.
My total costs were 678 rubles in one case (option No. 1) and 610 rubles in the other (option No. 2).
The very idea of using a polypropylene pipe does not belong to me, but I came up with the design and technological solutions proposed here myself and have already tested it several times. I offer two options that are easy to do yourself.
We don’t need special tools for manufacturing, and the whole job will take no more than an hour.
- Option #1
So I used:
- Copper tube 12×1 – 1 meter (price – 300 rubles)
- Polypropylene pipe Ø25 mm – 1 meter (68 rubles)
- Tee with transition to internal thread 25×½" – 2 pcs (71 rubles each)
- Transition coupling 25-20mm – 2 pcs. (6 rubles each)
- Plug with ½" thread – 2 pcs. (6 rubles each)
- Connection with ½" thread for connecting a hose Ø12 mm – 2 pcs. (62 rubles each)
- FUM tape – 20 rubles
I assembled it all according to the drawing below. Looking ahead, I’ll immediately show you a photo of what happened.
Highest quality option #3
Photo of the finished beer keg machine
The coolest device is made from large beer containers called kegs. They require serious improvement and processing, but the result is at the level of high-quality and expensive distillers.
The most popular is a 30-liter container equipped with a tubular electric heater (TEN). This installation allows you to distill mash in any room and place where there is an electrical outlet (even on the street).
Beer keg converted into a moonshine still. In analysis.
The process of converting a beer keg into a moonshine still
The work is complex and requires skills in using a welding machine, grinder and screwdriver. The sequence of actions is as follows:
Ready-made stills from beer kegs.
- The hole on top for the steam line of the moonshine still is widened. A regular gas hose will not work here; you need a wide stainless steel pipe with maximum tightness.
- A 2-inch hole is drilled at the bottom for a clamp that needs to be soldered. In the future, a heating element will be inserted into it, which heats the mash.
- For convenience, a tap is cut into the keg to drain the stillage, the bottom is equipped with legs for stability, and handles are cut out on top.
- You can add a thermometer to the design, which is inserted in the same way as a pan and a can.
- Let's start the race!
The whole operation takes several days of work, since in addition to converting the keg into a distillation cube, you also need a steamer and a refrigerator.
Video instructions for converting a keg into a moonshine still
An excellent series of videos was prepared by Andrey Golubenko . Slowly, at home, involving small children in the work, the author slowly improves the design and ultimately makes a fantastic distiller that does an excellent job of distilling mash of any kind.
The process is divided into several parts, in each of which the author makes one of the parts of the apparatus design. We highly recommend viewing to all moonshiners for experience.
How to install a heating element into a distillation cube
A rather delicate task that can be solved in two ways: with or without welding .
In the first case, simply drill a hole and weld a clamp into which we will later screw the heating element. The whole process is clearly shown in the video from the guys at Steel Jet . The process takes a long time, but it is thorough.
In the second case, you need to purchase an o-ring and a special ring from the online store moonshine-and-vodka.rf . This is a rather innovative method that no one has used before.
The guys carried out a lot of testing and launched a unique product on the market that solves a serious problem for moonshiners: the horns periodically broke due to welding . Using a ring allows you to simply screw the heating element into the hole without unnecessary welding.
Design features of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger
Partitions
The distance between the partitions is approximately equal to the radius of the body. The smaller this distance, the greater the flow speed and the less possibility of stagnation zones.
The partitions direct the flow across the tubes, this significantly increases the efficiency and power of the heat exchanger. The partitions also prevent the tubes from bending under the influence of thermal loads and increase the rigidity of the shell-and-tube reflux condenser.
Segments are cut out in the partitions to allow water to pass through. The segments must be no less than the cross-sectional area of the water supply pipes. Typically this value is about 25-30% of the septum area. In any case, the segments must ensure equality of water speed along the entire trajectory of movement, both in the tube bundle and in the gap between the bundle and the body.
For the reflux condenser, despite its small (150-200 mm) length, it makes sense to make several partitions. If their number is even, the fittings will be on opposite sides, if odd - on the same side of the reflux condenser.
When installing transverse partitions, it is important to ensure that the gap between the body and the partition is as small as possible.
Tubes
The thickness of the tube walls is not particularly important. The difference in heat transfer coefficient for wall thicknesses of 0.5 and 1.5 mm is negligible. In fact, the tubes are thermally transparent. The choice between copper and stainless steel, from the point of view of thermal conductivity, also loses its meaning. When choosing, you need to proceed from the operational or technological properties.
When marking the tube sheet, they are guided by the fact that the distances between the axes of the tubes should be the same. They are usually placed at the vertices and sides of a regular triangle or hexagon. According to these schemes, with the same step it is possible to place the maximum number of tubes. The center tube most often becomes problematic if the distances between the tubes in the bundle are not equal.
The figure shows an example of the correct location of the holes.
For ease of welding, the distance between the tubes should not be less than 3 mm. To ensure the strength of the connections, the tube sheet material must be harder than the pipe material, and the gap between the screen and the pipes must be no more than 1.5% of the pipe diameter.
When welding, the ends of the pipes should protrude above the grate at a distance equal to the wall thickness. In our examples - by 1 mm, this will allow you to make a high-quality seam by melting the pipe.
Other options for making a moonshine still with your own hands
Pressure cooker
The Soviet saucepan has perfect tightness, but an extremely small volume. Having filled 75% of this container, we will end up with a maximum of 1 liter of 40-degree moonshine, and in any case we will have to distill it twice to remove harmful impurities.
External view of the finished distiller from a pressure cooker.
You shouldn’t take this option seriously, but for a change, you can try distilling an alcohol-containing liquid in a pressure cooker and see the result. Just try to clean the product as much as possible from fusel oil.
As an alternative to stainless steel tubes, you can use food-grade silicone. It is securely tightened with clamps and does not let anything through.
Multicooker
One of the most absurd ideas that could come into the mind of a moonshiner. The multicooker has excellent tightness and already has a valve for steam release. All that remains is to insert the steam hose there and you can distill the mash into moonshine.
A working moonshine still from a multicooker with 4 bubblers.
The video shows the distillation of wine and the remaining beer from the refrigerator. Several bubblers gurgle quite coolly, although such a number is not necessary, they look impressive.
As one of the users on Youtube rightly noted in the comments, the result was not ordinary moonshine, but a real hour!
