Brewing alcohol at home is far from the easiest process imaginable. To do this, you will need not only high-quality ingredients, but also the right devices and the skills to use them effectively. In this article, we will talk about continuous beer columns, which are also known as NBK.
NSC and their application
They are not very common today, although they have a high level of functionality. On the one hand, people are used to using a standard still for distillation, so they don't want to change to something new. On the other hand, the cost of such a column is quite high and can reach several hundred dollars. That is why many people involved in the manufacture of alcohol at home do not switch to beer columns. Our article is intended to describe this device, its principle of operation, as well as the main advantages compared to the standard common vat distillation method. After reading the material, you yourself will be able to decide which method you prefer.
What it is?
So, first you need to figure out what mash columns are in general. NBK is a device that allows you to get the purest raw alcohol from mash by steam generation. As you read this article, you will learn absolutely about all the features of this device and the method of making homemade alcohol. It is worth noting that due to the high cost of the device and its components, this method is not so common in home distilling, but on an industrial scale it has been used for quite a long time and extremely successfully. So if you really want to reach a new level of efficiency, then you should definitely pay attention to continuous mash columns, as they will allow you to achieve the desired result.
Device
Naturally, the dream of every home distiller is a beer column. With your own hands (the drawings will help you with this), everyone can assemble this design. However, it is strongly not recommended to do it yourself, as this can lead to serious negative consequences and may even threaten your health and life. Further in the article, the best models that you can safely purchase right now will be presented - and then you will not have to take risks and try to build something by hand. In the meantime, it is necessary to disassemble this product with the device, so that you have an idea of what such a column consists of, and you can also easily navigate the drawings if you still decide not to spend money, but to make the column yourself. So, the device is really not that complicated: the NSC consists of an evaporation tank, the continuous column itself, a pump, a ballast trap, and some other parts that may vary from model to model - a heater, a power regulator, a refrigerator, alcohol meters, and so on. . Well, now that you know what this device consists of, you can create a mash column. There is no need to draw drawings with your own hands. You can use ready-made ones (one of them is presented below). Components, of course, will have to be purchased. You will also need to be extremely careful. And again, you need to repeat: it is not recommended to take risks and make such a device yourself, as this is fraught with not the most pleasant consequences.
Operating principle
The beer column is an idea for those who want to get alcohol quickly and efficiently at home. But in order to use the NSC, you need to understand how it works, and not just the device. Accordingly, now you will get acquainted with the process of producing alcohol from mash. The original raw material, that is, mash, is slowly fed in a thin stream into the heater located on top of the device. In some models, this element may not be, but the device works much more efficiently with it. From the heater, the mash enters the column from above, after which it gradually flows down the plates located throughout the entire structure. At the same time, steam is supplied from the evaporation tank by means of a pump, which is in contact with the descending liquid. As a result, all vapors containing alcohol come out of it, and the bard reaches the bottom of the column, which is discharged into the sewer through a bardo trap. As for vapors saturated with alcohol, they rise higher and enter the distiller, where they already acquire their normal state of aggregation - liquid. That's all, raw alcohol of the highest quality is ready. As you can see, a continuous mash column works very quickly and efficiently, however, of course, a lot depends directly on the model of the device. Some of the options you may want to consider will be presented to you later. In the meantime, you should familiarize yourself with the advantages of this device compared to the usual traditional distillation cube.
A large amount of mash
Now that you can visualize the drawing of the mash column and also have an idea of what is happening inside the device, you can draw some conclusions regarding the functionality of the NSC. The first is that the use of this device is perfect for any amount of mash. The fact is that the standard cube has a limited volume, so only a limited amount of mash can be poured into it, while in the NBK you can pour mash at least for the whole day. Accordingly, if you plan to make alcohol in large quantities, then this device is ideal for you. However, a distillation beer column has more than one advantage, so you should definitely consider each of them in order to fully realize how much more efficient and convenient home distillation will become when you purchase NBR.
Convenience and order
Those people who have ever used a cube for distillation know that after using it, a long cleaning awaits a person, since the bard does not merge anywhere, and you need to wash the cube after each use. If you have a beer column, then the bard obtained in the process of distillation is drained directly into the sewer through a bardo trap, saving you from having to waste time and effort each time cleaning the cube. Thus, as soon as you decide that there is enough distillation for today - you just need to turn off the steam generator and stop serving the mash. That's all, you can immediately go about your business, since you don’t need to clean and clean anything.
Efficiency
Since we are talking about saving time on cleaning, it is worth noting that you will be able to spend less time distilling in principle. The point is that the NSC uses heat recovery technology, which, in turn, provides an impressive increase in efficiency. Accordingly, you can get the same amount of finished alcohol in a shorter period of time, spending much less energy on it. As you can see, the benefits of NBR are numerous, and you should consider and evaluate them all in order to be able to conclude that the beer column is the best assistant for any distiller operating at home.
The quality of the finished product in the cube
All the previous benefits are very nice, but none of them are so impressive as to force the distiller to switch from the traditional method to the use of the beer column. Of course, the lack of cleaning, the ability to process more mash and the easy savings in time and energy are nice bonuses. But so far, the very advantage that is the most important has not been touched upon. The fact is that when using NBR, you can get raw alcohol of much higher quality and much more pure. Why? In fact, everything is quite simple. When you use the vat method, the process of evaporating alcohol from the mash takes quite a long time. During this time, other chemical processes are also launched, during which the yeast contained in the mash, as well as some other substances, are “boiled”, which ultimately give the finished alcohol product additional aromas and tastes. Naturally, when using high-quality equipment, these smells and tastes are barely distinguishable, but they are still present, which significantly reduces the organoleptic quality of raw alcohol.
Finished product quality at NBK
If you use NBK, then the process of evaporating alcohol from the mash is incredibly fast - it takes a maximum of fifteen seconds. During this time, none of the side processes has time to reach such a stage as to give the vapor saturated with alcohol its aromas and tastes. Accordingly, when using NBR, raw alcohol is obtained as pure and of high quality as possible, and this is what puts the beer columns much higher than even the most advanced cube.
NSC Vilenoff (6kW)
Now you will get an idea of what NBKs are on the market today. The product that will be discussed now is the best beer column that can fall into your hands. Its power is 6 kW, which allows the device to function more than efficiently. The unit has a fairly large height - just over two meters. The evaporation tank is located at the very base and has a volume of 93 liters. If we talk about the supply of mash, then it is adjustable, that is, you yourself can control how much product will be fed into the column. The maximum rate is 70 liters per hour, but you can reduce it to any level at your discretion. The approximate output of raw alcohol is 13.5 liters per hour, but this figure is not stable - it largely depends on the qualities of the mash you use. This NSC is the best column available for everyone, but it is far from the only one you can get.
NSC AR-480
The previous product costs more than six hundred dollars, and not everyone wants to spend such an impressive amount. So if you still want to buy NSC, but do not have such funds, then a mini-wash column may come in handy for you. It is much smaller, it lacks some elements such as the evaporator tank that you have to connect separately, and it is also less efficient due to the fact that its power is only 2.5kW, which is much less than from the previous model. However, the device still remains incredibly functional, and most importantly - it will cost you only three hundred dollars, which is half as much as a full-sized highly functional NSC. Accordingly, you can choose one of these options - or go in search of some other option. You were not interested in any of the beer columns? You can build an analogue with your own hands. And although this is not the best and safest option, you can’t just ignore it and not say anything about it.
Do-it-yourself NBK creation
The easiest way out is to purchase a ready-made device, but if you want to experiment, you can try. Perhaps you will get a full-fledged mash column - it is quite difficult to make a device with your own hands, although everything may look simple on the diagram. As you already understood, you need to ensure that alcohol-saturated vapors enter the upper container, which can serve, for example, as an inverted glass jar, and the spent bard flows down. Evaporation must take place in the exhaust pipe, which must be achieved at a certain temperature. If you understand such devices, then you will have a chance to build something similar. If not, then you are unlikely to get something effective enough, and most importantly, a home-made device is far from always safe.
Recently, there have been a lot of search queries on the topic of a continuous action beer column. Let's talk about this device.
Primarily composition of the NBK :
1. Fermentation tank.
2. A pump that feeds the mash into the column from above. It can be a peristaltic (ideally) or a conventional submersible pump (set both separately and paired with a peristaltic for mixing thick mash).
3. A device for feeding mash into the column (feeding must be carried out at a certain speed and in a certain amount). If there is a peristaltic pump, it performs this function.
4. Actually NSC, which is filled with special plates.
5. Steam generator. It can be both continuous and cyclic - despite the proud name H (continuous) BK, the presence of such an element of equipment as a fermentation tank with a finite volume indicates that the continuity here is conditional. Of course, in industrial production, the fermentation process can be carried out in several looped tanks, and then the system will be really continuous.
6. Refrigerator-condenser and aftercooler of the finished product.
7. Receiving container of the finished product (see item 5).
How it works . Braga, served from above, flows down the plates, gradually interacting with hot water vapor supplied from below. The modes of supply of the components are selected in such a way that the mash has time to heat up to the evaporation temperature of the alcohol, which will join the ascending steam flow and go to the selection. Alcohol-free mash, turning into a stillage, flows down the column and is discharged into the sewer. I will not talk about a very difficult way of technical implementation of the process, let's talk about how
What does this scheme give us?
Supporters of its introduction to the masses give a lot of arguments “for” and not a single one against.
- The time of contact of the mash with steam is insignificant, therefore, the yeast does not boil, and this greatly affects the organoleptic of the final product. Is it bad? No, it's wonderful.
- Equipment after use does not need to be washed, the bard itself flows into the sewer. Cool? Still would.
- Higher transfer speed. What is it? What can I say - class.
- No need for high-capacity stills - NBK will process any amount of mash in one run, as long as there is enough steam (continuous PG solves this issue). And this is a very useful feature.
- We squeeze the alcohol to "zero". I'm shocked how great it is.
Well, and everything in this spirit.
Now let's separate the flies from the cutlets.
- One can argue about washing the components - a column with plates of complex shape is much more difficult to wash than a distiller or BC; the fermentation tank also needs to be washed in both cases; if the cube is set at the same height as the column, the bard will run into the sewers just as well; pumps and other elements - additional fuss. But, in the end, does it all matter?
— The speed of distillation and the ability to work with large (in the long run, endless) fermentation tanks are a definite plus.
— And what about “ready distillates of the highest quality” (I quote from the website of one of the manufacturers) is a big question. If the tails can still be “cut” by adjusting the steam and mash supply so that the temperature of the drained “vintage” (actually alcohol-containing mash - remember the thesis “We press alcohol to “zero”) is lower than the temperature of the waste tails. But what about the heads? Braga then all the time comes new, there is no question of any factional division. So at the exit from the NSC we have raw alcohol (SS) of poor quality. nowhere, except for re-distillation or rectification, this product is not suitable. It turns out that the NBC
is a solution for wholesalers selling moonshine to the suffering, or for wholesale producers of alcohol. In everyday life, NBK can be successfully applied by a wealthy curious rectifier, since the price tag starts from 25 thousand rubles for the most primitive version (essentially a conventional distiller). The price tag of the equipment of the profurovny is far from being so democratic.
Call if something is wrong.
The blueprint is borrowed from a home distiller.
P.S. Recently, people from the network often come to requests such as "continuous mash column drawing" . And on this blog and on other resources there are practically no drawings. Why? Here is an example of a drawing in the title of this article. At one time, at one of the forums, the topic of the practical implementation of the NSC was rather lively discussed; during the discussion, diagrams and drawings of intermediate versions of the column were laid out. As soon as a working solution was formed and the column "went into series" from one of the commercial manufacturers, all specific technical implementations were removed from the public domain (except for this drawing). This is a common and understandable practice. Schemes, drawings and photographs give a general idea of \u200b\u200bthe design, and then you have to do it yourself. This is homemade, and whoever can’t, welcome to the store.
If any apparatus is assembled from ready-made units, then all the more so no drawings can be found, they simply do not exist in nature. So don't waste your time looking for them. Even if some kind of blueprint is posted somewhere, this is probably not an implemented intermediate design with internal flaws.
Progress never stands still. And even in the matter of obtaining strong alcoholic beverages at home, technologies are being improved every year. The primitive distillers were replaced by distillers with a dry steamer, and they, in turn, are gradually being replaced by beer and distillation columns. indicate that the beer column makes it possible to obtain a product of a higher degree of purification than when using a distiller with a dry steamer. Brazhny (or film) columns and this article is devoted.
The principle of operation of the mash column
The operation of any moonshine is based on the principle of distillation - the evaporation of a liquid with its subsequent condensation. Thus, a mixture of liquids with different boiling points is successfully separated into separate fractions. However, it is the quality of separation of these fractions that ultimately determines the quality of the resulting drink.
The beer column (film column, distiller with reinforcement) is more complex than a dry steamer. While the dry steamer is simply in contact with the ambient air, the column is equipped with an additional (strengthening) cooler, in addition to the usual (condensing) cooler.
Due to the supply of cold water to the strengthening column, the vapors rising from the cube are partially condensed, forming the so-called phlegm. This thick liquid, forming a film on the walls of the column, flows back into the distillation cube. Therefore, the beer column is often called a film column.
The flowing phlegm is enriched with high-boiling impurities ascending towards it and carries these impurities with it into the cube. At the same time, the remaining non-condensed alcohol vapors are strengthened - they carry the ascending alcohol fractions with them. It turns out that a more accurate separation of fractions occurs in the column than in the distillation cube. Thus, both the strength of the distillate at the outlet and its purification from tail fractions increase significantly.
When distilling using a column, one does not even have to talk about such a concept as "spray", since all unnecessary components flow back into the still. An important point is the fact that the beer column has its own thermometer, which allows you to monitor the vapor temperature and accurately cut off fractions. This happens by adjusting the water supply to the dephlegmator (reinforcing refrigerator). The less cooling water - the less strengthening occurs, and the greater the flow of distillate gets to the outlet of the cooling refrigerator. If you want to get a distillate of higher strength and purity, then more water is supplied to cool the dephlegmator. But the distillation time in this case will take considerable.
As you can see, the principle of operation of the beer column in the moonshine still is not so complicated. It is only important to adapt to adjusting the water supply: visible temperature changes do not occur immediately. The system is inertial, so you need to regulate the water slowly, making pauses of 20-30 seconds to establish a new equilibrium in the column. But it is precisely thanks to the precise adjustment of the temperature regime due to the refrigerator that a more accurate selection of heads occurs on the column with reinforcement. And tails too.
As for, there are absolutely no restrictions here. The mash column is particularly well suited for the production of beverages that imply a lack of flavoring properties of the raw materials used for the mash.
The fundamental difference from the dryer
In an apparatus with a dry steamer, some of the heads (and this is acetone, ethers, methanol - in a word, everything that boils at a temperature lower than alcohol) inevitably “slips” into the product. The steamer is in contact with the air in the room, and the temperature of this air is usually constant throughout the entire process and high enough (for the comfort of the distiller himself). And since in this case it is difficult to create a more significant temperature difference, ethers and alcohols with a boiling point close to the boiling point of alcohol will inevitably get into the product. The column, on the other hand, allows you to accurately adjust the desired vapor temperature and maintain it for a long time.
In the case of tailings (fusel oils and heavy esters), cooling is even more preferable than reheating the steam (as happens in a dry steamer). And when working on a column with reinforcement, it is better to lower the temperature and not get a little alcohol than to let a “bouquet of tails” into the product, which will spoil the drink. It turns out that when working with a beer column, we have a choice: either maximum strengthening (here we regulate the temperature regime), or the maximum possible speed (we do not regulate anything, and we get the result, as when working with a dry steamer).
Continuous mash column - what's the difference
There is also the concept of a continuous mash column. This unit allows you to distill large quantities of mash. The principle of operation of a continuous mash column is that the distillation process is ongoing, portions of the mash are continuously fed into the system, and a pump is included in the configuration. The operation of such a column implies large volumes of production (from 100 liters of mash) and the production of only liquids with a low boiling point (up to 76-78 ° C). Thus, there is no question of separating the head fraction, and a second distillation will definitely be required. Whether such a unit is necessary at home is a moot point.
Advantages of using a mash column
The film (mash) column allows you to strictly follow the technology for producing strong alcohol at home, as well as to carry out high-quality purification of the distillate from harmful impurities and fusel oils. Jewelry adjustment of the temperature regime of distillation allows you to achieve a high strength and purity of the drink, which is important when using it in. When working properly, the film column allows you to get a better quality distillate than when using a dry steamer. Well, in the case of using additional nozzles (tsarg), such a column completely turns into a distillation column.
The beer column is a recent invention used at home to distill alcohol from any. This simple device has gained popularity among summer residents and owners of suburban garden plots who use substandard fruits to make mash.
Home distillation has undergone a significant evolution in a relatively short time, having gone from an ancient serpentine to a continuous column, which, according to the principle of operation, is a simplified (home) version of a factory distillation column. What is a beer column and what is the principle of its operation?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this device? Is it possible to make it with your own hands at home or is it easier to buy ready-made? Let's try to figure it out.
A beer column is an apparatus designed for the distillation of alcohol from any kind of mash and equipped with a reflux condenser - a device for partial condensation of vapor of various liquids that occur during the distillation process.
The reflux condenser separates the vapor leaving the column into separate fractions, returning heavy condensate for further separation of alcohol from high-boiling organic compounds of the fermentation solution (fusel oils).
The continuous column retains the same distillation steps as a conventional moonshine still equipped with a “dry steamer”: evaporation plus condensation. The difference lies in the principle of evaporation, which gives high-quality cleaning of the final product.
Continuous beer column, in accordance with the principle of operation, has a simple structure. It consists of the following key elements:
- containers (tank, container, cube) for a fermentation solution, having three threaded holes for installing a thermometer, a drain pipe and a safety valve;
- columns made of copper pipe or stainless steel;
- reflux condenser, which is attached to the top of the column;
- branch pipe for connection with a condenser of any design (coil, shell cooler, etc.);
- two thermometers, one of which is attached to the top of the column, the second indicates the temperature in the container for the fermentation liquid.
Various constructive modifications of this apparatus may contain: silicone gaskets, clamps of clap joints, adapter sleeves of different diameters and bushings. The entire set of elements is usually given in the drawing specification.
The principle of operation of a continuous mash column
Before starting the process, it is necessary to mount the column with the distillation tank using clamp fasteners for this. Put the cube on a heat source (electric stove, gas stove, etc.).
As the solution heats up, alcohol-containing vapors from the tank rise to the condenser, where they are partially condensed, settling on the walls of the refrigerator. The rest of the pair continues to move up.
The first cooler is called a partial cooler precisely because it only partially condenses the steam. The settled liquid is called "phlegm", and the cooler, respectively, is called "reflux condenser".
Phlegm flows down the walls of the reflux condenser back into the tank, encountering uncooled steam on its way and breaking up into three types of fractions: head, main and tail.
The head fraction (head), including aldehydes, esters and other light substances, is cut off at low temperature at the initial stage. Then comes the turn to the main fractions (body) containing the actual alcohol, and at the very end of the process, tail (tails) compounds are removed from fusel oils and other heavy impurities.
In the process of heating, the condensate fills the walls of the column, reaching the dephlegmator. This happens when the thermometer on the upper cooler shows 51 - 55 degrees.
At this stage, the pairs of light fractions complete the condensation and are removed into a special container. This is a poisonous solution that is not used for further distillation. For 20 liters of moonshine, on average, one liter of head fractions comes out.
As the tank heats up, the temperature on the dephlegmator reaches 77 degrees. This is how it should be kept during the entire distillation process. During this period, the main fractions are separated from the fermentation vapors - the alcohol itself.
Fifteen minutes before the end of work, it is necessary to raise the temperature at the upper cooler to 81 - 83 degrees in order to collect "tails" - impurities of fusel oils and other heavy compounds, which are then sent for a second distillation.
The temperature mode of operation of the device is regulated by the upper valve at the cooler inlet and the heat source regulator.
Did you know? The standard technological description of the distillation process looks like this: alcohol vapor rising to the reflux condenser continuously reacts with phlegm flowing towards it. A heat exchange reaction takes place. Steam takes light, low-boiling fractions from phlegm and leaves high-boiling heavy compounds (fusel oils and water) to it. The product of this long reaction is alcohol with a strength of 88 - 90 degrees.
The quality of the alcohol at the outlet (purity of moonshine) is achieved by temperature control, which helps to cut off the head and tail fractions of the alcohol-containing vapor from the final product.
Important! For beginner moonshiners, you need to remember: during the distillation process, in no case should the mash be allowed to boil. The temperature in the tank should not rise above 87 - 89 degrees;
Pros and Cons of the Beer Distillation Process
pros
- The simplicity of the distillation process: the device will work until the fermentation solution runs out in the cube and the water in the steam generator disappears.
- Good quality end product. A short distillation time prevents the yeast membranes from "exploding" and introducing a fusel smell into the alcohol.
- The reflux condenser makes it possible to almost completely remove heavy tail fractions, sending fusel oils to the tank for a new distillation.
- No additional operation is needed: pour the mash into a cube, and then pour it out. - The container for the mash - is placed on the stove, then after work, the remains of the solution are disposed of in household waste.
- Economical use of water for cooling. During the distillation process, it is advised to preheat the fermentation solution, so water is only needed to cool the product and nothing else.
- For continuous operation of the device, automatic and semi-automatic control regulators are not needed. The device, when supplying mash and heat, will work stably in the specified mode for the entire period of distillation.
Minuses
- The device can only work with liquid mash from sugar, flour solutions and “fruit mash”. Malt types of mash must be passed through the filter.
- Frequent breakdowns of the tubular electric heater. Due to the large volumes of mash, there is a danger of its exposure. This requires constant monitoring of the solution level in the tank.
- Foamy mash cannot be used for distillation, since foam is often thrown into the main fractions, which requires additional purification of the final product. -Remove the foam from the mash - you can only use a special defoamer.
How to make a column with your own hands
If you have decided to make a continuous brew column with your own hands and already mentally imagine the drawings of the future device with all sizes, you need to moderate your ardor and stop in time to answer the questions for yourself: how often will you use the device and what volumes of alcohol do you intend to get at the output?
If you have a small summer cottage with two dozen fruit trees, then seasonal distillation will not cost much to make a simple continuous brew column with your own hands and according to your own drawings.
For a farm where there is a large orchard, you need a powerful machine with high productivity.
Finding drawings for the manufacture of a continuous mash column with your own hands is not difficult. They are in the specialized literature and on the pages of thematic sites on the net.
In order to get started, you need to purchase some equipment. In the specification of each drawing there is a complete list of what you need to buy.
In its most general form, the entire list looks something like this:
- container for fermentation solution and evaporator (the volume is indicated in the specification of each specific drawing) - 2 pcs.;
- copper or stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 50 - 100 mm and a length of 1.5 - 2 meters - 2 pcs.;
- thermometers - 2 pcs.;
- silicone hoses (the length is indicated in the specification of each specific drawing);
- prefabricated cooler or separate parts for it;
- clamp holder - 2 pcs.;
- couplings, fittings (quantity and dimensions in the specification);
- mesh filters and partitions (quantity and dimensions in the specification).
Did you know? It should be remembered that the cost of making an apparatus with your own hands is not without common sense only when you have locksmith skills, as well as general engineering knowledge in the field of heat engineering and electrical engineering.
However, if you wish, you can overcome the difficulties and make the device yourself in order to get a quality drink that will be truly yours: from your crop to your equipment.
After drawing up the drawings and purchasing the components, the work on manufacturing the device can be divided into the following stages:
- Preparation of the column itself from a pipe (copper or stainless steel), the height of which must correspond to the dimensions of 50 diameters. Drill a hole for the column in the fermentation tank and prepare an outlet for the clamp. Then drill another hole for the thermometer in the tank and mount everything into a single system.
- Deflector manufacturing. You need to take four copper tubes with sizes of 20, 12, 6 and 3 centimeters, five couplings with a transition to an internal thread. Then twist the coil, on which you want to wind the aluminum wire for greater efficiency of the refrigerator and make a cover for the dephlegmator. It can be an ordinary polyethylene lid for a jar, where it is necessary to melt a nylon sleeve in order to tighten the holder nut during installation. Mount the reflux condenser as a separate assembly and only then connect it to the column.
- Hole. You need to drill a hole in the column for the second thermometer, which should be in front of the dephlegmator.
- Assembly and installation of a refrigerator-condenser with a tap for supplying and discharging water. The crane is to be mounted using silicone gaskets as a single block and then connected through an adapter to the column.
Here are listed the most necessary operations for the manufacture, installation and assembly of the beer column. However, many craftsmen are trying to improve the device. They include two, three and four reflux condensers in the general distillation system, install automatic relays for supplying water to the condenser cooler, and much more. Everyone decides for himself what kind of device he needs.
On sale today there are dozens of varieties of moonshine stills, among which there are many successful models, with which you can get not only traditional moonshine, but also fairly pure alcohol. There are also devices with steam generators designed to distill dense wort, with their help you can get homemade whiskey, calvados or plum brandy.
Factory mash column
Among the less-more traditional devices, the beer columns are somewhat lost. They are known to relatively few people who are engaged in moonshining as a hobby, or who professionally process the products of their garden into alcohol. This type of activity is common in regions attractive to tourists, where the climate allows for the cultivation of various fruits on an industrial scale.
What is a beer column
It should be clarified that the beer column, which is used in home moonshine stills, belongs to the class of film, somewhat limited in scope and performance. But this is the most structurally simple version of a heat and mass transfer device, which, moreover, works surprisingly well.
Why "surprisingly"? Many home craftsmen and manufacturers of industrial moonshine stills for domestic use follow the path of least resistance. They take a schematic diagram of an industrial installation, which is used in distilleries and vodka factories, and by reducing the size they create their own designs. The principle of operation, it seems, is the same, but many processes begin to occur in a completely different way.
The reason for this is the heat capacity of the installation material, the same dimensions - complete heat and mass transfer occurs slowly, requires large contact areas, temperature stability and compliance with many more physico-chemical parameters. The scheme seems to be working, but not quite.
This design principle is reminiscent of aircraft manufacturers who reduced the Boeing to the size of a corn plant and wonder why it does not fly, and if it does fly, then much worse.
A do-it-yourself beer column, of course, works, but one should not expect phenomenal results from it. High-quality alcohol can be obtained after the second distillation, as in a good distiller with a dry steamer and bubbler after the third distillation and filtering with activated carbon. The economic effect is obvious, but beer columns require constant monitoring and compliance with the temperature regime.
At its core, the beer column is a conventional reflux condenser, in which alcohol vapors are separated from high-boiling impurities (fuel fumes) with great efficiency. There is no significant increase in the yield of alcohol, it is possible to achieve an increase of 5-10%, but whether this is due to the use of a beer column, or due to careful observance of the temperature regime. According to the effect of the action, the beer column is equal to the tandem sukhoparnik-bubbler.
Column design
Technically, the beer column is a piece of copper or stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 25-50 mm and a height equal to thirty times the diameter. Columns with a smaller ratio perform more decorative functions.
In the upper part of the column, approximately at a segment of 25% of the entire length, a primary refrigerator is mounted. It must cool the mash vapors to the point of condensation of heavy impurities and return the condensate back to the tank. The refrigerator can be made in the form of a built-in coil, an external coil in the form of a copper tube wound on a column, a water jacket.
In a do-it-yourself beer column, it is best to use the first two options. It is quite difficult to make a water jacket on your own, it is available only with industrial equipment and certain engineering knowledge and locksmith skills. The refrigerator scheme is selected based on specific conditions.
A little above the coil, a place is provided for installing a thermometer. In an apparatus with a beer column, there must be two thermometers - on the tank and on the top of the column. Moreover, they should work with the same accuracy, both electronic and bimetallic.
The presence on the market of numerous thermometers from the Celestial Empire does not guarantee that you will be able to buy two that show the same temperature in the same conditions. They'll have to be graded. This is done very simply and accessible to any student - 1 liter of water is poured into a bowl or pan and 1 kg of crushed ice is poured (it will have to be prepared in advance in the freezer of the refrigerator).
After 15-20 minutes, when the ice begins to slowly melt and about half of the previous amount remains, we immerse the thermometer sensors in this mixture. After two minutes, both thermometers should show 0 C. If the readings are different, then you at least know how much they diverge.
But the scaling doesn't end there. Boil water on the stove and immerse the thermometers in boiling water. The one that shows 100 C is working correctly. It should be used as the base one, and the error should be taken into account on the second one.
The upper part of the column is connected by a steam pipeline from a tube with a diameter of 8-10 mm to a refrigerator of a classical design, which is used in conventional distillers. In the beer column, alcohol vapors are purified, and their condensation occurs in the refrigerator.
Both coolers, on the column and on the condenser, operate independently of each other. In this case, the cooler on the column must be adjustable. It is convenient to do this by mounting a conventional faucet-regulator from a heating battery on its inlet (lower) pipe. Why it is needed will be discussed below.
Manufacturing materials
The tank of the apparatus with a mash column with your own hands is best made of stainless steel. A threaded or flanged fitting should be made in the cover for connection to the column. It is very convenient to use Klamp clamps. The connection is strong, the device is mounted and dismantled quickly and does not require the use of tools.
The column itself is made of copper or food grade stainless steel. You can also use brass if you can find a suitable pipe. It is not recommended to insulate the mash column.
The refrigerator and steam lines are also made of copper or stainless steel. Of these materials, it is easy to manufacture coils and all types of connections. You can buy a copper tube of any diameter (or stainless steel) on the Internet or in a hardware store.
How does a film-type mash column work?
The principle of operation of the beer column is very similar to the operation of a rectifier, but in a somewhat simplified form. Vapors containing alcohol and associated liquids (aldehydes, ethers, fusel alcohol and other impurities) rise up the slowly warming column pipe and condense on the walls, flowing back into the tank. As it warms up, the height of the level of complete condensation becomes more and more until it reaches the refrigerator of the reflux condenser. This happens at a temperature on the upper refrigerator of about 50-56 C.
Condensate, phlegm, together with alcohol, flows down, and light-boiling vapors (heads) enter the refrigerator-condenser and are collected in a separate bowl. Before the start of the main distillation, from 10 liters of mash, you need to collect up to 0.5 liters of heads, an extremely poisonous liquid that is unsuitable either for re-distillation or for consumption.
Continuing heating the cube, we bring the temperature on the upper refrigerator to 76 C. It should be this way for almost the entire session, only at the end of distillation it can be raised by 2-4 degrees and the resulting liquid can be collected in a separate container. She's going to retake. The required temperature is maintained by means of a tap at the inlet of the refrigerator and a stove regulator or heating element.
In the column itself, the process of interaction between the liquid flowing down the walls of the pipe and the hot vapors rising from the evaporator takes place. The phlegm warms up, and the remaining alcohol evaporates from it, rising to the steam line of the refrigerator. The fusel remains in a liquid state and flows back into the tank.
All the interaction of hot vapor and phlegm occurs on the walls of the column, where the liquid forms a thin film moving down. Therefore, columns of this type are called film.
When distilling, do not allow the mash to boil. The temperature in the cube should not exceed 85-90 C.
A copper beer column is better than stainless steel due to the high thermal conductivity of copper. It better removes heat from the phlegm film and its condensation begins earlier, which allows you to reduce the height of the column without reducing performance. Copper tube and fittings provide reliable sealing with high strength and reliability of the entire structure.
Other types of brew columns
Often one comes across descriptions of columns with filler, prismatic nozzles and other devices that allegedly increase the efficiency of the column. This is not entirely true. Nozzles and filler are an attribute; they are not entirely appropriate in a brew.
It differs in design. In it, the mash is fed from above in a continuous stream and along the way interacts with water vapor rising from the bottom from the steam generator. The flowing mash along the way is divided into many streams by special plate devices and heated to the temperature of alcohol evaporation. The remaining liquids flow freely into the intake container.
Sivukha and other harmful liquids simply do not have time to evaporate. This principle of operation is very effective in the industrial production of alcohol, but it is difficult to implement in domestic conditions.
