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 appropriate equipment and the skills to use them effectively. In this article we will talk about continuous mash 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 accustomed to using a standard still for distillation, so they do not want to adapt to something new. On the other hand, the cost of such a column is quite high and can reach several hundred dollars. This is why many people who make alcohol at home do not switch to mash columns. Our article is intended to describe this device, the principle of its operation, as well as the main advantages compared to the standard common method of still distillation. After reading the material, you can decide for yourself which method you prefer.
What it is?
So, first you need to understand what mash columns actually are. NBK is a device that allows you to obtain the purest raw alcohol from mash through steam generation. As you read this article, you will learn about absolutely all the features of this device and cooking method. 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 distillation, but in industrial scale it has been used for quite a long time and is extremely successful. 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 mash column. Anyone can assemble this structure with their own hands (the drawings will help you with this). However, it is strongly recommended not to do this yourself, as this may lead to serious negative consequences and can even threaten your health and life. Further in the article we will present best models, which you can safely purchase right now - and then you won’t have to take risks and try to build something by hand. In the meantime, you need to understand the structure of this product so that you have an idea of what such a column consists of, and 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 waste trap, as well as 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 yourself. You can use ready-made ones (one of them is presented below). The components, of course, will have to be purchased. You will also need to exercise extreme caution. And again we 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 mash column is an idea for those who want to quickly and efficiently obtain alcohol at home. But to use the NSC, you need to understand how it works, not just the design. Accordingly, now you will get acquainted with the process of producing alcohol from mash. The initial raw material, that is, mash, is slowly fed in a thin stream into the heater located on top of the device. Some models may not have this element, but with it the device works much more efficiently. From the heater, the mash enters the column from above, after which it gradually flows down plates located throughout the entire structure. At the same time, steam is supplied from the evaporation tank using a pump, which comes into contact with the descending liquid. As a result, all the vapors containing alcohol come out of it, and stillage reaches the bottom of the column, which is discharged into the sewer through the stillage drain. 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 options that you may 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 still.
A large amount of mash
Now that you can imagine a drawing of a 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 when you have any amount of mash. The fact is that a 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 throughout the whole day. Accordingly, if you plan to make alcohol in large quantities, then this device is ideal for you. However, a mash distillation 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 an NBK.
Convenience and order
Those people who have ever used a distillation cube know that after using it, a person will still have to clean it for a long time, since the stillage does not drain anywhere, and the cube must be washed after each use. If you have a mash column, then the stillage obtained during the distillation process is drained directly into the sewer through a distillation drain, saving you from the need to spend time and effort cleaning the stills every time. Thus, as soon as you decide that there is enough distillation for today, you just need to turn off the steam generator and stop feeding the mash. That's all, you can immediately go about your business, since there is no need to clean or put anything away.
Efficiency
While we're talking about saving time on cleaning, it's worth noting that you can spend less time on distilling in general. The fact is that the NSC uses heat recovery technology, and it, in turn, provides an impressive increase in the coefficient useful action. 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 advantages of the NBK are numerous, and you should consider and evaluate them all in order to be able to come to the conclusion that the mash column is the best assistant for any distiller operating at home.
Quality of the finished product in cube
All of the previous benefits are very pleasant, but none of them are so impressive as to force the distiller to switch from the traditional method to using a mash column. Of course, no cleaning required, can be processed more mash and easy saving of time and energy are pleasant bonuses. But the very advantage that is most important has not yet been touched upon. The fact is that when using NBK you can get raw alcohol of much higher quality and much purer. Why? It's actually quite simple. When you use the still method, the process of evaporating alcohol from the mash takes quite a long time. During this time, other chemical processes are launched, during which the yeast contained in the mash is “cooked,” as well as some other substances, which all 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 properties of raw alcohol.
Quality of the finished product at NBK
If you use NBK, then the process of evaporating alcohol from the mash occurs incredibly quickly - 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 alcohol-saturated steam its aromas and tastes. Accordingly, when using NBK, the raw alcohol obtained is as pure and high quality as possible, and this is what puts mash columns much higher than even the most advanced still.
NBK Vilenoff (6kW)
Now you will get an idea of what NBKs are available on the modern market. The product that we are going to talk about now is the best mash column that you can get your hands on. 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, it is adjustable, that is, you yourself can control how much product will be supplied to the column. The maximum is 70 liters per hour, but you can reduce it to any level you wish. The approximate yield of raw alcohol is 13.5 liters per hour, but this figure is not stable - it largely depends on the quality of the mash you use. This NSC is the best column available to everyone, but it is far from the only one you can get.
NBK 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 purchase an NBK, but do not have such funds, then a mini-bar column may come in handy. It is much smaller in size, it lacks some elements such as the evaporator tank which you will have to attach 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 the price of a full-size, highly functional NSC. Accordingly, you can choose one of these options - or go in search of some other option. Are you not interested in any of the bar columns? You can build an analogue with your own hands. And although this is not the best or safest option, you cannot simply ignore it and not say anything about it.
Creating an NBK with your own hands
The easiest way out is to purchase a ready-made device, but if you want to experiment, you can try it. Perhaps you will end up with a full-fledged mash column - it is quite difficult to make the device yourself, although everything may look simple in the diagram. As you already understood, you need to ensure that the top container, which can be, for example, an inverted glass jar, alcohol-saturated vapors came in, and spent stillage flowed down. Evaporation must occur in the fan 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 it is unlikely that you will get something quite effective, and most importantly, a homemade device is not always safe.
The evolution from grandma’s coil to home distillation columns followed bizarre paths, producing many dead-end branches and “monsters,” but sometimes useful hybrid designs were developed. One of these devices was the mash column (BC), the popularity of which among home distillers is growing every year. However, such a device requires understanding theoretical foundations and proper operation, otherwise the result will be disappointing.
The history of the appearance of the mash column
What was wrong with the good old coil? Firstly, low performance. Secondly, even with fractional distillation The distillate contains a significant amount of harmful impurities. Distillation column(RK) copes with these shortcomings, but has its own problems: expensive equipment, after rectification there is no smell of the original raw material left in the drink, and you still need a distiller for the first distillation.
The advent of once-through and shell-and-tube refrigerators solved the productivity problem. These cooler designs made it possible to relatively quickly distill the mash into raw alcohol, and to overcome splash entrainment, an empty pipe was added to the design. This is how the new generation distiller acquired its finished form.
Example of a once-through refrigerator 
Example of a shell-and-tube refrigerator The pipe served as a steam trap - preventing splashes from the cube, which are formed in wild phlegm, from entering the selection. Such a distiller easily coped with any heating power available in everyday life. There's also a slight product boost to reinforce what was previously thought. useful property– a reflux condenser was used, which gave rise to a whole family of distillers with strengthening, related by the common name: “mashing column”.
Attention! The continuous mash column (CBC), despite the similar name, has a completely different purpose and principle of operation.
Film mash column
The main one was the BC circuit with a jacket reflux condenser, shown in the figure.
An example of an assembled film column Available materials, ease of manufacture and strengthening of moonshine up to 90-91% contributed to the growing popularity of this scheme. Based on operating experience, the basic requirements were formulated.
A film mash column was considered good if:
- the diameter was 25-28 mm, and the height was from 30 to 50 times the internal diameter;
- there was a sufficiently powerful and well-controlled reflux condenser capable of extinguishing the operating heating power;
- there was precise regulation of the flow of cooling water to the reflux condenser using a needle valve;
- a separate water supply to the refrigerator and reflux condenser has been implemented;
- a thermometer is installed above the reflux condenser in the steam pipe;
- there was a sufficiently efficient refrigerator to operate at full heating power in both the second and first stages.
Working with the film column was not easy and required constant attention from the owner. During the first distillation, the reflux condenser was not turned on so as not to increase the boiling time of the mash, but during the second distillation the reflux condenser was already working, making it possible to select the “heads” drop by drop and strengthen the “body” to 90%. True, it was not always possible to achieve the intended goals with the help of a reflux condenser, then heat regulation was used, which eventually became the main one for the BC. However, the product obtained as a result of distillation on film BC seemed to enthusiasts to be significantly better than moonshine after fractional distillation on a regular device.
Euphoria can be explained by the fact that high strength masks bad smell drink True, after diluting with water to 40-45%, all the shortcomings of the distillate became fully apparent after a couple of days. Users consoled themselves with the fact that they were not striving to obtain alcohol, but wanted to drink well-purified moonshine with the aromas of the raw materials.
Disadvantages of a film column
"Strong does not mean pure"- this simple thought did not immediately take possession of the minds of moonshiners, but there were sensible skeptics who gave the product for analysis. The results were amazing: laboratory testing showed that purification of impurities using this equipment is a myth.
Moreover, if the film column somehow made it possible to select the “heads,” then there were almost more fusels in the selection than in the original raw material. This made us think and understand how harmful impurities get into selection, then determine the reasons and try to overcome them.
1. Sensitivity to water pressure. Even a slight decrease in the water flow in the reflux condenser is enough for all the intermediate harmful impurities accumulated in the pipe to immediately slip into the selection. It is enough to open the tap in the bathroom or flush the toilet so that the water pressure in the system drops, and the drip-by-drop selection of “heads” turns into a vigorous stream.
Improvement proposals poured in as if from a cornucopia: stabilization with the help of pressure regulators, water supply through an intermediate tank under the ceiling or an aquarium pump, autonomous cooling systems, etc. In general, very useful things and applicable not only for BC.
It seemed that the problem had been solved, but in addition to stabilizing the flow of supplied water, it was also necessary to control the reflux ratio with its help, and this is very inconvenient due to the high inertia of the system.
2. Low holding and separating capacity. Trying to place coils or a couple of sponges in the column improved the situation a little, but not enough to solve the cleaning problem as a whole. As a result, the “heads” were selected carelessly, and even despite the drop-by-drop selection, the necessary esters responsible for the aroma were also removed along with harmful substances.
Due to the impossibility of concentrating “heads” in the selection zone in large quantities due to the practically non-existent holding capacity, it was necessary to select them in excess, losing a significant part of the alcohol. The transition to the selection of the “body” by increasing the heating power instantly sent the intermediate impurities accumulated in the pipe into the selection.
The situation was further aggravated by the fact that when selecting the “body,” the division dropped to 2-3 plates and could not detain the fusel fish. When the temperature in the cube approached 90-92 °C, if they did not switch to the selection of “tails” in time, the remains of the fusel fish flew into the receiving container, leaving only water in the “tails”.
Even in the best samples of moonshine produced on film columns, the content fusel oils at least 1-2 thousand mg per liter, more often – much more. Due to the design features of the film BC, the distillate turns out to be unbalanced - with a clear imbalance chemical composition towards the fusel.
The emergence of the modern mash column
The solution to the problem of clearing fusel oils came quickly - you need to fill the drawer with a nozzle. As a result, the BC turned into a mini RK (distillation column) with the same rules and equipment requirements. The only differences remain in the versatility of the design, which allows the use of BC for distilling mash. Traditional BC steam extraction is also used, although many distillers appreciated the convenience of liquid extraction and installed it on their columns, while others began experiments with steam extraction before the reflux condenser.
Example of a mash column After this, BC classic form film column with steam extraction above the reflux condenser solemnly marched to the Museum of the History of Moonshine, where it took pride of place. You can object: “It’s completely for sale!” The answer is simple: you never know the number of dealers and collectors of antiques who sell and bribe not only outdated items, but also their fakes.
Requirements for a good mash column
In most cases, a modern BC has a column with a diameter of 40-50 mm and a height of 75 to 100 cm, as well as a cube of 20-30 liters, liquid selection and automation. In general, this complies with the standards and requirements for the Republic of Kazakhstan, but the main thing remains for the mash column: the versatility of the design and the desire to obtain a well-purified distillate with the taste and aroma of the original raw material, which can be drunk immediately without long-term correction-aging in oak barrels.
However, during operation, ordinary users encountered a problem: using standard rectification technologies when distilling mash, they did not receive the expected well-purified and fortified distillate, but rather dirty alcohol, which was half-contemptuously called NDRF - under-rectified. It seemed that the evolution of the development of mash columns had reached a dead end.
Then BC fans began experiments on the use of low reflux ratios when distilling raw alcohol. Everything fell into place. Smaller volumes of still bulk and short drawers, which prevent the production of pure alcohol at the distillate, have become a strong point for the production of distillate. The high drawer of the RK has a separating ability that is excessive for the distillate, cutting off not only the excess, but also the useful.
The low frame of the BC made it possible to implement a technology for a balanced reduction in the concentration of all impurities in the product while removing some that are definitely not needed. This was also facilitated by the use of larger nozzles. So, for a 50 mm BC, an SPN of 4 x 4 x 0.28 is used instead of 3.5 x 3.5 x 0.25 in the BC. For certain tasks, dish-shaped columns and copper rings as nozzles have proven themselves to be effective, but this is a topic for a separate article.
How to work on a mash column correctly
Beginners often complain that despite all their efforts, they end up with pure alcohol in the mash column, and not delicious drink. There is no universal technology, since many of the nuances of distillation depend on the design of the apparatus, but by following the basic rules, you can make an aromatic and well-purified distillate using BC.
1. BK and RK are devices that implement heat and mass transfer technologies, therefore the requirements for preparing equipment for operation are almost the same for them. In order to confidently control the reflux ratio during operation, you need: stable, controlled heating and cooling, as well as good thermal insulation of the cube and column.
2. Calculate the planned selection rate of the “body”. We assume that the reflux ratio should not exceed 2. For example, if the operating heating power for a 50 mm column is 1700 W, then approximately 4.93 x 1.7 = 8.3 liters of liquid per hour evaporates from the cube. We must select a third, and return two thirds with reflux back to the column and cube. This means that the planned withdrawal rate is 2.8 liters per hour, and the reflux ratio is (8.3 -2.8) / 2.8 = 2. Greater accuracy is not required.
3. The long and dull selection of “heads” adopted during rectification removes not only aldehydes, but also esters responsible for the aroma of the drink. Therefore, the “heads” should be selected no more than 2-3% of the AC (absolute alcohol) in bulk. The speed should be approximately 25-300 ml/hour (about 10% of the “body” selection rate).
4. We set the starting speed of “body” selection equal to the planned one (in our example, 2.8 l/hour). And after the selection begins, we adjust it so that the output strength is 90-91% with a bulk strength of 40%.
We don’t change the speed anymore! By the end of the “body” selection, the speed will drop, and the strength in the stream will drop to 87-88% (with a residual strength of raw alcohol in the cube of 5%). The speed is enormous compared to rectification, but this is precisely what allows medium ethers and a moderate portion of higher alcohols to pass into the receiving container. The selection of the “body” must be completed at a bottom temperature of no higher than 95 °C.
5. If we distill grain raw materials, then we select the “tails” fractionally (2-3 servings of 100-150 ml each) at a speed two to three times lower than the starting speed when selecting the “body”. The “tails” will go the next day for blending or for further processing in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The main thing is not to be afraid of a high selection rate: if you underestimate it, then the output will no longer be good distillate, but poorly purified alcohol, which is quite suitable for a barrel - impurities are not completely removed, but only “slightly combed”, freed from excess fusel and aldehydes.
If the goal is a distillate for consumption without long aging, then you can experiment with adjusting the reflux ratio, remembering that the higher the reflux ratio, the greater the degree of purification and approach to alcohol.
For the distillation of sugar raw materials, only maximum purification from all impurities and distillation technology adopted in the Republic of Kazakhstan are suitable. If the volume of the bulk does not exceed 15-20 volumes of the packing in the column, this SPN packing is of a size corresponding to the diameter of the column, and the column itself is at least 1 meter high, there is a chance of obtaining quite decent alcohol from raw sugar alcohol.
P.S. Thanks to the user from our forum for preparing the material for this article.
Brass columns are very common among amateurs strong drink. If you decide to make such a design yourself, then you need to familiarize yourself with the technology for carrying out the work and find out what features the device should have.
Preparatory work
The best mash column must have a certain height. You can choose this parameter yourself, but ideally it should be 50 diameters. According to experts, this is not so important; the equipment owner himself must decide what strength the product will have, and also decide how good the separation will be. However, there is a certain objective criterion that determines the smallest height of the manufactured column. You must avoid the possibility of splashing. Based on this, mash columns are not made below 30 centimeters. Otherwise, carrying out the work will be inappropriate.
Work technology
When manufacturing the described structure, it must be equipped with a controlled reflux condenser. The design features of this element may vary depending on your preferences. The element can be created based on a shirt or dimrot. The main condition is the fact that the dephlegmator must have the ability to extinguish the power that is planned to be supplied. This element can be installed not in one quantity, but in quantity 2 or 3. In this case, the element will be primary or secondary. This structure allows for more stable operation of the column. You must understand that such additions are only possible on tall structures.
Work methodology
The mash columns must be able to adjust the cooling of the reflux condenser; this component must be quite thin. To do this, you should stock up on a tap that will allow you to use the liquid as accurately as possible. Experts recommend using the needle type, but you should avoid using a ball valve, as it is completely unsuitable. If we consider the available household solutions, the most the best option To carry out this adjustment work, a radiator tap will be used, which is used when installing a heating system.
You can prepare the drawing of the mash column yourself. The column must be equipped with a place for installing a thermometer, which is mounted in front of the condenser entrance. This statement is true for structures that will operate according to a steam extraction scheme. If on film column If a liquid extraction dephlegmator is used, the location of the thermometer will be determined by the specific design of the system. The mash columns are equipped with a refrigerator-condenser, which will be responsible for condensing and cooling the supplied steam. If the design has liquid extraction, then a refrigerator will be required that will lower the temperature finished product.
It is important to take into account during manufacturing that the supply of liquid to the reflux condenser or to each of them, as well as to the refrigerator, must be done separately. The tubes that will be used for the outlet of the refrigerator and reflux condenser must be used exclusively on a silicone basis. This statement is true for products hot water. If we are talking about cold water, then you can use polyvinyl chloride based tubes. The copper mash column must be manufactured taking into account the technical requirements described above, for which different design solutions are suitable. However, you can not limit yourself and come up with your own modification. The main condition for this is that in the end you will be able to get your drinks, which will have different qualities and organoleptic characteristics. However, in the end it will not be possible to obtain pure alcohol. The final product will not smell like moonshine, but it will not be pharmaceutical alcohol either. But for making vodka, this design is quite suitable; the master will be able to start making the base for high-quality distillates.
Description of the manufacture of a column with a jacket reflux condenser
A continuous mash column can be made on the basis of a jacket reflux condenser. To carry out the work, you will need copper tubes, the length of which should be 500, 2000, 1000 and 300 millimeters. Each of them should have dimensions of 28 x 1.22 x 1.1 x 1.8 x 1 millimeters, respectively. Among other things, you will need a transitional double-socket coupling in the amount of 2 pieces, another transition coupling should have slightly different parameters, equal to 22 x 15 millimeters, 3 such elements will be needed. The master must prepare a single-socket corner, the dimensions of which are equal to 22 millimeters. It will be impossible to carry out the work without a tee, the dimensions of which are 15 millimeters. Be sure to make sure you have an adapter for a 1/2-inch external thread. You will need an adapter for 3/4" internal thread. The element will be required to attach to the cube, however, in each specific case there may be other sizes. If you make a continuous mash column using the elements described above, you will end up with a product with a maximum temperature of 92 degrees.
Features of manufacturing an air-cooled device
A piece of copper pipe will be used to make a coil. A roll of aluminum-based wire will be used without insulation. You can use a computer cooler, superglue and a 500-watt boiler during the work. The power may turn out to be less impressive.
To begin with, you should take copper tube, bending it to connect to the body of the device. That part of this workpiece that will go down must be included in the spiral. should be wound onto the tube from above, leaving some distance between the turns. In order to reduce thermal resistance, the turns should be as dense as possible. This will increase the heat exchange area and the efficiency of the coil.
When making a mash column with your own hands, at the next stage you need to use any cone-shaped object, the diameter of which should be compared with the dimensions of the selected fan. You need to wind a moonshine coil onto this item. In this example, we will consider a regular beer bottle, the capacity of which is 0.5 liters. The coil must be bent so that it evenly covers the cross section of the fan. You need to try the element on the selected case and make sure that everything is in order. This concludes the work with the coil for now.
Now it’s time to move on to the lid of the device. To do this, you can use a regular polyethylene-based lid. The brass coupling must be heated to half an inch before fusing into the polyethylene cap. The structure must cool down; you can cool it in water. After the coupling is removed, it should be cleaned of adhering polyethylene, and the resulting burrs should be carefully cut off. You need to wrap a fluoroplastic tape around the coupling, which is essential for making a moonshine still. This way you will be able to get something like a gasket. When you make a mash column with your own hands, the next step is to install the coupling in a hole made in advance in the lid. The fluoroplastic should be between the coupling and the cover. The nut should be tightened from the inside without applying excessive force.
At the next stage, you can work on the heating element of the entire device. For this you can use a regular boiler. Having retreated some distance from the end of the wire, so that it is enough to reach the device, you need to cut off a part, you will have to screw everything back afterwards. The ends of the cord from the boiler must be threaded so that when the lid is closed, the element is inside the body. After stripping the wires, they need to be connected back. It is important to take care of high-quality insulation.
The boiler should not touch the bottom; it is advisable that it be completely covered with liquid during operation. Into the same hole through which the boiler cord passes, you need to insert the long end of the coil for the apparatus. The remaining gaps between the tube and the cord must be filled with pieces of cotton wool, making it quite tight. It is important to achieve the best sealing possible.
The resulting structure made of cotton wool must be filled with superglue, which is made on a cyanoacrylic base. This will allow you to obtain the most airtight connection using composite materials. After the glue hardens, you will be able to get a tight, strong connection. All that remains is to make something like a casing for the fan so that the air washes over the fins of the heat exchanger, represented by a coil.
To make the casing, you can use Tetra-Pak packaging. If you are making a moonshine still, then you can use the technology presented in the article. You need to cut a rectangle from the packaging, the width of which will correspond to the dimensions of the fan. These elements will be used to cover the fan on 3 sides. The end of the coil needs to be brought to the fourth side in order to drain the moonshine. In the remaining side wall you need to make a hole for this part of the tube and glue it with the superglue used earlier. The walls can be glued together with tape. When it is necessary to ensure maximum safety, it should be covered with a transparent protective screen.
At this point we can assume that the mash column is ready. You can use a computer power supply as a power source for the fan. To turn it on without using the motherboard, you need to connect the black wire with the green one. Experts use more compact 12-volt sources, which you can find yourself.
Deviation from the above requirements
If you are making a mash column with your own hands, the drawings of which you must complete in advance, then it is important to think about deviations from the mentioned requirements. The main one is an uncontrolled reflux condenser. If we are talking about the Malyutka column, then uncontrollability is sacrificed for compactness. To do this, the condenser and reflux condenser are located in a single container with running water. If you decide to use this scheme, then you will not be able to regulate the process using a reflux condenser, therefore, separation will not be achieved. If you are making a mash column with your own hands, you can borrow the drawings of this design from the article. It should also be remembered that the reflux condenser has low utilization capacity. You may encounter the problem of low column height. Some craftsmen cannot refuse to place the structure on gas stove under the hood. In this case, separation will be quite difficult to achieve, which is especially true for tall columns.
The Rectify beer column has proven itself among lovers of strong drink. However, if you decide to manufacture such a design yourself, then it is best to use stainless steel-based parts. The fittings must be welded to the pipe, while an internal thread is installed on them on both sides, to which the necks of the kegs are fixed. Using fluoroplastic, you can machine a sleeve-coupling, which will be equipped with a gasket for the clamp. All this will form a single whole. The mash column “Baby” must be equipped with insulating material, which is first cut along the length, then put on the pipe, on which it is glued. You should put a dephlegmator stick on the top cover and secure everything with a clamp clamp. The liquid will be fed into a tube through which the phlegm returns. You should put a piece on it that will prevent splashing to the level of the top plate.
Conclusion
If you cannot decide what you will make - a mash column or then you can make the first of them. It is easier to make and will also allow you to immediately start preparing a strong drink. As an alternative solution, you can try to purchase this device. Home craftsmen today sell them in completely different configurations and at different prices. From the available assortment you will choose something for yourself.
Continuous mash column NBK 6 kW (updated version) intended for production in large volumes high-quality moonshine or raw alcohol for rectification. The column's productivity is more than thirteen liters of moonshine with a strength of 50-55% vol. per hour, which is a very high figure compared to still distillation. Compared to the NSC, some changes have been made to its design to improve the reliability and stability of the NSC.
NBK equipment
- Cube 93 liters
- Brass column 80 mm
- Bardootvodchik
- Mash heater
- Direct flow refrigerator
- Parrot
- Alcohol meters ASP-3
Technical characteristics of NSC 6 kW
NSC design 6 kW
This NSC is a vertical pipe with a diameter of 80 and a height of 1500 mm, in which twelve trays are placed, occupying approximately 1200 mm of the bottom part of the column. The mash is fed not from the top point of the column, but directly onto the top plate, having previously passed through a heater through which the steam coming out of the NSC is passed. The design of this continuous mash column uses two identical ones from the Optimum Prime construction set, one of which (the upper one) is used to heat the mash entering the column, and the second (the lower one) is used to condense and cool the resulting raw alcohol. In the design of this column, we abandoned the reheating of the mash with distilled stillage, which made it possible to significantly simplify and unify its design. At the bottom of the NSC there is a mash drainage unit, the design of which allows you to regulate the pressure in the NSC by changing the overflow level. The NSC does not need automation; a stabilized power regulator, for example, is sufficient, which, among other things, allows you to measure the pressure in the cube and the temperature at the required points of the NSC. All connections of the NSC are made on clamps, which speeds up and facilitates its disassembly, assembly and maintenance.
Video of NSC 6 kW operation (updated version)
Lately there have been a lot of search queries on the topic of a continuous mash column. Let's talk about this device.
First of all composition of the NBK :
1. Fermentation tank.
2. Pump feeding mash into the column from above. This can be a peristaltic (ideally) or a regular submersible pump (installed either separately or in tandem with a peristaltic pump for mixing thick mash).
3. A device for feeding mash into the column (feed must be carried out at a certain speed and in a certain quantity). If there is a peristaltic pump, it performs this function.
4. The NBK itself, which is filled with special plates.
5. Steam generator. It can be either continuous or cyclic - despite the proud name of N(continuous) BC, 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 on industrial production The fermentation process can be carried out in several looped containers and then the system will be truly continuous.
6. Refrigerator-condenser and after-cooler of the finished product.
7. Receiving container of the finished product (see point 5).
How it works . The mash served from above flows down the plates, gradually interacting with hot water steam supplied from below. Component supply modes 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 upward flow of steam and go to extraction. The mash deprived of alcohol, turning into stillage, flows down the column and is discharged into the sewer. I won’t talk about the very difficult way of technical implementation of the process, let’s talk about
What does this scheme give us?
Supporters of introducing it to the masses cite a lot of arguments “for” and not a single one against.
— The contact time of the mash with steam is insignificant, therefore the yeast does not boil and this greatly affects the organoleptic properties of the final product. Is it bad? No - great.
— The equipment does not need to be washed after use; the stillage itself flows into the sewer. Cool? Still would.
— The transfer speed is higher. What's it like? What can I say - class.
— Large-capacity distillation stills are not needed — the NBK will process any amount of mash in one go, as long as there is enough steam (a continuous steam generator solves this issue). And this is a very useful property.
— Press the alcohol to zero. I'm shocked how great it is.
Well, everything like that.
Now let's separate the flies from the cutlets.
— You can argue about washing the components - a column with complex-shaped plates is much more difficult to wash than a distiller or BC; the fermentation container also needs to be washed in both cases; if the cube is installed at the same height as the column, the bard will run into the sewer no worse; pumps and other elements are additional fuss. But, in the end, is it all that important?
— The speed of distillation and the ability to work with large (in the future endless) fermentation tanks are a definite plus.
— But about “finished Distillates of the highest quality” (I quote from the website of one of the manufacturers) there is a big question. If the tailings can still be “cut” by adjusting the supply of steam and mash so that the temperature of the drained “stillage” (actually alcohol-containing mash - remember the thesis “Squeeze the alcohol to zero”) is lower than the temperature of the tailings waste. But what to do with the heads? New mash comes in all the time, there is no talk of any factional division. So at the exit from the NBK we have raw alcohol (SS) of poor quality. Nowhere, except for repeated distillation or rectification, this product is not suitable. It turns out that the NBK
- This is a solution for wholesalers selling moonshine to the afflicted, or for wholesale alcohol producers. In everyday life, the NBK can be successfully used by a wealthy, curious distiller, since the price tag starts from 25 thousand rubles for the most primitive version (an essentially ordinary distiller). The price tag for equipment at the professional level is far from being so affordable.
Sorry if something is wrong.
The drawing was borrowed from a home distiller.
P.S. Recently, people often come from the network with requests like “continuous action masonry column drawing”. And on this blog and on other resources there are practically no drawings. Why? For example, here is the 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 quite 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 production” by 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. Diagrams, drawings and photographs give a general idea of the design, and then you will have to do it yourself. This is homemade, and those who can’t do it are welcome to the store.
If any device is assembled from ready-made components, then even more so no drawings can be found, they simply do not exist in nature. So, don't waste time looking for them. Even if some kind of drawing is posted somewhere, this is probably an unrealized intermediate design with internal shortcomings.
