Making a nozzle for a distillation column with your own hands. The theory of alcohol rectification and the principle of operation of the distillation column

Having familiarized myself with popular sites and forums on the subject of rectification, I decided to contribute to the common cause. Home craftsmen suffer with columns, hang a lot of automation on them. Pressure sensors, start-stop systems disrupting the entire rectification process, etc.

The main problems lie in the low height, in incorrect calculations of the installations, work on a gas stove, orientation to the pressure in the column, and simply a banal misunderstanding of the essence of the rectification process. And most importantly, everyone completely forgets that the correct column does not require automation. Automation is just an assistant.

The above scheme of the distillation column is one of the six options for solving the above problems. The "trick" is that it can be made low (super low) and get quite high-quality alcohol. I will make a reservation ... working on a gas stove is dangerous, the slightest mistake can lead to irreparable consequences - you are warned. The stability of the operation of a particular circuit solution lies in the so-called. storage tank under the dephlegmator displaced to the side, by adjusting the power supply (heating) in the cube, cooling and return of phlegm, you can get to a stable alcohol shelf with a height of the nozzle part of only 80 cm. There are no temperature saws in the column due to the impossibility of splashes on the thermometer sensor. The hydraulic level installed in the selection unit allows you to monitor the level of accumulated phlegm, which allows you to more accurately stabilize the process at the beginning of rectification and eliminates the overflow of the column during proper operation. The accumulative "glass" is borrowed from the well-known and eponymous device (the Soxhlet Extractor). Franz von Soxhlet

Developing design ideas, you can work with automation. Instead of a selection regulator, an electronic valve can be installed by connecting it through a comparator that takes temperature readings. Thus, the column is converted into an ultra-small batch column with fractional selection. The comparator is programmed to open the valve at a certain temperature, the valve opens, the accumulated phlegm is drained into the receiving tank, after which the process in the column breaks down and the temperature rises, and the comparator works to close the valve. Of course, you can open and close with your hands, but the process is tedious. Thus, all substances can be selected on the column in turn, the process is described in more detail.

Beginning moonshiners usually prefer distillers. But the more experience, the more you want to get a perfect product - devoid of fusel oils and as strong as possible.

Moonshiners who are not familiar with the work of the Republic of Kazakhstan in practice have a prejudice. They believe that the distillation column takes away the smell of the original product. This is only partly true.

It all depends on the purpose, and the column is operated in different ways: in order to obtain rectified alcohol or pure and fortified distillate.

Distillation column in appearance - high pipe, vertically rising above the distillation cube. Indispensable components:

• A pipe made of food grade stainless steel with a height of not less than 1 and not more than 1.5 meters. Industrial ones have dimensions that are thousands of times greater than those indicated.
• Dephlegmator - the upper part of the pipe with a water jacket.
• Nozzles: RPN or stainless steel kitchen weeder scrapers, as well as (not always) SPN spirals of equal diameter and height.
• Thermometer. And two are better: one in a cube, the second in a column.
• Tube for connection with the atmosphere.
• Once-through condenser, which finally condenses the alcohol vapor coming from the column.
• Connection elements and pipes for connecting / draining water for cooling.
• Column insulation in the compartment where heat and mass transfer takes place (desirable, but not required).

Calculation of system parameters

The calculation is necessary in order for the column to produce a product with a strength of up to 95 °, clean from fusel oil and other impurities. At the same time, it did not choke, it had an optimal speed of haul.

Attention. Any of the home-made distillation columns on the market has a distillation speed several times lower than.

This is due to the need for multiple re-evaporation of the alcohol-containing liquid.

Productivity and quality of work depend on:

• height and diameter of the tsarga;
• correct calculations for the nozzle;
• heating power;
• the volume of the distillation cube.

Pipe and nozzle dimensions

To ensure the correct strengthening and separating ability, regardless of the internal section, an acceptable height of the drawer side is 1 - 1.5 m. These parameters have been determined by numerous experiments.

At a lower height, it will not be possible to protect oneself from the breakthrough of the fuselage into the finished product, that is, it will not be possible to achieve the proper purity of the selection. If you make the height larger, this does not give better performance, and on the contrary, it increases the number of head fractions. Simply put - every extra centimeter of the column reduces the separating ability device and negatively affects the speed of the haul.

Permissible parameters of the inner diameter of the pipe - 28-52 mm. These are the dimensions used in the production of household dispensers.

There is a formula: productivity, measured in milliliters of product per hour of work and power (Watts) are equal to the cross-sectional area (cross section) of the pipe in square meters. mm, that is - directly proportional to its diameter squared.

When choosing or constructing a column, calculate the diameter (internal). With large deviations, it will not work correctly.

Nozzle

It does not just increase the contact of alcohol-containing vapor with reflux, it must be tied to a specific column. At home, nozzles are selected that have a contact surface of 1.5 - 4 m2 per liter of rectified.

If you take more, cleaning will improve, but the already low distillation rate will fall. If you take less than 1.5 square meters, then the separation and strengthening will fall, as a result of pure alcohol will not work.

When using only the tap changer, usually the twisted webs are inserted one above the other from below - from the cube to the selection unit. The ratio of SPN to the inner diameter is selected 13-15 times less. That is, with a wire thickness of 0.25 mm, the diameter of the SPN is selected for a pipe of 50 mm - 3.5x3.5; 40 mm - 3x3; 28-32 mm - 2x2.

Attention. For various tasks, their nozzles are used.

For example, when distilling (distilling) grain raw materials, it is advisable to use copper on-load tap-changers or SPNs, rings, saddle-shaped nozzles. For rectification - RPN + SPN, cut wire washcloths.

We select the volume of the distillation cube

Rectification is carried out after the first distillation, when raw alcohol is obtained. 40-degree liquid is poured. The number of nozzles to prevent fuselage from getting into the finished product is calculated from 10 to 20 volumes of alcohol-containing strong liquid in a cube.

It is allowed to fill with raw alcohol only 2/3, then the container should be selected based on the used drawer. Calculations for a 1.5-meter column with a pipe diameter:

• 50 mm - not less than 30, not more than 60 l. Need a capacity of 40-80 liters;
• 40 mm - from 17 to 34 liters. Cube up to 50 liters;
• 32 mm - from 10 to 20 l. Cube up to 30 liters;
• 28 mm - up to 14 l. Requires a cube up to 18 liters.

With minimal volumes, you can take a pipe with a length of not 1.5, but 1-1.2 m.

How to heat and at what power?

Rectification is not distillation, in which heating is possible on tiles of various industrial manufacture and even wood burning. For the Republic of Kazakhstan, several mandatory conditions must be met:

• ensuring the fastest possible heating;
• the possibility of fine adjustment of heating for high-quality separation of alcohol into fractions;
• safety - protection against ignition and explosion, taking into account the fact that in the cube - not low-alcohol mash, but strong raw alcohol.

In this regard, it is necessary to select a heating source from many options taking into account these requirements:

1. Wood burning stove. It is rejected unconditionally, since it does not meet any of the requirements.
2. Gas hob. Not suitable as the heat cannot be precisely controlled and there is a high risk of explosion.
3. electric stove does not correspond for the reason that it works on the principle of completely stopping heating and resuming after the temperature drops to a critical level (remember the “clicks” made by the electric stove). When the power supply is interrupted, the phlegm will not drain gradually, as provided by the technology, but will collapse and rectification simply will not take place or it will have to be started again - with a different source of heating.
4. Induction cooker can be used "at a stretch". It does not have a smooth change in power, and proper rectification requires a smooth, no more than 10 watts at a time.
5. heating element with regulation, voltage stabilization and a smooth change in heating by 5-10 W - this is the best solution. It is they who should equip the RK.

When choosing power, keep in mind: for quick heating of the cube, a kilowatt heating element is needed for every 10 liters of liquid. That is:

• For a 50 liter (40 liters in it), a 4-kW heating element is required.
• 40 l (optimally 30 l) - 3 kilowatt.
• 30 (up to 23 l) - 2.5 kW.
• 20-25 (15-20 l) - 1.5 kW.

Dephlegmator calculations

They are determined based on the type of column. When selecting alcohol below the reflux condenser, the best choice is a Dimroth reflux condenser with a power of up to 5 watts per square cm.

If the selection is higher than the reflux condenser, then the power can be up to 2 watts. Both Dimrot and the "shirtman" are used.

For example, if you have a tsarga 50 mm, then for Dimroth a tube of 6 cm (internal section) up to 50 mm in length is enough (with an accurate calculation - 48.7). The shirt can be from a pipe 52 mm long 39 cm.

Achieving the required power in the table:

Calculation of a once-through refrigerator

If the straight-through is an after-cooler in the RV with liquid extraction, a 30 cm “shirt” on the extraction tube is sufficient. Usually, the water outlet is connected to the supply to the dephlegmator.

Another thing is if you intend to operate the RK as a distiller, then make a shirt based on distillation needs.

Without burdening you with obscure details, we note that in order to maintain turbulence in the movement of steam, take the inner diameter of the pipe corresponding to the heating power multiplied by 6. Diameter - in mm, power in kW.

Between the walls of the pipe and the jacket, 1.5 mm is enough for the free movement of water.

Important. When creating a direct-flow refrigerator, wind a wire with such a diameter onto the inner pipe that the 0.3 mm spiral does not reach the inner surface of the shirt.

The spiral is wound in increments of 2-3 diameters of the inner (steam) pipe. It prevents wall deformation, improves cooling and protects against the formation of “dead zones due to thermal expansion.

It is customary to use pairs of pipes for refrigerators with a wall thickness of 1 mm:

• 10mm-14mm;
• 12mm-16mm;
• 14mm-18mm;
• 16mm-20mm;
• 20 mm - 25 mm. In this case, a pipe thickness of 25 mm is needed 1.5 mm.

The length of the once-through refrigerator is 50-75 cm.

Based on the above calculations, with the right approach to business, you will get a productive rectifier, in terms of quality - even higher than industrial analogues. But if you decide to buy a finished column, you can check that its parameters meet the requirements.

Useful videos

Do-it-yourself distillation column for a moonshine still - theory, practice, drawings and diagrams:

To get pure moonshine, home cooks usually resort to double distillation. The result is a quality product without harmful impurities, with a pleasant taste and aroma.

An even better effect is obtained by distillation in a distillation column. It allows you to get the most purified strong alcohol (94-96%) or vodka without additional flavors and odors.

At the same time, the device has practically no disadvantages, with the exception of large dimensions and the need to work hard on its manufacture. Most experienced moonshiners agree that it is better to assemble the distillation column on their own.

The design and principle of operation of the distillation column

alembic

Tsarga (pipe) with filler

Alcohol selection unit

Dephlegmator

Additional refrigerator

It works as follows

The mash in the distillation tank heats up and begins to evaporate. The vapors follow up the tsarga, reach the refrigerator and the selection unit, the valve of which is closed at the initial stage.

Condensed vapors (phlegm) descend back down the pipe. In this case, heavy fractions accumulate at the bottom, and light fractions at the top. Thanks to the nozzles, the processes of condensation and evaporation occur repeatedly: vapors and liquids interact continuously.

This process of exchange is the rectification process. The lightest vapors with a high alcohol content are discharged to the refrigerator, where the final condensation takes place. As a result, pure distillate enters the receiving tank.

Calculation of parameters and selection of materials

Before proceeding with the assembly of the column, it is necessary to determine the dimensions and other characteristics of the apparatus.

Drawer height

If earlier distillation columns were multi-meter structures, today home distillers use compact options - about 1.5 meters long. The main principle that should be followed when calculating the dimensions is as follows: the height of the pipe should be approximately 50 times its diameter. Small deviations in one direction or another are allowed. However, the length of the tsarga cannot be less than 1 meter. Otherwise, part of the fusel oils will fall into the selection, and there will be difficulties with the separation of fractions. An increase in the height of the column over 1.5 meters does not significantly affect the quality of the product, but lengthens the distillation time. In addition, it will be problematic to place such a design at home. The optimal dimensions of the pipe: length - 1.3-1.4 m, diameter - 3-5 cm.

Material and wall thickness

The ideal option for the tsarga is food grade stainless steel: it does not affect the composition of drinks in any way. Copper will also work. The optimal wall thickness is in the range of 1–2 mm. More is possible, but this will make the structure heavier and increase costs without bringing much benefit. In addition, it is worth remembering that holes will have to be made in the walls.

Type and parameters of nozzles

As a contact element, it is easiest to use household stainless steel washcloths, which are used to clean dishes. To check the quality of the metal, you can soak the product in a salt solution and leave it for a day: a good product will not rust. Alternative options are glass beads, stones of certain breeds, metal shavings. The packing density is 250–270 g of the contact element per 1 liter of the column volume.

Cube volume

The distillation vessel is filled 2/3, while the amount of alcohol-containing liquid should correspond to 10–20 nozzle volumes. For a column with a diameter of 5 cm, it is optimal to use a tank of 40-80 liters, for a width of 4 cm - 30-50 liters.

Heating source

The use of a gas, electric or induction cooker is not recommended. The first option is dangerous, the rest do not allow for a uniform supply of heat. The best option is electric heating with the help of heating elements, which can be built into the cube yourself. The power of the elements depends on the volume of the cube: at least 4 kW is required for 50 liters, at least 3 kW for 40 liters, etc.

Type of thermal insulation material

It must withstand high temperatures, be chemically inert. Usually they use foam rubber 3-5 mm thick, fluoroplastic or silicone (but not rubber!) Gaskets.

Docking option

If threaded connections are used, a sealant may be required. It is better to give preference to putting the elements on top of each other.

When creating a distillation column, every little thing matters, so all recommendations should be strictly followed. It will not be superfluous to watch the video of the assembly.

In one part, which will be at the bottom, the selected type of nozzles is poured, having previously installed a grid and a thrust washer to prevent material from falling out. If metal sponges are used (about 40 pieces are required), pre-cut them into pieces of 5 mm. The springs should be distributed evenly by tapping the pipe on a hard surface. After filling the nozzle, close the pipe with a mesh, fix it with a washer.

The resulting structure is connected to the distillation cube and insulated with heat-insulating material.

The second (upper) part of the pipe is connected to a dephlegmator using a soldering iron. The water housing should have 2 branch pipes: for water inlet and outlet. A reflux condenser can be bought or made independently from a thermos, pressure cooker, coil, copper tube (the first options are preferable). For example, like this: https://youtu.be/D4ZsbbRH6ds

The upper end of the column is closed with a stopper/lid or sealed, leaving a hole for installing an atmospheric tube. To secure it, a fitting is used, the end of the tube is lowered into the water.

Make a hole for the pipe to exit the distillate. It should be a couple of centimeters above the junction with the bottom of the pipe, a plate is installed under it to collect condensate.

A refrigerator is connected to the column using a silicone hose. You can buy it or make it yourself. To regulate the process of fluid movement, a dropper clamp is attached to the hose.

The cooling elements are connected to each other: the upper part of the refrigerator with the bottom of the reflux condenser, the upper part of the reflux condenser with sewerage. Thus, the water to the dephlegmator will be heated.

Additionally, you can install a water flow regulator and a thermometer (it will require an additional hole in the selection unit).

You can also divide the drawer into 3 parts: this design is considered more variable in application. A detailed assembly process of the column can be viewed here:

Of course, among all varieties of moonshine stills, a home distillation column is one of the most difficult to operate and manufacture. Usually, for home brewing industrial columns are used, which can be purchased almost without restrictions in every specialized store. However, it is also quite possible to do it yourself.

In order to make this apparatus, you need to have its scheme and design drawings, as well as know the main principles of the column and the meaning of the processes occurring in it. And quite a lot of interesting things happen here - the rectification procedure differs from ordinary distillation in its chemical and physical foundations.

Distillation column: Working principle

In the column, as in a simple distiller, there is a refrigerator, a heater, and a regulator, which are working and full-fledged elements. However, from the surface of the mash on the path of alcohol-containing steam to the refrigerator coil, there is another complex unit called a distillation column. This node is a high pipe, the cross section of which is 40-60 times larger than its size. The sectional diagram shows how an alcohol or beer column for the preparation of alcohol is arranged.

Hot steam rises through the pipe, cools slowly along the way, condenses, and flows down, back into the tank. The condensate, while moving from top to bottom, comes into contact with hot steam, reheats, and light-boiling substances turn into steam again. Among these substances is ethyl alcohol.

When you select the mode of operation of this column so that alcohol vapor begins to condense at a certain height, in which the intake pipe is located, then pure alcohol will begin to flow into the refrigerator, without various impurities. After a certain time, the dynamic equilibrium mode begins in this device, due to the difference in the vapor phase and the heat capacities of the liquid, in addition, the liquid-vapor mixture begins to separate in chemical composition into fractions, which will determine vaporization temperature.

Vapors of volatile impurities accumulate directly in the uppermost section - acetone, aldehydes and other toxic components. When the temperature of the column on the upper thermometer is more than 70 degrees, they simply go out into the atmosphere, since it is connected to the outside air by a valve or branch pipe and operates at almost atmospheric pressure.

At about three-quarters of the height of the column, alcohol vapor begins to collect and must be selected. Below are fusel oils and other elements whose boiling point is higher than alcohol. At the alcohol extraction site, it is necessary to maintain the temperature within 75-77 degrees so that this can be realized and a significant size of the column will be required, rather than a larger zone of various fractions, so it is easier to separate one element from another.

How to make a distillation column with your own hands?

Do-it-yourself construction of a distillation column at home is not a myth. This is proved by multiple photos and videos on the Internet, as well as posts on forums. Even when they are half the way their owners claim, this unit is worth making. However, it is necessary to take into account the fact that for the production of moonshine, as such, a distillation column, regardless of whether industrial or home-made production, is not suitable.

A distillation device is required to obtain alcohol with a minimum amount of additives, including resins and aromatics, which give moonshine a special flavor and aroma. However, the resulting alcohol can be used as the basis for some alcoholic beverages made at home, without worrying about poisoning with esters and methyls or fusel, causing severe hangovers.

For the re-distillation of ordinary moonshine or raw alcohol, which is obtained in the usual distiller for moonshiners, a rectifier is an indispensable thing. No distillation system can match the quality of the resulting product.

Manufacturing technology

At home, a do-it-yourself distillation column will only work properly if its height will be at least 1.9-2.1 meters with an inner diameter of 45-60 mm. This column is difficult to operate, store and manufacture. It is advisable to build it collapsible, on threaded or lamp connections, it is quite convenient to use couplings.

Coupling will not be a problem when you have experience with a lathe. Otherwise, you will need to use the paid services of specialists.

Design principle

The main components of the distillation column are as follows:

• refrigerator-reflux condenser;
• frame;
• thermometers;
• thermal insulation;
• nozzle (spiral or disc).

In the general scheme of the moonshine still, there is also a container for mash, as well as a condensate refrigerator, which is a simple coil. If you correctly make a distillation column, then it can be put on any moonshine device with a tank of at least 20 liters.

For smaller sizes it will only be possible to disperse it to a working state and get a couple of liters of alcohol (from a probable yield of 50 percent). The best volume of the evaporator is 27-45 liters. Thus, it is more convenient to adjust the process temperature, which is considered one of the main factors during rectification.

In addition, the production of alcohol in quantities up to 9-12 liters takes the same amount of time for dispersal and preparation of the column as 4-6 liters. More often than not, saving time is also quite important for reducing the cost of a product.

Frame

The body is preferably made of three parts, approximately the same in length. From below, a flange with a strong cover is welded to a stainless steel pipe for mounting on a distillation tank. The height of the column is quite large - approximately 2 meters. The optimal solution is a flange connection on a sealed gasket. The flanges must be welded so that the entire structure is in a clearly vertical position, only in this case it will work as it should.

The body elements are connected to each other by threads or clamps - whichever is more convenient. The most important thing is to maintain tightness. The best material for the main pipe is food grade stainless steel.This material has a relatively low thermal conductivity, and heat losses in the column are undesirable, up to the passage of vapor into the cooler.

The two pieces on the bottom are just pieces of pipe. Nozzles will be installed here - devices that increase the contact area of ​​​​liquid and steam. The most complex uppermost structural element, here:

• it is necessary to equip a flow-through refrigerator;
• provide an air valve;
• socket for thermometer;
• outlet pipe.

The flow cooler occupies about half of the top 1/3 of the column. The simplest solution is to wind a stainless or copper coil over the pipe. A more complicated way is to install the same coil, Dimroth cooler or ball cooler inside the pipe.

For this task, you can purchase a pipe with a larger cross section by connecting it with an adapter to the bottom. In this case, there are a large number of options - the meaning is one, the dephlegmator is obliged to provide a barrier on the path of steam and convert it into condensate before reaching the air valve. Only couples are required to go here. with a temperature not exceeding 60 degrees. When the refrigerator cannot cope with its task, alcohol will be released into the air along with volatile elements.

The air valve is placed at the highest point and is required to equalize the pressure. You can not install the valve, but simply install a copper thin tube (Ø4-5 mm). The presence of a tube will require special temperature control at all stages of rectification. During the selection of heads, T = 55–65 C must be at the level of the intake pipe.

The selection is made through a pipe that cuts into the body below the refrigerator with a distance of 3-6 cm from it. It is a simple tube where a silicone hose is connected from a medical dropper.

The do-it-yourself distillation column works rather slowly, the main intake takes place in the drip mode. This must be taken into account - making 9-12 liters of alcohol can take a whole day.

Nozzle

This part of the column is one of the most important. Two types of nozzles are used for rectification:

• spiral, made of steel mesh tightly twisted into a spiral or special wires that are twisted into prismatic spirals, they are simply poured inside the column;
• dish-shaped, in the form of mesh or cap elements.

In the first case, a mesh filter is placed at the bottom of the column, which prevents the nozzle from falling out. For making a do-it-yourself distillation column, the most effective is a cap-type plate nozzle. In this case, it is necessary to start work with the purchase of plates - the size of the case must correspond to their diameter. The easiest way is to pick up a pipe under the plates, rather than vice versa.

Mesh partitions are much easier to make, which requires only a set of 2-3 mm drills and a drilling machine or drill. Partitions are made of copper, brass or stainless steel. For one meter of column height, 8-10 pieces are needed.

Spiral prismatic special Panchenkov nozzles (OLTC), mesh or analogues will need to be purchased in specialized stores. You can't make them yourself.. You should not choose dishwashing nets - unknown alloys are used for them, which can react with vapors of impurities or alcohol.

thermal insulation

The column must be protected from heat loss to a height not less than the lower cut of the dephlegmator. As insulation, you can choose any elastic heat insulator - tubular basalt foil insulation, penoizol, polyurethane foam. Warming is a pretty important step. If heat losses are avoided, the height of the fractional layers can be reduced by 10-20%. Moreover, the concentration of the substance, in this case - alcohol, will increase in them, clearly preserving the boundaries of the fractions.

Distillation column automation

A rather complicated rectification process needs constant supervision and human presence. High-quality automation allows for rectification, without constant supervision. It makes it possible to select the head fractions in a separate container, does not allow "tails" to enter the commercial alcohol.

The Rectification Control Unit (RCU) will reduce the power during extraction, turn on the cooling water at the required temperature and automatically reduce the extraction at the end. After the selection of tailings, the water and heating will be turned off. The easiest way to automate- this is a start-stop installation with a valve that stops extraction during an increase in temperature in the column, after the temperature is restored, extraction resumes. For a home mini-distillery, it is cheaper to purchase automation on specialized forums or assemble it from Chinese components.

Quick navigation through the article

At the next stage, you can deal with the heating element of the entire apparatus. To do this, you can use a conventional 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 after. The ends of the cord from the boiler must be threaded in such a way 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 desirable that it be completely covered with liquid during operation. In 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 tight enough. It is important to achieve the best sealing.

The resulting construction of cotton wool must be filled with superglue, which is made on a cyanoacrylic basis. This will allow you to get the most tight connection using composite materials. After the glue has hardened, you will be able to get a tight, strong connection. It remains to do something like a casing for a fan, so that the air washes the fins of the heat exchanger, represented by a coil.

Tetra-pak packaging can be used to make the casing. If you will be making a moonshine still, then you can use the technology presented in the article. From the package you need to cut a rectangle, the width of which will correspond to the dimensions of the fan. These elements will be used to glue the fan on 3 sides. On the fourth side, you need to bring the end of the coil to carry out the withdrawal of 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 adhesive tape. When it is made to ensure maximum safety, it should be covered with a transparent protective screen.

On this 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 close the black wire with the green one. Specialists use more compact 12 volt sources that you can find on your own.

Calculation of parameters and selection of materials

Before proceeding with the assembly of the column, it is necessary to determine the dimensions and other characteristics of the apparatus.

1. Height of the drawers If earlier distillation columns were multi-meter structures, today home distillers use compact options - about 1.5 meters long. The main principle that should be followed when calculating the dimensions is as follows: the height of the pipe should be approximately 50 times its diameter. Small deviations in one direction or another are allowed. However, the length of the tsarga cannot be less than 1 meter. Otherwise, part of the fusel oils will fall into the selection, and there will be difficulties with the separation of fractions. An increase in the height of the column over 1.5 meters does not significantly affect the quality of the product, but lengthens the distillation time. In addition, it will be problematic to place such a design at home. The optimal dimensions of the pipe: length - 1.3-1.4 m, diameter - 3-5 cm.
2. Material and wall thickness Food grade stainless steel is an ideal option for the drawstring: it does not affect the composition of drinks in any way. Copper will also work. The optimal wall thickness is in the range of 1–2 mm. More is possible, but this will make the structure heavier and increase costs without bringing much benefit. In addition, it is worth remembering that holes will have to be made in the walls.
3. Type and parameters of nozzles As a contact element, it is easiest to use household stainless steel washcloths, which are used to clean dishes. To check the quality of the metal, you can soak the product in a salt solution and leave it for a day: a good product will not rust. Alternative options are glass beads, stones of certain breeds, metal shavings. The packing density is 250–270 g of the contact element per 1 liter of the column volume.
4. The volume of the cube The capacity for distillation is filled to 2/3, while the amount of alcohol-containing liquid should correspond to 10–20 volumes of the nozzle. For a column with a diameter of 5 cm, it is optimal to use a tank of 40-80 liters, for a width of 4 cm - 30-50 liters.
5. Heating source It is not recommended to use a gas, electric or induction hob. The first option is dangerous, the rest do not allow for a uniform supply of heat. The best option is electric heating with the help of heating elements, which can be built into the cube yourself. The power of the elements depends on the volume of the cube: at least 4 kW is required for 50 liters, at least 3 kW for 40 liters, etc.
6. Type of heat-insulating materialIt must withstand high temperatures, be chemically inert. Usually they use foam rubber 3-5 mm thick, fluoroplastic or silicone (but not rubber!) Gaskets.
7. Mating Option If threaded connections are used, a sealant may be required. It is better to give preference to putting the elements on top of each other.

Design choice

The size and design of the apparatus depends on a number of factors:

1. Required performance. with greater productivity, the side with stuffing will be higher and wider - the pair passes more. The cooler and extraction unit must also provide sufficient efficiency. The minimum length of the tsarga is 1.5 meters, it is better to make it collapsible from three knees - 1 meter, 0.2 meters, 0.5 meters. this will allow the device to be used for both distillation and rectification.
2. Possible sizes. Often home distillation columns are limited in size due to the height of the ceiling. To save space will help shifting the dimroth refrigerator in the upper part of the apparatus, or placing it perpendicular to the side (Thor's hammer).
3. Access to metalworking technologies. A stainless steel apparatus will last a long time and will not oxidize alcohol, but argon welding or stainless steel electrodes will be required to connect the parts. Cooking stainless steel is difficult. If possible, laboratory heat-resistant glass can be used, but it is too fragile. A great option for a do-it-yourselfer is copper. It is easily soldered with a gas burner, there are a large number of
4. The volume of fueled raw materials. The larger the applied cube, the higher the performance should be. Evaporation of alcohol occurs at 75 - 80 ° C, lowering the temperature will reduce the speed of the process.
5. Budget. With a minimum budget, a simple but effective design with mechanical adjustments should be considered. If the budget is not constrained, the device is complemented by precise needle cranes, additional nodes and automatic control.