Due to the special structure of the rectification column, it becomes possible to almost completely purify the final drink from fusel oils and impurities. Unlike distillation, the quality of the raw materials themselves does not play such a key role, since the organoleptic properties in the final drink are practically absent. The result is alcohol up to 96.6% strength with poor organoleptic properties, but pure. It can be used for the production of vodka and various tinctures.

Let's consider the principle of the device of the rectification column, and what parts it consists of.

Distillation column, drawing

Distillation column, operating principle

Rectification is the separation of binary or multicomponent mixtures due to countercurrent mass and heat exchange between vapor and liquid. Parts of the distillation column provide a consistent process:

1. Evaporation cube - storage and heating of bottoms liquid
2. Column - heat and mass transfer inside the column itself due to packing
3. Dephlegmator - vapor condensation, reflux formation
4. Selection unit - selection of phlegm and rectification

Let's consider the work of each part separately.

Evaporation cube

This is a container in which mash or distillate is stored and heated. It is also called a still liquid. When heated, the liquid evaporates, and the vapor rises up the column, where it is separated into fractions. At the same time, the cube serves as the base for the column. The cube can be heated on a regular or. Induction is faster and safer.

Also used as a heat source in some models.

Usually, the mash is distilled first to obtain the raw alcohol. The column must be switched to the distiller mode, that is, open the take-off valve as much as possible. After that, raw alcohol is distilled again, this time slowly and with the selection of the food fraction.

A thermometer is located on the cube to monitor the temperature of the still liquid. When the cube reaches 60-70 ° C, it is necessary to supply coolant so that the vapors can condense. Upon reaching 70 ° C, the power of the heating element must be reduced and left at this value until the completion of rectification.

Tsarga

The tsarga is the body of the column, its central part. Heat and mass transfer, which is the principle of operation of the rectification column, takes place here. It is she who makes the rectification process possible:

1. The liquid in the cube evaporates, and the vapor rises up the column
2. A reflux condenser (refrigerator) is located at the top, in which steam is condensed
3. The distillate flows down the reflux condenser and along the walls of the column
4. The liquid is in contact with steam on the walls of the packing, which is filled with the column
5. As a result of heat and mass transfer, the lightest boiling fraction accumulates in the upper part of the column.
6. The low-boiling fraction is condensed in the refrigerator and enters the sampling channel.

The column can be assembled from several drawers. The higher the column, the more intense heat and mass transfer takes place, and the cleaner the liquid is separated into fractions. Inside the column is filled with packing: SPN or RPN. Heat and mass transfer is impossible without a nozzle.

To speed up the rectification process, you can use. The walls of the column are heated, so the reflux, which is not in contact with the packing, evaporates from the walls. As a result, the process is accelerated and the degree of purification is increased.

Additionally, they can be used with a column. Heat-mass-exchange between hot steam and cold reflux also takes place on its surface. The degree of purification is increasing.

Rectification nozzle

The rectifying nozzle is a versatile tool that consists of a selection unit and a cooler. Condensation of alcohol vapors occurs in the refrigerator, which returns downward in the form of reflux. The selection unit allows you to control the amount of alcohol that leaves the column. By controlling this volume, you can change the quality of alcohol, that is, the degree of its purification. The slower the process, the cleaner the alcohol is.

The attachment can be purchased ready-made or separately.

Alcohol collection unit

Used to improve cleaning performance

Distillation column automation

Rectification requires constant monitoring so that the head and tail fractions do not get into the food part. This process can be facilitated using BUR - rectification control unit. The block will restrict the selection of rectified material in accordance with a given program so that the tail section does not mix with the food. This way you can move away from the column without fear that the tails will end up in a clean rectified.

BUR is an optional part of the distillation column, but it is much more convenient to work with it.

What's next

The resulting rectified alcohol will have a hard taste. Alcohol must be diluted, filtered and allowed to brew. For cleaning alcohol can be used, it is called. As a result of carbonization, the alcohol acquires a milder taste, the coal binds the remnants of fusel oils, which in small amounts penetrate into the drink even with fractional selection on a rectification column. This is how classic Russian vodka is prepared.

After sorting (diluting) and carbonating alcohol, you need to rest in a glass container for several days.

Read more about the structure and operation of the rectification column in the corresponding product card.

For home production of spirits, modern equipment made of high-quality materials is needed. In stores, manufacturers offer models that are divided into distillers and rectifiers. Many novice distillers are tormented by the question: what is better for home brewing - a column or alcohol mashine.

The principle of operation is not much different, but the final product of the rectification column is better and cleaner, and in terms of strength it has no equal, since it is practically pure alcohol. To find out how these devices differ, what technical parameters they have, individual nuances, whether there are any drawbacks, you need to read this article.

The whole distillation procedure consists in heat exchange that occurs in the product, during the cooling process the raw is separated, and the purified substance appears at the exit from the device. At different heating temperatures, you get different substances:

• t = + 56 C - we get acetone;
• t = + 65 C - methyl alcohol can be isolated;
• and only at t = + 78 C is rectified alcohol obtained;
• if we continue heating to the boiling point of water and above, for example, up to 100 degrees, then at the exit we get water seasoned with fusel oils and all sorts of impurities.

The basis of everything that happens in the column is the contact of the liquid and vapor state of various substances, as a result of which various vapors are released, which settle in the reflux condenser, and only alcohol-containing ones pass further.

Additional heating takes place in the evaporator, but only up to +78 degrees, so all harmful impurities and water condense and remain in the device. In different parts of the product, there is an individual interaction of vapors and condensate, and fractions of different temperature levels fall into condensate and drain into the lower part.

A column is a device with a certain height, with a container elongated along its entire length, therefore, a different temperature is obtained: only alcohol-containing vapors reach the very top, all other fractions fall into condensate, since the temperature is less than necessary for their boiling. The taste and strength of the final product is significantly different for the better from moonshine passed through a standard distiller.

Modern column models are distinguished by a very high productivity, and the alcohol resulting from rectification does not have a fusel odor and impurities.

What is the difference between a moonshine still and a rectification column

The most important difference: a standard home brewing apparatus consists of alembic and a cooling coil, where the condensation of alcohol-containing vapors occurs. In some models there is a dry steam room, where there is a high-quality separation of impurities and aromatization of vapors to obtain elite alcohol in the form of brandy or whiskey.

The column is a rather complex device, it is mainly intended for cleaning the already obtained moonshine in order to eliminate all the smallest impurities and get pure alcohol. The design is made of stainless steel, copper or brass, since very complex high-temperature processes take place inside and the corrosion resistance must be quite high.
The lower part of the column is called the tsarga, and the upper part is called a cooler or reflux condenser, because it is there that the final separation of various refluxes takes place. Its cover has a tube for communication with the environment so that the internal pressure does not exceed the permissible value. We have already discussed all the nuances of the work, so we omit it.

The product is installed on a distillation tank or cube, and all connections must be perfectly sealed. In the uppermost part there is a branch pipe for alcohol vapors, the best option when it also has an additional refrigerator. The height of the product is decent, some samples are up to 2 m, so this design may not fit in the room: 2m + tank + stove. The best option- to heat the tank on a special stove for home brewing: it has small dimensions, like a tabletop electric stove.

Braga is not recommended to be distilled through the column, although today manufacturers have already mastered the production of improved samples that can cope with such an application. The verdict is simple: moonshine stills are designed to distill raw alcohol, and the column can clean it almost completely from odor and harmful impurities.

Remember! The distillation column is used to obtain pure alcohol, and if you want to make rakia, brandy, where you need the aroma and specific taste of the original product, then use only a moonshine still.

Types of moonshine stills and rectification columns

In total, there are two main types of devices in the world for practical moonshine:

1. Alcohol-containing vapors are discharged to the side for cooling - directly into the coil or through the steam boiler.
2. The vapors are discharged upward into the rectifying device, where the impurities are separated, completely purified from odors and subsequently cooled.

Classic devices are subdivided according to the cooling system: using a coil or direct-flow, where the cooling element is the refrigerator body.

Columns are divided according to the amount of the final product obtained:

• simple, providing the separation of the feedstock into two final products - rectified and sludge;
• complex - they provide separation into more than two products, columns with the selection of additional fractions in the form of side straps and from special stripping strips.

There is also a division according to purpose, pressure value, principle of operation or organization of contact within the structure.

In addition, the columns are divided into complete and incomplete. Incomplete products are divided into two more types:

1. Mash or stripping column, which operates on the following principle: alcohol-containing steam enters the upper plate, and pure water comes out of the still. Condensation drops out in the refrigerator and the reflux condenser is not installed.
2. In the alcohol columns, everything happens in a mirror image: steam is fed under the lower tray. Alcohol is removed from the upper part, and the remainder with water is removed from the bottom, the reflux condenser performs the function of feeding with a liquid medium. Such columns are installed on alambiks.

The first ones are not intended for obtaining pure alcohol, and the second option is not used for obtaining pure water.

Characteristics of both devices

Everyone knows that the main purpose of the moonshine still is to obtain an alcohol-containing liquid from the mash by distilling it and then purifying it. The main technical parameters are:

Volume

It is he who affects the scale of production at home, therefore the choice of the product is based on this parameter: the more mash, the more liters of raw alcohol, which is purified by various methods or re-distilled.

Material

Basically, all parts of modern models are made of food grade or medical stainless steel. The following brands are used in production:

• Due to its rather high cleansing properties, AISI 304 is used in medicine, dairy farms and similar factories;
• steel grade 430 is of poor quality, but products from it can be heated on induction cookers;
• alloys with copper and combinations of steels of different grades are found in many models of domestic and foreign moonshine stills.

Home-made devices still use aluminum, but it is already being practically replaced by more reliable materials. Coils are made of copper or brass, only elite devices called alambiks, which are used for the production of home elite alcohol, are made entirely of copper.

Additional devices

These include a thermometer, an alcohol meter, a steam chamber, a reflux condenser, and others that help control the distillation process. Repeated cleansing gives a good result, but it is not carried out in the case when it is necessary to obtain aromatic drink with smell.

For clarity, it is better to present the technical characteristics of universal rectification columns in the form of a small table:

All sealing joints in the column are made of high-temperature food grade silicone with a guaranteed service life of at least 10-20 years, the temperature is allowed up to + 150 ° C.

Advantages and disadvantages

A standard device for the production of moonshine has the following advantages:

1. The simplest design, the principle of operation is clear to all users, you can make it yourself without large financial costs.
2. A large number of recipes that come with the finished model, but you can significantly expand them by studying the recipe on the Internet.
3. High reliability of construction and all materials.
4. Low cost, which especially affects widespread availability for all segments of the population.

Distillation columns have their own advantages:

1. Obtaining a clean product without odor and impurities.
2. The strength of the final product is much higher than that of a simple apparatus.
3. It is used to separate alcohol-containing liquid from sugar-based mash, since it is there that there are a lot of foreign impurities and odors.

In comparison, the classic device has more negative features:

• low productivity;
• low percentage of alcohol content - no more than 70%;
• low degree of purification during primary distillation;
• danger if safety measures are not followed.

The rectification columns have only one drawback - the high construction height.

What is better to choose

If we compare the design classic product for home brewing and a distillation column, the difference is palpable, and they are used for different purposes. Therefore, your choice will directly depend on the goals, as well as on what you are going to overtake:

1. For wine mash, as well as on the basis of berries and fruits, it is better to use a moonshine still.
2. For sugar wash, it is better to use a column, since the final product is clean and odorless.

Today, there are models of versatile products on the market that can operate as a simple distillation unit or as a powerful distillation column.

Devices made by German manufacturers, which have an additional drawer, which are screwed into the distiller, are in special demand among experienced distillers. For example, the column and the apparatus have the same productivity of 2 l / h, but the product is quite different:

• the density or strength of a classic product is only 60%, and that of a column is 96%;
• the purification level of the distiller is 60 times lower than that of the column.

Moonshine stills are more practical because of their size, and the columns are much higher - the most compact will be about a meter in height.

If we compare the performance of different products, then the classic produces 2 liters of raw alcohol per hour, and the column - 2 liters of pure alcohol 96.6%, or in terms of 60% moonshine - 6-7 liters. Therefore, when buying, you need to decide what is more important for you - the purity of the final product or the simple use of the product anywhere. Financial capacity also plays an important role.

conclusions

If we talk about the purity of the final product, then the rectification columns are a cut above a simple moonshine still, but the financial side is of great importance. Each user chooses the necessary model for himself, but we dispassionately state that the classics of the genre still lose to technical progress in the face of a more productive rectification column in terms of basic technical indicators.

Experienced moonshiners are familiar with many types of moonshine stills, but they put the distillation column above all of them. Yes, it is difficult to make it yourself and also difficult to use at home, but what prevents you from buying an industrial-made column? Fortunately, there are a lot of different models of rectification columns on the market.

But one purchase is not enough to get a good product. The moonshiner must know how the distillation column works and how it works. This article will help you find out about this.

Distillation refers to the process distillation of the fermented mixture into volatile components, which then condense and turn into moonshine. This process is inherently primitive. The water boils at 100 ° C, and the alcohol begins to evaporate at 78 ° C. It is enough to heat the wash, but not bring it to a boil, so that the alcohol begins to evaporate. After that, it condenses into moonshine. The resulting product can be distilled again to obtain an even stronger moonshine.

Remarkable is the fact that in primitive rectification apparatus the first 100 ml of moonshine have the greatest strength. However, in addition to the high alcohol content in this liquid, there are a lot of harmful substances:

• Volatile acids.
• Efirov.
• Aldehydes.

For this reason, experienced moonshiners pour out the first milliliters of distillation alcohol or use it as a means for igniting. Drinking this solution is very dangerous to health..

The first 100 g of distillate obtained at home is called the head.

During the rectification of alcohol in the distillation still, the concentration of alcohol vapors gradually decreases when heated. You can determine the level of reduction of alcohol vapors by the temperature of the alcohol column. Do not wait for it to get very hot. Then from the distillation cube water will begin to evaporate.

At the final stage of rectification, another part of the alcohol that is not suitable for consumption appears. These are tailings containing methanol and fusel oils... You can recognize the tail by the unpleasant smell. It appears when the strength of the moonshine at the outlet of the distillation column drops to 40%. The tails do not have to be poured out. They can be overtaken again.

Distillation types

This process is of 2 types:

• Simple.
• Fractional.

With simple distillation, the heads and tails are not cut off. Remaining after rectification in the distillation still, the wash is usually called the stillage, less often the distillation residue. The resulting product is distillate. In such a product, the percentage of alcohol usually does not exceed 30%. The amount of harmful impurities in such moonshine is much higher than the norm. Therefore, it requires re-distillation.

Fractional distillation so called because the product coming out of the moonshine still is divided into 3 parts:

1. Head.
2. A heart.
3. Tail.

The first and third parts are cut off. The second part remains usable. Its strength can range from 50 to 70%. The quality of such a product is relatively high.

Distillation and rectification are the same thing. But when using a full-fledged rectification column, the output is not distillate, but ethyl alcohol.

Distillation column for moonshine still allows you to divide brew alcohol into its component parts and get a clean product at the exit, odorless, inherent in fusel oils, acetone and methanol.

Thanks to the rectifier, the moonshiner can make tinctures and others at home with his own hands. alcoholic drinks that are not inferior in quality to those sold in stores.

Naturally, the distillation column can be used as a simple distillation unit to produce ordinary moonshine.

The main difference between distillation from rectification lies in the characteristics of the final product. The rectifier produces pure alcohol, but it requires raw alcohol. The latter can only be obtained by distilling the mash in a moonshine still. That is, the rectifier and the moonshine still must be used together.

It should also be understood that a product is obtained from the moonshine still having the taste and smell of the feedstock, and the rectification column produces alcohol with a neutral taste and smell.

The principle of operation of the rectification column

Distillation column diagram can be found on the internet. According to her, the rectifier consists of the following parts:

• An evaporation cube in which raw materials are stored and heated.
• Column, inside of which, due to a special packing, heat and mass transfer processes take place.
• Dephlegmator.
• Distillate sampling unit in a rectification column.

To understand the structure of a distillation column, you need to understand the principle of operation of each of its elements.

This is a container for storing and heating mash or distillate. When heated, the still liquid evaporates and slowly rises up the column. In the upper part of the rectifier, the liquid is separated into separate fractions.

Often the cube is the base of the column. It can be heated both on a gas and on an electric stove. In some cube models, a heating element is used - a heating element.

In the manufacture of alcohol, the brew is initially distilled in the distillation still. So you can get raw alcohol, which is necessary for subsequent rectification.

A cube made in an industrial environment necessarily has a built-in thermometer that allows you to control the temperature of the wash. As a rule, the raw material in the still is first heated to 70 ° C and only after that the cooling liquid is fed into the column.

Tsarga

This is the central part of the column, in which the processes of temperature and mass transfer take place.

Her work is as follows:

• Braga in a cube begins to evaporate and rises up the column, in the upper part of which there is a refrigerator.
• The dephlegmator provides condensation of alcohol vapors.
• The resulting distillate after condensation goes down the alcohol column.
• During the descent, the distillate collides with the steam. Heat and mass exchange occurs, as a result of which the most evaporated part of the fraction rises to the top of the column.
• It condenses and goes into the selection channel.

A reinforcing column can consist of several tsars. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that with an increase in the height of the column, the processes of heat and mass transfer become more active. This allows you to get more rectified alcohol at the output.

There is a variation of this device called "tornado". It differs from a conventional rectifier in that its walls are heated. This approach causes the phlegm to evaporate directly from the walls until it comes into contact with the refrigerator. This allows you to speed up the rectification process and get a cleaner product.

Rectification nozzle

It consists of 2 parts:

Modern rectification columns are often equipped with automatic rectification control units. This device allows for a given the program to separate the tail and food parts. As a result, the moonshiner may not sit all the time near the moonshine and do the selection with his own hands. The device, thanks to the BUR, will do everything by itself.

Is it possible to make a complete distillation column with your own hands?

You can make a moonshine still with a rectification column at home. But is it worth doing? The savings will be marginal. In addition, due to the fact that it is difficult at home to withstand all the necessary parameters, one may encounter flooding of the home apparatus during the production of rectified alcohol.

This happens due to non-observance of the geometric parameters of the device, as a result of which the maximum speed of steam movement is exceeded. This leads to accumulation of fluid. in the central part of the column, as a result of which the heat and mass transfer processes are terminated. The pressure inside the drawer rises. The moonshiner begins to hear a gurgle inside the apparatus.

To this problem, in addition to design flaws, may be due to the following reasons:

• Excessive heating of the moonshine still.
• Distillation cube overflow.
• Clogging of the bottom of the reinforcement column.
• Distillation under conditions of low atmospheric pressure.

To avoid these problems, it is better to buy a rectifier than to do it yourself.

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

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

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

The design and principle of operation of the rectification column

Distillation cube

Tsarga (pipe) with filler

Alcohol collection 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 tsar, reaching the refrigerator and the selection unit, the tap of which is initially closed.

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

This exchange process is the rectification process. The lightest vapors with a high alcohol content are led to a refrigerator where 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, you should decide on the dimensions and other characteristics of the apparatus.

Drawer side height

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

Material and wall thickness

The ideal option for tsarga is food stainless steel: it does not in any way affect the composition of the drinks. Copper will also work. The optimum wall thickness is 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

It is easiest to use household stainless steel sponges as a contact element, 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 in it for a day: a good product will not rust. Alternative options are glass balls, stones of certain rocks, metal shavings. The packing density is 250–270 g of the contact element per 1 liter of the column volume.

Cube volume

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

Heating source

The use of a gas, electric or induction hob is not recommended. The first option is dangerous, the rest do not allow for a uniform heat supply. The best option is electric heating using 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 for 50 liters, at least 3 kW for 40 liters, etc.

Insulation material type

It must withstand high temperatures and 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.

The selected type of nozzles is poured into one part, which will be at the bottom, after having 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 up the nozzle, close the pipe with a mesh, fix it with a washer.

Connect the resulting structure to the distillation cube and insulate it with heat-insulating material.

The second (upper) part of the pipe is connected to a reflux condenser using a soldering iron. The water body must have 2 nozzles: for water inlet and outlet. The dephlegmator 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 the atmospheric tube. To fix it, use a fitting, the end of the tube is lowered into water.

A hole is made for the distillate outlet. It should be located a couple of centimeters above the junction with the lower part of the pipe, a plate for collecting condensate is installed under it.

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 clip from a dropper 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 the sewerage system. Thus, the water will be heated to the reflux condenser.

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

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

The distillation column, which 20 years ago was only at distilleries, is now used in everyday life for the production of high-quality alcohol - rectified, which is an impossible task for an ordinary moonshine still.

And in order to better understand what it is, what is the structure and principle of operation of the rectification column, as well as how to make the unit with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the question in more detail.

The distillation column is a complex device consisting of several units: —zargi—, a sampling unit and —thermometer— —necessary for a full-fledged rectification to proceed. This process allows the separation of a multicomponent mixture consisting of substances with close boiling / evaporation points.

The main difference between rectification and ordinary distillation is that, with it, the evaporation and condensation of substances is not a single phenomenon, but a constant cyclic process. As a result, the column-type moonshine still produces the highest quality alcohol - rectified.

The device and principle of operation of the rectification column

Tsarga

It is located at the base of the column and is one of its main parts. Inside it, gas-liquid mass transfer takes place - one of the main phenomena in the rectification process. It happens as follows:

• The liquid, boiling in the distillation still, evaporates and in gaseous form passes through the tsarga.
• Steam, reaching the reflux condenser, is cooled and condensed on its walls.
• The condensate flows down first along the walls of the reflux condenser, and then along the walls of the tsarg back to the cube.
• At this moment, a gas-liquid mass transfer takes place between the flowing condensate and the rising steam. It consists in the transfer of heat and a certain amount of evaporated substances from steam to condensate. Under this influence, part of the phlegm is its low-boiling constituents: alcohol and a small proportion of water evaporate again, before reaching the distillation cube, and more difficult-to-boil: fusel oils and other impurities continue to drain into the distillation cube.

Thus, mainly alcohol accumulates in the upper part of the column, and impurities mainly circulate in the lower part of the unit. As a result, the output is rectified with a strength of about 95%.

The rectification column can have one or several tsars. In this case, the higher the column, the larger the area on which the mass exchange between reflux and steam takes place, which in turn improves the quality of the product obtained.

Inside the drawer there are nozzles, on the surface of which the main mass transfer takes place. Stainless steel products are well suited for sugar and grain, and copper - for fruit mash.

In addition to the nozzles, trays can be placed inside the drawer, which further increase the area on which the gas-liquid mass transfer takes place, which affects the quality of the resulting rectified material.

The walls of the drawer side can have additional heating, which enhances the evaporation of the reflux that did not get on the nozzles and plates. This addition also improves the quality of the final product.

Dephlegmator

The upper part of the distillation column responsible for collecting and cooling the rising vapors to reflux. From here, the condensed liquid flows down into the drawer.

The dephlegmator can be made according to several schematic diagrams, the simplest is the film version, and one of the most popular is the Dimroth refrigerator,

Selection node

Responsible for the collection of a part of the condensed reflux and its output to the outside in a container for collection. Depending on the settings of the take-off unit, the amount of condensate drawn also varies. The smaller its selection, the higher the quality of the rectified.

Thermometer

In a distillation column, unlike a standard moonshine still, it is an indispensable part of the system. The fact is that rectification is a very delicate process, highly dependent on maintaining the correct temperature.

Distillation cube with heating elements

Although the distillation column can be used with a conventional cube for gas, electricity or, it is much better to equip it with a heating element unit.

Such a feature, like a thermometer, is associated with the need for accurate and fine regulation of the temperature inside the system, and therefore with the regulation of the power of the device that heats the mash.

Gas valves require great skill, induction hobs have a fixed step from 100 to 300 W, but the heaters regulators allow you to change the power by 3-5 W.

Which is better, a classic moonshine still or a distillation column?

To understand the advantages of rectification over distillation, it is worthwhile to make a visual comparison of these technologies.

In order to obtain a product of the same quality through distillation as in rectification, it is necessary to carry out about 10 successive distillations. It should be borne in mind that distilling an alcohol-containing product stronger than 20-30% is explosive (home brewing is explosive by default, but in this case the risk increases significantly).

How to make a distillation column with your own hands according to a detailed diagram

The unit is made in a simple design.

Do-it-yourself calculation and assembly of the rectification column is carried out as follows:

Instead of an afterword

The alcohol obtained through rectification is much better than the distillate from the classic moonshine still.

But along with the positives come and limitations: the requirements for the equipment are much higher, and its manufacture is more expensive, in addition, the operation also requires high skill.

Therefore, it is not so easy to unequivocally determine which is better, a good moonshine still or a distillation column, but, of course, there is an intermediate solution - a beer column. She gives distillate, but not rectified, very High Quality, and it's easier to use it, it's all about priorities.