A cube for a household moonshine is one of the main components of the distillation system. It depends on the distillation cube, its material and coating, how much raw material you can process, which means how much finished alcohol you get as a result. Most owners of moonshine stills make distillation containers with their own hands. How to do this - consider in more detail.

1 How does an alembic work?

Before we start creating containers for our moonshine stills, we should consider their role in distillation systems. In most cases, experienced manufacturers supply their devices with cubes, the top of which is shaped like a dome. The volume, as well as the material of distillation tanks, depends on the wishes and possibilities of the buyer. Most often, they contain from 5 kg of raw materials, and the material for manufacturing is metal.

In the lids or in the upper parts of the containers, special devices are installed through which steam escapes. In the process of boiling the solution, the steam rises and enters the cooling chamber through the adapter. There it condenses, turning into natural alcohol. The used mash, which then remains in the distillation cube, exits through a separate valve, which is located at the bottom of the tank.

Due to the special role of distillation tanks in moonshine units, many owners prefer not to experiment, but to buy ready-made cubes from well-known manufacturers. At the same time, stainless steel cubes are considered the most reliable. They are able to last much longer than containers made of other materials, and their cost ranges from 3-6 thousand rubles.

All other owners of moonshine stills who are not averse to working on optimizing their distillation system are always ready to make a cube with their own hands. To do this, you need to have experience with a soldering iron, as well as stock up on the necessary materials.

2 Choose the material for the distillation tank

To create a cube, you can use any container that you can find at home. But this does not always mean that the part will last long enough, and the drink prepared in it will have a pleasant aroma and taste. Therefore, metal containers are most often used as a material for distillation tanks. The metal, as you know, does not react with the chemical constituents in the mash. Only by applying it, you will be sure that yours or cranberries will have a pleasant taste and smell.

Metal containers are resistant to high temperatures, which makes it possible to heat them up and not be afraid that the cube is deformed. In addition, the use of steel containers guarantees the absence of an unpleasant odor and aftertaste in the drink, which cannot be said about aluminum cubes. If you decide to take our advice and make a stainless steel distillation cube, then to make it yourself, you will need to follow a special algorithm.

You will need several steel sheets, which will eventually become a distillation tank. In addition, it is worth considering a few nuances. The first nuance is the choice of suitable and high-quality steel. Do not forget that you will do all the work with your own hands. Therefore, if you choose sheets with a thickness of more than 5 mm, then bending them without special equipment will be quite difficult. The second nuance is cutting out the details of the cube for the moonshine still. To create a reliable container, each of its elements must be made perfectly. Therefore, you will need to accurately calculate the dimensions of each part, and then transfer them to the metal.

• welding machine or soldering iron;
• phosphoric acid or tin;
• cube lid seals;
• fasteners for tight closing of the upper part of the container;
• temperature sensor.

Another important factor is the choice of cover. The lid from the pressure cooker does a good job with its task. But do not forget about the size and tightness of the lid for the distillation cube. To find the part of the right size, you can go in two ways: make a cube of the right size, or choose a pressure cooker with a suitable lid for it. The fourth nuance is the sealing of the lid of the distillation cube. To do this, the part can be made by analogy with a conventional flask.

Last but not least is the purchase of a temperature sensor. You need to choose the part that has a protective overlay made of transparent plastic, and on the scale of which there are no scuffs.

3 Creating a cube at home

At the beginning of work, it is necessary to calculate the exact dimensions of the container for the moonshine still. To do this, we use improvised measuring instruments. With their help, we measure steel sheets, leaving marks in the right places. After that, we proceed to the measurements of the crane. Do not forget that the tap must be located at the bottom of the cube, so in one of the steel sheets we must mark the size of the hole. After you are convinced of the accuracy of the measurements, you can start cutting with metal scissors.

Next, we start working with a soldering iron. Solder sheets of steel and the crane is very carefully, without forgetting about reliability. After soldering, we check the cube for integrity. If you did a good job, you can try on the lid for the container. Its edges should protrude beyond the borders of the cube by about 1–2 mm. Next, let's install the seals. To do this, take the rubber strips and glue them to the inner borders of the lid. Next, we mount the fasteners with which the lid will securely close the cube.

The last step is to install the temperature sensor. For clarity of indicators, the part can be attached to the side of the container or directly to the lid itself. As we can see, making a distillation tank is not an easy job. However, by making a cube with your own hands, you will save a lot of money, and your or your favorite tinctures will have a pleasant aroma and an unforgettable taste.

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Hearing the smell of moonshine from your apartment, the neighbors will no longer “snitch” and no one will come to take away the device and issue a fine.

This occupation is legal (if for your own needs), you can buy equipment legally, or make it yourself.

As an option - use what is on the farm and partially buy it. The main part - a cube for a moonshine still can be found on the farm, it is only important to choose and refine it correctly.

It's called an alembic sealed container, in which the mash is heated on the stove, with the help of a water jacket or steam, forming alcohol vapors.

They enter (as a rule, through intermediate modules) into the refrigerator, where they condense and exit into the receiving container already with moonshine.

The distillation cube works like this:

• fill the mash (up to ¾ volume);
• put on the stove or turn on the heat;
• bring to a temperature of 68-70 ° C (a thermometer is a mandatory device in a cube), select the “heads” separately;
• at 78.4 ° C, the drinking part (body) will go - this is ethyl alcohol;
• when the heating reaches 85-90°C, stop the selection of the body and select the tails with a low strength and a large amount of fusel oils in a new dish. In the future, add them to the mash at the next stage. They will increase the yield of raw alcohol;
• at the end of the haul, drain the bard (what is left of the mash) and wash the cube.

Important. Thorough washing of the cube is important, since the remains of the stillage can later turn sour, burn, spoiling the taste of the distillate.

The distillation cube is also used by many as a waste container.

Which container is better in terms of strength and safety?

Increased requirements are imposed on the distillation cube, since the alcohol-containing (and therefore flammable) liquid is heated in it. Must be durable.

And since the product obtained from it is taken orally, it is chemically safe. So, what capacity can be adapted for a distillation cube at home?

milk can

The most popular alembic in the past is 38 liter aluminum milk flask. At first, 30 liters of mash was filled into it, here it was fermented, and then it was distilled.

If the mash was purely sugar, then the filtration process was ignored. If they added bread, jam or made grain must, then they filtered it.

Milk flask advantage:

• it is easy to turn it into a distillation cube by making a hole in the lid of the can and inserting a fitting, to which a coil or attachments are later attached;
• tightness is inherent in the design from the very beginning, it is provided with a rubber gasket and a clamping bar;

Advice. Since the rubber gives a peculiar unpleasant taste and smell when heated strongly, it is better to replace the gasket with a silicone one. Its cost on the Internet is 400 rubles.

• the thermometer can be installed in the capsule in the lid or at the top on the side surface of the can;
• the can has a sufficient margin of safety, it serves for decades.

But it is impossible to limit ourselves to the positive aspects, since the material itself is already fraught with a threat.

Carefully. More than 30 years ago, the Moscow Institute of Hygiene unequivocally determined that food aluminum ions are unsafe for health.

Aluminum accumulates in the body and can cause tumors and other serious diseases.

Even if you use an aluminum can for hauling, then at least do not put mash in it. After all, contact for 4-5 hours of driving and a week or two release a different amount of aluminum ions that enter the body.

In addition, cans are used only on a gas stove or with a heating element, since the rim at the bottom interferes with heating on an electric stove.

There are also stainless steel cans on sale, only the price of the issue is different. With the same capacity - 40 liters (actually - 38), aluminum costs 3450, and stainless - 8800 rubles.

beer keg

Modern beer kegs are made from food grade stainless steel. That is - they are better suited to the needs of the moonshiner.

But you have to work on the keg. Its main disadvantage is narrow neck which complicates maintenance. It will not be possible to qualitatively wash such a distillation cube.

To remake this container, it is necessary to cut and remove the neck, widen the hole, weld a flange with studs into it and build a lid. Mounting options for canopies: a module welded into the lid for a clamp; fitting for fastening a dry steamer; film side, etc.

Heating elements are also embedded in it, an overlay bottom is installed for heating on an induction cooker, and it is converted into a steam cube.

Pan

For a novice moonshiner, a “pot” cube may turn out to be a good realization of the dream of making homemade strong alcohol with his own hands. For this, a stainless or enamel pan without chips is suitable.

Stainless steel is preferable, since a hole will have to be made in the lid to vent vapors into the coil. In the case of enamel, take care to carefully seal the metal so that a corrosion zone does not form around the hole.

Leave the pot as is, but work on the lid. First of all - over its tight connection with the pan. Lots of options here:

• Clamping with clamps. Handles, wooden inserts and metal slats are used.
• The use of stationery clips - up to a dozen. They press the lid, under the groove of which a silicone tube is placed.
• A pot with handles protruding above the level of the lid is perfect in this regard. It is enough to choose a fixing plate, which is inserted into the handles, and a silicone gasket (tube).
• If the pot has a glass lid, this can be put to good use. Having expanded the steam outlet, insert the fitting under the coil. Or, insert a fitting at the place where the handle is attached, and use the second hole under the thermometer sleeve.

Bucket

Can be used as a cube only enameled bucket. The actions for its alteration are similar to the "pan" type.

Carefully. A galvanized bucket is only suitable for a non-flowing refrigerator.

There is no other use for moonshine brewing. You can't even store drinking water in it. Brought - poured into another container.

pressure cooker

An ideal container for a distillation cube, nothing needs to be redone here. Remove one of the two blast valves, put on the silicone tube leading to the dry steamer or directly to the coil, and the problem is solved.

The second “detonator” remains, it does not interfere with the distillation and alcohol does not come out through it, since the pressure at which it works is not created when the mash is heated.

Excellent stainless steel pressure cookers with a volume of 7 - 12 liters cost 2900 - 3300 rubles. No matter how much, but this device is not only for moonshine, but also for cooking.

Multicooker

Remodeled without problems. Remove the steam vent module, in its place (there is a hole), fix the steam vent tube. The device is ready.

The only pity is that it is not too voluminous, because multicookers with a volume of more than 6 liters cannot be found, and useful (for pouring mash) is obtained up to 5 liters.

Other models

Home craftsmen with locksmith and welding skills build distillation cubes from sheet stainless steel. It is important to build a drawing correctly and buy food grade stainless steel.

Such a cube often even surpasses industrial counterparts. Even if it is not too “well-tailored”, but it is “strongly sewn”, in the sense that it is reliably welded.

They are also made from oxygen gas (propane / butane) cylinders.

Moonshine is even obtained from two pans and a piece of cling film, but it is better not to resort to this method, since the product is oversaturated with fusel oils.

PVC - moonshine still?

Let us dwell separately on the steam-water boiler (PVK). It can be perfectly made from two kegs and a bellows.

Reference. Bellows - a tube with slots inserted into a cube.

Great option - big thermos. An army thermos for 24 liters costs 5500 rubles, for 36 liters - 7200 rubles. And professional ones made of stainless steel are even more expensive: 15 liters - 13150, 25 liters - 16200 rubles. Add a heating element here (another 2 - 3 thousand, if with electronics). Pleasure is not cheap.

In this embodiment, the heating element cuts from below into the cavity between the bottom of the casing and the inner container (6-6.5 cm of space allows this). A fitting for filling water is attached at the top. It remains to connect the electronics, distill the mash.

This PVC has a number of advantages:

• allows you to distill thick mash without burning;
• serves as a wort kettle when you prepare malt mash;
• in addition to moonshine, you can cook yourself at home.

Reference: the cost of a 36-liter PVC assembly - with electronics and a stirrer - 45 thousand rubles.

That is, it’s worth the trouble to make it yourself.

Principle of operation

PVC with bellows consists of two containers (the same kegs). In one, water is heated by a heating element, and steam through the bellows enters another container with mash and canopies. The steam heats the mash, from which the alcohol evaporates, and then it's up to the sheds: clean, condense.

It is desirable to insulate PVC to improve efficiency. PVC, made according to the "cube in cube" principle, heats the wash with hot water through the walls.

Comparison with a regular cube

Let's take a look at some comparisons.

Specifications	regular cube
Heat	On any stove, with a ferromagnetic insert - and on an induction	heating element
Braga	Be sure to filter, otherwise burning is possible	Any, including thick ones. Due to the absence of contact with the heating element, burning is excluded
Price	Minimum, suitable capacity can be adapted	Costs for the purchase of containers, heating elements and electronics
Manufacturing complexity	Easy production	Locksmith work needed

Whether you decide to adapt the container at your disposal for the distillation cube or purchase a ready-made one, do not forget the main thing: the product must be reliable and safe.

When switching from purchased alcohol to home-made, place the main emphasis on quality: you yourself will be healthier, and you are not ashamed to treat your guests to clean and safe home-made moonshine.

A distillation cube is a container in which mash is heated. It is the basis for any moonshine and is extremely important for the entire distillation process. It can be easily purchased from almost any manufacturer, and you can do it yourself, saving from 5 to 20 thousand rubles.

We will share the most popular and interesting ideas that you can implement at home. A moonshine still does not have to cost 10-15 thousand rubles when hands grow from the right place and have some free time to work.

Before choosing a container, you need to know a number of requirements and wishes that will simplify your moonshine brewing process in the future.

Depending on the chosen base (we will talk about this a little later), you will need to rework it and make it as convenient as possible. Things to consider:

• Only stainless steel or copper. Food grade aluminum and enameled steel - last resort. The metal should not oxidize and give off odors during distillation. That is why 99% of moonshine stills are made of stainless steel and copper.
• Optimum volume from 12 to 30 liters. The more mash you put in and the more often you overtake it, the more volume you need. It is more efficient to work with large volumes, but for this you need and the raw materials themselves would also be useful. 🙂
• The presence of a heating element. Many moonshiners equip their tanks with a tubular electric heater, as a result of which they can distill mash in any conditions where there is a 220 V outlet. If you are interested, then you need to take wide containers into which the heater will fit as a basis.
• No ferromagnetic bottom. It is very difficult to find a container with a flat bottom made of stainless steel that is suitable for working on an induction stove. Therefore, immediately count on gas, electricity or firewood.
• Consider the height together with the steam line, dryer and cooler. You can't put a tall cube on a kitchen burner, so look for another container or another "kitchen" (a place for distillation with a heat source).

A wide rectangular container is best suited for a stove resembling a box. It can be put immediately on several burners and in height it will be only lower.

What can you make a distillation cube for moonshine

milk can

The most popular container in villages and villages. Older models are made of food-grade aluminum, and new ones are made of stainless steel.

A possible implementation of a moonshine still from a flask with a steamer.

The can has excellent tightness, so it is very easy to convert it to a cube. It is enough to make a hole in the cover for the steam hose and screw the adapter there. For convenience, you can add a thermometer, which is inserted according to a similar principle.

Cons associated with metal, which is not of good quality. It seems to be designed for milk, but even stainless steel sometimes fails, not to mention the old Soviet aluminum (in most cases, you won’t get good moonshine at the exit).

Before distillation, pay attention to lining at the neck. It starts to smell bad after long-term use, so it is better to replace it immediately.

You can read more about the refinement of the milk flask at this link -.

From a beer keg

It is considered almost the coolest alembic on the market, however, it requires serious modernization. Popular volumes are 20 and 30 liters.

A beer keg converted into a moonshine still. In parsing.

Manufacturers love beer more than milk, since they make such high-quality containers for storing it. The beer keg is made from excellent stainless steel, which will serve you faithfully for decades, so it is perfect for you as a container for hauling.

It will be necessary to make a neck for your distiller (grinder and welding to help), a tap for draining stillage and a hole for the heating element (optional). For convenience, the keg is equipped with legs if you do not plan to heat this keg on gas or wood.

Details about the refinement of a stainless steel beer keg for a distillation cube -.

From the pan

The simplest option, for the implementation of which you do not need to look for anything. Almost everyone already has everything they need in the kitchen.

The finished apparatus from the pan

A stainless steel pan works best, but enameled steel will also work. The lid must be metal., otherwise it will not work to make a hole in the glass, and it will also be problematic to fix it.

To seal the container, we will use conventional paper clips, as well as a gasket under the cover. This whole system has long been tried and tested, so it works exactly and is able to produce moonshine.

From a bucket

An idea for seasoned moonshiners who love experiments and "everything that is cheaper."

Distillation of mash in a bucket.

Modernization is that you need to somehow insert the hose into the bucket and make adequate tightness.

Drilled in an enameled bucket a hole for a silicone hose that connects to a bucket through a fitting. Then you can send the product directly to the refrigerator or add a steamer to clean the moonshine from harmful impurities. Alternatively, you can make one or more.

Securely press the lid will help wooden stops or any other thing that can rest against the lid and handle (as shown in the picture above).

After that, you need not to overdo it with the heating power, otherwise it will happen or a bucket explosion. That the first, that the second option can be settled by simply reducing the fire to the minimum strength.

From a pressure cooker

An idea from Soviet times, when people used a pressure cooker for cooking. Now it can be used as a cube.

The appearance of the finished distiller from the pressure cooker.

This saucepan has perfect tightness, so you can safely not be afraid that the mash will run away or something will explode. The worst thing is the spray, which can completely ruin the entire product (you have to distill everything again).

In the lid, it is enough to make a hole for the hose, after which you can start distillation. The obvious disadvantage is the small volume: you are unlikely to get more than 2 liters of moonshine at the exit even with very large mash.

From the multicooker

If your slow cooker has not been used for a long time, then this can be corrected by distilling any alcohol-containing liquid (mash, sour beer or wine).

A working moonshine from a multicooker with 4 bubblers.

The whole idea is that the multicooker releases steam through a special valve. It is there that we need to install a silicone pipe or a stainless steel hose, after which we simply pour the mash and set the maximum temperature for heating.

The equipment is made of excellent material, the temperature can be adjusted by itself in case of any problems, and the tightness is very worthy for making the haul. The problem lies in small volume, after all, you can pour more than a few liters into a container.

How to start making a distillation cube

The cube is part of the moonshine still, which requires serious work. To do something normal, it is important to understand the device of the moonshine still and know those.

All this information can be studied in the publication about. We discussed in detail all the issues related to the size of the holes, the tool used and the nuts. It will probably be useful for you to study this publication after choosing a container for hauling in order to know how to proceed.

First you need to decide on the subject of consideration. So, the distillation cube is a sealed container designed for heating and subsequent distillation of mash or initial wort. In simple terms, this is a reservoir in which the initial separation of the mash into fractions takes place, namely, alcohol-containing vapors are released, which are sent further into the system.

It is quite possible to make a distillation cube with your own hands, but for this you need to have a number of skills and know the general principles of the process. So, in order to make such a container, you need to fulfill several requirements:

• The tank lid must be sealed. Even a slight pickling of the air will adversely affect both the efficiency of the evaporation process and the quality characteristics of the resulting distillate.
• The distillation cube of the moonshine must have a volume suitable for a certain amount of the initial liquid, as well as sufficient for the evaporation process to occur. If this parameter is incorrectly selected, the boiling mash will splash out into the outlet tubes, which is highly undesirable.
• Be sure to have one or more holes equipped with special fittings.
• The material from which the distillation cube will be made with your own hands should have as little chemical activity as possible, that is, not enter into a chemical reaction with the components of the mash.

The aluminum can is the most popular cube container, but not the safest.

The main problem when doing the work with your own hands will be precisely ensuring tightness. As you can often see, the distillation cube of the old moonshine was made from an ordinary milk flask. In general, this option is quite working, however, careful revision of the cover is necessary, since the standard version did not provide for the formation of internal pressure.

Among other things, the tank can be equipped with a built-in heating element, which will act as a heating element and ensure the operation of the system.

Types of distillation cubes

Based on the materials used in the manufacture and some structural differences, the distillation cube can be of several types.

• aluminum flask. This option is distinguished by its large volume, accessibility and ease of operation, and almost every person with basic skills in handling a tool can do it with their own hands. However, such a tank is rather bulky, unaesthetic, and aluminum oxidizes over time, which leads to a decrease in the quality of the resulting product. It is also worth considering that a system equipped with a flask container will not function if an induction cooker is used.
• pressure cooker. You can make a tank for evaporating mash with your own hands from a household pressure cooker. Ease of use, functionality and compactness stand out among the advantages, but such a capacity will have a modest performance.
• beer keg. Beer kegs can be used to make a distillation tank. These kegs are made of stainless steel and are airtight. You can choose the required volume, and with some modifications, equip such a tank with the necessary sensors, for example, a thermometer. All work can be done by hand, and therefore save. A distillation cube from a beer keg is the most preferred option for making a moonshine still.
• Finished tanks. For the manufacture of a distillation cube of a moonshine still, you can purchase ready-made containers produced at the factory. Such a product will have all the necessary properties, but its use will require financial investments.
• Pan. The simplest tank for the distillation of mash can be made from an ordinary enamel pan. You will need to make a special gasket with your own hands to ensure tightness, as well as equip a locking system.

TEN can be mounted with your own hands

Among other things, the considered elements of the moonshine still may differ in the way the mash is heated. So it is possible to distinguish tanks with external heating and tanks equipped with a built-in heating element. The distillation cube with a heating element is quite convenient and does not require the use of external heating devices. The use of such a device is possible in any place where there is an outlet with electricity, which makes it an ideal country option.

The principle of operation of the distillation cube

• The infused mash is poured into the container, after which the lid is hermetically closed.
• Next, the liquid is heated. This can be both with the help of external heating devices, and with the use of built-in elements, if it is a distillation cube with a heating element. Here it is important to take into account that the primary evaporation of alcohol-containing vapors begins to occur already at a temperature of about 80 degrees Celsius. To increase the efficiency of the process, additional insulation of the tank can be carried out.
• Braga is brought to a boil, while high pressure is formed inside the tank, as a result of which the vapors move further through the system.

The secondary separation of steam into fractions is carried out in a dry steamer and a bubbler, if they are provided for in the design. It does not seem appropriate to talk about how to make a bubbler within the framework of this article, however, information can be obtained from other materials.

How to make an alembic

For a complete understanding of the issue, it is necessary to consider the process of making a distillation cube from a beer keg and pan, as the most common options.

Cube from the pan

If the tank for the distillation of mash is planned to be made from a pan, then the actions will be carried out in several stages:

• First you need to purchase a suitable container. As mentioned above, this parameter should be selected based on the expected volumes of raw materials and the free volume that must remain to ensure vaporization.
• Further, at some distance from the neck, special locking devices are fixed that will hold and seal the lid. You can fasten the latches in any way possible (welding, rivets), the main thing is to ensure the tightness of the connection.
• Holes must be drilled in the cover and special fittings must be screwed into them, necessary for attaching a thermometer and pressure gauge.
• At some distance from the bottom of the pan, a hole is drilled, the diameter of which must correspond to the fitting to be installed to drain the stillage.

The main issue that should be paid attention to when assembling such a distillation tank is to ensure its tightness. For these purposes, previously ordinary dough was often used, but now it is more expedient and more convenient to use special silicone gaskets and sealants.

Alembic from a beer keg

You can also make a distillation tank from an ordinary beer keg. For this, a barrel of the required volume is purchased. Next, a hole is drilled in the lid for installing a thermometer. A thread is cut in the hole, and the same is cut on the tube that will be screwed into it. Thus, a fitting is formed, which will allow you to conveniently install and remove the sensor.

At some distance from the bottom of the keg or in its bottom, a hole is drilled to drain the bard, into which a special fitting will be installed. The tank lid already has a technological hole that will be used to connect pipes through which alcohol-containing vapor will be supplied further through the system.

To simplify the process of heating the mash inside the distillation cube, the tank can be additionally insulated from the outside. For these purposes, for example, foil material intended for vapor barrier of premises can be used.

There are a lot of ways to make a distillation cube for a moonshine still. If you have some experience and tools, you can do the work yourself. Everyone can choose the most suitable option for themselves.

In any alcohol or rectifier for home distillation, the main component is a moonshine cube, the quality of which determines what kind of alcohol we get in the end result.

Both purchased and home-made containers for heating mash are of several types:

• square or rectangular. More often - large capacity;
• cylindrical with a domed (bulb-like) lid. This shape is characteristic of copper alembrics, but is also found in stainless steel cubes;
• in the form of a round cylinder with a flat lid, on which both the drawer and the usual steam outlet or distillation column can be fixed;
• made or , .

How to choose the right material for a distillation cube?

The quality of an alcoholic distillate largely depends on what the still is made of.

So, aluminum milk flasks, so popular in Soviet and perestroika times, are not in great demand today.

As well as beer kegs from Soviet times (then they were made of aluminum, today they are made of stainless steel).

Such containers are used either by beginners or those who ignore the quality of alcohol. There is also such a layer of moonshiners in the manufacture of home-made alcohol.

Reference. Aluminum reacts with the aggressive environment of the mash.

One can argue for a long time whether the obtained compounds are harmful or harmless to health. But that changes in taste for the worse, imperceptible at the beginning of the operation of an aluminum tank, become more and more pronounced over time, is an indisputable fact.

Therefore, those for whom quality is above all, and who want to produce not primitive moonshine saturated with fusel spirit, but homemade elite drinks - grain whiskey or bourbon, calvados, chacha, cognac from wine material, etc., will not choose aluminum.

So, the best for the distillation cube:

• Food grade stainless steel- the leader among the materials used today. This metal does not react with components, is hygienic and durable. For self-production of a distillation cube, you can take a stainless steel sheet with a thickness of 1.5 mm, even better - 2 mm. The fact is that a thin bottom (up to 1 mm) can be the culprit for burning thick mash. The thickness of the bottom may not matter only if a steam generator is used for driving.
• Copper- also an interesting metal for manufacturing. It is on copper alembrics that whiskey and cognac are produced on an industrial scale today. They say that it is copper that preserves and enhances the aroma of the raw materials from which the mash is made. In addition, copper adsorbs sulfur, which is often present in the mash and can spoil the taste of the final product. The only problem - it's expensive, especially in the finished product. But if you are a jack of all trades, then a self-made cube will cost less than an industrial counterpart. Moreover, the choice of sheet copper today is wide.
• Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc(sometimes with tin) is also used in. Even according to GOST 15727-70, some brands of brass are approved for use in aggressive environments, at temperatures up to 300 ° C, for the manufacture of shut-off equipment for alcohol tanks, etc. If you have sheet brass grades LK80-3L, LO70-1, L62-1, and others intended for heat exchange equipment, you can try to make a cube out of them.

Reference. Most of the so-called copper jam pots are actually brass. From pure copper, perhaps the old ones, in which the great-grandmothers of our grandmothers cooked jam.

• Glass. The material is absolutely inert, not entering into any reactions with the components of the mash. There are also industrial glass distillers. But for home use they are not suitable due to fragility.

DIY manufacturing

Naturally, a cube can be welded from sheet food stainless steel, giving it a cubic shape. For this:

1. Make a drawing, preferably even from paper (cardboard) in full size.
2. Cut out the material.
3. Weld all the details. If you do not have enough experience or not a very high-quality welding machine, it is better to entrust this matter to a specialist.
4. Check the tightness so that there is not even a drop of water anywhere. Only then can the cube be tested.

Do the same with sheet copper, with one exception. In industrial conditions, copper and its alloys (brass) are welded by argon or automatic submerged arc welding. Less commonly used gas, especially manual welding. But when making a cube, it is still better to trust a specialist with experience in welding non-ferrous metals.

Or use soldering iron. It is important to solder the workpieces with high quality. Copper, like brass, is tinned with pure tin, without using solder, which contains lead.

But to simplify the process and minimize the effort ready-made containers can be used:

• . Today on sale there are stainless steel products with a capacity of up to 12 liters. But if you already have a 7-liter, it will also work, especially if you do not need to get a lot of moonshine. They require minimal refinement, after which they can be used for their intended purpose (cooking);

Important. Never dismantle safety valves, leave at least one. It will not affect the quality of the haul, but it will save the cube from an emergency.

• stainless steel beer keg. A capacity of up to 40 liters and tight closing will also require minimal effort to convert it into a cube;
• the saucepan can also be used as a cube. It is better to take enameled or stainless steel. The main thing is to correctly and reliably seal the connection between the lid and the pan.

Important. Do not forget: all welds (soldering) must be reliable, like the material itself, and provide the tightness necessary for distillation.

What to insulate?

Some folk craftsmen manage to insulate the distillation cube even with the help of an old wadded blanket or sweatshirt. But this is permissible only for cubes equipped, and even then, so that the surface of the "insulation" does not come into contact with the connection point of the heating element.

But today's building materials market offers us excellent heat-resistant foil insulation, moreover, at an affordable price. Why not take advantage of them. Visit any hardware or plumbing store and choose for yourself roll insulation, on one side covered with a ball of foil.

Be sure to check that the base material is fire resistant (this requirement is met basalt or mineral wool, fiberglass). Your cube will not only be insulated, but will also look aesthetically pleasing.