The first mention of devices that collected condensate formed during boiling date back to the beginning of our era. Primitive distillers were used by the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans to separate essential oils. The devices were a construction of clay jugs and metal tubes. Arabs - merchants of spices and incense - improved this equipment, they began to make it entirely from copper. We know it under the names alambik and alkitara. As for the use of distillers as devices for obtaining alcoholic beverages, the oldest moonshine still, dating back to the 9th century AD, was discovered in Bulgaria.
What is a distiller or moonshine
For more than a thousand years of its existence, the design and principle of operation of the distiller (moonshine still) has not changed much. Its main parts:
- Distillation cube (boiler). An alcohol-containing mash (fermentation product of sugar with yeast, fruits, berries, jam, cereals, etc.) is poured into that container.
- Steam vent (a tube, part of which is twisted in a spiral, called a "coil"). Here, the alcohol vapor evaporated when the mash is heated condenses into a liquid. This part of the distiller is forcibly cooled with cold water, which significantly speeds up the condensation process.
To improve the quality of the finished product, as well as to give it a certain taste and aroma, a dry steamer (reflux condenser) is placed immediately after the distillation cube. Thanks to this element, moonshine is cleaned of fusel oils and other impurities that negatively affect the taste and aroma of the finished product. At the same time, it is possible to install both one dry steamer and two (primary and secondary cleaning).
What is the difference between moonshine?
Before you buy a moonshine, you should familiarize yourself with brief information about the main types of devices, their differences from each other:
- Classic distiller. It has a simple design, which allows you to assemble it at home yourself. This is a distillation cube + cooler (steam vent-coil). Such uncomplicated devices can often be found in rural areas in Ukraine. Pros: Simple, compact. Cons: Quickly produced raw alcohol retains the smell and flavor of the fermentation feedstock. Low alcohol content (up to 85% with double, triple distillation), poor purification from impurities.
- Distiller with reflux condenser (sukhoparnik, steam bell, etc.). A small container is additionally installed in the steam outlet between the boiler and the cooler, in which air reflux occurs, which helps to clean the moonshine from fusel oils and various impurities. Pros: Possibility to buy inexpensive distillers, easy to operate and maintain, giving out a quality product with a fairly high alcohol content (up to 90%). Placing spices, fragrant herbs, dried fruits, and other natural ingredients inside the steamer allows you to give the finished drink a pleasant aftertaste and aroma. Cons: Cleaning is not very high level, loss of alcohol.
- Distiller with forced reflux (mash column). The most perfect type of moonshine still. The main difference is the reverse refrigerator (reflux condenser) located immediately after the distillation cube. The vapors coming from the heated mash settle on its walls and, in the form of phlegm, return back to the distillation cube. The lighter part of them passes further and condenses into the finished product already in the main cooler. Pros: The strength of the resulting alcoholic beverage is up to 93%. High aromatic and taste qualities. By turning off the dephlegmator, you can use it as a classic moonshine still. Cons: Increased dimensions compared to previous devices. The volume of a high-quality product is 35-55% of the total amount of the obtained distillate (raw alcohol).
Why do you need a home moonshine still?
The main reasons why many citizens in Ukraine are interested in what moonshine stills can be bought, and where to do it with the greatest benefit, are the following:
- High prices for alcoholic products in the distribution network.
- The desire to make your favorite alcoholic drink with your own hands. At the same time, independently set the strength of the drink, the exposure, the ingredients used.
- The opportunity not to buy such expensive drinks in the store as whiskey, cognac, brandy, absinthe, rum and other types of exotic alcohol, but to cook them yourself.
- Subject to technology, there is zero risk of getting a low-quality product.
And the algorithm for preparing the desired alcoholic drink is not particularly difficult:
- The first stage is the preparation of the mash. Sugar-containing or starch-containing wort is prepared.
- The second stage is fermentation.
- The third stage is to buy a distiller and distill the mash into raw alcohol (distillate, moonshine).
- Purification of fusel oils, other impurities.
Thanks to extracts and ingredients, the resulting end product is flavored, refined, transformed into whiskey, cognac, etc.
Why buy a distiller in our online store?
Prolitech offers a wide range of distillers to all interested parties in Ukraine. The catalog of the online store presents high-quality products of foreign and domestic manufacturers. You can buy a classic distiller with one or two steamers made of food-grade stainless steel on favorable terms. Alambik and moonshine made of copper, which are great for making chacha, grappa or brandy. In our assortment there are both mini-distillers (with a volume of no more than 2 liters), and quite large (up to 100 liters) models.
We carry out delivery, warranty and service throughout the country: Kiev, Dnipro, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Nikolaev, Zaporozhye and others.
If you still have questions about the choice of moonshine stills and accessories for them, our managers will answer them immediately and in full. You can contact them by free phone +38 (044) 338-56-90; +38 (098) 192-18-20 or through the feedback form on the site.
