Building A Whiskey Still
Building A Whiskey Still
Table of Contents
step 3: Braga!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
step 4: Distilling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
step 5: filtration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
step 6: testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Whiskey-still/
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)
The still shown below was given to my grandfather as a gift, but it is a fully working still which would theoretical create distilled water, alcohol, etc (we never really tested
it). It may not be homemade, but it is perfect for explaining the basic process.
Once you have the braga, you will place it into into the container which is heated. The braga will boil, causeing the alcohol (which has a lower boiling point than water) to
evaporate, go up the tube, and into the "Zmeevik" (curly tube in the refrigerator, aka the condensator). In the zmeevik, the alcohol condensates (do to the lower
temperature caused by cold water in the refrigerator) and drips into the cup (or bucket if your makeing a lot).
Make sure the thermomiter never goes above 90 degrees(centigrade) (at 100 degrees (centigrade) water starts to boil; if this happens, it means there is no more alcohol
in the braga).
Congradulastions! You have made your first "Samogon" (which means self distilled or moonshine).
First, you need drill a hole in the lid of the kettle. Into the hole, insert the thermometer and glue in place with a thermally resistant glue, making sure that the glue forms an
air-tight seal around the hole.
Now you have to make your zmeevik. Take the copper tube, find a larger round object, like a fire extinguisher, and wind the tube around the round object. Remember to
put sand in the tube so that it doesn't bend flat. Leave a length of tube at the beginning and end of the tube (end A & end B). It should be a spiral.
Drill a hole with the same diameter as the tube near the bottom of bucket.
step 3: Braga!!!
This is probably the most important part of your samogon. Without it you cannot make your moonshine.
To make whiskey you need a braga made from mashed up barley (the process is much the same).
step 4: Distilling
Put the prepared kettle onto the stove (or hot plate). insert end A of the zmeevik into the kettle spout and seal it. (to seal holes, use a "dough" of water and flour, (not too
wet) and smear it over the holes, then wait for it to dry.) Pour your braga into the kettle and seal the lid onto the kettle. Put end B of the zmeevik through the hole in the
bucket, seal the hole, and fill the bucket with cold water. The bucket should be on a stool or table or something so that the zmeevik isn't strained. Put the bottle you
prepared earlier under the opening of end B, to collect the spirit that will flow from your still.
Now you can light the stove (turn on the hot plate), so that the braga starts boiling.
Make sure that the thermometer never goes up to 100 degrees centigrade. At 100 degrees centigrade water startes boiling and instead of booze you get water vapors.
The first 100 ml of ever liter and last 300 ml of ever liter of your samogon should be thrown away (poured down the drain) because the contain harmful chemicals.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Whiskey-still/
Image Notes
1. BRAGA!
2. Alcohol
3. Refrigerator
4. Funel
Image Notes
1. BOOZE!!
step 5: filtration
When your pure-ish alcohol from your braga has been distilled the first time, you have to filter it.
Take natural wood charcoal (without lighter fluid), grind it into a powder, and place it into a bottle with you samogon. Close the lid and start shaking the bottle. when
afterwards take a clothe or bangage and filter the concotion ( this is just to keep your still clean) and pour it back into the kettle. Repeat the distilation process.
For really pure alcohol you ned to do the distilation and filtration process 3-4 times.
step 6: testing
To test the purity of your alcohol you need Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4).
Take a little of your alcohol, put it in a seperat glass, pour in a tiny bit of KMnO4. If the Alcohol turns pink/purple it is "unclean" and should be distilled & filterd again. if the
alcohol becomes slightly pink or stays clear, it is safe to drink.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Whiskey-still/
Image Notes Image Notes
1. Very good pure alcohol 1. unclean crap that should be filtered and distilled again. DRINK THIS AND GO
BLIND!!! or die
Remember, you have to dilute the alcohol so that only 40% of your drink is alcohol (you about 100% alcohol from your still). Mendeleev, (the guy who made the periodic
table of elements) researched vodka, and discovered that 40% alcohol is the best proportion.
P.S.: to make whiskey you need to use barley braga and keep the resulting alcohol (diluted to 40% alcohol) in an oak barrel for at least 3 years. (I'm not sure, but I think
the filtration method is the same).
P.S.S.: Remember, THIS IS REAL ALCOHOL! the laws of your country, state, etc. apply.
Alcohol is not recommended for children younger than 18, pregnant women. Do not drink alcohol and operate heavy machinery. Read a vodka label for the full message.
Advertisements
Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 64 comments
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Whiskey-still/
densad says: May 9, 2008. 2:28 AM REPLY
'cause making a still is easy
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Whiskey-still/
icharted says: Jul 5, 2009. 1:17 AM REPLY
Skylighter.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Whiskey-still/
martynbiker says: Sep 5, 2008. 10:59 PM REPLY
to all the people who keep going on about COPPER in stills, please remember that Whisky has been distilled in Scotland for many hundreds of years using
stills made of copper. the only health warnings prob's come when you over indulge in Alcohol. The finished product doesn't contain any copper that would be
harmfull to health.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Whiskey-still/
ogorir says: May 14, 2008. 9:16 AM REPLY
you're correct, vodka doesn't burn well in gas engine, but it will work in a pinch in some engines. but, regarding fuel grade ethanol, the
maximum concentration of pure ethanol in an open atmosphere is, as i said, like 96%. you need additives to prevent it from absorbing
moisture from the air at higher concentrations (like benzene*) *the benzene is actually left over from the industrial distillation process, but it
also keeps the almost 100% alcohol from reabsorbing water.
Alcohol vapors are flammable. A non-electric stove uses an open flame. A still on a stovetop of that kind puts those vapors close to that flame.
There's a reason that moonshine stills have a reputation for blowing up. Open flame heating is that reason.
Not only can a still shatter from such an ignition, but the shattering can spread the condensate, which can quickly cause a raging fire if it's strong enough. (IE
burn some or all of a home to the ground).
It's not as much an issue with your little setup there I'm sure, but if anyone gets too impatient or tries to scale this up, it CAN cause them to lose everything,
or even take a life in the worst case.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Whiskey-still/