Beginning moonshiners filter their product by adding some carbon to the moonshine jar (infusion method). Their more advanced colleagues know that flow-through cleaning works better, but requires a special device - a carbon column. The cost of factory-made devices is high, but you can make something similar at home from available materials: a plastic bottle, coal, a glass jar and cotton wool. The proposed technology combines two filtration methods - flow and infusion, which guarantees a high degree of purification.

1. Coal preparation. To clean moonshine, you need birch or coconut charcoal without impurities. The BAU-A and BAU-LV brands are ideal - activated birch charcoal, developed specifically for the alcoholic beverage industry. These brands are sold online, buying them is not a problem.

Charcoal for barbecues, from aquarium and household filters for water purification, and activated charcoal from a pharmacy are also suitable. Pharmaceutical charcoal is the worst option, since it almost always contains third-party substances - talc and starch.

Activated carbon should not contain any other impurities, otherwise filtration will negatively affect the quality of moonshine!

Coal is often sold in lumps, which is not very good for cleaning moonshine. The larger the contact area, the better the filtration. First, the coal needs to be crushed with a hammer, after placing the pieces in a bag, for example, from a sugar container. The grind should be as fine as possible. It is better to do grinding outdoors so that the resulting coal dust does not pollute the room.

After crushing, the coal is sifted through a colander or a sieve with large mesh. You will get three fractions: powder, small and large pieces that are not completely broken, which are returned back to the bag. Only small pieces and powder are used for filtration.

2. Manufacturing of coal column. The most affordable vessel of the required length and diameter is a plastic bottle. The bottom of a two or three liter bottle is cut off, then 5-6 holes are drilled (burnt) in it at an equal distance from each other. The bottom is needed to press the coal to the bottom, otherwise it will float throughout the bottle. One large diameter hole is drilled in the lid through which filtered moonshine will flow.

With prolonged contact with alcohol, plastic releases harmful substances, so instead of a bottle it is better to use another container - a glass jar or a metal cylinder; the design principle does not change. Filtration does not last long and is therefore safe, but under no circumstances store vodka (alcohol, moonshine) in a plastic container.

3. Assembly of the structure. At the bottom there is a two or three liter glass jar into which purified moonshine flows. The cap is screwed onto the neck of the bottle, and the bottle itself is lowered into the jar upside down.

Pieces of coal are poured into the bottle on top - a little more than a third of a two-liter bottle in height, and covered with the bottom. If you add little coal, the filtration efficiency will drop; if you add more coal, the coal will absorb some of the alcohol, the product will be of high quality, but the strength will drop by a couple of degrees.

4. Filtration. The entire remaining volume of the bottle is filled with moonshine to create sufficient pressure. The moonshine passes through the coal column and ends up in the jar. The output is black due to coal dust particles, this is normal, the color is removed in the next step.

The black color of moonshine is removed in the next step

Gradually, the hole in the lid becomes clogged with coal dust, which reduces the flow. If the hole is completely clogged, shake the bottle and gently squeeze it a couple of times. As a last resort, unscrew the cap and clean it by pressing the opening of the neck with your finger.

Moonshine is passed through this homemade carbon filter 2-3 times. Then add coal powder into it at the rate of 30-50 grams per liter, mix, seal tightly and leave for 1-2 days. The coal, which has absorbed the maximum possible amount of harmful impurities, settles to the bottom of the can. This is a sign of readiness for cleaning.

5. Cleaning. Makes moonshine transparent. The bottle, which was the basis of the coal column, is washed away from dust particles. The neck is filled with cotton wool and screwed on with a lid. The assembled structure is inserted into a glass jar. The column is filled with cloudy moonshine. It is advisable to cover the bottle with something on top to prevent the alcohol from evaporating.

Cotton wool removes the black color, moonshine becomes transparent

Pure moonshine flows into the jar. But after a while the cotton filter will become clogged. In this case, the unfiltered moonshine is poured back into the jar (from which it was taken), the cotton wool is changed, the column is assembled and the tank is again filled with unpurified moonshine. The cotton wool is replaced several times.

Immediately after cleaning, the moonshine is ready for use.

It’s just that in the case of a column, moonshine is passed by gravity through a layer of coal, rather than infused. Cleaning moonshine with a coal column to remove odor and fusel oils is one of the most effective and at the same time safe methods. The main thing is to adhere to the basic rules when choosing coal and the column itself.

The design of a coal column is very simple, and although not everyone can do it, anyone can handle the column. Based on the complexity of manufacturing, homemade columns are divided into two types: welded from stainless steel and assembled from a plastic bottle. Below we will look at both manufacturing options.

What is a coal column for purifying moonshine?

Typically, a standard coal column is a tall metal cylinder that has inlet and outlet fittings, as well as a full-length lid to allow coal to be loaded and removed. The cylinder is also equipped with legs, thanks to which it rests quite steadily on a three-liter jar.

The column can be used for two purposes: purification of distillate immediately at the outlet of the moonshine still (the inlet fitting is connected through a hose to the outlet of their cooler) and purification of simply finished distillate (in this case, the distillate is poured into the column from the container in which it is stored). You can purify both raw alcohol and drinking moonshine.

Let's talk about coal. As in the case of simple charcoaling (coal is poured into moonshine and left to sit for up to 20 minutes), you don’t need any kind of coal. Only activated charcoal or coconut charcoal will do. We do not recommend using charcoal for barbecues, hookahs, or pharmacy activated charcoal. All of them contain impurities that will negatively affect the drink. The ideal coal particle size for a column is 3-5 mm. In extreme cases, up to 10 mm, but no larger.

Do it yourself

You can most often purchase a ready-made coal column with the required filler in the same place (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand) - in moonshine stores.

If you have at your disposal a stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and a length of about 500 mm, then you can make a column connected to the distiller. You will also need an upper screw cap with an inlet fitting, a welded bottom with an outlet fitting, as well as a filter mesh installed at the bottom of the column (needed to prevent pieces of coal from clogging the outlet).

Another version of a homemade column is shown in the figure:

Coal column: how to use?

The operating principle of such a column is very simple:

1. The distillate enters the column from above and flows down by gravity.
2. Passing through a layer of coal, the distillate is cleared of harmful impurities (large molecules of “fusel” remain in the pores of the coal).
3. At the outlet, purified moonshine flows into the receiving container.

As you can see, cleaning moonshine with a coal column at home is not difficult. The contact time of coal with alcohol in the column does not exceed 20 minutes, so harmful substances in the form of aldehydes do not have time to form.

How to properly clean moonshine with a coal column

1. A portion of moonshine is usually passed through the column 2-3 times, without changing the coal.
2. After cleaning the entire volume of distillate, it is recommended not to reuse the coal. This is especially true for the purification of raw alcohol, where there are a priori more impurities than in drinking distillate.
3. After passing through the column, the distillate may turn black; this is normal. You can remove coal dust from a drink by passing it through a layer of cotton wool. If there is a lot of dust, the cotton wool will quickly become clogged and will need to be replaced.

Of course, purification of raw alcohol on a coal column in no way replaces full-fledged fractional distillation. The main thing is to know that it allows an accurate division into factions, and their boundaries are not “blurred”. And if you decide to update your distiller or are still looking around without knowing, then be sure to read reviews of various models and make a purchase from an official manufacturer.

When making moonshine, various cleaning methods are used that remove harmful impurities and odors. It often happens that even perfect distillation leaves a strong odor that cannot be removed by repeated filtration. This is due to various fusel oils, which are strong toxic substances that can cause significant harm to health and cause a hangover.

Carbon-based filters help get rid of the unpleasant smell of moonshine and impurities. They are sold in many hardware stores, but they are easy to make yourself. Self-production in case of installation the moonshine still is rewarded by the quality and purity of the resulting product.

Which coal is better

If you have enough knowledge in making high-quality and safe moonshine, you should move on to studying filters that help increase the purity of the drink and improve its taste. A carbon filter is the best option for removing various impurities from fusel oil.

Why activated carbon? Coal differs from other cleaning materials in its low cost and good porosity, which absorbs all unwanted microelements and unpleasant odors. It is important to remember that it is made from various materials and not all of them are suitable as the basis for a filter for a moonshine still.

Initially, activated carbon was made from animal bones, but this was unprofitable because it required detailed processing of the starting material. It had low absorption and was not able to remove fusel oils or harmful substances. The modern version is made of wood, has good absorption qualities and is actively used in medicine. Charcoal perfectly removes harmful substances and toxins, but even here moonshiners are out of luck, since it itself contains impurities such as:

• starch;
• talc.

Accordingly, the use of this cleaning material as a basis for filters leads to a bitter and unpleasant taste in moonshine, but do not despair. The desired species is often used as a raw material for gas masks, water filters or aquarium cleaning equipment.

We must not forget about the production of specialized birch-based coal, which is used in distilling. This includes brands such as:

• OU-A.

It is best to opt for BAU, which is low cost, has good cleaning properties and does not create a bitter taste.

Water filter raw materials include ionic resins, and coal from gas masks could already absorb a lot of toxic and harmful substances during use, so it’s better to avoid these options and not risk your health.

Features of application

Unlike other absorbents, activated carbon is the undisputed leader, which removes almost completely all harmful microelements. Based on it, you can easily make a simple coal column for cleaning moonshine with your own hands. Correct assembly of the filter and its use allows you to achieve the following qualities:

Coal column purification

Professional moonshiners, unlike amateurs, are well aware of how to use activated carbon in order to purify alcohol from all kinds of harmful substances. At the same time, you must make filters yourself, and it’s not just about saving money. The main reason is the simple inability of industrial filters to interact and purify moonshine, which has a completely different structure than water.

Industrial filters are complex in design, and replacing cleaning cartridges can sometimes take several hours . Distillation of mash requires constant replacement of cleaning layers to remove already absorbed harmful particles.

Ways to use activated carbon several as a cleansing agent:

When distilling moonshine, both filtration options are often used, but each has its own pros and cons.

Filtration device assembly

It’s easy to make carbon filters for moonshine with your own hands. You need to prepare all the necessary materials and cleaning charcoal in advance. It is better to choose analogs of the absorbent that are used in water filters or gas masks, but if you want to save money, you can make it yourself.

The base for the filters is prepared from ordinary birch branches, which are laid out in a fireproof container and sealed tightly. The flow of oxygen and water must be minimized while the container is placed in the fire. Thus, coal is obtained, which is ideal as a cleaning agent. If you managed to make a sufficient amount of coal based on birch branches, you should move on to the remaining materials for assembling the filter.

You need to prepare:

• plastic bottle;
• cotton wool;
• gauze.

Before distilling moonshine, it is important to remember that absorption is a slow process that can easily be sped up by diluting the alcohol. Usually, two distillations are carried out and on the second the moonshine is made thinner for better penetration. If only one filtration is used, the moonshine is pre-diluted. This significantly speeds up the cleaning process and allows the cleansing base to absorb more toxic substances. After the moonshine has been diluted, begin assembling the disposable filter.

The process is divided into several stages:

It is important to find a middle ground when assembling a layered filter, because too much coal or cotton wool will only allow the moonshine to pass through longer. This rule also applies to cases when too little coal is used in order to speed up the process of purifying alcohol, but this does not make much sense if you want to get a high-quality product without impurities and unpleasant odors. Fusel oil is absorbed only at a slow flow, and if you want to speed up the process, it is better to add the required amount of ground coal to the moonshine and then filter it.

Patience is the key in this process, because you not only have to wait for all the liquid to pass through the cleaning materials, but also constantly replace them. If you miss the moment of filling the filter with harmful impurities, they will begin to be released back into the alcohol, and their dose doubles. Several bottles will contain pure moonshine, but the next batch, in addition to its own harmful microelements, will also receive dirt absorbed by coal from previous cleanings.

This filtration method is not the only one and is only suitable for the final stage of alcohol preparation. Moonshiners use many methods during distillation at the same time. For example, a popular coagulation option requires the use of egg yolk or milk for cleaning. This method is effective, but the moonshine takes on a cloudy appearance, which is almost impossible to get rid of.

The coal column is made from readily available and cheap materials, but it corresponds to an industrial design if assembled correctly. This also applies to the quality of alcohol purification. Many people cannot understand how moonshine becomes safe, loses harmful impurities and odor, and the coal does not turn the liquid dark.

It is the multilayer nature of the filter that allows the moonshine to remain transparent when passing through coal. For detail, the entire procedure is divided into several stages:

The question of which filter is best to use on a moonshine still at home remains relevant. Industrial models perform work faster, increasing productivity. In addition, they do not require frequent replacement of cartridges, unlike the homemade form.

Assembling a carbon filter with your own hands can help you save a lot money that would be better spent on purchasing a pump or other consumable parts, but low throughput, poor quality of cleaning compared to industrial models, and constant replacement of filter layers force moonshiners to abandon this option.

The choice is easy to make. It all depends on the specific tasks and quality of the moonshine. At home, moonshiners distill a small amount of mash, and therefore there is no point in buying expensive filters. They are more suitable in cases where distillation of moonshine is a continuous flow, constant work that requires high productivity.

In any case, a coal column is an excellent way to jump the barrier between a low-quality product and pure alcohol without odor or dangerous impurities. The main thing is to remember the recommendations when using carbon material, which is capable of not only absorbing liquid, but also releasing harmful elements back.

Attention, TODAY only!

And cause a hangover. In wine production, to improve product quality, purification equipment is used, the operation of which is based on the adsorbing property of activated carbon. Using a coal column to purify moonshine will rid the drink of unnecessary impurities and toxins.

Which coal is better

A carbon column is more effective if there are no foreign impurities in the filter medium. Activated carbon from a pharmacy does not meet this requirement, as it contains excipients (starch or talc). They can add bitterness to the resulting drink. In addition, pharmaceutical charcoal has low adsorbing properties.

In the old days, the best brands of vodka were refined with charcoal obtained from alder, poplar, beech or linden. On sale you can find special coal for winemakers, produced by burning wood without access to oxygen. It is made from birch (BAU-A) or coconut raw materials (BAU-LV). Advantages of BAU-A or BAU-LV: good cleaning properties, absence of foreign odor and bitterness, low cost (within 100-300 rubles per kg)

A carbon filter for cleaning moonshine may contain components extracted from gas masks and aquarium cleaners, water filters. It is possible to use ready-made charcoal for barbecues.

You should not take old or used gas masks and filters. Toxins accumulated in a used gas mask can reduce the quality of the product and can be hazardous to health.

Features of the use and design of a coal column

There are 2 ways to filter moonshine using activated carbon:

• immersing coal in a container with a drink;
• passing liquid through the filter.

In the second case, the liquid repeatedly passes through the filtration layer. A carbon column works on this principle, the use of which removes excess impurities from the liquid and improves the color and smell of the drink.

It’s not difficult to make a filter for cleaning moonshine with your own hands. You will need:

• plastic bottle of the required volume;
• cotton wool;
• gauze or white flannel;
• jar for filtered liquid;
• an awl, nail or other perforation tool.

Before use, charcoal must be thoroughly rinsed with water to prevent small particles of the substance from getting into the drink.

For 1 liter of moonshine you will need 50 g of activated carbon. When using BAU-A, 12 g of product per 1 liter will be sufficient.

To improve the quality of filtration, large pieces of coal should be crushed as much as possible. Experienced moonshiners crush them with a hammer, having previously wrapped them in canvas or paper. You can use polypropylene bags for sugar. It is better to grind coal outside to protect the room from black dust. The resulting powder must be sifted through a sieve with large holes or a colander.

Filtration device assembly

Ready-made metal coal columns are available for sale. Their price depends on the capacity and material of manufacture. You can even make a coal column for cleaning moonshine with your own hands from a glass jar, wooden or metal cylinder, but the easiest way is to use a plastic bottle.

For this:

1. Cut off the bottom of the bottle.
2. Make a hole in the lid and screw it tightly onto the neck.
3. Place the bottle, cap down, in a container designed to collect purified moonshine.
4. Place clean cotton wool wrapped in flannel or gauze at the bottom of the cone.
5. Pour activated carbon into the resulting moonshine filter. To prevent it from floating in the liquid, you can additionally press down the powder with the cut off bottom of the bottle or place a layer of fabric on top of it.
6. Make sure that the filter layers fit snugly against the walls of the bottle.

Moonshine purification process

To make the filtration of moonshine more effective, you need to replace the carbon filler after each passage of the liquid. Algorithm for cleaning the drink:

1. Dilute the moonshine with boiled water to a strength of 20-30% vol. (after the first distillation its strength is 50-60% vol.).
2. Pour the drink into the charcoal column. Wait until the purified liquid has completely drained from the funnel into the receiving container. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times.
3. Perform repeated sublimation to obtain highly purified moonshine with a strength of approximately 70% vol.
4. If desired, add enriching concentrates, herbs, berries or fruits to the drink.
5. Dilute moonshine with boiled water to a concentration of 40% vol.

Despite the ease of making a carbon column with your own hands, some winemakers prefer to use ready-made pitcher-type filters. The presence of activated carbon among the adsorbents used in such devices makes it possible to purify moonshine with a water filter.

Is it possible to purify moonshine through the Aquaphor filter?

The disadvantage of purifying moonshine through an “Aquaphor”, “Barrier” or other filter is the presence in the cartridges of ion exchange resins intended for water softening, as well as other auxiliary components (silver, fluorine, bromine). It is difficult to predict how these impurities will affect the quality of the distillate. It is better to use a carbon filter without additives, but these are difficult to find on sale.

Manufacturers do not comment on the possibility of using their products in home distillation. The corresponding laboratory tests have not been carried out and responsibility for the result of purifying moonshine with the Barrier filter (Aquaphor, Geyser) lies with the consumer himself.

Flow filtering alcohol through a store-bought water jug ​​is not much different from using a homemade column:

1. After the first distillation, dilute the moonshine with boiled water to a strength of 18-20°. If a second distillation is not planned, bring the finished product to a strength 2-3° higher than desired.
2. Assemble the device according to the factory instructions. Before using a new filter, drain the first few batches of water. If the charcoal in the cassette is not sufficiently saturated with water, it may draw in alcohol as it is strained, leaving low-alcohol content water coming out.
3. Place the bowl with the cartridge prepared for use in the receiving container. To minimize the contact of alcohol with plastic, you can use a glass jar instead of a factory jug.
4. Pour the moonshine into the bowl and leave the system in the refrigerator while cleaning.
5. Repeat the process 1-2 times. To prevent the taste of the drink from deteriorating, you should not do more than 3 filtrations.
6. After use, rinse the cartridge with running water. Store it in the refrigerator, first wrapped in a bag, so that the filter does not absorb the smell of food.
7. If you do not plan to re-distill, bottle the finished product and leave it unopened for 3-5 days to stabilize the flavor.

Simple cartridges of the “Standard” or “Classic” type are best suited for cleaning the drink. To prevent the toxins accumulated in the cassette from being transferred to the drink, the filter unit should be replaced in a timely manner. One cartridge is enough to filter 10-15 liters of drink with a strength of 40°.

Pitcher filters are not suitable for fruit wines, liqueurs, etc. The aroma of fruit moonshine may disappear after straining.

A coal column for purifying moonshine is rightfully considered the simplest and most effective way to obtain a high-quality product, so beloved in our country. At first glance, it seems that getting a homemade alcoholic drink is a task for a “first grader.” However, in fact, in order for such a drink to be truly of high quality, it is not enough to simply distill it; it also needs to be well purified.

1

Alcohol-containing liquid obtained directly from a moonshine still is unsuitable for consumption and is even hazardous to health. It contains many chemical compounds that are simply toxic to the human body. Primary moonshine may contain the following dangerous components: methyl alcohol; acetic, proptonic, crotonic and butyraldehydes; a mixture of organic acids and esters (fusel oils); diethyl, butyric ethyl and other ethers.

Studies on the influence of such dangerous substances have shown that the following safe standards must be observed: fusel oils - no more than 0.004%; aldehydes - no more than 0.015%; ethers - no more than 55 mg/l; organic acids - up to 0.015%. In order to achieve such indicators, purification of the primary distillate is necessary. For this purpose, various sorbing substances are used. One of the most common and effective sorbents is activated carbon. In addition to carbon filters, branded filters use additional disinfecting and sorbing materials.

2

The purpose of the cleaning filter is to absorb molecules of harmful substances, while the taste should not deteriorate, that is, no taste or smell should appear. Moonshine impurities have different structures and molecular sizes, while different types of coal are able to absorb molecules of a certain size. In this regard, it is necessary to choose the right type of activated carbon for the cleaning filter.

Animal bone charcoal is able to absorb only small molecules, which does not allow it to effectively combat fusel oils that have large particles. The best option is coal of vegetable origin. Many people find that a safe and good option is activated charcoal in tablet form, sold over the counter. In fact, this is far from the best method, since such material is usually obtained from animal bone. In addition, starch is used to bind the charcoal powder, which in contact with alcohol will give off a flavor.

Animal bone charcoal

In other words, a charcoal composition is recommended for the cleaning filter. The ideal option is birch charcoal or fruit tree charcoal. The finished material is sold in the form of coal for winemakers BAU-A, OU-A. This substance is obtained by pyrolysis of birch or fruit wood, and it is most effective in purifying moonshine. You can use carbon components in other forms: ready-made charcoal for barbecues, a cartridge for water filters, a gas mask filter, gas analyzer units, an aquarium filter. Filter components should be used with caution: they may contain additional ingredients that can create an unnecessary aftertaste in the drink.

You can make charcoal yourself. To do this, just light a fire from birch or fruit wood. They should burn well, and the coals should be collected while the heat is sufficient and sealed tightly in a container. After complete cooling, the ash is removed, and the coal pieces are crushed into fractions no larger than 5-6 mm and sifted using a sieve.

3

The carbon column (or filter) can be made very simply. The device is made on the basis of a plastic bottle (1-1.5 l). The bottom of the bottle is cut off, and holes are made in the lid with an awl, similar to a watering can. Cotton wool is placed in the bottle neck, and the conical part is covered with several layers of gauze. After this, coal is poured into a layer about 9-12 cm thick. A gauze layer is placed on top of the coal column to prevent the rise of coal dust.

• homemade coal: 55 g per 1 liter of moonshine;
• coal type BAU: 12-13 g per 1 liter of pervach.

Coal type BAU for cleaning moonshine

Before backfilling, the coal composition is washed in water and cleaned of ash and dust. Such a coal column effectively purifies moonshine, and to ensure guaranteed purification it is recommended to pass it through the filter several times.

If the cotton wool in the neck does not stop the ingress of coal dust, the liquid becomes cloudy. This drink must be additionally passed through a cotton filter.

4 Standard devices

For high-quality purification of moonshine from all harmful impurities, you can purchase a standard filter designed for this purpose, or use filters for drinking water. Water filters such as Barrier and Aquaphor are often used. In such devices, activated carbon is used as the main sorbent, and disinfectants (ion-exchange resins, iodine-containing substances) and ion-exchange fibers are additionally present.

Nowadays, you can choose specific devices. They are available in the form of a filter mounted on a jar or made on legs. There are also universal options. The last type of device includes the Alkovar filter with a carbon column. The height of the column is 37 cm with a diameter of 5.1 cm. The body is made of stainless steel and can be fixed on top of the jar or placed on legs. You can note the Dobrovar device. In general, you can choose the design at your discretion, and the principle of operation is approximately the same.

Carbon filtration of primary moonshine allows you to get rid of dangerous impurities, which makes the drink safe and brings the quality closer to vodka. Making a coal column with your own hands is very simple, and you can use ready-made coal or make it yourself.

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