Alambik is one of the most popular devices for distilling alcohol. Its device at first glance is quite simple, but is it possible to do it yourself? Or is it better not to spare money for a good moonshine still?

First you need to give an exact definition of the alambic, which the Portuguese brought to Europe from the Arab countries. The alambik is a distillation vessel with a conical lid that can be processed to create spirits and essential oils. The alambic device has been perfected for hundreds of years. The distiller contains:

• The distillation cube is a rounded vessel, it is in it that the mash is heated;
• A helmet or conical alambika cap, has the shape of a dome, alcohol vapors are collected on it;
• Refrigerator, the finished product condenses in it;
• Steam pipe;
• A water outlet is a pipe connected to the main tank;
• Fitting for the output of the finished substance.

Parts and details are soldered with silver. The highest quality appliances have a wall thickness of one millimeter, however, at home, such copper sheets are difficult to process. The whole structure is 99 percent made of copper, this is its main difference from other moonshine stills.

There are several types of alambic:

• Classical or Portuguese Alambique, the most popular type.
• Alambik with a column;
• Arabic Alambique;
• Charente alambic;
• Alquitara;
• Alambik with a water seal;
• Alambik with a rectifying lens;
• Alambik in a water bath;
• Whiskey alambic.

Copper moonshine is an interesting device that allows you to effectively distill mash into moonshine. Copper retains sulfur on its walls, which is why the distillate is rich and bright in taste. If you decide to make such a unit at home, then get ready for serious work and a lot of theory. Probably, after studying all aspects, you will decide that it will be easier to buy a ready-made distiller for 10 thousand than to sit for a few days at a homemade one.

We will introduce you to the drawings of a copper moonshine still, and also show video on youtube channel, where you will be told in detail how to implement it better.

A moonshine still made entirely of copper (alambik) will cost you a tidy sum. Perhaps it's easier to do it yourself?

You can make either a conventional distiller or an alambik, or a full-fledged distillation column with. The most detailed diagram of the device is shown in the video, which will be attached just below.

The author shows finished unit and draws a diagram on a piece of paper highlighting all the details and dimensions. If you are really going to make it at home from improvised materials, then the video is highly recommended for viewing.

Manufacturing process of copper distiller

The instruction, divided into 5 videos from one author, seemed to me the most obvious. The names of all parts correspond to the parts of the apparatus, the production of which is shown on the screen:

You can buy a copper distillation cube (19 liters for 16 thousand rubles)

1. Refrigerator dimrota for dephlegmator.
2. Distiller and dephlegmator.
3. Tsarga.
4. Distillation cube.
5. Device testing.

In total, the videos run for more than one hour, so tune in to a serious study of the issue and proceed.

Various points are discussed in the comments, so you can get advice from the author if you wait for his answer.

On the channel of this man you will find many interesting videos that will be useful to owners of copper units. There you can watch videos about soldering, maintenance, spiral nozzles and the like.

How much does a finished copper apparatus cost

The coolest and most spectacular unit I saw on the channel of an experienced moonshiner Ditilliruem, where he conducted a review on the clamps. Perhaps this is the most beautiful and spectacular thing that I have seen in moonshine, associated with copper.

The price of the kit is 9.5 thousand rubles. Given the cost of the metal, the complexity of working with it, I think this figure is more than adequate. In addition, you can get a discount using the promo code in the description under the video.

I think it's an interesting option, don't you think?

Traditionally, in our country, alcoholic beverages are made at home using moonshine. However, not so long ago, very interesting products appeared on sale, which are also excellent for this purpose. They are made of copper and are called alambiks. In this regard, many fans of the distillation of home-made alcoholic beverages have a question: "Alambik or moonshine - which is better?"

Features of the design of the moonshine still

The classical equipment for the distillation of alcohol used in Russia consists of:

A distillation cube in which raw materials are heated.

Sealed lid with thermometer.

Steam tube.

Coil tubes.

Refrigerator filled with water. A coil passes through this container.

Containers for collecting the final product.

Sometimes the apparatus is supplemented with a distillation column. With its use, you can get very clean moonshine, devoid of any smell. As a filler in a distillation column, metal shavings are usually used. Heavy fractions of steam settle in this device.

Alambika design features

So, alambik or moonshine - which is better? To answer this question for yourself, you should also learn about the design features of the copper version. In fact, alambic is the same distillation cube. The design of the classic model includes:

distillation cube;

a helmet in the form of an onion;

steam tube;

coil in the refrigerator.

As you can see, structurally, the alambik is practically no different from the moonshine still. Often, in addition to it, a special column is purchased, installed between the helmet and the alembic. Unlike distillation, it is used to give moonshine a certain smell and taste. For this, various natural ingredients are poured into it. Alambik with a column can be used not only for making moonshine, but also for obtaining essential oils. This is how in ancient times they used alambik (or moonshine for an alchemist). They learned how to get alcohol with its use a little later.

Essential oils are prepared in alambika using a rather simple technology. It is not mash, but water that is poured into the distillation tank. At the same time, flower petals are poured into the column, for example. Passing inside it, the steam simply captures aromatic compounds. Very often, alambicas are also used to make cognacs and other expensive alcoholic beverages.

Types of alambiks

The model described above is the classic, most popular alambik moonshine still. Its device is really simple. However, today on sale you can find slightly different varieties of this equipment. Alambikas exist:

Designed for the production of whiskey. A feature of such devices is a helmet made in the form of an onion. With their use, you can drive moonshine with a strength of up to 70 gr.

Charente. Used to distill cognac. A special container is additionally included in the design of this apparatus. With the use of such alambicas, almost continuous distillation can be carried out.

There are also alambiks with distillation columns, water seals, in a water bath, etc.

Alambik or moonshine - which is better in this or that case?

What is the best device to buy for making alcoholic beverages at home? In this case, it all depends on the purpose for which it is supposed to use the device.

Since alambiks are made of copper, their price is much higher than for conventional moonshine stills. The first type of distillation devices costs about 12-25 thousand rubles. can be purchased for 3-10 thousand. Thus, the high cost can be attributed to the minuses of alambiks. Their advantage is that:

Moonshine expelled with their use is better. The copper from which they are made absorbs many harmful substances during the distillation process. In addition, even in the absence of a column, some of them settle in the helmet.

With the use of alambik, you can cook not only moonshine, but also liquors, wine, etc.

Thus, in the event that you only need the unit for making moonshine, it is better to purchase an inexpensive regular stainless steel model. But at the same time, you should definitely pay attention to the quality of the material used for manufacturing. Stainless steel should be food, and even better, medical. With the use of such moonshine stills, it is possible to drive a drink, in quality inferior to that made with the help of alambika, only slightly.

If it is supposed to make not only moonshine, but also other, more complex drinks, of course, you should pay attention to alambik (or



The best models of moonshine stills and reviews about them

Most often in our country they buy equipment of this type of brand:

"Magarych".

Gorilych.

Judging by customer reviews, using the latter, you can drive a very good moonshine, almost devoid of any smell. Also, the advantages of "Gorilychi" include ease of use and low cost.

Apparatus "Magarych" lovers of distillation of homemade alcoholic beverages are also considered very reliable. The advantage of these models is also considered excellent build quality and attractive appearance. Such a device can serve for a very long time, as it is made of thick steel. The simplicity of design and the absence of unnecessary details are also considered by many to be a plus for models of this brand.

Alambik moonshine still: consumer reviews

The best equipment of this type is considered to be made in Portugal and Spain. It is about these models that there are the most good reviews. Alambiques are usually made by hand in these countries and are not cheap. Their assembly is carried out according to technologies developed in ancient times. Copper for the manufacture of such alambiks is used only the highest quality. Enterprises specializing in its production carefully monitor this.

Too inexpensive devices of this variety, many consumers are not advised to purchase. The fact is that often these are ordinary fakes made of stainless steel, only decorated with copper. Consequently, the moonshine expelled in them is absolutely no different from that prepared in a traditional apparatus.

Where can I buy?

Many users are interested in where you can buy such an interesting moonshine still. Barrels and alambicas, as well as ordinary stainless steel models, are often sold in specialized departments of household appliances shopping centers. This equipment can also be purchased online. A barrel should be bought for storage, for example, cognac made with the help of alambic.

Is it possible to make an alambic with your own hands

To make such a device yourself is not too simple. However, with a strong desire, everything is possible. Sheet copper and a minimum of skills in soldering it is all that is needed to assemble such equipment as an alambic moonshine with your own hands. Reviews about equipment of this type made by Russian craftsmen are often no worse than about Portuguese and Italian ones. But only if high-quality material and expensive solder with the addition of silver were used during its assembly. The very same technology for making alambic looks like this:

Cutting is done beforehand. Of course, it will be problematic to make a spherical distillation vessel. But it is quite possible to give it a cylindrical shape with a smoothed contour of the top and bottom.

Soldering is in progress.

The finished device is cleaned to a shine.

Thus, asking the question: “Alambik or moonshine - which is better?”, You should first of all be guided by the purpose for which the equipment is required. The first variety is worth buying for those who want to try their hand at making different types of alcoholic beverages. If you need ordinary moonshine, it is still better to purchase a simple stainless steel model.

Recently, the traditions of home-brewing are beginning to be actively revived. You can also prepare elite whiskey, Calvados or absinthe in an ordinary kitchen. The main thing is that a novice winemaker should have a high-quality moonshine and enough information about its use.

Among the devices for obtaining high-quality drinks, perhaps, one can single out a copper Portuguese alambik. In this exotic-looking distiller, ancient traditions and modern technologies are optimally combined. Such an apparatus is a copper distillation cube with a vapor tube connected to a cooler. By distillation, you can get any alcoholic beverage, even absinthe and rare Armagnac.

There are many types of alambiks: standard, whiskey, for making whiskey and cognac, etc. Currently, such copper stills are produced by the Portuguese company Al-Ambig, whose craftsmen use certified materials and a centuries-old distiller manufacturing method. The process of making alambika is quite laborious and requires special knowledge.

But even despite this, many winemakers and moonshiners believe that the production of copper alambik is possible outside of specialized production.

Here the question arises: how to make an alambik with your own hands, what is needed for this and is it profitable at all, because now it is not difficult to buy a Portuguese copper distiller?

Most people think that a copper moonshine distiller is expensive and it is more profitable to make an alambik yourself. By the way, the price of this copper apparatus corresponds to the quality and long-term manufacturing process of the alambik. Portuguese craftsmen make alambicas only by hand, using silver-based solders for joining, so the copper distiller has a price commensurate with labor and quality.

On forums and websites for professional winemakers, there are a huge number of articles and reviews about homemade alambicas. There are even attempts to make a distiller from stainless steel. Yes, such a device will look like a real Portuguese alambik, but do not forget that the highlight of the distiller is in the material from which it is made.

Copper has a large number of useful qualities. Firstly, it absorbs sulfur oxide that is formed during the fermentation process, secondly, it reduces bacterial contamination, and thirdly, it has excellent heat transfer. Stainless steel, alas, does not have such qualities.

It is important to know that the leading cognac and wine houses of the world use exactly copper alambicas to prepare such legendary drinks as Remy Martin, Courvoisier and others.

But there are craftsmen who undertake to make an alambik from copper. To make a Portuguese distiller at home, you will need: copper sheets, tools for work (hammer, scissors, etc.), silver solders and a soldering iron.

1) First, calculate the size of the future distiller. It consists of an understanding of what volume you need a cube and its proportional relationship with the rest of the parts;

2) Create a drawing, according to which metal blanks will later be made. Amateur craftsmen advise taking copper with a reference thickness of 1 mm, as the Portuguese do, but, unfortunately, such metal is the most difficult to process in domestic production. Those who made the alambik on their own note that it is extremely difficult and difficult to work with copper. It is also important to understand that the metal that can be bought on the non-ferrous metal market or from resellers will not be of high quality.

3) Make a drawing.

As you can see in the drawing, the design of the alambic consists of several parts and you will have to tinker with them to correctly position them on the so-called pattern. Do not forget to leave allowances for the seams on the workpieces, this is extremely important.

4) Cut out the alambika blanks with a grinder or a circular saw;

5) With the help of a hammer, mallet, metal shears and other tools, copper blanks for the distillation cube and cooler are processed;

6) From a pipe of a suitable size, make a spiral for the cooler;

7) Gather all the parts together and carefully solder;

8) Finish the seams with silver solder. Some craftsmen use lead as solder when making their own alambik. In fact, this is a violation of the rules for the manufacturing process of a copper distiller. Moreover, lead is not as wear-resistant as silver, and it can adversely affect the quality of the finished product.

9) Clean the finished distiller to a shine.

It is important to understand that you will only get an approximate copy of the famous Portuguese copper still. Alambik is also famous for its original appearance, but it is almost impossible to achieve an ideal design by making alambik in a workshop or at home. Masters in Portugal process copper for a distiller for a very long time and painstakingly, having undergone special training before that.

Do-it-yourself alambik, of course, will not fully meet all the necessary parameters. The Portuguese in production carefully check every detail and every soldering area before sending distillers to customers. Also, for better water resistance, the seams are coated with a special solution of linseed oil.

Therefore, it is worthwhile to figure out why it is worth buying a copper distiller from a certified dealer, and not making an alambic yourself.

As mentioned above, the material from which the master made the apparatus is important. Copper has excellent performance - it absorbs harmful substances, and also quickly cools and heats up. Firstly, all Portuguese distillers have a 2-year warranty, and in the event of a breakdown or malfunction, you can contact the manufacturer, who is obliged to exchange or repair the goods.

Moreover, in the event of a breakdown, you will have to spend time repairing it. When an amateur says: “I will make an alambik myself,” he must understand that he is taking on a great responsibility.

Also, no one can be sure that a home-made copper moonshine will produce alcohol with the right taste and a suitable strength. The finished product will not be desulfurized with copper, hence additional purification will be required. Do I need to spend my time and energy in order to first make the device, and then try to competently overtake the mash on it?

Now there is a huge selection of different alambiks that meet all the needs of buyers. In addition to elite models of distillers, such as the Charente, there are classic alambicas, which make it easy to get high-quality alcohol, and they will pleasantly please you with their price.

No wonder they say, a miser pays twice. It is better to spend money on a quality thing once and enjoy the distillation process and, most importantly, be sure of the result, than to experiment and try to make an alambik yourself.

is an alembic made by hand and used to obtain alcohol, essential oils or hydrolates (floral waters). The difference between alambika and other moonshine stills is that it is made from copper. Its principle of operation has remained unchanged for more than a thousand years, and the design of the device itself has been brought to perfection. The Alambik consists of a still, helmet and cooler made from 99% copper. A cube is a round-shaped container used to heat mash. The helmet has a dome shape and is necessary to collect alcohol vapors. A really high-quality alambik has a reference wall thickness of 1 mm. All connections must be made using silver based solders.

The principle of operation of a classic copper alambik

The device of the classic alambik is designed in such a way as to preserve the aromatic substances of the drink to the maximum. Above the distillation cube (1) is a helmet (2), which looks like an onion, and the distillate is discharged through a curved tube called the "swan neck" (3). The water that is in the condenser (5) exits through the upper fitting (4), and the finished product is discharged through the lower fitting (6). If your classic alambika has 3 fittings, then the third one is provided for water supply.

The device of the classic alambika

1. distillation cube;
2. helmet;
3. steam tube;
4. fitting for water drainage;
5. refrigerator-condenser;

The principle of operation of an alambika with a column

The design of this alambik is the same as that of the standard one. It differs only in the presence of a removable column. This model of the apparatus is suitable for the distillation of wort, as well as for the production of essential oils and hydrolats. In the case of obtaining hydrolates, the alambika cube must be filled with 75% water, and the column with vegetable raw materials, for example, petals or flowers of various plants. When heated, the steam rises and passes through the organic raw materials and takes with it the molecules of essential oils. Therefore, at the output you can get flower water or hydrolate, as well as various aromatic spirits: homemade brandy, whiskey and calvados.

Alambika device with a column

1. distillation cube;
2. Column;
3. helmet;
4. steam tube;
5. refrigerator-condenser;
6. water outlet;
7. water supply fitting;
8. outlet for finished product.

The principle of operation of the Charente alambik

The Charente Alambique (alambic Charantais) is one of the most popular distillers. It is used in many well-known cognac houses. This type of alambika is also made of copper, which means it conducts heat evenly and is resistant to oxidation. A copper vat is placed inside the brick podium - a distillation cube, under which there is a stove. Above the cube is a helmet that accumulates vapours. The "swan neck" departs from the helmet. It is with its help that steam enters the refrigerator and exits as a liquid. The finished product is usually collected in barrels. After each distillation, the cube is first cleaned and only then proceed to the subsequent distillation. In most distilleries, when preparing drinks, the final and initial fractions are separated. "Head" are used exclusively for technical purposes, and "tail" can be added during re-distillation. The “heart” fraction is used for the preparation of high-quality aromatic drinks and for aging cognac spirits.

Charente alambik device

1. distillation cube;
2. helmet;
3. steam tube;
4. an intermediate container in which the vapors are additionally cooled and the wine is heated;
5. refrigerator-condenser with fittings for water inlet and outlet;
6. fitting for the exit of the finished product (with an alcohol meter holder);
7. stillage outlet fitting;
8. wine drain tube;
9. thermometer.

The principle of operation of the Arabic alambik (alquitar)

Arabic alambik Alguitar, aka alkitara, is very compact in size, due to the fact that all its components are assembled into a pyramid. It consists of a distillation cube (1) and a refrigerator (2) located on top. When heated, the distillate evaporates, and its vapors settle on the condenser. There are three fittings on the refrigerator: for the outlet of the finished product (3), for the outlet (4) and for the inlet (4) of water. With the help of Arabic alambik (alquitara) you can get fragrant alcoholic drinks.

The device of the Arabic alambik (alquitara)

1. distillation cube;
2. refrigerator-condenser;
3. fitting for the exit of the finished product;
4. water outlet;
5. water supply fitting.

The premium alcitara kit additionally includes a sieve that separates the alembic into two parts. Vegetable raw materials are placed in the intermediate compartment, so the steam passing through it is enriched with essential oils. Thus, it is possible to obtain essential oils, floral waters and hydrolats, and not just fragrant distillates, as in the "Standard" class alkitara.