10 best moonshine stills for a beginner

A good budget device for beginner distillers. The design is simple but can be improved. With clamp quick-release connections, you can add drawers, diopters, refrigerators, dephlegmators from other manufacturers. There are cube volumes for different user requests - from 12 to 37 liters. The upper part of the apparatus is non-separable, only the lid is unscrewed from the steamer. It cannot be fully washed. The distiller does not stand out with anything special, but the tank is durable, the welds are neat, you can work with it for the first time. By the end of the chase, when the volume of liquid in the cube decreases, it is better to be more careful. Due to the shifted center of gravity, the apparatus becomes unstable. Otherwise, this is a good option for home, getting classic moonshine.

Beginning distillers will be satisfied with the device "Finland Extra" due to the simplicity of work. For the home, this is a good budget option. For small volumes of mash, you can take the smallest moonshine still for 15 liters. In fact, it has 14 liters. In the specifications, the volume is indicated taking into account the dome cover. There are also tanks for 22, 26 and 30 liters. Of the features of the model, the manufacturer declared an enlarged refrigerator for 15 turns of the coil. It cools better, improves performance. The drawer side here is extended to 22 cm, two Panchenkov copper nozzles are included in the kit. It is slightly offset from the flange, which gives better stability. We reduce the rating for a bimetallic thermometer. Electronic models are more accurate. Some user complaints about a leak in the bottom of the tank after 1-3 years of moderate home use are alarming.

The maximum that can be squeezed out of this apparatus is 70% moonshine. The design is simple, without clamps.It will not be possible to add something, somehow modernize. But the model is popular among beginners who are just mastering the complex business of distilling. First of all, because of the low price. A ready-to-use distiller with a 20-liter tank costs about 8,000 rubles. The package includes a distillation cube and a non-separable distiller from a steamer and a refrigerator. The dryer cover is removed. When distilling, you can put herbs, spices, dried berries and fruits in it for flavoring. The quality is not bad - neat welds, good steel. For the home, for the first time you can take it, but it is possible that in a year or two you will want to change the device. Of the design flaws - a bimetallic thermometer, no drain cock, sharp tank neck.

For beginners, this is one of the best moonshine stills. Constructive improvements at the output give the product a little cleaner and stronger than in similar models. In 90% of distillers with a dry steamer, a cooler with a coil is included. The same apparatus is equipped with a more powerful shell-and-tube cooler. Water consumption with it is less, and productivity is higher. An atypical solution is a built-in mini-reflux condenser for strengthening and additional purification of moonshine.Convenient design of the distillation cube. The lid is tightened with a clamp, removed completely, it is easier to wash the tank. Additionally, there is a tie-in under the heating element, you can not bother with a gas stove or induction cookers. The cube is available in several sizes. The smallest - 15 liters in terms of characteristics, 14 liters in action. The volume is indicated taking into account the dome cover.

One of the most popular distillers. This model is often chosen by beginners who are just mastering the art of moonshine. There is everything for mastering the basic skills. The standard design has been improved by moving the drawer side away from the flange. This gives stability when there is little liquid left in the tank. The drawer is enlarged to 20 cm, two Panchenkov nozzles are placed in it to cleanse and strengthen the moonshine. Inside there is a bore for clamps for SPN. Connections on the clamps, the design can be modified, accessories can be added, the distiller can be converted into a beer and even a distillation column. This is convenient for novice distillers - the complication of the moonshine still improves the quality of the drink at the end as you gain experience. But if there are plans to work with an induction hob, it is better to consider another model. The bottom is slightly concave, heating is slower than we would like.

Phoenix Sirius is far from the best column-type apparatus. We included it in the rating because of the choice of volumes. Most similar models come with large cubes from 25-30 liters. Not all novice distillers make mash in such volumes. There are also small tanks for 15 and even 12 liters. The design of the column is standard - a drawer, a refrigerator, a reflux condenser with all additional assembly elements. Models from 20 liters come in two versions - for work on a stove or with a heating element. In the basic configuration, the device produces a fortress up to 90 °. You can squeeze out more if you add another drawer, a selection unit and a more powerful dephlegmator. But it is not a fact that the cover will withstand the weight of the structure. It is thin, 1.5 mm thick. This device is better to take a small size and only for beginners. Distillers with experience are unlikely to be satisfied with the design.

The relatively new model is good for moving from a standard distiller with a dry steamer to more serious equipment. This is a cap-dish column with a liquid selection unit. On it you can make classic aromatic distillates and get pure alcohol. The column is collapsible, by changing the design it is configured for different modes of operation. To distill the mash into raw alcohol, two refrigerators are connected to the cube. The copper plate column and sampling unit are not used. In potstill mode, the race is fast. You can set up a standard mode with a dephlegmator or add an aftercooler to the UO scheme. By design, the quality of the product at the output of the moonshine will suit beginners and experienced users. The price is considerable, but the design is universal. The volume of the cube can be selected from four options: 25, 30, 37 and 50 liters.

Drunk Deluxe 3 is available in two volumes: 37 and 50 liters. This device is more for beginners, and not quite beginners. Suitable for those who have already mastered the basics on a small distiller, want to increase the volume and reach the next level in the preparation of homemade alcoholic beverages. You don’t need to buy anything in addition - except for the main parts, including the selection unit, five Panchenkov nozzles, hoses for water supply and product collection come with the column. The quality is good - there are no complaints about the metal, welds. A powerful refrigerator and reflux condenser cope with a large volume. If desired, you can buy a false bottom to the same tank in order to brew beer in it. A serious minus is that there are few reviews about the device, so we could lose sight of some details and shortcomings.

The most budgetary column apparatus with UO for liquid. Available in 20 and 30 liters. Not enough for experienced distillers, just right for beginners. The column gives out a fortress up to 96 °. It can be reached up to 96.6° by adding another 50 cm side.Of the interesting - a displaced drawer for better stability, a powerful refrigerator, ease of adjusting the selection. By design, there is nothing to complain about. But work on an induction hob is complicated by a slightly concave bottom. Contact with the surface is not complete, the mash boils twice as long. Otherwise, the model is successful - inexpensive, easy to use and of good quality.

Wein ReForm is a popular model. Good for beginners, transition from standard distillers to column type apparatuses. Available in two volumes - 20 and 37 liters. Here I would like another intermediate option for 25-30 liters, the golden mean. Tanks come from Luxstal, sometimes this confuses buyers. But otherwise, this is a good, good price-quality equipment for the home, the preparation of distillates and alcohol. The complete set is standard for a beer column - a 50 cm side, a refrigerator, a reflux condenser, a UO for liquid. Alcohol can be obtained up to 96 °, further the length of the side does not give. There is a tie-in for the heating element, the heating element itself is not included. An interesting detail is that clamps are not needed to fill the SPN, there is already an insert in the drawer. Wein produces this apparatus in two column diameters: one and a half and two inches. If you take a large volume, then perhaps you will stop at this model.The desire to change it for something cooler will not appear soon.