What kind of hoses are used for a moonshine still? The use of silicone hoses in moonshine. What tubes can be used and how to choose? How to choose silicone tubes

Almost any moonshine still is a network of nodes connected in a certain sequence. It ensures the process flows.

In this case, the important point becomes the question of what exactly can be used to connect these nodes and what effect this will have on the final product.

And in order to fully understand what hoses for a moonshine still are, what their structure is and what materials can be used for their manufacture, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the topic in all detail.

Hoses for a moonshine still are an essential element of any unit for distilling moonshine, along with and. Although they are called hoses, the same category includes tubes made of different metals.

The main purpose of this element is to transport alcohol-containing steam from one unit to another, for example, from a distillation cube to, and from it to a refrigerator.

In addition, hoses are necessary for supplying and draining water to the cooling circuit in the refrigerator and, if it is jacketed. The only model that does not use hoses to supply water to the refrigerator is this.

Design and principle of operation

The structure of steam and water pipes in a moonshine still is very simple. The product consists of a piece of tube of the required length and diameter and fastening devices at the ends.

There are two main types: threaded with a union nut and clamp.

The first is more convenient to use, more reliable, it cannot be damaged by pressure, but its installation is more expensive. If for the first you will need to weld threaded pipes onto the unit components, then for the second it is enough to equip the steam outlets with fittings, and this is much simpler. Using such a connector is not so convenient, and the clamped edges of the tube will gradually wear out as the clamp is tightened.

The principle of operation of steam and water pipes in a moonshine still is very simple, steam and liquid pass through them, but the conditions are somewhat different, which is why the requirements for their parameters differ.

The water supply system supplying water for cooling the refrigerator and the reflux condenser jacket has low pressure, and the liquid does not have an aggressive chemical effect on the wall material.

In this regard, tubes made of almost any material are suitable for its arrangement. It can be rubber, PVC, silicone or other polymer materials.

Several aggressive factors act in the steam pipeline: high temperature, pressure drops and the aggressive chemical effect of alcohol compounds.

As a consequence, the material used must be both durable and heat-resistant, but more importantly, chemically inert.

Therefore, for moonshine stills, those polymer hoses that are labeled “food grade” are used; food grade stainless steel and copper are safe metals, but they must be cleaned regularly.

What are the types

Before listing the materials from which it is best to make steam and water pipes for a moonshine still, it is worth saying which materials should not be used.

It is strictly not recommended to use it for the manufacture of steam pipelines. polymer materials without special food labeling. This category includes almost all types of rubber, with the exception of gas hoses and PVC made from simple silicone.

The fact is that upon contact with various alcohol compounds - ethanol, butyl, propyl, amyl and other alcohols - such materials form toxic substances with varying degrees of harmful effects on the body.

Also, for the manufacture of steam pipes, you cannot use aluminum, which, although it has excellent performance properties, actively forms harmful oxides from contact with alcohols.

Such tubes were used quite often in the past to connect the still and the refrigerator, which can lead to a stereotype that this is normal. Now we can list suitable materials, their strengths and weaknesses.

Silicone hoses for moonshine still

Edible varieties that are labeled differently, such as BgW or BGA, have a number of distinct properties, such as:

Ease of processing.
High heat resistance – more than 100 C°.
Good flexibility, elasticity and memory of the material, due to which the hoses do not deteriorate from bending, stretching and cycles of thermal expansion and contraction.
Light weight.
High chemical inertness, preventing the formation of any toxic compounds.
Transparency, which makes it possible to observe the process inside and find problem areas.
Affordable price and wide distribution of goods on store shelves and online platforms.

Food-grade silicone also has its weaknesses.

When heated by steam, silicone loses its elasticity, which is why steam lines will require additional support from supports or hangers.
Easily damaged by cutting or piercing influences.
Not the best look.

Often used to create rigid and durable connections between multiple nodes.

Otherwise, this metal has a number of strong qualities, including the following:

High strength.
Tremendous wear resistance and durability.
Tremendous heat resistance.
Almost complete chemical inertness.

Also, food-grade stainless steel has its own weaknesses, which are mainly not related to operation during the distillation of alcohol:

Difficult to process.
Relatively expensive.
The larger the non-removable structure, the more difficult it is to clean.
Heavy weight.
A solid fragment of the unit is not as convenient to store as a collapsible one on silicone tubes.

To install water pipes, you can use almost any type of polymer or metal pipes, since the harmful substances formed there are isolated from alcohol and will not affect the final result.

How to choose the right one

Since both silicone and stainless steel have many subtypes, it is not enough just to know the name of the material. In addition, the hoses must correspond to the parameters of the moonshine still. Therefore, when choosing a product, you should adhere to a number of criteria that are of primary importance:

Marking. You can only use food-grade varieties, but they are also divided into several categories, so it is worth checking with the seller whether the selected type is resistant to ethanol and elevated temperatures.
Inner diameter. Although pipes and hoses are sold according to their external diameter, it is the internal diameter that must correspond to the power of the system. Too narrow will lead to increased pressure, as a result the distillate will deteriorate; if too low, the unit will also work poorly, in “half-idle” mode.
Wall thickness. The service life of the hoses depends on it, you shouldn’t take too thin ones - they will become unusable faster, but there is no need to overpay for thick ones, the range from 1.5 to 2 mm is the most popular.
Total length. It is better to take with a small margin, especially if you plan to install threaded connections with a union nut at the ends.

Important! Since PVC hoses, which cannot be used for the steam lines of a moonshine still, are very similar to silicone ones, to avoid getting into trouble, ask the seller if you can set the edge on fire. When PVC burns, it emits significantly more smoke and a “plastic” smell; silicone burns with white-grayish smoke and leaves behind white ash.

Modern polymer materials are distinguished by a huge range and make it possible to qualitatively equip a moonshine still with both steam and water pipes for reasonable money.

But you should not let your guard down, only “food” varieties can be used in contact with alcohol-containing substances.

Almost all of the suitable materials are modifications of silicone, but if you want greater reliability and durability, you can always fork out the cash and equip the unit with food grade stainless steel tubes.

Even the simplest moonshine still consists of several parts? distillation cube, steamer, refrigerator. To assemble them into a system, connecting elements are required. Novice moonshiners do not pay too much attention to such details. However, the quality of the distillate depends on many factors, including the type, material of manufacture, and the reliability of the adapters in the device for distilling the mash. Therefore, people knowledgeable in moonshine prefer to install silicone hoses in the moonshine still, rather than similar adapter tubes made of rubber or PVC.

Advantages

Silicone? ideal material for producing high-quality moonshine at home. Thanks to the use of environmentally friendly polymers in the production, silicone products are odorless and do not contain toxic components.

Important characteristics of silicone products:

Increased strength.
Environmental Safety.
Hypoallergenic.
Ability to maintain original properties in the temperature range from -60°C to +300°C.
Resistance to organic and artificial chemical compounds, due to which silicone tubes (hoses) do not affect the taste, color, smell of distillation products.
Long service life, exceeding the performance indicators of products made from other materials by several times.

Silicone hoses for a moonshine still, unlike adapters made of other materials, can be reused during distillation. Plus, they provide a reliable connection of the functional units of the distiller, since they fit tightly onto the fittings and do not fall off them when the temperature inside the system increases.

Upon detailed analysis, the following advantageous characteristics of silicone hoses can be identified:

The advantages of using silicone hoses in moonshine stills include the fact that they produce such products in a wide range. Depending on the specific requirements and design features of the distiller, you can purchase hoses of the desired size and color, with different internal sections, different thicknesses, etc. The cost of silicone products is relatively high, but given their many advantages, it is completely justified.

Criteria for selecting silicone tubes for a distiller

The diameter of silicone tubes used in the food industry and medicine varies from 2 to 50 mm. To include a moonshine still in the circuit, the best option is considered to be hoses with a cross section of 5, 6, 8 mm with a wall thickness of 1.5-2 mm. These parameters can be changed up or down depending on the design features of the distiller.

When buying a hose for a moonshine still, you need to make sure that it is made of silicone and not polyvinyl chloride. What are the main differences between food grade silicone and PVC? flexibility, softness, elasticity, resistance to high temperatures.

When choosing, you should take a closer look at the price. Silicone hoses are usually 2 times more expensive than similar PVC products.

You can finally make sure that the product in front of you is made of silicone and not PVC, using a simple test. You should try to set the tip of the hose on fire with a match or lighter. If burning is practically not observed, there is no unpleasant odor, and after firing a dense white ash forms on the tube, this is really food-grade silicone.

Ideally, it is better to purchase components for the distiller, including connecting elements, in specialized stores of medical equipment and laboratory equipment. Regarding the quality of the product,
then it all depends on the manufacturer, although in the vast majority of companies that produce similar products, they try to strictly comply with technical norms and standards.

How to clean silicone hoses?

As mentioned above, silicone practically does not absorb odors, during operation no plaque forms inside the tubes, and the material does not enter into chemical reactions with compounds included in liquids or alcohol-containing vapors. Nevertheless, silicone hoses need to be cleaned regularly to prevent the formation of foreign odors inside the system and the accumulation of residual distillation products.

There is no significant contamination inside the tubes, so to clean it, it is enough to rinse them with running water. Is it illegal to use dishwashing detergents? upon contact with chemical compounds, the structure of silicone will not change. To be safe, you can clean the tubes with special brushes.

The only difficulty is that the silicone hoses are difficult to disconnect from the metal pipes and fittings. During operation, the soft material literally sticks to the metal, so removing the adapter tube can be difficult.

Despite their fairly long service life, silicone products lose their properties over time. Signs of wear include discoloration, clouding, and loss of elasticity. There is no point in continuing to use, clean, or wash such tubes. It’s easier to use them for other purposes and install new ones in the moonshine still.

In addition to the distillation cube and coil, in a modern moonshine still there are other attachments: steamers, bubblers, strengtheners, distillation columns and similar modules.

For a mobile and reliable connection, flexible hoses for a moonshine still and sealing gaskets are used.

Popular today transformable canopies, that is, from some, let’s call them spare parts, you can assemble both , and .

And for all this to work, it is necessary to ensure reliable tightness of each connection, and there can be up to a dozen of them. Therefore, connecting elements are used:

clamps– quick-dismount fittings of simple design with silicone filler or gaskets. They are not produced in Russia; they come to us from Europe or Asia (China);
flanges– connections between the cube and the canopies using studs and wing nuts. Also not effective without silicone or rubber gaskets;
welded joints(stainless or metal tubes). Their disadvantage is the inability to properly flush the system after distillation. And the residues from spray carry-over have a negative impact on subsequent hauls;
silicone hoses can form the entire system of connecting the sheds and the still. They are especially involved in the independent production of steamers/bubblers and a refrigerator.

Which hoses are best to use?

In places where the connection involves contact with the product that you will ingest, connection only with tubes made of food-grade stainless steel, copper or silicone is permissible.

Attention. Silicone is also divided into food grade and technical grade.

Non-food grade has poor resistance to fats and acids and has a shorter service life. And silicone produced in China is also toxic. Therefore, it is not used in the professional production of moonshine stills.

PVC, as well as rubber and polyurethane tubes are acceptable exclusively for supplying and discharging water to a flow-through refrigerator.

To permanently abandon the use of rubber and PVC products, it is enough to carry out just one run with such tubes. Not only will strange and unpredictable chemical compounds get into the product, the taste will be disgusting, and the aftertaste will be as if you had drunk PVA glue.

Silicone tubes

Why should you choose silicone hoses and gaskets for all connections where hoses interact with the product you will be ingesting? This material does not “supply” additional chemicals into moonshine that pose a health hazard.

Advantage

To understand the advantages of silicone, we will conduct a comparative analysis of the types of silicone and PVC approved for use in the food industry.

Characteristics	Silicone	Polyvinyl chloride
Operating temperature range without changing properties	withstands temperatures from -60°С to +200-250°С (short-term – up to 300°С)	-15°С — +66°С
Chemical resistance	Inert, does not react with mash components and alcohol vapors	Does not interact with alkalis, alcohol, most acids within the specified temperatures
Flexibility and strength	High	Medium, under unfavorable influence the material becomes tanned and collapses
UV resistance	Sunlight does not affect the material	Not recommended for use in areas exposed to UV rays
Mold formation	Impossible because fungi die on the material	There are no obstacles to the development of fungi

That is, PVC hoses for connecting the cube with the steamer, bubbler, and coil are unacceptable, since when heated they lose their properties and serve as a source of harmful chemical compounds that get into the moonshine. Products made from polyurethane are also suitable here, as the most durable and durable of polymers.

Therefore, the choice is obvious and today it is the only one. This is silicone. Leave the PVC for connecting and draining water from the refrigerator.

How to choose?

When purchasing silicone tubes, inquire about them origin and certificate of conformity.

And in order not to make a mistake with your choice, conduct a simple test. Ask them to cut a piece from the pipe and set it on fire. Silicone burns with gray smoke and leaves behind white ash. Polyvinyl chloride burns as long as a fire source is brought near it, produces black smoke and leaves a black charred (melted) end.

Important. Silicone tubes that emit a strong odor are of poor quality and should not be purchased.

How to connect?

It is not difficult to attach flexible hoses, but this requires fittings and sometimes adapters. Keep in mind that silicone is quite flexible and stretches quite well. Therefore, if you have a 1.5 mm fitting, and you managed to find a hose with an internal cross-section of 1.2 mm, you can put it on.

For this:

Heat the water to a boil.
Dip the end of the tube into boiling water and hold for 20-30 seconds.
Place it on the fitting while hot.
Once cooled, the hose will tightly grip the pipe and hold on without additional fastening.

If you make your own moonshine still and want to attach the canopies to silicone tubes, take care to securely fasten the fittings in the lid of the cube and the lids of the can steamers/bubblers.

To do this, in addition to the nuts securing the pipe on both sides, use either dense silicone gaskets or sealant.

Cleaning and care

Washing, cleaning and even boiling silicone products is not a problem. Since the material does not support the development of mold fungi and does not interact with surfactants, it is easy to clean it with a detergent, sponge or brush.

Peculiarities. Over time, the tubes lose their transparency, becoming dull. This is normal and does not affect the quality in any way.

Problems arise only with separation from the pipes, since the hoses sometimes stick so tightly that it is impossible to separate. Try using heat. If possible, immerse the joint in hot water.

When cleaning copper parts using the boiling method, the tubes do not need to be disconnected if difficulties arise.

Choosing a gasket for a moonshine still

Without gaskets, tightness cannot be ensured, and therefore, high-quality distillation cannot be ensured. There is no need to talk about “antediluvian” methods - such as coating joints with dough, clay, or something else. When creating pure and palatable moonshine, focus on modern materials and methods.

Which is better?

The use of industrially produced gaskets is preferable as they guarantee long service life and reliability. But in emergency situations, distillers learned to make these parts themselves.

For small diameters, it is permissible to use a piece of silicone hose. If this is not enough, then use silicone sealant.

Here's the simplest option:

From thick paper (cardboard), make a gasket template that exactly repeats its shape and desired height.
Make a thick solution of gypsum or plaster in a low container wider than the future gasket.
Dip the gasket mock-up into it and wait until it dries completely.
Remove the cardboard. The form for the future gasket is ready.
Grease the mold with sunflower oil and fill with sealant.
Level the top (with a ruler, cardboard, etc.).
After the sealant has hardened, trim off possible films and irregularities.
A durable and strong gasket is ready.

Important. The use of rubber for gaskets in moonshine stills is extremely undesirable.

Even if you use a pressure cooker or milk can as a still, replace the rubber gasket with silicone, otherwise you cannot avoid the taste of rubber in the finished product. Braga is an aggressive environment that requires special treatment.

Where to get?

You can buy gaskets of various thicknesses and diameters made of silicone, including for milk cans, via the Internet.

As a last resort, if you can’t find the size, buy plates from which you can cut any gasket. Thickness – from 1 mm to 6 cm.

Application

Gaskets are used wherever the parts that make up the moonshine still are connected to each other. Necessary for:

connecting the drawer on the flanges to the distillation cube;
using a cube lid on a thread;
connections on clamps;
threaded fastening of the thermometer sleeve;
installing a drain valve on the cube;
connecting heating elements;
installation of the bellows.

Plumbing kit for moonshine still

The Internet offers plumbing kits for moonshine stills. Designed for ease of operation and ensuring high-quality hauling. Designed to accept half-inch fittings, which are standard on many CA models.

Compound

Typically included:

hoses for cold and hot water (10 meters) made of polyurethane;
needle tap for fine-tuning the water supply to the refrigerator;
a tee having a sleeve for a thermometer;
brass thermometer sleeve;
quick-release tee to separate the water flow;
quick-release connectors (male/female type);

Application

The main task of such a kit is to accurately regulate the supply and removal of water to cool the distillate in order to obtain high-quality elite homemade alcohol with an excellent taste, without harmful impurities.

Prepare and consume natural and healthy homemade spirits. Share the information you receive with your friends on social networks.

In large stores and supermarkets you are unlikely to be deceived. Moreover, they have certificates for the products. However, unscrupulous sellers in markets often pass off PVC pipes as silicone, since it is impossible to distinguish them by eye. Therefore, it is important to know how to choose the right hose.

Peculiarities. There is a little secret that will help you accurately determine what material the hose is made of.

Ask the seller to cut a small piece of the hose you need and use a lighter to light it. PVC hose burns with black smoke, leaving black charring and ash. Silicone burns without soot, the ash and charring are pure white.

And in this way you will be able to determine what material is in front of you only at home, after you have already made a purchase. Put the hose (gasket) in the freezer overnight/day and then take a look. Silicone will remain elastic even at temperatures below 20-28°C, while PVC will harden.

How to choose a silicone tube?

The techniques for determining the material are clear, but the question of how to determine the quality of a silicone tube remains open. Therefore, do not take their word for it, ask to see a certificate confirming quality.

And this is often possible only in supermarkets. The online store is also obliged to send you a document along with the hose confirming its food approval. But this point should be specified when ordering.

Installation on the device

Installing a hose on a moonshine still if there are pipes is a simple matter. When ordering/purchasing, keep in mind that you may not find an exact match to the size of the fitting, but tolerances are always indicated, for example: 8/12 mm, etc. That is, such a hose will stretch onto a fitting with an external cross-section of both 8 and 12 mm. Although, naturally, it is better to take one as close as possible to the size of the pipe.

For better fastening, you can additionally secure the silicone tube to the fitting.

Advice. When using nylon mounting ties, it becomes difficult to disconnect the tubes, because cutting the clamp can damage the tube.

But this problem can be solved. To loosen the tie, you need to press (for example, with a screwdriver) the burrs on the tie at the place of the connecting fastening, while simultaneously loosening the tension.

Make sure that the silicone is not in close proximity to the fire, it can ignite, and coupled with the flammability of alcohol, a fire is not far away!

Don't be surprised if some difficulties arise when removing the tube; silicone has the property stick to» to the pipes. But after “loosening” it will come off.

Did you find the information useful? Are you ready to use silicone hoses? Tell us in the comments and like.

It is necessary to thoroughly prepare for the process of making strong alcoholic drinks. The accessories without which it is impossible to brew moonshine must include a moonshine still, a distillation column, a steamer and a number of other devices, including connecting hoses. They are needed to release the finished product, supply water, remove and pass steam, as well as organize other processes necessary to prepare the drink according to all the rules.

Those who are going to make moonshine for the first time may think that connecting hoses play an insignificant role. However, the appearance, reliability and type of material can greatly affect the taste characteristics, strength and quality of the drink. Experienced moonshiners use systems with silicone tubes, rather than cheap PVC analogues.

Benefits of silicone

What is better to choose: silicone elements or PVC products, which are more affordable. Cost should not be a key factor when making moonshine. After all, not every polyvinyl chloride can withstand the effects of aggressive chemical compounds, high temperatures and other factors that arise during moonshine brewing for a long time.

We should not exclude the risk that during the preparation of a drink, the tubes will collapse at the most inopportune moment, and as a result of exposure of the connections to high temperatures, the hazardous substances contained in the material will enter the prepared product.

Advantages of silicone hoses:

Silicone tubes were able to acquire all of the above advantages thanks to a special manufacturing technology.

The basis for this material is special organosilicon compounds, which, when other compounds are added to them and exposed to temperature, as well as through chemical reactions and certain manipulations, are transformed into finished silicone surfaces.

The technology used is one of the most modern. Therefore, silicone has all the necessary properties for wide, effective and safe use in various fields:

in the food industry,
medicine,
everyday life
wherever you need to provide a reliable and secure connection.

Features of choice

Today, manufacturers offer many options for silicone hoses, differing in working diameter. In relation to moonshine construction, tubes with a diameter of 5, 6, 8 mm and a wall thickness of 1.5-2 mm are usually used. To determine the exact dimensions of the tubes, it is necessary to take into account the features of the system, but in most cases, products with the above dimensions are sufficient.

Place of purchase

Today, the sale of silicone hoses is carried out not only by specialized retail outlets, but also many online stores, offering favorable delivery conditions. You can find many resources on the Internet where anyone can order the necessary components, including a coil, and along with them the main equipment, as well as a number of auxiliary devices. Silicone tubing is best suited for connecting areas between the distillation column, cold water source and other devices.

Particular attention should be paid to the manufacturer of the product, as this can greatly affect the quality of the hose. But problems with this arise very rarely, since most companies offer proven products that meet all the requirements for them.

How to distinguish silicone

Unfortunately, it is very difficult for the average consumer to understand by appearance whether the product being offered is a silicone or PVC hose. But there are proven ways to find out whether a product is silicone.

To do this, you need to bring a fire source to the edge of the tube and observe what the smoke will be like. If it has an unpleasant pungent odor and is black in color, then most likely it is a fake. An original silicone hose will produce light smoke, and combustion of the material will necessarily be accompanied by the formation of white ash.

You can use this technique if you decide to buy a hose on the market. But if you purchase silicone tubes in a specialized store or medical laboratory, you will not have to resort to this method. In such places, all products comply with GOST requirements, and therefore there is no reason to doubt its authenticity.

Cleaning Rules

Each moonshine brewing cycle must be completed by cleaning the connecting pipes. Although it is known that silicone does not absorb odors or react with other compounds, the possibility of off-odors that may arise from distillation residues cannot be ruled out.

To remove them effectively, you can use special brushes. However, in most cases, simply rinsing the tubes with running water is sufficient. After removing foreign substances, the hoses must be allowed to dry; to do this, they should be suspended. If you notice serious signs of wear on the product, which can be identified by discoloration and deterioration in elasticity, you should not continue to use such tubes.

If the above facts do not fully convince you that silicone tubing is preferable to PVC hoses, think about the possible damage that can occur due to the use of a conventional connecting device. In this case, you can expect the following:

Spoiled taste of the drink;
The need to stop the distillation process due to a broken element connection or damage.

Also remember that you will have to spend money on buying a new connecting hose. If a leak occurs directly during the brewing of moonshine, then you will also lose a certain amount of alcohol.

The moonshine brewing process must be approached responsibly. Even such a minor detail as incorrectly selected connecting tubes can seriously affect the quality of the drink. Despite the fact that this element can be considered as an object for saving, experienced moonshiners do not recommend purchasing budget options for pipes for a moonshine system.

If they suddenly fail, not only will the taste of the alcohol deteriorate. In addition to this, you will have to spend additional money on purchasing a new connecting element, not to mention the fact that you will be forced to interrupt the process of making alcohol in order to purchase a replacement connecting element and restore the functionality of the system.

Attention, TODAY only!