The German mini-distillery Luxstahl, which has very good reviews from Russian consumers, can be used to get quite clean and at the same time strong moonshine. One of the distinguishing features of this equipment is the presence of a distillation column of an unusual design with two coolers. In fact, the Luxstahl model is a kind of hybrid between the moonshine itself and the beer column.
Key Benefits
As many lovers of making homemade alcoholic beverages note, Luxstahl produces really high-quality equipment, the main advantages of which include:
- Possibility of forcing a very strong drink. The design of this apparatus is such that it is possible to obtain moonshine with a strength of up to 90 grams. This cannot be done with conventional equipment.
- Possibility of application in combination with any types of plates. The distillation cube of the Luxstahl apparatus has a ferromagnetic three-layer bottom. Its thickness is as much as 4 mm.
- Easy to use. The German moonshine Luxstahl is not equipped with any complex automation. It has a rather simple structure. Many owners of this equipment note the fact that you can figure out how to use it in no more than 10 minutes.
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High degree of purification of the drink. Unlike a standard sukhoparka, which passes part of the fusel oils, the beer column can be considered much more efficient. In addition, during distillation, it is not necessary to constantly drain the remaining impurities.
Design Features
The distillation column of the Luxstahl moonshine is made in the form of an inverted letter U. Its height is a little more than 80 cm. The "branches" of the column are interconnected by a bridge. Braga before distillation is poured into a distillation cube. The latter, as noted by some owners of such devices, is an ordinary pan with a lid of a special design. The beer column, before distilling moonshine, is attached to it through a flange by means of several small lambs. Judging by the reviews, it is installed quite easily. Threaded pins are provided on the cover, and holes are provided on the flange. After installing the column, the winglets are simply screwed onto the pins.
A small pipe for a thermometer is provided above the first refrigerator with a coil. Bottom hasoutlet with plastic tube. The latter has a small lamb (Hoffmann's clamp), which allows you to control the temperature of the vapor cooling during distillation, and hence the strength of the finished product. The Luxstahl mini-distillery, reviews of which allow us to judge it as quite productive, can be equipped with a tank of 12, 20 or 30 liters. The equipment of this brand is made of special steel 3 mm thick.
Disadvantages of Luxstahl devices
Thus, Luxstahl's moonshine specifications are simply excellent. There are practically no cons of this German equipment. Buyers refer to minor shortcomings only:
- The thickness of the lid, which does not correspond to the one declared by the manufacturer. In fact, this parameter is 1 mm. However, according to the owners of devices of this brand, with good care, the lid can still serve for a very long time.
- No tap at the bottom of the tank. This addition would make it possible to drain the remains of the mash after distillation. But some fans of distillation of spirits at home simply weld this missing element on their own.
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Not a very convenient outlet location. For some reason, with the column installed, it is directed to the edge of the tank lid, and not beyond it. Therefore, putting a hose on this pipe is not very convenient. Some owners of such equipment are advised to simply bend this element to a more comfortable position. But, of course, thisnot necessary. If you are afraid of damaging the device, it is better to just leave everything as it is.
Another small drawback of this equipment, consumers believe that the pipe for the thermometer is not equipped with a plug. When distilling moonshine without measuring the temperature, steam simply starts to come out of this hole.
Settings of the device
In addition to the tank and column themselves, the manufacturer supplies:
- 3m transparent hose;
- inexpensive alcohol thermometer (electronic);
- flange for column and wing;
- silicone gasket;
- divertor;
- recipe book;
- Hoffmann clamp;
- instructions for use.
Among other things, the Luxstahl mini-distillery, which has good reviews, is marked with a special engraving (on the alembic).
Consumer Reviews
In general, consumers have a good opinion about Luxstahl minidistilleries. Many people like, for example, a rather roomy distillation cube of a convenient shape. The hole for the distillation column is located in the center of the lid and has a diameter of about 9 cm. Its edges are well processed, and therefore it is impossible to cut yourself on them. The same applies to the edges of the lid itself, which protrude slightly beyond the plane of the container. The advantages of the equipment of this brand also include the presence of handles on the distillation cube. Thanks to this addition, the equipment indistillation process, if necessary, can be moved to any convenient place.
The disadvantages of these devices include only the fact that they still have to be slightly modified (faucet, outlet pipe, plug). Some owners also note the fact that sometimes small defects are found in the devices. In principle, all the details of the Luxstahl mini-distillery are welded to a fairly high quality. At the same time, the seams are quite satisfactorily processed. But sometimes there are models that may leak during forcing.
Despite the existing shortcomings, most consumers still consider the Luxstahl mini-distillery (reviews speak of this more than eloquently) as equipment that is quite comparable to the classic models, and in some ways somewhat more convenient. Both inexperienced moonshiners and seasoned ones are advised to buy such a device.
How to make moonshine using Luxstahl equipment
Preparing spirits using this German model is quite easy. Ease of use, as already mentioned, is one of the main advantages of equipment such as the Luxstahl mini-distillery. Instructions for using this device are as follows:
- The tank is installed on the stove. Braga is poured into it (in an amount not more than ¾ of the volume of the cube).
- A column is mounted using a flange and winglets. For sealing atinstallation, a special silicone gasket is used.
- A thermometer is installed on top of the first refrigerator.
- The transparent hose included in the kit is put on the outlet pipe.
- With the help of the same hoses, refrigerators are connected to cold water (to the lower bridge). At the same time, a tube should be attached to the upper bridge to drain water.
- A receiving container is installed under the outlet hose.
Nuances of the distillation procedure
The German moonshine Luxstahl accelerates for about an hour. As soon as the temperature of the mash begins to increase sharply, the intensity of its heating, just in case, should be slightly reduced (for a while). At the first distillation of moonshine, the Hoffmann tap should be turned off. When the first refrigerator is turned off, raw alcohol is obtained. To prepare a high-quality final product, the latter should be overtaken again. Before this, raw alcohol is diluted with water by 20-40%.
As soon as the heating temperature begins to approach 75% during the second distillation, you should slowly unscrew the clamp so that it does not rise any more. After 15 minutes, the lamb needs to be twisted a little, just as slowly. It should be tightened until the first drops of the “head” (a product saturated with harmful impurities) appear from the distiller. After the selection of this unusable liquid, the distillation temperature can be raised to 78-82 g. After this figure reaches 87 degrees,the so-called tail fraction will begin to leave the apparatus. This fluid has an unpleasant odor and should also be drained.
Luxstahl - manufacturer of kitchen utensils
The German company Luxstahl was founded over a hundred years ago - in 1879. Of course, moonshine stills are not the only variety of products manufactured by her. The main specialization of this manufacturer is the production of cutlery and utensils. Russian housewives consider Luxstahl knives and dishes to be of very high quality.
Luxstahl moonshine: price
The cost of equipment of this brand is not too high. You can buy Luxstahl moonshine for 10.5-16.5 thousand rubles (the price depends on the volume of the cube). The classic models of mini-distilleries of domestic manufacturers cost about the same.
Moon stills of other German brands
The fashion for mini-distilleries made in Germany continues to grow in our country. In addition to Luxstahl, German devices of such brands as:
- "Germany". The advantages of the equipment of this brand, consumers primarily include a rich package. In addition to the main set, the buyer receives alcohol yeast and a fermentation apparatus.
- Wagner. These models are valued primarily for the build quality. Some of their disadvantages include the fact that they use rubber instead of silicone gaskets. This material during forcing maygive the product a not too pleasant smell.
Well, as you can see, the characteristics of the Luxstahl mini-distillery (as well as any other German-made equipment of this type) are very good. For those who like to prepare alcoholic drinks for the holidays on their own, it is definitely worth buying such a machine.
