Practically all traditional methods of making the most common strong drink - vodka - originate from the research of the Russian chemist T. E. Lovitz, who studied the interaction of alcohol with coals. Thanks to his work, a coal column is today considered the most effective means for high-quality purification of alcohol. Only after a thorough release from impurities does the alcoholic drink become of high quality. This also applies to home-made moonshine.
Coal selection
Most craftsmen believe that the best coal for cleaning hard alcohol is birch. In fact, making a do-it-yourself coal column from birch is the easiest and cheapest way, which is why this type of coal is so common. With its cheapness, it also justifies the frequent use for cleaning alcohol for industrial purposes, as well as in the manufacture of pharmaceutical activated carbon.
Despite the fact that the use of birch charcoal is common, pharmaceutical tablets should not be used to clean up alcohol. The fact is that, in order to bind the ingredients, they contain, in addition to coal, other components that will give the final product an unpleasant aftertaste.and smell. Also, the chemical reaction of an additional component, for example, talc or starch, can adversely affect the body and cause a severe hangover syndrome, the appearance of which, as you know, directly depends on the quality of the drink.
Need to filter
A coal column is necessary to purify strong alcohol not only from visible turbidity, but also from toxic chemical compounds contained in the composition.
Among the common ones are:
- methyl alcohol;
- fusel oils;
- ethers;
- aldehydes (acetic, oil, croton, etc.).
For each element, there are allowable values, which the coal column helps to achieve. In past centuries, oak, alder, linden, beech or poplar were considered the best coals, but today it is quite difficult to find them on sale.
First filters
Initially, the process of purifying vodka took place using ordinary raw coal. Since it is rich in various resins, this filtration method noticeably changed the taste of the drink. The first coal column for the purification of strong liquor was a copper cylinder several meters high. Such dimensions of the device are still used today, but already on a production scale. Also, earlier, the alcoholic beverage was kept in the column for almost a day, which greatly influenced not only the purification, but also all the organoleptic properties of the final product. In addition, vodka was enriched with food acids andacetaldehydes, which adversely affect the human body.
Correct choice of filter
Since the molecules of various harmful impurities have different sizes, it is necessary to select the grade of coal for purification based on certain rules.
Thus, a coal column filled with coal from animal bone will release alcohol only from small molecules, leaving a large amount of fusel oils in the final product. Charcoal of wood origin demonstrates the best filtration qualities, therefore it is considered an ideal option for private use. You can purchase specialized coal for cleaning alcohol, which is produced under the brands BAU-A and OU-A. This product is made from the decay of fruit wood or birch.
Also, a self-made coal column will function perfectly with:
- charcoal for barbecue;
- water filters;
- homemade charcoal.
Production of coal for column
In order for a coal column for cleaning moonshine to produce a high-quality end product with your own hands, it is enough to prepare firewood from fruit trees or birch. After their complete burning, it is necessary to collect the coals in a still hot state and tightly close them in a refractory container. After cooling, all the ash is carefully removed, the coals can even be washed for this. The remaining coals must be crushed and sifted throughsieve.
Activation of coal
Any coal column for cleaning moonshine with their own hands should use only activated carbon, which ensures complete safety from chemical contamination of the product. Coal is activated by treating it with hot water vapor. At the time of processing, the coal is freed from resins and other chemical compounds.
Production of the column
Modern devices for cleaning alcohol take up a minimum of space and time. As a rule, 1 hour or even less is enough to clean 1 liter of liquid, which allows you to qualitatively free alcohol from harmful impurities without giving it any extra taste or smell. At home, the carbon filter works under the pressure of the weight of the liquid poured into it.
A do-it-yourself coal column for moonshine is a vertical copper pipe half a meter high and 5-10 cm in diameter. Stainless steel pipes can also be used. The upper part of the pipe remains open, and a drain pipe is attached to the lower part, which moves the liquid into the prepared container. In order for the column to stand firmly in a strictly vertical position, legs are attached to its walls or lower part.
If it is not possible to use a metal pipe, a glass funnel, which can be purchased from laboratory glassware stores, will also work. In this case, the main thing is to use a funnel volume of at least three liters and install a stainless steel strainer in its lower part.
Workfilters
Before the start of filtration, the carbon column is filled with activated carbon to half the height by hand. After that, an alcoholic product is poured into the column, and the cylinder is loosely closed with a lid. This is necessary in order to avoid the evaporation of alcohols, but at the same time ensure that air enters inside to move alcohol. It is undesirable to use the column for more than two hours, since the pores of the coal become clogged and restore their functions only after at least 8 hours. That is why the volume of the column is best done no more than two liters. On one filling, the filter is able to pass about 30 liters of a quality product, after which the cleaning becomes inefficient.
Prohibitions and warnings
So, how to make a charcoal column is understandable, but what if there is neither a metal cylinder nor a glass flask? It is forbidden to use other materials, especially plastic bottles, to make a high-quality filter. The fact is that alcohol enters into a chemical reaction with plastic and releases a large amount of toxic substances into the final product.
It is strictly forbidden to use carbon from breathing or industrial filters for the column for the same reasons.
Only the “body” of moonshine is recommended to be filtered on the column, since its other parts will heavily clog the coal and make it useless.
Also, to get a really high-quality product, it is necessary to pass moonshine through a cleaning device twice.
Ready filters
If it is not possible to make a filter with your own hands or simply if you don’t want to, you can use ready-made devices to clean strong alcohol. For this, special installations are produced for filtering alcoholic beverages, but filters for drinking water are also suitable. Their charcoal also perfectly collects harmful impurities from the liquid and further disinfects it.
Filtration of the primary distillation product with activated carbon allows you to rid strong alcohol of all harmful impurities and practically bring it closer to vodka in terms of quality.
The very manufacture of a coal column does not take much time and effort, so anyone can do it. The main thing is to follow certain instructions, and then everything will work out.
But be that as it may, we should not forget that excessive drinking is harmful to he alth.
