Those who are interested in making homemade alcohol are probably familiar with a special nozzle for sifting out impurities. The original device was invented by the Soviet physicist Panchenkov in the 50s. last century. It is curious that initially the device had a completely different purpose and was used exclusively for fuel separation.

Over time, the invention of a talented scientist became of interest to home cooks and began to be used in moonshine for the rectification (purification) of alcohol.

What is this and the principle of operation of the Panchenkov nozzle

The device looks like a tightly woven fabric of metal fibers - steel or copper. To purify alcohol, it is placed in the drawer of a moonshine still, having previously been rolled into a tight roll.

When alcohol vapor enters the tube, it contacts the nozzle and transfers some of the heat to it. As a result, volatile impurities with a high boiling point accumulate on the walls and flow off, while the purified ones move further.

Home cooks often adapt an ordinary stainless steel kitchen sponge for these purposes, combining several of these products if necessary and easily adjusting them to specific needs. As for the Panchenkov nozzle, its parameters are unchanged: the device is manufactured in a factory with molding according to a specific template.

The nozzle has a fairly dense weave and should be selected for a specific unit, since adjustment of the characteristics is not provided.

When, where and how to use the Panchenkov nozzle

Copper and steel nozzles perform the same function - they purify alcohol vapors and increase the strength of the final product.

But they are used for different types of raw materials:

For the distillation of fruit or grain mash, the copper version is better suited, since it not only cleans the vapors, but also neutralizes sulfur compounds, accumulating them on itself.

Cheaper stainless steel devices are suitable for sugar mash, since sulfur derivatives are not formed in such a product.

It is worth considering that for efficient operation of the device, the mandatory presence of a reflux condenser is required, which must be located higher and ensure irrigation of the nozzle. Otherwise, using the device becomes meaningless.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Panchenkov nozzle

When used correctly, the Panchenkov nozzle has more pros than cons. Main advantages:

High degree of purification of the drink from impurities.

Strengthening the strength of the product.

Affordable price and ease of use.

As for the disadvantages, then there is only one - reducing the distillation speed.

The advisability of using a Panchenkov nozzle depends on the experience of the moonshiner and the required level of cleaning. Many professionals successfully use homemade stainless steel devices, others prefer the factory version, and some combine both methods.

Installation methods and nozzle care

Install the nozzle in one of two ways:

Fold in half, roll up and screw into the drawer.

The device is twisted without bending in half, which increases its density.

You should not get too carried away with increasing the density, since rolls that are too tight can lead to unfavorable consequences - clogging of the column and explosion of the distillation cube.

After use, the device is pulled out of the apparatus using tweezers and cleaned. To do this, the nozzle is placed in a solution of citric acid, boiled for 15-20 minutes and washed with clean water. After such manipulations, the product is ready for further use.

Error or something to add?

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Delivery

Delivery methods in Moscow and the Moscow region

Standard delivery by courier in Moscow within the Moscow Ring Road:

• Delivery of goods worth less than RUB 3,000. - 400 rubles.
• Delivery of goods costing from 3,000 - 5,000 rubles. - 300 rubles .
• Delivery of goods: total cost of more than 5,000 rubles. - FOR FREE .

Same-day delivery in Moscow within the Moscow Ring Road costs from 600 rubles, depending on the size and weight of the order.

Standard courier delivery in the Moscow region:

• Delivery within the Moscow region up to 5 km. from MKAD – 600 rub.
• Delivery within the Moscow region from 5 km. up to 10 km. from MKAD – 700 rub.
• Delivery within the Moscow region from 10 km. up to 20 km. from MKAD – 800 rub.
• Delivery within the Moscow region from 20 km. up to 30 km. from MKAD – 900 rub.
• Delivery within the Moscow region from 30 km. up to 40 km. from MKAD – 1100 rub.
• Delivery within the Moscow region from 40 km. up to 50 km. from MKAD – 1200 rub.
• Delivery in the Moscow region from 50 km from the Moscow Ring Road - 1200 rub. + 25 rub. per kilometer.

Pickup from retail stores website

After placing an order, a ShopBarn manager will contact you to confirm the availability of all ordered items and agree on a pickup date for the order. Order processing occurs during store business hours; order assembly takes from several hours to several days, depending on the availability of ordered items in the warehouse of the pickup store. After agreeing on the order, the order is placed on reserve for 3 days.

The Panchenkov nozzle is a metal corrugated mesh rolled into a roll. It is used in distillers and distillation columns to increase the degree of purification. Makes it possible to obtain a pure product by filtering alcohol vapors from fusel oils and various impurities.

Types of Panchenkov nozzles:

Copper differs from stainless steel in that it has a neutralizing effect on sulfur compounds that are formed during fermentation. Thus, the Panchenkov copper nozzle is more effective in use.
Copper nozzles are used for premium equipment. They are more expensive and require constant maintenance. They need to be washed after each use.

Universal "classic". For distillation of any mash. Unlike copper, it is easy to maintain, does not oxidize and is easier to clean.

Characteristics:

• Material: Stainless steel or copper.
• Width: 10 cm.
• Length: 1 m.

Working principle of Regular Wire Nozzle.

After heating in the cube of the apparatus, alcohol-containing vapors rise into the pipe (tsarg), where they come into contact not only with the walls, as in classical distillation, but also with the surface of the nozzle, giving off some of the heat to the wire. As a result, fusel oils and other impurities with a high boiling point condense and flow back into the cube along the walls of the drawer in the form of phlegm (liquid), and the alcohol vapor, purified from some of the harmful impurities, continues to move further to the cooler.

Thus, the on-load tap-changer in conjunction with a reflux condenser helps to increase the strength and obtain a higher quality and purified product at the output.

In using the Panchenkov nozzle there are pros and cons.

Minus:

• A significant reduction in throughput in the drawer, thereby slowing down the entire process.

Plus:

• Using the nozzle, you will get a cleaner drink.
• If the quality of the resulting product is more important than the speed of distillation, then we recommend using a nozzle.

Advantages of the nozzle

1. After distillation you will get a purer product.
2. Increases the strength of moonshine.
3. The time for cleaning moonshine is reduced. The process occurs simultaneously with distillation.
4. The attachment is easy to install and use.
5. Durable.

If a couple of years ago there was quite an active discussion of the topic “which nozzle is better?”, Today this question is practically closed. The appearance and practical development of the SPN (spiral-prismatic nozzle) resolved these disputes quite clearly. Of course, the use of cut or uncut stainless steel sponges as nozzles remains relevant even now. But this is a “quick fix” option, and rectifiers who use washcloths sooner or later end up with SPN. However, we will mention not only these varieties. What was used before (and sometimes still used in some places today)?

1. Washcloths. Awarded first place for accessibility, low cost and fairly good results in use. When choosing washcloths, the main attention should be paid to the issue of actual corrosion resistance. Therefore, you should not buy a lot at once; you need to check the candidate first. To do this, the washcloth must be “salted”, i.e. cut into pieces, sprinkle with salt and wrap in a wet rag (or the rag should be soaked in brine), leave to lie. If after several days the rust has not appeared, everything is in order, you can start shopping. The number of washcloths should be based on the approximate packing density of 250-280 grams of washcloth per liter of the internal volume of the packed part of the column. You can stuff it either with whole washcloths or by cutting them into pieces. The density of the packing depends on the size of the cutting (there is no need to chop it too much - they crumble), and the quality of separation depends on the density. It will still not be possible to achieve maximum separation with washcloths.

Sponges can also be used as a holding “plug” when filling the column with other nozzles.

2. Raschig rings, balls, ceramics and other repeating elements. These types of packing have long been used in packed columns. The material from which the elements are made can be different - metal, ceramics, glass. The surface is better rough. In principle, a normal nozzle.

3. Sulzer attachment, Panchenkov on-load tap-changer. This type of attachment has long been presented by some manufacturers of household appliances as almost a breakthrough solution. In fact, these attachments have been used in industry for a long time. Compared to the attachments above, these two options (which are essentially the same) provide better separation and are slightly more productive.

Finally, relatively recently appeared

4. SPN nozzles (spiral-prismatic). SPN Selivanenko was the first to appear on the market. At the moment, the topic of creating SPNs has been developed by other manufacturers. A lot of work has been done to create specific SPNs to achieve various goals. Currently, this type of nozzle is the best for use in household columns. According to the results of numerous experiments conducted by rectifiers, the best option in terms of versatility, results obtained and cost is the use of a 10-sided SPN produced in Ukraine - the so-called Diogenes SPN.

You can make the SPN yourself, although for single use it is easier to buy from a reputable manufacturer. The price of a good nozzle on average ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 rubles per liter (1 liter of nozzle weighs about 1.2 - 2.1 kg, depending on the thickness of the wire). Recently I was at a construction fair, I went into a pavilion with moonshine goods, so they asked 1,500 rubles for 450 grams. This, of course, is nonsense. Here is a video on how you can make the nozzle yourself

I will not consider options for using broken glass and other ersatz substitutes as a nozzle, since for those who want to save money, there are washcloths that give quite predictable results and about the use of which there are a lot of reviews.

What is the impact of the attachment on the final result? The nozzle is designed to ensure good retention of the maximum amount of reflux in the form of a film on its surface and at the same time ensure the passage of a sufficient steam flow. After all, it is during the interaction of steam and phlegm that the separation of the alcohol-water mixture into fractions occurs. Thus, the larger the surface area of ​​the nozzle, the better, but the nozzle should not be too “tight” so that the steam path is blocked. As soon as the nozzle begins to “flood” with phlegm, steam will bubble through the phlegm and then choke will occur. Thus, there are several operating modes of the column: “film”, “emulsification” and emergency - flooding. The most profitable mode is emulsification. The main thing here is to find out at what indicators of power supply and extraction in your column it is possible to achieve a stable pre-flood, which does not turn into a choke. For each column, these indicators will be different, since it is impossible to take into account all the nuances, for example, heat loss, heater efficiency, etc.

You can write a lot about the nozzle, even just one SPN, so if you have any specific questions, ask.

Hi all! Matvey is with you. Today we’ll talk a little about regular wires, and I’ll go over the main issues of this topic.

When home brewing, nozzles are usually used, woven from either stainless wire or copper. They are used in column-type devices. In industry, they can be made not only of metals, but also of polymer threads.

Rice. 1. Panchenkov nozzles (copper, stainless steel and combined)

So, the first question is: what are nozzles for? They are needed to increase the degree of the resulting alcohol solution throughout the entire distillation. And, as a result, obtaining alcohol of higher purity.

How it works? The nozzle is located in the column part of the apparatus. When the mash is heated in a cube, alcohol-containing vapors rise through the pipe, where they come into contact not only with the walls, as in classical distillation, but also with the surface of the nozzle, giving off some of the heat to the wire. Thanks to this, heavy components condense and flow back into the cube. Alcohol vapor continues to move towards the refrigerator.

These explanations are for understanding the overall picture, and they are most often found on the Internet. In fact, the physical process is somewhat more complicated. Not all alcohol reaches the refrigerator immediately. Some of it flows with heavy components into the cube, but on its way it encounters more and more portions of steam. There is a gradual enrichment of the alcohol at the top of the pipe, and eventually the product reaches the cooler.

The important thing is that the wire increases the surface area of ​​the pipe from the inside tens of times. The condensation center becomes larger, and the efficiency of separating impurities increases.

Let's move on. Is it possible to obtain highly purified alcohol without using attachments? It is possible, but this would require seriously increasing the height of the column, which is not economically feasible. In addition, in cramped home conditions this will also be problematic.

The next question is: can these attachments be replaced with something else? Of course you can. There are other types of attachments. In addition, you can make them yourself, but this is a topic for another review.

The next question is: which is better, copper or stainless steel? Stainless steel is more practical; it requires cleaning only as a last resort, for example, when mash gets into the column. When distilling sugar mash, this is perhaps the best option.

Another thing is when it comes to grain mash, they contain sulfur, which in the form of hydrogen sulfide can easily pass through elements of stainless equipment. As a result, you will get a hint of rotten smell in the resulting drink. In this case, copper will take the brunt of binding sulfur. Of course, this will turn it black and form sulfides, but fortunately it is easy to clean. In a classic mash, a copper nozzle will behave in the same way as a stainless steel nozzle.

It is necessary to take into account the fact that copper is much more expensive than stainless steel, and for those who occasionally distill grain preparations, combined nozzles can be offered. Their price, as well as their properties, is at an average level, and for weaving in such nozzles, copper and stainless steel wire are used in equal proportions.

Rice. 2. Curling the nozzle into the wad

Now let's talk about how to install attachments in the drawer. For clarity, I will use a glass cylinder so that you can see how the nozzle is located inside the column.

There are 2 main ways. Everything is done very simply. The first method is to measure the required amount depending on the diameter of the pipe. In my case, a 35mm cylinder requires about half a meter of nozzle. We fold the nozzle as follows: roll it very tightly into a wad, evenly and completely. Roll it up as tightly as possible, but, of course, without unnecessary fanaticism.

Rice. 3. Example of installing a nozzle in a glass cylinder

Then we take the drawbar, carefully place it at the beginning of the wad and install it with a slight turn. It is important that she does not drive, does not walk, and that everything is quite tight.

The second twisting option is to first fold the nozzle in half and then begin twisting. This way it turns out faster and is no different in efficiency. And in the same way we bring the beginning into the drawer and introduce it with a turn.

Once again I will repeat the importance of tightly packing the nozzle in the drawers. Otherwise, the steam will follow the path of least resistance, and you will seriously lose in the cleaning efficiency of your future product.

Now as for filling the drawer in height. In total, you need to fill your entire column 2/3 with the nozzle. This way you can get the most out of your equipment.

I'll say a few words about cleaning the nozzles. We wash the stainless steel in hot water, and only if there is such a need. And we clean the copper attachment after each use. We take it out of the pipe in any convenient way, try not to damage the structure, then boil clean water. Usually 1-2 liters is enough. Add citric acid at the rate of 10 grams per liter of water and lower the nozzles with full immersion.

Literally after 2-3 minutes of boiling they become like new. Then we rinse the nozzles with water to remove any remaining acid. This will complete the cleaning.

Are there any disadvantages to using this auxiliary equipment? Firstly, the technological process is definitely becoming more expensive due to the cost of the nozzles themselves. Secondly, the hydraulic resistance in the column increases, which leads to a noticeable slowdown in the distillation process. Thirdly, when using a copper on-load tap-changer, we have the additional hassle of cleaning it. Fourthly, it is necessary to have column-type equipment directly.

Last question: can these attachments be used in classic moonshine stills? Probably, it will not be possible to use stainless steel nozzles, but copper nozzles when distilling grain mash can be placed in the cube itself. The chemical reaction of sulfur with copper, although with less efficiency, will also occur directly in the cube itself in the liquid phase. The main thing is not to use copper in the refrigerator, because... copper salts are very poisonous, and they will definitely end up in the product.

That's all for me. Write your comments, all the best and goodbye!