Many former residents of the USSR appreciated the benefits of moonshine during the Gorbachev struggle against drunkenness, the so-called Prohibition.
Since then, some Russians have been drinking it, rejecting surrogate store vodka and cheap fake wines from the distribution network.
A lot of apparatus designs have appeared that make it possible to distill this alcohol-containing product at home, among which Mashkovsky’s moonshine has proven itself very well.
The advantages of moonshine
Moonshine is attractive because only natural products are used to make it. It is also convenient that a rather large palette of sugar-containing raw materials is suitable for distilling moonshine - any jam, berries, fruits, vegetables, wheat, even sweets.
Moonshine is versatile: in addition to using it as an independent drink, it is perfect as a basis for the manufacture of alcohol, similar in quality to “noble” cognacs and whiskey, liqueurs and tinctures, as well as high-quality vodka.
A bit of history
About a strong alcoholic beverage made at home in Russia has been known since the fifteenth century.
They called it then "bread wine", which was used not only as a pleasure potion, but also as a medicine.
The Novgorod Chronicle first mentions this drink in 1533.
Moonshine this product began to be called since 1917. The term has been assigned to home distillate. Prior to this, a drink of this type was called "tavern." After the October Revolution, any illegally produced strong drink began to bear the name of moonshine.
The history of Russian moonshine has been going on since the reign of Ivan the Terrible, when the first tavern was opened. Only wealthy people could visit him. The oprichniks had such a right, which they were very proud of.
Moonshine in such establishments was produced at a fairly high level. For this, spring water with a certain level of hardness and a specific taste was used, as well as rye of frost-resistant varieties.
Purification of the drink was carried out using milk and egg white, then distilled again, as a result, its cost was quite significant.
It is believed that the quality of ancient Russian moonshine exceeded today's cognacs and whiskeys.
Prototypes of apparatus for the manufacture of hard liquors were still among the alchemists. At that time, private individuals did not have the opportunity to start such a device, so there were "public moonshines" in the cities that produced strong alcohol products in large quantities in a short time.
About the quality of ancient moonshine
The quality of moonshine was then given great attention. By Elizabeth II, this drink was presented as a gift to Voltaire, Karl Linnaeus, Frederick the Great. Fermentation was done on specially grown yeast, cleaned with birch, linden or oak charcoal, filtered with bread, egg white, milk.
Even a method of cleaning by freezing was practiced, when the ice deposited on the wall of the barrel collected all the harmful impurities. Given the high cost of such technology, the cost of the finished drink was very high, exceeding the cost of French cognac.
Today, anyone can afford to buy a moonshine still and try to make high-quality strong alcohol at home. Mashkovsky’s moonshine still recommended itself very well.
The originality of its design
In this apparatus, the quality of the resulting alcohol is given increased attention through the use of additional devices in the distillation process. The design of the product is distinguished by two dry steamers.
Alcohol vapors have to undergo a double purification: coarse and fine.
Fusel oily liquid flows down the walls of the steam tanks to the bottom. The design is quite compact, has high performance.
The Mashkovsky moonshine still has several modifications that differ only in the volume of the distillation cube.
System description
Given the absolute fundamental identity of all modifications, consider the system using the example of one of the models.
For example, consider a moonshine "Magarych" Mashkovsky 12-liter.
The material from which it is made is AISI 304 stainless steel. The distillation cube has two wooden handles to make it convenient to carry.
A special metal cartridge is fitted to accommodate the coil.
The cooler is equipped with two pipes designed to connect hoses through which a flow of water for cooling is carried out.
Both drums have a vertical arrangement, are located above the distillation cube, which has a volume of 12 liters.
The second dry tank is equipped with a built-in bimetallic thermometer. The indicator on it is arrow type. Scale range from zero to one hundred and twenty degrees.
The tightness of the compounds is very good. The bottom surface is flat, which positively affects the distillation when using an induction or electric stove. There are no odors during operation.
About other modifications
The 13-liter Mashkovsky moonshine also has two dry steamers, a thermometer. The distillation column is replaced by settling tanks that clean alcohol vapors from unnecessary impurities. The lower steamer is equipped with a nozzle along which draining fusel oils are discharged. It is easy to put a silicone tube on it and put it into a collection container.
Moonshine "Magarych" Mashkovsky 20 BKDR has a twenty-liter distillation cube. The rest of the design is similar to the above models: the lower steam tank is equipped with a drain pipe, running water passes through the tubes available on the cooler.
The upper steam tank, as on other models, has a removable cover, under which you can put any kind of spice to flavor the alcohol.
The 13-liter device with a lid on the distillation cube, which is fastened with six latches, is somewhat different from other models. Silicone is used for laying.
The lid is easily removed to fill the mash, after which the container closes and the distillation process takes place.
Which moonshine Mashkovsky choose?
All modifications of the devices are made of durable food steel, they are reliable and durable in operation. For gaskets good rubber is used.
The vertical design of the device allows you to save space in the room where alcohol-containing products are produced.
Distillation devices are patented, they are easy to operate and look beautiful from the outside.
The most popular is the Mashkovsky moonshine with 12-liter capacity. With it, you can get up to 2 liters of the finished product. It is convenient to control the distillation process even by a novice using the two bimetallic thermometers with which the upper steam tank and the distillation tank are equipped.
To fill the mash should screw the distiller located on the neck. Such equipment is very convenient for a beginner distillery, since it turns out immediately quite high-quality moonshine, which can not be cleaned and distilled a second time.
The design with a 20-liter distillation tank is convenient if you need to get a large amount of alcohol-containing liquid. For example, in rural areas, where it is often necessary to celebrate an event with the whole village, and a lot of alcohol is being consumed, it is precisely Mashkovsky's moonshine that helps out.
User reviews say that with this model in five hours you can easily drive 10 liters of a good alcoholic beverage. In this case, the villager will always find raw materials in order to make mash.
Mashkovsky moonshine still "Export", reviews
Using the principle of a water jacket, the size of the area of cooling and condensing steam in this model of the reflux condenser is expanded to 374 cubic centimeters, which favorably responds to the performance of the device.
The collet has a diameter of 38 millimeters, which dramatically reduces the possibility of clogging the tubes with hard particles of mash (berries, cake).
Mashkovsky’s moonshine still “Export” receives positive reviews from customers because of its ease of use, convenience and low cost.
Internet users indicate that, taking into account the transfer, the device can be purchased for a little more than 4100 rubles. And the effect of its use is quite significant.
All consumers note that the resulting high-quality purified product gives only pleasure and does not lead to sad consequences, if the measure is followed when using it.
