13 best moonshine stills

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

The increased incidence of poisoning with surrogate alcohol purchased in the Russian retail network is pushing people to distilling. Today, this activity is made easier by a wide range of dedicated distillation apparatus. They are adapted to everyday conditions, allowing you to make various alcoholic drinks in the kitchen. The variety of moonshine stills in stores is amazing, so you can't do without the advice of our experts when choosing.

How to choose a moonshine still

Operating principle. To choose the most effective moonshine still, it is important to know how it works. All devices are based on the evaporation of ethyl alcohol at a low temperature (78.4 ° C), which allows it to be separated from water and other components. Vapors condense in the refrigerator, turning into drops of moonshine. Its strength and purity depends on the height of the vapor rise. Therefore, reflux condensers, dry steam tanks and rectification columns are used as additional devices. Depending on the design and equipment, the cost of the models fluctuates.

Varieties. There are several types of household moonshine still.

1. The classic distiller is the simplest device, consisting of a distillation still and a refrigerator. It optimally combines an affordable price and ease of use. Therefore, experts recommend buying such models for beginners. The main disadvantage of this type is the low quality of the moonshine. Because of this, users resort to double or triple distillation.
2. Installing a suction cup (cube) between the tank and the refrigerator allows you to retain various impurities that evaporate together with ethyl alcohol. Fusel oils are condensed in this small container, but one dry steam tank is not able to cope with a large volume. Often 2-3 or more bunkers are placed in succession. The advantage of this design is the ability to give a certain aroma to alcoholic beverages. To do this, herbs, oak chips or zest are placed in a collapsible dry greenhouse.
3. The beer column is a curved vertical pipe with a reflux condenser (dephlegmator). During evaporation, only the ethanol overcomes the vertical obstacle rise and enters the cooling system. The purity and strength of alcohol in such an apparatus is obtained at the highest level, which allows making noble drinks (cognac, chacha, whiskey).

Performance. Depending on the need for moonshine, indicators such as the capacity of the distillation tank and the distillation rate should be selected.

1. It is difficult to store a moonshine still with large dimensions at home. Therefore, the capacity of the distillation cube is limited to 30 liters, and 5 liters is enough for apartment residents.
2. The more the mash needs to be processed, the more the performance of the device should be. If the volumes are small, then the distillation rate can be 1.5-2.0 liters per hour. When you need to get a lot of alcohol, it is better to take a more efficient unit (up to 10 l / h).

We have selected 13 best moonshine stills for review. All of them are sold in the Russian trade network. When compiling the rating, the opinions of experts and consumer reviews were taken into account.

Rating of the best moonshine stills

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Best inexpensive moonshine stills	1	MAGARYCH Makovsky Export 12	RUB 7,650
	2	Phoenix Elehant Pro 20 liters	RUB 8,700
	3	Pervach Elite 17T	RUB 6,280
	4	Pragmatec Marusya 23	RUB 1,513
The best column-type moonshine stills	1	Luxstahl Luxstahl-5 20 liters	RUB 19,990
	2	Phoenix Sirius 20 liters	RUB 15,500
	3	Dobrovar Reflegmator the same 17	RUB 9,000
	4	Wayne Wein-4 30 liters	RUB 18,590
The best moonshine stills with a steamer	1	Cuprum & Steel Galaxy-2 30 liters	RUB 30,030
	2	LUXSTAHL 4 (30 l)	RUB 19,990
	3	Dobry Zhar Extra Lux 20 liters	RUB 14,000
	4	Phoenix People's 30 liters	RUB 12,000
	5	Magarych Mashkovsky 20BKDR (20 l)	RUB 8,730

Best inexpensive moonshine stills

Novice moonshiners should try their hand at using inexpensive machines. These devices are compact in size, light in weight, and easy to operate. But they are not designed for large volumes of alcohol production, and the quality of the resulting product leaves much to be desired. Experts advise paying attention to the following entry-level models.

MAGARYCH Makovsky Export 12

Rating: 4.9

A good high-quality moonshine can be obtained with the help of the apparatus Magarych Makovsky Export 12. The product is equipped with a 12-liter distillation still, a dry steam tank in the form of a reflux condenser. The productivity of this design is up to 2 liters of pure alcohol per hour. Experts highly appreciated the use of stainless steel by the manufacturer (thickness 1 mm), so you don't have to worry about the reliability and durability of the distiller. The advantages include the possibility of additional equipment with a thermometer, as well as ease of assembly / disassembly and washing. The model becomes the winner of our rating.

Users in reviews praise the moonshine still for its high speed of distillation, decent quality of alcohol, compact size and reasonable price.

Advantages

• high performance;
• affordable price;
• dry greenhouse;
• quality materials.

disadvantages

• modest equipment.

Phoenix Elehant Pro 20 liters

Rating: 4.8

The most expensive device among the state employees of our rating is the Phoenix Elehant Pro distiller. But this model allows you to process up to 20 liters of mash in one race. The body of the device is made of 1 mm thick stainless steel. In performance, the device is not inferior to our leader (up to 2 l / h), while the process can be monitored using the installed thermometer. Experts note the ease of use, even people without experience in the field of home brewing will be able to start the distillation process. To the pluses it is necessary to add stylish design and compact size.

Russian fans of home-made strong alcohol found one flaw in the design. This is the low efficiency of the refrigerator. Because of this, some of the alcohol vapor goes into the air.

Advantages

• large alembic;
• quality materials;
• good equipment;
• compact size.

disadvantages

• inefficient refrigerator.

Pervach Elite 17T

Rating: 4.7

A good combination of performance and affordable price is observed in the Pervach Elite 17T moonshine still. The experts praised the manufacturer for the convenient design of the device. The removable lid and wide mouth make the tank easy to service. In one run, you can process up to 17 liters of mash, while the distillation rate is about 2 l / h. The manufacturer took care of the safety of work by installing a pressure control valve. The sturdy stainless steel housing can withstand any kind of heater, be it an electric stove or a gas stove. The model becomes the bronze medalist of our rating.

Experienced moonshiners praise the purity of alcohol and good performance. It is not very convenient to connect the refrigerator to the water supply, there are leaks due to the lack of clamps.

Advantages

• high quality moonshine;
• large alembic;
• stainless steel body;
• affordable price.

disadvantages

• no clamps;
• leaks occur along the welded seams.

Pragmatec Marusya 23

Rating: 4.6

If you need a cheap miniature moonshine still, you can purchase the Pragmatec Marusya 23 model. The distillation cube contains only 3 liters of mash, while the distillation speed is limited to 1 l / h. For the manufacture of the container, the manufacturer used a stainless steel. No water supply is required to cool the alcohol vapor. A bucket of cold water is enough. Experts note the compact size (diameter 160 mm, height 270 mm) and lightness (300 g), which makes it easy to store and transport the device.

Most consumers are satisfied with the performance of the device. They value low cost, compact size and ease of use. The disadvantages include modest performance and a silicone hose in the cooling system.

Advantages

• compactness and lightness;
• low price;
• no plumbing required;
• ease of use.

disadvantages

• low productivity;
• silicone hose in the refrigerator.

The best column-type moonshine stills

To get a cleaner and stronger moonshine, manufacturers equip devices with rectification columns. Thanks to this design, it is possible to retain heavy particles and fractions, passing only pure alcohol vapors into the refrigerator. The strength of the product can reach 96%. Experts noted the work of several units.

Luxstahl Luxstahl-5 20 liters

Rating: 4.9

The Luxstahl-5 device allows you to obtain pure alcohol with a strength of up to 96%. The model is equipped with a 20 L distillation tank and a high-performance 8-pipe reflux condenser. Therefore, the by-products do not get into the refrigerator during the sublimation of ethanol. As a result, the distillation rate reaches 10 l / h. Experts highly appreciated the quality of alcohol, the absence of foreign odors. Clamp fastening allows you to independently remove the heating element and carry out high-quality flushing of the device. Considering all the advantages of the distiller, even the high price did not prevent it from taking first place in our rating.

Users praise the manufacturer for its modern design, rich package bundle, pure strong alcohol. The disadvantages include only the high price.

Advantages

• high-quality distillation;
• capacious alembic;
• convenient service;
• rich equipment.

disadvantages

• high price.

Phoenix Sirius 20 liters

Rating: 4.8

At the most attractive price, the Phoenix Sirius moonshine still is sold on the domestic market. The model holds up to 20 liters of mash, which is distilled at a speed of 3 liters / h. The device body is made of stainless steel 1 mm thick. The clamp connector makes the operation of the product simple and convenient. With the help of a full-fledged beer column, it is possible to obtain a clean and strong alcoholic product, which is especially important in the manufacture of cognac or whiskey. The experts appreciated the value for money of the distiller, giving it the second line in our rating.

Domestic moonshiners are satisfied with the convenience of the design, the possibility of modernization, good equipment and an affordable price. But a quality product is obtained only after the second distillation.

Advantages

• low price;
• quality materials;
• full-fledged mash column;
• comfortable design.

disadvantages

• double distillation required.

Dobrovar Reflegmator the same 17

Rating: 4.7

The Dobrovar Reflegmator “The Same” is a multifunctional distillation apparatus. Thanks to the inverted dephlegmator, you can get a wide range of drinks, from alcohol to low-alcohol fractions. The experts liked the simplicity and affordable price of the model, a large number of additional elements. The alembic is made of stainless steel and has a capacity of 17 liters. A heating element with a power of 5 kW provides quick heating of the mash, the distillation rate reaches 5 l / h. In the case of obtaining alcohol from moonshine, the productivity increases to 8 l / h. Small weight (1.3 kg) and simple design allowed the device to take the third prize in our rating.

Users believe that the device lacks power, so it is quite difficult to get alcohol.

Advantages

• multifunctionality;
• affordable price;
• stainless steel tank;
• light weight.

disadvantages

• lack of power.

Wayne Wein-4 30 liters

Rating: 4.6

The Wein Wein-4 moonshine still boasts the most capacious tank (30 l). The body is made of stainless steel with a thickness of 1.5 mm. Experts appreciated the capabilities of the fourth generation device, which was released in 2018. The manufacturer increased the column height to 71.5 cm, increased the efficiency of the refrigerator by installing 4 tubes, and replaced the direct-flow dephlegmator with a shell-and-tube design. The distillation speed depends on the selected mode and ranges from 2 liters (very strong drinks) to 10 liters (quick distillation without separating heads and tails).

The convenient design of the transformer has received positive reviews from users. But for the poor quality of welded seams, the device does not fall on the pedestal of our rating.

Advantages

• rich selection of distillation modes;
• high quality stainless steel;
• effective cooling;
• comfortable design.

disadvantages

• high price;
• not perfect seams.

The best moonshine stills with a steamer

Manufacturers are pinning several hopes on dry steamers, equipping them with moonshine stills. First of all, these elements are designed to trap fusel oils and mechanical impurities. And the second purpose is to flavor alcohol. For this, collapsible dry-pan are made, in which flavors are placed. The following models have earned high marks from experts.

Cuprum & Steel Galaxy-2 30 liters

Rating: 4.9

The Russian-made Cuprum & Steel Galaxy-2 moonshine still looks very stylish. Experts note not only exquisite appearance, but also high-quality assembly. The details are perfectly processed and matched, the design is optimally combined with different materials. If for the manufacture of the distillation tank the manufacturer used a stainless steel 1.5 mm thick, then for better heat transfer, the steam chamber and the column are made of copper. This combination of metals ensures the durability of the device. For the high quality of the distillate and thoughtful design, the apparatus becomes the winner of our rating.

Users are satisfied with the capacious distillation cube (30 l), ease of use, and high-quality workmanship. Of the minuses, there is a high price.

Advantages

• stylish appearance;
• thoughtful design;
• high-quality assembly;
• high quality alcohol.

disadvantages

• high price.

LUXSTAHL 4 (30 l)

Rating: 4.8

The LUXSTAHL 4 moonshine still allows you to continuously monitor the distillation process. The user can control the strength, getting different drinks at the outlet. This is achieved thanks to a needle valve that supplies water to the cooling system. The experts gave the model the second place in our rating for cleanliness and accuracy. The manufacturer used copper mesh in the column to separate foreign odors. Depending on the type of alcohol, one of 6 modes is selected, which allows you to prepare a wide range of drinks, from beer to raw alcohol (up to 90%).

Domestic moonshiners, along with the advantages and disadvantages of the apparatus. This is a high price and optional equipment of the device with a steam generator.

Advantages

• high productivity (up to 7 l / h);
• roomy cube;
• thick-walled stainless steel (2 mm);
• 6 modes.

disadvantages

• high price;
• dry greenhouse is purchased separately.

Dobry Zhar Extra Lux 20 liters

Rating: 4.7

The Dobry Zhar Extra Lux model is an extremely easy-to-use moonshine still. The best option for home use would be a modification with a distillation cube capacity of 20 liters. Experts point out high-quality stainless steel with a thickness of 1.5 mm, the presence of two dry hoppers with drain taps. Thanks to this design, it is possible to promptly remove fusel oils from the apparatus. The device is somewhat inferior to the rating leaders in distillation speed (up to 4 l / h). The manufacturer has provided 5 heating modes, if desired, you can upgrade the device by adding a heating element with a capacity of up to 2 kW.

The users liked the equipment of the device, the set includes a pack of yeast, a recipe book, an alcohol meter. To the disadvantages, they include coarse taps and non-separable dry steam baths.

Advantages

• two dry greenhouses;
• quality materials;
• 5 heating modes;
• rich equipment.

disadvantages

• rough taps;
• non-collapsible dry steam boxes.

Phoenix People's 30 liters

Rating: 4.6

The classic moonshine still for home is the Phoenix Narodny model. This simple and reliable device allows you to get high quality drinks if you follow the instructions provided. You can pour 30 liters of mash into the distillation cube, it will be distilled at a speed of up to 3 l / h. And although the processing speed is quite modest compared to the winners of our rating, the manufacturer has provided for the possibility of flavoring the drink during distillation. Experts have appreciated the quality of the alcohol; there is no need to re-distill the product. Eye-catching and beautiful appearance.

But users have significant comments on the quality of the device. Many complaints come to the address of the welded seams, for some they flow, in some models they generally burst.

Advantages

• acceptable price;
• large tank;
• high-quality distillation;
• ease of use.

disadvantages

• poor quality welds.

Magarych Mashkovsky 20BKDR (20 l)

Rating: 4.5

The original design of the moonshine still was invented by domestic developers. Model Magarych Mashkovsky 20BKDR is equipped with a 20-liter distillation cube, which is made of stainless steel (1 mm). To reduce heat loss, the manufacturer used eco-leather external insulation. Similarly wrapped and dry greenhouses (2 pcs.). However, it was not possible to achieve high productivity, only 1.5 liters of moonshine are obtained per hour. According to experts, the device is good because it allows you to get ready-made alcoholic drinks. To do this, a flavoring agent in the form of grass or wood chips is added to the upper dryhouse.

Users love the wooden handles that make it safe to carry. The disadvantages include the narrow neck of the tank, the thin bottom, and the lack of hoses in the kit.

Advantages

• stylish appearance;
• carrying handles;
• collapsible steam bath;
• low price.

disadvantages

• narrow neck;
• no hoses.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.