Moonshine still from a saucepan. With copper coil

The advantages of such a device:

1. Assembly time - 5-6 hours.

2. Cost of materials - no more than 1000 rubles.

3. Compactness.

Minuses: small yield of the finished product.

Which pot?

Any one with a tight-fitting lid is suitable for a distillation cube. Keep in mind that with a 5-liter you will get about 1 liter of moonshine.

So the source material:

• pan
• a piece of plastic pipe with a diameter of 45 mm, 2 plugs adapter
• 2 meters of copper tube,
• 2 nipples for outlet / supply of cooling,
• 100 g of epoxy glue, silver paint
• male threaded couplings, 2 nuts,
• spent can with a tin lid,
• fluoroplastic tape,
• a piece of rolled steel or aluminum (for example, a corner or channel),
• two anchors (or bolts) with nuts.

Making a refrigerator

1. Cut off a piece 25-30 cm long from the plastic pipe.

2. We make holes from the water inlet / outlet and the coil.

3. We attach the nipples.

4. We make a coil from a copper tube. For coiling, use a pipe with a diameter of about 3 cm.At each end, leave 20 cm for attachment to the steam generator and the hose for the branch.

5. Place the coil inside the pipe. We mix epoxy glue with silver. With this mixture we seal the joints (covers, holes for the coil and water). Dries for 12 hours.

Making a dry pot

You will need a glass jar with a tin lid. Cut the holes and insert the sleeve. We wrap the thread with fluoroplastic tape and tighten the nuts.

Pot distillation cube

To make the cover hermetically closed, we use a beam and 2 anchors.

To prevent the enamel from cracking during tension, we use gaskets between the beam and the cover, the anchor and the handle.

Assembling a moonshine still

We drill a hole in the pan, put a tube out of the steam chamber and seal the connection.

Using tin, we fix the refrigerator in an upright position. Actually, this is the home distillation apparatus, which is made from an ordinary saucepan and improvised items.

Due to the expensive and not always good alcohol on store shelves, many begin to think about home brewing. And not in vain, because high-quality homemade alcohol will be cheaper, and often much better than the product made in factories. In addition, an undoubted advantage is that a drink made at home can have a taste and aroma that cannot be found on store shelves, or its quality will be very controversial.

Due to the increasing popularity of home brewing, there are many stores with a large assortment of household appliances that will satisfy the needs of any customer. But, as a rule, the assortment provided may have a very high price, which makes one think about self-assembly of the moonshine still. The main task of this article is to help with the manufacture of a container for a moonshine still - a distillation still.

What is Evaporation Cube

Before proceeding with the manufacture of the container, let us consider in more detail its purpose and the principle of its operation. ... A moonshine still is a container in which:

• The finished mash is heated, as a result of which various fractions begin to evaporate, among which is the ethyl alcohol necessary for the moonshiner.
• Evaporating, the vapors go through the hoses to the refrigerator, where the distillation process and the selection of the ethyl alcohol fraction takes place.

Basic design requirements

In order for the process of making moonshine to proceed without problems, and the quality of the finished product to be impeccable, the evaporator cube must meet the following requirements:

Fulfilling all of the above requirements is not as difficult as it might seem. There will be no problems with the material either, the most popular is food grade stainless steel. It is resistant to high temperatures, relatively inert, cheap and readily available. Distillation cubes made of stainless steel for a moonshine still make up most of the goods in stores of this topic.

There are many ready-made examples of homemade containers, so you don't have to come up with a design yourself. But often the use of some tools is required, which include a drill, you may have to use welding or soldering. Therefore, you need both the tools themselves and experience when working with them.

Some craftsmen can assemble a distillation vessel from scratch, creating individual blueprints for the workpiece, cutting metal parts from solid sheets of metal and then assembling them. But this case is rather an exception, since it requires at least good skills in handling a welding machine and a grinder, and it is more suitable for people who want to create something unique. For an ordinary person who just wants to save money on buying a moonshine still, the most common running options will be listed manufacturing containers with minimal upgrades and costs.

Using a pressure cooker as a container

A pressure cooker is an almost ready-made distillation tank that requires minimal modernization. It is completely sealed, the lid is well fixed. A pressure relief valve is also available, which eliminates the risk of explosion during distillation. The presence of a non-stick coating prevents the mash from burning on the walls of the cube.

The capacity of this container does not allow distilling large volumes of moonshine, which affects the overall performance, but it can be an ideal option for people who do not have the desire or ability to create a separate distillation still.

To turn the pressure cooker in the moonshine, you only need to drill a hole and insert a nipple and a fitting into it, on which the hose connecting the distillation cube with the refrigerator will be put on.

Flask cube

Milk flasks are popular for DIY cubes due to their affordability and minimal rework. A distillation cube from a flask is ideal for distilling large volumes of mash, because the total capacity of such a flask can be up to 100 liters. Also, the flask has gaskets that will ensure tightness, and are able to withstand the temperature during the distillation process.

According to the materials, the flasks are made of aluminum and stainless steel. It is advisable to use stainless steel for the alembic. Although the effect of aluminum on the body is poorly understood at the moment, it is better not to risk your health. To convert a milk flask into a distillation container, just drill a hole for the nipple in the center of the lid, similar to a pressure cooker ... To protect yourself from the explosion of such a cube, it is advisable to drill an additional hole for the pressure cooker safety valve, which can be bought in the store, or ordered online.

With a large volume of the flask, it is difficult to remove it from the stove, so a drain valve can also be embedded in the container, which will allow you to remove the mash after distillation without having to carry a heavy container. You can remake a flask for electric heating, for this, holes are cut into the container for heating elements. The number of holes depends on the power of the heating element and its shape, for example, one spiral is enough, or two or more for a U-shaped one. The holes are sealed using fum tape or special heat-resistant sealants, and fixed with nuts.

The presence of two heating elements in the flask will allow the wash to reach the desired temperature faster, after which one heating element can be turned off. This is very convenient for high volumes. Also, the use of heating elements instead of standard heating on the stove allows you to reduce mash sticking to the walls, which has a positive effect on the taste of the finished product.

Making a cube from a pan

If you don't have a pressure cooker, and you can't get a milk flask, you can try to make a distillation cube from a saucepan with your own hands.

To do this, you first need to remove the handle from the pot lid. For products of poor quality, the lid can be torn off even by hand. If it doesn't work, then it can be cut off with a hacksaw. Then, in the center of the cover, a hole is drilled for the fitting, if desired, also a hole for the safety valve. Next, you need to come up with a seal for the lid itself, and a way to fix it. You can make an airtight gasket from a regular silicone hose, choosing the right size, and sewing the edges with ordinary thread. Stationery clips can be used to secure the lid.

Keg distillation tank

You can also make a cube from a beer keg. It is relatively large in volume, sealed, has convenient carrying handles, the neck is convenient for pouring mash. The advantage is that a tube is welded to the cork of the keg, and to upgrade the keg to a moonshine still, it is enough to install the fitting with the tube outward. A silicone hose is attached to the tube using a crimp clamp, which will be combined with the distiller, and on this the alembic from the beer keg is ready to use with your own hands.

Very often there are difficulties with the removal of factory fittings, so it is advisable to purchase a keg on which they have already been removed. If a closed beer keg is available, then remove the fittings with extreme caution, as it may contain pressure from the remnants of beer and gases.

If desired, you can make holes for a thermometer and a safety valve, embed heating elements. If the keg has a large volume, you can equip it with a tap to drain the mash.

Making a container for a moonshine still with your own hands is a relatively simple process, and the cost of the costs is much lower compared to buying a ready-made container. If you have confidence in your abilities, it's better to make a cube yourself by adding everything you need for convenient home brewing, which will save you a lot of money.

Attention, only TODAY!

Somehow I passed this topic. I must say - completely undeserved. In principle, many will say that constructively the cube, as they say, "does not affect the speed." However, the cube construct sometimes has a very significant impact on the usability. And in some processes (for example, when working with grain mash), it can also affect the overall speed of the process.

Let's consider the main variations of cubes, their strengths and weaknesses. Of course, I will not disassemble non-standard homemade products. Let's talk only about the most common options built on standard components. The first in the row will rightfully be the well-deserved

Milk flask (can, capacity from the milking machine). Perhaps the most affordable option as a basis for cubes.
I myself have two pieces of 40 liters each, both were bought second-hand at 1000 rubles apiece (the price for them was quite stable before the crisis, for example, I bought mine with a gap of several months, and even "poking around" - I chose cleaner yes evenly). It is irrational to take a smaller volume, since the price differs slightly, and there is much more sense from a large one. It is better to buy second-hand, since among them there are mostly old, still Soviet-era vessels - I like them better. The new ones are somehow flatter, thinner. Aluminum is perfectly processed, any necessary holes can be made with improvised means. Fittings are used standard brass or bronze (available in any plumbing store, not expensive). The gaskets under the lid can be used with native rubber, wrapping them with a plumbing pipe. If the gasket does not hold or does not exist at all (a reason to bargain the price - a new one costs from 50 to 400 rubles, depending on greed, is sold), it does not matter either. On one of my flasks, the gasket, after working for several months, began to etch and I replaced it with a piece of silicone hose (11 by 16 mm), joining it with a piece of silicone hose of a smaller diameter (8 by 10). Works with a bang.

The disadvantages include:

1. Dislikes alkaline environments. There is no need to wash with all kinds of "moles" and other alkaline-based products. A very quick failure is ensured - the surface is ulcerated and holes are formed.

2. Dislikes cold water. The result is the same as from the action of alkali, just the process is slower.

3. It is necessary to fasten the connecting elements on the threads and without welding, sooner or later they all begin to loosen, and it is intricate to solder aluminum (in any case, this is how I learned it - the ease of assembly is enchanting and it is easier to give up on future difficulties - "and so it will do", but periodically have to tighten). For me, this is perhaps the biggest drawback.

Pressure cooker... This version of the cube is good for everyone, except for one thing - the volume of pressure cookers is usually no more than 12 liters (usually 9-10 liters, or even 5-6). Because of this, it is not rational to fence a heating element in a pressure cooker, you have to purchase an induction unit (the rise in price is already not very profitable due to the small volume of the device) or heat with gas (the impossibility of insulation, which, however, is compensated for by a small volume) and often face height restrictions ( does not pass under a hood, etc.). It is usually used as a "starting" cube for deciding whether to develop. I have in use a 9L stainless steel OKA pressure cooker. I removed the standard valves from it, installed a 1/2 ″ adapter (threaded with a nut and Teflon gasket) into the hole of one of them, and a thermometer into the hole of the other. There are aluminum pressure cookers - they are easier to modify. I chose stainless steel because of its durability and ability to adapt to distilling needs without destructive effects. At any time, you can remove the distiller and thermometer, reinstall the valves and use the pressure cooker for its intended purpose. I quite often use it to make gin (less often absinthe and other drinks based on essential oils of plants). It is much more convenient than driving a large cube.

Cooking pots and boilers ... Needless to say, you need to purchase stainless pans to build a cube, but aluminum pans are now difficult to find, and enameled ones are not suitable. When choosing such a base, you need to pay attention to the thickness of the material and, especially, the rigidity of the lid - you will often put a very heavy apparatus on it. If you are going to use induction, then pay attention to the material of the bottom (not all pots are suitable for use with induction hobs, this, by the way, is a general comment for any cube).
The main problem when designing pot cubes is the sealing of the lid. Sometimes it is possible to pick up a gasket from some silicone baking dish or silicone mat (appeared recently, you can buy it on ebay of the right size), sometimes you have to weld the lid and equip it with a welded flange (or even replace the lid with a suitable circle made of 3mm thick sheet). In general, for home cube building, the "pan" option is poorly suited because of the initial cost of the pan itself, the need for welding (in an amicable way, or soldering in a bad way). And most importantly, due to the presence of a very strong alternative in the form

Stainless steel beer keg ... Great capacity, of course. Thick wall, stiffening ribs, convenient volume (20, 30 and 50 liters). It can be used without alteration, installing the device on a standard 2 ″ neck mount (better with a three-clamp, then no welding or other methods are needed at all). Easily lends itself to deep alteration, after which you will get a really convenient cube for all occasions. The illustration shows a 50 liter keg cube with a pressure cooker welded in to address the issue of a sealed neck. The disadvantages include the need for argon welding, or, at the very worst, brazing.

Today, I consider the pinnacle of amateur cubic construction steam-water boiler (PVK) . Structurally, it consists of two nested containers. The inner container is actually a cube, and the outer one plays the role of a shirt for it. A certain amount of water is poured into the shirt, which is heated with the help of heating elements. It turns out a kind of steam-water bath for a cube. This achieves a good uniform heating of its entire surface with a very small temperature gradient at the boundary of the stillage cube wall. No local overheating, burning, etc. In addition to heating, you can also cool the contents of the cube by passing cold water through the jacket. Such an alternation of heating-cooling is necessary in the preparation of cereal (starch) bregs, where you must first heat it up for boiling, then cool it for saccharification and then for the actual fermentation. It is also very convenient to brew beer. Of course, this version of the cube is, to put it mildly, not budgetary and you need to acquire it already clearly understanding why you actually need it all.

Recently, stainless torque converters have been used as the basis for the cube, but I don't really like this option. They are not cheap; they require no less improvement than a keg. In addition, containers with a volume of less than 80 liters have a horizontal orientation and a hatch at the end. It turns out not very convenient to work with.

Summary... At the very beginning of the distilling activity, you should not purchase an expensive cube or bother with the independent production of a complex container. It is not yet known how real you will need all this later. It makes sense to get a milk flask or even a pressure cooker. It will not be a pity to throw the first one out, and the second one will come in handy even in the presence of advanced cubes. In any case, remember - the cube is just a part of your distilling system and its volume should be combined with the volume of the fermentation tank, the desired amount of the finished product for you and other indicators. It's pretty funny, for example, to try to fill a 35-liter barrel with distillate using a pressure cooker as a distillation still. 🙂

When acquiring a cube, pay attention to the following points: the possibility of insulation (if it is without insulation), the presence of a wide neck to ensure convenient maintenance and the possibility of subsequent refinement (often you do not know what you want tomorrow), the presence of the necessary connecting elements (pipes), sufficient overall structural strength.

This short article clearly shows the main stages of making a cube from available and popular materials used in everyday life, namely from pots. I had the opportunity to buy the notorious kegs, but on reflection, I refused to purchase them.

There are several reasons, the most important for me turned out to be aesthetics and the possibility of heating on an induction hob (in the very near future).
Since I checked the pots with a magnet, I found that they are just excellent magnet.
The price of the issue here turned out to be of secondary importance, because the cost of a keg for 30 liters, and two pots of similar capacity turned out to be about the same, but with pots I get some advantages.

After some hesitation, I purchased two pans of 18 liters each.
The price of one is about 1200 rubles (prices as of March 2011).
Initially, the idea was to simply dock them, by tinning them with a flat fringe of the rim, on which the lid rests.
The gain at first glance is in terms of time and ease of implementation, but the more I thought about it, the more I did not like it.
Most of all I did not like the handles sticking out ugly, and if you remove them, the 8 holes that remain after them.

An important factor is the height of the cube.
Two pots with a total height of about 55 centimeters did not inspire me either.
There was an idea to arrange them horizontally, like a railway tank car.
This could have been fine for the distillation option, but to attach a column to the side of the pan - I didn't like it right away. Purely technically feasible, but not at all rational.
However, such an option for a keg would be quite acceptable, its walls are much thicker.
The mass of the column is quite decent and gradually the junction of the cube and the column will become a big problem in terms of the strength of the pan walls.
Therefore, I settled on a vertical arrangement.

Trying to achieve optimum efficiency in using the volume of pots and the height of the column, he drew large-scale sketches of a cube with a column.
With full height (with handles), and in the version where I shorten the pots a little according to the place where the handles are attached.
The drawing is cropped to show only a cube, but I drew in full scale with a column and a reflux condenser.
So it immediately becomes visible where a tactical design error was made.
I liked the second option better. The height of the cube decreased to a reasonable 40 centimeters, the height of the column increased to 200 centimeters.
I do not lose much by volume of the cube, but I eliminate the problem of possible leakage at the place of the rivets of the handles.
The result should be a cube with a total volume of about 28 liters.
In my opinion, a very reasonable volume, in terms of possible movement and duration of rectification.
For me personally, the optimal time is no more than 2 days.
When selecting within 500 grams, I load about 10-15 liters of concentrated SS into a cube.
The rest is water.
Why 15 liters? Yes, just a receiving pan made of stainless steel has such a volume.
I immediately see what and how much, how much I poured, approximately the same amount I received, minus the volume of heads.

Having decided on the requests, we proceed to eliminate the pens.
When I dismantled the handles, I praised myself many times for having decided to remove them.
The handle itself is welded (quite well) to the reinforcing plate, and then the structure is riveted to the pan.
Despite the quite high-quality appearance, the rivets turned out to be the most common clad aluminum!
Imagining the consequences if I decided to leave those rivets on the cube, I shuddered at the thought of the consequences and potential problems, such as dismantling the welded cube and fixing the leaks.
When I would have to cut all this shit, rivet it again, solder it, having previously disassembled the cube!
And again, leaving after that 8 potentially dangerous soldering of new rivets.
Therefore, I decided to completely close the issue, completely removing the rivet holes, cutting the pots along the bottom edges of the rivet holes.
The pens themselves were left idle.
I'm thinking about the idea of ​​making a removable metal hoop and riveting handles to it.
Then put the ring on the cube using the fixing latch, it will turn out to be practical and safe.
But after three months of using the cube, somehow there was no need to drag it somewhere and gradually I left this venture, although I can make these pens when using it in an apartment.

Close-up rivets.
Aluminum is pressed between two decorative washers.
For the scale of home cooking, this method is justified.
For the needs of rectification, especially with alkalis, this is a delayed-action mine.
Alkali will inevitably seep to aluminum, it's only a matter of time, the destruction of rivets, followed by depressurization of the cube, is inevitable.

So, the pots are shortened, but you can't just insert them into each other, these are not beer cans, but alloy steel.
We need a way that makes the edge of one of the pots expand.
The most accessible method is metal riveting.
All you need is a massive piece of metal, preferably round and, if possible, of soft iron, although with practice, it is possible on steel.
The soft metal reduces the chance of cracking if hit hard with a hammer.
In no case should you rush - it will take a decent amount of time and requires patience.
We attach some kind of stop for restriction, we knock in the place indicated by the red arrow.
The process stretches for several turns, first we knock on the very edge of the pan, slowly turning it.
The impact marks are clearly visible. With
With each turn we increase the indentation from the edge of the pan.
For those who do not have the skills, try it for an experiment on large beer cans.

As a result, you should have a smooth expansion of the rim of the pan (indicated by the arrow).
Next, we carefully grind everything and service it.
The pots should fit into each other to a depth of about 8-10 mm.

Making holes in the bottom - no problem. The edges can be easily processed with a small file for sharpening chains of electric saws.
A large hole was made by drilling small holes along the contour of the circle and removing the middle.
The threads for the taps were cut with a 1 kW drill connected through a powerful LATR.
Everything took about an hour and a half to complete.

As a result, you should get something like this.

Directly at the edges of the thread, the stainless steel peels off slightly.
This does not bother me, it will be clamped to honey by the thread of the adapter sleeve and the nut.
There will be no liquid access to aluminum, all threads are flushed with FUM.
IMHO, carving is purely my personal whim.
Do not bother, it is not at all necessary, since I additionally pressed it from the bottom with a nut with a winding FUM.
Everything will be fine and no thread. I just had the opportunity to cut and I used it.

To clamp the large bronze clamping nut, a locking device had to be invented.
Made at one time from scrap materials.

We carefully wrap the nut with an interference fit with the FUM and insert it tightly into the hole.
The winding is made in the form of a cone, from top to bottom, so that the bottom density of the winding would continuously increase.
We scroll all this with effort, passing it through the hole.
From above, also in the form of a cone expanding at the cube, we wind up the FUM.
There was a thought - to grease with silicone, then I thought it was a whim and left this venture.

We screw on the adapter sleeve, pushing the FUM into the gap.
Remove the clutch and repeat the rewinding.
I had to repeat it 3 or 4 times as the tape was bunched into the space between the nut and the edges of the hole.
At the bottom, near the surface of the pan, FUM wound in the form of a twisted cord, purely for pressing the gap.
After making sure that everything worked out as it should, we wind up more FUM, take a powerful gas wrench in our hands and tighten everything to the maximum.
Very tight - but within the limits of reasonable effort, not fooling, the carving also has limits.
Then warming up the bottom over a saucepan with boiling water (to shrink the tape), pull all the connections one more time.

We collect the top of the cube.
The two adapter sleeves (under the taps) are threaded and tightened in the same way.
The taps can be easily twisted and screwed on, say, a tee to expand technical capabilities (pressure switch, pressure gauge).
One tap (horizontal) is purely a drain, a tinned copper tube is passed there to the very bottom of the cube.
This allows, without disassembling the columns, to supply a little air into the filling tap (vertical) and displace the still vat into the sewer.
At this point, the atmospheric opening of the dephlegmator is drowned out.
This also reinforces the structure of the case. Since the taps are located at the top, in the strongest part of the cube.
And they do not stick out with an ugly pussy, disgusting with their monstrous appearance.
If necessary, I remove the filling valve and screw in the measuring tube (adapter), which does not reach the filling level of the heating element by about a couple of centimeters. This allows you to work without problems in the mode of a steam generator without the risk of exposing the heating elements.
The tube begins to bubble intensively, forcing the thermal sensor to work.
The operation of the steam generator is stopped, the heating elements are saved from exposure.

Let us dwell separately on the purchase and preparation of heating elements. I need several stages of regulation for the column.
Having decided on the power and number of heaters, we think about their resource (more on that below).
For my cube, I settled on the Aristons, taken out of the mounting assembly. I have been using them for a long time, on the whole I am satisfied.
We go to buy, armed with a measuring device. We need to measure the coil resistance and insulation.
Having picked up two heaters with the most identical resistances, we measure the insulation.
I bought those with resistance above 20 Mohm.
A device with such a measuring range could not measure the insulation resistance.
After servicing the heating elements (I have copper ones), we tin the ends of the terminals, having previously wrapped the exit point with FUM tape.
Since you have to use liquid soldering fluxes - and you need to take care of maintaining the insulation.
However, reeling in the tape with extreme annoyance to find that the insulation was leaking, the acidic flux did its dirty work.
We take a sheet of metal in our hands and carefully saw off the edges of the heater - cutting off the tube to a length of about 5 mm from the edge.
I measure the insulation, noting with pleasure that it has been completely restored.
Along the way, I will note that the heater leads are immersed inward to a depth of about 70 mm.
I discovered this during servicing, when I applied a voltage of 70 volts, for surface heating and high-quality soldering.
So, without any damage to the health of the heater, you can saw off within a centimeter.
After servicing, briefly applied 100 volts and when the heating element warmed up above the melting point of tin, he carefully wiped them off with a cloth.
It turned out very clean and neat.

When installing the heaters, I was surprised to find that one is longer. Well, the costs of buying products from different lots.
After installing the heaters, I noticed that they were somehow not very firmly fixed, the walls of the cube were rather thin.
I strengthened them by soldering them together using a 2 mm copper wire, just before the soldering of the halves of the cube.
Painted in red. After soldering, the heaters turned into a monolithic solid structure.
This raises a natural question, but how to change the heaters in the event of a burnout? As it should be - with a set, since they are matched, it makes no sense to replace one. Since the diameter of the neck is 50 mm, there is no difficulty in installing new heating elements welded together.
Well, you can take out both and, replacing one, re-solder.

Separately, I will dwell on the selection of the power of heating elements.
The column is such a thing that does not tolerate neglect in terms of power selection.
Therefore, having conceived to make a column, think about optimal coordination with the heating power of the cube. It is very important.
For those who do not want to think or have been damaged by drunken falls, contact Goodwin - he will help.

In short, for typical columns with a diameter of 30-40 mm, a power is required in the range of 0.9 - 1.5 kW.
Let's start in order. I chose two heaters because of the very wide power regulation range and the very long service life of the heating element.
The basics of electrical engineering are too lazy to read, so take my word for it.
I will almost constantly work with the column in two modes.

1. Fixed power. (this is for the lazy, like me for example).
2. With power adjustment, for example for working with a pressure regulator (pressure switch).

In the mode of the steam generator at maximum power, I do not want to use, but painted for the supporters of universalism.

In the first mode, I connect both heaters in series, while the power will be 4 times less than the total power of the heating elements (if they are equal).
This achieves several positive aspects.

1. The resource of the heating element increases sharply, since it operates at a voltage of 110 volts.
2. The specific heat load per square centimeter of surface is sharply reduced (by 4 times).
   Whoever is afraid of toasted yeast - the very thing.

It was smooth on paper. But what to do for those who have a somewhat non-standard column diameter and need power, say, within 1.5 - 1.8 kW, and ironically, there are heating elements only like mine - 2 kW each. I can already hear the screams of those confused by electronics - a "power regulator" is needed. Brilliant !!
Gee, (Chukchi: - however, a tractor is needed !!). But there is no tractor.
And with thyristor (triac) regulators - he is still a hemorrhoid who understands the essence of the process.
Our task is to provide the column with an agreed heating power - for its performance.

I cannot solve all the nuances of regulation. Let's omit the options with PWM and so on - this is a whim.
I propose to dwell on the most typical version of power regulation (by pressure in the cube) - with a pressure switch.
As the most affordable option that does not require large financial costs and in-depth knowledge of electronics.
There are two options available here:

1. providing a specified range of power regulation from 1 to 2 kW. For example, in the first option.
2. not so versatile, but it allows you to achieve the most convenient regulation limit from a minimum (by choosing a choke) - to a maximum.
   Those. the limits of power fluctuations can be significantly narrowed - and the power can be selected, say, within 1600 - 2000 watts.

This greatly facilitates the operation of the column when the control limits are precisely limited to its needs, from minimum to maximum.
Diodes must be for a voltage of at least 400 volts (better than 600) and a current of at least 10 A. Such diodes are not very expensive - within 30-50 rubles.

Each option has its own merits and demerits. Here you can choose for yourself who suits what.
On the version with a choke, the main advantage is the uniform load on the heating elements, low currents on the contacts of the pressure switch.
By adjusting the number of turns of the throttle, it is possible to achieve matching the heating power specifically for your column, which will ensure the most optimal performance.

We have roughly decided on the regulation and power. We solder the halves of the cube into each other - with the expanding part up.
We coat with liquid rosin and, warming up with a small burner (quickly and evenly heating the seam along the length), fill the seam.
The task is quite ridiculous, since the tin simply spreads evenly inside the tinned edges.
You should get something like this.

View from above. Please note that the taps are located away from the location of the heating elements.
At the drain valve (on the right), a tube runs inside to the very bottom of the cube.
Through the filling tap (on the left), I supply air with a pump for pumping mattresses (manual for 2 liters), 4 strokes - and water came from the drain tap.
Let's say 5 liters of vat residue fly out in about 40 seconds.
If the column is removed, I pour it out through the neck, if there is a lot of water, I crushed the neck with a slipper and blew air - all the work of emptying.