What is the degree of moonshine when distilled from mash. How to distill moonshine correctly at home: technologies for producing strong alcoholic beverages

This is not just data that distillers take into account for one reason or another. The temperature indicator helps to create a high-quality alcoholic drink at home.

From the course of chemistry and physics it is known that alcohol boils at a temperature of 78 degrees, its boiling continues until the indicator reaches 83 degrees. Water boils at a temperature of 100 degrees.

Temperature conditions for moonshine distillation

Braga is a mixture of water and alcohol (and not only), it contains a sufficient amount of impurities that boil when a certain temperature is reached. So, in order to get a high-quality product, it is worth having a certain understanding of how degrees affect the distillation process.

The answer to the question at what temperature moonshine begins to drip is of interest to many who like to make distillate at home. The thing is that it is difficult to answer it unequivocally. The indicator ranges from 78 to 85 degrees.

Some moonshiners claim that moonshine boils when it reaches a temperature of 82-83 degrees.

At the same time, fusel oils and harmful impurities boil at a completely different temperature. In order not to get confused in the distillation mode, it is worth equipping the distiller with a thermometer. The sensor will help monitor indicators and produce high-quality moonshine.

So here's the power of degrees:

• compliance with the regime helps to produce, that is, divide the distillate into fractions (cut off the heads and tails, thereby improving the quality of the product several times);
• avoid getting tails and heads into the main fraction (the so-called body), and with them harmful impurities.

Focusing on time, trying to understand the degrees, distillers pursue one single goal - to improve the quality of moonshine. Affect its taste and aroma. But it is worth remembering that the indicators depend not only on the amount of ethyl alcohol in the mash, but also on the moonshine still.

It must be borne in mind that a distiller with a steam chamber has its own characteristics; in addition, in devices of various designs, the temperature regime has different fluctuations. Everything here is quite subtle, since it is worth considering not only the main design features of the device, but even the metal from which the distiller was made.

Difficulties may arise if the unit was made using a homemade method. The design does not provide for a thermometer, and there is nowhere to mount it.

Some craftsmen equip a distillation cube with a sensor, using it to track temperature fluctuations. But such data can hardly be called accurate. However, it's better than nothing.

Having figured out why you need to monitor indicators, it’s worth moving on to the features of fractional distillation.

How to select moonshine correctly?

It's no secret what changes during the distillation process. Tracking these fluctuations allows you to competently carry out fractional distillation, that is, divide alcohol into fractions and ultimately obtain a high-quality product.

So, the essence of the division into factions:

1. The beginning of distillate selection is due to the cutting off of heads. The so-called head fraction is moonshine (pervak, or pervach) of high strength, which can be used only for technical needs. Pervak ​​makes up about 8–10% of the total volume of moonshine.
2. After the selection of heads is completed, it is worth starting the selection of the body. The body is a high-quality product, which contains practically no fusel oils or harmful impurities. It can be consumed internally. From such alcohol, tinctures and other high-quality noble drinks are prepared.
3. At the final stage, we move on to the selection of tails. The tail part has a low strength; it contains impurities and fusel oils. But their concentration is slightly lower than in the head fraction. The tails can be poured into mash, which will significantly increase its strength and resistance to temperature changes.

If you do not observe the temperature regime, the risk of “grabbing your tails” increases. That is, together with the body, capture the last, tail part, which contains harmful impurities and fusel oils. This will lead to a decrease in the quality of the product and change its taste and aroma.

To prevent this from happening, you need to learn to understand degrees, equip the device with a good thermometer and follow the recommendations of experienced distillers. You can delve deeper into the study of the problem and consider the stages of distillation in more detail.

Distillation of mash: temperature stages and features

Conventionally, the entire technology can be divided into 3 main stages, which are related to the indicators on the temperature tracking sensor.

So, the main stages or the connection between moonshine and degrees:

• Let's start with the selection of volatile fractions. When the temperature reaches 65–68 degrees, evaporation of light but harmful fractions begins (methyl alcohol, which is dangerous to human life and health, acetaldehyde, etc.). They will be part of the so-called pervak, a strong but harmful moonshine. In this case, condensation is accompanied by the appearance of a characteristic, unpleasant odor. First, the “aroma” appears, and behind it - the first drops of the long-awaited distillate. They usually operate according to the following scheme: the moonshine is actively heated until the indicator reaches 63°. Then the temperature is gradually reduced and the heating continues, bringing it to 65–68 degrees. If you miss the moment, the boiling mash may end up in the steamer or refrigerator. This will spoil the quality of the finished product and affect its taste and aroma.
• At the second stage, we move on to the selection of the main product. The same moonshine that we will drink and use for its intended purpose. Body separation occurs when 78 degrees is reached. Before you start collecting the distillate, it is worth replacing the steam tank, it is advisable to rinse it and re-install it into the apparatus. We increase the temperature gradually; you should not do this suddenly. When the indicator reaches 78 degrees, the separation of the main product will begin. This will not happen immediately, you will have to wait some time. It’s difficult to say how long you need to wait, since it all depends on the design features of the distiller. Over time, the amount of condensed distillate will decrease and the temperature will increase. The selection of the main product is stopped when the temperature reaches 85 degrees. It is at this moment that fusel oils and harmful impurities begin to evaporate. If you miss the moment, the alcohol will have an unpleasant smell and a sharp taste that burns the receptors. Repeated distillation will help correct the situation.
• When you reach 85 degrees, you should start selecting the tail section. Before you start collecting, you need to prepare a special container. Although product selection may be considered complete, tailings are selected for several reasons. In most cases, they are used to increase the strength of the brew and speed up the fermentation process. Ethyl alcohol is contained in small quantities in the remains of the mash, but it cannot be obtained by condensation. Even after repeated distillation, the tails will be unsuitable for drinking; they are not used for this purpose.

Having completed the step-by-step examination of the process, it is worth noting that there are three main indicators in the production of moonshine:

1. 65–68 degrees - the heads begin to come off, the first drops of distillate appear.
2. 78 degrees - we begin to select a quality product that has good characteristics and can be used for its intended purpose.
3. 85 degrees - you need to stop selecting the body and start selecting the tails, which can be used to create high-quality mash.

If you control the production process and monitor the temperature sensor, you will eventually be able to make a drink at home that will have a mild taste and pleasant aroma.

From this we conclude that the boiling point of high-quality moonshine ranges from 78 to 85 degrees. The distillate begins to boil when it reaches 65–68 degrees.

How to do without a thermometer?

If it is not possible to control the distillate production process using a thermometer, then you should not give up fractional distillation. It will help significantly improve the quality of alcohol. You can do without a thermometer, but in this case you will have to follow the following rules:

• The appearance of a sharp, unpleasant odor will help to recognize the release of the head fraction. It indicates that harmful impurities and aldehydes have begun to evaporate.
• You can use an alcohol meter instead of a thermometer; when the strength in the stream drops below 40 degrees, tails begin to collect.
• If the distillate yield dropped to zero, that is, condensation stopped, which means the temperature reached a level of 83 degrees.

Distillers also often use the ability of the distillate to burn. They set fire to a napkin or piece of paper dipped in moonshine. When the paper stops burning with an even, blue flame, the alcohol selection is stopped.

It is worth noting that the tails can be selected until the strength in the stream drops to 15–20 degrees. There are no strict restrictions on this matter. Most moonshiners continue to collect tailings as long as they somehow burn.

How to properly distill mash into moonshine? This question is asked by any novice distiller. When distilling homemade moonshine, both homemade and factory-made devices are used. To obtain a high-quality product with a minimum of effort and problems, we recommend (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand or with a steam steamer of the brand), rather than assembling it yourself. And although working with each specific configuration of a moonshine still has its own nuances, we will tell you about the general basics for all types of moonshine stills.

So, to properly distill mash into moonshine, you need:

1. Make sure that the cube of the device is securely fastened to the heated surface. Nothing, under any circumstances, should topple the cube, which is under impressive pressure. Follow safety precautions!
2. The lid of the cube must provide a tight seal. Check that the special fluoroplastic (or other material) gaskets are in place, do not overtighten the screws. When tightening screws, imagine that you are changing a car tire: first lightly tighten the opposite screws, and only then tighten them completely. You can check the tightness by blowing into a tube connected to the cube.
3. The cooling unit must also be securely docked. Do not create too high water pressure to avoid the tube breaking.
4. Under no circumstances should you allow a situation where the valve (or both valves) at the outlet of the system are closed! This will lead to a pressure surge and may cause destruction of the device.
5. Don't neglect safety precautions! Read our article about basic safety requirements.
6. All necessary measuring containers and jars of the required volume for collecting the product should be prepared in advance. It will not be possible to pause the distillation process in order to find the right jar.
7. At the very beginning, to speed up the process of heating the mash, you can turn on the stove at full power. Be sure to monitor the temperature level in the cube! Reduce heating when the temperature reaches +50˚С.
8. Water should be supplied to the distillation refrigerator only when the mash is heated to approximately +60˚C.

In order to quickly distill the mash into moonshine without unnecessary pain, do not use the method of fractional distillation of moonshine directly from the mash. It is only applicable for mash containing a lot of methanol (for example, apple). Fractional distillation of mash is a lengthy process, it takes from two to four hours.

Since after removing the sediment, a certain amount of spent yeast and by-products of its vital activity are still present in the mash, prolonged boiling leads to the formation of harmful sulfur compounds with a rather unpleasant odor. This, in turn, will affect the quality and taste of the product: this entire bouquet will inevitably leak into the moonshine and will be difficult to separate during subsequent distillation. To prevent sulfur compounds from escaping from the cube, copper wire or even copper cubes (alambics) are often used. Copper binds these harmful substances, preventing them from entering the product.

It is better to carry out primary distillation without selecting the “heads” and “tails,” quickly and with maximum heating. Initially, the strength of the resulting product will be around 70-80 degrees. When the alcohol content of the resulting product drops to 20 degrees, distillation can be stopped. The resulting raw alcohol has a strength of about 40 degrees and requires a second – this time fractional – distillation.

For fractional distillation, raw alcohol is diluted with clean (spring water is good) water to a strength of approximately 20 degrees. With such a strength, the separation of “heads” and “tails” occurs better.

The requirements for assembling and filling a still for distilling raw alcohol are fundamentally no different from those for distilling mash.

Let's consider the main stages of producing moonshine from raw alcohol through fractional distillation:

1. The first to appear at the exit (at a temperature from +72 to +78.4˚C) are the so-called “heads” - methanol, acetic and formic-ethyl ethers and acetaldehyde. The heads make up approximately 5-9% of the final volume of the resulting product and are easily identified by their unpleasant odor. This is what nail polish remover smells like. By the way, “heads” can be safely used for these and other technical purposes, for example, as a means for ignition. We collect them in a separate container. Depending on the volume of the cube, this will be 50-100 ml, but you should be guided by organoleptics.
2. After selecting the “heads”, the collection of the “body” itself begins - ethyl alcohol - the main and desired product. The fact that it is the “body” that has gone is indicated by the characteristic alcohol smell. We add heat in the cube so that the product flows in a stream the thickness of a match (yield is approximately 3 liters per hour, depending on the parameters of the device). This way we will achieve the optimal yield of body volume with a minimum of impurities. The temperature in the cube, depending on the quality of the original mash, will initially be around +80°C. Gradually increase it to a level of +93-98˚С, when the stream becomes thinner.
3. During the distillation process, it is necessary to measure the strength of the product. As soon as the strength of the moonshine drops below 40°C, it is necessary to change the receiving tank: it’s time to select the “tails”. We select them to a residual strength of 20-10 degrees, then the distillation process can be stopped.
4. The “tails” can later be used to strengthen the mash.

To make sure there is no doubt about how to properly distill moonshine from mash, let’s note some more nuances that are worth paying close attention to:

• The composition of the mash largely influences the quality of the resulting product. Use different containers for aging and distilling the mash! Carefully remove the sediment from the mash: it should not fall into the cube.
• Do not fill the cube to the neck. Leave a third or at least a quarter of its volume free. This will to some extent protect the system from liquid entering it.
• Determine the strength of the product using an alcohol meter. It is better to use a measuring cup or cylinder.
• Evaluate the outlet temperature of the distillate after cooling. It is better if it stays at a level no higher than +30-40˚С.
• If you still use the method of fractional distillation of the mash itself, consider the following points:
  - the speed of selecting “heads” is approximately 1 drop per 1-2 seconds, the volume of selected heads is 100-300 ml. Be guided by organoleptics;
  - when selecting “tails”, you should not continue to boil the mash above +85˚C. Pursuing the goal of extracting alcohol to the maximum, you will allow a large amount of fusel oils and other unpleasant substances to get into the moonshine. In this case, it will take much more time to clean it.

Home brewing is a multi-step process that requires a thorough and reasonable approach. Distilling mash into moonshine is perhaps the most responsible and painstaking stage, which requires constant attention and at least minimal theoretical knowledge. The correct distillation determines the taste and quality of the drink, and failure to comply with the technology can lead to serious consequences for kitchen renovations and your health.

photo from www.youtube.com

Preparatory phase: little things matter

It is worth making sure that all the subtleties are observed before lighting the stove. Otherwise, all errors will be identified experimentally, which is not the best way when working with high temperatures and flammable liquids.

Mash readiness

Before distilling the mash into moonshine, you should make sure that it is ready for distillation. Experienced moonshiners can easily determine this by appearance and taste, but for reliable results, use proven methods:

• The density of the mash measured by a hydrometer should not exceed 1.002. If the instrument readings are higher, you should add a little water and yeast to the container with the mash and send it to ferment in a warm place.

• If you don't have a hydrometer, taste the mash. The sweetness of the liquid indicates that not all the sugar has been processed into alcohol and fermentation needs to be continued.

The question of whether it is possible to distill unfermented mash is often heard from beginners in moonshine brewing. Of course you can, but why? What remains in it is not processed sugar, which will be wasted in vain, and due to the fact that the maximum strength has not been reached, the yield of moonshine will also be modest.

photo from http://kolaborea.com

Safety precautions

The days of homemade devices made from cans and pans are gone, and if you plan to prepare homemade alcohol regularly, buying a normal device will more than pay off.

A good device - high-quality moonshine

When choosing a moonshine still, pay attention to the thickness of the metal - it should be at least 1.5 mm on the walls, and 2-3 mm on the bottom. A wide filler neck will make it easier to clean the distillation cube, and a collapsible steamer will allow you to flavor the drink during the second distillation. It is also advisable to choose a device with a thermometer, which will allow you to keep control of the distillation process.

Safety precautions during work have been developed through dozens of burned hands and exploding devices, so study this section thoroughly:

• Be sure to filter the mash through cheesecloth before distillation. Particles of wort or fertilizing can get into the steam pipes, which can lead to an explosion from excess pressure.

• Place the receiving jar away from the gas burner, and protect against spillage by placing another container under it. Alcohol is a flammable liquid and does not forgive mistakes.

• Check the tightness of the device. To do this, put the hose on the outlet, blow into it and hold for a few seconds. Once you release the hose, air will hiss out of the sealed space. Alcohol vapor escaping from leaking joints will not only reduce output, but may also ignite.

• Keep gloves handy as metal parts become very hot during operation. Hand protection will come in handy when changing the dryer.

• Do not open the still until it has cooled to avoid being scalded by the steam.

These rules are well known to experienced moonshiners, but it was worth writing them, even if they help just one beginner.

Temperature conditions for mash distillation

photo from the site doska.vse42.ru

The principle of distillation is based on the fact that the mash contains substances with different boiling points. Thanks to the sequential change in heating of the distillation cube, these substances alternately pass into a gaseous state. This allows you to divide the moonshine into fractions that differ in the content of foreign impurities:

• The evaporation of aldehydes, ethers, methanol and other harmful impurities begins at 65⁰C. When distilling mash into moonshine, this temperature is maintained until the first fraction, the heads, is separated. The volume of this fraction is calculated as 30-60 ml for each kilogram of sugar used for mash.

• After this, the heating is increased to a level when the temperature of distillation of mash into moonshine is reached in the distillation cube. Ethyl alcohol evaporates at 78⁰, and the result is the second, purest fraction of moonshine - the body. At this stage, the temperature in the cube rises slowly, but should not reach 85⁰C.

• The separation of the third fraction is the last mark that the temperature of the mash must reach during distillation. Fusel oils begin to evaporate at a temperature of 85⁰C, and at this moment the tails are cut off.

When the mash distillation temperature reaches 98.5⁰C, distillation can be stopped, since the condensed liquid contains no more than 1% ethanol. Although only the most patient reach this stage of distillation.

Distilling mash into moonshine step by step

photo from the website podarok.kg

Moonshiners are of the same opinion regarding the need for double distillation. This makes it possible to obtain an unusually soft, pure product, devoid of foreign impurities that are responsible for the organoleptic qualities of the drink and morning well-being. The most meticulous ones manage to distill moonshine three or even four times. But most agree that double distillation is sufficient.

How to properly remove moonshine from mash: first distillation

The technology for carrying out the first distillation does not have such a clear point of view. On this issue, moonshiners are divided into two camps, and each of them has its own arguments. We will not figure out whose method is more correct, since even many years of debate did not lead to the birth of truth.

Quick distillation of mash

The essence of the technique is to ensure that the yeast and impurities remaining in the mash are not subjected to prolonged heat treatment, which increases the amount of impurities. Distillation is carried out at maximum power, without maintaining separate temperature conditions and selecting fractions:

1. Place the still on the fire and bring water to the coil.
2. Heat as quickly as possible until the mash begins to boil.
3. Continue distillation at maximum speed up to 3-5⁰С in a stream.

Remember that you need to measure the strength in a small amount of distillate at a temperature of 20⁰C. If the temperature is higher, then special tables with correction factors are used. However, the moonshine in the stream should not heat up above 30⁰ with a normally functioning cooler, so you practically won’t have to wait until it cools down.

Proponents of this technique believe that there is no need to separate the heads and tails during the first distillation, since filtration through coal and dropwise selection of fractions during the second distillation provide a fairly high-quality product.

Fractional first distillation of mash

photo from vlk-games.org

Carbon filters should not be used when preparing fruit and grain moonshines, since the powerful absorbent reduces the intensity of the aroma of the raw materials. In this case, the heads and tails are cut off during both the first and second distillation.

• Warm the cube to a temperature of 65⁰C and reduce the heat as soon as the first drops appear.

• During the first distillation, the volume of heads is 30 ml for each kg of sugar, but experienced moonshiners can easily distinguish them by the sharp smell of acetone.

• Change the moonshine collection container and increase the heat until you get something between frequent drops and a thin stream.

• Continue selecting the body until you reach 30⁰ strength in the stream. Some moonshiners practice cutting off tails already at 45⁰, but with double or triple distillation this is unnecessary.

• Change the container again and increase the heat to maximum. Collect tailings up to 5% ethanol content.

The heads obtained during the first distillation are the very first thing that popular fame has awarded with a stunning reputation. Of course, it knocks you off your feet and intoxication sets in quickly, but the concentration of toxic impurities in it is off the charts, and your health will not fail to remind those who dare to try this hellish drink of this.

photo from the site alcopribor.ru

The resulting second fraction (body) is raw alcohol. Of course, you can drink it, but the quality will be average. Since you have already started making homemade alcohol, then follow through and prepare a drink that will put any famous brand of vodka to shame.

How to properly distill mash into moonshine: second distillation

The raw spirit has a natural light cloudiness typical of country moonshine, and a moderate amount of extraneous impurities if the heads and tails have already been selected.

Filtration

Before distilling moonshine from the mash with a still, it is recommended to dilute the raw alcohol to 25-30⁰ strength and filter it from fusel oils using one of the following methods:

• Add 20 g of refined vegetable oil per liter of liquid, close the lid and shake well. After 12 hours, drain the liquid from under the oil film using a flexible tube. Pass through a gauze or cotton filter.

• Place a cotton filter in a watering can, and sprinkle birch, stone or coconut activated carbon on top. In the absence of suitable raw materials, feel free to use ordinary pharmacy activated carbon. Filter the alcohol through a watering can.

You can filter moonshine using sugar or starch-containing raw materials, but fruit distillate, together with fusel oils, will lose some of its flavor and aromatic qualities, so it is better to use triple distillation of mash. If there is time and inspiration, these two cleaning methods are used sequentially.

photo from muzvids.ru

Second distillation

Actually, the technology is practically no different from fractional first distillation, with the exception of some subtleties:

• The slower the cutting of heads, the better the quality of the product. The optimal rate of liquid flow is 1-3 drops per minute.

• If you didn’t take any heads the first time, now take 50-60 ml for each kilogram of sugar used. When repeating the selection, it will be enough to cut off 30 ml of heads.

• Change the container and heat the cube to 78⁰C, distill the second fraction at medium speed.

• When the strength in the stream drops to 45⁰C, change the container again and continue distilling the tails at maximum power.

If the distillation of mash into moonshine is carried out correctly, you will get a drink of 50-60⁰ strength. This level of alcohol does not suit everyone, and you can bring it to the desired strength by diluting it with water. Distilled, bottled or filtered water through a filter jug ​​will do.

Cleaning the finished moonshine

photo from the website bayan.tv

The question is quite ambiguous, and moonshiners have not come to a common denominator in its solution. Undoubtedly, the most effective method of purification is proper distillation with careful, or better yet, reserve, separation of tails and heads. Only low-quality drinks require cleaning to remove at least some of the impurities from it. For this purpose the following are used:

• potassium permanganate;
• milk;
• egg white;
• rye bread;
• freezing in metal containers.

But all these methods cannot be called effective, so it’s better to gather your strength and distill the low-quality moonshine again, carefully dividing it into three fractions.

Heads and tails: benefit from waste

photo from the site http://procrossover.ru

You should not drink the first and last fractions, but this does not mean that they will not be used. The alcohol content in them is quite significant, and a business person will find where to use it:

• The heads are used as technical alcohol. They can serve as a solvent, stain remover, anti-freeze liquid for glass washer, etc.

• Tail fractions are perfect for preparing medicinal infusions, only for external use.

• Very often, tails are recommended to be added to the next portion of mash, but users of specialized forums say that with repeated re-distillation, the quality of moonshine decreases.

Now you know exactly how to properly distill the mash from start to finish. The description of the process may seem voluminous, but after doing it two or three times you will remember all the subtleties by heart, and after a while you will develop your tricks for producing high-quality homemade moonshine!

Hi all! Let's continue the topic of moonshine. Today we will talk about how to properly distill moonshine at home. As you remember, I wrote about the full one in this article. Now it's time to look in more detail at the distillation process (or simply distillation).

To distill the mash, I use fractional double distillation with intermediate purification. The moonshine obtained using this method is very different from the usual one, for the better.

First distillation

So, we got raw alcohol (SS). This is the same middle faction, also known as the “body”. Of course you can drink it, but the quality of such moonshine is still very low. Now the CC should be purified.

Update from 04/10/17: Now I have slightly changed the technology of the first distillation. I drive almost to the water (temperature 98-99 degrees in the cube) without selecting heads and tails. Sometimes I still select a few heads if they come with a pungent odor, but this happens extremely rarely.

Intermediate cleaning

I call it intermediate only because it is carried out between the first and second distillation. And this is a complete way to clean moonshine. More precisely, even two methods that I use together.

• First we clean the raw alcohol with oil.

As a result, we get raw alcohol, purified from a large amount of fusel oils that have dissolved in vegetable oil. Alcohol itself does not dissolve in oil due to its low concentration. That's why we diluted it.

But still, moonshine still contains small drops of unfiltered oil with harmful impurities. To get rid of them, we move on to the next cleaning method.

• Activated carbon cleaning

For this method, birch (BAU-A) or coconut (KAU) activated carbon is used. It is able to absorb up to 80% of fusel oils and 90% of esters.

You can add coal to a container with raw alcohol and shake vigorously again. But it is better to make a flow filter.

The simplest filter design is a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off and coal poured into it. Several holes are made in the cork and a piece of cotton wool is placed. Before use, it is better to rinse the coal, thereby removing coal dust from it, which clogs the cotton filter.

Coal consumption is approximately 5-15 grams per liter of moonshine.

A household filter jug ​​from the store is also perfect for filtration.

Now we have well-purified moonshine, ready for the second distillation, during which we will increase its strength and try to get rid of remaining impurities as much as possible.

Read more in the article - Cleaning moonshine with coal

Second distillation

The principle of the second fractional distillation is the same as the first. Only the heating modes are different.

1. We heat the mash. As soon as the first drop appears from the refrigerator, reduce the heating temperature so that the moonshine comes out at a speed of a maximum of 1-2 drops per second. The slower the better.
2. At this speed, we select “heads” at the rate of 50 ml for each kilogram of sugar in the mash.
3. We change the receiving container and begin selecting the “body”. The heating can be set to the highest possible temperature that the refrigerator will allow. But I still recommend limiting yourself to medium speed so that the moonshine flows in a thin stream.
4. “Body” is selected up to 45%. Once again I remind you that we measure alcohol content at 20 degrees Celsius. If there is no alcohol meter, then the moonshine must be set on fire in a spoon. The temperature should also be 20 degrees. Selection must be stopped when the liquid stops burning.
5. We change the container and select the tails at the highest possible heat.

1. To improve the taste of the final product, raw alcohol diluted after the first distillation can be infused with dark raisins. You need 20 g of raisins for every liter of SS. The taste will noticeably improve.
2. If the final product is too strong for you, dilute it with water. Read about this in the article.
3. I keep writing about the fact that it is necessary to measure the alcohol concentration at 20 degrees, but it rarely happens that moonshine flows from the refrigerator at such a temperature. It is either warmer or colder. In this case, the hydrometer readings can be corrected using this sign

1. It is better not to carry out intermediate purification of moonshine from fruit and berry mash, otherwise we risk losing its aromas.
2. Cleaning moonshine with oil and activated carbon are two separate, independent methods. You can use only one of them, whichever you like best. But in both cases, the SS must be diluted to 15%, so it will be better cleaned.
3. If you still decide to use both cleaning methods at once, then the sequence should be as follows - first oil, and then charcoal.
4. I clean the “tails” collected during the second distillation with oil and the coal used during intermediate purification and pour them into the still when distilling the next mash.

That's all. The process is not very difficult and if you follow it, your efforts will be rewarded. You will get excellent moonshine, head and shoulders above what is obtained with conventional distillation.

Try it and share your results in the comments. Also subscribe for updates. I hope the article was useful.

Best wishes!

Best regards, Pavel Dorofeev.

Pour the fully prepared mash into the distillation cube. The purpose of the first distillation is to separate the alcohol from other substances. The process takes place over low heat. The entire yield of the drink is divided into fractions, which we will call by common names: “head”, “body” and “tail”. The process occurs at the maximum available speed. .

If our moonshine still is a column with a reflux condenser and a refrigerator, during the first distillation it is enough to use only the refrigerator or assemble the still in potstill mode.

It is necessary that the raw alcohol at the outlet of the apparatus continues to remain cold even at maximum speed. It would be good if the water coming out of the cooling system was hot or warm. This means that it is spent efficiently. We finish the first distillation when the strength at the outlet is below 5° or, which is the same, the temperature in the cube reaches 100°C.

Next, you select the “body” - the raw alcohol itself - which is necessary to obtain high-quality moonshine from sugar. When the strength of the distillate drops below 40 degrees, the selection should be stopped. To determine the strength, you can use an alcohol meter, or you can use the traditional method - as long as the alcohol collected in a spoon burns, the selection can continue.

At the end of the first distillation, collect the “tails”, which also contain a fair amount of fusel oils, into a separate container. However, this distillate, unlike the “head”, is not dangerous, and zealous moonshiners, whose production of the drink is on stream, pour it into the next mash - this makes it stronger.

The first distillation of moonshine (video)

Cleaning

This stage precedes the second distillation, and its purpose is to rid the drink of harmful impurities. To do this, there is purification of moonshine using coal, potassium permanganate and some other methods that we have already written about. Choose the method that seems most effective to you and proceed, but do not forget to dilute the drink with water to a strength of 15-20 degrees.

Second distillation

After purification, pour the raw alcohol into the distillation cube and begin distillation over low heat. Select the first 50 grams for each kilogram of sugar separately and do not use it for internal consumption - by God, health is more valuable. Next, select the distillate until its strength drops below 40 degrees. Actually, this is a ready-made drink that just needs to be diluted.

The second distillation is aimed not only at strengthening, but also at additional purification from harmful and smelly impurities.

Second distillation of raw alcohol (video)

When to stop distilling mash

There are several ways to determine when the distillation process stops:

1) The simplest one is to distill the mash until the alcoholic taste is felt, in order to take all the alcohol from the distillation cube. Thus, we taste it and make a decision.

2) Wet a paper napkin with the dripping distillate and try to set it on fire: if it ignites quickly, the selection should be continued; if it does not burn, the alcohol has already come out and the process can be stopped.

3) If you have a thermometer in the distillation cube, then determine the temperature of 96°C, this way we limit the content of fusel impurities in the moonshine. This moment corresponds to the release of moonshine from the cooler with a strength of 40%.

We know that controlling the distillation of moonshine by temperature in the still is based on the fact that each alcohol content in moonshine corresponds to a certain boiling point.

Data taken from the table below.

Monitoring the distillation process using a thermometer

Dilution and settling

At this stage, which completes the process, dilute the moonshine to the desired strength. Now everything is definitely ready, but, having gathered your will into a fist, be patient a little more, and after pouring the moonshine into bottles, let it stand for 3-4 days in a cool, dark place. This will make the drink softer and more balanced, and you will be able to appreciate its taste with friends and relatives.