The correct temperature at which you need to drive moonshine. The correct temperature regime during the distillation of mash into moonshine

To get high-quality moonshine, and to protect your health as much as possible, you need to know at what temperature to drive moonshine. With a proper understanding of all the chemical processes that take place during moonshine brewing, you will produce a high-level moonshine that will meet your expectations.

Pay attention to the description of the temperature stages of the process of making moonshine. To separate the necessary parts of the drink, you need to maintain the correct boiling point of all components. This and many other interesting and useful facts are presented in this article.

It is necessary to take into account many aspects, which we discuss in detail in this article. We advise you to make notes and notes so as not to forget anything and not get confused in the numbers. This helps to remember the instructions, and makes it possible to refer to the records at any time already directly in the process.

Theoretical basis

The possibility of the existence of the moonshine process is determined by the fact that water, alcohol and fusel oils have different boiling points. Water boils at 100 degrees, alcohol at 78.3 degrees, and the evaporation of fusel oils begins at 85 degrees. Since these three components are present in the original product, its boiling point in the moonshine still ranges from 78 to 95 degrees. The more alcohol in the initial product, the more the initial boiling point approaches 78 degrees.

To get high-quality moonshine, using a moonshine still, during the distillation process, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 78 to 93 degrees. It is in this range that the mash should be distilled.

Temperature conditions for the distillation of mash in a moonshine still

First stage

We place the mash in the moonshine still and start heating. After the mash warms up to 68-70 degrees, light harmful fractions begin to evaporate from it: methyl alcohol, acetic aldehyde, etc. The beginning of the process is signaled by the smell of alcohol and the appearance of the first drops of moonshine.
This begins to stand out "pervach", which is popularly considered the best. But this is not so, this is the most harmful part of the resulting moonshine - the “head”. It should not be drunk, but must be separated from the main part of the resulting alcohol, and used only for technical purposes.

Up to 70 degrees, the mash is heated at maximum heat. But when approaching a temperature of 80 degrees, the heating intensity is reduced to prevent the mash from entering the refrigerator. This can significantly impair the taste of moonshine.

Obtaining the "body" of moonshine.

After the "head" is cut off, you should install a container for collecting alcohol and raise the temperature in the moonshine still to 85 - 90 degrees.

If the alembic is not equipped with a thermometer, the distillation process is stopped when:

1. Paper impregnated with moonshine burns with a characteristic blue color.
2. Brag has a temperature of 83 degrees and the amount of alcohol produced is reduced to zero.
3. The strength of the resulting drink will drop below 30 degrees.
4. End of process.

After receiving the main “body”, a small amount of alcohol remains in the mash, but harmful substances also enter the product along with it. Alcohol obtained at temperatures above 95 degrees is called "tails". It is collected separately and used to increase the strength of a new batch of mash.

There is another way to separate the mash into fractions. It is based on the fact that water freezes at higher temperatures than alcohol. This is a very long method that does not allow you to get clean and free from harmful substances moonshine.

Therefore, if you like high-quality strong drinks prepared with your own hands, you should use a well-made moonshine still.

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Temperature stages of mash distillation

1. Selection of volatile fractions (point 1). When the temperature of the mash reaches 65-68°C, light harmful fractions begin to evaporate (methyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, formic ethyl ether, acetic methyl ether, and others). An alcohol smell and the first drops of condensed liquid appear.

In the people, the resulting moonshine is called "pervak" or "pervach" and is considered the best. In fact, this is a poisonous mixture, which is dangerous to drink. Due to the high concentration of harmful impurities, pervach quickly intoxicates, but the consequences of use are sad. In classical distillation, this first fraction is called "heads", which are "cut off" - collected in a separate container, and then used only for technical needs.

Until the temperature reaches 63°C, the mash is heated at maximum heat, then the heating rate is sharply reduced to smoothly reach 65-68°C. If you skip this moment, then hot mash can get into the refrigerator and other parts of the moonshine still. As a result, the drink will acquire a fusel color, and the quality will noticeably deteriorate. The situation is corrected by the second distillation of moonshine after dilution to 20 degrees.

The reason for cloudy moonshine is the wrong distillation of mash

2. Getting the main product (point 2).

When the output of the “heads” stops, you need to replace the steamer (if any), substitute a container for collecting moonshine and gradually increasing the power of the heater, bring the mash to the distillation start temperature of 78 ° C. After some time, which depends on the design of the moonshine still, the output of the main product will begin.

Gradually, the temperature of the mash will increase, and the output intensity will decrease. The collection of moonshine is stopped when the mixture is heated to 85 ° C. From this moment, fusel oils begin to evaporate, making moonshine cloudy and deteriorating quality.

If there is no thermometer, then the selection of the main product is stopped if:

• a piece of paper soaked in moonshine ceases to burn with a blue flame;
• at 83°C the output drops to zero;
• the fortress of moonshine is less than 40 degrees.

3. Selection of the last fraction (point 3).

Braga retains a certain concentration of ethyl alcohol, but it will no longer be possible to obtain alcohol in a more or less pure form. Therefore, at a temperature of 85°C and above, the distillate is collected in a separate container. This is the third cloudy fraction, called "tails", which can be added to a new portion of mash to increase the fortress.

Another method of obtaining moonshine is freezing. At low temperatures, water freezes faster than alcohol. The process is time-consuming and inefficient compared to traditional distillation, but for the sake of interest, I advise you to familiarize yourself with it. More on video.

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Distillation process and required temperature

In order to get crystal clear moonshine without harmful impurities and unpleasant odors, it is not enough to purchase a high-quality moonshine still. Things like the right order of operations and maintaining the optimum temperature are very important here. These are the most important stages of home brewing. You can experiment, but without observing the distillation technology, even the best initial wort (mash) will turn out to be bad moonshine.

So, consider the procedure that is necessary for the high-quality distillation of alcohol.

1. First of all, to start the extraction of moonshine, you need to prepare the mash. There are countless recipes for making mash. It all depends on the taste that you want to get at the end. And the recipe itself depends on what you decide to distill moonshine from.
2. The main thing to remember is that if you decide to use natural remedies that can ferment on their own - candied jam, honey, apples - then yeast is not needed.
3. If you decide to go the traditional way with the use of sugar and yeast, then you must carefully observe the necessary proportions and recipes.

The choice of water is extremely important - it is not recommended to use tap liquid: neither the hydro-alkaline balance, nor its hardness, nor the presence of minerals and chemicals in it, which can adversely affect the fermentation process, is known. In no case do not boil the water - you will remove all the oxygen from it, which is so necessary for fermentation.

Tip: buy any clean, preferably spring or artesian water, as well as water from wells.

Fortunately, there are now a huge number of suppliers and you can always choose a water option for any budget in the nearest store.

The easiest mash recipe

We will need:

1. 1 kg of sugar;
2. 5 liters of water (temperature not more than 40 ° C),
3. pressed yeast 100 g or dry - 20 g

You can increase the amount of the desired product, the main thing is to keep the proportions.

Cooking process

First you need to dissolve the sugar in the water: if you do not do this, then it will settle to the bottom, not dissolve and will not stimulate the fermentation process.

• In another container, mix water, yeast and 2 tbsp. l. sugar, put in a warm place for 2 hours, stirring the sourdough from time to time.
• When the yeast comes to life, you should mix all the ingredients in a container in which the entire fermentation process will take place.
• It is advisable to take a glass jar, since glass is the most neutral material in terms of properties.

After combining all the ingredients, put an ordinary medical glove on the jar, after piercing the tips of her fingers with a needle.

Moonshine distillation temperature

You need to choose a suitable warm and dark place. The distillation temperature of moonshine should be in the range between 20-35 °C.

It is important to constantly monitor the fermentation process - when overheated, there is a possibility of loss of useful substances.

After 3-10 days, the mash will be ready for further distillation into moonshine. It is very simple to determine the readiness of the mash - by the glove: if it is still inflated, then the fermentation process is underway, if it is blown away, the mash is ready.

After receiving the finished mash, we proceed to its distillation.

The distillation process is based on the difference in the boiling points of alcohol, water and fusel oils. The boiling point of water is 100°C, but alcohol boils at 78.3°C. Accordingly, the boiling point of a mixture of alcohol and water will be the average of this range, it all depends on the ratio of the components. To distill high-quality moonshine, the heating process must be carried out in stages, and it is important to follow this.

The first step is heating the mash to the boiling point of light impurities, namely 65-68 ° C. Temperature control must be done using a thermometer, but if this device is not available, you can determine it yourself: a slight smell of alcohol will appear, condensation can be detected on the walls of the refrigerator, and the first drops of moonshine will appear from the exit point. At this stage, the heating process is not limited by anything, since what we have received at this moment is the so-called pervach - the most poisonous and unsuitable product for consumption.

But do not rush to throw it away, as pervach is a great alternative to acetone, and it can be used, for example, as a kitchen degreaser.

The transition from the first stage to the second is the most important, since after the pervac is drained, an intensive release of light impurities begins. From this point on, it is necessary to heat the mixture as smoothly as possible until the second critical moment of 78 ° C, which corresponds to the boiling point of alcohol. Skillful balancing of the heating rate in a relatively small temperature range between 78-83 °C is required throughout the distillation time. Otherwise, either the ejection of the mash will occur, or the connecting tubes will become clogged with cake.

Inverse relationship

It is important to understand that as the temperature rises, the amount of alcohol will steadily decrease due to the low boiling point, respectively, there will be more water, and the whole mixture will begin to boil faster. Then we will come close to the third stage, which should be avoided altogether - at temperatures above 85 ° C, an intensive release of fusel oils begins - extremely undesirable substances in moonshine that worsen its quality in terms of taste and safety for the body.

1. You can find out that the moonshine is ready with the help of a piece of paper - you need to moisten it and set it on fire. If it burns with a blue flame, continue the distillation. If it stops flashing, then you can end the process.
2. If you did everything right - from choosing the initial raw materials to observing the temperature regime during distillation, then the moonshine is ready.
3. And what to do with ready-made moonshine is up to you. You can use it in its pure form - this drink is popularly called "little white". You can insist it in barrels, in which case you will have the opportunity to distill your own cognac, rum and even whiskey.

And you can start the rectification process, in which you can get pure alcohol. True, this requires more complex and expensive equipment.

Distilling moonshine is an exciting and creative activity. But at the same time, it is important to take a responsible approach to its use. Remember that excessive addiction to alcohol leads to sad consequences.

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First distillation

Completely prepared mash is poured into a distillation cube. The purpose of the first distillation is to separate alcohol from other substances. The process takes place over low heat. The entire output of the drink is divided into fractions, which we will refer to by common names: "head", "body" and "tail". The first 50 grams of drink for every kilogram of sugar spent are collected in a separate container and liquidated or used for technical needs. In no case should they be used, as they are dangerous to health.

Next, select the "body" - actually raw alcohol - 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 folk method - as long as the alcohol in the spoon burns, the selection can be continued.

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

cleaning

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

Second distillation

After cleaning, pour the raw alcohol into the distillation cube and start distillation over low heat. As with the previous distillation, take the first 50 grams for each kilogram of sugar separately and do not use it for internal consumption - by golly, health is more expensive. Next, take the distillate until its strength drops below 40 degrees. Actually, this is the finished drink, which only needs to be diluted.

The second distillation aims not only to strengthen, but also to additionally remove harmful and smelly impurities.

When to stop distilling mash

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

1. 1) The simplest is to drive the mash until the taste of alcohol is felt in order to take all the alcohol from the distillation cube. Thus, we taste and make a decision.
2. 2) We moisten a paper napkin with 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. 3) If you have a thermometer in a distillation cube, then we determine the temperature of 96 ° C, so we limit the content of fusel impurities in moonshine. This moment corresponds to the exit of moonshine from the cooler with a strength of 40%.

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

Data taken from the table below.

Controlling the distillation process with a thermometer

Dilution and settling

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

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Schematic representation of the temperature stages of distillation

Let's go through the temperature steps of distillation. First, let's draw a graph schematically:

As you can see, Celsius degrees are not indicated on this diagram - this all comes from the fact that, in fact, everything is not so simple. To read in the “manuals for moonshiners” that at 63-65 ° light fractions begin to boil, they must be removed, from 78 ° to 85 ° the body goes - it needs to be collected, and more than 85 ° - tails - you can’t drink them - funny. The fact is that these are the pure boiling points of substances.

For example, if ethyl alcohol boils at 78.4° and water at 100°, then their mixture, depending on the proportions, will boil at “mixed” temperatures of 78.4° + 100°!!! In solutions, water and alcohol boil and evaporate together! The following scheme would be more fair for practical application:

Temperature stages of distillation

Now directly to the steps:

At the first stage, we need to separate the heads - this is the so-called "pervach" - volatile fractions, which are not something to drink - and even not recommended for grinding. It contains acetaldehyde, formic ethyl ether, acetic methyl ether, methyl alcohol.

And also other muck not recommended for use. On the highest possible heat, heat the mash until the first drops appear from the refrigerator. Then the heating rate must be sharply reduced in order to smoothly reach the boiling point of light fractions. Otherwise, the mash will boil sharply (and in this case it will also begin to foam) and will begin to splash out. And in the absence of a steamer, it will fall into the refrigerator, spoiling the quality of moonshine.

At this time there is a collection of heads. If there is no thermometer, simply reduce the heat after the first drops of the product appear from the refrigerator. We wait until about 5% of the expected output of moonshine is selected. (This figure varies in different sources from 3% to 10% - but it already depends on what you are distilling moonshine for, and how many more distillations are planned). 5% of the volume of expected moonshine is approximately 1% of the total volume of mash.

heads

That is, if we poured 5 liters of mash into the distillation cube, and we expect to get ~ 1 liter of moonshine - the first 50 grams of distillation are the very “heads”. They can either be poured or used exclusively for technical purposes.

• Upon reaching 78 ° (or upon reaching a volume of 5%), without stopping heating, we perform the following actions - we change the steamer, if any, and change the dishes for collecting moonshine. Then the second stage begins.
• The second temperature stage is directly obtaining the main product - moonshine. The so-called "body" or "heart" of distillation. We carry out distillation at a temperature of 95-96 ° C - it is undesirable to raise it higher at this stage - “tails” will go - fractions containing fusel oils.
• Accordingly, as soon as the distillation temperature is not maintained in the specified range, or the distillation output has practically stopped, we change the dishes again and begin to collect the “tails”. In the absence of a thermometer, you can check the end of the distillation of the "body" as follows - a piece of paper soaked in distillate does not flare up with a blue flame.

At the third stage, we select the tails by raising the temperature to 100°. In this fraction, in addition to the high content of fusel oils, ethyl alcohol is also present, therefore, in order not to waste good, tails can be added to the next portion of the mash to increase its strength.

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To understand "physics" rectification of alcohol consider the main properties of absolute 100% ethyl alcohol:
- boiling point = 78.3°C at 760 mmHg
- liquid density = 790 kg/m3 at 20°C

It is known that ethyl alcohol is perfectly soluble in water, forming a binary water-alcohol mixture with any amount of alcohol. Here it is necessary to indicate the difference between the mass and volume concentration of ethanol in a water-alcohol solution. The mass concentration of alcohol is the mass of alcohol in the mass of the solution (denoted as g / g or% wt.).

More often, the concept of volumetric concentration is used - this is the volume of alcohol in the volume of the mixture (denoted as ml / ml or% vol.). Due to the significant difference in the density of alcohol (0.79 g / ml) and water (1 g / ml), the values ​​​​of volume and mass concentrations can vary significantly. In what follows, only the concept of volumetric concentration will be used here.

It is clear that the boiling point of a solution of two liquids must be between their individual boiling points - 100°C for water and 78.3°C for ethyl alcohol (at 760 mmHg). The dependence of the boiling point (vaporization) of this solution, or, what is the same, the temperature of saturated water-alcohol vapor on the concentration of alcohol in the vapor is shown in Fig. one.

Particularly noteworthy in this graph is point A with a concentration of 96.4% and with a boiling point less than the boiling point of 100% ethyl alcohol.

The most visible processes distillation and rectification of ethanol explain according to the equilibrium curve of the phases of a binary water-alcohol mixture (see Fig. 2).

It can be seen from the diagram that almost the entire equilibrium curve is above the Y=X diagonal, that is, when the water-alcohol solution evaporates, the concentration of alcohol in the vapor is greater than in the original liquid. This is what underlies the processes of distillation and rectification of ethanol.

Of great importance is the point (A, X=Y=97.2% by volume) of the intersection of the phase equilibrium curve with the diagonal. This is a special "azeotrope point" - an inseparably boiling liquid mixture of two pure components, which cannot be separated into components by distillation or rectification. The water-alcohol mixture closest to the azeotrope point is called rectified alcohol.

Using the equilibrium curve and the diagonal Y=X (see Fig. 2), you can see that with a simple distillation of 10% brew, moonshine is first obtained with a concentration of approximately 53% vol. Further, after the step 10-53, you can build the following - 53-82, 82-88, 88-92, etc. The vertical component of the step shows an increase in the percentage of ethanol in the vapor phase until phase equilibrium occurs (point A). The horizontal component of the step shows the condensation of these vapors (the point of intersection of the horizontal with the diagonal Y=X). The diagram shows that in order to obtain rectified alcohol from a mash with an initial concentration of 10%, theoretically, more than a dozen such successive distillations should take place. In practice, there should be much more of them, so as the concentration of alcohol in the distillation cube decreases, the concentration of distillate decreases accordingly. For example, on the first step 53% vol. corresponds only to the initial moment of distillation. After some time, the concentration of alcohol in the mash decreases and we already have less than 10% alcohol in it, as a result of which, by the end of the first distillation, the selected moonshine has an average strength of not 53% vol., but 35-40% vol.

It should be noted that the boiling point of ethanol depends on atmospheric pressure (see Fig. 3). Moreover, this dependence is quite significant for the rectification process, when every tenth of a degree matters.

In a very, very simplified formulation, the “steps” of individual distillations described above, but carried out not separately, but assembled together in one apparatus, constitute alcohol distillation process. Such a distillation plant has another huge "plus" - in parallel with the task of obtaining rectified alcohol, it also solves the problem of cleaning it from impurities that have a different boiling point from alcohol (see the table in the article Physics - Simple distillation).

Going beyond our goal of obtaining alcohol, any substance can be isolated in its pure form using a distillation column (this will be especially easy if you know its boiling point). For example, distilling an infusion of spruce needles, you can try to isolate the component responsible for the smell of pine needles, or extract the substance responsible for this floral smell from the infusion of rose petals. From a moonshiner to a perfumer is one step; o).

In fact, distillation columns are of different types and sometimes have a very complex device. You can look at a deeper description of the physical and technological aspects of rectification on the website of one of the oldest manufacturers

Hi all!

Recently, I have often been asked questions of the following plan - at what temperature to drive moonshine? Or, how to drive moonshine according to a thermometer installed in a distillation cube? And the like.

Indeed, such questions arise in most novice distillers. Today I will try to answer these questions and tell you whether a thermometer is needed in a moonshine still and what it gives us.

First of all, I want to draw your attention to the fact that this article is devoted to working on a classic moonshine still, consisting of a tank and a cooler. Or else sukhoparnik between tank and distiller. The thermometer is installed in the distillation cube.

For more complex equipment, there are different rules. For example, to work on a film column, I have separate article.

What does a thermometer give in a moonshine

Now I will briefly list the advantages of this device, and in the next section I will explain how to put them into practice.

1. The ability to accurately determine the beginning of the distillation, therefore, save on water by turning on its supply only when necessary.
2. Determine the initial strength of the mash.
3. Determine the current strength of moonshine at the outlet of the refrigerator, therefore, there is no need to use hydrometers during distillation.
4. In time to switch from the selection of the body to the selection of tails.
5. Finish the selection of tailings and the entire distillation in time.
6. Calculate the remaining alcohol in the cube.

How to control the distillation process by temperature

As you know, ethyl alcohol boils at a temperature of 78.4 ° C (at an atmospheric pressure of 760 mm Hg). But mash or raw alcohol is a water-alcohol solution ( impurities neglected), and hence the boiling point of this solution is different and depends on the content of ethanol in it. Moreover, a certain amount of alcohol in the wash corresponds to a certain amount of alcohol in the vapor entering the cooler.

Below is a table of the dependence of the boiling point of the mash (or raw) on the alcohol content in it.

The plate is simple, but I will still explain how to use it.

• When distilling mash

1. Let's say you poured 10 liters of mash.
2. Braga boiled and the selection went at 92 degrees, therefore the strength of the liquid is approximately 12%. Only it is necessary to focus not on the very first drops, but when a cheerful trickle goes and the temperature stabilizes. Yesterday my first drops appeared at 88-89 degrees, but the temperature very quickly reached 93 and then began to rise very slowly - by 0.1 degrees. This is the number you need to focus on.
3. We drive moonshine to 98-99 ° C, depending on your greed and patience. I usually drive up to 98. I still don’t advise up to 100 degrees - product losses will be insignificant, and you will spend a lot of time and at the same time collect a lot of unnecessary impurities.

• During the distillation of raw alcohol

1. Filled, say, 20% sorting.
2. According to the table, we determine that the boiling point of the mixture is 88-89 degrees. Therefore, before 80 ° C, there is no need to turn on the water and it can be saved.
3. In most methods, and in my article on distillation, it is recommended to take the body up to 40% in the jet (or while burning). This corresponds to a temperature of 95-96 °C. Those. with such heating, you can proceed to the selection of tailings. Looking ahead, I want to say that according to my latest data, it is better to switch to tails at 93-94 ° C. Yes, this is how we send a large amount of alcohol to the tailings, but then it will be possible to squeeze out a decent amount of good quality moonshine from these tailings. Why it is necessary to finish the selection of the body at 93 ° C, I will tell in one of the following articles, when I organize the information received.
4. We select tails up to 98-99 degrees.

In the manufacture of moonshine, the temperature of the mash during distillation is of paramount importance. Without exaggeration, the quality of moonshine and the integrity of the moonshine still depend on how correctly the temperature regime is observed. Bringing the mash to a boil too quickly can even explode the alembic. You can achieve the desired result through trial and error. But it is more reasonable to use the information already collected and ready-made advice.

Composition of raw materials

Braga is a water-alcohol solution, which, in addition to alcohol and water, contains impurities of essential oils, aldehydes and other compounds. The point of distillation is to extract as much ethyl alcohol as possible from this solution. The most complete separation of ethyl alcohol from the mash allows distillation with separation into fractions. There are several fractional distillation methods. Correct temperature control is optimal and proven.

Distillation temperature

The separation of moonshine into fractions is based on the difference in boiling points of the compounds included in the mash. At a pressure of 760 mm Hg. Art. the boiling point of ethyl alcohol is 78.3°C, of ​​water is 100°C. The rest of the substances included in the mash boil before alcohol or later. Consider, in a detailed example, at what temperature to drive moonshine.

Range 0-68°C

At the beginning of the distillation, the distiller is brought to an operating power of 63°C. Then the heating is reduced so that the temperature of the mash smoothly reaches 65–68 ° C. With moderate heating, the wash will linger for a while at this level, and will not slip through it. At this stage, the following liquid compounds boil:

• acetaldehyde - 20°C;
• formic ethyl ether - 54°C;
• formic methyl ester - 57 ° C;
• methyl alcohol - 65 ° C.

These harmful and poisonous compounds are called "heads", and the process of their separation is called the selection of heads. It is not recommended to use them even for technical needs.

Range 78-85°C

After the selection of heads, it is recommended to replace or clean the steamer. We put a new container and start collecting the "body" of moonshine. This is the purpose of the entire distillation, in fact, ethyl alcohol. To drive it out, we gradually increase the temperature of the mash to 78 ° C, approaching the beginning of the boiling of ethyl. The higher the concentration of alcohol in the wash, the faster it will evaporate. The exit of the body continues up to 85°C. We try to keep the mash in this temperature range as long as possible.

Above 85°C

Heating the distillation cube to 85 degrees, you can increase the heating and quickly separate the "tails". There is still a small amount of alcohol left in the moonshine still. But it is dissolved in a mixture of acetic and formic acids, butyric ethyl ether, amyl alcohol and other fusel compounds with a boiling point above 100°C. They are often referred to simply as "sivuha". The only option for their further use is to add to the new mash for the next distillation.

Distillation without a thermometer

In conditions where the distiller is made by hand and is not equipped with a thermometer, you can do without temperature readings.

Goal selection

In this case, double distillation is required. The first stage is carried out without crushing into fractions. Upon completion, measure the volume of raw alcohol in liters and the strength in degrees. To calculate how much pure alcohol is in Braga, you need to multiply these data by each other. 12-15% of the amount of pure alcohol is occupied by the heads, which must be taken into a separate container during the second distillation.

The second process for calculating heads is based on the sugar content of the mash. Measurements are carried out at the stage of preparation of the wort before the addition of yeast. For each kilogram of sugar added, 100 ml of heads must be selected.

Collection of moonshine body

The next step after the release of the heads will be the collection of alcohol distillate. It continues until the raw strength drops to 40°C. Technology without the use of an alcohol meter suggests setting fire to moonshine. As long as the combustion reaction is accompanied by a blue flame, the main fraction continues. stop burning.

Attention, only TODAY!

For a long time, people have noticed that liquids begin to evaporate at different temperatures. After a while, they learned to use this property. What is this knowledge used for? How is the technique applied? What is the boiling point of pure alcohol? The article will answer these questions.

Moonshine was once a craft, but now this hobby is nothing more than a hobby. Moreover, the masters of their hobby rise to unimaginable levels. How does this happen and from what side to approach this not the easiest hobby?

Alcohol has a density different from water, and, consequently, its evaporation temperature will be different. This knowledge is most widely used in the distillation of mash.

Fermented compote or jam is distilled, getting moonshine at the output. This is not the magic of turning water into wine, this is a common physical phenomenon. When the mash is heated, the most volatile alcohols, which are the most toxic to the body, begin to evaporate first. Ethyl alcohol evaporates next, followed by heavy alcohols, the use of which also often leads to death from small doses.

Before you start driving, you need to know:

1. Boiling points of alcohols. Each faction has its own degree.
2. The purer the final product, the better the distillation.
3. The main guarantee of the quality of the final product is the quality of the initial mash.

Relying on this knowledge, the distillation process is based. Thus, from sugar, berry, grain, fruit and any other mash, an alcohol distillate is obtained. First you need to figure out at what temperature moonshine is driven?

Boiling points of alcohols

Pure idealized alcohol has a boiling point of seventy-eight.

As soon as the mash is heated to a certain temperature , the most volatile parts begin to evaporate first. First of all, methanol, acetaldehyde and other especially dangerous poisons are evaporated. This happens already at a boiling point of 64–67 degrees.

Second phase - ethyl alcohol is separated - the heating fire is reduced to a minimum. Thus, the temperature is maintained at about 62-64 degrees. It is this temperature that must be maintained throughout the distillation. However, the distillation temperature of moonshine in the container gradually increases as the alcohol evaporates.

When the temperature rises to 85 degrees, third stage begins. Now all possible ethyl alcohol has already been separated, and fusel oils are evaporated behind it. These are also poisonous substances that are not consumed for drinking purposes.

Do not allow the temperature to rise to 95 degrees and above. Such overheating will lead to the release of mash into the cooling element of the moonshine still. This will noticeably worsen the quality of the final drink, its color and taste.

Driving process

The most demanded property of liquids to evaporate at different temperatures is in the art of moonshine. There it opens in all its glory. Its applications are to evaporate all unnecessary alcohols in the final product and get pure alcohol at the exit.

That's just the art of home brewing and the art that in this area have learned to do a lot of very interesting things. The use of the art of moonshine is by no means limited to muddy smelly moonshine. At home, some enthusiastic people have learned to drive real works. But, starting with the basics, what are the main stages of distillation? And how to drive moonshine from mash?

One of the most useful tools for home brewing simple meters will become:

1. Thermometer for home brewing.
2. Alcoholometer.

Throughout the process, it is necessary to maintain the correct degree in the container and carefully monitor the squeeze. The distillation is carried out at relatively low temperatures.

At the first stage there is a process of evaporation of the most volatile fractions, including dangerous poisons: acetone, methanol. Remove the so-called head cut. At this stage, the separation of methyl alcohol occurs. The boiling point of methanol is 64.7 degrees Celsius.

Initially, the container with the mash is set to maximum fire, and it gradually heats up to this temperature. The fact that the distillation of the mash has begun can be judged by the smell that stands out clearly when the first pomace appears. "Pervak" (as the pomace from the first stage of distillation is popularly called), has a sharp, not too pleasant smell, the reason for it is methanol and its boiling.

For a very long time, Pervak ​​was considered the best moonshine. It makes you drunk faster, and for this quality it has become so popular for consumption. However, the head cut intoxicates faster not because it has a higher degree, but because contains toxic substances.

When the output product ceases to smell sharply of alcohol, then we can say that the moonshine brewing process has moved to the second stage.

Here the desired distillation of mash into moonshine already begins. Ethyl alcohol begins to stand out as the final product in the second stage. The boiling point of ethyl alcohol is 78.37 degrees Celsius.

At the end of the first stage, the fire under the container is reduced to a minimum, and evaporation is inhibited. However, the temperature continues to rise and separation of the fraction containing ethyl alcohol begins. After that, the temperature rises even more, and “tails” begin to go.

"Tails" - among the people - the last fraction of the department, containing fusel oils. The boiling point of fusel oils is the highest, since this is the most non-volatile fraction. The last pomace is also unusable.

After all the ethyl alcohol has evaporated, the distillation must be completed. If it is not possible to determine the alcohol content using an alcohol meter, then you can do otherwise. Wetting a piece of paper in the liquid that is obtained at the exit of the moonshine and gently set it on fire. If the alcohol content of the liquid is high, the paper will burst into blue fire. If this did not happen, it is necessary to conclude that the alcohol content in the liquid is low and fusel oils already predominate in it.

How to properly expel moonshine from mash

How to overtake mash into moonshine, the principle is already clear, but how does this happen in practice?

Almost any braga is suitable as a base.. The difference will be that moonshine obtained from various products will have different taste qualities.

Braga is one of the key elements for obtaining a quality final drink. The degree of strength of the base should be ten to eighteen percent.

There are many requirements and criteria for the technology of making mash.

Fermentation takes place based on yeast and sugar wort at room temperature. It is best if the fermentation process takes place in a glass container.

The neck is closed and a tube is installed to remove gases. The end of the tube is best placed in water. This is done for reasons of isolating fermentation from air. It is necessary to regularly shake the mash during the fermentation process, without opening air access.

Distillation is carried out only from finished mash. You can determine its readiness by the absence of a characteristic hiss, the cessation of gas emission and the precipitate that has fallen.

The finished base is carefully poured into a container for heating through a tube, simultaneously filtering from the sediment. Heat on the highest possible fire, until the process of boiling and evaporation begins.

After obtaining the desired pomace, the purest alcohol can be filtered again. Cleaning is done mechanically. The product is purified through activated carbon, potassium permanganate or household filters. After such purification, a second distillation is required.

From all of the above, it can be concluded that The moonshine process involves the following steps:

1. Preparation of the starting material - mash.
2. Distillation and primary separation into fractions. Separation of harmful substances such as methanol, fusel oils and others.
3. mechanical filtration.
4. Re-distillation.

Obtaining pure ethyl alcohol

As a rule, the process by which mash becomes moonshine produced through dryer. The transfer is carried out in the usual way. How to drive correctly?

The boiling point of alcohols remains the same. The essential difference lies elsewhere. A dryer is a kind of filter. At a time when the process of home brewing without a steamer is a rather laborious task that requires careful monitoring, such a filter greatly facilitates the task.

Moreover, despite the fact that the boiling point of alcohol and other harmful impurities is different, poisons still get into the final product. When a dry steamer retains impurities in a significant amount.

Braga, which is taken as a base, begins to separate into fractions when heated, but there is no clear division. Sukhoparnik allows you to select a fraction, which is the purest alcohol.

Precautionary measures

Moonshine is an interesting process but don't forget about safety. The work is related to volatile flammable substances.

Excerpt

One of the options for improving the future drink and its taste is the excerpt. After all the distillation and purification processes are completed, the drink is ready to drink. However, there are no limits to perfection.

Many connoisseurs withstand the resulting distillation in barrels. Thanks to this, the drink radically changes its taste and quality.

The most noble, respected and popular way of aging is aging in oak barrels. Alcohol, which has been in such a container for a long time, changes its characteristics and value.

During such storage, the drink is saturated with oxygen compounds through the pores of the wood. Moreover, alcohol changes its color, aroma, aftertaste.

Provided that good mash was used as a raw material, the distillation was carried out in accordance with all the rules and all technical requirements were met, and after it was aged in an oak barrel, the output is absolutely indescribable taste drink.

Saturation with lignin, tannins, nitrogenous and protein substances changes the characteristics and taste of the drink, making it more noble, soft and pleasant.

Final product

As a result, almost any drink can turn out. A matter of taste and imagination. There are few criteria for evaluating the final product:

1. Taste.
2. The degree of purification.
3. Recipe (for connoisseurs).

When it finally became clear how to properly expel moonshine from mash, you can start experimenting. There are a lot of options for the final product and there are no restrictions on tastes and recipes, there would be a desire! That is why moonshine is called the whole art of creating strong drinks.

How much time, effort and money it takes for craftsmen to obtain a quality product, it simply cannot be known for certain. The process of creating good moonshine from mash takes a lot of time and effort and becomes a real hobby for many.

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