Distillation of moonshine from mash. How to distill sugar mash

In building homemade alcohol all steps are very important. But it is the distillation of moonshine at home that requires the maximum attention of the creator, almost uninterrupted observation. It is not easy to get a really solid product at home, and for this you need to first pay attention to what is required to create moonshine, how to get pervak, and based on it, high-quality distillate.

What is the transfer procedure and how to prepare for it?

Before proceeding to the practical side of the procedure, a little theory should be mastered. So, the distillation of moonshine implies the process of heating the mash, during which the evaporation of various substances contained in it, including alcohol. All these substances have a different boiling point, which is why each of them is “activated” for the evaporation process at different times. It is on this principle that distillation is based, which explains the strict requirement to control the temperature of distillation of moonshine.

Water will begin to evaporate when the temperature reaches 100°C, and alcohol - at +78.4°C. A considerable number of harmful constituent elements of the mash boil when the temperature exceeds 100 ° C. Thus, when the cube is overheated, it is possible to obtain moonshine enriched with fusel oil and other impurities, and if the amount of water is reduced, the strength at the product outlet also drops sharply. Therefore, without fail, the distillation of moonshine must be carried out under certain temperature conditions - within 78.4–98.5 ° С.

Before proceeding directly to the process of distilling the mash, you need to make sure that it has had time to ferment.

At this stage, a hydrometer will help, which should be immersed in mash. The sugar content should not exceed 1.002, and preferably 0.99. If sugar is more than 1%, it is better to leave the mass to ferment, adding more yeast. Otherwise, less moonshine will come out, the distillation of which will not give the maximum result. If the indicators are all normal, then the product should be clarified, waiting for the sediment to settle, drained, then filtered.

Now you need to pour the mash into the distillation cube. What pressure should be observed at this stage? It should be filled up to 2/3 of the available volume so that during distillation there is no excess pressure in the moonshine and the ejection of the brew mixture into the tube through which alcohol vapor will be discharged.

At the same time, it is important to gain access to the temperature control of the refrigerator in order to fully obtain moonshine after the first distillation with the least amount of harmful impurities.

Pervak ​​transfer instructions

To carry out the process of primary distillation of moonshine, you will need a distillation cube, which has a steamer, a coil for the concentration of alcohol vapors, and a thermometer. All these elements must necessarily participate in the process, otherwise esters and aldehydes will get into the distilled product.

When the mash is infused, it should be poured into a distillation cube so that the sediment from the bottom of the container does not rise to the surface. To do this, you will need to apply the law of communicating vessels and a nylon tube. With their help, it will be possible to drain the mash without raising the sediment due to the remainder of the liquid about 1 cm.

After the distillation of pervak, the still needs to be heated, and the temperature should be kept at 65-70°C. It will also be necessary to wait until about 5% of the total mass of the future product separates. To understand when this happens, the specific smell of the exiting liquid will help. Thus, we get rid of aldehydes, ether and methanol, which, in comparison with ethylene, boil under such temperature conditions. Produced rectification will allow you to get 5% of the product, which can only be used for technical purposes.

Now the temperature can be increased to 85 ° C, which will contribute to the distillation of moonshine directly due to the active evaporation of ethanol. It is worth emphasizing that at this temperature regime, water and fusel oils, which have a higher boiling point, will not actively evaporate.

If the distillation of moonshine will be repeated or there is a dry steamer in the apparatus, it is recommended to increase the temperature to 95 ° C, which will significantly increase the distillation speed. The remaining product is often used in repeated runs by adding them to the mash.

To check what kind of fortress moonshine has after distillation, you should use an ordinary household alcohol meter. Also suitable for these purposes folk method, which consists in arson of the resulting product. The appearance of an even blue flame will indicate a moonshine strength of more than 40 ° C.

If only flashes without combustion appear in the process, the selection process can be ended by starting to separate the remaining product (so-called tails). As a result of the first distillation, the product should turn out with a strength of 50–55 ° С. Is it possible to drink moonshine after the first distillation? It’s not just forbidden to consume it, it’s just that pervak ​​comes out too strong and not very pleasant to the taste, which is why moonshine is recommended to drive the minimum again to reach a strength of 40 ° C.

What does re-distillation of the product give?

Double distillation of the product with proper organization allows you to get moonshine with excellent taste, while you can use it without the risk of getting a hangover in the morning. Thanks to purification, the fractional method and the steamer, it is possible to eliminate the fusel oils and aldehydes remaining after the first distillation. Thus, the question of why moonshine is distilled twice can be answered as follows:

• improves the taste of the product;
• improves smell;
• reduces harm to health;
• secondary distillation product can be used to create a variety of drinks.

In addition, there are situations that require a second distillation of moonshine. These include:

• the use of mash based on fruits and berries;
• cleaning process with sodium hydroxide, soda and other chemical compounds;
• in order not to get rid of pervak, as it may become cloudy, acquire a pungent odor or not have pleasant taste at all.

Thus, if you spend a little time and repeat the moonshine distillation procedure a second time, you can get a high-quality distillate that will be pleasant to use yourself and not ashamed to treat guests.

Since secondary distillation is almost a necessary process, you need to know how to properly carry it out at home. The technology of cooking the product of both the first and second cycles is based on different boiling point parameters for the chemicals that make up the composition, and their separation into fractions to separate from each other. To overtake pervak, it is required to use only its central fraction. The so-called body contains significantly fewer impurities that are difficult to remove. It happens that a third fraction is also used for secondary distillation - “tails”, but in order to get a product that is good in all respects, the “body” is still recommended for these purposes.

Secondary distillation technology

Before proceeding with the re-distillation of moonshine, it must first be prepared. Initially, it is required to dilute the fractions with water to a suitable strength:

• "body" - up to 20°С;
• "tails" - up to 10°C.

Achieving the desired strength will make the process of pre-cleaning and direct distillation more efficient. After all, a high degree makes it difficult to separate harmful impurities. In this case, heating a strong mixture can lead to its ignition.

No matter how many times the product is distilled, it is always necessary to use high-quality water for such procedures:

• the best option is spring or melt water;
• from the tap, but if it has settled;
• temperatures within 10–20°С;

Very often moonshine becomes cloudy if not boiled and not purified water is used for distillation. You can also avoid cloudiness if you pour moonshine into a container of water, no matter how you dilute the drink.

Before re-distillation of moonshine, it is required to thoroughly clean it, using food additives and chemical compounds for this. The best and easiest way to remove impurities is charcoal, and charcoal is suitable not for barbecue, but made with your own hands.

How to expel moonshine again, what rules should be followed, is described below in the form of heating stages. In general, the procedure resembles the primary stage. So, the procedure involves actions in the following sequence:

1. Initially, the cube with raw materials should be heated to 60 ° C.
2. After reaching the desired temperature, the fire must be reduced and the cube brought to 85 ° C.
3. Now you need to merge the "head" - the primary fraction. This is approximately 45-50 ml for every liter of pure alcohol or 5% of a diluted drink.
4. Then it is necessary to reach a temperature of 96°C.
5. We select the middle fraction - the "body". This fraction ends when the strength of moonshine begins to exceed 40 ° C.
6. The process should be completed at a high temperature, reaching almost 100 ° C. At the end, "tails" will come out, which can later be cleaned and re-distilled as many times as necessary to achieve the desired taste.

The distillation speed is the same for the second time, only in this case a smaller amount of raw material is used.

Making moonshine at home is a multi-stage process that will require a deep and rational approach. The most responsible and time-consuming stage of home brewing is to overtake the mash into moonshine. It will require the most minimal knowledge of theory and constant attention. The taste and good quality of moonshine depends on the correct distillation, but if the brewing technology is not followed, this can lead to very serious health consequences and costly repairs in the kitchen.

Before setting fire to the stove, it is worth making sure that all the subtleties are observed. Otherwise, all misses will be found empirically, and this is not the best way when working with high temperatures and liquids that are flammable.

The readiness of the mash

Before driving the mash into moonshine it is worth making sure that the mash is ready for distillation. Moonshiners with extensive experience can easily determine this by sight and taste, and for accurate results, you should use proven methods:

The question of the possibility of distilling unfermented mash can often be heard from beginners. Of course, this can be done, but why? In such a mash, there will be a lot of unprocessed sugar, which will simply disappear in vain due to the maximum strength not being reached, and it will turn out that the driven moonshine will turn out to be quite modest.

Safety

A couple of moonshine stills that were made from pots and milk cans are already yesterday. If you have plans to brew alcohol at home often, then acquiring a good device will pay for itself pretty quickly.

You need to carefully study this section, because the safety precautions for moonshine have been developed by most of the blown up appliances and burned hands.

The table below will tell you about all the safety methods.

All these rules are well known and observed by experienced moonshiners.

Temperature conditions during the distillation of mash

Distillation is based on the principles that mash contains substances with different boiling points. With a successive change in the heating of the distillation cube, these substances alternately pass into the state of gas. So moonshine is divided into fractions, differing in the content of foreign impurities:

1. Harmful impurities such as aldehydes, methanol and ether begin to evaporate at 65 degrees. When distilling mash into moonshine, this temperature must be maintained until the first fraction of heads is separated. Per kilogram of sugar used for mash, the volume of the fraction is calculated as 30-60 ml.
2. Further, the heating is increased to such a level that the distillation of the mash into moonshine reaches the temperature of the distillation. Ethyl alcohol evaporates at 78 degrees, and as a result, the second, purest portion of moonshine comes out. During this period, the temperature in the cube slowly increases, and it should not reach 85 degrees.
3. Fusel oils disappear at a temperature of 85 degrees. This is the final mark of the temperature of the mash distillation.

Distillation can be completed at a temperature reached 98.5 degrees, at this temperature the ethanol content in the condensed liquid is not more than 1%. Very patient people reach this stage.

Distillation of mash into moonshine step by step

Regarding the need for double distillation Moonshiners observe a unanimous opinion. In this case, you can get a very soft, clean moonshine, which is devoid of various impurities. Some even distill 3-4 times.

The first distillation does not have a clear opinion on the distillation technology. On this occasion, moonshiners were divided into two camps, and each has its own arguments. You should not figure out whose method is better, because for the entire time of moonshine brewing, disputes have not led to anything.

Quick distillation of mash

The principle of the method is that the yeast and impurities that remain in the mash are not subjected to long heat treatment. This treatment increases the number of impurities. Distillation without separate temperature conditions is carried out at maximum power.

1. The distillation cube must be put on fire and water must be brought to the coil.
2. Heat extremely quickly until the mash boils.
3. We continue the distillation at maximum speed up to 3-5 degrees in the jet.

Admirers of this method believe that there is no need to separate the heads and tails during the first stage. They believe that filtering through coal and drop-by-drop selection of fractions on the second stage will give moonshine of quite good quality.

Fractional first run

You do not need to use carbon filters if you want to make fruit or grain moonshine. Because the strong absorbent reduces the flavor of the raw material. And in this case cutting heads and tails carried out both in the first and in the second stage.

1. Preheat the cube to 65 degrees and reduce the heat as soon as the first drops begin to appear.
2. On the first stage, the number of heads is 30 ml per 1 kg of sugar; experienced moonshiners can easily distinguish them by the sharp smell of acetone.
3. The container for collecting moonshine should be changed, the heating should be increased so that something between rapid drops and a thin stream is obtained.
4. Select moonshine before reaching 30 degrees of fortress. Some moonshiners practice cutting tails at 45 degrees, but this is considered superfluous at 2-3 hauls.
5. Change the container again and increase the heat to the maximum. Collect tailings containing up to 5% ethanol.

The heads that you will receive during the first haul are the pervach, which the popular rumor has honored with impeccable fame. You can get drunk from it very quickly, and the content of toxic impurities in it is very high. For those who wish to try it, morning well-being will definitely remind you of this.

Second faction, obtained during distillation, is raw alcohol. You can drink it, but it will be average in quality. And since you have taken up the preparation of alcohol, then prepare a drink that will be many times better than any eminent vodka.

Raw alcohol has a natural light turbidity, which is typical for rural moonshine, it has a moderate amount of impurities, if the tails and heads have already been selected.

Filtration

1. For one liter of liquid, add 20 g of refined vegetable oil, cover with a lid and shake well. After 12 hours, the liquid must be drained from under the oil film with a bendable tube. Then pass through a gauze or cotton filter.
2. Put a cotton filter in the funnel and pour birch, coconut or stone activated charcoal on top of it. If there are no suitable elements, you can safely use ordinary activated carbon.
3. Moonshine is recommended to be filtered on starch-containing or sugar raw materials.

Second distillation

Distillation Technology almost indistinguishable from fractional first distillation, except for some subtleties.

If the mash is properly distilled into moonshine, a drink of 50-60 degrees of strength is obtained. But it may not suit everyone, you can get the desired degree of fortress by simply diluting it with water. For this, distilled, filtered through a filter jug ​​or bottled water is suitable.

Attention, only TODAY!

In moonshine brewing, there are no unimportant stages or those where you can “cheat”. Each stage requires compliance with certain technologies and rules, but this is especially true for the distillation of mash into moonshine. It is not easy to get high-quality alcohol at home, but we will try to explain in detail what follows and how to properly distill the mash into moonshine.

Checking the mash before distillation

For the initial data, let's take sugar mash - it has no equal in popularity among moonshiners. The principle of working with a fermented product is the same, regardless of whether you cook it with sugar, grains or fruits.

You can check the readiness of the mash in many ways, but it is advisable to practice several at once, so as not to make a mistake.

1. Sunken glove

Using a medical glove instead of a lid with a water seal is a favorite technique of distillers. With its help, you can easily determine the moment when fermentation stops. During active fermentation of fungi, a large number of carbon dioxide, which maintains the glove in a "standing" position. Once fermentation has stopped, the glove deflates completely.

To remove carbon dioxide, small holes must be made in one or two fingers of the glove.

1. Clear separation of layers

Even sugar mash is separated into sediment and lighter layers. The upper layers of the wort ready for distillation are quite light, which indicates its complete readiness for distillation.

1. burning match

The easiest way to understand whether the mass emits carbon dioxide or not is to set fire to a match over the brew and if it continues to burn, this is also an indicator of readiness.

At the end of fermentation, the fungi process all the sugar, so the sweetness is no longer felt. But there is an obvious bitterness.

1. Aroma of alcohol

This is not the most reliable sign, but in combination with others it can also be regarded as an indicator of the end of fermentation.

Ideally, all 5 signs coincide, but in practice, a fallen glove is enough and you can taste the mash so that you can already start.

Degassing - removal of residual carbon dioxide

The distillation of mash into moonshine begins with the complete removal of carbon dioxide as a metabolic product of fungi. Carefully remove it from the sediment, it is best to do this with a hose so that it does not disturb it when the bottle is overturned. Then pour into a saucepan and put it on gas, without closing the lid, and heat up to 50 ° C.

During the heating process, constantly stir the liquid to remove residual CO 2 .

After 5-7 minutes of maintaining the temperature at around 50 ° C, the pan can be removed from the heat and pour the solution into the distillation cube.

VIDEO: Checking readiness the old-fashioned way

Lightening mash with bentonite

We note right away that the stage is optional, but such manipulations will additionally clean the mash from dissolved impurities and oils even before the distillation begins.

Bentonite is a natural material based on white clay, which has the ability to adsorb insoluble impurities.

Prepare a solution at the rate of 1 tbsp. for 10 liters of alcohol. First, it is ground in a blender, and then mixed with water until it thickens like sour cream. Then, in a thin stream, pour into the main container with mash and stir vigorously. After 24 hours, the solution can be removed from the sediment.

First distillation

We poured the mash into the distillation cube, collected all the elements, connected the water to the refrigerator and started heating. This is the most crucial moment, where it is very important to select harmful impurities and fusel oils in time.

First, let's define terms:

• heads

The first fraction of the distillate, where a large amount of harmful impurities is concentrated, in particular, methyl alcohol and acetic aldehyde. The first to come out are those chemical elements whose boiling point is lower than the boiling point of alcohol (77 ° C). On average, the volume of heads is 50-60 ml from each kilogram of sugar used in the preparation of mash.

The heads are cut off until the smell of acetone is felt. Taking a few drops, rub them on your wrist to feel the aroma more clearly.

The middle part of the distillate, for which the distillation of mash into moonshine is started. It is collected immediately after the heads and until the fortress drops to 40 ° (the first drops of alcohol have a fortress of more than 80 °).

• Tails

The final fraction, where heavy fusel and essential oils are already concentrated. If a dry steamer is installed on the moonshine, there will be very few tails - most of the fusel oil will settle in it.

Some experts recommend collecting the tails and using them in the preparation of the next portion of the mash. Frankly, there is no point in this - it does not affect the organoleptic properties or the taste of the finished product.

VIDEO: Sugar moonshine. Heads, body, tails - methods of selection

So, the first distillation is to carefully separate the fractions and collect the body of moonshine. But even if some errors were made at this stage, you can easily correct this at the second distillation of the mash.

The only alcohol that does not need to be re-distilled is that which was obtained from a distillation column or Istomin's alcohol brewer with two dry steamers.

Temperature control

If you correctly observe the temperature regime, the yield of moonshine will be maximum. For convenience, we will distribute the temperature in separate stages, so that it is clear.

1. Immediately after the cube is placed on the stove, the intensity of the flame is increased to the maximum and brought to the mark of 70 ° C for a quarter of an hour, that is, 4-5 ° C per minute.
2. After we reduce the fire to a minimum, so that now the increase occurs more smoothly (no more than 1 ° C per minute) and so heat up to 92-94 ° C. At this moment, the first drops begin to come out, which are caught in a separate container. These are the same heads that we wrote about earlier.

If you make a double distillation of moonshine, at the first one 30 ml are taken from each kg of sugar. On the second - the same.

1. After all the heads have been cut off, remove the steamer, wash it and return it to its place, put another container and collect the body already. You can adjust the temperature up or down so that the speed is at least 120 drops per minute. The limit is 98.5°C.
2. At the same time, we check the temperature of the finished product. When the water in the refrigerator is cold, the alcohol comes out almost cold. If the alcohol is hot, increase the circulation of water in the reflux condenser.

Intermediate cleaning

Since we are talking about how to distill the mash into moonshine correctly, it is necessary to recall the obligatory filtering of the product throughout the entire cycle.

Intermediate cleaning allows you to remove a certain amount of harmful impurities. They will not leave all, but during the second stage they will separate more actively.

For cleaning, you can use the most primitive coal column. At a plastic bottle, cut off the bottom at a distance of 3 cm from the bottom of the bottle. Turn it over, insert it into another container like a funnel and stuff it very tightly with small fragments of charcoal so that there are no air gaps. Pour alcohol on top and wait for it to seep into the bowl.

Second stage

You can distill the mash again exactly according to the same rules as the first, starting from temperature and ending with cutting off the tails. The purpose of re-distillation is to maximize the purification of alcohol from chemical elements. After the end of the run, the alcohol strength will be 80-85 ° and it will be crystal clear.

Purification after distillation

You can use the same good old charcoal filter or use some other options:

• potassium permanganate - 2 gr. for every liter of alcohol. To stand for a day, strain;
• vegetable oil- 20 ml per kg, left for 24 hours, after which the film is collected from above;
• freezing - express cleaning, after which after 2 hours the drink is ready for use.

Which one to choose is not important. Everything is possible, but we repeat once again, it is impossible to completely rid alcohol of the entire volume of impurities.

Dilution with water

Naturally, few people can overcome alcohol at 80 ° C, which is why dilution with water to the usual 40 ° is practiced.

After double distillation of moonshine into mash and proper dilution with water, you get a very high-quality vodka without a characteristic fusel smell, but 100% natural taste.

The amount of water is determined by the formula:

It's simple - you need 5 liters of spring or purified water to properly dilute the moonshine.

For breeding, there are also certain rules:

1. We dilute all the moonshine at once using the entire volume of water.
2. Pour the moonshine into the water in one motion.
3. We use only purified, ideally - well or spring water.

If the drink becomes cloudy during dilution, add activated or charcoal and leave for a day so that all impurities are gone.

You can clean the moonshine very quickly and not give it time to mature. To do this, pour the already diluted product into a bottle, close it in the freezer and after 2 hours you will have a product of excellent quality.

There are no downsides to this express method. These drinks are identical in quality, taste and organoleptic properties.

VIDEO: Sugar mash recipe

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The process of distilling mash is not so complicated. It consists of successive stages, during which a number of technological requirements must be observed. The most important factor is maintaining a certain temperature regime at each production cycle for the manufacture of moonshine.

Knowing what the boiling point of the distilled mash should be, it will be possible to get high-quality moonshine. Braga is a solution of alcohol and water. This means that the boiling point of the liquid and its transformation into steam will be in the range of 78–100 °. A solution of mash, with a higher alcohol content, will boil and begin to turn into steam at the lowest temperature. This will make it easier to get a good distillate.

Temperature readings for each stage of distillation

There are 3 stages of mash distillation:

Removal of products of the first fraction

When the temperature of the mash rises to 65–68 °, the process of liquid boiling begins, which is accompanied by the evaporation of light fractions with an admixture of harmful substances. At this time, a specific smell of ethyl alcohol appears, and the first liquid begins to drip.

Among the people there is a name for such moonshine as "pervak". Another first faction is called the "head".
It is impossible to use such a product, it is too dangerous for health, since it contains a high alcohol content along with harmful substances. This part of the moonshine is collected in a separate container and later used for technical purposes or simply poured out.

An important point: as soon as the temperature of the mash rises to 63 °, you need to sharply reduce the boiling rate and continue heating the liquid to 68 ° gradually, over low heat.

This is done so that the mash does not get on the cooling coil. Otherwise, the quality of moonshine will deteriorate significantly, and a second distillation will be required..

Collection of the main product

After distillation of the first fraction, the main stage of making moonshine begins. To do this, they substitute a new container in which the main product of the mash distillation, i.e. moonshine, will be collected.

At this stage, the boiling point of the liquid gradually rises until it reaches 78°. At this moment, the output of the main product begins - moonshine, suitable for consumption.

During the distillation of the mash, the temperature of the liquid increases, while the intensity of the moonshine output decreases. And at the moment when the temperature reaches 85 °, the collection of moonshine should be stopped, as active evaporation of fusel oils and other impurities harmful to health begins.

Thus, the optimal temperature regime for distilling the mash into moonshine is set within 78–84 °.

Selection of the third faction

The main distillation step ends at 85°, but there is still a small amount of alcohol in the mash. To extract it, you need to maintain the boiling point at a given level or increase it to 90 °. During this period, active evaporation of a liquid with a high content of fusel oils and impurities will begin. If desired, these substances can be removed by re-distillation or using another method of cleaning moonshine.

Important: just like the heads, the tails are collected in a separate bowl.

What instruments will be needed to control the moonshine brewing process?

The distillation of home brew to obtain high-quality moonshine requires the fulfillment of certain conditions, which means that constant monitoring of their observance is needed. Devices that can help with this are an alcoholometer and a thermometer. An alcohol meter determines not only the strength of the finished drink, but also fractions. With the help of it, the moment of the end of the collection of moonshine is revealed, the transition to the selection of tails.

The temperature of the liquid being distilled can be measured with a special thermometer. It is optimal if the thermometer is built into the distillation cube.

The process of preparing high-quality moonshine at home depends on many factors, ranging from which recipe was used to obtain mash and ending with the purification of the resulting product. The promotional video promises to obtain high-quality moonshine with the help of advertised devices with a dry steamer, a built-in thermometer and distillation columns. In fact, this is a little different. Even with the device advertised on the video with a dry steamer, you can drive a product of very low quality at home.

Getting mash

Braga for moonshine

Getting moonshine begins with the preparation of mash. Classic recipe this is when 1 kg of sugar and 100 g of pressed yeast are taken for 5 liters of water. Everything is mixed and put in a warm place for about 10-14 days until the end of fermentation. After settling or clarification, the mash is distilled into moonshine. It should be borne in mind that the less mash interacts with atmospheric oxygen, the better for it. When defending, interacting with air, the mash can turn into vinegar and its further distillation into moonshine will become impossible. Therefore, it is better to use water seals or a punctured rubber glove.

The above mash recipe leads to a fairly tough product. However, its important advantage is the simplicity and availability of starting materials. You can choose a recipe for making mash from grain or flour. Alcohol obtained from such mash at home is softer and has a grain flavor. The recipe for moonshine from grain can be found on the Internet and see the attached video.

moonshine distillation

Recipe good moonshine at home, it will require a distillation cube with a dry steamer, a thermometer, a cooled coil or distillation columns. Such old-fashioned methods as freezing or evaporating the mash in a saucepan, offered for viewing on video, will make it possible to drive moonshine of the lowest quality and insufficient degrees at home. This product will contain a large amount of aldehydes, esters, substances that are easily separated by an apparatus with a dry steamer. When the mash has been settled or clarified, it is carefully poured into the distillation cube, trying not to disturb the sediment. This can be done by filtering or through a nylon tube, using the principle of communicating vessels. In this case, a liquid level of 0.5-1 cm should remain above the sediment.

The distillation cube is heated to a temperature of 65-70 ° C and maintained until 5% of the calculated amount of moonshine is separated or when the exiting liquid does not have a characteristic odor. At this temperature, there is an active evaporation of aldehydes, methanol, ethers having a boiling point several degrees lower than that of ethanol. Received? pervak? having a large amount of impurities in further production is no longer involved, but it can be used for technical purposes.

After cutting off the heads, the temperature is raised to 85 about C, while there is an active evaporation of ethanol. Water and fusel oils, which have a higher boiling point, do not evaporate as actively. If the apparatus has a steamer or the resulting product will be re-driven, the heating temperature in the cube can be increased to 92-95 ° C in order to speed up the process. The selection of the main part of the resulting product is carried out until the strength of the outgoing moonshine drops to 40 ° C. The remaining tails, about 15%, can be used in subsequent distillations, adding to the mash.

If it is supposed to re-distill the resulting product, then the strength of the outgoing product can be reduced to 30 ° C. It is better to check how much moonshine has a fortress with a household alcohol meter, and in its absence, by folk methods. If cold moonshine burns with an even blue flame, then the alcohol strength is more than 40 ° C and the product can be taken further. If only flashes occur when trying to set fire to the liquid, then the process of selecting the main body should be stopped, and the tails should be separated. Obtained after the first distillation, moonshine, properly made for itself, usually has a strength of 50-55 o C.

Re-distillation of moonshine

The recipe for a good moonshine with a high degree and almost complete absence of smell has long been known, this is a secondary distillation. The process of secondary distillation is carried out in the same way as the primary pasture using an apparatus with a dry steamer. Previously, before the secondary distillation of raw materials, chemical or biological purification of the resulting moonshine is carried out. This will reduce the concentration of harmful substances in the processed moonshine. Before re-distillation, the strength of the product should be reduced to 20-25 ° C. This can be done if the liquid is diluted with distilled water in a ratio of 1:2 or 1:2.5.

Properly carried out secondary distillation will significantly improve the quality of the product, greatly reduce the content of fusel oils and other harmful substances. The strength of the re-distilled moonshine can be 65-70 o C. Further distillation 2, 4, etc. once it will not allow to greatly improve the quality of the product or increase the content of degrees in it. This will require special equipment that cannot be used at home. .

Modern distillation technologies

Modern equipment for making moonshine at home, offered for sale by promotional videos, can greatly facilitate the production process and obtain a quality product. However, such complexes are quite expensive, but some of the required equipment can be made independently or ordered from good specialists.

important part moonshine still is a steamer that allows you to separate a large amount of fusel oils from the resulting product. Is it simple enough? this is a sealed container of a small size (no more than 10% of the volume of the distillation cube) with an inlet and outlet tube. The device must be collapsible or have a drain device. The inlet pipe must be located below the outlet pipe in the body of the steamer. This device should be located between the distillation cube and the cooled coil.

When a liquid is heated in alembic vapors of all substances are deposited on the walls of a colder steamer. Hot vapors heat the body of the device, causing re-boiling of ethyl alcohol and other low-boiling fractions, the vapors of which enter the coil for cooling. At the same time, most of the fusel oils with a higher boiling point remain in the body of the steamer. How to make the simplest dry steamer with your own hands can be seen in the video. Therefore, it should be remembered that this device will not completely remove all harmful substances from moonshine, but it can significantly reduce their amount.

vacuum distillation

Vacuum distillation allows you to expel alcohol from the mash at home using lower temperatures and pressures created in the distillation cube. With this method, a better product is obtained, in which there is almost no fuselage. When using vacuum equipment, moonshine can be driven at a temperature of 60-70 ° C. This method will require additional equipment, in particular vacuum pump. You can learn more about the process of vacuum distillation of moonshine on the video.