How to use moonshine tails. We study the composition of heads, tails, fusel oils and their influence on the taste of moonshine

The separation of moonshine into fractions during distillation has long ceased to be just an imitation of imported distillates. Home moonshiners are increasingly making it a rule to cut off the distillate at the exit and at the end. In this case, there is some loss in the quantity of the finished product. Therefore, cutting off fractions is a compromise between quality and quantity. For novice distillers, consider the principles of separation of fractions and methods for calculating their number.

moonshine fractions

It is customary to divide the entire distillate obtained as a result of distillation into three fractions (from the French fractio - part, share): heads, body and tails. They do this to isolate essential oils, toxic alcohols, acids that will certainly appear during fermentation and distillation. They are present in any Braga, both grain and fruit.

heads

The first factions, called "heads" are also known as pervach or pervak. It is sometimes mistakenly considered the strongest and most valuable part of the haul. In fact, this is a concentrate of dangerous compounds: methyl alcohol, ethyl esters, acetaldehyde.

They are the first to come out due to the lower boiling point compared to ethyl alcohol. The head fraction has a sharp, extremely unpleasant chemical odor. For this reason, heads sometimes find technical uses, but are most often cast.

Body

"Body" or "heart" is called the main part of moonshine. In theory, this fraction should consist of water and ethyl alcohol. In practice, only rectification can achieve such a result. When distilling on a moonshine still, it is difficult to accurately adjust the heating temperature of the mash. Some foreign substances with a boiling point close to ethyl alcohol fall into the middle fraction.

Tails

By "tails" they mean the last exit of moonshine. This fraction collects all heavy esters and compounds that boil at temperatures above 90°C. Objectively, they do not cause great harm to health, especially in comparison with ethyl alcohol itself. But, getting into moonshine in large quantities, fusel oils give the very unpleasant smell and characteristic cloudy color.

Unlike heads that are dangerous for food use, tails can be put to good use. Most often, the tail fraction is added to the new mash before distillation begins. This is done to increase its strength and flavor. Despite the common myth, the repeated distillation of the tails themselves will not bring any beneficial effect. The quality of the distillate will remain the same.

How to select heads?

There are several ways to determine the volume of heads. The choice of the appropriate method depends on the skills and experience of moonshiners, as well as improvised means. Of decisive importance is the temperature of the selection of fractions and the strength of the moonshine. It can be used on a household moonshine still, consisting of a cube, a cooler, possibly a dry steamer or a dephlegmator.

By sugar

The selection of heads for sugar is an accurate and unambiguous method of calculation. The essence of the method is the following proportion. Practically, it was revealed that 70–100 ml of heads are accounted for 1 kg of sugar added to the mash. A hydrometer measures the sweetness of the mash before adding yeast. Based on these figures, you can calculate the sugar content in mash.

Example. We have 20 liters of mash with 15% sweetness (sugar meter reading). We get the weight of sugar: 20 * 0.15 = 3 kg. For 3 kg of sugar, 210-300 ml of distillate should be selected.

Head separation is recommended during both distillations, 50% each. Both the first and the second time we select 150 ml of heads. In the absence of measuring instruments, it is possible to accurately measure the amount of added sugar with a scale. The method requires clear actions already at the stage of preparing the mash. But it allows you to know even before distillation how many heads you need to separate.

By alcohol

This method is suitable if you have not prepared for distillation in advance and have not measured the initial sugar content of the mash. In this case, the number of heads is 10–15% of the pure alcohol content. To do this, we carry out the first distillation without separation into fractions. And we measure the strength of the intermediate raw alcohol with an alcohol meter.

Example. After the first distillation, 7 liters of product with a strength of 68% were obtained. Pure alcohol content: 7 * 0.68 = 4.76 liters. This means that the maximum number of heads is: 4.67 * 0.15 = 0.714 ml.

By temperature

This method is based on the difference in boiling points of various substances. It is not the most unambiguous due to the closeness of these temperatures. At home, on a household moonshine still, it is quite difficult to produce heating with an accuracy of 1-2 degrees.

The process is the following:

Bring the brew to a boil.
Then gradually increase the heating temperature to 79°C over 15–20 minutes. With the first drops, acetaldehyde will come out with a boiling point of 22 ° C, ethyl acetate will finish the chain - 79 ° C.
We also gradually reduce it in the opposite direction in order to extract the esters and oils available in this temperature range from the liquid to the maximum. The collected distillate will be the head fraction.
To expel the body, heat the mash again. The body selection temperature is 79–88°C, the tails will go further.

By smell

Exists along with other methods, but is the most unpredictable. It is used only by experienced distillers. The whole essence is built on the experience and intuition of the master, who correctly assesses the stage of the haul. Collecting a few drops of distillate in his palm, he rubs them with his fingers and determines the fraction by smell. It is impossible to explain the technology of this method. It takes a long practice in moonshine brewing.

How to cut tails?

Tailings selection is based on the strength of the distillate. Usually, the selection of the body is stopped when the strength in the stream drops to 40 ° C, for the measurement of which an alcohol meter is required. The drink is collected in small portions in small containers, cooled to 20 ° C (the operating temperature of the alcohol meter) and measured for strength. The actions are repeated until the fortress decreases. Now the tails are coming out.

The old-fashioned way allows you to cut off the tail without an alcohol meter using a lighter. The distillate must be collected in an iron spoon and set on fire. Non-burning distillate was classified as tailings.

Selection of fractions during subsequent distillations

The selection of heads and tails during double distillation is necessarily carried out during the second distillation. During the production of intermediate raw alcohol, many moonshiners distill "dry", that is, to the last drop. But most sources still agree on the need to select tailings at each stage. Of course, some alcohol remains in them, but it is not possible to extract it without smell and taste. The selection of heads during the first distillation is carried out if their exact number is known in advance. 50% is taken the first time and 50% the second.

Attention, only TODAY!

Home brewing is a multi-stage process that requires a thorough and reasonable approach. The distillation of 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 non-compliance with the technology can lead to serious consequences for repairs in the kitchen and your health.

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Preparatory phase: the little things matter

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

The readiness of the mash

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 with a hydrometer should not exceed 1.002. If the readings are higher, 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 sugar has been converted into alcohol yet and fermentation must be continued.

The question of whether it is possible to distill unfermented mash is often heard from beginners in home brewing. Of course you can, but why? It did not contain processed sugar, which would be wasted in vain, and due to the fact that the maximum strength was not reached, the output of moonshine will also be modest.

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Safety

The times of home-made devices from cans and pots are a thing of the past, and if you plan to make homemade alcohol regularly, buying a normal device will pay off with interest.

Good device - high-quality moonshine

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

Safety precautions at work have been developed by more than a dozen burnt hands and exploding devices, so study this section carefully:

Braga must be filtered through gauze before distillation. Particles of wort or top dressing can get into the steam pipes, which threatens to explode from overpressure.

Set the receiving jar away from the gas burner, and insure against spillage by substituting another container under it. Alcohol is a flammable liquid and is unforgiving.

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

Keep gloves handy as the metal parts get very hot during handling. Hand protection is useful when changing the steamer.

Do not open the still until it has cooled down to avoid steam burns.

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

Temperature conditions for the distillation of mash

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

Evaporation of aldehydes, ethers, methanol and other harmful impurities starts at 65⁰С. This temperature during the distillation of mash into moonshine is maintained until the separation of the first fraction - the heads. The volume of this fraction is calculated as 30-60 ml per kilogram of sugar used for mash.

After that, the heating is increased to a level when the distillation temperature of the 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 slowly rises, but should not reach 85⁰С.

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 85⁰С, at which point the tails are cut off.

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

Distillation of mash into moonshine step by step

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Regarding the need for a double distillation, moonshiners are of the same opinion. This allows you to get an unusually soft, pure product, devoid of impurities that are responsible for the organoleptic qualities of the drink and morning well-being. The most meticulous manage to distill moonshine three, and even four times. But most agree on the sufficiency of double distillation.

How to properly expel moonshine from mash: first distillation

The technology for conducting the first distillation does not have such an unambiguous 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 disputes did not lead to the birth of truth.

Fast distillation of mash

The essence of the technique is 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 a separate temperature regime and the selection of fractions:

Put the alembic on the fire and bring water to the serpentine.
Heat as quickly as possible until the mash boils.
Continue distillation at maximum speed up to 3-5⁰C in the jet.

Remember that you need to measure the strength in a small amount of distillate, at a temperature of 20⁰С. 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 working cooler, so there is practically no need to wait until it cools down.

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

Fractional first distillation of mash

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Charcoal filters should not be used in the preparation of fruit and grain moonshine, since a powerful absorbent reduces the severity of the aroma of the feedstock. In this case, cutting off heads and tails is carried out both during the first and during the second distillation.

Heat the cube to 65⁰C and turn the heat down 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 pungent smell of acetone.

Change the container for collecting moonshine and increase the heat so that you get something between frequent drops and a thin stream.

Continue sampling the body until you reach 30⁰ ABV in the jet. Some moonshiners practice cutting off tails already at 45⁰, but this is superfluous with double or triple distillation.

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 same pervach that the people's fame 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 goes off scale, and your well-being will not fail to remind those who dare to try this hellish drink.

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The resulting second fraction (body) is raw alcohol. Of course, you can drink it, but the quality will be average. Since you have already taken up the preparation of homemade alcohol, then bring it to the end and prepare a drink that will outdo any famous brand of vodka.

How to distill the mash for moonshine: the second distillation

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

Filtration

Before driving the moonshine out of the mash with the apparatus, it is recommended to dilute the raw alcohol to 25-30⁰ of the fortress, and filter it from fusel oils in one of the following ways:

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 with a flexible tube. Pass through a gauze or cotton filter.

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

You can filter moonshine on sugar or starch-containing raw materials, but fruit distillate, together with fusel oils, will lose some of the flavor and aroma, so it is better to use a triple distillation of mash for it. If there is time and inspiration, these two cleaning methods are used in succession.

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Second distillation

Actually, the technology practically does not differ from the fractional first distillation, with the exception of some subtleties:

The slower the cutting off of the heads, the better the product will be. The optimal rate of fluid intake is 1-3 drops per minute.

If the first time you did not select the heads, then now select 50-60 ml for each kilogram of sugar used. When re-selecting, it will be enough to cut off 30 ml of heads.

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

When the strength in the jet drops to 45⁰C, change the tank 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 degree of alcohol does not suit everyone, and you can bring it to the desired fortress by diluting it with water. Distilled, bottled, or jug-filtered water will do.

Cleaning the finished moonshine

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The question is rather ambiguous, and moonshiners have not come to a common denominator in solving it. Undoubtedly, the most effective way of cleaning is the correct distillation with a thorough, and preferably with a margin, separation of tails and heads. Purification is required only for a low-quality drink in order 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 a metal container.

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

Heads and Tails: Usefulness from Waste

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Drinking the first and last fraction is not worth it, but this does not mean that it cannot be used. The alcohol content in them is quite significant, and the economic person will find where to use it:

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

Tail fractions are perfect for the preparation of 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 drops.

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 obtaining high-quality home-made moonshine!

Fractional distillation of mash is the separation of distillate into components. The classic version is the head, body and tail.
heads- low-boiling fractions containing unsuitable for drinking aldehydes, toxic ethers, methanol. Heads must be unequivocally cut off and poured out, or used exclusively for technical purposes.
Body- it is also called the heart - the main part of moonshine, intended directly for drinking, or further distillation, followed by ennobling, tinting, flavoring.
Tails- the last stage in the selection of distillate from, containing heavy-boiling fractions - isoamyl, isobutyl, propyl alcohols, fatty acids and furfural - colloquially, this whole cocktail is called fusel oils. Tails have a categorically stinky smell, are harmful when ingested - they are precisely the cause of the most severe hangover with excessive use. But at the same time, it is the fusel oils contained in the tails in small quantities that give the “signature” flavor to grain and fruit distillates - whiskey, cognac, brandy, bourbon, etc. At the same time, the tails contain a certain amount of ethanol, so they are usually collected in a separate container, and then either added to the next portion of the mash, or a lot of tails are collected and fractional distillation is again carried out.

How to select heads and tails

Determination of the boundaries of the selection of heads, bodies and tails can be done in several ways.

Contains various substances. The main ones are water and alcohol. The rest do not bring anything good to the body. Most often, they only harm health. These include methyl alcohol, impurities in the form of fusel oils. There are ways to clean products and a calculator for selecting "heads" and "tails". As a result of fractional distillation, most of the harmful substances do not enter the finished drink.

Characteristics of moonshine fractions

All of the following information is intended for people using a distillation apparatus, consisting of a coil cooler, a still and a dry steamer. The latter is not always used. For other devices, the information may not be reliable.

The amount of harmful substances in the finished moonshine depends on the quality of water, raw materials, yeast, the duration and temperature of fermentation, the design of the distillation apparatus and its technology. It is different in Braga. In the process of distillation, the “head”, “body” and “tail” of products are obtained from the mash. "Head" is otherwise called pervach, or pervak. This liquid is the initial fraction. She has an unpleasant pungent odor. It contains acetone, methyl alcohol, acetaldehyde and other harmful impurities that evaporate before ethyl alcohol.

Pervach is considered by the people to be the highest quality alcoholic drink. But it is a strong poison. "Head" can not be drunk. It's only good for grinding. A strong smell is the reason that the liquid is simply poured. But with its help it is good to kindle fires, fireplaces, stoves.

"Body" is called the drinking part of moonshine. It contains the largest amount of ethyl alcohol and water. But other substances that have a boiling point close to ethyl get into it. It's almost impossible to separate them. Ethyl alcohol in its pure form can only be obtained by rectification. But in this process, they are lost, which make the liver work more actively and protect the body from the effects of alcohol.

The “tail” of moonshine is the last fraction in the distillation of mash. It has a cloudy color and an unpleasant odor. Its boiling point is higher than that of alcohol. You can separate the "tail" by stopping the collection of the "body". The tail fraction can be recycled again. It contains a lot of ethyl alcohol. But the energy costs are not comparable with the result.

Goal selection

The selection of "heads" begins with the fact that the cube of the moonshine still is filled with mash and brought to a boil. As soon as the first drops appear, you need to reduce the heat to a minimum, then gradually dilute it to a working state. It is determined by the cold moonshine dripping from the coil. It is necessary to strive to ensure that the temperature of the moonshine and the coolant are approximately equal.

Consider some ways to separate the "heads":

By sugar. This is a simple and effective method that is used when knowing the amount of sugar in mash. How many "heads" to select is a question that interests many. From each kg of sugar, it is recommended to collect 60-100 ml of “heads”: 30-50 ml during the first distillation and the same amount during the second.
Alcohol in its purest form. It is not always possible to determine the amount of sugar in raw materials. In this case, the mixture is distilled first without collecting the "heads". After that, the amount of alcohol is measured in moonshine. For this, a hydrometer-alcoholometer is used. If the distillate is 6 liters, its strength is 63%, then the proportion of pure alcohol is 6 x 0.63 = 3.78 liters. These figures are given without taking into account errors that can only be avoided in laboratory conditions. The second distillation should cut off the "head". This will be about 8-15% of the amount of alcohol in its pure form.
By smell. This method is used by experienced distillers. They determine the fractions by rubbing individual drops of the product in their palms and by their smell.
By temperature. This method is not accurate and is given for general reference only. "Heads" evaporate at a temperature of 65-68˚С. The thermometer is installed at the inlet to the cooling system. When the temperature reaches 63˚С, the heating is reduced and gradually brought to 65-68˚С.

Body

In home brewing, it is customary to refer to the temperature of the liquid. For the “head” these are indicators of 65-68˚С, for the “body” and “tails” - higher. This data is in the table:

When the exit of the “head” stops, the temperature is increased to 78 ° C. According to the table, the "body" begins to separate at this temperature, and the process continues up to a temperature of 85°C. The temperature rises gradually. "Heads" and "body" should be collected in a separate container and signed. The "heads" are used as a rub, the "body" is subjected to further processing, which includes a second distillation and infusions. The temperature of the selection of the "body" and "tails" is different, so the next operation is the separation of the "tails".

Tailings selection

Evidence of the disappearance of the “body” and the appearance of “tails” is a decrease in the strength of the drink to 35 degrees. In order not to miss this moment, it is advisable to take a small amount of product into a container at the end of the distillation and measure the strength with an alcohol meter. In this case, the temperature of the liquid should not exceed 20 ° C. If the strength is high, distillation continues. It should be stopped when the strength is less than 30%. What to do with the "tails" from moonshine? They can be left to dilute the next portions of the distilled liquid, or you can simply pour them out.

Selection of fractions during subsequent distillations

Homemade alcohol is considered healthier and cleaner than a store-bought drink. This is known to many adults in the country. For the production of such a drink, distillation technology must be observed.

The first distillation gives crude alcohol. To achieve the best quality, the drinking part of moonshine is subjected to a double distillation: during the second distillation, we get a quality drink. Before this, it is recommended to clean the raw material in order to get an improved taste. Cleaning is done with vegetable oil and a carbon filter.

Purified raw alcohol is diluted with water to a strength of 30%. Only high quality alcohol is distilled from the material of such strength. The liquid is poured into the cube no more than ¾ of its volume and heated to 70˚С. When droplets of the head fraction appear at the outlet, the heating decreases. It is necessary to achieve a speed of 1 drop per second. "Head" is selected in the amount of 10% alcohol contained in the cube.

If a cube contains 4166 ml of liquid with a strength of 30%, it contains 1250 ml of pure alcohol. In this case, the "head" will be 1250 ml / 100 x 10 = 125 ml. For a more accurate measurement of the strength, it is recommended to use an ASP-3 type hydrometer.

Now let's move on to the body. The temperature in the distillation cube is brought to 90-95˚С. Constantly need to monitor the strength of the drink. As soon as it starts to fall below 50%, the heating power decreases. Remaining in the cube - "tails".

Now drinking alcohol needs to be purified. To do this, it is poured into a vessel and odorless vegetable oil is added to it. A liter of moonshine requires 15-20 ml of refined oil. The container is tightly closed and shaken for 1.5 minutes. Shaking is repeated after 2 minutes 3-4 times. After that, the container is left alone. After a day, the oil is removed from the surface of the moonshine with a cotton pad or spoon. It carries away harmful molecules with it.

It remains to filter the drink with charcoal. Instead of wood, you can use pharmacy activated charcoal. It does a good job of cleaning. When drinking a homemade drink, remember: small doses of it are good for health, excessive ones are harmful.

Methods for separating the heads and tails of moonshine March 11, 2016 Together with water and alcohol, mash contains other substances, many of which are harmful to the body. Fortunately, their boiling point is higher or lower than that of ethyl alcohol, so fractional distillation (separation into fractions) can prevent most of the dangerous impurities from entering the finished product. We will consider methods that allow you to select the correct amount of tails and heads of moonshine, which will positively affect the quality of the distillate. Attention! The information is relevant only for a conventional moonshine still, consisting of a distillation cube and a refrigerator in the form of a coil, it is also possible to have a steamer. For devices with dephlegmators and other devices that simulate the operation of a distillation column, the parameters for selecting tails and heads may differ from those described here. I advise you to clarify this point with the designers of the circuit, manufacturers or equipment sellers. I do not consult on commercial models of devices. The amount of harmful impurities depends on the raw materials, water, yeast, temperature, fermentation duration, design of the moonshine still and distillation technology. Even in mash according to the same recipe, the concentration of harmful substances can change every time, but at home, analysis of the composition of the mash is impossible, so you have to take approximate values as a basis. The “head” of moonshine (also called “pervach” or “pervak”) is the initial fraction with a sharp unpleasant odor. Contains the most dangerous impurities: methyl alcohol (many in grain and fruit mash), acetone, acetaldehyde and others. Due to the fact that the boiling point of harmful substances is lower than that of ethyl alcohol, they come out first during distillation, therefore, they can be prevented from entering the main product. In everyday life, pervach is considered the highest quality moonshine, because it is strong and quickly intoxicates. In fact, this is a poison in its purest form, its use causes toxic poisoning, which is often confused with intoxication. Heads are the strongest Heads of moonshine should not be drunk or used for rubbing. This fraction can go exclusively for technical needs, but because of the unpleasant smell, in most cases it is simply poured out. "Body" - the drinking part, the main goal of the moonshiner (the second name is "heart"). In theory, it contains only ethyl alcohol and water, but in practice there are always other impurities in the “body”, since during distillation it is purely physically impossible to divide the output into clear fractions, to one degree or another, different substances with close boiling points are always mixed, the output is obtained " lubricated." For complete decomposition into fractions, rectification is needed, thanks to which pure ethyl alcohol can be obtained. The disadvantage of the method is that, along with harmful impurities, substances responsible for the organoleptic properties of the drink are removed. This means that after rectification, the taste and smell of moonshine from different raw materials (sugar, grains and fruits) will be the same, since only ethyl alcohol will remain in the drink. It should be remembered that the harm and benefits of many substances in the distillate are relative. For example, fusel oils cause the liver to activate before alcohol begins to act, this protects the body from the harmful effects of alcohol. A study by Vladimir Pavlovich, a professor at the Narcology Research Institute of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, proved that rectified alcohol (vodka) causes alcohol addiction many times faster than distillates - whiskey, cognac, tequila, etc. About 70% of dependent people are vodka alcoholics. The purer the poison (in our case, ethyl alcohol), the faster the addiction develops. The correct separation of moonshine into fractions during distillation on a classic moonshine still allows you to remove almost all harmful substances, but leave those that are responsible for the aroma and taste of the drink, which cannot be done during rectification. The "tail" of moonshine - the third fraction, in addition to ethyl alcohol, contains fusel oils, which give an unpleasant smell, taste and cloudy color. The boiling point of fusel oil is higher than that of ethyl alcohol, therefore, in order to separate the tail of moonshine, it is enough to stop collecting the main product - the “body” in time. Although after distillation a lot of ethyl alcohol remains in the “tails” (up to 40%), but the ingress of other substances with it spoils the quality of moonshine, which is why it is so important to finish the distillation on time. Tailings can be recycled, but usually not worth the energy. Unlike "heads", "tails" are recyclable and can be added to a new batch of mash (immediately before distillation) or cleaned in a distillation column. Distilling the “tails” a second time on a moonshine is useless, this will not improve the quality! The question of how much to select "heads" and "tails" is a compromise between the quantity and quality of moonshine. Further, we will use the "golden mean" - parameters that have been tested by more than one generation of moonshiners. You can change them at your discretion both in one direction and in the other. Further, I will pay attention not to specific numbers, but to methods of calculation. How to select the head of moonshine First, the mash is brought to a boil. When the first drops appear, the power is reduced to a minimum, then the heating is gradually increased again so that the device enters the operating mode. Performance depends on the design and power of the stove, there are no average parameters here. It is considered normal when the moonshine comes out cold (the temperature is approximately equal to the temperature of the cooling water). This is what you should strive for. Head separation methods: 1. By sugar. The simplest, but at the same time effective method. Suitable if the sugar content of the mash or the amount of added sugar is known. In fruit or grain mash, sugar content is determined by a special device - a vinometer (hydrometer-saccharometer) before adding yeast. For example, there are 5 liters of mash with a sugar content of 20%, which means that the total sugar content is 1 kg (5 * 0.2 = 1). The calculation assumes that 1 liter of solution by weight is equal to 1 kilogram, in practice this is not the case, but the error itself has little effect on the result, and the calculation simplifies significantly, so I advise you not to "bother". 60-100 ml heads are taken from 1 kg of sugar. It is advisable to divide this amount into two distillations, taking 30-50 ml of yield during the first distillation and the same amount during the second. 2. For pure alcohol. It is not always possible to find out the sugar content before fermentation begins. In this case, the first distillation is done without cutting off the “heads”, then the amount of absolute alcohol is measured. For example, if you get 6 liters of distillate with a total strength of 63%, then it contains 3.78 liters of pure alcohol (6 * 0.63 = 3.78). To simplify the calculations, we take the ethyl strength as 100%, although absolute alcohol can only be obtained in laboratory conditions. During the second distillation, the head fraction is cut off at the rate of 8-15% of the amount of pure alcohol. In our example, this is 0.567 liters (3.78 * 0.15 = 0.567). One of the varieties of this method is the selection of 1% of the heads of the mash volume, but due to various reasons related to fermentation and sugar concentration, this method cannot be considered accurate, it is better to navigate by absolute ethyl. 3. By smell. Suitable for experienced distillers who can identify moonshine heads by an unpleasant odor. The distillate leaving the apparatus is periodically sniffed, rubbing a couple of drops in the palms, when the pungent smell disappears, they begin to select the “body”. In this way, it is good to check the correctness of calculations based on sugar or alcohol. 4. By temperature. Due to the design features of moonshine stills and the different composition of impurities, this method does not always work well in practice. I recommend using it only as a last resort. I bring it for review. The evaporation temperature of the "heads" is 65-68°C. During distillation, when the temperature reaches 63°C (the thermometer must be at the inlet to the refrigerator), the heating power is sharply reduced in order to smoothly reach the above temperature range. Then the “heads” are taken away while drops come out of the apparatus. When the output stops, raise the temperature to 78°C and select the "body" to a temperature of 85°C. The values are approximate and may differ depending on the device! How to separate the tails in moonshine Evidence of the appearance of tails is the fall of the fortress in the jet to 30-45 degrees. In order not to miss this moment, it is desirable towards the end of the distillation to collect the moonshine coming out of the apparatus into a flask or a small jar, in which it is easy to measure with an alcohol meter (the liquid temperature must be 20 ° C). If the strength is high enough, pour the distillate into a common container and substitute the jar again. During the first distillation (especially fruit and grain brews), you can collect the "body" until the degree of distillate falls below 30%. At the same time, moonshine sometimes becomes cloudy, but that's okay, the second distillation, in which the beginning of the tails is considered to be 40% fortress, will fix the problem. Most moonshiners prefer to consider everything that has a fortress below 40 degrees as tails of moonshine. If there is no alcohol meter, moonshine is taken until it burns in a spoon. When the strength of the output falls below the minimum, the distillation is stopped by stopping the heating, or they continue to collect tailings up to 15-20%, but this wastes energy and time, which in most cases does not justify itself.