Even before the first distillation, the mash needs to be properly prepare. The processes described below have a positive effect on the quality of the final product, so they should not be neglected.

Degassing

When the fermentation process is completed, there remains in the mash some carbon dioxide. During distillation, additional pressure may arise, which will lead to spitting out of the mash along with the distillate. This may cause the drink to become cloudy.

In addition, many harmful compounds from the initial fraction will enter the distillate. Therefore, before distillation you should get rid of carbon dioxide.

If you simply leave the fermentation tank open, the mash may turn sour, because oxygen will get in. This will lead to a deterioration in quality and a decrease in the yield of moonshine.

There are several proven methods of degassing:

• Mechanical. This method involves intensive stirring of the mash for several minutes. The easiest way to do this is with a drill with a special attachment for building mixtures.
• Temperature. You need to pour the mash into a metal container and quickly heat it to a temperature of 50º. When heated, gas bubbles will rise to form foam. When the foam disappears, the process must be completed.

Important! Before degassing, be sure to drain the mash from the sediment. Using a tube, you need to pour it into another container. This must be done regardless of the degassing method.

Lightening

This is one of the most effective methods for cleaning wort. After degassing it is added bentonite, which, as it settles, makes the mash more transparent.

Along with bentonite, many harmful compounds settle at the bottom, which adversely affect the smell and taste of moonshine.

Bentonite is powdered white clay. Sold in pharmacies as a cosmetic skin care product. The powder is used to make face masks.

You can use bentonite-based cat litter.

It is worth choosing a filler without adding any kind of dyes or flavors. First you need to grind the filler granules to a powder state.

White clay powder is added at the rate 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of mash. Before adding bentonite, it must be thoroughly mixed in 0.5 liters of water.

After adding, the fermentation container is tightly closed and left to settle for a day. If after 24 hours the mash has not cleared, it is recommended to heat it to a temperature of 50º, then stand it again. When the composition becomes transparent, you need to carefully drain it from the sediment using a hose. Then pass through a paper filter. After this, you can begin distillation.

Mash temperature

Even if all the rules and purification of the wort have been followed, moonshine can be spoiled by violating the distillation temperature regime.

Braga consists from water, alcohol and other compounds. The boiling point of water is 100º. Ethyl alcohol boils at 78.3º. It turns out that the mash will boil in the temperature range from 73º to 100ºС. The useful part is selected at 78-83º.

In addition to alcohol and water, the composition contains various impurities, etc. They begin to evaporate at 65º. At this temperature, the selection of the first fraction begins. It consists of compounds not intended for internal consumption. This faction is worth select until the temperature reaches 78º. After which the selection of raw alcohol begins.

When the temperature rises above 83º, we need to stop selecting the main part. Next comes the final fraction, which, like the first, contains many harmful compounds. It is collected in a separate container and can be used in subsequent distillations of the mash.

Temperature conditions in moonshine brewing are very important. But what if, including with, is not equipped with a thermometer? There are methods in which the need to use this measuring device practically disappears. However, it should maintain the required mash distillation temperature.

How to properly remove moonshine from mash: first distillation

On the issue of the first distillation, moonshiners are divided into two camps. Some believe that during the first distillation the resulting alcohol it makes no sense to split into factions. Others, on the contrary, advise separate the beginning and end parts from the main part. Let's look at both methods:

Fast distillation

The mash is quickly brought to a boil. Selection begins immediately, without separating the initial fraction, and continues up to 5º in the stream. In this case, the process proceeds at maximum power.

note. The strength should be measured in a small container (preferably in a glass test tube) with a special device - alcohol meter.

When measuring the strength of a distillate, its temperature should not exceed 30ºC, otherwise the readings will be inaccurate.

By faction

With this method, the mash is brought to a temperature of 65º over high heat.

The initial fraction is approximately 10% of the total distillate obtained. She has strong unpleasant odor and low strength.

It must be removed until the smell disappears completely. The following is the useful part ( body). You can check the strength using the old reliable method.

Take a few drops of distillate into a spoon and set fire to.

If the liquid lights up with a blue flame, this means that the selection of the useful part can begin. When the strength drops below 30º, body selection should be stopped.

Carefully! It must be remembered that alcohol is a flammable liquid. Careless handling can lead to a fire and sometimes an explosion.

Be careful! Do not leave containers with alcohol near fire or hot objects.

How to properly distill mash into moonshine: second distillation

Regardless of the distillation method, after the first distillation it is necessary dilute the resulting alcohol is up to 20-30º and thoroughly filter.

Filtration

Best used for cleansing coal. Activated carbon tablets are usually used, but charcoal is also suitable if it does not contain additional impurities.

To make a filter, just cut off the top of the bottle with the neck, place a cotton pad in the neck and pour in charcoal.

Household filters are ideal for distillate filtration. carbon filter for water purification. It does not require additional manipulations and is easy to use.

Another effective assistant when cleaning moonshine is baking soda. For 3 liters of diluted distillate with a strength of 25º, one teaspoon of soda is enough. The solution is thoroughly mixed and then left for a day.

The mixture is then carefully drained. The bulk of the soda should remain at the bottom. The distillate is then passed through a paper filter and sent for a second distillation.

Second distillation

During secondary distillation, crushing into fractions is mandatory procedure. The process is almost no different from the above. The only thing that distinguishes the second distillation from the first is strength in the stream, at which it is necessary to stop selecting the useful part. The selection of the main fraction during the second distillation should be stopped when the strength drops below 40º.

Purification after distillation

Here the opinions of manufacturers also differ. Many moonshiners believe that it is not advisable to clean the moonshine after the second distillation. It is enough to carefully separate harmful fractions from useful ones.

The fact is that at high strength, fusel oils and other harmful impurities are separated quite problematically, and the distillate can be diluted at the final stage no lower than 40º.

But there are also supporters of repeated cleaning. In this case, it is recommended to use cleaning methods that do not affect the color and transparency of the drink.

Instead of cleaning at this stage, it is more advisable to use endurance. But before this, it is necessary to properly dilute the distillate with water.

Dilution with water

The optimal strength of moonshine is 40-45º. After distillation, its strength is more than 70º. Drinking such a drink is not very pleasant; it needs to be diluted. For this they usually use household alcohol meter.

When diluting alcohol, it is better to follow a special Fertman table. It helps determine the right amount of water to accurately dilute the alcohol.

In addition, it is worth mentioning water quality. It is best to dilute alcohol with distilled water. It is neutral and does not have any effect on the taste. You can also use spring or well water. If it is not possible to obtain such water, then it is permissible to use settled and boiled tap water.

Application of heads and tails

As already mentioned, tails and heads contain many compounds harmful to human health. Ingesting them is very dangerous. However, they can be used on the farm.

Tails are often used for preparing various types of infusions for rubbing. They can also be added to the mash during the next distillation. This slightly increases the volume of alcohol produced.

However, there are moonshiners who advise not to use tails when distilling. They believe that with the constant use of final fractions, a large amount of fusel oils gets into moonshine.

Heads apply for technical purposes only, for example for removing stains or as a solvent. The initial fractions are also good for lighting fires.

Russian moonshine is a popular drink that competes with the world-famous Russian vodka. If you brew moonshine correctly, it can surpass the highest quality vodka in taste. To get a pure drink, you need to know how to brew good moonshine in a moonshine still.

Distillation and purification in a moonshine still

Previously, they used homemade devices for brewing moonshine. They used large pots, hand-welded vats, and utensils that were not originally intended for brewing alcohol. Currently, you can buy a moonshine still; it will quickly pay for itself with constant use. High-quality devices have sufficient thickness of the walls and bottom, and are also equipped with a thermometer. So, how to brew moonshine correctly?

1. Before cooking, the mash is cleared of debris by passing it through cheesecloth. This is done so as not to clog the steam line.
2. Make sure that spilled liquid does not fall on the stove. Alcohol is highly flammable.
3. Check the seal of the cube before distillation.
4. Wear gloves and do not open the device until it has completely cooled down.

Product cooking stages:

• First distillation of mash
• Second distillation of mash
• Purification of the resulting moonshine

On a note! Many people believe that it is necessary to purify the finished product when the drink turns out to be of poor quality. If the distillation is done correctly, the moonshine will already be of high quality, and there is no need to purify it. Cleansing occurs with egg whites, milk, rye bread, or freezing in the freezer.

At what temperature does distillation of moonshine alcohols begin?

The moonshine brewing process is based on different temperature conditions at which fusel oils, water, and alcohol boil. Water boils at 100 degrees. Fusel oils begin to boil at a temperature point of 85.5 degrees, alcohol - 78.3 degrees. To cook a high-quality product, you need to maintain the correct temperature. Temperature range - 78-93 degrees.

Start of distillation. The mash is poured into the moonshine still and begins to heat up. When the liquid heats up to 69 degrees, the evaporation of light harmful impurities begins: acetaldehyde, methyl alcohol and others. You will know that the process has begun by smelling the characteristic smell of alcohol. The first drops of moonshine will begin to stand out.

Cook the moonshine at maximum until the 70 degree mark. When you see 80 on the thermometer, reduce the heat.

What temperature to drive to?

There is a popular method of cooking mash - the quick method. Yeast and all kinds of impurities remaining in the mash should not be heated for a long time. Distillation is done at maximum heat, due to which the cooking process does not last long. This method does not respect the separation of temperature conditions.

The quick cooking process looks like this:

1. The cooking cube is placed on the fire, and water is supplied to the coil.
2. The fire turns on at full power. You need to wait for the mash to boil.
3. Moonshine is brewed at high speed.
4. The strength of the drink should be measured at a temperature of 20 degrees.

Another well-known method is fractional first distillation. Heat the moonshine still to 65 degrees. Reduce the heat when you see drops of moonshine. It is necessary to cook the product during the first distillation until a strength is formed in a stream of 30 degrees. After changing the container, turn up the heat to maximum. Now you can start collecting the tails.

At what speed should I drive?

How to prepare and brew moonshine during moonshine brewing? The clarified mash is poured into a moonshine cube, previously thoroughly washed with running water. Before you start cooking the product, you should check all the joints, since during the cooking process they heat up and can form a hole. Some people pre-lubricate the joints with a mixture of flour and water.

If your device does not have a thermometer, be sure to purchase one separately. Without a thermometer, the product is also boiled, but the quality of the drink will not be the same. As already mentioned, first the fire is turned to full power. Having noticed steam in the hose, the fire must be reduced to prevent the mash from boiling. The moonshine that comes out first should not be consumed. About 30 ml is the same popularly known “pervach”. It contains a substance dangerous to life - methanol. But don't throw it away. “Pervachok” can be used for household purposes, for example, to light coals.

Moonshine still with thermometer

When you brew the product, watch the strength of the drink. A device called an alcoholometer will help with this. If you are going to brew a high-quality strong drink, you should stock up on it in advance. If you don’t have an alcohol meter, there is a proven way to find out the strength of moonshine. Take a piece of paper and dip it in the drink. After ignition, if the paper begins to burn, it means that the strength of the moonshine is above 40 degrees. At first the strength will be at least 65 degrees, but gradually during the cooking process it should decrease. When you start brewing moonshine, be prepared for the process to take at least 2.5 hours. Of course, you can speed it up, but then the risk of harmful impurities entering increases and, accordingly, deterioration in the quality of the drink.

You need optimal cooking speed. If the liquid drips in frequent drops, this is exactly the speed that is needed. If the moonshine pours out in a stream, most likely the mash has boiled. When the mash boils, the liquid will turn out cloudy, with impurities.

How long does the distillation process take?

To obtain a drink without harmful impurities and suspensions, double distillation of moonshine is required. The taste will be mild, and the next morning after consumption there will be no headache. Some particularly scrupulous moonshiners distill the liquid up to four times, but many are inclined to believe that two brewing processes are quite enough.

When first cooking, the mash will heat up to 60 degrees very slowly. Be patient and don't add heat. As soon as the liquid heats up, the temperature rises sharply to 70 degrees, after which the moonshine begins to drip. After 20 minutes the temperature in the cube will be 90 degrees. Many people advise not to separate the tails and heads on the first run. This must be done when you re-brew moonshine. After about two liters of distilled liquid has been collected, it is necessary to measure the strength. The first distillation stops when the drink has a strength of 20 degrees. The entire first brewing process will take approximately two hours.

The second brewing of moonshine is divided into several stages:

1. Dilution with water. Moonshine for secondary distillation should have a strength of no more than 45 degrees. The proportions of water and moonshine will depend on what the final strength of the drink should be.
2. Purification of raw materials. The product is usually purified using charcoal.
3. Directly, secondary cooking.

In total, all three stages will take at least 2.5 hours.

Selection of heads and tails during distillation

There are three product fractions:

1. "Head". When the temperature in the moonshine still reaches 60 degrees, the first moonshine will appear, the so-called “pervach” among the people. Contrary to popular belief that this is the best drink, you should never drink it. Cut off the “head” by approximately 50 ml per liter of alcohol or for each kilogram of sugar used. The “head” is cut off with a small margin. The calculation is very simple. If 6 kg of sugar was used in the process of brewing moonshine, then the first 300 ml can only be used for production purposes. The smell of “pervach” is sharp, acetone.
2. "Body". Some people call this fraction of the brew the “heart.” Actually, for the sake of the “body” the whole process of brewing moonshine takes place. Having learned to select the “heads”, you can get a high quality product with good taste and smell.
3. "Tails." As soon as the product reaches a strength below 35 degrees, the brewing of moonshine proceeds to the final stage - the selection of “tails”. “Tails” are often used when preparing the next mash for the next cooking of the product. They can improve the quality and taste of the drink. The “tails” contain fusel oils, which negatively affect the color and smell of the product. They do not pose a health hazard, but if you want to get a pure drink without impurities, it is better to cut off the “tails” during cooking.

Dividing moonshine into three fractions

On a note! It is impossible to completely cut off the “heads” and “tails”. No one can give perfectly accurate calculations, since experience is gained over the years, and cutting occurs “by eye.”

Distilling spirits at home is not a particularly complicated procedure. But being a production technology, moonshine must be carried out using certain technologies, proven by trial and error, using all necessary and available means. Rushing and ignoring certain stages of the moonshine brewing process can lead not only to the loss of raw materials as a result of unsuccessful fermentation, but also to damage to health - if the final product turns out to be poisonous.

Moonshine distillation consists of successive stages that can be successfully completed if you adhere to the minimum principles of the production process.

1. Preparation of the starting material that will ferment.
2. Fermentation of a material, which is the process of converting sugar into alcohol, carbon dioxide and water.
3. Distillation of semi-finished product into strong alcohol.
4. Purification of alcohol from accompanying impurities.
5. Improving the taste of the manufactured product.

All these stages are interconnected and failure to comply with the requirements of one of them affects the passage of the other. One of the most important requirements of the moonshine distillation process is compliance with the temperature conditions that are necessary at each production site.

Requirements for water quality and temperature

The water used for fermentation must meet certain requirements. It should be clean, odorless and soft. To make mash, you can use well or drinking water sold in bottles. The use of spring water is questionable - it is unknown what bacteria may be present in an open source. Water from the city water supply is also suitable for making mash, which must be settled before use, but not boiled - the lack of oxygen in it will prevent the yeast from fermenting.

The water into which yeast will be added for further fermentation should have a temperature of 20 to 30 degrees. The most acceptable temperature conditions for fermentation are considered to be from 24 to 28 degrees. – this norm must be maintained. At low temperatures, the fermentation process begins to slow down. If the water temperature drops below 18 degrees, fermentation stops. To solve this problem in winter, aquarium heaters and various insulation materials are used to maintain a constant temperature in the container with mash, creating for yeast
necessary conditions to allow them to roam successfully.

If the water temperature exceeds 30 degrees, most of the yeast culture stops fermenting and dies before completing its task. It should be noted that as a result of the processes that occur during the fermentation reaction, the temperature of the solution begins to increase, so the container with mash sometimes has to be cooled.

Temperature during distillation stages

To obtain high-quality strong alcohol output, optimal temperatures for each stage of production should be maintained. Without information about the boiling point of the mash distilled into moonshine, it will be difficult to obtain high-quality alcohol, even if the raw materials were of excellent quality.

Braga is a solution of water and alcohol. Accordingly, boiling of the liquid and transformation into steam will occur from 78 to 100 g. The more alcohol in the solution, the lower the temperature at which it will begin to boil and become steam. This way it will be easier to make a good distillate.

Distillation of mash is carried out in three stages.

Selection of the first faction

When the mash heats up to 65–68 degrees, vapor of light fractions containing harmful substances evaporates during boiling. At this stage of boiling of the material, a characteristic smell of alcohol coming from the steam appears, and the first drops of liquid, which are popularly called “pervak,” begin to flow. You can’t drink this kind of moonshine; it contains not only alcohol, but also a number of harmful substances. This product may cause significant harm to health. This liquid is collected in a separate container and subsequently
used for various technical purposes. The volume of harmful fraction is 5% of the sugar used for the production of moonshine.

After the temperature of the mash reaches 63 degrees, the boiling speed must be reduced, gradually bringing it to 66–68 degrees. This is done to ensure that the hot mash does not enter the refrigerator along with the steam - otherwise, the color and quality of the product will deteriorate, and the situation will have to be corrected by repeated distillation.

Gathering the second faction

After the initial selection is completed, dishes are placed to collect the main product. Gradually increasing the temperature to the next boiling stage, the liquid with the alcohol in it is brought to 78 g. – the main production stage begins.

During the production process, the temperature rises, and the rate at which the liquid comes out decreases. When the liquid temperature reaches 85 degrees. and steam starts coming out of the system, the process stops. A drop in product quality and alcohol content, in the absence of a built-in thermometer, can be determined using traditional methods:

• liquid spilled on the surface does not ignite;
• the product output has practically stopped; steam comes out of the coil instead of liquid;
• The strength of the drink is below 40 g.

Selection of the third faction

The distilled liquid still contains a certain part of alcohol, which cannot be obtained in its pure form. For such selection, the residues are turned into steam, increasing the temperature in the cube to 85 degrees. The material obtained as a result of distillation is collected in a separate container, it is then added to increase the strength in a new batch of mash.

Control devices

Moonshine brewing is a technological process and, like any production, it requires control over how its stages proceed. The control instruments that will be needed during the work are an alcohol meter and a thermometer.

An alcohol meter is necessary not only to determine the strength of a finished product. With the help of this device, the fractions are determined, the need to stop collecting the main one and move on to the selection of the last, third. Household alcohol meters are available in various versions, allowing you to determine the strength of the product in the ranges: 0–90, 0–40, 40–70 and 70–100 g. One division on the device corresponds to 1 g.

In order to control the temperature of the liquid heated in the cube, thermometers are used, both laboratory and electronic, capable of measuring up to 100 g. Thanks to this device built into the distillation cube, you can always monitor the processes occurring inside the container that occur during distillation.

Hi all!

Lately I have often been asked the following questions: at what temperature should moonshine be distilled? Or, how to distill moonshine using 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 generally needed in a moonshine still and what it gives us.

First of all, I would like 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 steamer between the tank and the distiller. The thermometer is installed in the distillation cube.

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

What does a thermometer do in a moonshine still?

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

1. The ability to accurately determine the start of distillation, therefore saving 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 eliminating the need to use hydrometers during distillation.
4. Switch from body selection to tail selection in a timely manner.
5. Complete the selection of tailings and all distillation in a timely manner.
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 mmHg). But mash or raw alcohol is a water-alcohol solution ( impurities neglected), and therefore the boiling point of this solution is different and depends on the ethanol content in it. Moreover, a certain amount of alcohol in the mash corresponds to a certain amount of alcohol in the vapor entering the cooler.

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

The tablet 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. The mash boiled and the selection began at 92 degrees, therefore the strength of the liquid is approximately 12%. Just you need to focus not on the very first drops, but when a cheerful trickle begins 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 the moonshine to 98-99 °C, depending on your greed and patience. I usually drive it up to 98. I still don’t recommend going up to 100 degrees - the loss of product will be insignificant, but you’ll waste a lot of time and at the same time collect a lot of unnecessary impurities.

• When distilling raw alcohol

1. We filled in, say, 20% sorting.
2. Using the table, we determine that the boiling point of the mixture is 88-89 degrees. Therefore, there is no need to turn on the water before 80 °C and you can save it.
3. In most methods, and in mine too article about distillation, it is recommended to take up to 40% of the body in the stream (or while it is 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 move on to the tails at 93-94 °C. Yes, this way we send a large amount of alcohol to the tailings, but from these tailings it will then be possible to squeeze out a decent amount of good quality moonshine. I will tell you why it is necessary to complete the selection of the body at 93 °C in one of the following articles, when I organize the information received.
4. We select tails to 98-99 degrees.

Alcohol becomes more expensive every year, but festive events in life, thank God, are not decreasing. Therefore, today for many it is becoming a more profitable and attractive business. Homemade spirits, subject to all preparation technologies, are distinguished by quality, purity and variety of tastes. To master the distillation process, you can start with the classics and (we recommend choosing a brand apparatus). Reliable owners will always be able to help you choose the right model.

And now the device is purchased, the mash is ripening, and along with it the question is brewing: how to drive it? Let's talk about the temperature of moonshine distillation on a still with a steamer.

The essence of the distillation process is that different liquids boil at different temperatures. Thus, when distilling mash, the mixture of liquids is divided into three fractions: “heads”, “body” and “tails” of moonshine. The “heads” are represented mainly by ethers, aldehydes, acetone and methanol. “Body” is our desired ethyl alcohol (ethanol). In other words, the “body” is what everything is started for. Well, the “tail” fraction is the so-called “fusel oils”. Strictly speaking, these are not oils at all, but a mixture of many substances, mostly polyhydric alcohols, having an oily appearance.

The physics of the distillation process will be approximately the same for any model of apparatus at the same atmospheric pressure (let’s take 760 mm Hg as the norm). The temperature regime for distilling moonshine with or without a steamer will be oriented towards the following values:

• Heads begin to boil in the temperature range of 65-68°C;
• ethyl alcohol (body) boils at 78°C;
• “tails” boil when the temperature rises to 83-85°C;
• water - at 100°C.

Thus, when selecting the “body” it is necessary to maintain a temperature range of 78-83°C. It is best to rely on the readings of the thermometer at the top of the distillation cube, since it shows the temperature of the vapor, and this value more accurately reflects the state of affairs.

Let's go through it in order, indicating the temperatures for distilling mash into moonshine on a still with a steamer at each stage:

1. Heating the mash at maximum heat to 60-63°C. Then the heating decreases sharply and a smooth exit to the selection of “heads” takes place (65-68°C). If this fails to be done smoothly, then mash may be released into the system, but that is why we have a steam trap to prevent splashes and mash particles from getting into the refrigerator.
2. Selection of “heads”. Temperature range 65-78°C. The selection of “heads” is carried out in ml or by smell: as soon as the unpleasant odor is replaced by a clear alcoholic one, the selection of the “body” begins.
3. Body selection is carried out in the range from 78 to 83-85°C.
4. When the temperature reaches 85°C, the alcohol yield becomes negligible, and “heavy” fractions—fusel oils—begin to evaporate. At this temperature point, the collection of the “body” stops and the selection of “tails” begins (of course, if you need “tails” at all).

As for the temperature of the secondary distillation of moonshine with a steamer, the temperature values ​​remain the same. If a second distillation is planned, then the first (distillation of mash) can be carried out without separating fractions at maximum heat, and the second (distillation of raw alcohol) can be carried out with strict temperature control and division into fractions.