Up to how many degrees to collect tails. We study the composition of heads, tails, fusel oils and their effect on the taste of moonshine. How heads are selected

For a long time, many lovers of strong alcohol prefer high-quality home-made moonshine to store-bought alcohol. But in the manufacture of a decent drink, it is impossible to avoid observing the technological subtleties of fractional distillation.

This is directly related to the careful selection of dangerous and harmful impurities in the form of so-called heads and tails from the finished product.

In order to correctly separate side impurities into fractions in moonshine, you need to know not only how to properly separate the heads and tails, but also what they are.

heads

The first outgoing fraction during distillation, since the boiling point of dangerous impurities like methanol, acetaldehyde and acetone is somewhat lower than that of ethanol.

Thanks to this, it is easy to exclude the ingress of harmful head components into the finished drink. It has a strong and very unpleasant odor.

Body

The most important part of the resulting distillate, which is directly used for drinking and is the main purpose of the entire distillation. Theoretically, it should contain only water and pure ethanol.

But it is almost impossible to completely eliminate all impurities with conventional distillation. But in order to obtain a high-quality body with pleasant organoleptic properties, it is necessary to know how to properly drive moonshine in order to cut off the heads and ends in time and carefully select each fraction.

Tails

The third and last fraction, which concentrated in its composition, along with ethanol, a lot of fusel oils and isopropyl alcohol. Characterized by more high temperature boiling than that of the body, a cloudy color and a rather unpleasant and pungent odor.

In what cases are the heads and tails taken

Whatever mash we choose as the basis for subsequent distillation, moonshine will necessarily be accompanied by the formation of a number of impurities of varying degrees of harmfulness.

They are concentrated in the distillation process in the heads and tails of the distilled product. It is almost impossible to completely get rid of them without resorting to rectification.

But freeing the drink from the remnants of by-products in the distillation system, we deprive it of most of its pleasant organoleptic qualities. That is, regardless of the type of raw material used in the manufacture of various, it will have a uniform taste.

If you correctly use the difference in the boiling points of heads, tails and the main body of moonshine, then it is quite possible to carry out their optimal selection.

At the same time, at the output we have a high-quality distillate with a minimum of fusel impurities and with an organoleptic characteristic only for it. So expressive for connoisseurs of homemade alcohol, the smell and taste are important hallmarks.

How to select heads and tails in moonshine

The crude alcohol obtained after the first distillation is still distinguished by a high content of harmful impurities in the head and tail parts.

Repeated fractional distillation, supplemented by intermediate purification, will make it much better than its original version.

It is repeated fractional distillation - one of the prerequisites for manufacturing and with a pleasant taste.

Therefore, during the first distillation of mash, many experienced moonshiners often do without the selection of heads and tails.

When cutting off harmful fractions from the body of moonshine, it is important to remember the variability of these values ​​​​and try to adhere to the proven average parameters. To do this, you need to be able to calculate the volume of heads and tails in order to know how to do it correctly during the second distillation of moonshine.

Goal Calculation Methods

In order not to make a mistake with the selection, it is necessary to calculate their number by resorting to some proven methods.

• By sugar content.

Enough effective method, based on accurate information about the initial sugar content of the wort. At the same time, from one kilo of sugar, the recommended selection is 60-100 ml. For example, if it took 2 kg of sugar to manufacture, then heads should be selected from 120 to 200 ml.

Or, having calculated the total amount of sugar in the finished mash according to its initial percentage, we make the recommended selection of the head fraction from each kilogram.

In the case of their selection during both distillations, the amount is preferably divided into two stages. Cutting off the head part during the processing of sugar mash is practiced already during the first distillation. At the same time, it is recommended to select 30 ml from each kilogram of sugar in Braga.

• by volume of absolute alcohol.

One of the most reliable and simple methods of counting. To do this, it is necessary to calculate the pure alcohol in the semi-finished product after the first distillation. For example, 10 liters of raw alcohol with a strength of about 40%, according to the calculations obtained, contains 4 liters of absolute alcohol.

To simplify the calculation, the strength of alcohol is theoretically considered to be about 100%. Then it is necessary to cut off 8-15% of the head product from the already counted 4 liters. If you adhere to the selection of the recommended 10%, then you need to separate about 400 ml of heads.

• By smell.

The method is suitable only for experienced moonshiners. Only they are able to clearly determine the presence of the head fraction by the pungent smell of drops of alcohol rubbed on the palm of their hand. Usually in this way, professionals in practice control its selection.

• By temperature.

Since the head fractions begin to evaporate at a temperature of 65–68 °C, it is theoretically convenient to use this to cut them off. In practice, the method does not guarantee the accuracy of the results due to design differences distillation and ambiguous composition of brew impurities.

The selection by this method is based on a sharp decrease in the heating power of the distillate when it reaches 63 °C. This ensures a smooth transition to the specified evaporation temperature. After that, the head distillate is cut off drop by drop.

How heads are selected

Consider the selection of the head fraction during the second distillation using a classic moonshine still with cooling:

• We bring the raw alcohol to a boil, and when it reaches 78 ° C, removing the heat, we hold the distillation for 10-15 minutes in the range of 60-64 ° C.
• We increase the heating so that at the top of the distiller the temperature is kept in the range of 64-77 ° C.
• We carefully control the exit rate of the head liquid with an accuracy of 1 drop per second. This frequency is necessary for the correct cutoff of the counted quantity.

How to separate the tails

For their timely selection, it is very important to be aware of reliable methods for accurately calculating the volume of the expected body.

• By absolute alcohol.

Using a similar formula for calculating the head part, we calculate absolute alcohol, using the example of 10 liters of crude alcohol with a strength of 40%. Its value, respectively, is 4 liters.

Then we take 70% of this volume and theoretically we get 2.8 liters of a pure alcohol body. But in practice, it is unrealistic to obtain pure ethyl with any distillation.

Therefore, we will focus on the specific strength of the drink at the exit, which is maximum no more than 92%.

To determine the real volume of the collected body, it is enough to use a simple calculation: divide the calculated volume of the body in terms of absolute alcohol by a specific distillate strength in percentage.

That is, in our case, we divide 2.8 liters by 0.92, taking 92% alcohol for calculation. As a result of such a recalculation, it is necessary to assemble a body with a size of 3.043 liters.

• By temperature in a cube.

Usually, when the temperature in the distillation cube reaches from 92 to 95 ° C, an active exit of the tails begins. In this case, immediately stop collecting the body and continue to collect the tail in a separate container.

• Fortress.

It is customary for the majority to attribute to the tail component everything that is below 40% in strength and, when checked, no longer burns in a spoon.

But the first distillation, especially grain and fruit must, allows you to select a body of lower strength, thereby setting the taste of the drink. The quality of alcohol is improved by the second distillation.

During the first distillation, the tails are usually cut off from sugar brews, which do not contain anything good, unlike grain and fruit.

Recently head fraction, in everyday life pervach, was mistakenly considered the strongest and highest quality part of moonshine. We now know that intoxication was simply confused with drunkenness.

And because of the concentration of harmful impurities, it can neither be consumed nor used for medicinal purposes. It is either drained or left solely for technical purposes.

But what to do with the tails of moonshine is up to you, although you can extract the remains of good ethanol from it only by rectification. If the volumes of the product are economically justified, it is possible to prepare “good vodka” from this rectified product. But in most cases, adding this fraction to the next portion of the mash increases its strength.

A thorough analysis of the features of the main fractions of homemade distillate makes it possible to understand the need for their correct and timely selection. And the quality and taste of moonshine and the degree of its harm to the body directly depend on this.

Due to the rise in prices for alcohol and the drop in its quality, as well as the increase in cases of poisoning with store products, people have become more interested in moonshine and its features. This article will discuss how to separate the "heads" and "tails" in moonshine.

Apparatus design

It should be noted that the methods described below are not suitable for all moonshine stills. Therefore, it is necessary to describe the device that will be discussed in the article.

The design of the apparatus is a tank for washing on fire or with a built-in heating element, connected to the cooling cube by a transition tube.

aluminum tank

If you decide to make moonshine on your own, it is recommended to use a tank made of food (table aluminum). Quite like a blank, Soviet milk tanks with a volume of 15, 20 and 40 liters will do. It remains to drill a hole from above, attach a cooling cube to it, and you're done. A cheap, easy-to-make "cauldron" for brewing moonshine and for distilling tails and heads will last a long time.

Stainless steel tank

Food grade stainless steel is also good for this purpose. But stainless steel tanks are mainly for industrial purposes, and therefore expensive in themselves.

Tanks made of other metals, when heated, can poison both the mash and the drink, releasing heavy metals in them, such as lead, tin, zinc. These metals tend to accumulate in the body and harm the organs and their systems, and therefore they are very dangerous to use them in the delicate process of boiling and cutting off "heads" and "tails" in moonshine.

What does department mean?

So, to begin with, let's define what it means to separate "heads" and "tails". In fact, this is the division of the drink into fractions that are different in composition and properties. In general, the "head" and "tail" are separated in moonshine by temperature.

What is a "head"?

This fraction contains a large amount of harmful impurities, is not recommended for use and has an evaporation temperature of up to 70 degrees. While the apparatus enters the operating mode, usually the entire “head” comes out, which cannot be filtered or distilled, since the fusel oils and other by-products contained in it have a boiling point lower than that of ethyl alcohol.

Do you need a "head"?

This term, as already mentioned, refers to what comes out at the beginning - a large amount of fusel oils, methyl alcohol with an evaporation temperature of up to 70-72 degrees. This feature helps to understand how to cut off the "heads" and "tails" in moonshine. At one time, the "head" (otherwise it is also called pervak) was considered high-quality alcohol, as it made you more drunk. But do not be hopeful about this, thinking that the stronger the "high", the better the alcohol.

In the case of the “heads”, it is not alcohol that gives intoxication, but intoxication caused by fusel oils and methyl alcohol. These impurities have a detrimental effect on all body systems, and cause particular harm to the liver and brain. At the same time, methyl alcohol in the composition of the "head" with long-term use can lead to visual impairment or complete blindness. Experienced distillers usually just pour out the “heads”, if only because of the unbearable smell, and determine that the “head” has come out by smell and tasting the drink. It is by smell that you can determine the "heads" and "tails" in moonshine. Having understood that the “pervak” has come out, we will change the container to a larger one for the “body”.

What is a "body"?

This is 75-80% of the drink. It contains a maximum of ethyl (food) alcohol and a minimum of harmful additives. It is usable, as it is considered the cleanest part of the pasture. Relative to the "body" and the calculation of "heads" and "tails" in moonshine will begin.

"Body" is considered to be something that has a minimum of harmful impurities, and, accordingly, a pungent odor and a disgusting taste. This fraction is driven out at a temperature of 75 degrees, and it makes up the largest volume of the entire pasture.

What comes out of the "body"?

Speaking of the "body", which is subject to filtering. Yes, yes, for those who want to get first-class moonshine, there are 2 news: good and bad. Good: the drink can be filtered by distillation, while obtaining almost pure alcohol. And the bad news is that some of the drink will be lost (5-10% from each stage). Also, each subsequent distillation is more energy-intensive, which increases the cost of the resulting alcohol. But if moonshine is being chased for a loved one, then what is the point of energy costs, the main thing is to get relatively cheap and high-quality alcohol? After all, the invariable advantage of home brewing is that you are 100% sure of drinking and that you will not get poisoned.

What does "tail" mean?

It is customary to call this term what comes after the “head” with a strength below 40 degrees, its composition is unpleasant: fusel oils. And also it has an unpleasant taste and smell, which is why it is also undesirable for use. But the "tail", unlike the "head", is suitable for hauling, which we will discuss later. Now it’s clear how to separate the “heads” and “tails” in moonshine.

Can tails be used?

This fraction begins to emerge at a temperature of 85°C. How to select "heads" and "tails" in moonshine? You can determine that "tails" have gone in this way: the cloudy color of the drink, low strength (less than 40%), odors similar to the smell of "heads" appear. If there is no alcohol meter, you can take a little liquid in a tablespoon and set it on fire. If it burns with an invisible or barely visible blue flame, then the alcohol content is still about 40%. Thus, it becomes clear how to calculate the "heads" and "tails" in moonshine. Any other burning or its absence indicates that the "tails" have gone and it is necessary to change the container again, setting aside our cream.

By the way, "tails", unlike "heads", can be filtered according to the same principle as the "body". In general, "tails" can be added to the "body" and overtaken along with it, but you should be able to cut off the unnecessary. "Tails" must be driven out to a fortress of 20%. Everything else is unsuitable for pasture, because essential and fusel oils remain in the container, which evaporate at temperatures above 90 ° C. Next, add them to the "body" (or you can separately) and distill in the above way.

The expediency of hauling "tails"

It is worth noting that when adding the "tail" to the "body", we will have to dilute 1 part of moonshine in 2 parts of water. And with separate filtering, the "tail" is bred 1 to 3, also remembering the fortress. And we make calculations according to the same principles. For example, we have 500 ml of "tails" with a total strength of 30%. Let's calculate the amount of alcohol. Divide the volume of 500 ml by 100%, and multiply the resulting 5 by 30 and get 150 ml of pure alcohol.

It can be seen with the naked eye that it is more economically feasible to either pour out the "tails" and not suffer, wondering how to separate the "heads" and "tails" in moonshine, or overtake them along with the "body", observing the above conditions.

How to distill moonshine?

After the end of the pasture, the apparatus must be washed and charged again, but with the "body" (in the proportion of 1 part of the "body" to 2 parts of water). Water, by the way, is better to use not from the tap, but to take it from the well. There is also an opinion that it is possible to take distilled water obtained on the same apparatus, since there are no impurities in such water, and it will more actively absorb compounds unnecessary in the drink. Its boiling point is slightly higher than normal.

We charge the device for the second round. For example, let's take that we allegedly have 2 liters of "body" with a strength of 70%. Calculate how much alcohol should be at the output. Divide 2 l (this is 2000 ml) by 100% and get 20, then multiply by the strength of the drink. In our case, it is 70%. We get 1400 ml or 1.4 liters of the purest 100% alcohol. Since there is no 100% ethyl alcohol, but there is 96%, we will leave an error of 4% in the tank along with impurities that we do not need, which give an unpleasant odor.

Following the recipe, add another 4 liters of water to two liters of the "body" and set it to expel, gaining a temperature of up to 70-75 degrees. We expel the drink until we get the volume of alcohol that was in the "body", and in our case it is 1.4 liters. It is no longer necessary to expel, since what we wanted to get rid of plus water remained in the tank.

So, we got 1400 ml of 90-96% alcohol, which must be diluted to obtain a 40% drinkable drink. It is strongly not recommended to dilute the alcohol that is planned to be consumed with distilled water, because it is "dead" and washes minerals from the body, and this is very detrimental to health.

As a result, it turns out very, very well-purified moonshine, one might say, first-class. The procedure can be repeated, but experienced distillers believe that one or two hauls are usually enough.

alcoholmeter

An alcoholometer, otherwise known as a hydrometer, is used to measure the percentage of alcohol in a liquid. This device can help with the question of how to cut off the "heads" and "tails" in moonshine. Oddly enough, but if it is lowered into a liquid in which there is obviously no alcohol, it will still show a certain percentage of alcohol content. The fact is that this device is based on this principle: it determines the amount of alcohol by the density of the liquid. Therefore, you need to be able to work with it correctly.

There are several types of hydrometers. To work at home, you will need household appliances. It measures the percentage of alcohol in homemade vodka or moonshine on a scale from 0 to 96. The minus of this device is a small error - 0.5%. But usually this does not matter much, since people make moonshine for themselves, and not for sale on an industrial scale.

It should be remembered that this measuring tool should be treated with care, because any scratch or crack makes the alcoholometer unusable. You also need to know that you can measure the strength of the drink with it only at a temperature of 20 degrees. If the drink is hotter or colder, the device will show an incorrect result. A household hydrometer should not measure drinks containing impurities, such as wine, tinctures, etc., since it is designed to measure only the density of alcohol and water.

A few more recommendations. After diluting alcohol with water, it is necessary to wait 10 minutes and only then proceed with measurements, because immediately after dilution, the liquid will generate a lot of heat. In addition, the instrument must be clean and dry, otherwise, again, the measurements will be incorrect.

When the temperature of moonshine reaches 20 degrees, it must be poured into a glass or flask and carefully lower the alcoholometer there with the wide part down. If you work with it sharply, you can damage it, and then you have to get a new one.

Finally

The article described how to separate the "heads" and "tails" in moonshine. It is worth adding that it is simply forbidden to sell moonshine in many countries, but no one talked about moonshine for themselves. As far as we know, winemakers are not imprisoned or heavily fined. Likewise with moonshine. While you are doing this for yourself, law enforcement agencies are not interested. The invariable advantage of home brewing is the cheapness of the drink and absolute confidence in its composition.

Distillation with the separation of fractions "head", "body" and "tail" is used to purify the final product from harmful impurities and fusel oil. This technology allows get rid of bad taste and the smell of moonshine making it of high quality and safe for consumption. We will break down this process step by step and give recommendations to simplify it.

Some experienced moonshiners believe that the typical taste of moonshine is its “calling card” and it is wrong to get rid of it. It's actually a stereotype distillate standard - complete absence of taste, smell and color. Turbidity and taste are the result of poor-quality hauling, which is done in villages using outdated technologies. I propose to keep up with the times and drink only high-quality alcohol.

Never be greedy by separating harmful fractions. Good quality product - the key to a successful evening.

During distillation, not only water and pure ethyl alcohol evaporate, but also a number of other harmful compounds: methyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, butyric ethyl ether, amyl alcohol, and others.

The boiling point of these impurities is different, so distillation occurs unevenly: first, they evaporate very harmful compounds (head), then goes quality moonshine (body) and at the end also go compounds with a bad smell (tails).

Starting distillation, the first drops of alcohol will be precisely harmful heads. After a while, the body will go. Tails will drip at the end.

Our task- collect as much high-quality moonshine as possible, excluding heads and tails from it.

How to correctly count and select heads, bodies and tails during distillation?

There are many ways, but the simplest and most effective is considered sugar. The rule sounds like this: for every kilogram of sugar, 50 ml of heads must be separated. Tailings begin to drip at the moment when the fortress in the jet drops to 40 degrees.

For clarity, I propose to consider an example that will objectively show how many heads, bodies and tails are obtained in moonshine:

There is an interesting video Antonych and Alexey Podolyak, which will show the whole technology for the separation of fractions. It is very interesting to listen to such an experienced moonshiner, so we highly recommend that you do this.

Braga contains not only alcohol and water, but also a large amount of fusel oils and other impurities that can be harmful to health when using moonshine. In order to get rid of toxic substances, as well as to improve the taste, color and smell of the drink, it is recommended to carry out a double distillation with the mandatory separation of moonshine into fractions. You need to know how to properly cut off the tails and heads in moonshine. This is the only way to get a decent drink that will compete with the famous elite alcohol.

moonshine fractions

In any moonshine, regardless of the source material, toxic impurities will be present: methyl alcohol, acetic acid, acetone and others. The moonshine obtained during the distillation process is divided into three main fractions:

1. Head. "Pervach", as the first moonshine is also called, is highly undesirable to use, since it contains a lot of poisonous chemical compounds. Some people use "pervac" as acetone, for example, to get rid of greasy drips on the kitchen surface.
2. The body (heart) of the drink. The moonshine following the "heads" is called the "body" of the drink. This part of the distillate will later be used as homemade alcohol. It is believed that the central fraction should contain only water and ethyl alcohol. But at home it is very difficult to establish the necessary temperature regime, therefore, impurities will be present in the "body", though in a minimal amount.
3. Tails. After the "body" of moonshine, "tails" are collected. The final fraction is not used for consumption, although it does not cause much harm.

There are proven methods on how to cut off heads and tails in moonshine. Select "heads" and "tails" as follows:

1. Braga heats up to 65 degrees, when toxic impurities begin to boil. At the same time, a characteristic alcohol smell and the first drops of distillate will appear.
2. The transition from the first stage to the second is very important - the collection of the "body" of moonshine. The distillate heats up very slowly to 78 degrees, when the boiling time of ethyl alcohol begins. Monitoring the temperature regime is a very crucial moment in the moonshine brewing process. If you make a mistake in temperature indicators, you can spoil the taste of the drink. Ejection of cake or clogging of the connecting pipes may also occur.
3. You need to know that as the temperature rises, a smaller amount of alcohol will be obtained. The water begins to boil, the third stage begins, at which the “tails” are cut off. If you leave the "tails" in the distillate, the drink will acquire a cloudy color, an unpleasant smell and taste.

You can only use the body of moonshine

heads

The initial fraction, which is popularly called “pervach”, is the most dangerous, since it is in the “head” that a high concentration of substances dangerous to humans is collected. Some appreciate "pervach" for its strength, although it is strictly forbidden to use the "head" of moonshine. In addition to a severe hangover, after taking such moonshine, you can get severe poisoning. "Heads" can be used for technical purposes, but more often they are simply disposed of.

Proper moonshine is impossible without separating the “heads” and “tails”, but how to cut off the “heads” and “tails” in moonshine, we will consider further.

Body

When all the "heads" are cut off, it is important to correctly collect the main part of the distillate. It is imperative to change the container for collecting moonshine. The heating temperature should be 85-90 degrees. If the distillation cube already has a built-in thermometer, separating the “body” of moonshine will be quite simple. In the absence of a thermometer, there are several ways to know when to stop sampling the "body":

1. A piece of paper is soaked in distillate and ignited. If the flame burns with a blue tint, the final stage begins - the selection of "tails".
2. The strength of the distillate is measured. If it is below 30 degrees, the "heart" of moonshine is collected.
3. The pressure of the jet noticeably weakens up to the termination of the process.

To get high-quality moonshine, it is best to use professional distillation apparatus. In do-it-yourself stills, a clear separation of one fraction from another will not work. Foreign impurities will be present in the "body", which will affect the quality of the final product.

The moonshine still affects the quality of moonshine

Tails

This is the last stage of distillation, when at a temperature of about 90 degrees fusel and essential oils. They do not pose any health hazard, but it is better to get rid of the “tails” so that the moonshine turns out to be not cloudy and without foreign smell. "Tails" are added to the mash for the next batch. It makes no sense to re-distill the "tails" - the quality of the "distillate" will remain the same.

How to pick heads

Distillers use several proven ways to cut off "heads". The choice depends on professionalism, experience in moonshining, the quality of the moonshine still, the stove on which the distillation cube is heated. In the process of selecting "heads" the most important moment is the heating temperature. It is preferable to use industrial distillation apparatus with built-in thermometer and reflux condenser.

Where does the process begin? The prepared mash is poured into a distillation cube and brought to a boil. As soon as the first drops of distillate begin to appear, the fire is reduced to a minimum, and then slowly increased. The jet temperature should be cold.

Many are wondering whether it is necessary to select “heads” if a moonshine still with a built-in steamer is used. The answer is obvious - of course, it is worth it. Fusel oils, which make up the tail fraction, settle in the steamer. And the sukhoparnik, unfortunately, does not delay toxic impurities. Therefore, when purchasing a distillation cube with a steamer, it is imperative to separate the first, most poisonous, fraction.

What are the head selection methods?

By sugar

One of the most accurate ways to select "heads" is the sugar method. Calculating the volume of "heads" for sugar is very simple. 1 kg of sugar used for the preparation of mash contains 70-100 heads. With the help of a special meter - a hydrometer, you can find out the amount of sugar in the mash until the moment when yeast is added to it.

For example, in 20 liters of mash, the hydrometer showed the presence of 15% sugar. We calculate the weight of sugar: multiply 20 by 0.15 and get 3 kg. For this indicator of sugar, it is necessary to cut off from 210 to 300 ml of moonshine in the first fraction.

"Heads" should be separated in each of the two distillations. If there is no device for measuring sugar, you can use the scales to find out the exact amount of raw materials used. Using this method, it is necessary to accurately calculate all measurements from the very beginning of the process. But the undeniable advantage is that even before distillation, you can find out how many “heads” should be cut off.

By alcohol

The method is used when the exact amount of sugar in the mash is unknown. The first distillation with this method takes place without fractional separation. The number of "heads" will be approximately 12-15% of pure alcohol. The strength of the intermediate alcohol is measured with an alcoholometer.

By temperature

This method of cutting off "heads" is considered inaccurate and is used extremely rarely. In the case of home-made distillation devices, it will not be possible to produce accurate heating, so it is better not to use this method.

How to cut off "heads" by temperature:

1. Bring the contents of the moonshine still to a boil.
2. Slowly, over 20 minutes, increase the heating temperature so that it finally becomes about 79 degrees. During this time, toxic impurities come out with the distillate.
3. The next 20 minutes the temperature gradually decreases.
4. The liquid that was collected in this way is the head fraction.
5. The temperature increases again to select the central fraction - the "body".

By smell

Home brewing professionals can determine when to cut off the "heads" by smell. This method is very conditional, and it is definitely not suitable for beginners. There is no exact technology for this method, since it is based on a person's sense of smell and sense of smell. The master proceeds as follows: he takes a few drops of distillate, rubs them between his palms and, by the resulting aroma, finds out whether it is possible to move on to the next fraction. To use the method of cutting off the head fraction by smell, enormous experience in home brewing is required.

How to cut tails

When the fortress in the jet drops to 35-45 degrees, you can proceed to the next stage - the collection of "tails". Having decided to do moonshine, you should definitely purchase an alcoholmeter. With it, you can easily determine when the collection of the "body" ends. When the heating temperature has risen to 85 degrees, you need to collect a small amount of distillate in a separate container and check its strength.

Exists folk method without the use of an alcohol meter. The liquid is poured into a spoon and ignited. If the flame burns, the distillate is still strong, and it is too early to move on to the next fraction. As soon as the liquid stops burning, it's time to collect the "tails".

During the first distillation, the “heart” is collected until the fortress drops to 30 degrees. This is especially true for mash made from fruits, grains or cake. "Tails" are the cause of the cloudy color of moonshine, but after the second distillation, you can achieve an almost transparent color of the drink.

Why should alcohol be separated into fractions during distillation? Until now, some moonshiners neglect the division of distillate into “heads”, “body” and “tails”. As a result, such craftsmen get a cloudy strong drink with a pungent odor and the content of harmful impurities. Excessive alcohol consumption is not good for health anyway, and unrefined moonshine will cause even more harm to the body. In addition, every self-respecting distiller sets himself the goal of making a quality drink. Long gone are the days when distillate was driven for the sake of economy. Now many people are creatively approaching the moonshine brewing process, experimenting with ingredients and technology in order to get an elite strong drink. If we neglect double distillation with the release of three main fractions, moonshine will come out of the lowest quality and will not be suitable for further infusion and refinement.

Following the basic rules, you can learn how to cut off the "heads" and "tails" to get pure moonshine without harmful impurities. To do this, you need to know the technology of distillation with the separation of fractions, as well as use a high-quality moonshine still. Much will depend on the raw materials used to make the mash.

Homemade alcohol in moderation is cleaner and healthier than store-bought, and every adult knows this. But in order for the drink to turn out the way it should, you need to know the technology of fractional distillation. In this article, we will consider in detail how to properly perform the separation of "heads" and "tails" during moonshine brewing and get the desired quality at the output.

The correct separation of moonshine into fractions allows you to get a quality drink without harmful by-products resulting from the fermentation process.

There are three main fractions of moonshine:

• "heads"
• "body"
• "tails"

Head faction

"Heads" ("Pervach" or "Pervak") - a low-boiling fraction with a boiling point lower than that of ethyl alcohol, have a sharp and unpleasant odor, evaporate first during distillation, this allows them to be selected and prevent them from entering the main product.

The “heads” contain a dangerous concentration of methanol in moonshine, acetone in moonshine, vinegar derivatives, and much more, which is dangerous for humans, this is the answer to the question why moonshine smells like acetone. Therefore, the separation of "heads" is one of the main tasks.

Some naively believe that you can drink “heads” and even get drunk faster than from the main product. However, this is pure harm and delusion, it is best to send them to the sewers.

So what to do with the selected heads of moonshine? It can be used as a kindling for a fire, furnaces, etc., but do not drink.

moonshine body

"Body" (or "heart") - the drinking part, it is for the sake of it that a rather long and capacious process is performed from the preparation of the mash to the main distillation.

Contains water, alcohol and other impurities that give the drink a distinctive taste. During distillation, it is impossible to clearly and completely separate into fractions; anyway, some substances with a similar boiling point will fall into the selection. Rectification is suitable for accurate separation into fractions, this is the only way to get pure ethyl alcohol, but along with impurities, the organoleptic properties of the drink are also removed.

Therefore, the taste and smell of the product from different raw materials will be exactly the same, because the drink will contain only ethyl alcohol.

It is also important to note the content of fusel oils in moonshine. It is completely impossible to get rid of them, their benefits are rather contradictory. But there is a difference in dosage between poison and medicine, the same with alcohol. Taking it on holidays in small quantities, fusel oils can act on the liver, protecting it from the harsh effects of alcohol.

tail fraction

"Tail" is the third faction of moonshine that comes out last. Its usual sign is a cloudy color, a pungent smell. This part has great content those same fusel oils and isopropyl alcohol, therefore also not suitable for consumption.

The boiling point of fusel oils is much higher than that of ethyl alcohol, it is necessary to stop the selection in time and the tails will not get into the product.

What to do with moonshine tails? You can simply pour or overtake in distillation column and get pure alcohol (since after distillation, up to 40% ethyl alcohol remains), then dilute to a strength of 40% with water and purify activated carbon, so you can get not bad vodka.

Calculation of the number of goals

In order to understand how many goals to select, you must first calculate their number, let's look at the main methods for calculating the number of goals.

By amount of sugar

Suitable if the initial sugar content of the mash is known, which can be measured with a vinometer (sugar meter) or the amount of sugar added to the mash is known. If 2 kg of sugar was used to prepare the mash, then there will be 120-200 ml of “heads” (60-100 ml for each kilogram of sugar).

Or if you have 10 liters of mash and you know that the initial sugar content of the mash was 20%, it turns out 10 * 0.2 = 2 kg of total sugar content, and we know that for each kilogram of sugar we select 60-100 ml of heads, it turns out what you need select 120-200 ml.

It is best to cut off the "heads" twice, half the calculated volume (based on the calculations above) in the first distillation and the second half in the second distillation.

For absolute alcohol

This is the easiest and most reliable way to determine the number of heads to be culled. Let's consider an example: you got 10 liters of raw alcohol after the first distillation with a total strength of 40%, then it contains 4 liters of pure alcohol (we calculate by the formula 10 * 0.4 \u003d 4 liters.). To simplify the calculations, we take the strength of alcohol as 100%, although such a strength can only be obtained in the laboratory. The heads should be taken 8-15% of the absolute alcohol that we calculated above, we recommend taking 10%, it turns out that the heads need to be taken 400 ml. (4 * 0.1 \u003d 0.4 l.).

By smell

A method only for moonshine professionals. If the distillate, when rubbing a few drops in the palm of your hand, stinks, then heads are coming. An unpleasant smell is the first signal that these are heads, as soon as it disappears, you can change the dishes and collect the body of moonshine. This method should be used only to check the correctness of the calculations of the number of selected heads.

How to select heads of moonshine

The designs of moonshine stills are different and the methods for separating the heads and tails of moonshine may differ slightly, in this example we will consider a classic column-type distiller with a reflux condenser (additional refrigerator).

1. Pour raw alcohol into a cube and heat at maximum power until boiling begins, as soon as the temperature at the very top of the column begins to rise and approaches 78 degrees, you need to remove the heat so that the temperature in the column is 60-64 degrees, let it work in this mode for minutes 10-15.
2. Start adding heating power so that the temperature at the top of the column is in the range of 64-77 degrees (methyl alcohol boils at a temperature of 64.7 degrees) and at the same time drops go to the selection at a speed of 1 drop per second (neither faster nor slower) and take that the number of goals that you calculated using one of the methods above.
3. When you have finished the selection of heads and the drinking distillate has gone, change the receiving tank, increase the heating power so that the distillate goes in a thin stream and collect the body until the tails go, how to determine when to pump in the collection of the body and start collecting the tails, see below.

How to separate the tails

Tails in moonshine go immediately after the body, and in order to understand when they go, we need to know when the body ends. Consider the main and most reliable methods.

1. For absolute alcohol. The same as in the calculation of goals in the example above. We determine the amount of absolute alcohol, for example, we have 10 liters of raw alcohol with a strength of 40%. We calculate by the formula 10 * 0.4 \u003d 4 liters. it turns out 4 liters of absolute alcohol, and we take 70% of this volume (4 * 0.7 \u003d 2.8 liters.) As a result, we should get 2.8 liters of pure alcohol in the body. But since it is impossible to obtain pure alcohol during distillation, the output is usually 90-92% or, depending on the equipment used, it may be less.
   Then how to understand how much you need to take away with the fortress that is coming? Everything is simple according to the formula T \u003d A / (K / 100), food T is the amount of body that must be collected at a given strength, A is the amount of body calculated from absolute alcohol, K is the total strength of the product obtained by distillation. As a result, we get 2.8 / (92/100) \u003d 3.043 liters, in order to completely assemble the body, 3.043 liters of distillate with a strength of 92% must be selected
2. By temperature in a cube. Tailings start to go when the temperature in the cube reaches 92-95 degrees, when this temperature is reached, stop picking the case and start picking tails

For a more accurate and correct selection, combine these two methods and get the perfect drink.

Collect the tail fractions at maximum power in a separate container for further distillation of the tails on a distillation column, this is the only way to collect the remaining good alcohol, there is no point in re-distilling on a distiller, only rectification.

Remember excessive alcohol consumption in any form is harmful, and in moderation it is good!