Do I need to take off heads at the first distillation. Fractional distillation and selection of head fractions. Checking the mash before distillation

Distillation with the allocation 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 the unpleasant taste and smell of moonshine, making it high quality and safe for consumption. We will decompose this process step by step and provide 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. In fact, this is a stereotype, because distillate standard - complete absence of taste, smell and color... Turbidity and smack are the result of poor-quality haulage, which is done in villages using outdated technologies. I propose to keep up with the times and consume only high-quality alcohol.

Never be greedy by separating harmful fractions. Good product quality is 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, oil-ethyl ether, amyl alcohol, and others.

The boiling points of these impurities are different, so the distillation is uneven: first they evaporate very harmful compounds (head), then goes high quality moonshine (body) and at the end also go bad smelling compounds (tails).

Starting distillation, the first drops of alcohol will be just the 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 sugar... The rule is: for each kilogram of sugar, 50 ml of heads must be separated. The tails begin to drip at the moment when the fortress in the stream drops to 40 degrees.

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

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

For a real, passionate home spirits maker, moonshiner calculator can become a serious helper... Moreover, you can use both an online calculator and download it directly to your PC.

At the moment, the best calculator for moonshiners in the form of an application for operating systems of the Windows family is the program by Rudy, which is distributed free of charge. Download:

It is especially important to download this small program where there are interruptions in the quality of the Internet. Then you can contact her at any time and immediately. learn about all the necessary parameters of work with, distillation, further.

This saves a lot of time, and not everyone can do the necessary calculations correctly. And for a calculator, this is - instant operation.

You can also download a moonshiner calculator on androidso that it is literally at your fingertips, on your smartphone. We will find out what exactly can be calculated using the electronic assistant.

If you need to dilute alcohol to the desired degree, most often add water to alcohol and measured with an alcohol meter, determining when it is enough to add water. This method is inconvenient and even fraught with the following consequences:

received drink can get cloudy, as if mash was poured into it (immediately, or after standing for a while). This is due to the fact that not everyone knows how to dilute alcohol with water so that this does not happen;

The main rule is that it is not necessary to pour water into alcohol, but on the contrary - add alcohol to water... Then the mixture will become cloudy only if poor-quality water is used. And experienced moonshiners know that you need to take water only soft, filtered or at least boiled.

and from this another problem is born: how to calculate the right amount of water? You will not pour a little water, then add alcohol, measure the degree, see that you made a mistake - the drink is too strong. Putting water back into another bowl ... Few people like this transfusion game. And if there is too much water, but there is no more alcohol? There is and special formula, but even knowing it, it is not always possible to make an accurate calculation.

To properly dilute alcohol, you just need to use the alcohol dilution calculator with water and in a minute you already know what is the proportion of the required ingredients for dilution.

Alcohol dilution calculator with water

This is the simplest calculator for diluting alcohol with water, it will show the right amount of water... At the same time, it is immediately implied that your water is of the required quality and it is obligatory - soft... You are required to set three parameters:

The volume of alcohol in ml.
Its starting fortress.
Required strength of the final product.

You as a result get the optimal amount of water, which will be needed for breeding. Thus, you will immediately know how to accurately dilute alcohol with water. It is enough to pour out the exact amount of water indicated by the calculator using a measuring glass and add alcohol to it.

See for yourself - you will achieve the perfect result! The calculator for the dilution of moonshine works in a similar way, because the available and desired strength of the product is still indicated.

Dilution formula to the desired degree

You can also use the usual formula for diluting moonshine or alcohol with water, that is, calculate the same by hand:

(A / B) * C - C \u003d the amount of water required for the dilution.

A - alcohol strength, before;

B - the required fortress, after;

C is the volume of the processed product.

As for how to dilute moonshine, there is not only a calculator, but also dilution table, which will tell you the proportion of alcohol dilution. Its small drawback is only that you need a certain amount of a high-strength product, and you can make a calculation online, even if, say, you have 120 ml of alcohol with a strength of 96%.

Moonshine breeding table

Making the right mash

Someone will say: why do you need to know how to dilute moonshine with water, because initially you can drive out the product of the desired strength. And he is very wrong!

In order not only to be pleasant to sit with friends and have a heart-to-heart talk, but also not to harm your health, you must initially know how to cook properly, meeting safe organoleptic parameters.

It all starts with mash (read :), which must be prepared according to all the rules, including:

premium raw materials;
clean water without chlorine;
observance of proportions.

For home brewing, the proportions are extremely important, because if there is not enough water (yeast, sugar) in the mash, this will negatively affect the quality of the final product. In addition, it will reduce the yield of the finished product.
With the help of a calculator, the calculation of the amount of ingredients for sugar, glucose mash occurs instantly.

Distillation to water

Stillage is the liquid that remains in the still after distillation. It still contains a minimal amount of alcohol, which can not be left and then poured, but taken away.

Why do this? Moonshine expelled "as is" from the mash, without cutting off heads and tails, is an extremely harmful product that absolutely not to drink... You can use only secondary moonshine, that is, a product that only the second distillation gives (read:), in which the heads and tails are taken into a separate bowl and drained into the sewer.

The rules are as follows: heads are selected in the amount of 10 - 12% of the total amount of moonshine obtained. It is better to “go over” a little here than to be greedy, and let heavy impurities penetrate into the final product.

The body is taken away until the moonshine flowing from (not all that is already in the bank!) Reaches a fortress of 40 °. Some take it away while it is on, which almost corresponds to the required parameters.

It is impossible to determine correctly the strength of warm raw alcohol, which usually goes into the receiving tube of the device. Do it upon reaching 20 ° Сotherwise it will show other parameters after cooling down. Knowing what temperature the moonshine is, use the calculator for correcting the readings of the alcohol meter at different temperatures.

Useful videos

Mobile calculator for diluting alcohol solutions, determining and correcting the strength, as well as other functions in the application in the Play Market:

Calculate the necessary fermentation parameters directly on the website, control the process - the online calculators presented below will help you with this. If you are missing some calculators, or have doubts about their work, write in the comments.

Alcohol dilution calculator with water

How much water needs to be added to get the alcohol of the required strength.

Fermentation control calculator

For refractometer with SG-Wort scale. Calculation of fermentation efficiency.

Sugar wort calculator

Calculation of the parameters of the mash and alcohol in it after fermentation.

Glucose calculator - sucrose

How much glucose should be taken to replace sucrose.

Alcohol Mixing Calculator

Calculates the final strength of a liquid when mixing two liquids of different degrees.

Theoretical information

For a novice moonshiner, distilling moonshine seems like a very simple and exciting process. Only when you start to act will you realize that you don't know about many things. You can find a seasoned moonshiner and ask. It is more accessible to turn to Internet sources, and use a calculator for calculations.

Selection and preparation of raw materials for moonshine

The quality parameters of moonshine include the strength of the drink in percent and its purity. Purity is understood to mean the absence of impurities. Most dangerous? methanol has an alcoholic smell.

The main classic products for moonshine are: sugar, yeast and water. To determine their number, you need to find out how much drink is required to exit. If you make moonshine with a strength of 40 °, 1.2 liters of liquid come out per 1 kg of sugar. For example, using a calculator, you can calculate that to get 5 liters of 40 ° moonshine you need 5 x 1.2 \u003d 6 kg of sugar.

The rest of the products are calculated in relation to sugar. The formula for the calculation is simple: for 1 part of sugar - 0.1 yeast - 3 parts of water. In our example, 6 x 3 \u003d 18 liters of water and 6 kg x 0.1 \u003d 0.6 kg \u003d 600 g of yeast. A calculator is not required for this simple calculation.

It should be taken into account that distillation of moonshine gives a real yield of the final product, less than the calculated one. It depends on the quality of the raw materials, temperature and process speed. Therefore, the formula will be as follows: multiply the resulting amount of product by 1.2. Using the calculator, we get 7.2 kg of sugar - 800 g of yeast - 21.6 liters of water.

Moonshine can be made from a variety of fruits, berries, and other foods. It all depends on the availability of sugar and its cost in your area. Calculation correction factors take into account sugar content and moisture content in the mixture. If you need a liqueur, use fruits and berries.

Fermentation

Wort fermentation takes place at temperatures from 18 to 24 °. Why is that
is it important to maintain a certain temperature? Alcohol is formed when yeast ferments. If the strength of the mash is more than 15 °, most of the yeast dies. Sugar does not have time to ferment. The way out is to keep the temperature in the fermentation room constant.

As a result of alcohol oxidation, harmful products are formed. These include:

acetaldehyde
methanol
acetic acid
tails

Methanol is extremely dangerous. It is he who contributes to the formation of acetaldehyde. Methanol causes severe poisoning. Fatalities are not uncommon. If methanol has entered the body in high concentration, then no snack will help. Poisoning can result in complete blindness. Please note - you should not relax. Even after reading that when making moonshine from sugar, practically no methanol is formed.

The acidity correction of the wort should be done with citric acid. The optimum acidity for fermentation is 4.0 - 4.5 pH. Formula for calculation

the amount of citric acid contains integral expressions. You need to use a special calculator. But you can just take 5 liters of wort on the tip of a knife.

They say that they also drank fermented mash, if there was a good snack on the table. But mash cannot be compared with the final product, which produces the distillation of moonshine.

The mash column gives good distillation performance. The column has a refrigerator-condenser, a thermometer, a reflux condenser and a valve for accurate dosing of liquid. In the factory, the height of the column determines the productivity and quality of separation into fractions. At home, the height is determined in proportion to the diameter. The column must have a diameter that you can supply to heat.

Distillation of moonshine from large volumes of mash is possible if a continuous mash column is used. This type of distillation is used in industry.

An additional stage in obtaining moonshine

Novice moonshiners ask the question: "Why is the second stage of distillation needed?" The answer is simple? to obtain a quality product.

The moonshine still looks like a factory column, but with one stage distillation. Therefore, for double distillation, the liquid must be drained into a separate container.

To prevent methanol and other tails from entering the moonshine, the product must be cooled to room temperature before secondary distillation. Due to the high strength of the drink after the first distillation, harmful substances are poorly removed. The liquid obtained at the exit after the first stage is diluted with drinking water to obtain a strength of 40 °.

Then it is poured into a distillation tank and heated over high heat to 60? 65 °. The first fraction obtained at the exit is used only for non-food purposes or discarded. The volume of the fraction is approximately 1-2% of the total volume. These are the so-called heads. It contains low-boiling impurities. The heads should be taken at a reduced boiling point.

The second fraction is obtained after accelerated heating with a maximum temperature of 85-95 °. You can select the main part. For her tasting a snack should be prepared. The third fraction, which comes to the outlet, contains a very small percentage of alcohol. But the content of fusel oils (tails) is high. It is impractical to deal with tails. It is better not to use them, like heads, at all. Containers for heads and tails account for 3 to 7% of the total volume. We take a calculator and count again.

The heads and tails are discharged into the sewers. There is a snack on the table. Friends who have come to the light will help you evaluate the quality of the product.

Moonshine breeding rules

The tower is equipped with various sensors at the factory. In the arsenal of a home moonshiner, there should be at least a calculator and a hydrometer to determine the strength.

The formula for determining the amount of water for brewing moonshine contains
the following parameters: Ki - the strength of the available liquid; Kv - the fortress, which must be obtained at the exit; Vo is the total volume of the product.

The formula has the form: amount of water \u003d (Ki / Kw) * Vо - Vо. For example, 2 liters with a strength of 85 degrees. You need to get 40 °. Take the calculator again. Calculation of the volume of water \u003d (85/40) * 2-2 \u003d 2.25 liters.

Water is poured into moonshine, and not vice versa. The process must be carried out without haste and in one go.

Additional purification of moonshine with charcoal

For purification in factories, a rectification column with so-called trays is used. Separate impurities are isolated in them. A separate column is sometimes installed to remove methanol. But we make moonshine from sugar, and we are not afraid of methanol.

It is important to let the liquid cool down to room temperature. At elevated temperatures, many impurities are not released in any cleaning method.

Distillation process

The old method of chemical cleaning of the finished product is charcoal or carbonation. As a way out, activated charcoal purchased from a pharmacy is most often used. But charcoal is much more efficient.

You don't need a calculator here, just keep the ratio. For 6 liters of moonshine, take 200 g of charcoal and insist. Coals are put into the container and liquid is poured. Coals float up. When they all settle to the bottom, shake the container. This operation must be done twice.

The way out of the position of finding charcoal is to make coal yourself. Light a fire, preferably with birch branches and bark. Take an earthenware pot and fold the burned-out, but not cooled wood. The wood ash must be blown away. Close the pot tightly and leave to cool completely. Grind the resulting pieces a little. You can carry out carbohydrate.

For a seasoned moonshiner, it is no secret how to store moonshine. But it usually does not last long. To get complete satisfaction from the process of home brewing, a snack is very important. The appetizer is prepared in advance, as all attention is focused on the process.

The scope of application of moonshine in everyday life is wide. A filling made from moonshine may have a reduced degree. Use a dilution calculator specifically for women. Pouring is a matter of taste. Hence the variety of products for tincture on moonshine.

The ultimate goal of the distillation process is to produce strong homemade alcohol. Unfortunately, with a simple distillation of moonshine at home, we get a product that, in addition to ethyl alcohol and water, contains a large amount of harmful substances, impurities and fusel oils. Among the distillers, it is customary to call them fractions: "heads" and "tails". The high-quality drinking part of the moonshine is called “body”. Thus, the correct calculation and selection of heads and tails is the key to obtaining a high-quality distillate.

The existing selection methods are based on differences in the boiling point of ethyl alcohol and harmful impurities. This gives us a real opportunity to separate the moonshine grains from the chaff. Distillation with the separation of the output moonshine into fractions is called fractional distillation.

Please note that the information below assumes the use of standard moonshine stills. That is, those that consist of a still and a refrigerator. It is also relevant for models equipped with a steam generator. If the moonshine you are using has additional structural elements and features, then look for information in the accompanying technical documentation to them or contact the manufacturers for clarifications.

Characteristics of fractions

In each case, the specific amount of fusel oils contained in moonshine and harmful substances obtained during distillation depends on a huge number of variable factors. We are talking about the ingredients used for the mash, the duration of fermentation, design features of the equipment and the method of distillation. In this regard, in practice, we can build on only approximate figures and values.

Head

Many moonshiners know this faction as pervach or pervak. It is she who is selected first during distillation. The composition of the heads is mainly formed by acetone, methyl alcohol and acetaldehyde.

All substances included in the composition of the first drink have a lower boiling point than ethyl alcohol. That is why we can select them first. The heads are characterized by high strength and a characteristic unpleasant odor.

There is a popular belief that Pervach is the best part of moonshine. Such thoughts are most likely associated with the rapid intoxication that this liquid causes. In fact, eating heads carries a serious health hazard. Severe poisoning is one of the mildest possible consequences.

In the case of heads, our task is formulated very simply: we must collect them in a separate container and separate them from the main part of the moonshine. There are different ways to use the first on the internet, but I recommend you just pour it out.

Body

This faction is the main one. It is the body that forms the drinking part of home brew. Its composition is based on ethyl alcohol and water, to which even with the most careful fractional distillation, a certain amount of impurities and fusel oils will be mixed. If everything is done correctly, then you should not worry about it. Indeed, it is these substances that form the taste and aroma (organoleptic properties) of moonshine.

These impurities will just make the difference between the technological processes of distillation and rectification. The latter is used in the production of vodka.

Tails

This fraction is usually called fusel oils or fusel oils. Its composition is extremely heterogeneous. Similar substances are similar in that their boiling point is higher than ethyl alcohol. The tails are further distinguished by the characteristic moonshine aroma, taste and turbidity.

To prevent large quantities of fusel oils from getting into the moonshine, we just need to complete the selection of the distillate body at the right time.

In the case of tails, there is no single opinion on whether to collect them or not. One thing is clear, if you still take them away, then you should not pour them out. The tails can be used to prepare the next batch of mash. To be more precise, they must be combined just before distillation.

Head selection

There are several basic techniques that practicing distillers use at home. For beginners, I recommend using the one that makes it clear even before the start of the distillation, their exact number or how many heads need to be selected.

1. Determined by the level of sugar content.

I think this method is the simplest and at the same time accurate. The disadvantage is that for its implementation we need additional equipment - a hydrometer-sugar meter. Many people know him as a wine meter. Naturally, the sugar content in the mash should be measured before adding the yeast. The easiest way to explain this method is with a specific example.

Suppose we have 10 liters of mash with a sugar content of 15%. We make simple calculations. 10 * 0.15 \u003d 1.5. That is, our 10 liters of mash contains 1.5 kg of sugar. In the example, such simple numbers are specially taken. In practice, things can be a little more complicated for you.

We remember that from each kilogram of sugar we need to select 70-100 ml of heads. That is, in our example, their volume is 105-150 ml. I prefer to always act on the top bar. This does not affect the final volume of the moonshine too much, but it makes it much cleaner.

Some experienced moonshiners suggest dividing this figure in half. Take the first 75 ml of tailings at the first distillation, and the same amount at the second.

2. For ethyl alcohol.

This technique involves carrying out the first distillation without dividing the yield into fractions. After its completion, using an alcoholometer, we measure the strength of moonshine or raw alcohol. Let's also look at the situation with an example.

Suppose we have driven out 5 liters of raw alcohol with an ethyl alcohol content of 45%. We do the following calculations. 5 * 0.45 \u003d 2.25. Thus, we have 2.25 liters of pure ethyl alcohol in the resulting distillate.

We make the second distillation fractional. We need to select 10-15% of the total volume of alcohol as heads. In our case, it will be 2.25 * 0.15 \u003d 0.3375 liters or 330 milliliters.

3. We focus on the smell.

This method is the lot of extremely experienced moonshiners who are able to distinguish heads by their characteristic odor.

In practice, for this, a clean hand is placed under the outlet stream and 2-3 drops are caught in the palm of the hand. The liquid is rubbed and sniffed. After the head odor is gone, body collection begins.

There is also a temperature method. However, in practice, it does not give unambiguous and accurate results, so I recommend that you use one of the methods described above.

Tail collection

In the case of this faction, it is extremely important not to miss the moment of transition. In other words, we must react accurately and instantly when tails start coming out instead of the body.

These changes are monitored by measuring the strength of the moonshine in a stream. As soon as it drops below 40-41 degrees, we have to react. To insure yourself against getting a large amount of fusel oils into the main container with selected moonshine, you need to replace it with a small jar near the end of the distillation process, in which you can take measurements.

Of course, it's best to have an alcohol meter on hand. However, if you don't have one, you can use the proven old-fashioned method. The collection of moonshine must be continued until the moment it burns. As you can see, in such a situation we only need a teaspoon and a lighter.

Let us know in the comments about your experience with head and tails selection.

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 drinking moonshine. In order to get rid of toxic substances, as well as improve the taste, color and smell of the drink, it is recommended to carry out a double distillation with the obligatory division of the 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

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

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 pervach as acetone, for example, to get rid of oily droplets on the kitchen surface.
The body (heart) of the drink. Moonshine following the "heads" is called the "body" of the drink. This part of the distillate will be used as homemade alcohol in the future. It is believed that the center fraction should contain only water and ethyl alcohol. But at home, it is very difficult to establish the required temperature regime, so there will be foreign impurities in the "body", albeit in a minimal amount.
Tails. After the "body" of moonshine, "tails" are collected. The final fraction is not used for consumption, although it does not carry much harm.

There are proven methods for chopping off heads and tails in moonshine. Select "heads" and "tails" as follows:

Braga heats up to 65 degrees, when the poisonous impurities begin to boil. In this case, a characteristic alcoholic smell and the first drops of distillate will appear.
It is very important to move from the first stage to the second - collecting the "body" of moonshine. The distillate heats up very slowly to 78 degrees when the ethyl alcohol begins to boil. Tracking the temperature regime is a very crucial moment in the process of home brewing. If you make a mistake in temperature readings, you can spoil the taste of the drink. There may also be a discharge of cake or blockage of the connecting pipes.
You need to know that when the temperature rises, you will get less alcohol. 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, unpleasant smell and taste.

You can only consume the body of moonshine

Head

The initial fraction, which is popularly called "pervach", is the most dangerous, since it is in the "head" that a high concentration of substances hazardous to humans is collected. Some people value "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.

Correct distillation is impossible without separating the "heads" and "tails", but how to cut off the "heads" and "tails" in moonshine, we will consider further.

Body

Once all the heads have been cut off, it is important to properly collect the majority of the distillate. It is imperative to change the container for collecting moonshine. The heating temperature should be 85-90 degrees. If the alembic already has a built-in thermometer, it will be quite easy to separate the "body" of the moonshine. In the absence of a thermometer, there are several ways to know when to stop sampling the "body":

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".
The strength of the distillate is measured. If it is below 30 degrees, the "heart" of the moonshine is collected.
The jet pressure noticeably weakens until the process is terminated.

To get high-quality moonshine, it is best to use professional distillation apparatus. In do-it-yourself distillation 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 quality of moonshine is affected by the moonshine still

Tails

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

How to select heads

Distillers use several proven head-cutting techniques. The choice depends on professionalism, experience in home brewing, the quality of the moonshine still, the plate on which the distillation cube is heated. In the process of selecting "heads" the most important point is the temperature regime of heating. 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 decreases to a minimum and then slowly increases. The spray temperature must be cold.

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

What are the head selection methods?

Sugar

One of the most accurate ways to select “heads” is the sugar method. It is very easy to calculate the volume of sugar heads. 1 kg of sugar used for making 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.

Let's say in 20 liters of mash the hydrometer showed the presence of 15% sugar. We calculate the weight of sugar: 20 multiplied by 0.15 and we get 3 kg. For this sugar figure, it is necessary to cut off from 210 to 300 ml of moonshine in the first fraction.

The "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 indisputable 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 alcohol meter.

By temperature

This method of cutting off "heads" is considered inaccurate and is rarely used. In the case of homemade distillation devices, accurate heating will not work, so it is better not to use this method.

How to cut off "heads" by temperature:

Bring the contents of the moonshine still to a boil.
Slowly, for 20 minutes, increase the heating temperature so that at the end it becomes about 79 degrees. During this time, poisonous impurities come out along with the distillate.
Over the next 20 minutes, the temperature gradually decreases.
The liquid that has been collected in this way is the head fraction.
The temperature rises again for the selection of the central fraction - the "body".

By smell

Distillers can tell when to cut off their 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 smell. The master proceeds as follows: he takes a few drops of distillate, grinds them between his palms and, by the aroma formed, he finds out whether it is possible to proceed to the next fraction. To use the method of cutting off the head fraction by smell requires a tremendous experience in home brewing.

How to cut off the tails

When the strength in the stream drops to 35-45 degrees, you can proceed to the next stage - collecting "tails". Having decided to start distilling, you should definitely purchase an alcohol meter. With its help, you can easily determine when the collection of the "body" ends. When the heating temperature has risen to 85 degrees, a small amount of distillate should be collected in a separate container and its strength should be checked.

There is a popular method without using an alcohol meter. The liquid is poured into a spoon and ignited. If the flame is on, the distillate is still strong and it is too early to proceed to the next fraction. As soon as the liquid stops burning, it is time to collect the "tails".

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

Why should alcohol be fractionated during distillation? Until now, some moonshiners neglect the division of the distillate into "heads", "body" and "tails". As a result, such folk craftsmen get a cloudy strong drink with a pungent smell and content of harmful impurities. Excessive alcohol consumption is already not good for health, and unrefined moonshine will cause even more harm to the body. In addition, every self-respecting distiller sets a goal to make a quality drink. Long gone are the days when distillate was distilled for the sake of economy. Nowadays, many people approach the process of home brewing creatively, experimenting with ingredients and technology to get an elite strong drink. If we neglect double distillation with the separation of three main fractions, moonshine will come out of the lowest quality and will not be suitable for further infusion and refining.

Following the basic rules, you can learn 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 also depend on the raw materials that were used to make the mash.