How to separate the “heads” and “tails” in moonshine during distillation? Methods for separating “heads” and “tails” in moonshine How to remove heads and tails

Moonshiner's calculator for calculating heads and tails

Get L. and l. tails.

Approximately l. finished product with a strength of 65-70%.

The first fraction of alcohol is called the head., which has a strong, specific and very unpleasant odor. It contains the maximum concentration of dangerous impurities, such as methanol, acetaldehyde and others.
The tail is the final fraction when distilling moonshine. It contains the maximum concentration of fusel oils, which affect the transparency, taste and aroma of the finished drink.

Only the main fraction, which is expelled between the “head and tail,” which is called the body, is suitable for consumption.

You can easily determine exactly how much volume the heads and tails will occupy using a special calculator; there are many online programs on the Internet that allow you to make the calculation as simply and quickly as possible.

However, you can get accurate measurement results using a simpler home calculator.

It is this calculator that allows you to quickly and easily determine exactly how much volume the body, head and tail will take up separately during distillation. Using such a calculator, you can easily calculate, and in the future get high-quality moonshine.

How to correctly make calculations before distilling moonshine is described in the video:

Faction separation

Currently exists several options for determining the volume of heads and tails when distilling mash into moonshine.

There are universal calculators that allow you to determine the volume of both fractions, and there are specialized ones designed only to calculate the volume of one fraction.

First

By sugar percentage

This method of calculation is considered the simplest and most reliable.

Important! Its meaning lies in the fact that it is necessary to measure the total sugar content of the mash, which will be subject to distillation.

How to do it:

1. So, if the percentage of sugar is 20%, and the volume of the raw material is 10 liters, then it is necessary to multiply the volume of the mash by the percentage of sugar.
2. Then the resulting number will be the mass of sugar content. In our case, it is 2 kg.
3. For each kilogram of sugar, 100 ml of the primary fraction is taken. That is, the first 100 ml of distilled moonshine must be collected in a separate container.

By smell

This option should not be used alone. Its essence is that a drop of moonshine is rubbed between the palms, when the liquid stops emitting an unpleasant aroma, the second fraction begins to appear - the body.

By temperature

This calculation option is considered today the least accurate, since it is based on the process of heating the mash inside the apparatus. But each device has a different internal structure and operating principle.

Important! Professional moonshiners do not recommend using such a calculator today.

The principle of its operation is as follows:

• The heads are selected drop by drop at a heating temperature of up to 68 degrees.
• When the thermometer reading reaches 75%, the body is collected, and then the heating is increased again to 85 percent and the tails are collected.

This method also applies to most accurate:

1. The principle of calculation is that the first distillation is done without dividing into fractions.
2. Then the volume and strength of the resulting distillate are measured and the volume of pure alcohol is determined.
3. Then calculate 10 percent of the obtained value - this will be the volume of the head.

How many heads to select when distilling moonshine is described in the video:

Second

The volume of tailings can be determined two ways:

1. For fruit and berry moonshine, body selection continues until the strength of the stream drops to 30 degrees. After reaching this mark, only the tails come out of the apparatus.
2. For other types of this strong alcoholic drink, the tails are considered to be liquids with speeds lower 40 degrees.

Determining the strength is very simple - you need to pour a small part of the liquid into a separate container and take the appropriate measurements.

Important! Such calculation methods are suitable only for the simplest distillation apparatuses without steamers or with them. If modern distillates are used to make this strong alcoholic drink at home, then calculations must be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the device manufacturer.

Watch the video in which an experienced moonshiner talks about how to properly separate fractions:

During the initial distillation

Determining the volume of heads and tails is in principle identical, both during the primary and during the secondary distillation of liquid through the apparatus. The only difference is in the calculation methods used.

So, for primary distillation, both methods of calculating the determination of tails are suitable, but for determining heads, the first method of calculation and the last one are considered the best option. It is important to divide the volume of the heads into two parts.

During secondary distillation

During the secondary distillation it is necessary to remove the last 100 ml of moonshine at the outlet when the stream reaches a strength of 30 degrees. It is this volume of moonshine that is considered the most harmful.

During the secondary distillation, the heads are cut off in the same way as during the primary distillation.

But there is one nuance here - the total volume of the first fraction is divided into two parts:

1. The first 50% is removed during primary distillation.
2. The remaining heads are removed during re-distillation.

Reference! Experienced moonshiners say that tails, unlike heads, do not have to be disposed of. They can be used to prepare a variety of medicinal infusions that will be used for external use.

At first glance, it may seem that such a calculation is quite complicated. But it’s worth doing the calculations yourself once to make sure that this is not the case.

Correct calculation of heads and tails and their timely removal from the general stream is the main guarantee of preparing high-quality, safe and natural homemade moonshine. Therefore, it is best to use several calculation methods at once to ensure the accuracy of the measurements.

Making alcohol at home is a fun and creative activity. Both the process and the result, and even studying the topic bring pleasure to home distillers. But you need to follow certain rules so as not to get a dangerous product. And for this we need to correctly select the fractions in our drink. After all, they contain dangerous compounds.

Moonshine fractions

It doesn’t matter what raw materials the mash is made from, all the same, during the heating process, substances harmful to the human body will be released from it. They are usually called “fusel oils,” although this is not a completely correct definition. To ensure that there are as few of them in moonshine as possible, it is necessary to separate the first, second and third fractions. They are uneven in volume, strength, and composition.

• The head fraction or “head” appears first in the reservoir. People call it “pervach” and consider it the most valuable, but this is not so. It is as strong as possible and incredibly harmful - it can only be used for technical purposes. If you separate it with a reserve, you need to waste 50 grams for every kilo of sugar.

• The central part or "body" is relatively pure alcohol.

• The residual part of moonshine or “tails” also contains a lot of impurities, but the tails in moonshine can be processed. They can also be used to make the next batch of wort.

How things work in practice

Important: we measure the strength of portions exactly at t=+20°C!

1. Now the “tails” will arrive. They need to be driven until the temperature of the mash reaches +98.7°C. At this temperature there is almost no alcohol in the raw materials. Then the water will begin to evaporate, and all we will achieve is to reduce the concentration of alcohol in the last fraction. The “tail” can be cleaned and re-sent for distillation.

Theoretical basis

To know how to correctly select heads and the residual fraction, you need to understand why this is done. Let's understand the physics of our home distillation.

Obviously, during subsequent distillation they will again break free before alcohol (it just turns into steam at +78.4°C) and will again be present in the distillation. Therefore, the heads should be separated both during the first and subsequent distillations. Here, saving can lead to dire consequences.

Let's summarize

To break the resulting moonshine into fractions and remove the “heads” and “tails”, no special effort or equipment is needed. But at the same time, we will get rid of very harmful impurities and protect ourselves and our friends. And the concentration of “fusel oils” without selection can be tens (!) times higher than the permissible limit.

For a long time now, many lovers of strong alcohol have preferred high-quality homemade moonshine to store-bought alcohol. But when making 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 from the finished product in the form of so-called heads and tails.

In order to correctly separate by-products 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 fraction released during distillation, since the boiling point of dangerous impurities like methanol, acetaldehydes and acetone is slightly lower than that of ethanol.

This makes it easy to prevent harmful head components from getting into the finished drink. It has a pungent and very unpleasant odor.

Body

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

But it is almost impossible to thoroughly eliminate all impurities during conventional distillation. But to obtain a high-quality body with pleasant organoleptic properties, you need to know how to properly distill 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 mass of fusel oils and isopropyl alcohol. It is characterized by a higher boiling point than the body, a cloudy color and a rather unpleasant and pungent odor.

In what cases are the head and tails taken?

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

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

But by freeing the drink from residual by-products in the rectification system, we deprive it of most of its pleasant organoleptic qualities. That is, regardless of the type of raw materials used in the manufacture of various products, it will have the same taste.

If you wisely take advantage of the difference in boiling temperatures of the heads, tails and main body of moonshine, then their optimal selection is quite possible.

At the same time, at the output we have a high-quality distillate with a minimum of fusel impurities and with an organoleptic characteristic unique to it. The smell and taste, so expressive for connoisseurs of homemade alcohol, are important distinguishing features.

How to properly select heads and tails in moonshine

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

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

It is repeated fractional distillation that is one of the mandatory conditions for production and with a pleasant taste.

Therefore, during the first distillation of mash, many experienced moonshiners often do without selecting 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 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 this correctly during the second distillation of moonshine.

Methods for calculating goals

In order not to make a mistake with the selection, you should definitely calculate their number, resorting to some proven methods.

• According to sugar content.

A fairly effective method based on accurate information about the initial sugar content of the wort. At the same time, the recommended amount per kilo of sugar is 60-100 ml. For example, if it took 2 kg of sugar to produce, then you need to select from 120 to 200 ml of heads.

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

If they are selected during both distillations, it is advisable to divide the quantity into two stages. Cutting off the head part when processing sugar mash is practiced already during the first distillation. It is recommended to take 30 ml from each kilogram of sugar in the mash.

• By volume of absolute alcohol.

One of the reliable and simple calculation methods. 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 calculated 4 liters. If you adhere to the recommended 10% selection, then you need to separate about 400 ml of heads.

• By smell.

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

• 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 in distillation and the ambiguous composition of mash impurities.

Selection using 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. Then the head distillate is cut off drop by drop.

How to select goals

Let's consider the selection of the head fraction during the second distillation using a classic moonshine still with cooling:

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

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 value.

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 is correspondingly equal to 4 liters.

Then we take 70% of this volume and theoretically get 2.8 liters of pure alcoholic body. But in practice, it is impossible to obtain pure ethyl from any distillation.

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

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

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

• By temperature in the cube.

Typically, when the temperature in the distillation cube reaches 92 to 95 °C, the active release of tailings begins. In this case, they immediately stop collecting the body and continue to collect the tail part in a separate container.

• By strength.

It is customary for most to classify as the tail component anything that is below 40% in strength and, when tested, no longer burns in a spoon.

But the first distillation of especially grain and fruit wort 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 mashes, which do not contain anything good, unlike grains and fruits.

Until recently, the head fraction, commonly known as pervach, was mistakenly considered the strongest and highest quality part of moonshine. Now we know that intoxication was simply confused with intoxication.

And due to 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 the moonshine is up to you, although the remnants of good ethanol can only be extracted from it by rectification. If the volumes of the product are economically justified, you can prepare “good vodka” from this rectified product. But in most cases, adding this fraction to the next portion of mash increases its strength.

A thorough analysis of the characteristics of the main fractions of home distillate allows us 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.

Today's approach to moonshine brewing is strikingly different from that of thirty years ago. Although many even now do not understand why moonshine should be distilled twice, and even remove part of the strong distillate from it. Therefore, let’s consider why separate selection of heads and tails is needed and why waste time on fractional distillation.

Moonshine is divided into three fractions, each of which is collected in a separate container. How are they different from each other?

Heads

These are the very first drops of moonshine, which are also called. They should be selected drop by drop, at the lowest temperature, without allowing a jet. The heads begin to come out of the cube when the temperature of the mash is approximately 68°C. That's when you should reduce the heat.

Even without conducting special research, you can understand that it is poison. The first fractions have a pungent odor of acetone. And not by chance, because “heads” consist of acetone, methyl alcohol and other components that are equally unacceptable for the human body. This is all that boils at lower temperatures than ethyl () alcohol. And subject to destruction.

Carefully. Pervach is sometimes associated with strong and high-quality alcohol.

But that's not true. It causes toxic poisoning, which is mistaken for intoxication. It gives him a bad hangover. It is especially dangerous because it quickly turns a person into an alcoholic.

Body

Ethyl alcohol begins to evaporate when the temperature in the cube reaches 78°C. Everything that managed to leak out before this is not ethanol and cannot be drunk.

Reference. The boiling point of alcohol is 78.39°C, but this applies specifically to pure ethanol, almost without water content.

In the distillation cube, the vapors break away from the mash and begin to flow into the cooler coil at approximately a temperature close to 78°C.

The body is the liquid that we will consume internally. It cannot be said that it does not contain fusel oils at all, but their percentage is several times lower than in other fractions. However, it can be almost completely freed from fusel oils only after industrial purification in coal columns. But it doesn’t even have the taste, the organoleptic quality for which elite types of alcohol are valued.

However, it is very important to stop the selection of the body in time due to the fact that the lower the alcohol strength drops, the more foreign impurities called fusel oils penetrate into it, along with alcohol vapor.

In addition to the fact that they spoil the taste and aroma, they can also make moonshine cloudy, as we see in films when they want to emphasize that it is moonshine on the table. Moreover, such a “phenomenon” may not appear immediately, but after a few days.

Tails

The last low-alcohol and unpleasant-smelling alcohol-containing residues in the mash. Very rich in fusel oils. They are selected after the body (some distillers even “disdain” them, pouring them out along with the stillage). But this liquid is not useless.

As a rule, it has a total strength of 20-30°, depending on how fully the moonshiner wants to “squeeze” the alcohol from the mash or the first distillation. After cleaning with oil, then with coal or potassium permanganate (to remove the smell, and with it - parts of the fusel), it can be added to the cube with mash during subsequent distillation. Tailings will increase the yield of strong distillate. The addition of the final fractions to the subsequent distillation is called “tailing ringing.”

Note. Usually the “heads” are selected during re-distillation.

But you can do this during the first distillation, if you want to preserve as much as possible the taste and aroma of the original raw materials (fruits, berries, grains, etc.). The tails in the grain mash are selected only on the second pass, and when the strength in the stream drops below 30°C. More fusel oils will remain in such moonshine, but its organoleptics, which form the taste of grain moonshine, will be more pleasant.

How to select heads correctly?

The debate over how many heads should be taken continues. The number most often stated is: from 8 to 12% from the expected release of moonshine.

So, for example, from 5 kg of sugar in mash, you can expect to get 6 liters of moonshine with a strength of 45°. Therefore, it is necessary to select 480 – 720 ml of heads?

Yes, no moonshiner will agree to such a “translation” of the product. Then how to count?

For sugar

However, in no classification there is a figure of less than 50 ml per kilogram of sugar. That is, from the mentioned 5 kg of sugar during distillation it will not be possible to select less than 250 ml of the first fractions. But preferably more - 350-400 ml, that is, 60-80 ml with 1 kg of sugar.

Advice. It is believed that it is better not to select all the heads at once, but to divide them into two stages: the first time, take 30-40 ml per kilogram of sugar and the same amount the second time.

By absolute alcohol

But mash is not only sugar, and sometimes it is difficult to accurately determine the sugar content. This is easier to do based on the pure alcohol content in the distillate. The calculation takes into account alcohol with a conditional strength of 100°, the so-called anhydrous.

And from it the number of heads is calculated based on the amount and strength of moonshine obtained after the first distillation, without division into fractions. The generally accepted number of goals using this method is 8-15% . We will take, for example, 10% and 3 liters of moonshine with a strength of 50°. We calculate the amount of pure alcohol: 3x0.50 = 1.5. The number of heads, respectively, is 150 ml.

One of the variations of the same method is 1% of the heads of the total amount of mash. But since different types of wort have different concentrations of sugar, we are not talking about exact indicators.

By temperature

The temperature method is not always effective in practice, since both the design of the moonshine still and the composition of the mash play a role. The possible errors of the thermometer cannot be discounted. Thermometers generally indicate the temperature in the still, but more accurate readings are given before the vapor enters the cooler coil.

We will provide average indicators, and you can check in your own practice whether they require adjustments.

When reaching 63°C, it is necessary to sharply reduce the heating to a minimum. Soon the heads will begin to drip (drip, and slowly). When the temperature gradually rises to 68°C, it happens that the yield stops altogether, the dishes with the head fractions are removed, a clean one is put in its place, the heating temperature is increased to 78°C and the body begins to be removed.

By smell

When dividing moonshine into fractions, experienced moonshiners rely on their own sense of smell. When the first drops of distillate appear, they always have an unpleasant odor, in which acetone and other chemical impurities are clearly felt.

By the disappearance of the stench of the “heads” it is determined that it is time to take away the body. And the reappearance of the smell of fusel indicates that it’s time to drive the tails away. But for such experiments requires practice.

To what extent should tails be separated in moonshine?

When collecting the body, they check periodically, especially if the temperature in the cube is already 85 degrees. If it drops to 40° and below, it means that tails have begun to flow, which are collected separately. In order to prevent the final fractions from getting into the part that you will consume internally, at 85°C the main jar with the body is removed, a tall glass or jar is placed in its place and the distillate is collected there. Then they check the strength.

Important. To correctly determine the degree of alcohol, the alcohol must have a temperature of 20°C, which almost never happens during distillation.

The outgoing distillate has a temperature of 25-35°C. This factor overestimates the strength reading on the alcohol meter. Therefore, to quickly convert to the correct degree, use a moonshiner’s calculator, which you can download on the Internet or view online.

If the strength is still around 40°, this distillate is added to the main container with the body and selection continues. But keep in mind that the body does not need moonshine, the strength of which is below this limit. These are already tails that will spoil the main product.

Reference. In the absence of a thermometer in the cube and/or an alcohol meter, the middle drinking fraction is taken while the liquid coming out of the outlet tube is burning.

The tailings are collected until the distillate strength drops to 30° (maximum 20°). Further selection is impractical; it is only a waste of time and energy.

Selection of fractions for subsequent distillations

When distilling sugar, grain, and fruit moonshine, knowledgeable distillers recommend selecting fractions during two distillations. Goals - 50% in the first and the same in the second. The tailings during the first distillation can be taken “to dryness”, then cleaned and added to the second distillation. The second time, the tail fractions are selected when the strength in the stream drops below 40-45°.

But it is better to distill moonshine from beets, potatoes, and Jerusalem artichoke not two, but three times in order to get rid of the specific taste. The first time - using the direct-flow method, without separation and almost dry. The second and third - with the selection of 50% of the heads, and the tails - as when distilling sugar distillate.

So, we decided that we can sacrifice some (not so much) part of the alcohol for the sake of its quality. You yourself will use it, put it on the table for dear guests. So why do we need “shmurdyak”, which is unpleasant, if not impossible, to drink for a person who knows a lot about homemade alcohol.

In addition, a huge amount of fusel oils hits the liver and brain cells. Drink high-quality moonshine and like the article, and also recommend it on social networks.

Producing homemade alcohol without following technology can lead to extremely negative consequences. The fact is that the composition of the feedstock contains a large number of harmful compounds.

In the language of moonshiners they are called “ heads"(initial faction) and " tails"(final fraction). The article will talk about how to separate the heads and tails in moonshine, why this should be done and how to calculate the required amount of selection.

In order to understand why to split into fractions, you need to understand the composition of these compounds.

Moonshine heads

This part begins to stand out initial stage distillation. Has a strong unpleasant odor. It is the most harmful; it contains ether and aldehyde compounds that are not intended for internal consumption.

However, not so long ago, moonshine obtained at the initial stage was very much appreciated. This was explained by its intoxicating properties. Of course, the consequences of using “” can be extremely negative. Ordinary alcohol poisoning in this case will be considered a good outcome.

Someone might object, saying that in villages men drink this kind of moonshine all their lives and that’s okay. But just one look at such a person is enough to understand that his health is not all right.

Body selection

Main faction the purpose of the entire moonshine process(read: ). Consists mainly of ethyl alcohol. Contains a minimal amount of harmful impurities. Virtually no foreign odors. It is worth stopping the selection of the body when the degree in the stream drops below 40 rpm, or when a characteristic fusel odor appears. This will mean that tail fractions have begun to be released.

Worth noticing! Distillation cannot remove all fusel compounds.

In any case, some of them will be included in the composition. This can be excluded using rectification. But here another problem arises - along with harmful compounds, the elements that give alcohol its taste and aromatic characteristics are also removed.

What are tails in moonshine?

The ultimate faction, its fortress can reach 40º. Contains a large amount of fusel oils. Just like the heads, this part extremely harmful for consumption. But unlike the initial fraction, which is better to just pour out, tailings are recyclable. They can be added at subsequent times, thereby increasing the yield of alcohol.

Important! There is no need to collect tailings and distill them separately. Nothing good will come of this. It is better to add them in small quantities during the next distillation directly into the mash.

How to calculate heads?

The number of head fractions that should be selected can be determined in several ways.

By amount of sugar

It is recommended to select according 60-100 ml heads per kilogram of sugar used in manufacturing. This amount was revealed as a result of numerous experiments.

It is advisable to take half (30-50 ml) during the first distillation and half during the second. This method is quite simple, but at the same time effective.

By absolute alcohol

If the amount of sugar in the mash is unknown, then this method is used. The head fraction is selected based on the amount of absolute (pure) alcohol after the first distillation. During the first distillation, crushing into heads and tails is not performed. The selection is based on 10-15% heads per liter of pure alcohol.

For example: after the first distillation, the result was 1 liter of moonshine with a strength of 50º. This means that the amount of absolute (pure) alcohol is 500 ml. 15% of 500 ml is 75 ml. It turns out that during distillation you need to select 75 ml heads.

By smell

Experienced distillers may not resort to the methods described above. Although this method is quite inaccurate and it is better to combine it with others. When the first drops of distillate appear, you can feel characteristic smell of fusel impurities.

You can feel it more clearly by rubbing a few drops of the released alcohol in your palms. Until the smell completely disappears, you should not start selecting the main part.

You can also determine by the specific smell appearance of tailings after the selection of the body.

How to select heads?

The distillation cube with the finished mash is placed on the heating element and quickly brought to a temperature of 60-65º. The cooling system turns on (you need to open the water). It is first necessary to prepare a separate container for collecting heads. When the first drops appear, reduce the heat to low.

Then slowly the initial fraction is selected, the approximate amount of which can be calculated using one of the methods described above.

After the unpleasant odor has completely disappeared and the boiling point reaches 78º, you need to start collecting the body.

On many forums and websites for moonshine brewing, manufacturers advise using the head fraction for technical or household purposes.

For example, for wiping glass or lighting fires. There is also an opinion that it is better to get rid of this liquid immediately. Whether to use it or not, everyone decides for themselves. The main thing is by mistake do not use it internally.

How to separate the tails?

The beginning of the selection of the tail fraction is quite simple to determine. For this you need measure the strength of the distillate in the stream. This is done using an alcohol meter and a narrow, deep container. A glass test tube that needs to be placed under a stream of distillate is perfect for this.

After filling, measure the strength with an alcohol meter. As soon as the strength drops below 40º, the selection of the useful part stops. The container is removed and a container for tailings is placed. The final fraction can be selected before until there is no alcohol left in the distillation cube.

The range of applications for tails is somewhat wider than for heads. Many people make various tinctures and balms from this fraction for external use. Moreover, the tails added during the next distillation in the mash, to increase the amount of alcohol produced.

Note! Repeated use of tailings during distillation increases the amount of harmful impurities in alcohol. It is not necessary to add the tails obtained during the previous distillation to the mash each time.

There are some moonshiners who still neglect crushing the distillate into fractions. But this, to put it mildly, is not entirely the right decision.

Alcohol, in itself, is quite harmful. And if you add to it more than 70 harmful impurities that are part of the initial and final fractions, then such a drink becomes extremely dangerous for health.

Therefore, when producing homemade moonshine you need be sure to separate the heads and tails, at least during secondary distillation.

By following this rule, you will protect yourself and your loved ones from the terrible consequences of alcohol poisoning.