The best purification of moonshine from fusel oils. How to clean homemade moonshine from fusel oils

The taste and aromatic qualities of moonshine, as well as its safety for health, largely depend on foreign impurities that enter the distillate from raw materials, as a result of the activity of yeast, or during its distillation. Modern equipment and compliance with the rules of fractional distillation solves almost 100% of the problems associated with these impurities, but often conditions are far from ideal and moonshine must be cleaned of odors, unpleasant tastes and harmful compounds. In this article, we tried to systematize and analyze all the methods for cleaning moonshine at home and draw certain conclusions for each of them.

Almost all components of moonshine, except water, are harmful to our body and are, in fact, poison. Not all of them are equally dangerous (ethanol, for obvious reasons, we immediately excluded), and some of them endow the drink with the very “bouquet” of tastes and aromas for which we are engaged in distillation (and we will only talk about it further). But these components are dangerous and their quantity must be minimized, which is what this material is devoted to. So, what will we clean from:

1. Methanol(methyl alcohol) is the simplest monohydric alcohol that has the smell of ethanol. Its boiling point is only 64.7 o C, that is, logically it should go down the drain during fractional distillation, but in practice everything is much more complicated. Fortunately, the content of matanol in sugar and grain moonshine is insignificant (for example, for sugar - no more than 0.01 mg/l), so it can be immediately ignored. It is not recommended to clean fruit distillates using the methods described below, since the organoleptic properties (the combination of tastes and aromas) are greatly affected.
2. Acetaldehyde (acetic aldehyde) is an organic compound, the aldehyde of ethanol and acetic acid. Formed during the oxidation of ethanol. Moonshine can contain enough large quantities(up to 400 mg/l and more), which can be very dangerous to health. In small concentrations, it is easily “digested” by the body into harmless acetic acid and gives the distillate a certain taste that is familiar to us.
3. Fusel oil – a mixture of higher monohydric aliphatic alcohols, ethers and other compounds. When it comes to cleaning moonshine from the smell, in most cases they mean the nauseating smell of fusel oil. The most dangerous component of fusel milk is isoamyl alcohol. However, it should be understood that the taste profile of moonshine, especially grain moonshine, very much depends on the presence of certain fusel oil components in it.

Canadian Crystal Head Vodka is filtered three times through quartz crystals known as Herkimer diamonds.

I would like to immediately note that when discussing cleaning methods, we are talking, first of all, about grain distillates (for example, you can also clean them) - it is not recommended to clean fruit and most grain distillates, as this can greatly worsen their organoleptic properties. Moreover, we are talking exclusively about the distillation of drinks, and not their rectification (rectifier haters do not need to read the article). Well, before we begin: the most effective and expedient way to obtain a pure distillate with pleasant organoleptics is a second fractional distillation with precise cutting off of the “heads” and “tails”. If you are using good equipment and follow all the rules of fractional distillation, then there is no need to clean the moonshine. Strive for this first! But if the equipment or knowledge does not yet allow you to receive a good product after the second distillation, then purification will be appropriate. So, how can you clean moonshine from fusel oil and other impurities? Read on!

A good start is half the battle. Properly prepared mash in compliance with technology will provide more pure moonshine with pleasant organoleptics. This has long been confirmed not only by practice, but also scientific methods. Thus, laboratory tests show that when using a smaller amount of dry yeast in the mash, raw alcohol (hereinafter CC) is obtained with a significantly lower content of fusel oil, isoamylol, isobutanol and others like it. There is also evidence that when mash is fermented at a higher temperature (30 o C), less fusel oil is observed in the SS, but also less esters, from which we can conclude that for sugar mash more heat preferable, but for fruit - on the contrary. As for clarifying the mash, a lot is written about this in the recipe for sugar moonshine, and the process itself, I believe, is mandatory.

Local output: To prepare sugar mash, we use half the amount of yeast and maintain a higher temperature regime. This is not a paradigm, but a certain revolution in distillation, which should be taken into account and, at a minimum, tested experimentally on a small amount of distillate. Clarifying the mash is a prerequisite for obtaining high-quality moonshine.

Methods for purifying moonshine before the second distillation

After receiving clarified mash, it must be distilled as quickly as possible, without separating the head and tail fractions, if it is a grain or fruit distillate, or with crushing, if it is moonshine from sugar (not a paradigm - a recommendation). Before the mandatory second distillation, it is recommended to clean the resulting SS from fusel and other impurities, which should have a positive effect on the finished product. For this purpose, the following are used: chemical cleaning, coagulant cleaning, physical cleaning with oil and charcoaling. Let's talk about each method in more detail and draw the appropriate conclusions.

Chemical purification of raw alcohol

Chemical cleaning refers to the treatment of SS with various chemical compounds in order to neutralize some impurities present in the distillate after the first distillation. This technology came to us directly from distilleries. The technique is based on saponification of an alcohol solution with alkali (soda ash or caustic soda), which reacts with acids, neutralizing them, and subsequent neutralization of the alkaline environment with potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). Result: an insoluble floc precipitate containing certain part“smelly” and “harmful” impurities from SS.

On practice! The methodology was developed on the basis of the information presented in the book “Production of Alcohol Beverages”, Dorosh A.K., Lysenko V.S. For 1 liter of absolute alcohol in SS you need to take 4 g of soda ash, 0.4 g of potassium permanganate and 2 g of caustic soda (from the forum: for 10 liters of 40% distillate you need to take 2 tsp of soda ash, 1/3-1/ 2 tsp potassium permanganate, 1-1.5 tsp caustic soda). Cleaning method: soda ash(sodium carbonate, Na 2 CO 3) is dissolved in 200 ml of boiled water and poured into the CC with stirring, potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate, KMnO 4), also dissolved in water, is immediately poured in, and after 15-20 minutes - dissolved in a glass of water caustic soda (sodium hydroxide, caustic soda, NaOH). After 15-20 hours of settling, the SS is drained from the formed precipitate and necessarily undergoes a second fractional distillation).

Chemical cleaning from Western colleagues in the workshop: add 1 g of caustic soda dissolved in a glass of water to 1 liter of 50% CC. Wait 2 to 12 hours with occasional stirring. Do a pH test to make sure the environment is very alkaline (8-14pH). If everything is in order, add the same amount of potassium permanganate by weight as sodium hydroxide was added (first dissolve potassium permanganate in water). After this, wait 15-20 hours until sediment settles. Next, remove the SS from the sediment and distill. As an oxidizing agent, potassium permanganate can be replaced with 30% hydrogen peroxide (don’t ask for the proportions, I couldn’t find an adequate manual).

Local output: chemical cleaning is definitely effective means improvements to moonshine and the Dorosh-Lysenko method described above were tested by hundreds of experienced moonshiners. But in Lately, especially with the development of technical equipment for distilling, more and more practitioners are abandoning it - it’s difficult to make a calculation required quantity chemical reagents for a specific SS without prior laboratory analysis. There is only one conclusion that can be drawn here: if you are looking for a ready-made recipe chemical cleaning moonshine, then such a thing cannot exist in nature, and blindly following the instructions is more likely to worsen the quality of the distillate than to improve it and, in the end, can harm the health of drinkers.

Coagulant purification of raw alcohol

Speaking in human language, there is a certain group of substances, coagulants, which, when released into a solution, “glue” various compounds together, forming larger fractions that can be filtered. In this case, various compounds mean fusel oil, ethers, as well as suspension, which could somehow get into the distillate. The principle of purifying moonshine with coagulants is based on the content of proteins (casein and albumin) in some products, which coagulate in an alcohol solution of a certain strength, simultaneously “capturing” “smelly” impurities into the sediment, since they have adsorbing properties. Egg whites and milk are usually used as such products.

Moonshine cleaning egg white: for 1 liter of SS take 1-2 fresh chicken eggs, carefully separate the whites, beat, add a glass of water, beat again and add to the SS. Wait until the protein coagulates and precipitates, filter, and send for distillation. The difficulty of this method lies in the fact that the protein reluctantly coagulates in a weak alcohol solution - for rapid coagulation, the distillate strength must be more than 40%, preferably 50%. After the first distillation simple device usually has a noticeably lower strength. In addition, after the second distillation of the protein-purified SS, a hydrogen sulfide or boiled egg odor may be traced in the final product.

For 10 liters of SS add 1 liter of skim milk (or up to 1.5% fat content) milk, wait for the formation of a precipitate (can be accelerated with citric acid or lemon juice), filter, dilute and do a second distillation. The problems are the same as with egg whites: the distillate often smells of hydrogen sulfide and can remain cloudy (here you need to practice slow distillation long and hard to prevent burning, etc.).

Local output: Purifying moonshine with egg white and milk before the second distillation is a rather controversial technique, which is more likely to worsen the organoleptic properties than to improve it. Similar purification methods are also used after the second distillation, when it is necessary to soften the distillate and this is perhaps a more sensible approach, but with its own problems.

Purification of raw alcohol with oil

The method is based on the ability of some components of fusel oil to dissolve in other oils, while alcohol diluted to a certain strength does not dissolve in the oil. IN living conditions It is recommended to use refined vegetable oil without foreign odors. The method of cleaning with oil is as follows: SS at room temperature is diluted to 15-30% (this is necessary not only to prevent the dissolution of alcohol in the oil, but also for more effective cleaning), poured into a container, filling it no more than 2/3 of the total volume , add 20 ml of oil per 1 liter of solution and mix vigorously. You need to stir three times within a minute with breaks of one or two minutes. After 12 hours, the bulk of the oil should collect on the surface of the vessel (it is better to stand in a cool place) and the SS can be drained, leaving the bulk of the oil film in the container. After this, the SS must be carefully filtered through a cotton filter and/or a carbon column, and then distilled a second time, separating the heads and tails.

Local output: Purifying moonshine with oil is an effective and, perhaps, the most harmless way to improve the quality of SS before the second distillation. The technique itself is mentioned in the work of Dorosh-Lysenko, has some scientific basis, shows a good, stable result and is always recommended as the main method of intermediate cleaning of moonshine.

Purification of raw alcohol with activated carbon

Primitive flow-type carbon filter column

A lot has been said about purifying moonshine with activated carbon on our website, where the “infusion” method of charcoalization is described in detail. To clean SS, it is better to use charcoaling using the “column” method. There are laboratory studies confirming that after cleaning SS in this way, the concentration of fusel oil in it is significantly reduced. In local output this technique does not need it, as it is considered generally accepted and effective at all stages of preparing a high-quality distillate, including after the second distillation to give the drink a vodka taste. In the near future, material will be prepared on “column” coal production and the production of an effective coal column.

Purification of moonshine by second fractional distillation

It doesn’t need any introduction, there is a book where the process of fractional distillation is described in more detail, including “catching isoamyl alcohol” - a method for purifying moonshine from isoamyl alcohol. Only one local conclusion suggests itself: repeated fractional distillation of the distillate is the most effective way to purify moonshine at home. But the degree of purification greatly depends on the available equipment and distillation skills. In the process of mastering this skill, without having more modern moonshine stills, before the second fractional distillation of sugar moonshine and some grain distillates, intermediate purification is desirable.

Cleaning moonshine after the second distillation

In theory, after fractional distillation, the distillate does not need to be cleaned, but in practice, especially for beginners, moonshine may still not have the most pleasant smell and taste. In such cases, I personally recommend doing another distillation with a more careful separation of the moonshine into fractions, but if greed has taken over you, then you can try some additional purification methods finished product(and still lose in quantity).

Coagulant purification of distillate

The same cleaning methods are used: egg white and milk. Cleaning with egg whites is carried out according to the same scheme and gives an acceptable result. Before cleaning, moonshine must be diluted to drinking strength, taking into account that during the cleaning process the degree will decrease by 2-3%. There are significant disadvantages: often the moonshine does not acquire the most pleasant eggy taste, and filtering the sediment is very, very difficult. When cleaning the finished product with milk, which is preferable, you should reduce its amount for each liter of moonshine or use powdered milk.

On practice: For 1 liter of drinking strength moonshine (42-45%, you need to take it a little stronger, since purification with milk steals a couple of degrees), take 10 ml of fresh skim or low-fat milk or 0.62 g of milk powder. Powdered milk should be diluted in 10 ml (for every 0.62 g) of warm boiled water and the flakes should be allowed to swell for 2-3 hours; fresh milk should be diluted with water 1:1. Pour the solution into the distillate, mix well and leave to settle in a cool place until a sediment forms and the distillate is completely clarified (from 1 hour to several days, depending on the quality of the milk). If the milk has not started curdling after 6-7 hours, you can add a little citric acid or lemon juice (lemon on the tip of a knife, repeating until the milk curdles). After complete clarification, drain from the sediment and, if necessary, filter (can be done through a coal column).

Local output: as a way of softening and slightly cleaning the finished product has its place, but the result greatly depends on the quality of the milk. It is not uncommon for moonshine to remain cloudy and no amount of filtration will help. There may also be a distinct milky taste in the final product.

Distillate purification with activated carbon

I will not repeat myself, the principle has not changed. After charring, the finished product acquires a vodka taste due to the oxidation of alcohol: ethanol -> acetaldehyde -> acetic acid-> etc. If you don’t like this taste, then charcoalization is not appropriate and it is not necessary to carry it out at this stage, especially if the technology is violated, the distillate concentrates acetaldehyde, and this causes an unpleasant odor and a terrible hangover in the morning. In subsequent materials we will study in more detail the methods of purifying moonshine with charcoal, but for now be content with the previously mentioned article with “infused” charcoal.

Carbon filter from a Chinese pump and carbon container, like efficient system continuous carbonation of moonshine.

Masking the smell of moonshine

An ineffective technique that many people mistakenly confuse with purifying moonshine. The point is camouflage. unpleasant odor in the drink with various products, such as rye bread pulp, rice, buckwheat, pearl barley, etc. I personally don’t see the point in this. If you are sure that your distillate is safe for health, but the smell is not successful, then make it based on it, the recipes for which are easy to find on our resource great amount. Why soak bread crumbs when you can make amazing " "? If the stench of moonshine is simply unbearable, then the technology of its production has clearly been violated - such a product cannot be consumed, only intermediate cleaning and re-distillation.

In order of delirium - distillate freezing

Many “respected” resources recommend freezing it as a way to purify moonshine, they say that the water, when it turns into a crystalline form, takes with it fusel and other abominations, which is why the distillate becomes, well, simply virgin purity. Wake up! Alcohol is a solvent and the higher its concentration, the better various impurities dissolve in it. During freezing, the concentration of alcohol increases, along with the ability to dissolve. Freezing will only help in one thing - increasing the strength of the distillate, while the concentration of all impurities present in it will also increase. By the way, for the curious, in the USA they practice the so-called sublimation distillation, when raw materials, for example, are frozen all winter, thus obtaining a stronger drink (specifically, applejack is obtained from apple raw materials). We are not talking about any cleaning here at all.

Everyone goes crazy in their own way. Icelandic Reyka Vodka is filtered through lava rocks from Icelandic volcanoes.

Global cleanup output

There are many ways to clean moonshine from smell and harmful impurities, but not all of them are equally effective or have a lot of nuances, while others are completely delusional or hazardous to health. To be safe, I decided not to mention some of them at all. Having analyzed all the data, I have long ago developed the following algorithm for obtaining high-quality moonshine (mainly sugar and in the absence of the opportunity to carry out a decent level of distillation): proper preparation of the mash and its thorough clarification, intermediate cleaning with oil and charcoal, fractional distillation without subsequent manipulations with the finished product (I don't like the vodka taste). I have no complaints about intermediate chemical cleaning, but I don’t recommend using it in practice without the proper knowledge and skills. Softening distillate with milk as a technique deserves the right to life, but before using it, you will have to conduct a series of experiments to find suitable raw materials for this. I cannot recommend other methods for cleaning the SS and the finished product, as I see them as untenable.

P.S. I don't claim authority. What is described in the material is only my thoughts and conclusions. To trust them or not to trust them is a purely personal matter. Comments are welcome, but without swearing or any vulgarity (such as “but my grandfather...”, “and my father, Doctor of Science...”, etc., etc.).

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There are a great many ways to “produce” moonshine. Especially successful recipes The production of this alcohol is passed on unchanged from generation to generation. Some “distillers” are trying to invent new technologies for producing alcohol at home and distill it from the most inappropriate products, for example, from tomato paste or mash based on fruit caramels.

It is quite understandable that a turbid artisanal drink made from low-grade raw materials cannot boast of high taste qualities and requires serious rectification. However, even the highest quality homemade alcohol needs additional purification, since it also contains impurities that significantly worsen its taste and aroma, and are also harmful to the body. Therefore, professional distillers have developed several effective recipes on how to clean moonshine from smell and fusel oils at home.

How to determine whether there is fusel oil in homemade moonshine?

To make sure there are impurities in the moonshine, you need to inhale its smell, or even better, put it in a spoon and set it on fire. When the alcohol burns out, droplets of oily liquid will remain at the bottom of the spoon.

These are the very unsafe and foul-smelling fusel oils, which are present in any homemade alcohol. Of course, you can’t drink a drink with so many bad impurities.

Method for purifying moonshine with activated carbon

1. Buy it at the pharmacy required quantity packages of tableted activated carbon, based on the proportion: 50 g of carbon per 1 liter of strong alcoholic drink.
2. To enhance the absorption capacity of the charcoal tablets, finely crush them and pour them into a bottle of homemade alcohol.
3. Close the container with the drink tightly with a cork and put it in a dark place.
4. For 2 weeks, take the container out of the cupboard several times a day and shake it thoroughly.
5. For the third week, let the alcohol “rest” on a cabinet shelf without shaking.
6. After this, pour the clarified moonshine, which no longer smells like fusel, from the bottle into another container, straining it through 6 layers of gauze. The sediment will remain at the bottom of the bottle.

Biological method for purifying moonshine

1. Pour 3 whipped egg whites or ½ cup of unboiled cow's milk into a bottle with 1 liter of cloudy, “fragrant” fusel moonshine.
2. Stopper the container and shake vigorously.
3. When milk or egg white coagulates, i.e. will curdle and fall to the bottom in the form of soft curdled flakes, pass the drink through a clean canvas flap folded in three.

Purification of alcohol with potassium permanganate

1. Dissolve potassium permanganate crystals in a small volume of cooled, boiled water.
2. The dose of potassium permanganate is calculated in the ratio: 2 g of the drug per 1 liter of unrefined moonshine.
3. Pour the concentrated purple solution into the drink bottle, shake it, and your homemade alcohol will turn a soft pink color.
4. Place the container with the drink in the cupboard.
5. The next day, take it out. You will see that the moonshine has become transparent again, and a brown sediment has formed at the bottom of the bottle.
6. Carefully drain the drink from the container, straining through a thick cotton-cloth filter.

Cryogenic method for purifying moonshine

1. Pour the moonshine with impurities into a metal container and place it in the freezer overnight.
2. In 12 hours, fusel oils will harden and freeze to the bottom and walls of the container. But pure alcohol, which hardens at about -60 degrees Celsius, will remain liquid.
3. Remove the container from the freezer and pour the pure alcohol into a bottle.

Purification of alcohols using vegetable oil

This rectification method is based on the ability of substances to mix only with certain types liquids.

Thanks to this property, fusel oils can dissolve in a related medium - vegetable oil, while ethanol and water will not dissolve.

There is only one difficulty when using this rectification method. At the end of the purification process, additional distillation of alcohol will have to be carried out, since in order to remove harmful substances, we will need to dilute the moonshine with clean boiled water to 20-25 degrees.

It is necessary to dilute alcohol with water so that it can more easily “part with” harmful impurities. Strong, undiluted alcohol is much more difficult to get rid of fusel oils dissolved in it.

Cleaning technology using vegetable oil

1. Pour the unrefined, foul-smelling moonshine into a large enamel container and add boiled water to it in small portions. cold water. Stir the liquid constantly and check its strength with a home alcohol meter. When the percentage of ethanol in the drink becomes less than 28 degrees, pour the diluted moonshine into a large glass bottle up to 2/3 of its volume.
2. Pour the required amount of refined sunflower oil into a bottle of alcohol and tightly plug the container with a cork. Stick to the proportion: 20 g of vegetable oil per 1 liter of diluted alcohol.
3. Put on assembly gloves with rubberized palms and firmly grasp the bottle with both hands. Shake it as hard as you can for 5-7 minutes. As a result, the liquid in the bottle will become cloudy, but after shaking, the whitish substance will literally begin to separate into fractions and become lighter before our eyes.
4. Leave the dishes with the oil-alcohol emulsion overnight. The next day, the oil with harmful impurities dissolved in it will rise in a single layer to the surface.
5. Using a long thin hose lowered to the bottom of the bottle, drain the clean moonshine into another container.
6. Pass it through a cotton-cloth filter and repeat the distillation.

Novice moonshiners do not always pay due attention to purifying moonshine at home; more experienced ones know that purifying moonshine from fusel oils that are harmful to health is simply necessary.

Cleaning moonshine also helps remove the specific smell. It should be noted that freshly distilled moonshine should not be purified; let it cool and sit for at least a day. If the strength of moonshine is high, then it needs to be diluted clean water up to 35-40 alcohol degrees. This is done so that the moonshine releases fusel oils more easily. There are many ways to clean moonshine at home. Let's look at some of them in more detail:

Cleaning moonshine with potassium permanganate

Take potassium permanganate crystals at the rate of half a teaspoon per 3 liters of moonshine, stir everything carefully until the crystals are completely dissolved and set the container with the moonshine to settle. After some time, a cloudy sediment with flakes will form at the bottom, but the smell of moonshine will noticeably improve. When the moonshine becomes crystal clear, carefully pour it using a hose into a clean, prepared container, making sure not to touch the layer at the bottom with the sediment that has fallen. The next stage of purification is filtration. Take regular activated carbon, which is sold at the pharmacy (one package is enough for 3 liters), a funnel for draining the liquid and filter paper or regular paper napkins. Place paper at the bottom of the funnel, pour powdered activated carbon on top and cover with a second layer of paper. It turns out to be a homemade carbon filter. Carefully pour the liquid through it. You dilute the moonshine filtered in this way to 25-28 degrees, and then distill it again and repeat the entire purification process again. The resulting product is already ready for use, but if the moonshine goes through three cycles of this process, the quality of the moonshine will noticeably improve.

Cleaning moonshine with charcoal

This method is very simple and effective. Take charcoal from birch, linden, oak or fruit trees and crush it into small pieces. You can also buy special processed coal for winemakers. And directly put it directly into a jar of moonshine at the rate of one handful per three liter jar. To reduce coal dust, pre-sieve the coal. Close the jar tightly nylon cover. Leave it like this for a week, shaking the jar vigorously from time to time 2-3 times a day. After this, let it sit for another one and a half to two weeks at rest. A cloudy sediment forms at the bottom. Now let's start the filtering process. Carefully pour out the settled moonshine through a funnel with cotton pads. If the filters become clogged and the filtration process is slow, you need to change the cotton pads.

Cleaning moonshine with milk

Our ancestors have used this method for a long time. It has its advantages - it is absolutely safe, it does not need to be distilled again, it can be combined with other methods of purification, but moonshine may turn out to be somewhat cloudy in appearance. It is important that the milk is low-fat; the fattier the milk, the cloudier the moonshine. Only pasteurized milk should be used.

For 10 liters of unrefined moonshine, take 100 or 150 grams of low-fat milk. Add milk to moonshine, mix everything thoroughly. Cover tightly with a lid and place in a dark place for a week. During the first five days, the contents of the jar should be shaken at least once. White flakes should form in the jar. Under the influence of milk protein, harmful impurities precipitate. Pour the moonshine into a clean jar through several layers of cotton wool. For a greater cleaning effect, crushed activated carbon can be placed between layers. The resulting moonshine is ready for use. If it turns out cloudy, pass it again through charcoal and cotton wool or filter paper.

Cleaning moonshine with black bread

There is also an interesting option for purifying moonshine using freshly baked black bread, which perfectly absorbs fusel oils and additionally gives the moonshine a pleasant smell. Stale or stale bread will not work, as the moonshine will have an unpleasant aftertaste. Break fresh black bread into small pieces at the rate of 100 g of bread per liter of moonshine, put in moonshine, mix well until the pieces become soggy and fall apart. Let it sit for a couple of days and filter it using the method described above.

Cleaning moonshine with egg whites

Cleaning moonshine using the freezing method

Perhaps the easiest cleaning method, which does not require dancing with filters, coals and additional distillations, is freezing the moonshine. It has long been noticed that when water freezes, it takes with it all the harmful fusel oils and moonshine is purified in this simple way. Place the moonshine in a metal bucket or glass jar in the cold or in the freezer of the refrigerator. The water freezes, turning into ice with impurities, and the moonshine itself, which is not afraid of frost, is poured into prepared containers. For greater effect, you can do this several times.

Whatever method you choose to purify your moonshine, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. You can determine which method is the best for you experimentally, but in any case, the moonshine must be purified, and then instead of a dubious quality and a very peculiar-smelling alcoholic liquid, you will get a completely refined alcoholic drink, from which you can later get excellent homemade tinctures or liqueurs.

In modern times, many people brew moonshine at home, and it’s not just about saving money. In order for the drink to be of high quality, you must comply the right technology. An important stage in moonshine is the purification of moonshine. The process will make the drink more noble and tasty. We will tell you below how to clean moonshine from odors and foreign impurities.

Basic methods for removing odor from moonshine

Basic methods for purifying moonshine

Moonshine purification occurs after the second distillation. There are many folk recipes on how to get rid of the smell of fusel oils and harmful impurities:

• Cleaning with coal. It is recommended to use activated carbon, sold in pharmacies, or birch charcoal.
• Cleaning with potassium permanganate. Manganese powder will help get rid of the nasty odor and eliminate the effect of harmful substances in raw alcohol.
• Powdered milk. The strength of the drink before cleaning should be no more than 40 degrees.
• Egg white. More than one generation knows and uses this recipe. Protein helps bind fusel oils and produces a precipitate in which toxic substances remain.
• Salt, soda. Raw alcohol purified by this method will become a refined drink without any foreign odor.
• Cleaning with rye bread. You need to break the bread into pieces (take 100 grams of bread for 1 liter of drink), put it in a container with alcohol, and mix. After a few days, the drink is filtered. On a note! Only fresh bread is used!
• Freezing. At low temperatures, only ethyl alcohol does not freeze.
• Fruit cleansing. If you apply this method before the second distillation, the drink will acquire light fruity notes.

Having decided that the drink needs cleansing, you should find out how to clean moonshine from impurities.

How to remove odor from moonshine

First you need to make sure that the drink needs to be purified. To do this, the liquid is poured into a spoon and set on fire. If, after the alcohol burns out, an oily liquid remains at the bottom of the spoon, the drink must be cleaned. How moonshine is purified:

• You will need 50 grams of activated carbon per liter of raw alcohol. The coal needs to be ground into powder. Line the bottom of the funnel with filtered paper, with a layer of charcoal powder on top. The third layer should be paper again. Pass the drink through a carbon filter and dilute with clean water to a strength of 28 degrees.
• The second way to clean with charcoal is to use charcoal. The crushed powder is poured into a bottle of alcohol. The drink should brew for 5-10 days.
• You can get rid of the nasty smell with milk powder. For 10 liters of alcohol you need to take 10 liters of water and 6 grams of milk powder. Milk is diluted in 10 liters warm water, mix, settle for several hours. After this, the raw alcohol is mixed with diluted milk. After a week, the pure product is filtered from the sediment.

Diluting moonshine before re-distilling

Repeated distillation is necessary in order to get rid of the characteristic odor of mash and clean the alcohol from fusel oils. After repeated distillation, the drink will be very High Quality. Previously, there was no information about the dangers of “pervach”, and people used it with pleasure. Now everyone knows about the need for re-distillation.

After the first distillation, raw alcohol with a strength of about 70 degrees comes out of the mash. Purification of moonshine is done at a strength of 20-30 degrees, so the alcohol is diluted with clean water. Toxic impurities and odor can be eliminated only with a reduced strength. It is recommended to dilute raw alcohol with distilled water or water from a well. Can be used tap water, settled for several days or melt water.

Before re-distillation, it is allowed to dilute the moonshine

Purification of impurities before the second distillation

• Manganese powder will not only eliminate the characteristic odor, but also get rid of toxic components before the second distillation. A teaspoon of potassium permanganate powder is diluted in 6 liters of raw alcohol and mixed. After two hours, carefully drain the moonshine from the sediment.
• Purifying moonshine by freezing will help get rid of unnecessary impurities. Moonshine is poured into a saucepan and placed in the freezer for 5 hours. If it's frosty outside, you can take the pan there. The unfrozen liquid is very carefully drained and the cleaning is complete.

Effective methods for purifying homemade moonshine with or without subsequent distillation

Cleaning method using milk or eggs:

• To a liter of raw alcohol, add three egg whites whipped into foam or 100 grams of raw milk.
• Close the bottle with a stopper and shake the contents.
• When milk-curd flakes form at the bottom, the liquid can be passed through a filter.

Cleaning method using salt and soda:

• Add one tablespoon of baking soda and salt to a liter of 40-degree drink.
• Stir the contents and leave for half an hour.
• Stir again and place the bottle in a dark place.
• As soon as layers appear in the container, carefully pour the top layer into a clean bottle.

Such a well-known craft as moonshine brewing has its roots in ancient times, so it has been improved through centuries of samples, tests, and methods. For those who are professionally involved in this business these days, it has long been no secret how to clean moonshine from fusel oils. And if you seriously decide to make the purest homemade vodka, then it won’t hurt you to learn a couple of secrets about how this is done. Below you will find a lot of interesting and useful information, which will help you get acquainted with all in effective ways cleaning moonshine.

The best way to purify moonshine: recipes and proportions

There are a huge number of recipes for cleaning moonshine at home, and each of them has a main component that serves as a filter for the drink. Some of the listed methods are even used in production, and you can choose the only correct one in your opinion, or you can try everything to find the best one. The main condition for the competent use of one method or another is strict adherence to the specified proportions and recommendations. Read more about the cleaning recipes below.

Cleaning with potassium permanganate: the benefits and harms of this method

There are two main methods for purifying moonshine with manganese, but not everyone considers sodium permanganate to be an effective and harmless product that can be safely used in the craft of home brewing. The fact is that manganese, when it precipitates along with other impurities in vodka, does not take all the substances with it. But this is not the worst thing.

Scientists have proven that potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent that interacts with alcohol (ethanol), releasing very hazardous substances and alkali. When the oxidation process of potassium permanganate in moonshine is activated, a very complex alkali is formed, which Food Industry referred to as potassium hydroxide or food additive under the number “E-525”. This substance is an effective preservative and acidity regulator.

Additionally, as a result of the described reaction, manganese oxide and acetaldehyde (acetaldehyde) are precipitated. The latter is a very dangerous carcinogen, which is found in tobacco smoke and causes strong addiction in people. If you talk with chemists about this topic in more detail, you will find out a lot of negative reviews that will testify to the bad impact on the health of those who will then use such moonshine. Therefore, think carefully about the benefits and harms of the methods that you are going to use to cleanse this drink. Check out the recipe itself below.

Ingredients:

• Liter of moonshine (40%).
• 0.3 l hot water.
• Two grams of potassium permanganate.
• A tablespoon of salt (absolutely do not use iodized salt).
• A tablespoon of baking soda.

Description of cleaning method:

1. Thoroughly dilute potassium permanganate with water.
2. Combine moonshine with manganese-tinted water, stir wooden spoon(exclude metal utensils), leave overnight.
3. Filter in the morning. This can be done with a regular filter or multi-layer gauze, for example.

How to clean a drink with charcoal

Properties wood ash compared to activated carbon in tablets: it is an excellent adsorbent that effectively absorbs and removes harmful substances. An additional advantage of cleaning moonshine with barbecue charcoal (the popular name for charcoal) over other adsorbents is considered short term process. You can also use coconut charcoal in this process. There is absolutely no difference which charcoal is used to clean moonshine, because they are equally effective substances. Required ingredients:

• Freshly cut stump young tree(less than 50 years). Beech, cedar or birch wood is preferable (you will get birch charcoal).
• A liter of 40-degree moonshine.

How to clean moonshine with coal:

1. Clear the tree of bark, cut out the core and knots.
2. Light a fire. It is necessary to remove hot coals while the heat is still present. Shake off the ash, cover the charred pieces of wood, and wait for it to die out.
3. Grind the resulting mixture through a sieve charcoal.
4. Dissolve the powder in moonshine and leave for three days.
5. Filter.

Getting rid of odor and fusel with milk powder

Purify moonshine using coagulation (the process of binding fusel oils with albumin and casein, which are found in milk). When milk reacts with alcohol, a precipitate forms as flakes and the drink becomes soft, eliminating the unpleasant characteristic odor. This method involves the use of powdered milk, because it is the most reliable way get skim milk. This is important so that the moonshine does not become cloudy during the filtration process. Explore detailed recipe purifying homemade alcohol using this method.

What you will need:

• 10 liters of 40-degree moonshine.
• 6 grams of milk powder.
• 10 liters of warm water.

Cleaning process:

1. Dissolve the milk powder warm water. Stir the mixture thoroughly, break up all the lumps, and leave to steep for three hours.
2. After the specified time, mix the resulting milk with moonshine and leave for a week.
3. Remove precipitate by filtration.

Method of cleaning with soda and salt

One of the popular ways to purify moonshine due to its availability and low cost. As a result, you will remove the bulk of fusel oils from homemade alcohol, as well as the unpleasant odor. During consumption, the drink will have a mild taste, making it pleasant to drink. Be sure to try this cleaning recipe to appreciate all its advantages, and you’ll tell me how to clean homemade vodka using soda step by step recipe further.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of 40-proof alcohol.
• A tablespoon of salt.
• A tablespoon of baking soda.

How to clean moonshine with soda:

1. Thoroughly dissolve soda and salt in moonshine. Leave to infuse for half an hour.
2. After the specified time has passed, stir the liquid again and put it in a dark place for 12 hours.
3. The liquid of a cloudy consistency should have separated within the allotted time.
4. Carefully drain the top.

How to properly clean moonshine with egg whites

Egg white is known for its coagulating property, which consists of precipitating along with harmful substances during a reaction with alcohol. Many people compare this method of purifying moonshine with a method that involves the use of milk (powdered or whole). This is an effective opportunity to qualitatively separate fusel oils from moonshine. Read more about how to easily clear your drink with egg whites.

Ingredients:

• Liter of alcohol (40%).
• Two egg yolks, separated from the white.

How to clean:

1. Beat the whites, but without foam.
2. Add to the moonshine and mix thoroughly.
3. Feathers and sediment should fall out immediately.

Rye bread instead of a filter

This method of purifying moonshine is more effective after separating fusel oils from alcohol using milk. However, if you try to use this method as the only way cleansing, the result will also be good. It is believed that gluten, which is contained in bread, wonderfully removes all impurities and debris from homemade vodka. Use only fresh bread so as not to spoil the taste and aroma of the drink. Here's how to clean moonshine with rye bread.

Components of the method:

• A liter of homemade vodka (40 proof).
• 100 grams of rye bread.

How to clean:

1. Break the bread into small pieces.
2. Throw them into the moonshine and shake well.
3. Leave for two days.
4. Get rid of the sediment by filtering the moonshine.

Freezing method without distillation

Freezing is one of the cheapest and most accessible ways to purify moonshine. In the process simple method all harmful substances freeze and fall out on the walls of the vessel in which homemade vodka is located. Alcohol will not freeze at freezing temperatures freezer and even in high frosts outside up to -13 degrees, so it will be easy to separate it from impurities and fusel oils by draining it into a clean container. Read on to learn how the method of freezing moonshine without distillation works below.

What you will need:

• Moonshine - quantity is not important.
• Pot.
• Freezer.

Algorithm of your actions:

1. Pour the available amount of moonshine into a saucepan, place it in the freezer or outside on a frosty day.
2. Wait until part of the drink freezes (at least three to four hours, or better yet, leave it overnight).
3. Drain the unfrozen portion of the moonshine into a clean container.

Cleaning with vegetable oil at home

Scientists say without a doubt that fusel oils and other impurities effectively dissolve in vegetable oils, are separated from alcohol diluted with water, and can be quickly removed from moonshine. It is important to remember that only sunflower or olive oil, which are odorless (refined). Please note: the good thing about this method is that it is not only effective, but also environmentally friendly, so feel free to use it to clean homemade vodka. And then you will find how this is done.

Ingredients:

• Liter of moonshine (40%).
• Water - three liters.
• 80 ml sunflower oil.

How the cleaning method is performed:

1. Dilute moonshine with the specified amount of water.
2. Add sunflower oil, shake for one minute.
3. Let the moonshine brew for three minutes.
4. Shake again for one minute.
5. Leave the container with its contents in dark place at a temperature not higher than 16 degrees. Let it sit for a day.
6. After the specified amount of time, you will see an oil film appear on the surface of the moonshine (it already contains impurities, fusel oils).
7. Using gentle movements, make a funnel in the resulting film, then lower the tube or thin hose. Try not to touch the greasy film. Drain off all the moonshine.
8. Double-filter your homemade vodka to completely remove any remaining oil droplets.

Second distillation

If you want to get a crystal clear alcoholic drink at home, the stage of re-distillation of moonshine is an inevitable process. This way you will finally remove all heavy fractions from homemade vodka, remove foreign odors, and give the drink a soft, pleasant taste. Even if you use very good equipment for distilling moonshine, still excellent result It's worth repeating the whole process a second and maybe a third time. This is the only way you will achieve high quality moonshine.

Is it possible to clean cloudy moonshine with Barrier or Aquaphor filters?

If you are not a supporter of chemical cleaning (with bentonite, for example), you can clean moonshine from cloudy sediment using ordinary Barrier or Aquaphor filters. They contain excellent cleaners with baking soda, charcoal, calcium and other ingredients that are used in some at-home methods. This is not at all difficult to do: just pass homemade vodka through a special container with a filter cartridge to end up with the purest drink.

How to make a carbon filter column with your own hands

A carbon filter column is a means for purifying moonshine using coal. It gives excellent results, and immediately after distillation the product is ready for use. It is not difficult to make such a device at home. Thanks to the detailed description that you will find below, the manufacturing process will be possible. Check out step by step algorithm making a carbon filter column with your own hands.

What you will need:

• Two necks from plastic bottles.
• A pair of lids (one should have a spout).
• Plastic bottle 5 l.
• Pipe plastic diameter 32.
• Scissors.
• Saw.
• Insulating tape.
• Coal for cleaning moonshine.
• Drill.
• Cotton wool.

Manufacturing step by step:

1. Cut off the bottom of a 5-liter eggplant.
2. Insert one end of the tube into the neck of the eggplant and wrap it with electrical tape.
3. Insert the plastic necks into each other. Drill holes in the lid with a drill, screw it onto the neck and insert it into the second one. Wrap the parts with electrical tape. Use the second cap with the drinking bowl to close the second neck (first put cotton wool in the outer neck).
4. Tape the resulting part with electrical tape to the other end of the tube.
5. Hang the pipe by the handle of the bottle (the bottle should be on top).
6. Place a container below.
7. Pour coal into the pipe through a five-liter bottle. Cover the neck of the eggplant with a cotton swab.