Where do the moonshine tails go? How much and why to separate the “heads” during secondary distillation
Hi all!
I prepared this article for a very long time. It is dedicated to one of the most important topics in the production of alcoholic beverages. We all know that heads, tails and fusel oils are harmful and spoil the taste of moonshine. But what is hidden behind these concepts? Do you know what the finished mash contains? over 70 volatile substances!? Some of them are strong poisons, but at the same time have a pleasant floral or bready aroma.
This article provides information, knowledge and understanding of which allows you to move forward and improve in the production of homemade alcohol.
It is worth adding that in the process of studying materials for this article, my view of such a process as fractional distillation has changed significantly.
In this article I will tell you what mash consists of, what groups of impurities it contains, how they are formed and which of them are the most harmful. And most importantly, how these impurities behave during the distillation process.
I will also give a very interesting table with a description of specific impurities and why they are formed and how they affect the taste and smell of the drink.
Composition of mature (finished) mash
The finished mash consists of many different components, located in three phases - liquid, solid and gaseous.
- The solid phase (4-10% by weight of the mash) is a suspension of yeast and particles of the original raw material, as well as minerals, sugar, proteins, and other elements not dissolved in the liquid that remain in the distillation cube after distillation.
- The gaseous phase is carbon dioxide (CO2), formed as a result of the work of yeast. Content – 1-1.5 g/l.
- The liquid phase is water (from 82 to 90 wt.%) and ethyl alcohol with volatile impurities (from 5 to 9 wt.%).
In the context of this article, we are most interested in these same volatile substances accompanying ethyl alcohol. There are over 70 types of them in the brew!
But, despite such a wide variety, their total amount is only 0.5-1% of the volume of ethyl alcohol. Moreover, even such a small content of impurities significantly affects the taste and smell of the final product.
The diagram below shows the approximate composition of the finished mash and alcohol impurities.
The volatile components in mature mash can be divided into four main groups: alcohols, ethers, aldehydes and acids.
In the following sections I will look at each group separately.
Alcohols
They are derivatives of hydrocarbons containing one or more hydroxyl groups (OH). Based on the number of hydroxyl groups contained in the molecule, alcohols are monohydric (with one OH), diatomic (two OH), triatomic and polyatomic.
The mash contains monohydric alcohols and only one representative of triatomic alcohols - glycerin (which is non-volatile).
Monohydric alcohols have the general formula СnH2n+1OH.
Based on the value of n, alcohols are divided into:
- Lower - methyl (methanol) CH3OH; ethyl (ethanol) C2H5OH; propyl C3H7OH and isopropyl C₃H₈O.
Almost all lower alcohols have a pronounced “alcoholic” odor. Mixes well with water in any proportions.
- Medium alcohols
Butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl - general formula C4H9OH. Amyl - Amyl, isoamyl, etc. The general formula is C5H11OH.
Butyl alcohols smell like alcohol. Tert-butyl smells pleasantly of camphor. Isoamyl smells strongly of fusel
- Higher alcohols: hexyl (C6H14O), heptyl (C7H15OH), octyl (C8H17OH), nonyl (C9H19OH), etc.
Alcohols are the largest group of impurities - from 0.4 to 0.6% of the ethyl alcohol content. Alcohols containing carbon atoms from C3 to C10 form fusel oils. They are called oils because they are poorly soluble in water and have an oily appearance. The basis of fusel is isoamyl (60-90%), isobutyl (8-27%) and propyl (3-20%) alcohols.
All alcohols, including ethyl alcohol, are poisons. The most dangerous of these is methanol. It is 80 times more toxic than ethyl! Taking just 10-15 ml of methyl alcohol leads to severe poisoning, loss of vision and, in most cases, death. The methanol content in the mash depends on the raw materials from which the mash is made. Most of it is in distillates from stone fruits - 3-4%. There is no methyl alcohol in sugar moonshine (or rather, it is there, but in very small quantities).
Isoamyl alcohol is also very dangerous. It is poorly soluble in water, has a characteristic fusel odor and can be smelled well in moonshine. But it is most abundant in fusel oils!
Aldehydes
Aldehydes are the oxidation products of alcohols whose molecules contain a COH group.
All aldehydes are poisons. The most dangerous is furfural. It is 80 times more toxic than ethanol! Moreover, GOST for rectified alcohol prohibits the presence of furfural, despite the fact that the presence of such a dangerous poison as methanol allows up to 0.03%. Rye bread smells nice. Sugar mash does not contain it. Most of the mash contains acetaldehyde. Regardless of the raw materials. It has a suffocating smell.
Some of the aldehydes smell unpleasant (those with 1 to 6 carbon atoms), and some (more than 6 carbon atoms) have a pleasant floral aroma.
Aldehydes have different solubilities in water.
For more information about each component and how it affects the organoleptic properties of moonshine, see the table below.
Acids
The mash contains volatile carboxylic acids. Acetic acid CH3COOH predominates. The presence of pelargonic, capric, caprylic and other acids is also possible. Their presence depends on the raw materials used. Acids boil at temperatures above 100 C. They dissolve differently in water. Most acids negatively affect the organoleptic qualities of moonshine - they impart an unpleasant odor and bitterness. On the contrary, acetic acid softens the taste of alcohol.
For more information about each component and how it affects the organoleptic properties of moonshine, see the table below.
Ethers
Occur when alcohols and acids interact. They can be simple or complex. In mash obtained from any source raw material, ethyl acetate is present in the largest quantity.
Enanth esters are released from wine yeast during distillation.
Esters appear not only during fermentation and distillation, but are also introduced along with the raw materials from which the wort is prepared. Grape mash is very rich in these substances.
Esters have a pleasant floral or fruity aroma.
Table of impurities contained in mash
Below is a table with a list of the main impurities associated with ethyl alcohol. It also indicates what these components are formed from and how they affect the organoleptic properties of moonshine.
The abbreviation PO is the threshold of sensation. Rows with elements that negatively affect the taste properties of the distillate are highlighted in red, while rows with a positive effect are highlighted in green. At first I wanted to arrange them as the boiling temperature increases, but then I realized that this was pointless. Why? Read the next section.
The table will enlarge if you click on it with the mouse.
Continuation of the table. The picture is also clickable
Heads, tails and intermediate impurities
It is customary to divide the distillate into three fractions - heads, body and tails. Since you have reached this article, it means you already know this well, but I will still remind you.
- The heads come first. These are mainly esters and aldehydes, so the heads are also called the ether-aldehyde fraction (EAF). They have a pungent odor. It is a fairly common belief that heads are impurities that have a boiling point lower than ethyl alcohol. Actually this is not true.
- The body is a fraction consisting primarily of ethyl alcohol. Actually what we drink.
- Tails. They come at the end and have an unpleasant smell.
If everything were so simple, then we would pour into the sink everything that comes from the still until the boiling point of ethyl alcohol, take it away and stop the distillation when the temperature exceeds 78.15 degrees. But there are two big BUTs (the second BUT is the biggest):
- All impurities begin to evaporate long before their boiling point. Tail fractions are present in both heads and bodies, only in much smaller quantities. For example, water is present in large quantities in the distillate, although we never drive moonshine to 100 degrees cubed.
- In a multicomponent mixture, the boiling point of an individual impurity fades into the background. The main role here is played by the evaporation coefficient of a specific impurity. Moreover, this coefficient is not constant and depends on the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the mixture. In other words, one and the same component (say, methyl alcohol) under different conditions can be both a head and a tail fraction.
To summarize, we can say that there are head fractions that always come before ethanol, for example acetaldehyde. There are tail ones, such as furfural. And there are impurities, the behavior of which depends on the concentration of alcohol in the mixture. These factions are called intermediate.
I would like to note that this behavior is very unpleasant for you and me. It turns out that we selected the heads, changed the receiving container and began selecting the body. After some time, the strength of the raw alcohol changed and some kind of nasty stuff, which, according to our ideas, should mostly go in the tails, crawls out forward and begins to go into the receiving container.
A typical representative of intermediate impurities is isoamyl alcohol, which is the basis of fusel.
This topic is very serious and deserves a separate article. I'll write it soon.
Update from 07/16/17: The article on intermediate impurities is ready.
Conclusions
- The composition and amount of impurities in mash made from different raw materials is different.
- Sugar mash contains almost no such potent poisons as methanol and furfural. The most dangerous here are acetaldehydes and isoamylol. At the same time, there are practically no components that have a positive effect on organoleptics. Therefore, we boldly clean the raw material oil And coal.
- Grain and fruit mashes contain esters, which give the drink high taste qualities. Such esters must be passed into the distillate during distillation, while avoiding harmful impurities that spoil the organoleptic properties. This requires the development of a specific distillation process and skills acquired with experience.
- The composition and amount of impurities is influenced by the quality of the feedstock, the fermentation and distillation process. This once again confirms the already established rules - we introduce yeast feeding, ensure optimal and constant fermentation temperature, comfortable hydraulic module. We clarify the sugar mash before distillation, preferably bentonite. We carry out the first stage as quickly as possible.
- Perhaps the most important takeaway- the order and concentration of the release of some components from mash or raw alcohol does not directly depend on the boiling point of these impurities, but is characterized by an evaporation coefficient, which depends on the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the mixture. The head fractions can go in the tails, and the tails in the heads. Moreover, the component can change its behavior during the distillation process as the ethanol evaporates.
Conclusion
These are the conclusions I came to. This is just an introductory article that leaves more questions than answers.
In the future, I plan to study the issue of evaporation coefficient in more detail.
Processes of distillation of mash from various raw materials. Of course, preparing grain and fruit and berry distillates is a kind of art that cannot be taught. But I think it is possible to develop some general recommendations. More precisely, they probably already exist - a huge amount of specialized literature has been published and there is a lot of useful, albeit scattered, information on the forums. All that remains is to study it, group it and post it on the blog. Nothing at all
I hope this article will be the beginning of a very interesting series - I would like to study the composition of mash made from various raw materials and determine some general rules for their distillation.
P.S. I would really like to hear comments from people who understand chemistry. Maybe someone can add something or correct me.
Bye everyone!
Moonshining is a traditional activity for the domestic lover of strong alcohol. As interesting as the process is, it is necessary to follow some rules so that in the end the harmful substances present in the drink are correctly separated and eliminated. Moonshine makers call this process “cutting off the heads and tails” during the second distillation. How to select them correctly in moonshine?
Regardless of the type of wort, when the liquid is heated, fungal cells begin to decompose and esters with toxic alcohols are released. All of them are included in one common concept “fusel oils”. The set contains over a dozen positions of harmful substances. It is impossible to perfectly clean moonshine from them using a conventional moonshine still, but when heated, the problem is solved quite well, which allows you to obtain alcohol of normal quality.
There are three factions in this process:
- The “head” is the primary material formed when heated to 60 degrees Celsius. The harm to health from this swill is enormous. It is recommended to get rid of it with a reserve.
The “head” includes:
- methyl alcohol;
- acetone;
- acetic acid.
Since the boiling point of these components is lower than that of ethyl alcohol, they are released with the first drops. The volume of the “heads” also depends on the type of mash. Most of them are in the grain variety of pervacha.
Many of us consider pervach to be the coolest and most challenging drink, trying not to cut off the “heads”. In fact, consuming such a potion is fraught with poisoning.
- “Body” is the central part, for the sake of which the entire process of moonshine brewing is started. If you skillfully select the “heads” at the very beginning, you can get a fairly clean and relatively harmless product in the end.
- “Tails” is the completion of the process during which the strength of moonshine drops below 35 degrees. There is no point in pouring them into the next portion for re-distillation, it does not give anything. They contain fusel oils, which affect the cloudiness of moonshine and the appearance of an unpleasant odor. This does not particularly affect health, but if the goal is to achieve a flavorful drink, then it is better to cut off the “tails” in time.
To completely separate moonshine into fractions, rectification will be required, which results in pure ethyl alcohol without a characteristic odor. Doctors urge people not to abuse such drinks, because alcohol dependence on them is more than 10 times higher than from drinking distillates in the form of whiskey or cognac.
It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question “how many heads and tails to select?”, everything is approximate.
How are the “heads” selected?
The prepared mash is poured into, put on fire and brought to a boil in 15 minutes with a gradual increase in temperature by 5 degrees per minute.
Then, in the same way, the temperature values of the product are gradually reduced to a minimum and after that again increased strictly to 68 degrees. The output should be either cold moonshine or slightly warmed one.
Sugar cut-off
A method for beginners in moonshine brewing. The volume is calculated and the volume of the “heads” is determined.
On average, approximately 50 milliliters are cut from one kilogram of sugar, but it is advisable to divide the process into two parts: the first distillation is about 30 milliliters, the second is approximately the same amount.
By the amount of ethyl alcohol
It is not always possible to determine the sugar content of a drink before fermentation begins. Therefore, the first distillation is performed without cutting off the “heads,” but instead the amount of pure ethyl alcohol is measured.
Let's say that we get five liters of distillate with a strength of 60%. By simple calculations: 5 x 0.60 - we get the value 3, which means the volume of pure alcohol in liters. During the second distillation, we cut off the “head” at the rate of 15% of the amount of pure alcohol: 3 x 0.15 = 0.45.
By smell
This is a method used by experienced moonshiners. It is difficult for a beginner to catch the moment when the primary moves into the body.
From time to time you need to sniff the distillate coming out of the moonshine still, rubbing a few drops in your palms. When the pungent odor disappears, the selection of the “body” begins. In this way, you can check the accuracy of the calculations when cutting off the “heads” of sugar or alcohol.
By temperature
Not the best way, because some impurities have the same boiling point as ethyl alcohol, which means it will not be easy to cut them out.
“Heads” evaporate at a temperature of 65–68 degrees. During the distillation process, when 63 degrees is reached, the heating is sharply reduced. Next, the “heads” are selected while drops ooze from the unit. When the “drops” are completed, the intensity of the fire is increased and the temperature of the liquid is brought to 78 degrees. Selection of the “body” continues up to 85 °C. Please note that all values given here are approximate.
How to cut off the “tails”?
“Tails” appear when the strength drops to 30–45 degrees. In order not to miss the moment, it is recommended to collect the emerging moonshine in a small container at the end of distillation. It is easy to produce (at a liquid temperature of 20 °C). If the strength is still high, then you need to pour the distillate back into the common boiler and again place the jar at the outlet.
During the first distillation, it is allowed to collect the “body” until the distillate degree drops below 30%. Even if the moonshine becomes cloudy, it’s okay, a second distillation will solve the problem.
Many moonshine producers consider everything that has a strength below 40 degrees to be “tails”. If you don’t have an alcohol meter at hand, check the strength by burning it in a spoon. Selection is stopped when the liquid stops burning.
As soon as the alcohol strength drops to a minimum, distillation is stopped. That's all, actually.
Moonshine brewing is a very exciting process. Moreover, this applies not only to the practical part, but even to the theoretical part. It is interesting to read articles on the topic of distillate production. But despite all the fun, you need to follow certain rules so that the first and subsequent tastings do not lead to disastrous results. We are talking about the concentration of harmful impurities that need to be properly separated. Moonshiners call this process the selection (cutting off) of heads and tails during the second distillation. How to select heads and tails in moonshine - in our article.
Moonshine fractions
Regardless of the type of wort used (sugar, fruit or grain mash), when heated, fungal cells will decompose and a whole complex of esters and toxic alcohols will be released. All this is called one phrase “fusel oils” and includes more than 10 items that are to one degree or another harmful to health. It is impossible to completely purify moonshine; this applies more to distillation on a distillation column (tsarg), but we are talking about a regular moonshine still. But during the heating process, you can purify the drink as completely as possible and get quite passable moonshine at the end.
In total there are 3 main factions:
- "Head"
The first fraction that appears already when heated to 60°C. This is a first step, and its harm is simply colossal. It is advisable to cut it off with a small margin - on average 50 ml for every kilogram of sugar in the mash. That is, if you used 5 kg of sugar, then the first 250 ml is a head with a very pungent smell of acetone.
Concentrated here: methyl alcohol, acetone, acetic acid. Due to the fact that their boiling point is lower than that of ethyl alcohol, they appear first in the form of drops. The volume of the heads depends, among other things, on the type of mash. There are most of them in cereals.
Some people mistake Pervach for the strongest moonshine and, on the contrary, try not to take away the heads. In fact, its use does not lead to intoxication, but to poisoning.
- "Body" or "heart"
This is the central part for which the entire process of moonshine brewing is started. If the heads are selected correctly at the very beginning, a relatively pure product can be obtained.
- "Tails"
This is the final stage, which is carried out when the strength of the moonshine drops below 35°. It is recommended to reuse the tail fraction of moonshine when preparing the next batch of mash in order to maximize the taste of the finished product.
It is pointless to drive the tails into the next portion for the second distillation; it will not give any result.
The tail part contains fusel oils, which lead to cloudiness of the moonshine and the appearance of an unpleasant fusel odor. Objectively, their presence has little effect on health, but if you need a fragrant and clean drink, it is better to cut them off in time.
It is impossible to completely cut off the heads and tails during conventional distillation. Rectification will help completely separate the moonshine into fractions. But as a result, you will get pure ethyl alcohol without a characteristic aroma and pleasant taste sensations.
By the way, doctors have an extremely negative attitude towards such drinks, since their use very quickly turns into abuse. Alcohol dependence on distillates (whiskey, rum, cognac) occurs 14 times less often than on pure ethyl.
The main question is how many heads to select and how many tails? There is no clear recipe; there are only experimental marks developed over the years that can be slightly changed. In other words, we will not give ideal numbers, only the method of selection during re-distillation.
VIDEO: How to separate heads and is it possible to do this on the first run
How to select heads
We mean that the mash is already ready, it was poured without sediment into a distillation cube and put on fire (for heating elements models the principle is the same). First, bring to a boil (check with a thermometer on the cube) for 15-20 minutes, gradually increasing the temperature by 5°C per minute. Then we also gradually reduce it to a minimum and increase it again to 68°C. Ideally, the output should be cold moonshine, at least not higher than 30°C.
Cutting methods:
- For sugar
This method is the simplest and is usually used by beginners. It consists of calculating the volume of sugar for the mash and thus determining the volume of the heads. The method is quite viable, but only if you know exactly how much sugar was used.
On average, 50 ml of heads are taken from 1 kilogram of sugar, but it is best to divide this process into two parts. During the first distillation, cut off about 30 ml and during the second distillation another 30 ml from each kilogram.
- By the amount of ethyl alcohol
This method is more realistic for those who sprinkled sugar “by eye” or added it during the fermentation process, although this is incorrect. During the first distillation, you don’t touch the heads at all, but you can cut off the tails (more on this below). Next, we measure how much pure ethyl alcohol is theoretically produced.
Let's give an example - we got 5 liters of almost moonshine, measured its strength with a hydrometer, and got 65°. Thus we will have 3.25 liters (5x0.65=3.25). It is clear that the alcohol strength is far from 100°, but such fundamental degree accuracy is not needed).
Now, when we re-distill, we need to remove 15% of the heads, and this will be 0.496 (3.25 x 0.15 = 0.489). Accordingly, on the second stage, you cut off the first half liter and pour it out of harm’s way.
- By smell
This method is used only by experienced moonshiners who have mastered the zen of distilling. A beginner will not be able to “catch” the moment when the initial movement stopped and the body began to move.
- By temperature
Not the most reliable method, since some impurities have a boiling point close to ethyl alcohol, and therefore it is extremely difficult to cut them off. But in any case, we will explain how this happens.
As we see from the table, the first to go when heated is acetaldehyde, and ethyl acetate, whose boiling point is only 79°, will close the chain. The temperature is gradually reduced in order to “drive out” the maximum impurities on this scale. When the output of heads has stopped, the cube is heated to 78°C, after which the moonshine itself begins to flow, and this process continues until 88°C. Let us repeat once again that everything is relative and how many degrees to bring it to depends on the mash and the modification of the unit.
When the temperature has been raised to 85°C, collect a few drops in a separate container and check the strength with a hydrometer (temperature below 40°C) or an alcohol meter (not higher than 20°C - otherwise it will “lie”). If these devices are not available, you can collect the drops in a spoon and set them on fire. As long as it burns or the strength is above 35°, it is still a body. As soon as the moonshine stops burning or the strength drops below 35°, tails begin to flow.
Sometimes, due to the tails, moonshine can become cloudy, but you can get rid of this with repeated distillation
If the mash was made with wheat, fruit or cake, you can collect the body to a strength of 30°, but it will no longer burn, so you can “miss”. This is not scary, since some of the tails will go to the head during re-distillation.
Experienced distillers do not collect the body if the strength has dropped to 39°. In general, this is correct, but not critical.
You can reuse the tails to prepare the next batch of mash, although this does not justify itself either in terms of organoleptics or the strength of the finished product. The tails can be discarded or used externally.
Cleaning before the second distillation will improve the result
Intermediate cleaning makes it possible to improve the taste of the finished product, although only a few people do it. Experienced distillers never skip this stage, since not only the quantity of moonshine is important, but also its quality. In principle, intermediate cleaning is no different from final cleaning. The easiest way to do this is with vegetable oil and a carbon filter.
How to clean with vegetable oil
We collect the finished product in one container and dilute it with water to 15°. Pour refined vegetable oil (odorless) at the rate of 15-20 ml for each liter of diluted moonshine. Shake vigorously for one and a half minutes, stop for a couple of minutes, repeat. And so 3-4 times. We leave it for a day, after which we remove the oil from the surface with a spoon or a cotton pad - it will pull the impurity molecules with it. We pass it through cheesecloth 3-4 times, and then charcoalize it. For this, it is best to use charcoal, although activated carbon tablets also cope well with the task.
Intermediate purification is only needed for grain and sugar distillate. If the mash was made with berries or fruits, this stage will simply “kill” the entire aromatic component.
VIDEO: Is it necessary to have a second stage with a dry steamer?
The final stage of preventive cleaning is the separation of the “heads” and “tails,” or, if scientifically speaking, fractional distillation. The fact is that during the fermentation of mash from sugar, yeast produces not only the ethyl alcohol we need, but also a small amount of acetone and acetaldehyde , furfural, isopropyl and isobutyl alcohol and other fusel oils.
The boiling point of these substances differs from the boiling point of ethyl alcohol; some substances boil at a temperature above the boiling point of alcohol, others below. At the very beginning of the boiling of the mash, low-boiling components, such as acetone, acetaldehyde and other “goodies” boil away. This is the head fraction, or “heads,” and they need to be separated from the product that we are going to drink. You should take every 30-40 ml from each fermented kilogram of sugar.
For example, when distilling in a moonshine still from a milk tank, I pour 28 liters of mash. When making it, I dilute 1 kg of sugar to a volume of 4.5-5 liters. Exactly, I bring it up to volume, and don’t just pour in 5 liters of water. This makes about 6kg of sugar and therefore I need to sample 180-240ml of the heads.
To avoid confusing the heads with other liquids, I drew an ugly face on the bottle.
For convenience, I marked the bottles with marks after about 200 ml.
When selecting “heads,” it is advisable to reduce the heating power of the moonshine still so that the separation occurs more clearly.
As soon as we have selected the calculated amount of the head fraction, we increase the heating power to the maximum available for a particular moonshine still and change the container - it’s time to collect the most “drinkable” and cleanest part of the moonshine - the “body”.
We collect the middle fraction, or “body,” until the strength of the flowing moonshine reaches about 35-40 degrees.
For those who have an alcohol meter, let me remind you that the strength should be measured at 20 C; at a different temperature, the alcohol meter will show “the weather on Mars.” Or, you will have to use special conversion schedules.
If you don’t have an alcohol meter, you can approximately determine this moment by the combustion of a sample of moonshine. If cold moonshine ignites confidently in a spoon, it means the strength is still sufficient; as soon as the sample stops igniting (or does not ignite very confidently), then the strength of the moonshine is already low.
Separately, I would like to note that heated moonshine or paper soaked in moonshine will ignite even at a lower strength, so they cannot serve as an indicator.
Upon reaching this point, it is time to stop selecting the drinking part, but it is not at all necessary to stop further distillation of moonshine. We change the container again and continue collecting the so-called “tails”, because there is still enough ethyl alcohol in the moonshine still, it’s just that now the heavy-boiling components begin to noticeably evaporate along with it. In general, “tails” are something that you can’t drink, but they still contain enough alcohol.
There is no clear opinion regarding the end of tailings selection. I'm taking away this booze until it somehow catches fire. In the future, when a sufficient amount of this fraction has accumulated, you can add 2 volumes of water to 1 volume of fusel and distill it. The “heads” do not need to be selected during this distillation, but distillation should be stopped at the same 40 degrees. 2-3 such cycles (each time diluting with water) will noticeably clean the moonshine.
At this stage, the preventive cleaning of the moonshine ends and the final cleaning can begin. Although already at this stage the quality of moonshine is quite decent.
But it should be remembered that this is only one of the steps on the path to ideal moonshine.
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:
- 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.
- Then the resulting number will be the mass of sugar content. In our case it is 2 kg.
- 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:
- The principle of calculation is that the first distillation is done without dividing into fractions.
- Then the volume and strength of the resulting distillate are measured and the volume of pure alcohol is determined.
- 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 in two ways:
- 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.
- 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
The determination of 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 calculation method 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:
- The first 50% is removed during primary distillation.
- 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 the heads and tail 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.