What is better moonshine or vodka? Production and differences of moonshine and vodka.
Imagine this situation: You come to visit. The hosts have a lot of treats on the table and, of course, alcohol. You prefer stronger alcohol. And then they ask you: “What are you going to drink? Maybe vodka? Or maybe try "homemade"? Which drink would you choose? And what arguments are you willing to justify this choice. Don't work hard. We will give you a whole arsenal in your hands, which will help you decide much faster.
Who is who
Moonshine. This is a strong alcoholic drink, which is obtained as a result of sublimation, or in other words - distillation. A pre-prepared mash is placed in the container. She's heating up. Alcohol, which evaporates from the semi-finished product faster than water, cools in a special coil and gradually collects in the form of condensate in a container. This is in short. The process of making good moonshine is troublesome. We'll talk about this in more detail below.
Vodka. In fact, it is a water-alcohol solution. Alcohol is obtained through the so-called rectification in distillation columns as a result of the separation of binary and multicomponent mixtures due to countercurrent mass and heat exchange between vapor and liquid. And there are many dangers here.
Debunking the Myths
Contrary to popular belief that moonshine is a real poison, that there is so much fusel in it that there is not enough health, home-made alcohol is often much safer, and - no matter how strange it sounds - more useful than any, even the most expensive vodka. The main thing is to properly prepare and clean it. Ask the owner how many times he distilled the drink. Good moonshine is distilled at least twice. Don't let the smell fool you. It doesn't smell like "sivukha" at all. A pungent smell indicates that the owners did not add any flavors to the mash.
Now about vodka. Modern science makes it possible to obtain its main component, alcohol - for vodka not only from grain, but also from potatoes, sawdust and even oil and ... manure! Moreover, not a single chemical laboratory will subsequently establish what exactly it was made of. This is achieved through multi-stage purification from fusel oils. It comes to the fact that their number in vodka can tend to zero. Meanwhile, science has long proven that everything absolutely clean is extremely harmful for the human body. It's a paradox, but even 100% purified water can be a real poison. What can we say about ethyl alcohol. For comparison: there are 500 times more fusel oils in whiskey than in vodka. Impurities inhibit the oxidation of alcohol in the body. Based on all of the above, scientists call vodka almost the most harmful drink among any other strong alcohol.
There is only one indisputable plus from the choice of vodka: it is easier to purchase. Moonshine has to be obtained “by acquaintance”. Although there is nothing difficult in making it yourself.
Universal Recipe
The notorious hero of the work of Ilf and Petrov, Ostap Bender, knew at least two hundred ways to make moonshine, caressing the ears of curious bootleggers with the word “pervach”, which is unusual for a foreigner. The great strategist even claimed to have the secret of making moonshine from a stool. However, you can do without frills.
To prepare 6 liters of moonshine, we need:
- 5 kg of sugar;
- 500 g of yeast;
- 25 liters of water (never boiled!)
Stage 1. We prepare the wort for the mash. We need a container: wooden or enameled. The most common is a forty-liter milk can. We fill it with raw water, pour sugar, add yeast, previously dissolved in a small amount of warm water. The wort should ferment at a temperature of 20–30°C. In the villages, the container was placed near the stove. A battery is also suitable in the apartment. The mash will be infused for 10 days. Readiness can be judged by taste. Braga must be bitter. If it is sweet, you need to leave more. You can also assess the degree of readiness of the semi-finished product with a match. Light a match and bring it to the container. If the fire goes out, the fermentation process with the release of carbon dioxide continues. If the match burns, the mash is ready.
Stage 2. Carefully, without shaking, pour the mash into the distillation apparatus. Its design with a diagram and description can be easily found on the Internet. Basic principle: mash should fill no more than 70% of the volume of the apparatus. During the distillation process, it is important to strictly observe the temperature regime. Do not overheat, otherwise foam and turbidity will get into the final product during the boiling process. The race itself should not be fast. Experts recommend taking no more than 3 liters of product per hour. Pervach - the first batch of condensed moonshine. It is much more harmful than the product that will turn out a little later. It is recommended to use it exclusively for technical purposes.
Stage 3. He's the final one. Purification and aromatization of moonshine. The most proven method of purification is repeated distillation. To do this, the resulting moonshine (6 liters) is diluted with the same amount of filtered water and re-distilled.
Total
The taste characteristics of vodka, as well as the degree of its effect on the body, have long been experienced by most citizens. Moonshine is the popular favorite "little white", at least, no more harmful. Not to mention that the use of moonshine is much more profitable for the wallet. The cost of a liter of "homemade" is about 50 rubles. While the cheapest vodka costs at least 350 rubles in the store for the same volume. These are the facts. Based on them, everyone has the right to determine for himself which of the above drinks is better to give preference. The discrepancies are obvious: both in price and in the degree of influence on the body. The choice is an individual matter.
And finally
No matter how trite it may sound, it is better not to abuse either vodka or moonshine. In large quantities, any, even the most "useful" product is unlikely to benefit the body. Especially when it comes to alcohol. The standard dose recommended by the World Health Organization is 50 grams of hard alcohol per day for a healthy adult male. But if you still had a chance to "sort out", there are several simple but reliable ways to remove intoxication:
- After a hangover, drink activated charcoal. It will help to quickly remove toxins.
- Drink more water. Preferably with lemon juice. Citrus fruits help to restore the level of calcium and glucose in the blood.
- Load up on salt. Pickle has always been a great hangover cure. Pickled sauerkraut brine is best suited for these purposes.
We hope our advice was useful to you. Drink in moderation and be healthy.
Vodka and moonshine are perhaps the most popular alcoholic drinks among the Slavic peoples. There is always a dispute between fans of intoxicants about what is more harmful: vodka or moonshine, what is actually better to use, which of these drinks is cleaner, safer, what are the pros and cons they hide in themselves? First you need to figure out what is the fundamental difference between centuries of moonshine created and industrially produced vodka. The number of lovers and admirers of both one and the other strong drink is quite a lot.
Raw material
Vodka is made from rectified raw materials, carefully purified in an industrial environment. However, from what feedstock the rectified alcohol is made, remains the secret of the manufacturer. But most likely alcohol is obtained from the cheapest materials, otherwise the cost of producing vodka will be much higher than the income from its sale. Modern vodka is a product of high technology. It is clear as a tear, does not freeze, and is easy to drink. However, it is not known from what it is made. In theory, it should be made from grain alcohol. But is it really so? Modern technologies make it possible to produce alcohol from refined products, sawdust, moss, and at the same time, what is most interesting, such alcohol cannot be distinguished by taste. Even standard laboratory studies do not reveal the difference between grain, hydrolytic (sawdust), synthetic vodka.
As for moonshine, everything is more clear here. It is produced from various environmentally friendly products: yeast, sugar, wheat, rye, corn and so on. If the product is produced for own consumption, then the moonshiner never saves on the quality of the initial products, observes all stages of the fermentation and distillation process, as well as the subsequent purification and infusion of moonshine on a wide variety of useful products, such as herbs, fruits, citrus fruits, oak chips. The result is first-class alcohol that cannot be compared with store-bought vodka. Of course, we are not talking about singed moonshine, which is prepared for sale by various unfortunate moonshiners. They seek to cash in on this business, so their source material, of course, is of the worst quality, and it is unlikely that they follow the entire technology of making a drink. Such a stick can be poisonous.
Are fusel oils so harmful?
A controversial issue is the presence of fusel oils in moonshine. Fusel oils are a mixture of higher alcohols (isoamyl, isopropyl). In appearance, fusel oils are an oily liquid that has a reddish or yellowish tint with an unpleasant odor. As part of such substances, amyl alcohols are dangerous, which can poison the body very seriously. In the manufacture of artisanal moonshine, a small percentage of this fusel still remains. However, if home-made moonshine is cleaned with a carbon filter, potassium permanganate, and other means, and separation into fractions is carried out during distillation, then as a result, only residual effects will remain from fusel oils. They will not be enough to harm health very seriously.
On the contrary, a small admixture of various fusel oils inhibits the oxidation of alcohol to acetaldehyde, so it does not affect the liver and other organs so much. This has been proven by a number of studies. It is acetaldehyde that has the most detrimental effect on the body, which is why poisoning occurs. Sivukha slows down the oxidation process, and the harmful effects of alcohol appear more slowly. However, an excess of fusel oils is also harmful. With the constant use of moonshine, toxic substances hit all human organs. First of all, the heart, nervous system, kidneys, liver suffer.
As for vodka, here one should only rely on the conscientiousness of the manufacturer. Vodka is produced industrially, therefore, it should be purified more efficiently, that is, it should not contain any fusel oils and other harmful impurities at all. In industrial production, all fusel oils are completely removed from alcoholic beverages by means of rectification. But therein lies the trick. Vodka is a pure solution of ethanol with water, and it has a very sharp effect on the body, because of which it simply cannot resist such an attack, intoxication occurs faster.
Some historical information
Vodka in its distant past was also the most common moonshine, which was prepared from bread or grain mash, distilled through the very first primitive distillers. Vodka at that time was called a chemical substance, which was qualified as a poison that causes poisoning, leading to death. The transformation of vodka into national pride happened, as it usually does, because of money. Since most of the population began to use home-brewed moonshine, and the production product was not popular, a marketing ploy was made.
Information was published that homemade moonshine is very harmful, since it contains a lot of harmful impurities. But alcohol of industrial production does not contain even a hundredth of the toxic substances that are in the home product. However, it was not mentioned that the purer the vodka, the faster the poisoning by the decay products of alcohol will occur. Vodka breaks down to acetaldehyde, which is the culprit of poisoning. And the cleaner it is, the faster the decay process will occur, which means that the load on the body will be enormous and it simply cannot cope with so many toxic substances. Therefore, after vodka, a person is tormented by a hangover. A small admixture of fusel oils, which is present in moonshine, slows down oxidation and therefore the body does not experience a shock from poisoning.
Economic component
Comparing vodka and moonshine, one should mention such a thing as cost. It is customary to buy expensive vodka. It is believed that it is much better, cleaner, better quality. But all the same, all industrial vodka is made from rectified alcohol, which in itself is not very expensive. So, when buying expensive vodka, people simply overpay for the elegant design of the bottle, label, but not for the quality of the product itself. Moonshine is made independently, all products are natural and the process technology can be fully controlled, so you can be sure of the quality of the final product. If there is a distrust of distillation, then it is worth remembering that such elite drinks as cognac, brandy, whiskey, they are all produced by distillation. Therefore, what is better to drink, moonshine or vodka, each person decides for himself.
Although, when prices for vodka are constantly rising, people start thinking about creating their own homemade drink. Sometimes not only the economic situation affects the choice of alcohol. After all, if you catch up with a lot of moonshine, you can not only replace vodka with it, but also create yourself a whole bar of various alcoholic beverages, insisting moonshine on a wide variety of herbs, fruits, peppers, coffee and other components, so it makes no sense to buy various dubious tinctures in stores.
What is still better: moonshine or store-bought vodka?
Most people who drink vodka and moonshine most often lean in favor of the latter drink. With moderate use of homemade moonshine, there is no hangover in the morning. If vodka is consumed in the same amount, then you just want to lie down and fall asleep, and in the morning all the symptoms of a hangover can be observed: dry mouth, headache, general weakness of the body. Homemade moonshine is made from natural products, with various additives that give it a unique taste. Naturally, if we are talking about moonshine, prepared just for yourself. Moonshine goes through several stages of preparation: preparation of fermentation wort, fermentation, distillation, purification, infusion of moonshine. All of these steps are required. Real moonshine is drunk softly, and vodka tastes like dead alcohol or even solvent. Moonshine is produced by distillation, and vodka is produced by diluting pre-purified alcohol.
Siberians say that good and high-quality moonshine hits the legs, and vodka hits the head. That is, if you use good moonshine, then your head remains light, even when your legs may no longer obey. Vodka, on the contrary, clouds the brain, while the legs remain in order. Well, with brain fog, more than one crime is committed. There is a difference in taste between vodka and moonshine. So even if you insist vodka on a variety of ingredients, it will still be quite difficult to get rid of the characteristic taste and smell of ethyl alcohol. Moonshine, on the other hand, can initially be prepared from high-quality raw materials, which will not give an unpleasant aftertaste. And if you also carry out a double distillation, then no extraneous aftertaste will be felt at all. Infusion on various components will turn homemade moonshine into a wonderful drink with a touch of exotic spices or cognac.
Thus, that it is better to drink moonshine or vodka, there is no consensus among drink lovers. Those who drink vodka will always find something to object to fans of homemade distillate called moonshine.
Among the Slavic peoples, vodka and moonshine are considered popular alcoholic beverages. Their fans have been arguing for a long time on various issues: what brings more harm to health, what is cleaner, what is the difference between drinks, etc. The number of admirers of both one and the other alcohol is quite a lot. Therefore, let's still analyze what is the difference and what is preferable to use.
The difference between moonshine and vodka
These products are quite similar. But still, what is the difference between vodka and moonshine?
Vodka. At its core, it is a water-alcohol solution. To obtain an alcohol base, a rectification method is used, that is, the separation of a liquid into practically pure components that differ in boiling points. And at this stage there are many nuances. Alcohol is obtained in the cheapest way. Otherwise, the production costs will be too high. Today, the production of vodka takes place with the help of modern technologies.
Vodka is distilled from grain alcohol. But it is extremely difficult to find out the source material of the product: research in the laboratory cannot give an accurate result. Today, alcohol can be synthesized using sawdust, moss, or petroleum products. The taste of the drink will be the same.
Moonshine. This is a strong liquor obtained by distillation. The mash is placed in the vessel and heated. Alcohol vapor evaporates from the semi-finished product faster than water vapor, which enters the coil, where they are cooled and condensate is collected in a container. If we talk about the manufacture of high-quality moonshine, then the distillation process is described rather concisely.
The main difference between moonshine is that you know exactly what products it was made from. Homemade alcohol ferments based on natural products. Manufacture for yourself takes place at a high level: all ingredients are carefully selected, and the cooking process is controlled and strictly observed at all stages. If we talk about moonshine for sale, then in this case the quality of the drink will be noticeably worse, since the manufacturer will save on everything.
Dispel the myths
For some reason, it is accepted among the people that if moonshine, then it is a poison that contains a large amount of fusel oils. No matter how strange it may sound, but a home-made drink is much safer and, oddly enough, healthier than any vodka. The most important thing is compliance with the rules for the manufacture and purification of moonshine. To obtain high-quality moonshine, you need to overtake the mash at least 2 times. You say: a smell. The smell has nothing to do with fusel oils, but only indicates that the fermentation took place without flavorings.
A little about vodka. Today, technological progress has stepped so far that the preparation of an alcohol base for alcohol can occur not only from a grain mixture, but also from potatoes, sawdust, oil and manure. But the most important thing is that not a single chemical laboratory, after analyzing, will say what alcohol is made of. All this was achieved thanks to the multi-stage cleaning of fusel oil. Due to such purification, the content of fusel oils tends to 0. But this does not mean that the drink is absolutely safe.
Take whiskey for comparison. It contains 500 times more sivukha than vodka. Its quality increases with the increase in fusel oils. And as it is scientifically proven that 100% pure for a person is sometimes very harmful. So, 100% purified water can damage the body. Impurities slow down the oxidative processes of alcohol in the body. Therefore, based on scientific evidence, vodka can be classified as a harmful drink.
The absolute advantage of vodka is its availability. And moonshine must be sought by acquaintances.
What is more harmful moonshine or vodka?
Most people claim that the body tolerates moonshine more easily. In the morning, the hangover is either completely absent, or much weaker compared to vodka.
In most cases, there are more fusel oils in moonshine due to cleaning at home. Vodka, on the other hand, is produced in large-scale production facilities, where the technology is much higher. It all depends on the amount of oils. At a low content, they improve the drink: the oxidation of alcohol is slower, but if the content is exceeded, many organs will be harmed.
These oils should not be in vodka, but this does not guarantee greater safety. Vodka is a mixture of ethanol and water. The first substance has a rather sharp effect and causes intoxication faster. So, moonshine and vodka equally harm the body.
Regardless of the drink, ethyl alcohol will harm the body. In small quantities, it is not too dangerous, so watch the amount you drink: in addition to severe intoxication, you can get health problems.
What is better to choose
Let's summarize - what is better moonshine or vodka? Pay attention to the prices of drinks: the cost of a liter of moonshine will be approximately 50 rubles, and vodka of the same volume can be bought from 300 rubles. In addition, regardless of the cost of vodka, it is made from rectified alcohol, which will be inexpensive. So, when buying an expensive drink, most of the cost comes from the bottle and packaging, not the quality.
Not taking into account the cost, moonshine and vodka are the same in terms of the degree of influence. You should choose a drink according to your own preferences, but remember that excessive alcohol consumption harms the body.
Attention, only TODAY!
The question of what is better to drink, vodka or moonshine, has not subsided for many years. More and more people join the discussion, coming up with new arguments. But, as it turns out, many do not even fully understand how vodka differs from moonshine.
Both drinks are among those without which almost no good feast takes place. But, as a rule, they are rarely present on the table together. Moonshine, contrary to popular belief, is not a product that poor people consume. Some moonshine stills are so expensive that not everyone can afford them. Moreover, even the principle by which moonshine is prepared applies to such elite and expensive drinks as cognac and whiskey. But let's start with a definition.
Which is better: moonshine or vodka?
Vodka is a strong alcoholic drink, which is made from rectified alcohol and prepared water. The composition of vodka is regulated by regulatory documents and allows the use of a small amount of aromatic and flavoring additives. Many countries today have established the industrial production of this drink.
Many believe that the strength of vodka is 40 degrees. In fact, this is not entirely true, depending on the country and on specific manufacturers, it can be 37.5–56 degrees. Vodka first came to Russia in the 14th century. It was called bread wine and was made only on the basis of grain raw materials. The term itself appeared only in the XVIII century.
However, at that time, this name meant all strong spirits that were infused with herbal ingredients. It received its current value only in 1936.
Moonshine also belongs to strong alcoholic beverages. Fundamentally, it differs in that it is made at home using special moonshine stills, which, in turn, can be produced both independently and at the factory. At its core, moonshine is an artisanal drink. It is made by distilling mash - a mass that contains alcohol and is the result of its fermentation or starch-containing products. Sugar, grains, fruits, and so on can be used as raw materials for the preparation of mash.
In the 19th century, Russian moonshine surpassed French cognac and English whiskey in quality. According to modern historians, 95% of the raw materials were poured during the manufacture. On the territory of Russia, this drink was highly valued. Even at that time there was such an award for guardsmen in the form of a ladle.
Such a bucket gave the right to its owner anywhere to drink as much moonshine for free as he could hold at a time. However, the name moonshine is relatively recent. Before the revolution, such a drink was called a tavern. To date, there are many recipes for this alcohol.
Production
In order to compare the two drinks, you first need to understand the methods of their production. Vodka is produced under industrial conditions by rectification of grain or potato raw materials up to 95%. Rectification consists in the exchange of molecules of the gas and liquid phases in the column, as a result of which its contents are separated into practically pure components.
The resulting alcohol is mixed with soft water, which previously undergoes several degrees of purification. Further, the liquid is further filtered, and premium class liquids are processed for purification, for example, with milk or egg white. Additives can also be used that change the taste and color of vodka, but not significantly, since it basically has a characteristic alcohol taste.
Moonshine is made at home by distillation. This means that the raw material is initially evaporated and then condensed. The process by which moonshine is obtained is not ideal. Even if all the technological conditions are met, there are enough harmful impurities in it. It is to them that the drink owes such a color, taste and smell.
These properties are most pronounced in poorly cleaned moonshine. If the drink was obtained from fruit raw materials, then it will be different and have a certain aroma. The quality of moonshine depends not only on the class of the apparatus used, but also on the skill of the moonshiner.
What is more useful?
Many note that after drinking moonshine in the morning they will have a more severe hangover than when drinking vodka, others pointed to an inverse relationship, but, as always, the truth is somewhere in the middle.
How you feel in the morning will depend not only on what kind of product you use, but also on its quality. But after all, vodka, it would seem, should have ideal characteristics, but this is not always the case. Very often people are faced with the fact that the vodka sold in the store is fake. On the other hand, self-made moonshine, when distilled with slow heating and merciless cutting off of heads and tails, ensures that the quality of moonshine will be no worse in many cases.
Fusel oils bring unequivocal harm to the body, but there is also debate about how useful it is to drink a product that is half pure alcohol. It turns out that vodka, precisely because of its purity, causes a faster intoxication and leads to no less serious consequences than drinking moonshine.
It is difficult to answer the question which is better, vodka or moonshine? Everyone must decide for himself which drink he will prefer. There are positive sides to both, as well as negative ones. Most often, the choice is made in favor of a drink preferred in a particular environment to which a person belongs.
Vodka and moonshine are the most popular alcoholic drinks among the Slavs. For a long time there has been a debate about which is better: vodka or moonshine, which is cleaner and safer. There are a lot of fans of these strong drinks.
The difference between drinks
First you need to find out what are the differences between moonshine and vodka. There is an opinion that moonshine is more harmful than vodka, because it contains fusel oils. There are none in the second drink. Vodka is rectified, refined raw material. However, everything can turn out to be this raw material, from grain crops to chicken manure. It is impossible to find out what was used, because the output is always the same rectified ethyl alcohol. At the same time, vodka is much cheaper than moonshine. After all, the manufacturer and consumer of moonshine will not save on mash, since only good mash will make a tasty and clean drink.
Moonshine differs from vodka by the presence of fusel oils in the former. However, cognac contains much more of them. At the same time, its quality and "stardom" increases with an increase in the content of fusel oils. It is their presence that gives cognac a well-known aroma and taste.
When using vodka and moonshine for medicinal purposes, there is no fundamental difference. After all, the medicine is prepared on the basis of ethyl alcohol, which is the basis of both drinks. World medicine mainly uses vodka for medicinal purposes. Various potions, infusions, drops and rubbing are prepared on it. But such medicines should always be drunk in drops.
Harm of fusel oils
The harm and presence of fusel oils in moonshine remains a controversial issue. These oils are mixtures of higher alcohols. Outwardly, it is an oily liquid with a yellowish or reddish tint with an unpleasant odor. Fusel oils contain dangerous amyl alcohols, they can seriously poison the body. When preparing artisanal moonshine, a little fusel oil remains. Many in the manufacture of moonshine purify it with potassium permanganate, a carbon filter or other means, divide it into fractions during distillation, as a result, there will be practically nothing left of hazardous substances.
A small admixture of fusel oils can slow down the oxidation of alcohol to acetaldehyde, which poisons the body. However, an excess of such oils is very harmful. With frequent use of moonshine, harmful substances adversely affect the heart, kidneys, nervous system, and liver.
Vodka is purified better, it should not contain fusel oils and other harmful impurities. However, this drink is a solution of ethanol with water, it has a sharp effect on the body, and intoxication occurs faster.
What's better
After drinking moonshine in moderation, many noted the absence of a hangover, the opposite happens when drinking vodka. In addition to chemical properties, moonshine is also superior to vodka when comparing the main characteristics. Vodka has to be mainly washed down, and home-made alcohol is a snack. Everyone knows that you should not dilute or drink alcohol with sweet carbonated drinks, so as not to get drunk ahead of time.
Also, these drinks are distinguished by taste. Vodka cannot be purified in any way from the characteristic taste and smell of ethyl alcohol. It is again surpassed by moonshine. With high-quality raw materials and double distillation, a specific odor can be eliminated. It can also be infused with various herbs and berries, then only a professional can recognize that this is homemade alcohol. At the same time, you can give any taste: from classic cognac to fruit.
After a big feast in the morning, waking up is much easier after moonshine. You can’t say the same about vodka, after it at dawn your head and whole body hurt. These are all signs of poisoning. However, when drinking a large amount of alcohol, the hangover will also be from moonshine, although it passes much faster and easier.
Everyone decides which alcohol to choose. The main thing is not to abuse it in general. However, in the face of constant price increases, many are beginning to think about the economic component of alcohol. Nobody wants to pay big money for a low-grade product. This is also the reason for the growing popularity of homemade alcohol among the population.
What is more harmful
The authorities in the USSR assured people that vodka was better than moonshine. Then they actively fought against moonshiners, now they are also not approved. It was argued that nothing could be cleaner than vodka.
Production in distillation columns made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of alcohol production.
The standard dose of strong alcohol established by the World Health Organization is 50 grams per day for a healthy man.
You should not abuse vodka or moonshine, because in large quantities even a healthy product will be harmful to the body. There is no definite answer to the question of what is more harmful and what is better: vodka or moonshine.
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