What are heads in moonshine. Methods for separating heads and tails of moonshine

For a long time, many lovers of strong alcohol prefer high-quality homemade moonshine shop liquor. But when making decent drink it is impossible to avoid observing the technological subtleties of fractional distillation.

This is directly related to the careful selection of hazardous and harmful impurities in the form of the so-called heads and tails.

In order to correctly separate side impurities into fractions in moonshine, you need to know not only how to properly separate the heads and tails, but also what they are.

heads

The first outgoing fraction during distillation, since the boiling point of dangerous impurities like methanol, acetaldehyde and acetone is somewhat lower than that of ethanol.

Thanks to this, it is easy to exclude the ingress of malicious head components into ready drink. It has a strong and very unpleasant odor.

Body

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

But it is almost impossible to completely eliminate all impurities with conventional distillation. But in order to obtain a high-quality body with pleasant organoleptic properties, it is necessary to know how to properly drive moonshine in order to cut off the heads and ends in time and carefully select each fraction.

Tails

The third and last fraction, which concentrated in its composition, along with ethanol, a lot of fusel oils and isopropyl alcohol. Characterized by more high temperature boiling than that of the body, a cloudy color and a rather unpleasant and pungent odor.

In what cases are the heads and tails taken

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

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

But freeing the drink from the remnants of by-products in the distillation system, we deprive it of most of the pleasant organoleptic qualities. That is, regardless of the type of raw material used in the manufacture of various, it will have a uniform taste.

If you correctly use the difference in the boiling points of heads, tails and the main body of moonshine, then it is quite possible to carry out their optimal selection.

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

How to select heads and tails in moonshine

The raw alcohol obtained after the first distillation is still different great content harmful impurities and in the head and tail parts.

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

It is the repeated fractional distillation- one of the mandatory conditions for the manufacture and with pleasant taste.

Therefore, during the first distillation of mash, many experienced moonshiners often do without the selection of heads and tails.

When cutting off harmful fractions from the body of moonshine, it is important to remember the variability of these values ​​​​and try to adhere to the proven average parameters. To do this, you need to be able to calculate the volume of heads and tails in order to know how to do it correctly during the second distillation of moonshine.

Goal Calculation Methods

In order not to make a mistake with the selection, it is necessary to calculate their number by resorting to some proven methods.

• By sugar content.

Enough effective method, based on accurate information about the initial sugar content of the wort. At the same time, from one kilo of sugar, the recommended selection is 60-100 ml. For example, if it took 2 kg of sugar to manufacture, then heads should be selected from 120 to 200 ml.

Or, by calculating the total amount of sugar in finished mash according to its initial percentage, we make the recommended selection of the head fraction from each kilogram.

In the case of their selection during both distillations, the amount is preferably divided into two stages. Cutting off the head part during the processing of sugar mash is practiced already during the first distillation. At the same time, it is recommended to select 30 ml from each kilogram of sugar in Braga.

• By volume absolute alcohol.

One of the most reliable and simple methods of counting. To do this, it is necessary to calculate the pure alcohol in the semi-finished product after the first distillation. For example, 10 liters of raw alcohol with a strength of about 40%, according to the calculations obtained, contains 4 liters of absolute alcohol.

To simplify the calculation, the strength of alcohol is theoretically considered to be about 100%. Then it is necessary to cut off 8-15% of the head product from the already counted 4 liters. If you adhere to the selection of the recommended 10%, then you need to separate about 400 ml of heads.

• By smell.

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

• By temperature.

Since the head fractions begin to evaporate at a temperature of 65–68 °C, it is theoretically convenient to use this to cut them off. In practice, the method does not guarantee the accuracy of the results due to the design differences in the distillation and the ambiguous composition of the brew impurities.

The selection by this method is based on a sharp decrease in the heating power of the distillate when it reaches 63 °C. This ensures a smooth transition to the specified evaporation temperature. After that, the head distillate is cut off drop by drop.

How heads are selected

Consider the selection of the head fraction during the second distillation using a classic moonshine still with cooling:

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

How to separate the tails

For their timely selection, it is very important to be aware of reliable methods. accurate calculation volume of the expected body.

• By absolute alcohol.

Using a similar formula for calculating the head part, we calculate absolute alcohol, using the example of 10 liters of crude alcohol with a strength of 40%. Its value, respectively, is 4 liters.

Then we take 70% of this volume and theoretically we get 2.8 liters of a pure alcohol body. But in practice, it is unrealistic to obtain pure ethyl with any distillation.

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

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

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

• By temperature in a cube.

Usually upon reaching alembic temperature from 92 to 95 °C, the active output of tailings begins. In this case, immediately stop collecting the body and continue to collect the tail in a separate container.

• Fortress.

It is customary for the majority to attribute to the tail component everything that is below 40% in strength and, when checked, no longer burns in a spoon.

But the first distillation, especially grain and fruit must, allows you to select a body of lower strength, thereby setting the taste of the drink. The quality of alcohol is improved by the second distillation.

During the first distillation, tailings are usually cut off from sugar mash that do not contain anything good, unlike cereals and fruits.

Recently head fraction, in everyday life pervach, was mistakenly considered the strongest and highest quality part of moonshine. We now know that intoxication was simply confused with drunkenness.

And because of the concentration of harmful impurities, it can neither be consumed nor used for medicinal purposes. It is either drained or left solely for technical purposes.

But what to do with the tails of moonshine is up to you, although you can extract the remains of good ethanol from it only by rectification. If the volumes of the product are economically justified, it is possible to prepare from this rectified product - good vodka—. But in most cases, adding this fraction to the next portion of the mash increases its strength.

A thorough analysis of the features of the main fractions of homemade distillate makes it possible to understand the need for their correct and timely selection. And the quality and taste of moonshine and the degree of its harm to the body directly depend on this.

The selection of heads, bodies and tails of moonshine is the basis of distillation. Without separation into these fractions, mash will remain mash - a “cocktail” of alcohols, esters, other substances and water, with the addition of solid particles in the form of yeast residues and raw materials. How to collect fractions and at what temperatures? Let's figure it out.

Moonshine stills are different. If you are lucky (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand or with a dry steamer of the brand), then be sure to read the instructions and the technical nuances of distillation (they will be written without fail). The methods of working with classic distillers and with columns (mash, distillation) will be different. It is not enough to know, you still need to properly understand its work. However, the physics of the distillation process will be roughly the same for all distillers, so head, body, and tails sampling temperatures will be roughly the same. Only the procedure for achieving and maintaining the desired temperatures will differ depending on the type of apparatus.

If you are planning (or have already done so), then the selection methods will also depend on the type of distiller design, however, a little “lapping” in practice will still be required. The manufacturer will not issue instructions for it.

The volumes of selection of heads and tails of moonshine are varying values. If you select them at a minimum, the quality will suffer, if at the maximum, the quantity of the final drink. Experienced distillers find their parameters.

However, there is a certain “golden mean”, which has already been tested by many generations of connoisseurs of home-made alcohol. Below we will talk about its meanings.

It all starts with the head

Heads are a low-boiling fraction of esters, aldehydes, ketones (acetone) and methyl alcohol. All these substances boil at temperatures lower than ethyl alcohol, and are in their mass extremely poisonous.

They are selected as follows:

1. Braga is kept at maximum heat until the first drops appear at the outlet of the cooler. Further, the heating is minimized and, slowly increasing the heating, the apparatus is brought to the operating mode.
2. The heads are separated slowly, drop by drop (at a speed of 1-2 drops per second).
3. The volume of separated “heads” can be determined by different criteria:

• by initial sugar content. It is accepted that from 60 to 100 ml of heads are taken from one kilogram of sugar. Moreover, if the first distillation is fractional, then this value is divided in half (into two distillations): 30-50 ml are taken in the first distillation, and the same in the second distillation. How to find out the sugar content in mash? Before introducing yeast into the wort, the sugar content of the mash is measured. This is done with the help of a wine meter (sugar meter). If the mash is sugar, then it is even easier with it, because the amount of sugar (%) in this case can be calculated without special measurements. Let's take an example. Suppose we have 10 liters of mash with a sugar percentage of 25%. 10 * 0.25 = 2.5 (kg) - Braga contains 2.5 kg of sugar. Here we assume conditionally that 1 liter of mash has a weight of 1 kg, but the error of this convention is very small.
• by absolute alcohol content. Heads are selected at the rate of 8-15% of the volume of "absolute alcohol". What does it mean? After the first non-fractional distillation, the strength of the obtained raw alcohol and its volume are measured. Let 5 liters of raw material be obtained with a total strength of 65 degrees. 5*0.65=3.25 (l). That is, this solution of ethyl alcohol (raw) contains 3.25 liters pure alcohol(conditionally 100% fortress).
• by smell. If your sense of smell has never let you down, then you can focus on the scent. Heads are sharp, bad smell, and the body fraction (ethanol) is soft, alcoholic. If you rub a drop of distillate between your fingers and sniff it, you can determine with more or less good accuracy whether it is the head or the body has already gone.
• according to temperature parameters. Depending on the device, the numbers may differ, so it is important to carefully study the instructions. The official manufacturer always applies it to their products, which sometimes cannot be said about third parties. Therefore, when choosing a distiller, first of all visit the websites of official manufacturers, it will be easier and more pleasant. However, the temperature ranges of separation of the heads can be designated. The heads begin to evaporate at 65 to 68°C. Body (ethyl alcohol) - at 78°C. When the vapor temperature reaches 63°C, it is necessary to reduce the heating to a minimum and smoothly remove temperature regime at 65-68°C. When the selection of heads is completed (stops dripping at the exit), the temperature is also smoothly adjusted to the beginning of the selection of the tea fraction (78°C). The body itself is "kicked out" to a temperature of about 85°C. All figures will ultimately depend on the design of the apparatus, and the location of the thermometer on it.

What about tails?

And the tailings begin when the strength of the distillate in the stream drops to a value of 45-35 degrees. That is why, by the end of the selection of the body, the best solution would be to collect the distillate not in the main container, but in small jars or test tubes. The ideal option is a device for continuous control of the fortress "parrot". If the distillation is the first, and raw material is collected, then the selection of the body can be stopped when the strength drops to 30 degrees in the stream. At redistillation the body is usually taken off at 45-40 degrees.

What if there is no alcoholometer? If alcohol burns in a spoon, it is still a body. If it is no longer lit, then the selection of the body is stopped.

Thus, the tailings are selected according to the residual strength from 45-40 degrees in the stream to 20-15 degrees in the stream. Tails can be used to strengthen new portions of mash. However, most often the “collection of tailings” does not justify the energy and time costs, so they can simply not be selected.

At the beginning of using the moonshine still, the mash should boil, and only then its power is reduced. A sign of this is the appearance of drops. Then slowly heat up again. Ready moonshine outlet must match the temperature of the cooling water used.

How to select heads in moonshine

There are several indicators that allow you to do this:

1. Amount of sugar. Pretty simple method. It is good when you know how much sugar was added, or its amount in mash. Moreover, there are devices that help determine the indicator. If 1 kg of sugar was added, then about 60-10 ml of heads should be obtained. This amount can be halved and taken out during primary and then secondary distillation.
2. Amount of alcohol. If you do not know how much sugar is in the mash, do a distillation without cutting off. Then measure the strength. The amount of alcohol is multiplied with the volume of distillate obtained (for example, 59% or 0.59 * 7l \u003d 4.13 pure alcohol). Then there is a second distillation, and the heads are removed in the amount of 8 to 15% of the volume of alcohol obtained.
3. Smell. This method is only suitable for experienced moonshiners. You can take a couple of drops and grind in the palm of your hand, smell carefully. When it changes, you can start the selection.
4. Temperature. The method is not very good, because it is not accurate. Theoretically, when reaching the level of 65-68C, you can get heads. They will drip when you drop the temperature below 63C. Then it can be increased, the mash reaches 78C, the body is collected up to 85C. True, all figures may differ depending on the moonshine used.

This is how you can select heads in moonshine.

How to select tails in moonshine

You will immediately understand that it is time to collect the tails when the fortress becomes about 30-40%. Have a small glass or flask on hand to take a little bit of the drink and take measurements with an alcohol meter. The first distillation allows you to start collecting at 30%, with a slight turbidity of the drink allowed. She will later leave during the second run, when the selection begins at 40%.

As soon as the alcohol level becomes minimal, you can turn off the heating and collect up to 15-20%. Now you know exactly how to select tails in moonshine correctly.

Let strong alcohol become a special drink holiday table, a treat for guests with a delicious homemade snack.

Moonshine is a very exciting process. And this concerns not only the practical part, but even the theoretical one. It is interesting to read articles on the topic of distillate production. But for all the entertainment, certain rules must be observed so that the first and subsequent tastings do not lead to disastrous results. It's about about the concentration of harmful impurities that need to be correctly 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 what wort was 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 positions that are more or less harmful to health. It is impossible to completely clean moonshine, this applies more to driving to distillation column(tsarge), we are talking about the usual moonshine still. But in the process of heating, you can clean the drink as completely as possible and get quite tolerable moonshine at the exit.

In total, there are 3 main fractions:

• "Head"

The first fraction, which appears already when heated to 60°C. This is pervach, and its harm is simply colossal. It is advisable to cut it off with a small margin - an average of 50 ml per kilogram of sugar in Braga. That is, if 5 kg of sugar was used, then the first 250 ml is a head with a very pungent smell of acetone.

Here are concentrated: 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 heads depends, among other things, on the type of mash. Most of them are in cereals.

Some take Pervach for the most picky moonshine, and vice versa, they try not to take heads. In fact, its use does not lead to intoxication, but to poisoning.

• "body" or "heart"

This is the central part, for the sake of which the whole process of moonshine is started. If you select the heads correctly at the very beginning, you can get a relatively pure product.

• "Tails"

This is the final stage, which is carried out when the strength of the moonshine falls below 35 °. Usage tail fraction moonshine is recommended to be repeated when preparing the next portion of the mash in order to enrich the taste of the finished product as much as possible.

It is pointless to drive the tails into the next portion for the second distillation, it will not give any result.

The tail part just contains fusel oils, which lead to clouding of moonshine and the appearance of an unpleasant fusel smell. 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 with conventional distillation. Rectification will help to completely separate 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 are extremely negative about such drinks, since their use very quickly turns into abuse. Alcohol addiction from distillates (whisky, rum, cognac) occurs 14 times less often than from pure ethyl.

The main question is how many heads to select and how many tails? There is no unambiguous recipe, there are only experienced marks that have been developed over the years, which can be slightly changed. In other words, we will not name the ideal numbers, only the method of selection during re-distillation.

VIDEO: How to separate the heads and whether it can be done on the first run

How to pick heads

We mean that the mash is already ready, it was poured without sediment into the distillation cube and put on fire (for heating elements, the principle is the same). First, bring to a boil (check the 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 again increase it to 68 ° C. Ideally, the output should be cold moonshine, in extreme cases, not higher than 30 ° C.

Cutting methods:

1. By sugar

This method is the simplest and is used, as a rule, by beginners. It consists in calculating the volume of sugar for mash and thus determining the volume of 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. At the first distillation, cut off about 30 ml and at the second distillation, another 30 ml from each kilogram.

1. By the amount of ethyl alcohol

This method is more realistic for those who poured sugar “by eye” or added it during the fermentation process, although this is not correct. At the first distillation, you do not touch the heads at all, but you can cut off the tails (more on this below). Next, we measure how much pure ethyl alcohol theoretically turned out.

Let's give an example - we got 5 liters of almost moonshine, measured its strength with a hydrometer, got 65 °. Thus, we will have 3.25 liters (5x0.65 = 3.25). It is clear that the strength of alcohol is far from 100 °, but such a fundamental degree accuracy is not needed).

Now, when re-distilling, we need to remove 15% of the heads, and this will be 0.496 (3.25x0.15 \u003d 0.489). Accordingly, on the second stage, cut off the first half liter and pour them out of harm's way.

1. 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 pervach stopped and the body started.

1. 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.

The first when heated, as we see from the table, "will go" acetaldehyde, and closes the chain with ethyl acetate, whose boiling point is only 79 °. The temperature is gradually reduced in order to “drive out” the maximum impurities on this scale. When the exit of the heads has stopped, the cube is heated to 78 ° C, after which the actual moonshine begins to go, and this process continues up to 88 ° C. Once again, we repeat that everything is relative and how many degrees to bring depends on the mash and the modification of the unit.

When the temperature is raised to 85 ° C, several drops are collected in a separate container and the strength is checked 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 drops in a spoon and set fire to it. As long as it burns or the strength is above 35°, it is still a body. As soon as moonshine stopped burning or the fortress fell below 35 °, tails begin to go.

Sometimes moonshine can become cloudy due to tailings, but you can get rid of this on re-distillation

If the mash was made on 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 part of the tails will go into the head during the second distillation.

Experienced distillers do not collect the body if the fortress has dropped to 39 °. In general, this is correct, but not critical.

You can reuse the tails to prepare the next portion of the mash, although this does not justify itself either in terms of organoleptic or the strength of the finished product. The tails can be thrown away or used for external use.

Cleaning before the second distillation will improve the result

Intermediate cleaning allows you to improve the taste of the finished product, although it is carried out only by a few. Experienced distillers never skip this stage, since not only the quantity of moonshine is important, but also its quality. Fundamentally, the intermediate cleaning is no different from the final one. The easiest way to do this is with vegetable oil and a charcoal filter.

How to clean with vegetable oil

Collecting finished product in one container and dilute with water up to 15 °. Pour refined vegetable oil(odorless) at the rate of 15-20 ml for each liter of diluted moonshine. Shake vigorously for a minute and a half, 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 drag the molecules of impurities with it. We pass 3-4 times through gauze, and then we do carbonization. For this it is best to use charcoal albeit pills activated carbon cope well with the task.

Intermediate treatment is needed only for grain and sugar distillate. If the mash was made on berries or fruits, such a stage will simply “kill” the entire aromatic component.

VIDEO: Do I need a second stage with a dry steamer

"Tails" are added to the mash, wanting to increase the degree of the drink. Waste-free production among moonshiners is a common practice. For this reason, heads and tails rich in fusel oils are so often used to make various alcoholic beverages. How effective is the method, and how not to spoil the distillate with experiments?

It is no secret that the entire distillation process can be divided into stages, or fractions. This allows you to ultimately improve the quality of the drink, make it drinkable.

So, why carry out the division into fractions:

1. In order to eliminate essential oils and impurities.
2. Improve the taste and aroma of the drink.

If you refuse fractional distillation, then you end up with a distillate of dubious quality with a strong aroma and taste. Among moonshiners, it is customary to divide distillation into several stages:

1. Head section. This is a pervach rich in fusel spirit and aldehydes, it can be used for technical needs or to create raw alcohol.
2. Receiving a "body" or "heart." They begin when the strength level drops to 40-45 degrees, such alcohol does not contain harmful substances in high concentration.
3. Branch of the "tail" part. They start when the fortress decreases, they continue until the degree drops to 20–15, there are no restrictions or prohibitions on this matter.

Such a process is called fractional distillation, in this way the mash is turned into alcoholic product suitable for drinking and making noble drinks.

Each faction has its own characteristics, you need to learn how to select. And also in time to start and complete the procedures, so as not to encounter certain problems and not spoil the taste of alcohol.

"Heads"

The “heads” of moonshine are the part that is separated from the “body”, it has the following characteristics:

1. Specific smell.
2. Unpleasant taste, burning the mucous membrane of the mouth.
3. High fortress.

Drinking “heads” is not worth it for several reasons: they have an unpleasant aroma, taste and lead to a severe hangover due to the content of harmful impurities and substances in the composition.

Despite the fact that the strength of "pervak" can reach 60 degrees, it is dangerous for health, you can encounter severe signs of intoxication.

Usually "heads" are used to create raw alcohol, they can also be used for technical needs. Such a product is unsuitable for creating noble drinks, wine or tinctures.

"Body"

This moonshine can be drunk, it has a strength of 40-45 degrees in the jet, the selection begins after the previous part finishes the exit.

Characteristics of the "body" of home distillate:

• does not have the smell of fuselage;
• has normal taste characteristics;
• used to create noble drinks;
• suitable for re-distillation.

"Body" has high characteristics, has a pleasant taste and aroma, it is actively used in moonshine brewing, kept in an oak barrel, subjected to repeated distillation, insisted on herbs and nuts.

"Tails"

“Tails” of moonshine do not make it more pleasant, they have the following effect on the product:

1. Reduce its strength.
2. Change organoleptic characteristics.
3. Make it unsuitable for creating noble drinks.

This part is of poor quality, is used for several purposes, and often distillers simply pour it out, as unnecessary. However, this is not always done with “tails”, they are often “put into action”, they do it in various ways.

The use of "tails"

What can be done with the "tails" of moonshine? This is actually a rhetorical question, which not every distiller can answer. In practice, everything is simple, this part is used for the following:

• creating mash and increasing its strength;
• receiving alcoholic beverages.

If the brew is placed on wild yeast, using grain or fruit as the main raw material, then the addition of "tails" will greatly increase the degree of moonshine that will be obtained in the end.

"Tails" are added not during the creation of the mash, but before the start of distillation, so as not to spoil the smell and taste of the drink with frank fuselage.

If there is no desire to pour out the “tail” part, then it is preserved by pouring it into a dark glass container. When the "tails" will gather enough, the product is re-distilled.

Alcohol is distilled in order to improve the quality indicator, to obtain raw materials suitable for drinking.

But you should not dilute the “heads” with the “tail” part, as this is fraught with negative consequences. Yes, as a result of manipulations, the strength of pervak ​​will decrease, but the smell, taste and quality of the drink will leave much to be desired. As a result of using low-quality alcohol there is a risk of developing severe intoxication, drinking such a drink is dangerous to life and health.

How to separate the "tails"?

The separation of the "tail" part takes place in several stages and does not differ in complexity. The whole process goes according to the following scheme, it is not recommended to violate the algorithm, since this can spoil the alcohol, make it undrinkable.

So what to do:

1. Start tailings when the strength in the jet falls below 40 degrees.
2. Continue the process until the fortress drops to 20 degrees.

The level of alcohol strength is determined using an alcohol meter, strict restrictions no, some distillers continue to select until the strength drops to 15-20 degrees.

If there is no alcohol meter, then you should resort to using a simple test:

• soak a paper napkin with moonshine;
• try to set it on fire.

If the alcohol-soaked paper burns, then you can continue to collect “tails”, some moonshiners complete it at the moment when frank fuselage begins to come out of the apparatus.

If we talk about the re-distillation of "hosts", then it is carried out with separation into fractions, the "tails" are again separated, used for their intended purpose or poured out.

Do not try to make this part noble drink. Waste-free production is good, but it makes no sense to use an outright surrogate. Fusel oils, esters and aldehydes can spoil any product, turn grain mash into low-grade alcohol and completely spoil the taste and aroma of the drink.