Distillation and rectification: description and differences, methods. What is better distillate or rectified

Different alcoholic beverages are obtained in different ways. In addition to raw differences, alcohol can refer to distillate or rectified. The differences between these two groups of drinks at first glance may seem insignificant, but in reality this difference is significant. Both distillate and rectified can be obtained at home if (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand or with a dry steamer of the brand), which allows for the rectification mode. To do this, its design must necessarily include a column with a prismatic or regular wire packing, on which the rectification process will take place. Of course, you can, but in the case of a distillation column, you will have to work much more than with a simple household distiller.

You need to understand that both rectified and distillate are solutions of ethyl alcohol. What is the fundamental difference between these two liquids?

Distillate or rectified: which is cleaner?

The distillate is obtained by fractional (fractional) distillation of mash. Most often, mash is first distilled without separation of fractions into raw alcohol, and then it is distilled fractionally with the separation of “heads”, “body” and “tails”. So the “body” is the distillate. This is a solution of ethyl alcohol with a strength of not more than 85-90 degrees, containing various impurities. It is important. It is the impurities (esters, other alcohols, etc.) that create the characteristic taste and aroma of the distillate: this is the taste and aroma of the raw material from which the mash was made. This is the essence of refined and elite distillates - whiskey, brandy, calvados, rum and others. Grape, grain, fruit raw materials give their characteristic unique notes.

Rectified is a completely purified alcohol. Its solution contains only ethanol and water. When forcing on a distillation column, its fortress reaches 95-96 degrees (the maximum possible fortress under normal conditions). The rectificate is devoid of any flavoring notes of the raw materials from which ethanol was obtained during fermentation. Without a doubt, rectified is absolutely pure, compared to distillate. But how important is it?

Rectified or distillate: which is more harmful to health?

There is an opinion that a certain presence of impurities makes the distillate safer to drink. The fact is that when using a distillate, certain substances from the group of “fusel oils” (in small quantities) seem to “prepare” the liver for the processing of alcohol. Based on this assumption, it turns out that with the same use, a properly purified distillate will cause a much less pronounced hangover syndrome than with the same dose of rectificate diluted to the same strength. Well, the load on the liver will be a little less. Some scientific works of the times of the USSR confirm a more toxic effect on the body of rectified water compared to distillate. Rectified, due to its purity, will also have a “harder” taste, since impurities in the distillate (depending on the raw material) will soften it.

However, no well-known scientific studies in this area have been made public, so there is no reason to say 100% that distillate is less harmful than rectified. Yes, and the individual tolerance of alcohol by each individual varies widely. For the same reason, it will not be entirely correct to judge which is better - distillate or rectified. As you know, the taste and color of all felt-tip pens are different.

Well, so that there is no misunderstanding, we will answer the most common questions:

1. Moonshine - distillate or rectified?
   Moonshine is a distillate. Get it by distillation - distillation (raw alcohol). Its fortress, as a rule, does not exceed 85-90 degrees.
2. Vodka — distillate or rectified?
   But vodka is rectified. The most purified alcohol, diluted with water to a strength of 40 degrees. It is only later that vodka is insisted on birch brunka, pepper and other pleasant things. But still, the alcohol in it remains rectified. Of course, all this takes place when it comes to industrial vodka. Homemade "vodkas" obtained by diluting sugar, grain or grape distillate with distillates will remain.
3. Alcohol - rectified or distillate?
   The name "alcohol" speaks for itself. This is rectified, since the distillate has certain impurities and its purification is not one hundred percent. Medical alcohol is always rectified. And even industrial alcohols are obtained in industry by rectification.

In any case, it is up to you to decide what is more to your taste - distillate or rectified. Depending on your preferences, you will have a task: to stop at a classic distiller or purchase a full-fledged distillation column. It should be noted that household columns can also work in distillation mode, therefore they are more versatile, although slightly more expensive than classic moonshine stills.

Alcohol-containing products are quite often used in our modern life. And sometimes it’s simply impossible to do without them (and by no means does it mean alcohol). Usually distillate (the basis for many drinks and medicines) is obtained by fermentation and subsequent distillation of raw materials. But quite often they think that rectification is a re-distillation. And this opinion is wrong. Only repeated conversion of liquids containing ethanol in special columns can result in straightening (this is how the term is literally translated), purification of alcohols from impurities.

Both rectificate and distillate are used in industry and home distillation. The difference between them is quite significant. But which is better to use? This question worries many. But in order to properly evaluate the advantages or disadvantages of technologies, we first need to determine what result we want to achieve: to get a drink cleaner than tears, or, on the contrary, to enjoy its aroma and taste? I would like to put it on the shelves, what is rectified and distillate. Is there a difference between them, or is it a “notion of the masters”, which is a narrowly professional focus and does not play a big role for the average consumer? Let's figure it out!

Types of distillates

These are liquids resulting from the process of the same name - distillation, that is, the distillation of almost any alcohol-containing mixture, its further cooling and vapor condensation. According to the classification, several types of distillation can be distinguished:

• simple
• factional,
• proper rectification.

Let's talk about each in more detail in order to establish how rectified and distillate differ. There is still a difference between them!

Simple distillation

This technology, according to historians, has been known since the third century BC - this method was used by the Egyptians in order to make paint from spoiled grape berries. At least this is the oldest documented moment. And it is possible that distillation is familiar to people from more ancient times. For this process, copper cubes were used, consisting of a distillation tank, a condenser, and a vapor outlet pipe.

First, with the help of such devices they made paint and essences, perfumes. And only later, due to the complexity of transporting wines by sea (drinks deteriorated due to the scorching sun), they applied the process to the production of strong alcohol.

Brief description of the process

So the distillation process became famous throughout Europe, and various raw materials were used for the preparation of alcoholic beverages: grapes and grains, corn and sugar, beets and sugar cane, and in the American colonies even plants, such as cacti.

Briefly, the process itself looks something like this:

1. Braga is first made from raw materials - the alcohol content in it, as a rule, is small. Moreover, the methods of its manufacture may differ.
2. The simplest: we dissolve the yeast in warm thirty-degree water, mixing them with a syrup of sugar and water. Then we tightly close the container with a lid (or put on, for example, a rubber glove on a three-liter jar so that the gas has somewhere to go), put it in heat for a week.
3. A more complex method eliminates the use of sugar. Grind potatoes or cereals, fill with water and heat. During this time, the starches contained in the raw materials must be converted into sugars. Next, the mixture is fermented with yeast and left to infuse in heat.
4. When the fermentation process is close to completion, we filter the mash and pour it into the distillation device.
5. It is heated using a heat source, and the mash begins to evaporate.
6. The resulting steam enters the refrigerator through the outlet tube, where it condenses, turning into a distillate.

It should be noted that simple distillation technologies do not imply complete removal of impurities from the resulting beverage. And if such a process is repeated repeatedly, it still will not lead to its complete purification. Therefore, the distillate has a light taste and aroma of those products that were used for mash. Subsequently, to give an authentic taste and smell, the product is flavored (by placing it in oak barrels for making rum or cognac, adding coriander, pine essence and almonds in the case of gin).

Sometimes, in order to get rid of unpleasant odors and aromas, cleaning is carried out with the help of chemicals, which can have a very negative impact on the health of the end user of the product.

Fractional

It would seem, what's the difference: distillate and rectified are still alcohols. But there are still nuances. It is no secret that different liquids also have different boiling points: water is 100 degrees Celsius, alcohol will only need 78 degrees for this. Based on this property, the following type of distillation has arisen - by fractions. Its mechanism is quite simple: different fractions of the resulting liquid are distributed during distillation into different containers.

Brief description of the process

The selection of these fractions is carried out in accordance with the concentration of ethanol, vapor temperature, volume of raw materials. At the same time, the so-called “pervach”, or “head” (the first fraction of the drink), is not used, because it does not have a very pleasant smell (and is also quite harmful to the human body). It is cut off, according to the temperature and the percentage of ethyl, drop by drop.

But already the middle fraction (or, as it is popularly called, the “moonshine body”) usually has no color and has a neutral smell. Its selection takes place at a temperature of 90 to 95 degrees Celsius and a strength of 35-45%, while the liquid burns.

Tails

"Tail" (the last fraction) has a characteristic pungent odor and aroma, as it contains a large amount of fusel oils. And you should carefully monitor that they do not fall into the main "body". Then, to obtain a quality drink, it is recommended to additionally purify it with coal (and, if possible, distill it again, while this should be done more slowly than before, and clearly divided into fractions).

What is the difference between rectified and distillate and the corresponding processes of the same name? It should be remembered that it is practically impossible to produce high-purity alcohol by distillation, even if it is repeated and fractional: the resulting drink must have a specific aroma and taste. Therefore, for the manufacture of alcohol in industrial (and at home) conditions, rectification is used.

Rectification of pure alcohol

So, we already know what rectified and distillate are. There is a difference between them, and a big one! Rectification is a method of separation of mixtures based on the principle of heat exchange between vapor and liquid. As a result, we get an absolutely pure liquid. And do not confuse rectification with re-distillation. This process is different from the above.

Brief description of the process

First, containers with moonshine are heated to a boil. At this time, the vapors that are formed during boiling rise upward through the distillation columns, falling into a special apparatus for condensing steam, called a reflux condenser. That, in turn, is subjected to water cooling.

On the cooled surfaces of the reflux condenser, the vapors begin to condense, forming phlegm, which flows down the columns into a special container. Steam rising up and phlegm flowing down interact with each other. In this case, heat transfer processes take place. As a result, in the upper part there are components that boil more easily, which turn into condensate, collecting in a container.

During rectification, the purity of each participating ingredient is not less than 90%. Using this method, for example, gasoline can be isolated from oil, and in winemaking, rectified alcohol is obtained from mash (ethanol content - 95%).

What's the difference: distillate and rectified. What to prefer?

So, we are convinced that these are two completely different liquids. Therefore, answering the questions: "Rectified alcohol and distillate - what's the difference? And what is better to use for home distillation?" - the following factors should be taken into account first of all:

1. After simple (or even multiple fractional) distillation, the resulting beverages retain the aroma and taste of those products that underlie the feedstock.
2. In the process of rectification, all these properties are subject to destruction.

At the same time, the difference between distillate and rectified is already for the purpose of preparation. The first is a drink that is made by a distiller in such a way that it retains the organoleptic characteristic of the original raw material. In other words, if it is Calvados, then apples, if whiskey, then malt, if cognac, then grapes. During the distillation process, in addition to ethyl, the "spirit" of the drink still remains inside - all sorts of impurities that form into an authentic bouquet: taste with aroma. That's the difference!

Distillate and rectificate are products of distillation. But! A rectified product is a refined, purified product, where the organoleptic of the source is “killed” completely, emasculated. At least from a chair, at least from the most delicious grapes, but it should turn out with the smell and taste of ethyl, and “nothing personal”. Why is the maximum strength of alcohol - 96%? But because the rest is not impurities, but water, since ethyl is an absorbent, that is, it draws water into itself. Then, on the basis of pure alcohol, we get different tinctures, liqueurs, liqueurs. That is, we introduce the organoleptics of not the raw materials, but flavors - flavoring additives.

Instead of an afterword

So, let's fix the material: what is the difference between rectified alcohol and distillate? The difference between them is significant. The product obtained by distillation will be able to "work" for the distiller and further. When placed in oak barrels, the remaining components can oxidize, and the drinks become aromatic. Rectified does not have these properties, it only needs to be bred. This is the difference. Distillate and rectified serve different purposes in beverages.

Recently, home brewing has become very popular. And this is quite understandable, since the quality of store-bought alcoholic beverages is getting lower every year, as evidenced by the increasing cases of poisoning. Therefore, the desire of reasonable people to protect themselves from accidents, but at the same time continue to enjoy the incomparable taste of elite alcohol, is quite natural.

Manufacturers of moonshine stills, in an effort to help modern people find the best and most effective solution for preparing alcoholic beverages at home, offer a decent range of distillers in various configurations. And if you are a beginner moonshine brewer, then you will probably be interested to know how the distillation process differs from rectification.

Distillation: definition and types

The main purpose of distillation is to preserve the aroma and taste of the product transferred to it by the raw materials from which it is produced and is the distillation of raw materials. In the process of distillation on a moonshine, the evaporation of volatile components is carried out, which are converted into condensate, settle and again take a liquid state. This condensate is, in our case, moonshine or, scientifically, distillate. From the school curriculum, we all know that alcohol boils at a temperature of 78 degrees, and water at 100 degrees. Thus, alcohol evaporates much faster (given the difference in boiling point), and when it cools down, it condenses. That is, the raw material can be distilled several times to increase the amount of pure alcohol in the final product.

Experienced moonshine makers know that you can distill moonshine once or twice. The first hundred grams of home-made moonshine obtained contain a lot of alcohol and are distinguished by high strength, but at the same time they contain no less high content of harmful impurities. Pervacha contains a lot of esters, acetone, aldehydes and volatile acids, so it is dangerous to use it for health.

Types of distillation

Distillation is the purification of mash from harmful impurities under the influence of high temperature. There are two types of this process:

• Fractional distillation;

• conventional distillation.

In the first case, the distilled raw material is divided into separate parts that differ in the composition of the components. The advantage of this distillation is a high degree of purification of homemade moonshine. The output is the basis for high-quality home-made cognac or other alcoholic drink with a strength of up to 70 degrees.

Conventional distillation takes a minimum of time, but the quality of the final product is average. Homemade cognac, brandy, whiskey and other moonshine, the recipe of which you choose, will contain fractional components, fusel oils and other necessary impurities that give that unique and memorable taste of the drink, and the strength of the drink will not exceed 50 degrees.

Rectification: definition and concept

Rectification is also a distillation of raw materials, only in contrast to distillation, the process goes with separation into various fractions and mixtures. The end product of distillation is ethyl alcohol. The process is carried out using a distillation column - a unit inside which liquid mixtures are separated into separate parts. The result is the purest ethyl alcohol, which is colorless and odorless.

Rectification is also often used in home-brewing for subsequent infusion and obtaining various tinctures. During the distillation process, the raw material is cleaned of harmful impurities, so the final product does not contain fusel oils, esters and aldehydes, but the characteristic taste contained in the original raw material is lost.

What is the difference between distillation and rectification?

If you want to make homemade cognac, whiskey, brandy and other moonshine at home, then all you need is to buy a moonshine still and learn the best recipes from experienced moonshine makers. However, it will be useful for you to know that it is pointless to use a distillation column for this, since its main function is to obtain pure alcohol and nothing more.

This is the difference between rectification and distillation. In the process of distillation on a moonshine still, the process of cleaning the liquid mixture takes place. That is, you add the ingredients for moonshine, the recipe of which you have chosen, they are thoroughly mixed and after that, under the influence of temperature, the raw materials are cleaned of esters, fusel oils and aldehydes. At the exit, you get any alcoholic product you choose.

If you use a distillation column, you can prepare a delicious tincture based on pure ethyl alcohol. Producers of rectifiers warn that in no case should you use an apparatus for distilling mash. The first few times you will be able to get the desired product, but with each distillation, the distillation apparatus will become clogged until it finally fails.

Therefore, if you want to enjoy delicious homemade alcohol for a long time, then you should definitely buy a moonshine still in the CHZDA online store. Here you will find a wide variety of models and modifications of moonshine stills, among which you can choose a design that matches the required volume and performance.

Distillation and rectification are widely used in industry. Ethyl alcohol is purified by these methods, kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel and other components are isolated from oil, aromatic substances are obtained in perfumery and much more.

Both technologies are based on the same principle of liquid distillation. However, there are differences, and quite serious ones.

Definition, device diagram and principle of operation

Distillation

Distillation is a process during which the liquid in the cube (container) is heated and evaporated, after which it cools and condenses. As a result, the steam can be converted into a liquid or a solid body (the second option is not considered in this article). The output product is called distillate. Or VAT residue (the so-called liquid that has not evaporated), depending on the purpose for which the original mixture was distilled.

The device of the simplest apparatus for obtaining distilled water. The liquid is in a cube 1 with a lid 2 and a thermometer 3. After the container is heated, the water turns into steam, which rises and enters the tube 4 with the valve 5. And from there - into the tube 6, located in the refrigerator 7. In order for the vapor to condense and again turn into a liquid state, it must be cooled. To do this, the tube 6 is washed with running ice water. To improve cooling efficiency, it is coiled to keep the steam under low temperature for longer. After leaving the refrigerator, the liquid enters the vessel for collecting distillate.

When distilling a mixture consisting of two components (one of them is the base solvent liquid, and the second is dissolved in it), a low-boiling vapor is converted into steam, that is, one with a lower boiling point. And high-boiling (with a higher boiling point) remains in a liquid state. A thermometer is needed to regulate the degree of heating so that this parameter is between the indicated temperatures.

A distinctive feature of distillation is the fact that the volatile components evaporate once. With such a simple method, it is impossible to achieve a high degree of separation of the components of the mixture. In addition, only one ingredient stands out.

Rectification

Rectification is a process at the initial stage of which the liquid, as in distillation, also heats up and evaporates. But then the steam enters the distillation column. In it, due to the countercurrent between the liquid and gaseous phases of the mixture, there is a thermal and mass exchange between the vapor and the condensed drops. The initial mixture is divided (moreover, with a high degree of purification) into components with different boiling points due to the fact that the liquid, in fact, repeatedly evaporates and condenses.

Scheme of the simplest rectifier, which can be made even at home. It consists of a cube heated over a fire or a water bath. Above it is a distillation column (in household appliances - a tsarga, which is a rigid pipe) with nozzles filling it (in the figure they are called “washcloths”, because for home appliances they are often made from cheap metal kitchen washcloths). Above it is a dephlegmator. On the side, opposite the distillate extraction unit, there is a special outlet tube (colored red in the diagram). It is connected to the refrigerator and then to the receiving tank. In laboratory and domestic rectifiers, nozzles are used as "washcloths" with which the column is filled. The most popular are: spiral prismatic (Selivanenko) and regular wire (Panchenkov). The first gives the best degree of purification, the second, with sufficiently efficient operation, is the simplest in design. They are usually made of stainless steel or copper. In industrial installations, special plates are used instead of nozzles.

The device works as follows. The initial mixture is heated in the distillation cube and begins to evaporate. The steam passes through the distillation column. At the distillate extraction unit, part of the steam is removed through the red tube, enters the refrigerator, condenses and flows into the receiving tank. The other part rises into the reflux condenser. The latter is, in fact, another refrigerator with running water in a shirt. In it, this second part of the vapor also condenses, after which, in the form of drops, which are called reflux or irrigation, it flows into the distillation column and moves inside it from top to bottom. The flow rate of water for cooling the reflux condenser can be adjusted, thereby changing the amount of reflux flowing back into the column.

In the distillation column, a counterflow of two phases is carried out - steam rises, phlegm falls down. Between them there is a mass and heat exchange, as a result of which the vapor is enriched with low-boiling (highly volatile) components of the mixture, and the drops of the flowing liquid are enriched with high-boiling (low-volatile) ingredients. Due to this, with a sufficient height of the column, the target fraction of a high degree of purity is removed from its upper part (distillate selection unit). The packings in the column serve to intensify the mass and heat exchange, since the vapor condensation takes place precisely on their developed surface. In industrial settings, this takes place on plates.

Each plate located in the column is called physical (FT). It is needed so that a state of equilibrium is reached as quickly as possible between the liquid and vapor phases. Vapor bubbles pass through the reflux layer located on the FT. As a result, mass and heat exchange between the phases is accelerated. But, after the passage of steam through one FT, there will still be no equilibrium, because the efficiency of this element ranges from 50% to 60%. Thus, in order to obtain an equilibrium state of the phases that would correspond to one theoretical plate (TP), two PTs must be installed. This means that if, according to the calculation, a column of 40FT is required, then in reality it is necessary to put 80FT in it.

Installations for rectification are continuous and periodic.

In the first, the liquid mixture is constantly fed into the column, and the separated ingredients are also constantly removed from it. Secondly, a certain amount of the mixture is immediately loaded into the cube, after which the apparatus operates until it is completely processed.

In household appliances, a drawer is used as a distillation column. This is a pipe with a diameter of 30mm to 50mm, filled throughout the volume with nozzles. So that the latter do not get enough sleep, they put wads permeable to steam and drops along the edges. The state of phase equilibrium is achieved when the steam passes through a certain layer of the drawer, equivalent to one HP. Its height is calculated in millimeters and is called the height of the transfer unit.

The main features of rectification are: the isolation of the desired ingredient in its pure form and the possibility of dividing the initial mixture into several components at once. The higher the column, the slower the process, but the cleaner the final product.

Processes in winemaking

In the alcoholic beverage industry, the difference between distilled and rectified spirits is explained as follows. Distillate is a raw material in which the organoleptic (taste and smell) of the original product remains. That is, if a grain drink is made, then grains, if an apple drink is made - apples, and so on. At the same time, there are still many impurities in distilled ethyl alcohol. Some of them form taste and smell. Others are disposed of with the help of various recipes. Rectified is a refined alcohol. The organoleptics of the original product is completely absent. It tastes and smells only of alcohol, and nothing else. At the next stages of the technological process, with the help of flavoring additives and flavorings, a given organoleptic is introduced into it, after which a wide range of liqueurs, tinctures and other things are obtained.

Based on this, one cannot say that one way is better, and the other is worse. Each has its own purpose. If, for example, brandy is made with the taste and aroma of grapes, then distillation is needed. After rectification, these features will disappear. To obtain a pleasant aroma, distilled alcohol is aged in oak barrels. And for rectified 96% alcohol, this is useless, it is only suitable for dilution, for example, in the manufacture of vodka. To this we can add that the equipment for distillation of alcohol is more expensive than for distillation. In addition, distilled mash is required for rectification.

Theoretical foundations of distillation

In a mixture consisting of two ingredients (one of which is a liquid as the basis of the solution), the concentration of the solute in the liquid C1 differs from the concentration of C2 in the vapor of this liquid. Split (distribution) ratio

is a characteristic of the process. In some cases, it is more convenient to work with the reciprocal: A \u003d 1 / B, which is also called. This parameter depends on the distillation conditions and the nature of the substances that make up the mixture.

Depending on the conditions, the coefficient B can be:

Ideal. It is affected only by the partial pressures of the ingredients of the mixture (the partial pressure is the pressure of a single gas included in a mixture of several gases; that is, this is the pressure of one gas that it would have if it occupied the entire volume that the mixture of gases occupies).

Equilibrium. In this case, the number of gas molecules H escaping from the liquid is equal to the number of its molecules H1 that return to the liquid in the same time.

Effective.

In practice, distillation is affected by the mixing of the solution and the presence of impurities in it. The presence of the latter may turn out to be so significant that, in terms of the separation of the main substance and impurities, the effective coefficient may differ greatly from the ideal one.

Equally important process parameters are the evaporation temperature and the degree of deviation of the system from phase equilibrium between liquid and vapor. During distillation:

Where HC is the number of molecules passing into the condensate. Quantitatively, the deviation is determined by the ratio: HC / N. In this case, there are two limiting states of the system. If HC = 0, then equilibrium takes place, how many particles left the liquid per unit time, the same number returned to it. If HC \u003d H, then this is molecular distillation, that is, all the particles that have evaporated from the liquid have passed into the condensate. This usually happens if the process is carried out in a vacuum, the vapor pressure is low, and the distance from the water surface to the dew point is minimal. In this case, the vapor particles do not collide, either with air molecules or with each other.

Types of distillation

The process described at the beginning of the article, in which the liquid is heated and partially evaporated, and its vapors are continuously discharged into the refrigerator and condensed there, is called simple distillation. When working with a multi-component liquid mixture, fractional distillation or fractional distillation is used. In this case, the ingredients of the mixture are collected in the condensate in parts, depending on their volatility, starting with the lowest boiling point.

Rectification is considered by many experts to be a kind of distillation. It occurs due to the fact that any closed system consisting of gas and liquid tends to a state of equilibrium. And during rectification, the working (actual) concentration of the ingredients of the vapor phase differs from that which should be in order for this liquid to be in equilibrium.

Distillation and rectification are two methods of separating the components of a liquid mixture, based on the same physical process. But different technologies for their implementation allow you to get completely different results.

Distilled or purified water is obtained by still distilling water. The device is also called by the name of the process - a distiller. The liquid is heated, the vapors, settling in the condenser, get rid of impurities.

If the liquid is driven twice, the output will be bidistillate. Only for its manufacture they use another installation - a quartz apparatus. The substance is distinguished by complete purification from salts. There is nothing useful for human health in such water.

Application of purified water

The distillate is used for the preparation of various substances or compounds in scientific activities, the chemical industry and pharmacology. To control products in each laboratory of the enterprise, water obtained by distillation is used.

The scope of bidistillate is less. The distillation product is used when working with substances of high purity.

Distillation in the manufacture of alcohol

The distillation process also occurs in everyday life, when the goal is to obtain moonshine from mash. They run her through the machine. The liquid is heated, the gaseous compounds of alcohol evaporate. In the serpentine-type condenser, during distillation at the main stage of distillation, the reverse process occurs: the vapors turn into moonshine. It contains fusel oils.

Impurities are removed by adding crystals of manganese. The substance, reacting with compounds, precipitates black. The liquid is filtered, then moonshine can be used for its intended purpose.

Some unscrupulous manufacturers interrupt the resulting alcohol after distillation with flavoring additives or purify it with chemicals. The quality of such moonshine is the lowest. By using it, people are injurious to health.

Another method of getting rid of impurities is additional distillation. The process allows you to make not only purified alcohol, but also increase the strength.

Making vodka

Vodka is produced using a complex rectification technology, when the distilled product is divided into fractions. Theoretically, distillation and rectification are distinguished by a complex technological scheme of production.

1. Alcohol is cleaned in special filters with charcoal from impurities, the main thing in obtaining quality products is the stage of rectification.
2. Wheat is the main raw material. To create the wort, grains and legumes are also used: barley, millet, corn, peas.
3. Cereals are carefully crushed. Flour is added to special columns, where purified water also enters. Salts are removed from the liquid using molecular and ultraviolet purification. The use of distillate is not allowed! It spoils the taste of the final alcohol product, making it hard.
4. In columns, the wort is heated under pressure. At the next stage, the brewed mass is served in vats, where yeast is added. There is a process of fermentation and transformation of the mixture into mash.

The liquid is fed into the distillation column to obtain raw alcohol. The task of the next distillation column is purification. At the stage of the technological chain, it becomes clear how distillation differs from rectification.

The boiling point of alcohol is 78 degrees, water - 100. The property of a chemical organic compound is used to separate into parts. Each fraction of distilled alcohol with a certain composition enters a special container.

1. Ethanol is associated with the selection of fractions during rectification. The first drops of liquid with an unpleasant odor and harmful substances are discarded during distillation. They are also called "head" or "pervach". They separate at lower temperatures.
2. "Body" - the middle fraction is practically odorless. At a temperature of 90-95 degrees, distillation occurs. Rectified alcohol has a strength of 37-45%.
3. "Tail" is the last fraction, where the remaining substances are fusel oils. They pass during rectification into the final product. The difference between this part and the middle fraction is in a characteristic pungent odor. When distilling, it is important to follow the final stage so that the “body” with harmful compounds is not driven away.

Hence the difference between the industrial production of vodka and the production in everyday life. Scrupulous adherence to rectification technology allows you to get pure alcohol. It differs from distillate in the absence of impurities. Organoleptics are added to the rectified product by placing it in barrels made of wood, more often oak.

In home winemaking, you need to define a task for yourself: to achieve a drink purer than tears or to get a tincture with the aroma of galangal, other herbs, and even a bouquet, making homemade cognac. The last option allows you to feel the taste and aroma of the tincture.

But sometimes, in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages, it is required that organoleptic properties remain: aroma, texture, color. When creating Calvados - apple and pear brandy, cider is used, which is obtained only from fruits.

The processes of distillation and rectification are used in the production of alcoholic beverages, in the pharmaceutical industry, and in science. Despite the differences, they are in demand and have advantages.

Attention - rectification is addictive!

As you can see, the manufacture of alcohols is fraught with nuances and significant differences. What do you think is the difference between raw materials?