Head selection by absolute alcohol. Heads and tails selection calculator - accurate calculation

The final stage of preventive cleaning is the separation of "heads" and "tails", or, if scientifically, fractional distillation. The fact is that during the fermentation of mash from sugar, yeast produces not only the ethyl alcohol we need, but also a small amount of acetone, acetic aldehyde , furfural, isopropyl and isobutyl alcohol and other fusel oils.

The boiling point of these substances differs from the boiling point of ethyl alcohol, some substances boil at a temperature above the boiling point of alcohol, others below. At the very beginning of the boiling of the mash, low-boiling components, such as acetone, acetaldehyde and other "sweets", boil away. This is the head fraction, or "heads" and they need to be separated from the product that we are going to drink. It should be taken every 30-40 ml from each fermented kilogram of sugar.

For example, when distilling in a moonshine from a milk tank, I pour 28 liters of mash. In the manufacture, I dilute 1 kg of sugar to a volume of 4.5-5 liters. Namely, I bring it to the volume, and not just pour in 5 liters of water. It turns out about 6 kg of sugar, and therefore I need to select 180-240 ml of head parts.

In order not to confuse heads with other liquids, I drew an ugly face on the bottle.

For convenience, I marked the marks on the bottles after about 200 ml.

When selecting "heads", it is desirable to reduce the heating power of the moonshine still so that the separation is more clear.

As soon as we have selected the estimated amount of the head fraction, we increase the heating power to the maximum available for a particular moonshine still and change the capacity - it's time to collect the most "drinkable" and clean part of the moonshine - the "body".

We collect the middle fraction, or "body" until the moment when the fortress of the resulting moonshine becomes about 35-40 degrees.

For those who have an alcohol meter, let me remind you that the strength should be measured at 20 C, at a different temperature the alcohol meter will show "weather on Mars." Or, you will have to use special recalculation schedules.

If there is no alcohol meter, you can approximately determine this moment by burning a sample of moonshine. If cold moonshine confidently ignites in a spoon, then the strength is still sufficient, as soon as the sample stops igniting (or it does not light up very confidently), then the strength of the moonshine is already low.

Separately, I note that heated moonshine, or paper moistened with moonshine, will light up even at a lower strength, so they cannot serve as an indicator.

Upon reaching this point, it is time to stop the selection of the drinking part, but it is not necessary to stop further distillation of moonshine. We change the container again and continue collecting the so-called "tails", because there is still enough ethyl alcohol in the moonshine still, just now heavy-boiling components begin to noticeably evaporate with it. In general, “tails” are something that you can’t drink, but there is still enough alcohol in them.

There is no clear opinion about the end of the tailings selection. I take this sivukha until the moment when it somehow catches fire. In the future, when a sufficient amount of this fraction is accumulated, 2 volumes of water can be added to 1 volume of fusel oil and distilled. "Heads" in the process of this distillation can not be selected, and the distillation should be stopped before the same 40 degrees. 2-3 such cycles (each time diluted with water) will noticeably clean moonshine.

At this stage, preventive cleaning of moonshine ends and final cleaning can begin. Although already at this stage the quality of moonshine is quite decent.

But it should be remembered that this is only one of the steps on the way to the perfect moonshine.

When making moonshine at home, you need to be very clear that we are talking about complex chemical processes, and such a concept as dividing the resulting product into fractions is very important. Braga, in addition to the ethyl alcohol we are interested in, contains a huge amount of impurities, including strong poisons such as methyl alcohol, acetone, fusel oils. But there is one significant plus - almost all these elements boil and evaporate at different temperatures. Conventionally, the whole process is divided into three stages:

• "Heads" - at the initial stage, the so-called "light" fractions are expelled, that is, boiling and evaporating at lower temperatures. This is primarily acetone and other aldehydes. They are the least in the output - about 2% of the volume of mash on the first pasture. They should not be used at all, although, as many remember, “pervak” was very much appreciated before, because it hits the head very hard, but, however, the consequences of its use are very serious
• “Body” is just the ethyl alcohol we are interested in. It boils and begins to evaporate at a temperature of about +76 C o ... +78 C o , but it also contains a certain amount of by-products that evaporate at the same time as it
• "Tails" - they are called "heavy" fractions. These are esters, fusel oils - we don’t need them either, and you can collect them only during the first distillation, and on the second - cut off and collect only to add to the next mash when it is ready for pasture

Tailings in home brewing are a way to get the right strength so as not to drain the remains of valuable ethyl alcohol. But you can’t do this with heads - they don’t have ethyl alcohol at all, since it begins to evaporate only at +76 C o ... +78 C o, and everything that boils and evaporates earlier is poison.

Separation of heads and tails during moonshine

With tails, I'll tell you from personal experience, things are easier. As soon as the moonshine coming out of the coil stops burning, you can cut them off. And even if a little gets into the “body” of moonshine, it’s not scary, since we will carry out additional cleaning. But with the "heads" it is more difficult. Perhaps you will find information somewhere that they can be easily identified by smell ... This, I tell you, is complete nonsense.

Firstly, during the haul in the kitchen, there is already a peculiar smell, and your scent is gradually lost. And it’s worth at least once to smell the condensate directly, as you will finally understand nothing. Yes, with experience you will learn to sort out some differences, but you cannot call it an objective method. I always follow the following rule. It is known that fully fermented mash contains 2% of the "heads" of its original volume. That is, if I have 20 liters of home brew, then I cut off and mercilessly drain about 400 milligrams of “heads” into the sewer. At first it will be a little pitiful - I remember it myself, but later you will understand that this is necessary when you wake up a couple of times in the morning after an evening feast with a square head.

During the second haul, the volume of heads is calculated according to the planned yield of the final product. It will be about 5% of it. That is, no more than 80-100 milligrams, if the initial volume of the mash was 20 liters. At the third stage, this percentage is reduced to 2% of the yield, which is no more than 30 milligrams.

The separation of tails during moonshine begins only by the second stage. The easiest way to navigate here is by the ability of the condensate to ignite or by the thermometer built into the distillation cube. We do not throw out the tails - they can be used. We add them to the new fermented mash in order to completely extract the remaining ethyl alcohol from them.

Important! Even after two or three hauls, moonshine must be further cleaned. Ethyl alcohol is not so special as to evaporate entirely on its own - it still contains some impurities, so for the maximum degree of purification, use the methods recommended by me in the relevant publications.

Yes, no matter how natural and high-quality the mash preparation is, if you do not divide the product into fractions, then its use will be associated with unpleasant consequences in the form of a headache, morning hangover and other side effects.

Tails mean low-alcohol moonshine, which is collected after lowering the fortress during distillation below 40 degrees. This fraction is saturated with "fuel" and other harmful impurities, but contains ethyl alcohol, which can be distilled and a good product is obtained. There are a number of subtleties of this approach to distillation, which we would like to describe in this publication.

You can read more about the fractions of the head, body and tails here -. We are extremely negative about tails, believing that moonshine should be made from high-quality raw materials, and not from "underdone" with impurities. But in order to save money, many moonshiners use tailings distillation, so we decided to cover this topic and select the optimal technology for this process.

The output of the body is small, but still significant.

The reason is a lot of harmful substances, which will partially fall into your moonshine even after high-quality cleaning. It seems strange to us to endanger our health for the sake of saving a few liters of a 40-degree drink.

The quality of moonshine from " underachievement” will be lower than from fresh mash.

If you still decide on this process, then follow the instructions described below, which will allow you to squeeze the highest quality alcohol from such raw materials.

Tailings begin to drip at the moment when the fortress in the jet drops to 40 degrees.

A moonshine still with a steamer and a reflux condenser significantly reduces the content of harmful substances in moonshine.

How to distill tails into moonshine?

There are several ways how this can be done:

Braga blends beautifully with tails. But it is impossible to increase the strength of the mixture above 20 degrees.

1. Use a clean mixture of tailings from different hauls.
2. Mix tails with mash.
3. Mix failed or tasteless moonshine with tails.

It is important to observe the main condition: before distillation, moonshine must be diluted with clean water to a strength of 20 degrees. It is this liquid that lends itself well to distillation and the separation of fractions is of high quality.

If you pour distillate of 30 or 40-degree strength into the distillation cube, then the output will be low-quality moonshine.

Is it necessary to separate fractions during distillation?

Necessarily! This is precisely the main idea: to clean the “underdog” from harmful impurities by dividing it again into fractions. Thus, this may be the third and even fourth distillation of the distillate.

For 20 liters of tailings, diluted to a strength of 20 degrees, you get something like this:

The ratio of fractions to each other.

• Head - 0.43 liters.
• Body - 5.11 liters.
• Tail - 0.62 liters.

Ideal conditions are shown. Feel free to make an error in the region of 10% minimum.

How to mix tails with mash?

To draw up the correct proportion, you will need to find out the strength of your ripe mash (usually it ranges from 10 to 14 degrees), and then bring it to a 20-degree fortress.

It makes no sense to make the mash stronger, as the quality of the drink will begin to deteriorate greatly. Therefore, it is better to take a mash with poor performance, dilute it with tails and then overtake it. In this case, you effectively dispose of your raw materials.

Can tails be drunk?

Definitely not.

There is a legend among moonshiners that from the heads and tails of moonshine it covers the most. You don’t need to drink a lot, intoxication occurs quickly, and there are plenty of these fractions after distillation.

In fact, it is not drunkenness that occurs, but poisoning: fusel oils and other impurities have a very negative effect on the digestive system, as a result of which the body begins to fight the poison and the state of health worsens. These symptoms are mistaken for the jolly effect of alcohol, but in fact, not so much ethyl alcohol is drunk, and in good drinks it works differently.

Instructions for the correct distillation of tailings

moonshiner gurus Konstantin Kapochkin recommends doing this:

1. We carry out the first distillation of moonshine without separating fractions.
2. We carry out the second fractional distillation with the three fractions described above.
3. We collect tails from different hauls, after which we dilute them to 20 degrees and send them for distillation.
4. We select fractions using the same technology as during conventional distillation.

Reflections on this topic can be viewed on the Youtube channel Samogon Sanych. The link to the video is below:

Homemade alcohol in moderation is cleaner and healthier than store-bought, and every adult knows this. But in order for the drink to turn out the way it should, you need to know the technology of fractional distillation. In this article, we will consider in detail how to properly perform the separation of "heads" and "tails" during moonshine brewing and get the desired quality at the output.

The correct separation of moonshine into fractions allows you to get a quality drink without harmful by-products resulting from the fermentation process.

There are three main fractions of moonshine:

• "heads"
• "body"
• "tails"

Head faction

"Heads" ("Pervach" or "Pervak") - a low-boiling fraction with a boiling point lower than that of ethyl alcohol, have a sharp and unpleasant odor, evaporate first during distillation, this allows them to be selected and prevent them from entering the main product.

The “heads” contain a dangerous concentration of methanol in moonshine, acetone in moonshine, vinegar derivatives, and much more, which is dangerous for humans, this is the answer to the question why moonshine smells like acetone. Therefore, the separation of "heads" is one of the main tasks.

Some naively believe that you can drink “heads” and even get drunk faster than from the main product. However, this is pure harm and delusion, it is best to send them to the sewers.

So what to do with the selected heads of moonshine? It can be used as a kindling for a fire, furnaces, etc., but do not drink.

moonshine body

"Body" (or "heart") - the drinking part, it is for the sake of it that a rather long and capacious process is performed from the preparation of the mash to the main distillation.

Contains water, alcohol and other impurities that give the drink a distinctive taste. During distillation, it is impossible to clearly and completely separate into fractions; anyway, some substances with a similar boiling point will fall into the selection. Rectification is suitable for accurate separation into fractions, this is the only way to get pure ethyl alcohol, but along with impurities, the organoleptic properties of the drink are also removed.

Therefore, the taste and smell of the product from different raw materials will be exactly the same, because the drink will contain only ethyl alcohol.

It is also important to note the content of fusel oils in moonshine. It is completely impossible to get rid of them, their benefits are rather contradictory. But there is a difference in dosage between poison and medicine, the same with alcohol. Taking it on holidays in small quantities, fusel oils can act on the liver, protecting it from the harsh effects of alcohol.

tail fraction

"Tail" is the third faction of moonshine that comes out last. Its usual sign is a cloudy color, a pungent smell. This part has a high content of those same fusel oils and isopropyl alcohol, therefore it is also not suitable for consumption.

The boiling point of fusel oils is much higher than that of ethyl alcohol, it is necessary to stop the selection in time and the tails will not get into the product.

What to do with moonshine tails? You can simply pour or distill in a distillation column and get pure alcohol (since up to 40% ethyl alcohol remains after distillation), then dilute to a strength of 40% with water and clean with activated carbon, so you can get not bad vodka.

Calculation of the number of goals

In order to understand how many goals to select, you must first calculate their number, let's look at the main methods for calculating the number of goals.

By amount of sugar

Suitable if the initial sugar content of the mash is known, which can be measured with a vinometer (sugar meter) or the amount of sugar added to the mash is known. If 2 kg of sugar was used to prepare the mash, then there will be 120-200 ml of “heads” (60-100 ml for each kilogram of sugar).

Or if you have 10 liters of mash and you know that the initial sugar content of the mash was 20%, it turns out 10 * 0.2 = 2 kg of total sugar content, and we know that for each kilogram of sugar we select 60-100 ml of heads, it turns out what you need select 120-200 ml.

It is best to cut off the "heads" twice, half the calculated volume (based on the calculations above) in the first distillation and the second half in the second distillation.

For absolute alcohol

This is the easiest and most reliable way to determine the number of heads to be culled. Let's consider an example: you got 10 liters of raw alcohol after the first distillation with a total strength of 40%, then it contains 4 liters of pure alcohol (we calculate by the formula 10 * 0.4 \u003d 4 liters.). To simplify the calculations, we take the strength of alcohol as 100%, although such a strength can only be obtained in the laboratory. The heads should be taken 8-15% of the absolute alcohol that we calculated above, we recommend taking 10%, it turns out that the heads need to be taken 400 ml. (4 * 0.1 \u003d 0.4 l.).

By smell

A method only for moonshine professionals. If the distillate, when rubbing a few drops in the palm of your hand, stinks, then heads are coming. An unpleasant smell is the first signal that these are heads, as soon as it disappears, you can change the dishes and collect the body of moonshine. This method should be used only to check the correctness of the calculations of the number of selected heads.

How to select heads of moonshine

The designs of moonshine stills are different and the methods for separating the heads and tails of moonshine may differ slightly, in this example we will consider a classic column-type distiller with a reflux condenser (additional refrigerator).

1. Pour raw alcohol into a cube and heat at maximum power until boiling begins, as soon as the temperature at the very top of the column begins to rise and approaches 78 degrees, you need to remove the heat so that the temperature in the column is 60-64 degrees, let it work in this mode for minutes 10-15.
2. Start adding heating power so that the temperature at the top of the column is in the range of 64-77 degrees (methyl alcohol boils at a temperature of 64.7 degrees) and at the same time drops go to the selection at a speed of 1 drop per second (neither faster nor slower) and take that the number of goals that you calculated using one of the methods above.
3. When you have finished the selection of heads and the drinking distillate has gone, change the receiving tank, increase the heating power so that the distillate goes in a thin stream and collect the body until the tails go, how to determine when to pump in the collection of the body and start collecting the tails, see below.

How to separate the tails

Tails in moonshine go immediately after the body, and in order to understand when they go, we need to know when the body ends. Consider the main and most reliable methods.

1. For absolute alcohol. Similarly, as in the calculation of goals in the example above. We determine the amount of absolute alcohol, for example, we have 10 liters of raw alcohol with a strength of 40%. We calculate by the formula 10 * 0.4 \u003d 4 liters. it turns out 4 liters of absolute alcohol, and we take 70% of this volume (4 * 0.7 \u003d 2.8 liters.) As a result, we should get 2.8 liters of pure alcohol in the body. But since it is impossible to obtain pure alcohol during distillation, the output is usually 90-92% or, depending on the equipment used, it may be less.
   Then how to understand how much you need to take away with the fortress that is coming? Everything is simple according to the formula T \u003d A / (K / 100), food T is the amount of body that must be collected at a given strength, A is the amount of body calculated from absolute alcohol, K is the total strength of the product obtained by distillation. As a result, we get 2.8 / (92/100) \u003d 3.043 liters, in order to completely assemble the body, 3.043 liters of distillate with a strength of 92% must be selected
2. By temperature in a cube. Tailings start to go when the temperature in the cube reaches 92-95 degrees, when this temperature is reached, stop picking the case and start picking tails

For a more accurate and correct selection, combine these two methods and get the perfect drink.

Collect the tail fractions at maximum power in a separate container for further distillation of the tails on a distillation column, this is the only way to collect the remaining good alcohol, there is no point in re-distilling on a distiller, only rectification.

Remember excessive alcohol consumption in any form is harmful, and in moderation it is good!

Hi all!

I have been writing this article for a very long time. It is dedicated to one of the most important topics in the production of alcoholic beverages. We all know that heads, tails and fusel oils are harmful and spoil the taste of moonshine. But what lies behind these concepts? Do you know what the finished mash contains over 70 volatile substances!? Some of them are the strongest poisons, but at the same time they have a pleasant floral or bready aroma.

This article provides information, knowledge and understanding of which allows you to move on and improve in the production of homemade alcohol.

It is worth adding that in the process of studying the materials for this article, my view of such a process as fractional distillation has changed significantly.

In this article I will tell you what the mash consists of, what groups of impurities it contains, what they are formed from and which of them are the most harmful. And most importantly, how these impurities behave during the distillation process.

I will also give a very interesting table, with a description of specific impurities and why they are formed and how they affect the taste and smell of the drink.

The composition of mature (ready) mash

Ready mash consists of many different components that are in three phases - liquid, solid and gaseous.

• The solid phase (4-10% by weight of the mash) is a suspension of yeast and particles of the feedstock, as well as minerals, sugar, proteins, and other elements that are not dissolved in the liquid and remain in the still after distillation.
• The gaseous phase is carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the yeast. Content - 1-1.5 g / l.
• The liquid phase is water (from 82 to 90 wt.%) and ethyl alcohol with volatile impurities (from 5 to 9 wt.%).

We, in the context of this article, are most interested in these same volatile substances that accompany ethyl alcohol. There are over 70 items in Braga!

But, despite such a wide variety, their total amount is only 0.5-1% of the volume of ethyl alcohol. At the same time, even such an insignificant content of impurities significantly affects the taste and smell of the final product.

The diagram below shows the approximate composition of the finished mash and alcohol impurities.

Volatile components in mature mash can be divided into four main groups: alcohols, esters, aldehydes and acids.

In the following sections, I will look at each group individually.

Alcohols

They are derivatives of hydrocarbons containing one or more hydroxyl groups (OH). According to the number of hydroxyl groups contained in the molecule, alcohols are monoatomic (with one OH), diatomic (two OH), trihydric and polyhydric.

Braga contains monohydric alcohols and only one representative of trihydric alcohols - glycerin (it is non-volatile).

Monohydric alcohols have the general formula СnH2n+1OH.

According to the value of n, alcohols are divided into:

• The lower ones are methyl (methanol) CH3OH; ethyl (ethanol) C2H5OH; propyl C3H7OH and isopropyl C₃H₈O.

Almost all lower alcohols have a pronounced "alcoholic" smell. They mix well with water in any proportion.

• Medium alcohols

Butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl - the general formula is C4H9OH. Amyl - Amyl, isoamyl, etc. The general formula is C5H11OH.

Butyl alcohols smell like alcohol. Tert-butyl smells pleasantly of camphor. Isoamyl smells strongly of "fussy"

• Higher alcohols: hexyl (C6H14O), heptyl (C7H15OH), octyl (C8H17OH), nonyl (C9H19OH), etc.

Alcohols are the largest group of impurities - from 0.4 to 0.6% of the ethanol content. Alcohols with carbon atoms from C3 to C10 form fusel oils. They are called oils because they are poorly soluble in water and have an oily appearance. The basis of fusel oil is isoamyl (60-90%), isobutyl (8-27%) and propyl (3-20%) alcohols.

All alcohols, including ethyl alcohol, are poisons. The most dangerous of these is methanol. It is 80 times more toxic than ethyl! Taking only 10-15 ml of methyl alcohol leads to severe poisoning, loss of vision and, in most cases, death. The content of methanol in the mash depends on the raw materials from which the mash is prepared. Most of all it is in distillates from stone fruits - 3-4%. In sugar moonshine, methyl alcohol is absent (or rather, it happens there, but in very small quantities).

Also, isoamyl alcohol is more dangerous. It is poorly soluble in water, has a characteristic smell of "fussy" and is well felt in moonshine. But it is most of all in fusel oils!

Aldehydes

Aldehydes are the oxidation products of alcohols, in the molecules of which the COH group is present.

All aldehydes are poisons. The most dangerous is furfural. It is 80 times more toxic than ethanol! Moreover, GOST for rectified alcohol prohibits the presence of furfural, despite the fact that the presence of such a dangerous poison as methanol allows up to 0.03%. Nice smell of rye bread. It is not present in sugar mash. Most of all in acetaldehyde mash. regardless of the source material. They have a suffocating smell.

Some of the aldehydes smell unpleasant (those with 1 to 6 carbons) and some (over 6 carbons) have a pleasant floral scent.

Aldehydes have different solubility in water.

For more details about each component and how it affects the organoleptic properties of moonshine, see the table below.

acids

Braga contains volatile carboxylic acids. Acetic acid CH3COOH predominates. It is also possible the presence of pelargonic, capric, caprylic and other acids. Their presence depends on the raw material used. Acids boil at temperatures above 100 C. They dissolve differently in water. Most acids adversely affect the organoleptic qualities of moonshine - they give an unpleasant odor and bitterness. Acetic acid, on the contrary, softens the taste of alcohol.

For more details about each component and how it affects the organoleptic properties of moonshine, see the table below.

Ethers

Occurs when alcohols and acids interact. There are simple and complex. In mash obtained from any feedstock, acetic-ethyl ester is present in the largest amount.

Enanth esters are released from wine yeast during distillation.

Esters appear not only during fermentation and distillation, but are also introduced along with the raw materials from which the wort is prepared. Grape mash is very rich in these substances.

Esters have a pleasant floral or fruity aroma.

Table of impurities contained in Braga

Below is a table with a list of the main impurities associated with ethyl alcohol. It also indicates from what these components are formed and how they affect the organoleptics of moonshine.

The contraction of software is the threshold of sensation. Lines with elements negatively affecting the taste properties of the distillate are highlighted in red, positively in green. At first I wanted to arrange them as the boiling point increased, but then I realized that this was pointless. Why? Read the next section.

The table will enlarge if you click on it.

Table continuation. The picture is also clickable

Heads, tails and intermediate impurities

It is customary to divide the distillate into three fractions - heads, body and tails. Since you have reached this article, it means that you already know this well, but I will still remind you.

• Heads go first. These are mainly esters and aldehydes, so the heads are also called the ether-aldehyde fraction (EAF). They have a pungent odor. It is widely believed that the heads are impurities that have a boiling point below ethyl alcohol. Actually it is not.
• The body is a fraction consisting predominantly of ethyl alcohol. Exactly what we drink.
• Tails. Go at the end and have an unpleasant smell.

If everything were so simple, then we would pour into the sink everything that comes from the cube to the boiling point of ethyl alcohol, take it away and stop the distillation when the temperature exceeds 78.15 degrees. But there are two big BUTs (the second BUT is the biggest one):

1. All impurities begin to evaporate long before their boiling point. Tail fractions are present both in the heads and in the body, only in much smaller quantities. For example, water is present in large quantities in the distillate, although we never drive moonshine to 100 degrees cubed.
2. In a multicomponent mixture, the boiling point of an individual impurity fades into the background. The main role here is played by the evaporation coefficient of a particular impurity. Moreover, this coefficient is not constant and depends on the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the mixture. In other words, the same component (say, methyl alcohol) under different conditions can be both the head and tail fractions.

Summing up, we can say that there are head fractions that always come before ethanol, for example, acetaldehyde. There are tailings, such as furfural. And there are impurities whose behavior depends on the concentration of alcohol in the mixture. These factions are called intermediate.

I would like to note that such behavior is very unpleasant for us. It turns out that we selected the heads, changed the receiving container and proceeded to the selection of the body. After some time, the strength of the raw alcohol changed and some kind of muck, which, according to our ideas, should go in the tails for the most part, crawls forward and begins to go into the receiving container.

A typical representative of intermediate impurities is isoamyl alcohol, which is the basis of fusel oil.

This topic is very serious and deserves a separate article. I will write it in the near future.

Update from 07/16/17: The article on intermediate impurities is ready.

conclusions

1. The composition and amount of impurities in mash from different raw materials is different.
2. In sugar mash, there are almost no such potent poisons as methanol and furfural. The most dangerous here are acetaldehydes and isoamylol. At the same time, there are practically no components that positively affect the organoleptic. Therefore, boldly clean raw oil painting And coal.
3. Esters are present in grain and fruit and berry mashes, which give the drink high taste qualities. Such ethers must be passed into the distillate during distillation, while not letting in harmful impurities that spoil the organoleptic. This requires the development of a specific distillation process and skills acquired through experience.
4. The composition and quantity of impurities is affected by the quality of the feedstock, the process of fermentation and distillation. This once again confirms the already established rules - we introduce yeast nutrition, we provide optimal and constant fermentation temperature, comfortable hydromodule. We clarify sugar mash before distillation, preferably bentonite. We carry out the first stage as soon as possible.
5. Perhaps the most important conclusion- the order and concentration of the release of some components from the mash or raw alcohol does not depend directly on the boiling point of these impurities, but is characterized by an evaporation coefficient that depends on the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the mixture. The head fractions can go in the tails, and the tails in the heads. Moreover, the component can change its behavior during the distillation process as the ethanol evaporates.

Conclusion

Here are the conclusions I came to. This is just an introductory article that leaves more questions than answers.

In the future, I plan to study the issue of evaporation coefficient in more detail.

Processes of distillation of mash from various raw materials. Of course, the preparation of grain and fruit distillates is a kind of art that cannot be taught. But I think it is possible to develop some general recommendations. More precisely, they probably already exist - a huge amount of specialized literature has been released and there is a lot of useful, albeit scattered, information on the forums. It remains only to study it, group it and put it on the blog. Nothing at all

I hope this article will give rise to a very interesting series - I want to study the composition of mash made from various raw materials and determine some general rules for their distillation.

P.S. I would love to hear the comments of people who understand chemistry. Maybe someone will add something or correct me.

Bye everyone!