The benefits and harms of moonshine on the body for health. The undeniable harm and remarkable benefits of homemade moonshine

It is widely known that if you often use moonshine, the harm from it will be not only for the drinking person, but also for the people around him. This drink was invented a very long time ago. And it did not take long for moonshine to become one of the main drinks of the festive table. Today, in the villages, many people still make moonshine, using it for both drinking and medicinal purposes. Therefore, the benefits and harms of moonshine are often disputed.

1

To a greater extent, the benefits and harms of vodka and moonshine are determined by some substances that are always present in these drinks. Despite the fact that moonshine is made at home only from high-quality, natural products, toxic substances from it do not go anywhere. While the industry has already learned how to partially get rid of them, it is almost impossible to do this at home.

Making moonshine at home

Most people today argue about what is more harmful: moonshine or vodka. As a rule, it all depends on the quality of products and manufacturing technology. Both alcoholic beverages can be prepared in different ways. And the more complex the technology, the safer the drink will be.

So, if vodka was made strictly according to standards in good production conditions, then it will cause much less harm to the body even when consumed in large quantities than cheap moonshine. But sometimes on the shelves you can find bad vodka, after drinking which even a little you can feel a significant deterioration in health, while homemade moonshine will not have such a negative effect on the body. The conclusion is simple: both are harmful.

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2

The biggest harm to moonshine is fusel oils, which are contained in more or less quantities in such a drink. Fusel oils are commonly referred to as all related substances that are formed in the process in parallel with pure alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is not harmful to health, while oils include aldehydes, all kinds of harmful alcohols and substances of molecular origin. It is they who poison the body, which, with frequent use, can lead to paralysis, impotence in men, and a sharp deterioration in vision.

Fusel oils in moonshine

Fusel oils are found both in moonshine, which is made according to the correct recipe, and in a handicraft drink. Most people who brew moonshine find it to be much safer than store-bought vodka. However, this is not at all the case. As a rule, fusel oils in moonshine lead to an almost instantaneous loss of orientation in space, provoke long-term dizziness, headache and persistent hangover.

Such oils are easily identified by color and smell. As a rule, in a very bad moonshine, they are easily visible on the surface of the drink, as they have a reddish or greenish tint, somewhat reminiscent of light stains from gasoline. In addition, harmful moonshine has a very unpleasant odor, which is exactly what these oils cause. If the concentration of oils is very high, then the use of moonshine will not only lead to instant damage to the mucous membranes of the internal organs, but can also lead to death.

3

The greatest danger to health and even life can be caused by moonshine, which is bought from strangers. As a rule, they do not care who they sell such a drink to, the main thing is to get money for the goods.

Poor quality moonshine

Therefore, it is advisable to consider the main factors of the possible increased harmfulness of moonshine, which should make you think.

4

First of all, you should think about what is added to moonshine. As a general rule, it is always profitable for a beverage manufacturer to sell as little quantity as possible at a high price. And buyers naively think that if moonshine is expensive, it is very strong, quickly gives an effect. This is partly true, but at what cost the effect of intoxication is achieved - few people think about it.

The thing is that very often acetone or even burnt rubber is added to moonshine. The strong smell of alcohols interrupts the smell of these substances, which in no case should be ingested. Even a small dose of a drink with such dangerous impurities can seriously and dramatically damage the liver. And then it will be quite difficult to at least partially restore its functions. And for people with a weak heart, this generally carries a mortal danger. Manufacturers knowingly rely on the fact that the addition of these dangerous toxic substances will accelerate the intoxication of the body.

The deadly danger of bad moonshine

A more benign supplement is diphenhydramine. This is a drug that is distinguished by its sedative effect. When added to moonshine, its effect is enhanced. As a result, a person who drinks even a small amount of a drink with such a medicine turns off very quickly, the brain ceases to adequately perceive information. But the worst comes after waking up. A person develops a deep, long depression, indigestion, a terrible headache and dizziness. It usually takes a few days to recover at least a little.

The addition of diphenhydramine to moonshine enhances the effect of the drink, but can have a detrimental effect on the human body. The organs begin to deteriorate greatly, but the nervous system suffers most of all, since this drug is absolutely contraindicated to drink with alcohol.

5

A certain danger to the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys is also a poor-quality basis for fermentation. Ideally, moonshine is made from fresh fruit. But dishonest manufacturers in most cases spare good products, using rotten waste. When fermentation occurs, a rather unpleasant odor is observed. But then they add some fresh pear or apple and the drink starts to smell better.

Usually, the use of such moonshine puts a big burden on the kidneys and stomach, since the products are already rotten, there is practically nothing for the body to process. And an excess of toxins interferes with normal kidney function. But even worse, if there was some kind of infection in this rotten base. This can lead to severe poisoning of the body.

6

It is also necessary to understand that not all manufacturers of homemade moonshine observe or know the exact technology for the production of such a drink. In this case, special attention should be paid to the container and the process of evaporation of alcohols and oils.

Technology for the production of homemade alcohol

So, for the manufacture of relatively high-quality home-made moonshine, only glassware should be used, ideally silver-plated. But it's ridiculous to even think that people in rural areas with little income will adhere to these rules. Usually plastic or iron containers are used. And not only is it very rarely cleaned, but even in the process of making a drink, it reacts with alcohols when exposed to high temperatures. So moonshine is saturated with toxic substances from plastic, and metals are also oxidized, the products of which then fall into moonshine.

As for the evaporation process, not everyone adheres to the use of different dishes for individual fractions. During evaporation, methyl alcohol comes out first, then ethyl alcohol, and after that - the most harmful fusel oils. Ideally, only ethyl alcohol is suitable. But most manufacturers neglect this, putting everything in one vessel in order to maximize product savings.

Of course, it is very difficult, even unrealistic, to determine all this by the appearance or smell of moonshine. But here the internal organs will immediately feel the full load and harmfulness, expressing this subsequently with a sharp deterioration in well-being and disruption of the brain.

So, moonshine causes enormous harm to health. And despite the fact that some people still claim that this drink can bring benefits, this does not change anything. These are just myths that are created specifically to buy moonshine, and not store-bought liquor. The only benefit that moonshine can bring is external rubbing for the skin. After all, toxic substances will not harm here. And even then, provided that moonshine was produced in good faith.

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Sugar beet and others. The choice of raw materials depends on the locality and financial availability. The quality of the drink largely depends on the quality of the raw materials. The strength of the drink can vary between 30-40 rpm and above. In most countries, the production and sale of moonshine is punishable by law.

For centuries, people have been making moonshine. This drink became especially popular in Rus' during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Under him, royal taverns were opened, where the people, who especially distinguished themselves by their services to the tsar and the state, could drink for free "as much as they could scoop up at once." Also, this drink was widely used as a disinfectant and antiseptic during wars. In those days, there were many recipes for quality drinks based on moonshine. However, during Gorbachev's "dry law" many recipes and technologies were lost, and vineyards with breeding varieties were mercilessly destroyed.

To obtain a quality drink, you should adhere to a special technology, which consists of several main stages:

1. 1 Preparation of raw materials. For high-quality moonshine, you need good malt. Cereals must be germinated and the germination period for each crop varies from 5 to 10 days. This process is essential for the formation of active enzymes that are involved in the process of starch saccharification. The grain is poured with water in a ratio of 1: 2 and left. So that the water does not start to rot and ferment, it should be changed every 6-8 hours. After the appearance of the first sprouts, the water is drained, and the grain is laid out on a deck in a dark place with a constant temperature of no more than 17 ° C. When the sprouts have become 5-6 mm long, and the roots are 12-14 mm long, the germination process is completed. Sprouted grains are used to create malted milk.
2. 2 Fermentation. Yeast is used to start the fermentation process. They are soaked and placed in the prepared wort. In order for the yeast to fully fulfill its function (turn sugar into alcohol), it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of the mash (no more than 20 ° C). Too low a temperature will slow down the fermentation process, too high will kill the yeast and undigested sugar may remain. Fermentation continues as long as carbon dioxide is released. Therefore, a gas outlet pipe is removed from the container with mash into a bottle of water.
3. 3 Wash distillation carried out to isolate alcohols. For this, home-made distillation apparatuses and rectifiers are used. The distillation process has a special sequence and the need to comply with temperature conditions. First, there is an intensive heating of the mash to 68 ° C, as a result of which toxic fumes are released. Condensing vapors at the outlet form a "pervak". Such moonshine contains a large amount of toxic substances and is not even used for the preparation of lotions and compresses. Further, heating is performed less intensively to prevent the ejection of the mash. To obtain high-quality moonshine, the optimal heating temperature is 78-82 ° C. Exceeding the temperature leads to an increase in the release of fusel oils.
4. 4 Cleaning. At the output, moonshine, in addition to alcohol and water, also contains harmful impurities. For filtration, potassium permanganate, charcoal or activated carbon are most often used. These substances are added directly to moonshine and left until they completely settle to the bottom, then the drink is filtered through cotton wool.
5. 5 "Refining". To get rid of the characteristic smell of mash and give the drink color, artificial or vegetable flavors and dyes are added to the finished drink. Cinnamon, anise, mustard, cumin, cardamom, vanilla, nutmeg, chili pepper, black tea, saffron, parsnip, ginger, golden root, horseradish and others can be used as flavors. To sweeten moonshine, sugar syrup or liquid honey is used.

With the tightness of the container, the shelf life of moonshine is not limited. For these purposes, it is best to use glass bottles with a cork stopper.

Useful properties of moonshine

Moonshine in small doses, like alcohol, has medicinal properties. With colds, especially in the early stages, the use of 30-50 g of moonshine with red pepper helps well. You can also use a compress on the throat and chest area. To exclude the possibility of a burn on the skin, moonshine should be diluted with water. Moisten the gauze with the resulting liquid, put it on the throat and wrap it with a warm scarf. It is best to make a compress at night.
A quality drink can be used to treat peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum. You need to take moonshine for 1 tbsp. l. on an empty stomach in the morning.

Moonshine due to its strength can be used to disinfect wounds, scratches and bruises. This prevents infection and inflammation. The drink also has some analgesic properties. If you apply a cotton swab moistened with moonshine to the aching tooth, then the pain will pass for a while, which will make it possible to safely get to the dentist.

It is widely used for the preparation of medicinal tinctures.

Peppermint tincture is used to treat vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, scrofula, and rickets in children. To prepare it, you need to grind fresh peppermint and pour moonshine in a ratio of 1: 1 and leave to infuse in a dark place for 10 days. Take the finished tincture should be 15-30 drops diluted in half a glass of water.

Golden root tincture has many medicinal properties. To prepare it, you need to pour dried rhodiola root (50 g) with moonshine (0.5 l) and leave for a week in a dark, warm place. The finished tincture is used to treat angina (gargle with diluted water (100 ml) tincture (1 tsp)), heart disease (20 drops 3 times a day), chronic fatigue (10-15 drops 3 times a day).

Ginger tincture is used to treat bronchial asthma and reduced visual acuity. Fresh ginger (500 g) must be peeled, grated, poured into a vessel for tincture and poured with moonshine (1 liter) of high quality. In a warm place, let the tincture brew for 15 days, shaking thoroughly every other day. After the specified time, strain the tincture and allow the sediment to settle. Take a tincture of ginger 1 tsp. diluted in water (100 ml) 2 times a day.

The benefits and harms of moonshine are ambiguous, as it has both positive and negative effects on the human body. Proper preparation and limited use allows you to reveal all the beneficial properties of the national Russian drink.

The history of the appearance of moonshine

Moonshine appeared in Rus' a long time ago. According to some sources, it has been produced since the end of the 9th century. It became widespread five centuries later, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible - it was sold in taverns and pubs. Sources have also been preserved that testify to the healing properties of moonshine, for example, the Novgorod Chronicle (1533), in which the drink is called "infusion". Starting from the 19th century, the moonshine industry became official, in other countries of the world they began to produce similar products obtained by distilling mash.

Moonshine in different countries

Almost every world power has its own type of alcoholic drink, which is similar to moonshine. Only the technology of distillation and the raw materials used differ.

Not all types of similar products produced by other countries of the world are summarized in the table. There are many of them, each has its own characteristics.

Varieties of homemade moonshine

At home, you can prepare several types of this drink using a variety of raw materials.

1. Starch . The distillation technology based on grain crops is particularly complex and has many nuances. Despite this, many people try to get the product using cereals, as the result is a product with a noble taste and aroma.
2. Sugar . The production method using sugar and yeast is considered the simplest, and therefore the most popular: for every 5 liters of water, 1 kg of sugar and 100 g of yeast are added.
3. Fruits and berries . The finished drink will have a sweet fruit and berry aroma. The main issue in creating such moonshine is the determination of the amount of sugar in the raw material. The optimal sugar content is 25%. If it is less, you will have to calculate the amount of sugar that needs to be added. For example, a pear contains an average of 10% sugar, so for every 10 liters of crushed fruit, 1.5 kg of sugar is added.

Thanks to such a variety of raw materials, you can overtake moonshine of any type. The benefits and harms of homemade moonshine will directly depend on the quality of raw materials and technical nuances.

The chemical composition of moonshine

The exact chemical composition depends on the ingredients, but there are certain standards according to GOST, which are followed during cooking. Components allowed for use:

• cereal crops;
• vegetable raw materials;
• water is soft, purified;
• yeast;
• sugar,

There are also norms that cannot be exceeded (the drink will cause irreparable harm), they are summarized in the table.

Product calorie content: 235-290 kcal, so drinking moonshine is harmful for obesity.

What is useful moonshine

The benefits of the drink for human health have been proven and tested. Use in moderate dosages has a positive effect, namely:

• lowers pressure;
• cleans blood vessels from cholesterol deposits;
• prevents the appearance of stones in the gallbladder;
• reduces nervous tension, stress, normalizes sleep;
• removes toxins, disinfects the body.

Important! To get the maximum health benefits from taking moonshine, you need to follow the daily norms: 30 ml for women, 50 ml for men.

Medicinal tinctures on moonshine

The beneficial properties of moonshine are most pronounced if it is used in the preparation of medicinal tinctures.

Moonshine on hawthorn

Hawthorn tincture is a familiar liquid that is freely sold in pharmacies. You can make a similar remedy yourself at home. As an alcohol base, moonshine is great for making it. The benefits of hawthorn on moonshine are in no way inferior to the pharmacy version - it has the same properties.

The recipe for hawthorn tincture, with the addition of spices, implies the presence of the following ingredients:

• hawthorn fruits (dried) - 1 tbsp.;
• moonshine - 0.8 l;
• cinnamon stick - 1 pc.;
• vanillin - a pinch;
• honey - 1 tbsp. l.

Cooking:

1. If there are no dried hawthorn fruits, fresh ones can be used, but their number is doubled. Frozen berries are also suitable, you can not defrost them before cooking. They must first be cut.
2. The berries are poured into a container, a cinnamon stick is added and poured with an alcohol base. For insisting, the tank is cleaned in a dark place where the sun's rays do not penetrate. The holding period is 3 weeks. By the end of the specified time, the fruits of the hawthorn will give the color of the liquid, and they themselves will become pale yellow.
3. The infusion is filtered through a layer of gauze, the pulp is squeezed out and filtered again through cotton wool.
4. Vanillin is added to the warmed honey. The mixture is poured into the tincture, mixed and left to infuse for another week.
5. Moonshine tincture will have to be re-filtered, as when honey is added, a precipitate forms.

The use of hawthorn tincture is in the prevention and treatment of many diseases associated with the work of the heart. Its properties are manifested when:

• angina;
• ischemia;
• arrhythmias;
• heart failure;
• atherosclerosis;
• tachycardia.

Moonshine on walnuts

Walnut tincture has an exquisite aroma, rich color and beneficial properties.

Ingredients:

• moonshine - 3 l;
• partitions of walnuts - 2 cups.

Cooking steps:

1. Partitions should be selected from fully matured nuts. They are poured into a container, poured with an alcohol base.
2. The duration of infusion in a dark cool place is from 30 to 60 days. The first month the bottle is periodically shaken.

The tincture is suitable for a festive table. Soft, pleasant taste, cognac shade and amazing aroma will appeal to guests. It, like pure moonshine, benefits and harms the body, so the dosage should be small.

Moonshine on a dogrose

Moonshine on rose hips is an excellent tool for maintaining immunity and preventing beriberi. The tincture retains all the benefits of rose hips. To prepare it according to the classic recipe, you will need:

• rose hips - 0.5 kg;
• yeast (fresh) - 100 g;
• sugar - 4 kg;
• water - 7.5 liters.

Cooking steps:

1. Rosehips are cleaned, washed, put into a fermentation tank. Then add sugar, water, yeast.
2. After 3 months, the mash is ready. It needs to be distilled once without further purification.

If there is a ready-made drink available, you can prepare a rosehip tincture: 1 cup of fruit is poured into 0.5 liters of an alcohol base, 200 g of sugar are added. You need to insist in a dark room for about 1 month. After straining, the medicine is consumed a few drops daily.

Moonshine on pine nuts

The healing properties of moonshine on pine nuts are in the high content of calcium, which allows the drink to be used in the treatment of bone and joint diseases. Ingredients:

• pine nuts - 60 g;
• moonshine - 3 l;
• sugar - 50 g.

Cooking:

1. Preparation of nuts involves steaming them in boiling water for 5 minutes. The procedure is repeated twice. In this case, the shell is left on the kernels.
2. Sugar and nuts are added to the liquid base, mixed, left to infuse for 2 weeks.
3. After filtering, the drink is ready to drink.

Important! For cedar, you need to use a product that has been cleaned twice.

Moonshine on kalgan

For 1 liter of moonshine take 100 g of galangal root. Infuse the mixture for 2-3 weeks, filter. Tincture of galangal on moonshine has medicinal properties: it effectively fights diseases of the cardiovascular system, stomach, and nervous system. The benefits of the drink for men are the prevention and treatment of prostatitis and impotence. The benefits of galangal on moonshine and the specific taste made this tincture very popular.

What is harmful moonshine

Moonshine has not only useful properties, but also has a dark side: it contains fusel oils that are harmful to the body, and if not made correctly, the drink can poison a person and lead to death.

Fusel oils in moonshine

Fusel oils are an integral part of this drink, resulting from the fermentation of raw materials. It is this component that gives the drink a characteristic taste and aroma. Fusel oils (fusel oils) consist of harmful elements that poison the human body. Their concentration directly depends on the method and quality of beverage purification during manufacture.

Manufacturing errors

If you select high-quality raw materials and technologically competently make moonshine at home, then its taste will be mild, the aroma will be pleasant, and the color will be close to transparent. These indicators evaluate the quality of the drink. If any of them does not meet the requirements, then the concentration of harmful impurities of moonshine is clearly increased.

Hangover after drinking moonshine

A hangover is a severe consequence of yesterday's feast, which perfectly demonstrates the harmful effects of moonshine on the human body. It is noticed that the painful symptoms of a hangover occur with the unlimited use of this drink. It's all about the fusel harmful impurities of moonshine, which cause poisoning of the body, manifested in a hangover.

Is purchased moonshine dangerous?

Cooking at home allows you to get a pure natural drink. Purchased moonshine can be dangerous, sometimes carbide is used to clean it. The drink purified in this way has a blue tint. Its use is harmful and can be fatal.

How to make moonshine at home from sugar

The use of sugar as the main raw material allows you to get homemade moonshine in a simple way.

Step 1. Cooking mash

Braga is a specially prepared raw material as a result of fermentation, which will result in the preparation of moonshine.

1. Preparation of syrup is a long-term heat treatment of a mixture of sugar (6 kg) and water (3 l) over low heat. The duration of cooking is 1 hour. 10 minutes after boiling, 25 g of citric acid is added to the mixture. The syrup is cooled.
2. In a container, syrup is mixed with 18 liters of warm water. Yeast is activated and added to a common container. During the fermentation process, foam is released, which can flow out, so the container must be filled with ingredients to ¾ of the volume.
3. A water seal is installed on the container, transferred to a warm room with a temperature of + 26-32 C, where it is left to ferment for 10-14 days.
4. Braga is poured through a rubber tube into a new container and heated to +50 C. Then it is clarified with bentonite. For every 20 liters of mash, you will need 2.5 tbsp. l. powder. It is preliminarily diluted in a glass of warm water, after 15 minutes it is poured into the mash. The clarification process will take 1-1.5 days.

The last step is to carefully separate the liquid from the sediment.

Step 2. Distillation

Distillation is a process that directly affects the quality of the finished drink.

1. During the distillation process, it is necessary to separate the “heads” (300 ml) and “tails” (their strength is below 40%). The rest of the liquid is used in the future.
2. The composition is diluted to a strength of 20%, passed through a carbon filter.
3. Secondary distillation is based on the old principle of separating "heads" and "tails".
4. The finished drink is kept in a dark place for 4 days, after which it is tasted.

Making a drink at home with sugar is the easiest option.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of moonshine are due to its quality and daily dose of consumption. A properly made drink can be a real cure for various diseases, but its abuse will result in harm to the body. Therefore, it is impossible to accurately determine whether moonshine is useful or not.

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Moonshine is a classic of our Russian home winemaking. This unique drink, which is famous for its high strength, is also distinguished by its purity. Since the birth of “pure as a tear” home-made alcohol, disputes have not subsided in which the benefits and harms of moonshine are considered.

There are plenty of arguments on either side. But the truth is not born in discussions. So far, only one thing is clear - if moonshine is made competently and responsibly, then compared to some store-bought alcohol, it gives a significant head start. But do not forget about the harm of moonshine.

High-quality moonshine is better than other purchased vodka

At its core, moonshine is a whole group of strong alcohol, which is made from various raw materials containing sugar and starch. In the manufacture of moonshine, it is subjected to several stages of purification:

• clarification;
• filtration;
• infusion;
• adsorption using chemicals.

Homemade moonshine drink connoisseurs are divided into two general types. The classification is based on the preparation processes.

At its cost, moonshine is more profitable than vodka

Distillate

Moonshine is obtained in the process of evaporating pure ethyl alcohol from mash. The resulting distillate is necessarily distilled several times to obtain the purest products.

After the first distillation, home winemakers get raw alcohol, which contains a lot of harmful and toxic impurities. They are eliminated during subsequent distillations.

At the output of the distillation technology, alcohol with a strength of 89-93% is obtained. For oral use, this product is diluted with water up to 40-45%.

Rectified

This technology is based on the production of ethanol of the highest strength - up to 96% (it is simply unrealistic to get more on your own). Alcohol obtained after the first distillation (raw alcohol) is used for rectification.

In the process of this production from raw alcohol, all harmful suspensions are also removed - head / tail fractions. That is, a more accurate separation of toxins and toxic compounds into light / heavy residues is formed.

How does rectification work?

All of these methods can be used repeatedly. Home producers of alcohol achieve the best purification of the original raw alcohol from harmful and low-boiling toxic compounds.

What is moonshine made from?

Homemade strong alcohol is distinguished by its richness and variety of composition. From what just do not make moonshine! He can be:

• berry;
• grain;
• plum;
• sugar;
• mountain ash;
• fruit;
• corn;
• wheat;
• beet;
• grape;
• potato;
• fruit and berry;
• blended (mixed);
• cane (from cane sugar).

In addition to the main type of raw material, yeast, purified water and candied starch are used to make moonshine. Absolutely from any type of food raw materials you can get moonshine of excellent quality.

It is only necessary to monitor the literacy of the technological process. And also that the mash for primary distillation does not have too much toxic and dangerous impurities. .

Moonshine in different countries

Moonshine is a tradition of many countries that are completely different in their culture and worldview. Moreover, each district cultivates its own distinctive strong drink. The following types of moonshine are distinguished:

• Moldova: Rachiu;
• Hungary: Palinka;
• Lithuania: Samogonas;
• USA: Chicha casera;
• Finland: Pontikka;
• Belarus: Garelka;
• UK: Moonshine;
• Abkhazia, Georgia: chacha;
• France: Tord-boyaux;
• Poland: Samogon or Bimber;
• Germany: Schwarzgebranntes.

What harmful substances does homemade vodka contain?

The chemical composition of moonshine includes groups of monohydric alcohol compounds. Experts gave this grouping the code name "fusel oils". The composition of fusel oils is such that these substances have high boiling points. All fusel oils are potentially hazardous to human health.

What are fusel oils

With the technology of distillation of mash in order to purify moonshine from fusel oils, the method of rectification is the most effective.

In the production of homemade vodka, one should be extremely responsible and not deviate from the given technology. It is very important that in the chem. the composition of moonshine included a minimum of harmful compounds. And for this you should:

1. Use only high quality raw materials.
2. Do not regret and get rid of primary and residual distillations.

Only in this case it is possible to get rid of the presence of “fuel oil”, esters and aldehydes in the moonshine. It is these compounds that provoke various diseases of internal systems and mental health problems in a person.

Fusel oils in moonshine: harm or benefit

Connoisseurs moonshiners call "sivukha" "the soul of home-made alcohol." After all, it is “sivuha” that sets the strength, aroma, color and taste of moonshine. It also affects the strength of a possible hangover. People who are ignorant of moonshine believe that the presence of fusel oils in moonshine is undesirable - these compounds spoil the whole taste and have a detrimental effect on well-being.

The concentration of fusel oils directly affects the degree of hangover

But in reality, not everything is so clear. In the vast majority of cases, "sivuha" is simply vital to moonshine. And well-organized technological cleaning helps to get rid of possible negative consequences.

Fusel oils have an oily form. Their color varies from straw to reddish-brown, and the smell is rather repulsive.

"Sivukha" is formed as a result of distillation and alcoholic fermentation of the raw materials used for moonshine. These substances are also contained in any kind of alcoholic products (the purest rectified alcohol becomes an exception). You can see for yourself what a "sivuha" is. Just set fire to the unrefined moonshine in a spoon. The resulting residue of combustion, a foul-smelling substance, is the same fusel oil.

The composition of "sivukha" includes about 40-45 compounds. Experts conditionally divide them into two types:

1. Liquids with a boiling point lower than this indicator of ethanol (up to +78.4⁰С). These include acetaldehyde, butyric acetic ester and acetone.
2. Substances whose boiling point is higher than that of ethanol (from + 78.4⁰ C). This subgroup includes acetyl, alcohols (isopropyl, isobutyl, isoamyl and amyl).

Isoamyl alcohol (its chemical formula is C5H4OH) is considered to be the most dangerous component of "fussy". It contains about 60-65% of all fusel oils. If this substance in a concentrated form is on the skin, the affected area first itches and turns red, then becomes covered with a blistering rash. Various factors influence the concentration and multicomponent composition of "fusel oil":

• quality of raw materials;
• temperature regime of fermentation;
• type of yeast used in moonshine brewing;
• direct technology for the production of moonshine.

Fusel oils are present in every type of alcohol. In terms of purification, vodka is the cleanest and whiskey is the dirtiest. Eg:

But the problem lies in the fact that "sivuha" directly affects the taste sensations and characteristic individual properties (features) of alcohol. Without fusel oils, the same whiskey, cognac will simply become ordinary alcohol diluted with water, and the aroma and taste of beer / wine are deformed beyond recognition.

But the excess of "fusel" can not be called harmless to human health. What to do? Use only high-quality raw materials and do not violate all technological procedures for cleaning the mash.

Is moonshine useful

In principle, moonshine (good and clean), like any other high-quality alcohol and in small doses, brings calm to a person, with a simultaneous vasodilating effect. This is the usefulness of homemade vodka. Moonshine is able to mobilize the internal forces of the body so that the immune system adequately repels the impact of various viruses.

There are other arguments that speak in favor of a good home-brew. These are the following situations:

1. When buying alcohol, you can run into a surrogate and get poisoned by it.
2. Moonshine made at home is much cleaner and better than purchased vodka.
3. The entire technological process is strictly controlled. The cost of moonshine, even after the “cutting off” of the head / tail fractions, is much lower.

Summing up

As in most cases, the truth between the harm and usefulness of moonshine is located in the middle of two opposing sides. No one argues or denies that moonshine, like any drink containing ethyl alcohol, is harmful and detrimental to health.

But, with responsibility and strict observance of all technological conditions and quality control of home products with a composition (according to the content of fusel oils there), everything will be fine. Then 1-2 glasses of your "native" moonshine once a week will not only become harmless, but even beneficial to health.

Moonshine is a homemade strong alcoholic drink. Moonshine is a chilled vapor of ethyl alcohol, which is released during heating and prolonged boiling of the alcohol-containing mass. An alcohol-containing mass (braga) for the preparation of this alcoholic drink is obtained by fermenting potatoes, beets, sugar, cereals and other products that contain sugar or saccharified starch components.

The history of the appearance of moonshine

Initially, moonshine was not an intoxicating drink, but a medicinal infusion. In this sense, moonshine vodka is described in the Novgorod Chronicle of 1533. At that time, four varieties of moonshine were produced in Russia: Borskoye wine (a premium drink), double wine (moonshine vodka of a special strength), good wine and simple wine. Russian moonshine of the early nineteenth century was superior in quality to French cognac and English whiskey. This drink at that time was much more expensive than gold. Each noble estate had its own ways of making moonshine. Moonshine of the eighteenth-nineteenth centuries was nominal and did not have a commercial character.

It was with this drink near the Moscow Kremlin that the first tavern was opened. Only guardsmen (“royal dogs”) were allowed to visit him. At that time, for feats, they were awarded not with orders, but with the so-called royal ladle. The owner of such an award anywhere could drink as much moonshine free of charge as he could scoop into a ladle at a time.

The composition of moonshine

Raw materials are required for the manufacture of moonshine vodka. The composition of the drink primarily depends on the availability of raw materials in each particular region. Depending on the components, the following types of moonshine are divided: fruit or fruit and berry, potato, beet, grain. In addition to the main ingredient from which mash is prepared, home-made vodka includes water, sugar and candied starch. In the preparation of moonshine, sourdough in the form of yeast is also used.

100 grams of moonshine vodka contains 33.3 g of alcohol, 66 g of water, 0.1 g of ash, 0.1 g of mono- and disaccharides, 1 mg of potassium, 1 mg of calcium and 10 mg of sodium.

Types of moonshine

In the world drinking tradition, the following types of moonshine are distinguished: moonshine - American home-made vodka, chichi casera - moonshine made in Latin America, Schwarzgebranntes - German moonshine drink, Samogon or Bimber - Polish moonshine. The inhabitants of France came up with their own way of making moonshine called tord-boyaux. Latvians call this strong drink kandza, while Lithuanians call it samogonas.

The benefits of moonshine

Some connoisseurs of the drink claim that there are real benefits to homemade vodka made from old family recipes. It is believed that only 40-50 grams of moonshine with pepper will help to avoid colds. In folk medicine, there are many recipes for moonshine compresses and rubbing at elevated body temperature, joint pain, and colds.

In 1951, the American professor of cardiology White in the list of the best heart drugs put alcohol in second place after the drugs of the nitroglycerin series. According to American doctors, regular and moderate alcohol consumption, including moonshine, helps to strengthen the cardiovascular system, protects the walls of blood vessels from atherosclerotic lesions, and significantly reduces the risk of developing arthritis. Alcohol reduces the concentration of bad cholesterol in the blood plasma, increases the diameter of the coronary vessels and blocks their spasms, and also helps to reduce blood clotting.

Harm moonshine

However, the harm of moonshine for the human body is more obvious than the benefits. As a result of the distillation of the alcohol-containing mass, the so-called raw alcohol is formed, which contains a significant amount of side components (fusel oil, methanol) that cause irreversible permanent changes in the human body.

The composition of fusel oil includes toxic impurities - isoamyl, isopropyl alcohol and ethyl acetate. This oil causes convulsions, inhibits cellular respiration and affects the central nervous system. If all the toxic properties of ethyl alcohol are taken as one, then for this type of oil this value is nineteen.

Isoamyl alcohol is especially poisonous. When this alcohol gets on the skin, a burning sensation occurs, blisters form. Amyl alcohol inhibits brain activity, and isopropyl and propyl alcohols significantly inhibit the carbohydrate function of the liver.

Moonshine causes considerable harm to the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. With the systematic use of this drink in large quantities, the shell becomes thinner, which can lead to gastric bleeding and peptic ulcer disease. The liver, when the body is neutralized from the poison, is subjected to a significant load, therefore, the risk of developing cirrhosis of its cells increases.

Excessive use of moonshine reduces the body's defenses and contributes to the occurrence of infectious diseases - tuberculosis, lung abscess, bronchiectasis.

Intoxication caused by homemade vodka comes on very quickly, almost instantly, and lasts a very long time. Clouding of consciousness arising from excitement, passes into heavy sleep with headache on awakening.

Ways to make moonshine

Over the course of its long history, moonshine has been made in various ways. Until our time, the so-called "artisanal or home-made moonshine", made on a home-made apparatus, has remained popular. There is also industrial production of this alcoholic beverage. However, it is believed that commercially produced moonshine vodka cannot be compared in taste and quality with its artisanal counterparts.