Vodka burns with a blue flame. The desired strength of moonshine and methods for determining it without an alcohol meter

Since the times of the USSR, many of our citizens have been accustomed to checking the quality of vodka and moonshine by setting it on fire. Indeed, good vodka should burn. But to properly check the drink, you need to know some features, otherwise even the highest quality product will seem like a fake.

Let's start with some school chemistry. Theoretically, vodka consists of only two components: alcohol and water. But in practice, the composition will necessarily contain third-party impurities (fusel oils, esters, etc.), their concentration depends on the degree of purification. Water and impurities do not burn.

When ignited, not all vodka burns, but only alcohol vapors. The higher the concentration of alcohol, the more intense the burning will be. But before lighting the vodka, it is necessary to warm it up to room temperature so that the alcohol begins to evaporate. Another rule is to take a container with a large open surface, such as a lid, spoon or saucer. This will ensure a constant supply of oxygen.

Unlike gasoline, vodka does not quickly ignite. It burns with a light blue flame near the surface without generating much heat. Flame intensity and color saturation depend on the concentration of alcohol. If it is not enough, the fire will be barely noticeable and will quickly go out. You should also consider the presence in the formulation of other substances that can block the evaporation of alcohol, preventing combustion.

It has been practically established that vodka starts to burn if it contains more than 30 degrees of alcohol. But a normal flame can only be seen in a drink whose strength is above 40 degrees.

Attention! A green flame indicates methyl alcohol, drinking such a liquid is deadly.

You can distinguish good vodka from a fake in the following way: pour a little of the studied drink into a saucer or spoon, heat it up to 20-30 ° C, set it on fire with a match. If there is no flame, this is a sign of poor quality.

When a fire appears, you need to wait until it goes out on its own. The remaining liquid is then examined. It should be transparent and not have a sharp unpleasant odor. Only water should remain. If an oily liquid has formed at the bottom, there are third-party impurities in front of you, the fewer of them, the better.

Not only vodka is on fire, but also other strong alcoholic drinks, such as cognac, whiskey, sambuca and absinthe. But for checking their quality, ignition is ineffective. The fact is that due to the complex composition of these drinks, the products of their combustion cannot be analyzed at home. The remaining liquid is always cloudy and smells unpleasant.

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Any person who at least once in his life went on vacation to the village knows perfectly well that the quality of moonshine and other alcoholic beverages is checked by setting it on fire. But why is it like this? Should vodka burn?

Where did the verification come from and why is it needed?

The burning of strong alcoholic beverages has been known to our compatriots for so long that no one even remembers the history of its appearance. “Trial by fire” for strong alcoholic beverages is used mainly by distillers.

Ignition helps not only to determine the theoretical strength and purity of the product, but also to divide it into fractions. In the latter case, the method is a real lifesaver if there is no alcohol meter at hand.

If cognac, moonshine or vodka burns well, but emits an unpleasant and pungent odor, this indicates impurities that are hazardous to health. Drinking such a product is strictly not recommended.

Vodka as it is

A good one should really burn beautifully. However, in order for the quality control of the drink to be truly correct, some subtleties must be observed.

From the school chemistry course, several facts are known related to both vodka and alcohol. Theoretically, it should consist of two components: distilled water and alcohol. But this is only in theory. In practice, the drink often contains a large amount of impurities (esters, fusel oils, etc.). The degree of their concentration directly depends on the quality of alcohol purification.

Is vodka on fire? It burns and doesn't burn. Water and other impurities, which make up the lion's share of the composition, cannot burn. Only alcohol vapors and essential oils light up, and the higher their concentration, the stronger, brighter and longer the burning.

How to check the quality of alcohol?

When checking, you should follow a few simple rules:

1. Well-chilled vodka (even the highest quality) will never burn. Any drink must be warmed up to a temperature above forty or fifty degrees before being set on fire.
2. Vodka will never catch fire without free access to oxygen. A bottle or decanter will not work for testing. Use a spoon, saucer and any other similar container.
3. When igniting, remember: vodka is not alcohol in its pure form and not gasoline. It does not ignite immediately, does not burn with a clear flame, and sometimes it takes a little effort.
4. An even, relatively short-lived blue flame indicates high-quality alcohol.
5. Many do not know at what degrees vodka burns. If the vodka ignited, but did not burn for long and not too well, this is not an indicator of a quality drink. The practice of craftsmen found that the drink starts to burn at a strength of 30 degrees.
6. It is strictly forbidden to drink vodka that burns with green fire! Such a flame indicates the presence of harmful impurities of methyl alcohol, which are deadly to humans.
7. The liquid remaining after burning - water - should remain transparent in color without an unpleasant and even more pungent odor.

Sambuca VS vodka: which burns better and why?

Often inquisitive connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages may wonder why an Italian drink burns better than a domestic product. The degrees are almost the same.

Indeed, the strength of both drinks is about the same, but the composition is not. Moreover, vodka burns much worse than the French Cointreau liqueur. Few have heard of the latter in its purest form. This is the top - burning - layer of the B-52 cocktail.

Its strength is much less than vodka and sambuca. What is the reason? Sugar syrup? Not at all. Such a bright and enviable flame gives a high concentration of essential oils in the drink.

Some interesting facts about the strength of alcohol

Sometimes store-bought vodka burns badly, not because of a marriage or dishonesty of the manufacturer, but because of improper storage of the product in a warehouse or store. The contents of a clear glass bottle that has been left in direct sunlight will inevitably lose its strength.

A glass of vodka left on the table from evening to morning will lose its strength. The same will happen with a leaky sealed decanter and bottle. Even the smallest contact of alcohol with oxygen will affect the quality of the drink.

Infusion of alcoholic beverages in an oak barrel favorably affects not only the taste, aroma and color, but also the strength. The liquid, which is cool, dark and without access to oxygen, gradually gains strength over time. Ripens.

Should vodka burn?

If the vodka is cold (taken out of the refrigerator), then it may not catch fire, but it should when heated, since alcohol is combustible. It is the same with moonshine, but moonshine should light up faster, since normal moonshine becomes stronger than vodka. The strength of vodka is 40%, and moonshine - 60%.

Vodka, which is sold in many stores, will not burn, as they are usually on the shelves (at the same time, the temperature is not more than 23 degrees).

Vodka should burn only when it is heated up to 40 degrees and above.

For an experiment, you can try, but be careful and take only a small amount.

I'm not sure exactly how much, but we determined this, at room temperature: Less than 30 degrees, vodka cannot be set on fire in a spoon; more than 30 degrees, burns uncertainly, flashes, goes out; 40 degrees or more, burns normally; more than 50 degrees, it burns well and if you slowly pour it from a spoon onto the floor, it reaches the floor without going out and continues to burn on the floor.

By itself, vodka does not burn and should not burn. Alcohol vapors burn over vodka. If the vodka has a normal alcohol concentration of 40%, then the vapor above it MUST burn! This is due to the fact that the concentration of alcohol vapor over vodka is directly related to the concentration of alcohol in the vodka itself.

If vodka is diluted, the concentration of alcohol vapor above it is lower and they will not burn.

According to the idea, it should, since vodka contains alcohol, and alcohol, as you know, burns. Only the amount of alcohol in vodka does not always correspond to GOST. If we take Soviet times, alcohol was 40%, now it is about 38%.

It is believed that if you set fire to vodka and it catches fire, then this is high-quality vodka, not a fake. If the vodka is chilled, then it will not burn, and if it is at room temperature, then the alcohol vapors in it will light up when ignited. If the alcohol concentration is low, then the light will be dim, weak and will quickly die out.

Vodka starts to burn if it is heated a little (30-40 degrees). Alcohol vapors evaporate and it can be easily set on fire. And cold vodka does not burn or burns very barely. This is understandable, because it contains most of the water, and alcohol burns.

Alcohol is a hot, flammable substance. Vodka, as you know, consists of alcohol and water, in a ratio of 40 to 60. At a 40% concentration, alcohol vapors burn uncertainly, but still burn. But, vodka doesn't owe anything to anyone.

If you take the vodka out of the refrigerator, it will not burn, but if you preheat the vodka and set it on fire, then in this case, due to the fact that the vapors evaporate, the vodka will start to ignite. As for moonshine, if it has more than 50 degrees, then it burns brightly enough.

Information about the ignition temperature of vodka is of interest to those who do not know how to check the quality of an alcohol-containing liquid. If you know at what degree vodka burns, you can use a lighter to determine the strength of the product.

The fire test helps determine how much ethanol is in the product and how strong the alcohol is. After such a check, the distiller knows for sure whether a second distillation is necessary with the separation of "heads" and "tails". When ignited, it is possible to determine not only the strength of the liquid, but also its purity. A drink with a large amount of impurities does not give fire. A mash with a high content of fusel oils and a low strength does not flare at all before distillation.

At what degree does vodka burn

It is important to understand that low-quality alcohol also emits an odor when burned. If it is unpleasant and sharp, then drinking such a drink is not recommended.

We set fire to moonshine

At what degree? Not less than 20°.

First you need to understand that it is not alcohol or vodka that flares up, but alcohol vapors. Therefore, a drink at room temperature is necessary for ignition, since ethanol does not evaporate from the freezer in vodka, which means that there will be no combustion. It is necessary to set fire to the test drink in a container with a wide neck. It can be a spoon, a plate. You can also dip a paper napkin into the vodka and try to set it on fire.

If the drink being tested is clean and contains 40% alcohol, then the burning will proceed evenly. The flame is blue, does not go out, generates little heat. If the moonshine flame is interrupted and constantly goes out, this means that the strength of the product is less than 40 degrees.

The product is also checked by combustion during fractional processing. "Tails" are taken as long as the drink is burning. The complete cessation of burning is an indicator indicating that the fortress has fallen to 15 degrees.

When ignited, not only the color of the flame is noted, but also the amount of remaining liquid. If everything burns out from the spoon to the end, then the strength of the distillate is above 80 °.

The color of the fire, as well as the smell, will give out the presence of harmful impurities. If the liquid burns with a green flame, it contains methanol, which is the strongest poison, 80 times more dangerous than ethanol. The increased content of methanol in alcohol provokes poisoning with severe consequences (deafness, blindness and even death).

What affects the concentration of alcohol?

In order to change the color of the flame of vodka or moonshine, it is necessary to influence the characteristics of the drink. If the moonshine becomes purer and the alcohol concentration rises, this will result in an even blue color of the flame when tested. But it happens that high-quality alcohol suddenly stops burning normally. This means that the amount of ethanol has decreased. The reasons are as follows:

Bad tightness. In this case, alcohol comes into contact with air, and the strength of the product gradually decreases.

Herbs and berries that can be used to make tinctures. Natural raw materials in this case can reduce the fortress or, conversely, raise it.

Tara stands in the sun. Direct sunlight lowers the alcohol level, but storage in barrels, on the contrary, helps to increase the degree of the drink over time.

The higher the concentration of alcohol, the more evenly the flame will burn, and the more drink will burn out of the spoon.

Not everyone has an alcohol meter at home, and it is sometimes necessary to determine the concentration of alcohols. In this case, you need to use the simplest chemical experiment with the ignition of a liquid. An even strong flame that does not go out and is not interrupted is a sure sign of high-quality vodka.

Even in the Soviet Union, people tested the quality of vodka by setting it on fire. And, really, genuine vodka should burn. But in order for your experiment to go right, you need to know a few simple rules, otherwise even the highest quality product will turn out to be a fake.

Let's remember the school curriculum in chemistry. Theoretically, the white one should consist of two ingredients: water and alcohol. But in fact, there are other components in the composition, such as essential and fusel oils. Their concentration depends on the level of purification. Only alcohol will burn, but water and various impurities will not.

During ignition, it is not vodka that burns, but the vapors of alcohol in its composition. The stronger the alcohol, the stronger the combustion process will be. Before setting fire to vodka, it must be heated to room temperature in order for the alcohol to evaporate.

You need to pour vodka on a saucer, spoon or lid so that there is a large open surface. This will ensure a constant supply of oxygen.

Vodka slowly lights up. It burns, as a rule, with a light blue flame, and does not emit much heat. The saturation of the fire and its color depends on the strength of the alcohol. If the fortress is low, the flame will be barely noticeable and will go out very quickly. Do not forget that vodka contains components that prevent alcohol from evaporating and prevent combustion.

It has been proven that vodka burns if it contains more than 30 degrees of alcohol. A good flame can be seen in a drink if its strength is more than 40 degrees.

Be carefull! If you observe a green fire, this indicates that the drink contains methyl alcohol. Drinking such a drink is life-threatening. You can determine good vodka or a fake if you use this method: warm the drink to room temperature, pour a little on a saucer or lid and set it on fire with a match. If no fire is observed, then the drink is of poor quality.

If the liquid burns, you must wait until it goes out and you can study the remaining liquid. The drink should be clear in color and not emit an unpleasant odor. If an oily liquid appears at the bottom, it means that third-party additives are present in vodka, the fewer of them, the better.

As you know, not only vodka has the property of burning, but also other strong alcoholic drinks, such as absinthe, sambuca, cognac, whiskey. But to check their quality, conventional ignition is not suitable. These drinks have a complex composition, and you will not be able to check the quality of the drink at home. The liquid that remains is always cloudy and has an unpleasant odor.