How to filter moonshine at home. Cleaning moonshine from fusel oils with soda. How to eliminate bad odor

When making homemade alcohol, it is impossible to avoid obtaining secondary products from the processing of raw materials into alcohol - the so-called. fusel oils. These include propyl, isopropyl amyl and isoamyl alcohols, acetaldehyde, furfural. These chemicals negatively affect the body, causing headaches, hangovers, and poisoning after drinking homemade alcohol that has not been thoroughly purified. It is possible to remove fusel oils from moonshine using folk methods involving the use of improvised means or specialized equipment.

What are fusel oils

This name is given to a whole group of substances obtained during the fermentation of starchy or fruit raw materials. IN pure form They have an oily consistency and a bitter, pungent odor. Alcoholic drinks that have not been properly purified contain these toxic high-molecular compounds that have a negative effect on the body. The largest amount of toxins contains moonshine after the initial distillation. Their presence can be easily recognized by the pungent odor of acetone.

When consuming poorly cleaned fusel, toxins very quickly enter the bloodstream, placing a heavy load on the liver, which is trying to filter them out and remove them. Even a small amount of harmful impurities that make their way through the natural purification processes in the human body causes a severe hangover. Having drunk a low-quality product with a high content of toxins, a person provides himself with a sharp headache and intestinal problems. Constant consumption of low-grade fusel leads to cirrhosis of the liver and kidney problems.

Purification of moonshine from fusel oils is a mandatory process for the production of alcohol, without which it will be unfit for consumption. In industrial production, large distillation columns equipped with reflux condensers are used for purification, separating harmful impurities from alcohol vapors. The process of alcohol rectification at home is carried out using a hand-assembled or purchased moonshine still. It does a good job of neutralizing toxins, but the process can be improved by using improvised means in the following stages:

  1. Fermentation. To reduce the content of toxins in the finished mash, increase the process temperature to 30 degrees.
  2. First distillation. Vegetable oil cleaning is used, which successfully captures all toxins, which can then be removed with charcoal.
  3. Second distillation. After the final cutting off the so-called. heads and tails are often used thermal cleaning. The raw materials are brought to a temperature of 70-73 degrees, at which fusel oils begin to evaporate. The disadvantage of this method is a slight loss of strength.
  4. The final stage. The final purification of the finished product is also called fining and is used in wine production. Often used for this process white clay, milk, egg whites.

Freezing

The simplest ancient method of neutralizing toxins is based on the use of temperature differences at which a change in the state of aggregation of substances contained in raw materials occurs. Well suited for preliminary and final cleaning of the product. The essence of the method is that when the moonshine is strongly cooled, the alcohol will remain in a liquid state, and the water will freeze on the walls of the container, capturing some of the toxic substances. Here's how to clean moonshine from the smell of fusel oils:

  1. Pour the product into a glass container and cover with a layer of gauze on top.
  2. Cool to low temperature. Keep the jar refrigerated for 3-4 hours. Allow the water to freeze completely and form a layer of ice on the walls of the container.
  3. If desired, repeat the process 1-2 times, after diluting the product slightly with distilled water.

Activated carbon

Purification of moonshine and improvement of its taste is effectively carried out using a natural absorbent - activated carbon. This substance perfectly absorbs toxins and easily captures aldehydes and essential oils. This method of detoxification can be carried out at all stages of distillation and preparation of moonshine without loss of effectiveness. Remember that after absorbing harmful impurities, coal after a short time (3-4 hours) begins to actively give them back, again saturating the pervak ​​with fusel oils. Cleaning steps:

  1. Take activated carbon tablets (3-4 g/liter) or plain charcoal for the barbecue. Grind them into a fine powder.
  2. Pour into a container with moonshine, stir thoroughly.
  3. Let it brew for 2-3 hours.
  4. Filter the carbon sediment through cotton wool or folded gauze.
  5. Alternatively, you can use carbon water filters. Just pass the moonshine through them 2-3 times.

Potassium permangantsovka

A very popular method of purifying moonshine is the use of potassium permanganate in the form of crystals or a medical solution. Remember safety precautions: crystalline potassium permanganate is a very caustic substance that can cause severe chemical burns on the skin. The essence of the method is that potassium permanganate, being a strong oxidizing agent, reacts with aldehydes and essential oils.

Potassium permanganate dissolves in moonshine and causes a solid sediment to form from the reacted fusel, which is simply removed by filtration through gauze. Remember that this method is only suitable for moonshine that has not undergone final purification. During the last distillation, potassium permanganate will go into the settling tank. The detoxification process is carried out as follows:

  1. Add crystals or a solution of potassium permanganate to the moonshine before the final distillation at the rate of 2-3 grams of active substance per liter.
  2. Let the alcohol sit, stirring it every hour.
  3. Remove solid sediment using cotton wool or gauze.

Egg white

Organic substances easily react chemically with each other. Likewise, egg white reacts well with many toxins contained in unrefined moonshine. It copes especially well with the removal of aldehydes, which have a detrimental effect on the human liver. This method is used strictly until the final distillation of the drink. The process should be carried out as follows:

  1. Break raw chicken eggs (1 pc/5 liters), separate the whites from the yolks.
  2. Beat the whites thoroughly until foamy.
  3. Add to the alcoholic raw material, stir thoroughly several times until small white flakes fall out.
  4. Repeat the process 1-2 times for better results.
  5. Filter the sediment through cotton wool or gauze.

Dairy

Like egg whites, dairy products contain substances that can react with fusel oils, forming a solid precipitate. For this method, plain and powdered milk, kefir, and fermented baked milk are suitable. This purification method should be used prior to the final distillation stage to avoid the introduction of unnecessary off-odors. Here's how detoxification is done using powdered milk as an example:

  1. Dilute the milk powder with water (7 g/liter) and stir until no lumps remain.
  2. Pour the liquid into the container with moonshine and stir.
  3. This cleaning process takes the longest: leave the container to sit for a week.
  4. Filter the resulting precipitate through cheesecloth.

Soda

Simple baking soda also reacts well with fusel oils, precipitating. This purification technology is used before the second distillation of the drink. To detoxify with soda, stir in moonshine, maintaining a concentration of 10 g/liter. Leave the resulting solution to settle for 8-10 hours. Filter the precipitate through a layer of gauze, cotton pads or a carbon water filter.

Hibiscus

You can clean the mash before the initial distillation stage using hibiscus tea or orris root. The method works due to the presence of acids in these plant components, which bind fusel oils, causing them to fall out as a solid sediment at the bottom of the container. Here's how lightening is done:

  1. Pour dry hibiscus petals (hibiscus tea) or violet root (2 tbsp/liter) with water.
  2. Bring the liquid to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove the flowers and pour the broth into the mash.
  4. Leave the mixture to settle for a day. Next, you can begin distillation.

Bentonite

Clarifying the drink with white clay has long been a well-known folk method. Before you use it to clean moonshine from fusel oils, figure out where to get bentonite from. An excellent option is to buy a special powder designed to clarify alcohol. An alternative could be cat litter containing bentonite or building clay. Do not use natural clay unless necessary: ​​it is unknown what impurities it contains. Cleaning is done as follows:

  1. Grind the mineral to a powder.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of clay per 5 liters of mash, stir.
  3. Wait until the bentonite swells and precipitates.
  4. Filter the drink through cheesecloth.

Refined oil

The mash can be easily cleaned using simple store-bought vegetable oil. This happens because alcohol and water do not mix with it, unlike fusel milk. To lighten the drink according to this recipe, add an arbitrary amount of refined oil to it and seal tightly with a lid. Next, shake the container vigorously 8-10 times at intervals of 5-10 minutes so that the drops of oil capture the fusel.

Tannins

This purification is used in the production of cognac. When it is infused in oak barrels, the special natural tanning agent tannin, which the wood contains, captures and binds toxin molecules, thereby neutralizing the drink. You can clarify alcohol in this way at home as follows:

  1. Collect oak bark and cut it into small chips (5-8 g/liter).
  2. Boil it over high heat for 5-10 minutes to disinfect.
  3. Add the shavings to the mash and leave to settle for 1-2 weeks, tightly sealing the container with a lid. In order for the drink to acquire a beige color and a woody taste, leave it to brew for another 2-3 months.
  4. Open the container and remove the bark.

How to clean mash

Before starting the distillation process, it is better to first clean the prepared mash from fusel oils in order to make your work easier during distillation in advance. All methods of clarifying a fermented mixture also involve the forced cessation of the yeast life process. Before starting cleaning, be sure to degas the mash by stirring it thoroughly. This will remove excess carbon dioxide and finally stop fermentation. The following substances and components are used for clarification before distillation:

  • bentonite;
  • hibiscus, hibiscus flowers;
  • Filka root;
  • gelatin;
  • dairy products;
  • egg whites.

Moonshine still with purification from fusel oils

To make moonshine at home, standard moonshine stills are used, equipped with all the necessary components for distillation, distillation and purification of the drink. The device has the following device:

  1. Distillation cube. Here the mash is heated and divided into fractions. The volatile evaporated components pass on, but the impurities remain.
  2. Steamer. The element, also called a settling tank, is intended for intermediate purification of alcohol vapors from fusel. It catches some of the heavy compounds, which are drained into a special container.
  3. Fridge. Here, the alcohol vapor condenses due to the reduced temperature and enters the distillate container.

Distillation

During cyclic distillation of alcohol, liquids are formed that are given the following names: head, body, tail. They vary greatly in composition, which is explained by the difference in the degree of their purification. The most harmful and toxic part is the so-called. moonshine head. At high concentrations, the drink is very intoxicating, has a detrimental effect on the body, and causes a severe hangover. Find out how these three factions differ.

  1. Head. The most toxic part, also called “pervak”. The product obtained after the first distillation. Contains the largest amount of fusel oils.
  2. Body. Raw alcohol, the main part of the drink containing ethyl alcohol.
  3. Tail. Waste collected by the steam tank. Contains aldehydes and essential oils.

Filtration

To obtain a high-quality drink, it must be cleared of impurities remaining after distillation and intermediate detoxification. The final purification of moonshine is called clarification. Bentonite, egg white and activated carbon are better suited for this purpose: they have the least impact on the organoleptic qualities of the final product.

Infusion

This process is used to obtain aromatic tinctures with a pronounced taste and smell. What taste the final product will have depends on what it was insisted on. To carry out this process, fruits, juicy berries, vegetables, aromatic and simple medicinal herbs are often used. The duration of infusion may vary for different products used. Thus, the German Jägermeister liqueur is aged for up to 12 months, and cherry liqueur can be prepared in a few weeks.

How to identify fusel oils in moonshine

The presence of these toxins in a drink is very easily determined by its organoleptic characteristics. Pure moonshine, containing a large amount of toxins, has a slightly viscous consistency and a whitish tint. It is easy to distinguish fusel from a high-quality drink by the sharp unpleasant odor of acetone and aldehydes (the latter are close in smell to medical formaldehyde). Remember that the use of the so-called Pervaka has a negative effect on the kidneys, liver, and can cause serious poisoning.

Video

Moonshine is one of the favorite drinks of village (and not only) residents. Almost every village has long kept the secrets of preparing this strong intoxicating drink, passing down from generation to generation the “highlights” invented by their ancestors and time-tested. Among them, for example, is this secret: how to purify moonshine from fusel oils. This is what concerns the criterion of the benefits and harms of “pervach” for human health. But first, let's talk about how to remove the smell from moonshine.

Unpleasant to the smell

It should be noted that almost any neophyte in the moonshine business is faced with the problem of an unpleasant odor, even with the soul of the distilled drink. It is caused by fusel oils formed during primary distillation. There’s no escape from this and, believe me, you shouldn’t get too upset about it! After all, our folk craftsmen have long come up with several simple and quite effective methods to help clean moonshine at home. We will consider only the most popular ones, but in fact there are a great many of them, to suit every taste, as they say.

How to clean moonshine with potassium permanganate?

To implement this method, we take three liters of a ready-made, freshly distilled drink (but, as already mentioned, with an unpleasant odor). Add up to three grams of manganese powder (sold in pharmacies) to moonshine. We are waiting for the sediment to fall. Usually this happens quite quickly. To speed up the process, close the jar of moonshine with a lid and shake several times. You can also place the dish itself with the cloudy liquid - not yet cleaned - in a water bath at a low temperature (fifteen minutes will be enough). After all the procedures, filter the moonshine through cheesecloth. Pour into bottles. Use in moderation!

How to clean homemade moonshine with soda?

This is another method popular among the people. Because it's simple and cheap! So, for one liter of drink, add ten grams of regular soda (sold in any grocery store), mix, and leave for half an hour. After this, mix again and leave in a dark place for ten to twelve hours. During this time, our muddy substance stratified. Now carefully drain the top layer. We also carefully remove the sediment formed at the bottom of the dish. We pour the middle part into bottles and drink. It must be said that soda will perfectly remove the fusel oils themselves, which cause unpleasant odors.

Orris root

Used for cleansing mainly in rural areas where this flower grows. But the fact is that the healing root can now be purchased at any herbal pharmacy, so this process is significantly accelerated. So, we take one hundred grams of crushed violet root per three liters of unrefined moonshine and leave it in a dark, warm place for twelve days. We filter. The drink is ready!

Freezing

This method is traditionally simple and quite cheap because it only requires a refrigerator (rather, the freezer compartment of this household kitchen appliance). We take metal utensils ( good quality, without impurities) or glass containers. We pour our moonshine there and put it in the freezer. The effect is simple: water, along with harmful impurities, will freeze to the edges of the dish, but the moonshine itself will not. After the water has completely frozen, the moonshine can simply be poured into another container. By the way, in some villages, quite large batches of moonshine were historically purified this way. all year round, using specially designed underground glaciers, where ice or snow remained until late autumn.

Carbon filter

How to clean moonshine from fusel oils using charcoal obtained from birch? To do this, grind the main ingredient into powder. We wrap the coal in several layers of gauze and pass the moonshine through this filter. Moreover, we warn you: activated charcoal in tablets is not suitable for high-quality cleansing. It is produced from animal bones, and it can only absorb large molecules of harmful oils, without completely purifying the product, leaving Not nice smell.

Double distillation technology

Repeated distillation of the pervacha significantly purifies the drink, greatly improving both quality and taste. This “clean as morning dew” product is popularly called “double”. It is especially valued, since it is much more useful in its qualities than the “single” one. Its preparation, however, will take a little more time, but the result is a pure, crystalline distillate without foreign odors or impurities. By the way, almost any moonshine can be distilled a second time, even regardless of the raw materials and how long ago it was produced. Note that a drink that has been kicked out for a long time can be “ennobled” in this way. First, the moonshine must be diluted to about thirty-five degrees (measured with an alcohol meter) with plain, clean, cool water. If you try to distill a stronger substance, this may result in the moonshine still catching fire due to the high concentration of alcohol vapor. Moreover, strong moonshine has a fairly strong molecular connection with fusel oils. As a result, double distillation will not give the desired result.

Secret: it is very important to pour water into moonshine, and not, on the contrary, moonshine into water. This way the resulting liquid will not become cloudy. Before distillation itself, the source must be cleaned. You can choose any of the methods listed above in the article. For example, cleaning with manganese solution, soda or charcoal. After cleaning, strain the resulting liquid through a filter made of cotton wool and gauze. The secondary distillation itself is practically no different from the initial distillation. However, it is important to separate the fractions of the resulting moonshine at the exit. The “heads”, the first ten percent of the distillate, cannot be drunk! They are also identified by their unpleasant, fetid odor. The next part, about eighty percent, is the “body.” It is collected until the strength drops to forty-five degrees. The remaining faction is the “tails”. It is also not recommended to drink, but can be used to add to the next mash to increase the degree. The resulting moonshine with a strength of up to seventy degrees no longer requires additional purification. All that remains is to dilute it to 40-45 degrees in a consistency favorable for drinking the drink.

"Milk" cleaning method

People often ask: “How to clean moonshine from fusel oils with milk?” There are two methods, and if you use them correctly, you can get a drink of special purity!

First: add milk directly to the mash until it distills. So, you need to mix five liters of mash and one liter of milk. Proceed with distillation. Drive out slowly, with special passion. During the first distillation, a cloudy precipitate is sometimes observed. Then the drink is distilled again.

Second: how to clean moonshine with milk? A glass of milk is added to one liter of prepared moonshine. It collapses and absorbs various harmful elements. After the milk has curdled, the drink is filtered and additionally filtered using charcoal (fifty grams per liter of liquid). The process takes place within one week. Sometimes - once every two or three days - the mixture needs to be shaken. At the end of the period, the liquid begins to lighten, and a coal sediment falls to the bottom. It is sucked out using a tube. The rest is filtered out. It is also recommended to carry out additional cleaning with bread (preferably black rye or grain), after which the moonshine acquires a very pleasant bready aroma. Now you know many ways to clean moonshine from fusel oils.

This is important to know

What exactly does moonshine consist of? In addition to water and ethyl alcohol, it contains various impurities, which, during the production of, for example, good vodka, are removed from it by various industrial methods. And in the production of whiskey, cognac, tequila, on the contrary, they are cultivated to give the drink originality, style, and sound. For this purpose, there are industrial methods of artificially interrupting the purification process.

But in fact, these same impurities also form a hangover syndrome in a person who has had a little too much. Tequila, for example, contains high-molecular alcohols that are part of these impurities (up to two hundred), forming fusel oils. When drinking, they place a heavy load on the liver, which seems to be “distracted” by additional information, which prolongs intoxication and makes the hangover much worse. So those who have even minor liver problems are not recommended to drink unrefined drinks, including moonshine.

Any business requires skill and a competent approach. You need to know how to prepare homemade moonshine with your own hands so that it does not have an unpleasant taste or smell. Strong alcoholic drink It is imperative to remove fusel oils and harmful impurities contained in it, which affect the quality of the final product and can cause poisoning.

How is moonshine purified? There are a lot of ways: starting from the well-known potassium permanganate and charcoal, ending with black bread and vegetable oil. One condition: effective purification of alcohol distillate, regardless of the chosen absorbent, will only be possible if the strength is not too high. Therefore, before processing it is recommended to dilute it to 40, maximum 50 degrees.

Cleaning moonshine with milk

Cleaning moonshine with milk will help remove the characteristic odor and improve the taste of the product. This is a safe, reliable, easy-to-use method. It can be combined with other methods of purifying home-made moonshine. It is absolutely environmentally friendly and does not require double distillation.

Purification of moonshine from fusel oils using regular milk is carried out in the following order:

  1. Pour skim pasteurized milk (100 ml) into a container with alcohol (10 l) with a strength of 40-50 degrees.
  2. Mix. Close the can with a lid.
  3. Leave for 5-7 days in a cool, dark place. Stir the solution daily (shake).
  4. Through allotted time Carefully drain off the sediment (white flakes), filter through cotton wool or flannel cloth.

To make moonshine purification more effective, before filtering, you can crush and pour charcoal (birch) or coconut charcoal powder onto cotton wool, which absorbs small molecules of fusel oils well.

If the distillate becomes cloudy, which happens when using homemade milk that has not undergone separation, it must be subjected to a combined purification. In this case, the best option is to purify moonshine with activated carbon.

Take 50 g of coal per liter, grind it into powder, and pour it into moonshine. Infuse for 7 days, stirring twice a day. Drain from the sediment and pass through filter material (cotton wool, blotting paper). After double cleaning, the taste becomes softer and the pungent odor disappears.

Cleaning moonshine with soda and salt

Quick cleaning of moonshine from toxic impurities and fusel oils is done with ordinary baking soda. The advantage of this technology is its short duration, since the preparation of the absorbent solution and the cleaning process itself takes less than a day. Disadvantage: moonshine prepared with your own hands at home, when cleaned with soda, cannot be freed from all harmful impurities, which affects the taste of the product. Some of the fusel oils remain in the liquid, which requires additional purification, filtration, and distillation.

The technology for purifying moonshine with baking soda is simple:

  1. For a liter of strong drink (40-50 degrees), take 10 grams of soda dissolved in clean water (100 ml). Proportions must not be violated!
  2. Pour the alkaline solution into a can (bottle) with moonshine.
  3. Seal and shake well.
  4. Let it sit for 30-45 minutes.
  5. Shake again, set the container aside for 14 hours in a cool, dark place.
  6. Carefully drain the sediment and filter through cotton wool folded tightly in several layers. It is advisable to put crushed charcoal or activated carbon into a watering can on top of the cotton wool.

A slightly modified version of this method is cleaning moonshine with soda and salt. The practicality of the method lies in the fact that salt softens the water. The taste and smell of the product does not change.

Cleaning moonshine with potassium permanganate

A combined method works much more effectively, namely cleaning moonshine with potassium permanganate and soda. Soda removes acetic acid, manganese removes fusel oils. Plus, less processing time is spent.

Practice

To eliminate from the composition all harmful substances formed as a result of the interaction of ethyl alcohol and manganese, re-distillation of the product is required

Conditions, procedure:

  1. Potassium permanganate is diluted in water (200 ml). For a liter of moonshine you need to measure 1.5 g of dry powder.
  2. Prepare a soda solution as described above.
  3. The alkaline solution is poured into the moonshine. Stir.
  4. Pour in the manganese solution and mix again.
  5. Leave the alcoholic drink for half an hour.
  6. Cover the container with a lid and transfer to a cool, dark place. Leave to infuse for 12-14 hours.
  7. During this time, harmful impurities and oils will precipitate. All that remains is to filter the product and re-distill it.

Thanks to combined cleaning, the quality of the final product improves, the unpleasant smell of alcohol disappears, and the taste becomes subtler.

Cleaning moonshine with vegetable oil

Some harmful impurities, including fusel oils, can be removed using vegetable oils. For cleaning use refined sunflower or olive oil. It is important that it is not aromatic, otherwise the foreign smell will transfer into the moonshine.

Cleaning technology:

  1. Moonshine is diluted with water to a strength of 15-20 degrees.
  2. Take 20 ml of sunflower oil per liter of drink. Pour a measured amount into the moonshine.
  3. The container is closed with a lid. Shake the bottle for a minute. Leave for 3-4 minutes and shake the jar vigorously again for 1 minute.
  4. Transfer to a cool, dark place for a day.
  5. Before re-distillation, after 24 hours, remove the oil film with harmful substances that has formed on the surface of the liquid. To do this, lower a funnel into a container with moonshine and insert a thin tube through it to the very bottom of the jar. The distillate is drained through a tube.

Moonshine, purified with oil, filtered through cotton wool and charcoal, is distilled a second time, separating the fractions at the outlet.

Cleaning moonshine with activated angle

The next method of purifying moonshine is the use of activated carbon. This procedure can also be done when distilling a drink. You should buy simple activated carbon at the pharmacy. Grind the coal to a powder, take a funnel and put gauze in it. Pour powdered coal onto cheesecloth and place a funnel in the place from which moonshine drips. From this moment the cleaning begins. If the mash has already been distilled, then the coal is poured into the finished drink. Proportional ratio: 50 grams of activated carbon to one liter of moonshine. You need to let the moonshine sit for 14 days, while constantly stirring the liquid, and after cleaning, strain through 3-4 layers of gauze.

Cleaning moonshine with egg whites

Chicken egg whites contain casein and albumin, substances with excellent absorbent properties. Fusel oils bound with egg white precipitate in the form of white flakes.

Process steps:

  1. Break eggs into a bowl (1 piece per 0.5 liter of drink). Separate the yolks from the whites.
  2. Mix the whites with a small amount warm water(100 ml per 1 liter of alcohol product). Beat with a mixer.
  3. Pour into moonshine. Stir.
  4. The distillate is left to stand for a week in a cold, dark place.
  5. To ensure that the fusel is better absorbed by the protein, the mixture is shaken daily at intervals of 12 hours. Do not stir the day before filtration - sediment should accumulate at the bottom.
  6. Filter twice through dense layers of cotton wool.

Moonshine purified with protein can be drunk immediately, but to improve the taste and smell, it is recommended to re-distill it. In addition, purification of moonshine will be much more effective if you use a combined method - combine proteins with milk or soda.

Cleaning moonshine with rye bread

In previous years, purifying moonshine with freshly baked rye bread was considered the most effective, practical, and safest method. After such cleaning, the moonshine becomes transparent and loses its specific fusel taste and characteristic smell.

With this cleaning method, the following conditions must be met:

  1. Moonshine is pre-cleaned with eggs or any other absorbent product.
  2. The amount of bread per 1 liter of moonshine is always exactly 100 g.
  3. The crust is cut off from the bread and only the crumb is used.
  4. For better interaction with the distillate, the crumb is crumbled.
  5. Pour the bread crumbs into a bottle of moonshine and mix.
  6. Close the container tightly and leave in a cool, dark place for 2-3 days.
  7. The precipitate is filtered off. There is no need to squeeze out the bread pulp. The yellowish tint into which the moonshine turns disappears after careful filtration.

To improve the taste, it is advisable to filter the moonshine twice. Then you can begin re-distillation.

Cleaning moonshine with a water filter

The simplest and fastest cleaning method is cleaning with a regular home water filter (Aquaphor, Barrier). We pass the resulting moonshine through the filter twice. Be sure to buy separate filters for moonshine.

Cleaning moonshine by freezing

And finally. Moonshine can be purified from harmful impurities by freezing. This is the simplest but sufficient effective method. All you have to do is freeze the liquor. Water along with harmful substances will turn into ice, while the alcohol component will remain liquid. It is poured into another container and the process is repeated until ice forms on the walls of the jar.

Sequential steps for cleaning moonshine at home

  • Pour 2-3 grams of potassium permanganate into a 3-liter jar, close the container, shake and place in a steam bath up to 70 degrees. After 15 minutes, a sediment will form, and the clean drink needs to be poured.
  • Add 8-10 grams of soda per 1 liter of moonshine, stir and leave to steep for 30 minutes. After this, stir again, after 12 hours, drain the drink and remove the sediment.
  • Pour the moonshine into a container with thick walls, for example, a champagne bottle, close it and put it in the freezer for a couple of days. Impurities in the water will freeze, and pure moonshine should be poured into another bottle before the ice melts.
  • Add 50 tablets of activated carbon per 3 liters of moonshine, 2 tbsp. spoons of oak bark, a little vanillin, a little dried bird cherry, leave for a week. Then strain, add another 40 tablets of coal and let it sit for a week or pass the liquid through a new water filter several times.
  • Beat the egg white with water or a glass of low-fat milk and immediately pour it into 1 liter of moonshine. On day 4, the composition should lighten, and impurities should settle at the bottom. Pour pure moonshine into another container.
  • In order for the moonshine to acquire a pleasant smell, you need to take 400 grams of birch coals per 12 liters of liquid and leave until the coal settles. The drink is carefully drained and diluted with water, crushed raisins are added with walnut, parsley and apples, and then the moonshine is distilled a second time.

Remember, if the moonshine is cloudy, it means there are fusel oils left in it.

EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH

The site is not intended for viewing by persons under 18 years of age!

When copying materials, an active return hyperlink is required.

The article describes in detail various methods of purifying moonshine using simple means. After reading the essay, you will be able to choose for yourself a suitable method for purifying a strong drink at home.

  • Unfortunately, many novice moonshine brewers believe that it is not necessary to purify the moonshine; homemade drink, therefore, is superior in quality to store-bought vodka
  • However, in addition to water and alcohol, this strong drink also contains harmful fusel oils, which you should still get rid of
  • Purifying moonshine will significantly improve the quality of the alcoholic drink. Moreover, cleaning is not such a labor-intensive process. Then you can see for yourself

Homemade methods for purifying moonshine

  • You need to know that not all fusel oils are harmful to the human body
  • Thanks to them, when drinking moonshine, you feel the taste and smell of this strong drink. You should get rid of isoamyl alcohol
  • This component has a negative impact on health. Such monohydric alcohol in its pure form is toxic and causes burns upon contact with skin tissue.
  • If it accidentally ends up in the respiratory system, it may cause suffocation and a dry, severe cough.

There are many cleaning methods homemade alcoholic drink at home.

  • Biological method purification - first add milk and egg white to alcoholic drinks. At the same time, unnecessary fusel oils coagulate with these products and precipitate. After which the moonshine is distilled again. Next, the alcohol is diluted to 40 revolutions (degrees) with purified water and filtered using black, freshly prepared bread
  • Freeze cleaning- this option is effective in winter in severe frosts. It is enough to leave the moonshine in the cold. The water will freeze to the walls of the container, and carefully pour the moonshine into another container
  • Cleaning activated coal, potassium permanganate, soda, water filters, egg, bread, milk. We will talk about these methods in detail below.


Purification of moonshine with activated carbon in tablets

This cleaning option is quite simple. For the procedure you will need to buy pharmacy activated carbon.

Then, during the distillation process, place cotton wool into the funnel, and on top of it several crushed tablets of activated carbon. The moonshine will drip and filter immediately.



  • Another option: you can pour pre-prepared coal powder into the prepared moonshine. One liter of moonshine will require 45-50 grams of coal
  • After adding this component, the alcohol must be placed in a dark place for 14 days to filter. Shake the container every day so that the coal is not always at the bottom
  • After two weeks, strain the drink through gauze folded into six layers. The resulting purified product can be consumed without fear, the main thing is to know the norm and not to overdo it


Cleaning moonshine with water

Cleaning moonshine with water has already been mentioned above. To do this, you will need to carry out the procedure of freezing the alcoholic drink.

More precisely, take the alcohol composition out into the cold, after it begins to thicken, pour the moonshine into another bottle. The water will remain on the walls of the old bottle in the form of a thin crust of ice, and the fusel will also remain there. The moonshine will be purified and its quality will improve significantly.



Moonshine - after cleaning with water

Cleaning moonshine with potassium permanganate and soda

To remove residual acetic acid and harmful fusel oils from homemade moonshine, use potassium permanganate and soda cleaning. The procedure is as follows:

  • First, a soda solution is poured into a bottle of moonshine (per liter) (per 100 milliliters of purified water, ten grams of soda)
  • Dilute potassium permanganate in a cup of water, proportions for moonshine: per liter of drink 1.5 grams of potassium permanganate
  • Then close the container, shake well, and let stand for 45-55 minutes.
  • Then shake again and leave for 14-15 hours.
  • At the end, filter the homemade moonshine, carefully, without shaking it through cotton wool or gauze.


Cleaning homemade moonshine with soda, potassium permanganate

IMPORTANT: After such filtration, you need to apply more distillation, then the moonshine will be crystal clear.

Cleaning moonshine with soda and salt

This purification method also requires re-distillation of the alcohol product. The process boils down to this:

  • In a cup of water (purified), dissolve a tablespoon of salt, a teaspoon of soda (based on one liter of moonshine)
  • Pour the resulting solution into the raw material, stir, let sit a little
  • Then re-distill your homemade alcohol product


  • Moonshine experts say that cleaning with barbecue charcoal is much better than filtration with activated carbon
  • After all, activated carbon leaves an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. In addition, pharmaceutical charcoal contains starch, talc
  • And these components prevent the drink from purifying the heavy fractions of fusel oils (due to small pores)


IMPORTANT: When choosing charcoal, look at the label to ensure it does not contain any non-natural components.

Cleaning process:

  • Pour barbecue charcoal into the moonshine (in a ratio of 1 part to 30, respectively)
  • Leave the alcoholic drink in this state for a week, or better yet, a week and a half.
  • Stir the moonshine periodically
  • Then filter the homemade moonshine through cotton wool

If everything is done correctly, then alcoholic drink will be transparent.



Purification of moonshine with filter Barrier and Aquaphor

Cleaning with the Barrier filter is carried out using filter cartridges. They are filled with adsorbents. One such filter is enough for 10-16 liters of homemade moonshine. For high-quality cleaning, the drink must be passed through the barrier five times.



Cleaning moonshine with a Barrier filter

Aquaphor for filtering moonshine is somewhat more profitable. After all, it uses triple purification. Therefore, you can “pass” an alcoholic drink through it only once.



How to use Aquaphor filters to purify moonshine?

Cleaning moonshine with bread

IMPORTANT: Clean strong drinks only with fresh black bread. Yesterday's baked goods will no longer work.



The process should be carried out as described below sequences:

  • Take a large watering can or make one from a two-liter plastic bottle
  • Lay a napkin and lightly push it into the neck of the watering can
  • Pour the crumb of fresh rye bread on top and compact it a little, but do not fill the neck with the crumb too much, otherwise the alcoholic drink will not pass through
  • Strain the moonshine

Cleaning moonshine with egg

  • For this method you will need egg whites, for every 700 grams of moonshine - one white
  • Then mix the whites thoroughly with warm water (25ºС). Purified water should be no more than 8% of the volume of moonshine
  • Add the water-protein mixture to the moonshine and mix well again
  • Place the mixture in a dark place for a week, shake it several times a day every day
  • On the seventh day, do not stir the moonshine, let the fusel with squirrels settle to the bottom
  • Then filter the moonshine through a watering can with cotton wool


Cleaning moonshine with milk, video

Video: cleaning moonshine with milk (part 2)

In modern times, many people brew moonshine at home, and it’s not just about saving money. In order for the drink to be of high quality, you need to follow the correct technology. An important step in moonshine brewing is the purification of the moonshine. The process will make the drink more noble and tasty. We will tell you below how to clean moonshine from odors and foreign impurities.

Basic methods for removing odor from moonshine

Basic methods for purifying moonshine

Moonshine purification occurs after the second distillation. There are many folk recipes How to get rid of the smell of fusel oils and harmful impurities:

  • Cleaning with coal. It is recommended to use activated carbon, sold in pharmacies, or birch charcoal.
  • Cleaning with potassium permanganate. Manganese powder will help get rid of the nasty odor and eliminate the effect of harmful substances in raw alcohol.
  • Powdered milk. The strength of the drink before cleaning should be no more than 40 degrees.
  • Egg white. More than one generation knows and uses this recipe. Protein helps bind fusel oils and produces a precipitate in which toxic substances remain.
  • Salt, soda. Raw alcohol purified by this method will become a refined drink without any foreign odor.
  • Cleaning with rye bread. You need to break the bread into pieces (take 100 grams of bread for 1 liter of drink), put it in a container with alcohol, and mix. After a few days, the drink is filtered. On a note! Only fresh bread is used!
  • Freezing. At low temperatures Only ethyl alcohol does not freeze.
  • Fruit cleansing. If you apply this method before the second distillation, the drink will acquire light fruity notes.

Having decided that the drink needs cleansing, you should find out how to clean moonshine from impurities.

How to remove odor from moonshine

First you need to make sure that the drink needs to be purified. To do this, the liquid is poured into a spoon and set on fire. If, after the alcohol burns out, an oily liquid remains at the bottom of the spoon, the drink must be cleaned. How moonshine is purified:

  • You will need 50 grams of activated carbon per liter of raw alcohol. The coal needs to be ground into powder. Line the bottom of the funnel with filtered paper, with a layer of charcoal powder on top. The third layer should be paper again. Pass the drink through a carbon filter and dilute with clean water to a strength of 28 degrees.
  • The second way to clean with charcoal is to use charcoal. The crushed powder is poured into a bottle of alcohol. The drink should brew for 5-10 days.
  • You can get rid of the nasty smell with milk powder. For 10 liters of alcohol you need to take 10 liters of water and 6 grams of milk powder. Milk is diluted in 10 liters of warm water, mixed, and left to settle for several hours. After this, the raw alcohol is mixed with diluted milk. After a week, the pure product is filtered from the sediment.

Diluting moonshine before re-distilling

Repeated distillation is necessary in order to get rid of the characteristic odor of mash and clean the alcohol from fusel oils. After repeated distillation, the drink will be very High Quality. Previously, there was no information about the dangers of “pervach”, and people used it with pleasure. Now everyone knows about the need for re-distillation.

After the first distillation, raw alcohol with a strength of about 70 degrees comes out of the mash. Purification of moonshine is done at a strength of 20-30 degrees, so the alcohol is diluted with clean water. Toxic impurities and odor can be eliminated only with a reduced strength. It is recommended to dilute raw alcohol with distilled water or water from a well. You can use tap water that has stood for several days or melt water.


Before re-distillation, it is allowed to dilute the moonshine

Purification of impurities before the second distillation

  • Manganese powder will not only eliminate the characteristic odor, but also get rid of toxic components before the second distillation. Dilute a teaspoon of potassium permanganate powder in 6 liters of raw alcohol and mix. After two hours, carefully drain the moonshine from the sediment.
  • Purifying moonshine by freezing will help get rid of unnecessary impurities. Moonshine is poured into a saucepan and placed in the freezer for 5 hours. If it's frosty outside, you can take the pan there. The unfrozen liquid is very carefully drained and the cleaning is complete.

Effective methods for purifying homemade moonshine with or without subsequent distillation

Cleaning method using milk or eggs:

  • To a liter of raw alcohol, add three egg whites whipped into foam or 100 grams of raw milk.
  • Close the bottle with a stopper and shake the contents.
  • When milk-curd flakes form at the bottom, the liquid can be passed through a filter.

Cleaning method using salt and soda:

  • Add one tablespoon of baking soda and salt to a liter of 40-degree drink.
  • Stir the contents and leave for half an hour.
  • Stir again and place the bottle in a dark place.
  • As soon as layers appear in the container, carefully pour the top layer into a clean bottle.