Why was the moonshine cloudy before? How to clean moonshine with potassium permanganate? The most effective ways to clean moonshine from odor and impurities

Experienced moonshiners agree that the most effective and fastest way to purify moonshine from fusel oils is the method using activated charcoal or charcoal. This is not surprising, because coal particles have large pores that can absorb not only small impurity elements, but also large ones.

So, how to purify moonshine at home so that the filtration takes place with maximum effect. Let's consider 2 effective ways:

Express method. During distillation, a funnel is placed in the container into which the distillate will be collected. One layer of cotton wool is placed in it, small fractions of coal are poured on top, then larger fractions and finally covered with 2 cotton pads. Everything needs to be pressed tightly. As a result, you will not need to spend additional time cleaning moonshine from fusel, since the product is filtered right at the exit from the moonshine still.
Infusion. After distillation, the alcohol is poured into a glass jar, and crushed coal is placed there. Everything is thoroughly mixed and left in a cool place for 5-14 days. At the end of aging, the consistency must be filtered through multi-layer gauze.

This is one of the best options for quickly clearing moonshine before the second distillation. It is preferable to use coal from birch. A water filter component will be no less effective. It often contains silver, which will only improve the quality of filtration.

Use coal in the following proportions: 50 g. for every liter of alcohol. This calculation is suitable for both the first and second cleaning methods. Therefore, when filtering moonshine through a funnel, the cotton wool with filler will need to be periodically replaced with a new one.

Vegetable oil

Not all moonshiners know that fusel impurities and other harmful components are perfectly neutralized in vegetable oils. Therefore, moonshine can be cleaned with olive or sunflower oil. The main thing here is to use an odorless product, that is, refined, otherwise the concentrated aroma will be transferred to the drink.

With this method of purifying moonshine at home, some of the vegetable oil remains in the alcohol, even with high-quality filtration. Therefore, the second distillation in this case is a mandatory step.

How to clean moonshine after the first distillation with vegetable oil:

Dilute the moonshine with water to a strength of 20o. For every liter of alcohol you will need 20 ml of oil. For example, in 5 liters you need to add 100 ml of cleaner.
Mix the ingredients for 1-2 minutes, then leave for 5 minutes and shake everything thoroughly again.
Place the jar in a dark place with a constant temperature of 6-15°C, the lower the value, the better.
After infusion is completed, the liquid will become slightly cloudy, and an oily film will form on its surface. You need to drain the pure alcohol through the tube. Try to do this in such a way as not to touch the film.

Milk

Filtration of moonshine with milk is very popular among experienced craftsmen - this way the “soul” of the drink is preserved and its taste is softened. The principle is based on the binding of harmful impurities by casein and albumin molecules, which are part of milk protein. As a result, a flocculent sediment appears, falling to the bottom due to gravity. Filtration takes about a week, after which the distillate is removed from the sediment and distilled again. After cleaning, the moonshine acquires a pure structure and also becomes soft in taste.

Milk is a simple, effective and completely safe way to make high-quality alcohol

Please note that milk contains fats, which make the drink cloudy. Therefore, in moonshine there are 2 cleaning recipes. In the first, low-fat milk is used, and re-distillation is not provided; in the second, the percentage of fat content of the product is not important, since secondary distillation will help clean the structure.

A method for purifying moonshine with milk without distillation

The advantages of this filtration of moonshine are obvious; the method is absolutely safe, does not require secondary distillation and makes it possible to combine alcohol purification with other methods. But it also has disadvantages; in rare cases, the structure of the liquid may become cloudy.

Cleaning steps:

prepare a low-fat pasteurized dairy product at the rate of 150 ml per 10 liters of fortified drink with a strength of 50°;

Instead of pasteurized milk, in this case it is allowed to use dry milk. But 3 hours before purifying the moonshine from fusel oils, you will need to dilute it in warm water.

mix the dairy product with the fortified drink, seal the jar hermetically and leave for 5-6 days in a dark place with a temperature of 20-25°C;
Every day during infusion, the container should be shaken well;

From the very first minutes, a precipitate in the form of large white flakes will begin to form in the liquid. This milk protein enters into a chemical reaction and precipitates harmful impurities.

At the end of aging, the alcohol is drained from the sediment and filtered several times through multilayer gauze with a cotton pad.

If, after cleaning at home, the moonshine has acquired a cloudy structure, it should be filtered through a charcoal filter.

VIDEO: What is better to clean the distillate - coal, oil or milk?

How to properly clean moonshine followed by distillation

In this case, the fat content of the dairy product does not matter, the main thing is that the milk is fresh. The process of eliminating harmful impurities is as follows:

100 ml of homemade dairy product is mixed into 1 liter of alcohol, but the alcohol is first diluted to obtain a strength of 45-55°;
all components are mixed well, tightly closed with a lid;
the container is placed in a dark place for 4-6 days, while the contents need to be shaken for better cleaning for the first 3 days;
The moonshine is drained from the sediment and diluted 20% with water, after which it is sent for secondary distillation, divided into fractions - heads, body, tails.

Using these methods, you can check the quality of store-bought vodka. Sometimes the result is shocking in terms of the volume of sediment.

Chicken egg white

Purifying moonshine at home using protein from chicken eggs allows you to eliminate not only harmful components in the drink, but also an unpleasant odor. This method works best when filtering distillate prepared with wheat or sugar mash. But if the alcohol was prepared using berries or fruits, it is not recommended to use egg whites for cleaning.

The composition of the cleaning product includes casein and albumin, in fact, thanks to which all impurities are deposited at the bottom. In terms of absorption level, this method of purifying moonshine at home is not inferior to coal. In addition, it should be noted that distillate losses are minimal - only up to 5%.

Let's look at the steps on how to clean and filter moonshine from fusel oils and unpleasant odors using egg whites:

dilute the distillate to a strength of 45-55°, but leave 20% free space in the container;
separate the white from the yolk, add water to it in a volume of 10% of the alcohol and beat with a mixer until smooth, but until foam forms;
mix the protein solution with moonshine, cover the container and leave to infuse for 1 week;
Shake the mixture every day, but do not perform these manipulations 1 day before removing the sediment.

After the holding time has expired, strain the liquid without sediment through a cotton-gauze plug in a funnel. Change the filter and do the same with the sediment. Dilute pure alcohol with drinking water to obtain a strength of 18-20° and distill it a second time.

Freeze

This is the easiest way to filter moonshine at home. When the temperature drops below 0°, fusel oils and other impurities begin to freeze, while the freezing point of pure ethyl alcohol is -114°C. The method is quite time-consuming compared to other cleaning options, but high quality in this case is guaranteed.

You need to put the jar in the freezer or outside if weather conditions meet the requirements for freezing. When ice forms in an alcoholic drink, and this is fusel oil, the remaining liquid must be drained and the rest must be disposed of.

In the north they practice the “crowbar” method, although it is more convenient to use a metal corner. They leave it outside for a while so that the metal freezes well, place it in a bowl and slowly pour the distillate over it. When moving, the fusel freezes and the raw material flows off. The result is fast and quite effective.

To eliminate extraneous aromas from moonshine as much as possible, it is recommended to add 30 grams to 1 liter of drink. raisins and chopped violet root 5 pcs. The consistency should sit for at least 10 days, after which it will be completely usable.

Rye bread

In ancient times, few people were interested in the best way to clean moonshine from harmful impurities, since they used a centuries-old bread cleaning recipe. This method has not lost popularity in our time.

You need to use only fresh bakery products made from rye flour without various impurities. Homemade rye bread is an ideal option.

This product contains a lot of yeast and gluten, which help retain fusel oils. As a result of such cleaning, even the lowest quality alcohol will acquire a pleasant aroma and become lighter in color.

The process will require 100 grams. bread pulp per 1 liter of moonshine. Before purification, the alcoholic drink should be filtered using one of the previous methods. After this, the bread is cut into slices, they are cleared of the crust and crumbled into small particles.

The crumbs are poured into a container, mixed with the distillate, covered with a lid and left for 3 days in a dark place. After infusion is completed, the consistency will acquire a yellow color, which is eliminated by subsequent filtration.

Place a funnel with a stopper made of cotton pads into a clean jar and strain the alcoholic drink through it. The remaining pulp is disposed of without pressing. Next, the moonshine must be diluted with water and put to distillation, separating the fractions.

Gluing

Bonding of fusel oils and other impurities is carried out using Karluk glue. Before use, the component is first diluted in water until a jelly-like consistency is obtained, and then mixed into the moonshine. Adhesive elements bind unwanted components of the drink and are deposited on the bottom of the container.

This method is of the highest quality; it purifies the distillate as much as possible. Its only disadvantage is its inaccessibility. The fact is that glue was used, as a rule, in large-scale production activities. The shortage is also affected by a sharp decline in the number of sturgeon, from whose swim bladders the component is produced.

Salt and soda

Quick cleansing of the drink from toxins and fusel oils is carried out by using baking soda with salt. The advantages of the technology are that it is short-term, the process requires no more than 1 day. The downside is ineffectiveness. The fact is that soda is not capable of precipitating all harmful components, so it requires repeated distillation.

Cleaning steps:

dilute the moonshine to obtain a strength of 40-50°;
separately dilute 10 g. baking soda in 100 ml of clean water;
mix the ingredients with 1 liter of alcoholic drink, close the lid;
shake thoroughly and leave for half an hour, then stir again;
place in a cool, dark place for 15 hours.

After a precipitate has formed, the clear liquid is carefully drained and filtered. A cotton pad is placed in the funnel, granules of crushed charcoal are poured on top, after which everything is covered with one layer of cotton wool. A fortified drink is passed through such a “sandwich” into a container.

Using salt and soda, you can partially clean the product from harmful impurities, the smell and taste remain unchanged.

Potassium permanganate with soda

There is also a conventional method for cleaning moonshine with potassium permanganate, but it is less effective than the combined method, so let’s consider the second option. Baking soda helps neutralize acetic acid, when potassium permanganate partially eliminates fusel oils.

The main advantage of such cleaning is the minimum time required. The downside is the likelihood of residual manganese crystals, which has a negative impact on human health. To eliminate this factor, it is necessary to distill the composition a second time.

Prepare the ingredients based on the following proportions: for 1 liter of alcohol you need 1.5 grams. manganese and 10 gr. baking soda. Pre-mix potassium permanganate with water in a volume of 200 ml, pour the alkaline solution into moonshine and shake thoroughly. Add manganese, cover the jar and stir well.

Place the container in a dark, cool place for 14 hours. During this time, a thick sediment forms at the bottom of the jar, the clean liquid is drained from it and placed for repeated distillation.

Fruits

A less effective cleaning method that partially cleanses an alcoholic drink of harmful components, but at the same time gives it a pleasant aroma and aftertaste. Secondary distillation is definitely needed here.

For 3 liters of alcoholic product with a concentration of 20o you need to prepare 1 carrot and 1 apple. The fruits are peeled, coarsely chopped and added to a container with moonshine. After this, the jar is left to infuse for 2-3 days until the fibers begin to separate from the carrots and apples.

Making alcohol cloudy

Some tasters like moonshine with a cloudy milky color, just like it is made in real Russian settlements. To achieve this effect, you can use several recipes that give the product the desired shade without compromising its taste and aroma.

Some people like the authentic color of moonshine - it can be specially made cloudy

Whey from milk. For 1 liter of moonshine you will need from 10 to 25 ml of whey, depending on the required color saturation.
Powdered milk. Use the ingredient in proportions of 5-15 g. for every liter of fortified drink.
Vegetable oil. To obtain a white consistency, 3-5 drops of refined sunflower or olive oil are enough. After adding the component, the liquid must be mixed thoroughly.

VIDEO: Little tricks of a moonshiner

Making moonshine at home has become a popular activity. But how to clean the drink from fusel impurities, eliminate the odor and make it soft? There are several methods you can use, but, unfortunately, not all of them are safe.

Preparation and Precautions

Reducing the concentration of harmful substances will help achieve:

Using natural ingredients: sugar, wheat or rye.
Maintaining the fermentation regime.
Ensuring optimal heating temperature during distillation.

When boiling, the amount of fusel oils increases, after which they settle in the tube and come out. It is important that the temperature does not exceed 90 °C.

Effective methods for removing fusel oils and odors

Available folk remedies will help clean moonshine from impurities:

potassium permanganate;
soda;
coal;
wood coals;
milk;
chicken egg;
fruits;
bread;
vegetable oil.

These products can be added to the drink, after which they react with fusel oils and form strong chemical compounds. Next, filtering is carried out - separating harmful components from homemade vodka.

Activated and charcoal

The effects of the substances are the same, despite the external differences. The fusel components of moonshine stick to them. But the methods of use differ:

For filtration, place cotton wool on the neck of the container and charcoal on it.
Activated carbon is crushed into powder, 50 grams per liter are added to the container with the drink. Leave it for a month, remembering to shake it every day. After the time has passed, strain the moonshine through several layers of gauze.
Using charcoal, cleaning is the same as in the previous case. It is enough to withstand 3 days.

Charcoal purification is considered the most effective.

Video tips

Potassium permangantsovka

To clean moonshine with potassium permanganate, do the following:

Prepare a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 1 gram per 1 liter of drink. Follow the dosage.
Mix everything and leave for a day.
When the flakes appear, strain through cheesecloth. You can add activated carbon.

Milk

Excellent cleansing can be achieved with milk. Performed using the following technology:

Pour milk into the moonshine at the rate of 1 liter per 5 liters of product. Distill several times until transparent. If you use a carbon filter, the cleansing effect will increase.
If the moonshine has already been distilled, add 2 liters of milk per 10 liters of raw materials.
Keep the mixture for 7 days. Shake regularly. The protein must coagulate, taking in harmful substances.
Then filter as usual. After purification, you can distill again.

Egg white

Cleansing with egg whites is the same as with milk. Prepare two eggs per 1 liter of distilled mash, separate the whites from the yolks and beat a little. Add to moonshine and stir. When the protein settles to the bottom, filter.

The main thing to remember is that the eggs must be fresh. You can easily check this by putting it in water. If they don't sink, they can't be used. You can get poisoned.

Freezing

Cleaning with this method is carried out in several stages:

Dilute the moonshine with distilled water to 40 degrees.
Pour into a plastic container.
Place in the freezer, the temperature should be about -20-22 0C.
Within a day, the distillation crystallizes. Ice crystals will contain harmful substances. After thawing, filter.

Keeping the process under control is an important part of the cycle.

Fruits

Fruit cleansing is done as follows:

Remove the core from the carrot or apple.
Cut the fruit into small pieces.
Place chopped carrots or apples in a 25-degree drink.
Leave the moonshine until the fruit splits into fibers.
Strain the resulting product through cheesecloth.

Soda

To neutralize the acetic acid in the drink, it is recommended to clean with baking soda. For a liter of moonshine, prepare 1 gram of soda. The soda acts for 10 minutes, then filter in the usual way - through several layers of gauze.

Video story

Vegetable oil

Cleaning technology:

The oil should be odorless.
Dilute the moonshine with water to 20 degrees.
20 ml of oil will clean a liter of product.
Shake the drink container for 1 minute. Then let it sit for 3 minutes.
Place the container in a cool place for 24 hours. Do not freeze.
After 24 hours, the oil will appear on the surface; carefully remove it.
Filter the distillation through cheesecloth with activated carbon powder.
Let it distill a second time.

Bread

Bread is used from premium flour, without adding flavorings. Chop the loaf finely and place it in a container with moonshine. You can also add yeast here. Leave for a week, shake every day. After 7 days, strain.

Household filters

Household water purification filters are also successfully used to filter alcohol-containing drinks.

You will need:

Choose a carbon filter without additives.
Do not use a plastic container.
Repeat cleaning three times.

How to properly filter moonshine

Filtration of moonshine must be carried out thoroughly so that no harmful impurities remain. To do this, it is recommended to use gauze folded in several layers or thick fabric. This will reduce the likelihood of fusel oils getting in.

At what stage to clean

To prepare a drink that is safe to drink, you need to learn proper filtration. Moonshine should be cleaned of harmful impurities after the first distillation of the mash.

Do not distill or filter moonshine into plastic containers. They tend to dissolve in alcohol.
Cleaning products must be fresh.
To get high-quality moonshine, you need to distill it at least 2 times.

Moonshine is much cheaper than store-bought cognac or vodka, everyone knows this. In addition, in stores you can pay a lot of money and buy a low-quality product. An alcoholic drink made at home will not cause harm if it is made correctly. You can even give it a unique taste, and this will be appreciated not only by the owner, but also by the guests.

Quantity and quality are the basis for drinking alcoholic beverages. The first one is simple. You just need to maintain an acceptable dose. Then painful and destructive dependence does not threaten, but with the second it is more difficult. Many people make alcohol at home to suit their personal preferences. Knowing how to remove odor from moonshine is a matter of final quality. It even affects the safety of the product. An unprocessed drink with poisonous oils, acetone and methyl alcohol will definitely affect human health.

Causes of the unpleasant smell of moonshine

Everything unpleasant to smell and harmful to eat is formed during the fermentation process of sugar, yeast and water. At this stage, the mash is filled with ethyl and methyl alcohols, formic acid, aldehyde, acetone and other substances. Ethyl alcohol is the final product that the moonshine brewing procedure is aimed at. By-products, such as methyl alcohol, aldehyde, acetone and other poisons, are guaranteed to cause harm to human health. And often with a fatal outcome. A clear sign of their presence in an alcoholic drink is an unpleasant, pungent odor.

On top of that, homemade alcohol is full of fusel oils. Experienced home brewers are well aware of these toxic substances. They have a brownish-yellow color and have the same characteristic smell. It is necessary to purify a drink from fusel oils not only for the sake of taste. A severe hangover and headache are their minimal effects on the body. The only thing worse is the poisoning that often occurs when consuming such oils.

How to remove the smell of moonshine at home

Craftsmen have invented and published many ways to rid alcohol of harmful substances. All filtering methods are divided into two categories:

applied before the second distillation;
applied after the second distillation.

Cleaning with charcoal and potassium permanganate are universal methods. They are equally effective in both cases. It is recommended to use milk and eggs only after the final distillation has been completed. This will avoid partial losses of moonshine. The remaining folk discoveries are applicable only before the second distillation. It is worth noting one important nuance: any of these methods, with the exception of coal, can spoil homemade moonshine. If the quality of the drink was damaged during filtration, then re-distillation will solve the problem.

Purifying alcohol (as well as any other liquids) with charcoal is a proven way to get rid of by-products without risks to the product. Other methods are not as effective. They will reduce the concentration of harmful substances to varying degrees, but will not eliminate them completely. But at home you can experiment with double filtration. For example, after the first distillation, purify the moonshine with coal, and after the second, with milk.

Potassium permangantsovka

Able to kill the stench of acetone, neutralizes the harmful effects of side poisons. For filtration you will need potassium permanganate crystals - half a teaspoon (2-3 grams) per 3 liters of moonshine:

Add manganese to your drink.
Mix thoroughly and leave to infuse for a couple of hours.
Carefully pour the purified moonshine so as not to affect the sediment of harmful impurities that have accumulated at the bottom of the container during filtration. Before doing this, you need to clean the hose in advance.

Soda

Another way to turn raw alcohol into a delicious homemade drink. Suitable only for drinks with a strength of no more than forty degrees. Otherwise, the product must be pre-diluted with water. For 1 liter of moonshine you need to prepare one tablespoon of salt and a similar portion of baking soda:

Add the indicated portions of salt and soda to forty-degree moonshine.
Stir the drink and leave to infuse for half an hour.
After this, mix the moonshine again and place the container with it in a dark place where the sun’s rays do not penetrate.
When the liquid separates, remove the top formations from it. This way, fusel oils are excluded from alcohol, giving the drink a pleasant aroma.

Activated carbon

As mentioned earlier, this method has been tested by time and practice. Helps to reliably clean moonshine at home from harmful substances without compromising its quality. One pharmacy package of activated carbon is enough for 3 liters of alcohol. Filter paper with a plastic funnel will also come in handy:

First, grind the activated carbon tablets to a powder.
Next you need to create the filter itself:
1. Place paper on the bottom of the funnel.
2. Pour crushed powder onto it.
3. Cover it with paper.
4. Lightly “load” its top layer with something. This will prevent the filter from floating up when a drink is passed through it.
Slowly pour the moonshine into the same funnel through the “loaded” paper with activated carbon powder.
After this, dilute the drink with water so that its strength does not exceed 28 degrees.
At the end of the filtration, the moonshine is distilled again. Cleaning with coal is carried out according to the same algorithm.

Charcoal

A method similar to the previous one on how to clean moonshine from the smell of fusel oils. It differs in the main ingredient - in this case, the drink is filtered with charcoal from birch wood (preferably BAU-A brand). For 3 liters of moonshine you will need a handful of this cleaner, crushed into powder:

Grind the coal to fine crumbs.
Form the same filter as in the activated carbon method.
Slowly pass the moonshine through it.

There is an alternative recipe technique. The cleaner is added directly to the drink. The ingredients and their proportions are the same, no plastic funnel required:

Grind the charcoal to a powder.
Pour the appropriate dose of this cleaner into the moonshine.
Leave to infuse for a week. During this period, it is necessary to shake the container once a day.
Next, leave the drink for 10 days without any external influence.
Strain the alcohol through cheesecloth or filter paper.

Freezing

How to remove the smell from moonshine without extra costs? You need to freeze everything except ethyl alcohol. This is how the main product of moonshine is separated from other components. A simple method that does not require additional ingredients is suitable for this:

Pour the moonshine into a saucepan of suitable volume.
Leave the container with the drink in the freezer for about 4-5 hours.
Take out the pan with frozen alcohol and drain the unfrozen liquid - this will be the same ethyl alcohol.
If necessary, repeat the procedure until the product is completely cleansed of impurities.

Milk and eggs

Milk filtration is based on the coagulation process - combining the proteins albumin and casein with fusel oils. As a result, harmful substances settle to the bottom in the form of flakes. Experienced lovers use powdered milk. For 1 liter of distillate you will need 100 milliliters of the ingredient in diluted form. In addition to this, you need to stock up on water in a 1:1 ratio. Gauze or filter paper is suitable for straining. The method is used after final distillation, and only on moonshine with a strength of up to 40 degrees:

Dissolve milk powder in warm water. Stir thoroughly and leave for 3 hours.
Pour the resulting solution into alcohol.
Leave it for a week.
After this period, strain the moonshine through cheesecloth or filter paper, sifting out the resulting sediment.

Purification of moonshine from fusel oils using protein works in a similar way. You will need 2 raw eggs per 10 liters of alcohol. The permissible strength of the drink is still the same - 40 degrees maximum:

Beat the egg white with a little water. Do not let it become foam.
Slowly pour the resulting liquid into the moonshine, stirring constantly.
After some time, the same flaky sediment forms at the bottom of the jar. Strain the drink.
Sometimes both of these procedures require repetition, since purifying moonshine from fusel oils is not an easy task.

Lemon

An additional measure that is used after traditional cleaning through a carbon filter. For a liter of alcohol you will need 3 lemon/orange/lime peels:

Wash citrus skins. It is advisable to scald them with boiling water.
Beat until chopped.
Season the drink with them and leave it for 3-4 days.
Strain.

The varieties of citrus fruits do not matter. It is permissible to use peels from both one type and several different fruits.

Honey

An interesting way to give a drink a softer taste. Although it cannot be compared with how carbon filters can remove the smell from moonshine. There is no guarantee that after this cleaning the alcohol will stop smelling like fusel. Therefore, honey is only good as a supplement after the second distillation. Per liter of distillate you will need 4 tablespoons of the ingredient. Moonshine should be diluted to 45 degrees of strength.

Moonshining dates back to ancient times, and to this day does not lose its relevance. Many people prefer homemade moonshine not only to vodka, but also to all other strong alcoholic drinks, because on its basis you can create very good cognacs and whiskeys (and not only by simulating color and taste).

But lovers of this homemade drink always face the problem of harmful impurities that fill their moonshine. They need to be removed so that the alcohol becomes like “crystal” or “a child’s tear,” that is, pure.

It is worth remembering that unrefined moonshine is a harmful liquid, even partly poisonous. Everyone has heard about the presence of fusel oils in it, but in addition there is acetaldehyde; formic-ethyl, butyric-ethyl, valerian-ethyl, acetic-methyl and acetic-ethyl esters, methyl and amyl alcohols, formic and acetic acids. There is no need to be scared by these terrible words. Moonshine can easily be cleaned of all this. To do this, our alcohol needs to be purified (chemically or biologically), distilled once or twice, filtered and infused.

You need to purify the alcohol obtained after you distilled the mash for the first time, using any of the methods described below. After this, the drink is filtered, diluted with water to 40 degrees and distilled again. But even if you are going to distill the moonshine three times, keep in mind that you still need to drain the first 40 ml (for each liter of raw moonshine) separately. For drinking purposes, you can only use the “golden” mean. The “tails” are suitable for drinking, but rather weak. However, they can be collected for the next haul, with the help of which the “losses” can be made up.

After two distillations, the drink is diluted to 40 degrees and passed through filters.

How to remove odor from moonshine

The smell of homemade moonshine is his bane. It is because of this that some (especially ladies) refuse this drink in favor of other alcohol, forgetting that both cognac and whiskey are essentially moonshine. But still, no one likes a product with a “smell.”

The problem of aroma can be solved extremely simply. There is only one point to consider: the higher the strength of the drink, the worse it releases harmful substances.

Therefore, before cleaning, we dilute our alcohol to 40 degrees and begin to eliminate “harmful substances” and, accordingly, odors.

Cleaning moonshine with milk

This method is based on a process called coagulation. The fact is that albumin and casein contained in milk protein perfectly bind fusel oils and harmful substances in moonshine. When they react, they precipitate in the form of flakes. The drink is then filtered, and its taste becomes very soft.

It is better to take skimmed milk for clearing, because fat makes the alcohol cloudy. This does not look very aesthetically pleasing, but in the case of double distillation it is not of fundamental importance. If you decide to use powdered milk, then you need to prepare it and cool it 2 hours before the start of the procedure. Moonshine when purified with milk should not be stronger than 70 degrees.

This option is quite compatible with other purification, such as coal, and can be applied to both ready-made moonshine and mash.

If you decide to clean the mash first, then for every 5 liters of it add 1 liter of milk. You will need to “drive” slowly, preferably twice (to remove turbidity).

If you are cleaning ready-made alcohol, then for 1 liter of it you need to add 1 glass (200 ml) of milk. During the addition, you need to actively stir the liquid, and then close the mixture and place it for a week in a place where there is no access to light, while vigorously shaking the contents daily.

After 7 days, the moonshine needs to be filtered, which is best done using cotton wool, inside of which crushed activated carbon is poured. After which the drink is diluted to 40 degrees and distilled a second time, releasing the usual 3 parts. Only the “middle” is taken “for drinking”.

There is a nuance in this method that beginners sometimes encounter. After a week, no sediment forms in the mixture of moonshine and milk. There is no need to think that your moonshine is “crystal clear” or to panic. Add 1-2 drops of lemon juice or 1 crystal of citric acid to the liquid and stir thoroughly. The flakes will appear in a matter of minutes.

After this cleaning, to obtain an ideal product, carry out another cleaning - using rye bread.

The same manipulations can be carried out with vodka by adding 30-50 ml of milk (skimmed) per 0.5 liter, shaking it and passing it through a carbon filter. You will lose only 1-2 degrees in its strength, but it will become “drinkable”.

Cleaning moonshine using bread

Most often, this cleaning is used after cleaning with milk has already been carried out, but it can also be done independently.

The bread used for the process is rye and freshly baked. Old bread will not work because... may give the drink an unpleasant taste.

Bread gluten cleans alcohol just perfectly, eliminating all the “nasty” in it.

So, fresh bread needs to be broken into small pieces and added to the moonshine at the rate of 100 grams per 1 liter of the finished drink. The mixture is shaken well and left for 2 days, after which it is filtered.

Cleaning moonshine with potassium permanganate

This method has 2 options. In both cases, oxidation of fusel oils occurs.

First option. "Simple".

Add about 1-2 grams of potassium permanganate to 1 liter of 40-degree alcohol, mix and leave overnight. After a precipitate has formed and the liquid has become light, we carry out filtration.

Second option. "Combined".

In this option, we take 1 liter of moonshine with a strength of 40 degrees and 300 grams of hot water, in which about 2-3 grams of potassium permanganate are diluted. Mix both liquids with constant stirring with a wooden spatula. It is better not to use metal objects. After 20 minutes, stirring again, add baking soda (only baking soda!) and salt (not iodized!) - 1 tablespoon each - into the liquid.

After leaving the mixture overnight, you can start filtering it in the morning.

The filtration process in both options is extremely important.

Filters can be:

regular water filters
homemade from a plastic bottle and cotton wool, inside of which the adsorbent can be calcined river sand, crushed activated or birch carbon, crushed pharmaceutical tablets "Carbolena"

You can prepare several homemade funnels to speed up the process. If the filters become clogged, they need to be replaced.

The resulting moonshine is distilled a second time.

Cleaning moonshine with soda

The method is good for acetic acid in moonshine (it is completely neutralized). It is also good to carry it out before cleaning with potassium permanganate.

So, for 1 liter of alcohol, take 1 gram of soda (at the tip of a knife), stir, leave for about 10 minutes and filter.

Cleaning moonshine with charcoal (activated, coconut, charcoal)

This cleaning option can be used both on its own and after other cleanings, since coal serves as both an excellent adsorbent (absorber of harmful substances) and a filter (which retains these “harmful substances”).

Option 1. “Activated carbon”(1 month)

You buy activated carbon tablets at the pharmacy, crush them and add them to moonshine (50 grams of powder per liter of alcohol). Leave for 3 weeks, shaking the suspension daily, leave for another week and filter through a funnel with a layer of cotton wool between two layers of gauze (cloth) or through a water filter (“jug”).

Option 2. “Charcoal”(3 days)

Its essence is to cook coal yourself. We take a young tree (up to 50 years old), free it from the bark, cut out the knots and the core.

We light a fire and when the coals have not yet cooled down, but the heat is still present, they are collected in a prepared container, while blowing off the ash. The coals are covered, and after waiting for them to die out, they are ground and passed through a sieve. At the same time, different trees produce coal with an excellent degree of absorption. The best ones for this are beech, birch, pine and linden. They are followed by spruce, oak, aspen, alder, and poplar.

Application: per liter of moonshine – 50 grams of charcoal. After three days you can already filter.

Option 3. “Coconut charcoal”(3 days)

The method is identical to the previous one, but instead of wood, it uses charcoal from coconut shells. Its ability to absorb harmful substances is higher than that of charcoal, since its pores are much smaller. In addition, much less of this coal is required - only 10 grams per 1 liter of moonshine.

I would like to say that it is not necessary to prepare charcoal yourself from either wood or coconut. It can be purchased in specialized or online stores.

Cleaning moonshine with egg whites and freezing

Egg white acts on harmful substances in alcohol as a coagulant, precipitating along with them. This method is similar in action to “milk cleansing”. Beat two egg whites (not until foamy) and mix with alcohol. After flakes appear at the bottom, filter. This method, it must be said, is not cheap.

It is cheap to “freeze” fusel oils. Having sent a bottle of moonshine to the freezer, after a while you will notice that some of the liquid has frozen to the walls, and some has remained unchanged. We will pour it into another bottle. To avoid incidents, a few words must be said about freezing temperatures. Alcohol with a strength of 40 degrees freezes at a temperature of minus 28-29 degrees, with a strength of 9-12 degrees - at minus 5 degrees.

If you want to get high-quality and pure moonshine, then you should take care of the equipment in advance. A classic moonshine still can significantly reduce the concentration of fusel only with repeated distillation. If you use a distillation column in the process, then the compounds that give the drink a special aroma and taste will also be removed along with harmful impurities. And if distillation is done several times, the moonshine will be very strong, up to 96%. Simple moonshine systems have settling tanks or reflux condensers; they purify the raw materials during the distillation process. Purification of moonshine from fusel oils is possible using different methods; the most common ingredients used to remove fusel oil are:

vegetable oil;
dairy products;
Activated carbon;
potassium permanganate;
soda;
fruits;
bread.

Oil

Fusel oils and other dangerous components tend to dissolve in oil structures. It is necessary to use refined sunflower or olive at the time of purification, because foreign odors should not get into the raw material. This method can easily be done at home, but you will have to re-distill it. Process:

Make sure the oil has no odor.
Moonshine must be diluted with water so that its strength is from 15 to 20 degrees.
Add oil to the raw material in proportions of 20 ml per 1 liter of drink.
The container with the drink must be shaken for 1 minute, then left for 3 minutes and shaken again.
Place the container with the liquid in a dark place at a temperature of 5–15 °C for 24 hours.
After a day, an oil film forms on the surface of the raw material, which is saturated with dangerous impurities.
Pour the alcohol into another container through a thin tube so as not to touch the film.
Filter the purified composition through cotton wool with activated carbon.
Re-distill the drink.

Milk

Cleansing with milk is a proven method. But it is worth considering that for a good result you need to choose the right milk and take into account proportionality. Full-fat milk will not work unless re-distillation is planned. Otherwise, the drink will become cloudy and unsightly in appearance.

Due to the fact that the dairy product is rich in albumin and casein, it is possible to bind together dangerous impurities and force them into a sedimentary composition, which is simply filtered out. The end result will be alcohol with a delicate taste and pure composition.

Purification option without distillation:

For 10 liters of moonshine with a strength of 45–50 °C, add 100–150 ml of low-fat milk. Due to its high strength, the protein coagulates better.
The raw materials are thoroughly mixed, tightly sealed with a lid and placed in a dark place for one week. For the first 5 days, the jar should be shaken well once a day.
Moonshine is drained from the sediment and filtered through cotton wool.

Purification with distillation:

For one liter of moonshine with a strength of 45 °C there is 100 ml of fat milk.
The drink is mixed and covered with a lid.
The jar is placed in a dark place for 5–7 days.
The moonshine is drained from the sediment and diluted with water to 20 °C. Re-distillation is done.

Activated carbon

Pharmacy activated carbon contains foreign impurities, for example, starch and talc, due to which the taste of moonshine can deteriorate. It is best to use cleaner coal. It can be obtained from gas masks, water filters, or purchased special coal for making wine.

Coal is placed in the raw material in proportions of 50 grams per 1 liter of moonshine.
The mixture is infused for 1–2 weeks and shaken periodically.
Purified alcohol settles for 5 days and is purified through cotton wool.

Potassium permangantsovka

Dark purple particles of potassium permanganate, when in contact with water, color it crimson. This ingredient is often used to clean moonshine from fusel oils.

2 grams of potassium permanganate are combined with 1 liter of unrefined moonshine and mixed well.
The jar of raw materials is placed in a dark place for 10–12 days. The room temperature should be room temperature.
When the liquid becomes lighter, and a sediment forms at the bottom, which can be filtered through cotton wool.

Soda

This method is the most controversial of the others. But people often use soda to clean strong drinks, as it can remove fusel oils and acetaldehyde. For the process of removing harmful substances, the following are used: baking soda, caustic soda and potassium permanganate. But it is worth remembering that caustic alkali is not used separately, it can be hazardous to health! That is why this method has been disputed for a long time.

You need to mix two types of soda. For 1 liter of moonshine you need 10 g of soda. The drink should be no higher than 40 °C strength.
Moonshine mixed with soda should be left in a dark place for 10–14 hours. After the first 50 minutes of infusion, the moonshine should be stirred again.
Then carefully strain the drink so that the remaining soda is completely removed. It is imperative to re-distill, otherwise the taste and aroma of the alcohol can be ruined.

Filters Barrier or Aquaphor

This method attracts many people with its ease and accessibility. Carbon columns are inferior in price to water filters. This method is very good, but it has its drawbacks, which it is recommended to know about in advance.

Official information from the websites indicates that replaceable cassette filters are created only for water, and nothing is said about other liquids. The manufacturer is not responsible for the consequences if something goes wrong.

The special tank is made of plastic; upon contact with alcohol, it can begin to release dangerous substances - formaldehyde and phenolic compounds.

There is a way out: you can protect the quality of moonshine if you use not a plastic tank, but a glass jar as a receiving container, installing a filter element on its neck.

Bread

Fresh and natural bread is suitable for the process. Cleansing with black bread is an ancient method that was previously used only by rich people. Traditional way:

The bread is cut into slices, the crust is removed, and the crumb needs to be finely crumbled.
The crumbs are added to a jar of moonshine, mixed thoroughly, the container is closed with a lid and placed in a dark place for 2-3 days.
The drink is filtered twice through a layer of cotton wool, diluted with water to 20 °C and distilled again.

Egg

Egg whites contain enzymes that can absorb fusel oils and other harmful components. Albumin and casein in protein act as neutralizers. When protein interacts with fusel, harmful substances precipitate. It is worth knowing that this method does not foretell re-distillation.

A drink with a strength of 45 °C is mixed with proteins. Proteins are needed in the amount of three syringe cubes per 3 liters of raw materials. It is important not to allow the yolk to get into the moonshine, otherwise it will have an egg taste.
Protein is mixed with water, approximately 10% of the total liquid. Carefully combine the two ingredients with a mixer until foam forms.
The mixture is poured into a jar of moonshine and placed in a dark place for 7 days.
The liquid is shaken 1-2 times a day to thoroughly separate the fusel oils.
The moonshine is filtered through a cotton wool filter.

By freezing

This is the oldest method of purifying moonshine. To do this, you need to take an aluminum dish with a lid. Pour moonshine into it and put the container in the freezer for about twelve hours. The procedure is very simple: fusel oils and water freeze to the walls of the dish, and the remaining alcohol will not freeze. Next, you just need to drain it into another container.

But you need to remember that if you purify moonshine in this way, the resulting product will have a greater strength than before it was frozen.

Fresh fruits and vegetables

This purification of moonshine is used during the second distillation of the drink or immediately before use.

To do this, you need to take one medium carrot and one apple, after removing the core, cut everything into small pieces and add it to moonshine, the strength of which is twenty-five degrees. Leave the jar with the resulting drink for several days, when the carrots and apples begin to decompose into fibers, you need to strain the resulting drink in a convenient way.

Conclusion

Cleaning is considered one of the important stages in the preparation of a high-quality and safe product. These were the most popular methods for getting rid of fusel oils, which are easy to perform even for beginners.