Sivukha: what is it and how to remove it from moonshine

Avid distillers claim that good moonshine is much better than even the best factory vodka in terms of its characteristics. And this is quite true if we are talking about a quality product. In good moonshine, the content of fusel oils should be minimal. How to achieve this - Vzboltai will tell you now.

What is a "gray hair" and why everyone is afraid of it

By "blue hair" is usually understood:

1. Poorly prepared alcohol containing toxic impurities.

2. The fusel oils themselves, which pose a threat to health if ingested.

The insidious compounds got their name from the grayish tint they give to poorly purified alcohol.

Fusel oil is an oily liquid consisting of a mixture of single-atom saturated alcohols, esters and other components (up to 40 in total), which are formed in raw alcohol during rectification.

It is worth noting that 100% purification from them is not necessary, and even impossible. In addition to the negative, fusel oils have useful properties: they determine the taste and aroma of drinks, reduce the strength of alcohol, prepare the liver for alcohol processing, and prevent intoxication.

The benefits and harms directly depend on the amount of compounds contained in the product. In order not to become a victim of alcohol poisoning, their share should be reduced to a minimum.

How to remove fusel oils

There are many ways to purify moonshine from "gray hairs". They are used at all stages of making homemade alcohol:

1. Only high-quality raw materials should be used to prepare the brew. After fermentation, the mass should be decanted (t. in.). е. carefully drain off the sediment through a hose), if necessary, filter or clarify.

2. It will not hurt to equip the moonshine still with additional cleaning devices: a dry steamer, a deflagration unit, a rectification column. The distillation must be performed twice with the obligatory selection of "heads", "body" and "tails" (at least at the second stage). If you want to get the purest possible product with almost no color and odor, you can resort to rectification.

3. The product of the first distillation is recommended clean and filtered. First of all, this applies to sugar and grain drinks. When working with fruit distillates, you can limit yourself to one thing or omit this stage altogether.

It is not necessary to use absolutely all methods of removing fusel oils: when selecting them, you should focus on the characteristics of the raw materials and the finished product.

If the output is not pure enough, you can pass it through a filter and then let the drink settle.

Update: 07.12.2019

Category: Vodka an Moonshine