Good purification of moonshine includes repeated distillation, as well as
chemical and physical cleaning methods.
When cleaning moonshine, it is necessary to take into account that high-strength alcohol
strongly retains impurities, especially at high temperatures of the alcohol liquid. Therefore, before each additional distillation, moonshine at 60-70 degrees is diluted with spring water approximately 1 to 3. If you have distilled 3 liters of moonshine, you need to pour it back into a previously clean distillation apparatus, add 9 liters of clean spring water. The proportion is 1 to 3. The output can be a cleaner and higher quality product, unlike a product that has not been re-distilled.
It should be noted that the higher the quality of the added water, the more efficient the distillation process. The amount of water added to the finished product is determined by the strength of the moonshine. As a rule, the amount of water should be 50% of the amount of moonshine. For very strong moonshine, the amount of added water is increased, and for very weak moonshine, it is reduced. To determine the strength of moonshine when diluted, it is used.
During the fermentation process, under the action of the enzymes they secrete, sugar is converted into ethyl alcohol. However, in addition to ethyl alcohol, propyl, isobutyl and isoamyl alcohol (fusel oils) are produced during fermentation, as a result of which moonshine acquires an unpleasant odor and harmful properties.
Fusel oils are removed from moonshine by fractional distillation, using a special oil, as well as chemical
way. For this purpose, use alkali (1-2 g per 1 liter of moonshine) or soda (5-7 g per 1 liter
moonshine).
In addition to fusel oils, other impurities are formed in moonshine (acetic aldehyde,
acetic acid, ethyl formic ether, formic acid, ethyl acetyl ether,
methyl alcohol, ketones, etc.)
Most of the impurities listed above are removed during the second distillation.
Impurities that could not be removed during distillation are removed by chemical methods.
For this purpose it is used.
BAU-A coal is poured into a container with moonshine (50 g of coal per 1 liter of moonshine) and left for several days, shaking occasionally. After a precipitate has formed, the moonshine is filtered using. Or, in the process of distilling moonshine, install a coal column immediately after the moonshine still so that the moonshine at the exit from the moonshine still immediately undergoes purification with coal.
To remove foreign impurities, it is recommended to use activated
coal sold on our website. Cleaning moonshine with charcoal is the safest and most correct cleaning.
Moonshine stills with a drawer.
If you want to get a high-quality, odorless distillate, use a device with a drawer. This is a metal pipe, inside of which there is a special nozzle, for example, small copper or stainless steel spirals. With the help of this filler, the strength of the distillate increases, and, accordingly, the degree of purification.
Purification of moonshine with bentonite.
Bentonite - non-toxic and natural clay. Great for clarifying and filtering moonshine. The substance must be diluted in water in a ratio of 1:4. To determine how much solution is needed per liter of drink, a trial treatment is usually carried out. On average, you need 10 g of bentonite diluted in water per 200 ml of liquid. Typically, bentonite is used to clean mash before distilling it. As you know, mash is cloudy due to impurities of yeast and other products.
In order to prepare good and clean moonshine, you need to start by cleansing the mash.
We advise you to clean the mash before distillation with this same bentonite. You will be surprised when you see clean and transparent mash. With the help of bentonite, all the yeast floating in your mash will settle to the bottom. During distillation, the unpleasant smell of moonshine will go away along with the yeast. + the tank will be cleaner during the haul because there will be nothing there to burn.
Cleaning moonshine by freezing.
Many people are familiar with purifying water by freezing it.
In this case, all salts and alkalis will be eliminated, familiar?
Cleaning moonshine by freezing is carried out in the same way: you need to put the bottle of moonshine in the freezer. As a result, fusel oils will turn into an icy crust, and the alcohol will remain liquid in the center. You just need to pour the alcohol into another container. This method is bad because too much alcohol is wasted. But it can also be re-distilled in the future.
Cleaning moonshine with fresh bread.
For this distillate purification method, we recommend using only fresh bread (old bread will only spoil it)
For 1 liter of moonshine you will need about 100 g of bread, which must be finely crumbled into a container with the drink. Bread purification of moonshine is quite fast: you can filter the liquid after 2 days.
Cleaning moonshine with milk. Cleaning moonshine using the gluing method
A good material for cleaning moonshine and mash is milk. The bottom line is this: harmful substances stick to milk particles and precipitate. The resulting slurry can be easily strained using
For 1 liter of moonshine take 100 ml of fresh milk.
Experienced moonshiners recommend using dry milk rather than traditional milk. I don’t know how true this is, I haven’t experienced it myself.
Cleaning moonshine with baking soda.
Soda helps reduce the amount of fusel impurities - the main cause of a specific unpleasant odor.
It is added in a ratio of 10 g per 1 liter of alcohol. After adding, the liquid must be stirred and left for about half an hour. Then mix again and leave, but for 10 hours. Before drinking, you need to filter the moonshine.
Cleaning moonshine with a chicken egg. Cleaning moonshine using the gluing method
Just like in filtration with milk, when using eggs, flakes are formed in moonshine, which absorb harmful impurities.
For 10 liters of moonshine you will need 2 eggs (the lower the quality of the distillate, the more eggs you will need). Eggs must be beaten with a small amount of water. This liquid should be poured into moonshine slowly, constantly stirring the distillate.
Cleaning moonshine with a water filter.
Some moonshiners do not want to bother with coal and buy a regular water jug filter. 
Cleaning moonshine with honey. Cleaning moonshine using the gluing method
After the second distillation, dilute the moonshine with water to a strength of 45o, add 2 tbsp. honey for every half liter, shake, let it brew for 2-3 days. In this case, “flakes” will appear, as when cleaning with milk or eggs, but small particles of harmful substances and an unpleasant odor may remain. This method is not recommended for use. They used it as an example and information.
Purification of moonshine with edible gelatin. Pasting method
Regular food in a bag. Add 3 g per liter. Stir occasionally for 3 hours. Gelatin does not swell as usual in water, but forms a suspension. This suspension, after stirring, very quickly coagulated into flakes that settled at the bottom. We won’t let it sit for a long time, then filter through an ash-free filter (or ordinary cotton wool). The result was satisfactory, take my word for it, the product in the glass looks crystal clear. The taste is somewhat lackluster has changed. You can tell by the grains of gelatin remaining at the bottom that 3g per liter is a lot. 1g will be enough.
Purification and filtration of moonshine with a coal column.
This cleaning is completely harmless to your drink and health!
Coal perfectly cleans and brightens your distillation product.
Reveals true aromas, removing unpleasant odors.
Works on the principle of a water filter.
After cleaning the moonshine through a coal column, all fusel oils and other impurities will remain in the coal. After cleaning, the carbon needs to be replaced. It is not recommended to pass the head fractions through the filter as they can spoil the coal. 
Purification of moonshine with manganese.
This method is best known in the circles of moonshiners, because it is the most popular among them.
At one time we did this: Add manganese to 3 liters of moonshine at the tip of a knife, close the jar, and shake vigorously. They let it brew for a couple of days. During this time, manganese precipitated in the form of flakes. Next, the moonshine was removed from the sediment. With this method, the smell of fusel went away, revealing the aroma of the product. Subsequently, we learned that this method is not entirely good. Because manganese, when it comes into contact with moonshine, will release harmful by-products, which is not good. This method can only be used if it is followed by a second distillation.
And then clean it again
We repeat once again: BAU-A COAL is the most correct and harmless way to clean moonshine.
Our website presents products that will help you with cleaning and filtration.
Moonshine brewing technology is not as simple as it seems. To obtain high-quality moonshine, it is not enough to prepare the mash and once distill the resulting substance through a moonshine still. This distillate is unsuitable for consumption, as it contains many chemicals and organic compounds dangerous to the human body. To remove harmful components from homemade alcohol, it is purified and filtered. Of the many options, one of the easiest ways to clean moonshine? through the Barrier water filter, in which the main filter component is carbon powder.
As an alternative to the Barrier jug filter for filtering home brew, use Aquaphor three-stage filters or make a simple filter device yourself. What is the principle of operation and how carbon filters work, we will consider below. But first, let’s justify the need to filter moonshine distillate.
During the fermentation process of yeast fungi, various 
chemical compounds. Some of them are harmless to humans, others, on the contrary, are extremely dangerous. After heat treatment, i.e. distilling the mash and turning it into moonshine, some of the harmful impurities and foreign substances remain in the distillate.
The quality of the drink noticeably suffers due to their presence. But that's not the worst thing. If the moonshine is not filtered after the first distillation, the distillate can cause serious poisoning. Severe intoxication of the body after drinking homemade alcoholic beverages that have not undergone appropriate processing leads to death.
The most dangerous components of unrefined homemade moonshine include:
A distillate in which the content of harmful impurities is:
Filtration of moonshine through a carbon filter allows you to achieve an acceptable result without extra costs by removing the bulk of foreign impurities from the liquid. What is the principle of operation of water filtration devices such as Barrier or Aquaphor based on?
The Barrier filter jug is a structure consisting of a bowl with a filter cartridge installed in it and a container in which the purified liquid is collected. Material for making the jug and bowl? food plastic. Removable 
The filter model (cartridge) contains a combination of specially selected components with highly effective filtering properties.
The main component of the filtration module? sorbents, substances with high absorption capacity. Typically, certain types of activated carbon and ion-exchange fibrous materials are used as sorbents in household filters.
To increase the efficiency of water purification and prevent the growth of bacteria inside the cartridge, the carbon in household filter jugs is treated with silver. In addition, the filter module contains substances that disinfect liquids (iodine-containing, ion-exchange resins).
The method of using the Barrier filter for purifying moonshine is similar to filtering tap water. The liquid is poured into a bowl, where under its own weight it passes through the filter component and enters the jug already cleaned.
Average device performance? 250 ml/min. To perform high-quality purification of the distillate, you need to pass it through the filter at least 5 times. Replacement cassettes are changed as they become dirty. Resource of one filter module? 500 liters of water. However, experienced moonshiners insist that standard 
Barrier carbon cartridges must be changed after a single filtration of 10-15 liters of moonshine.
The use of Aquaphor in this regard is somewhat more profitable. The liquid in it undergoes multi-stage, triple purification, due to which the quality of the resulting product is much higher than after using Barrier jug filters. In addition, the filter blocks of such a device use absorbent materials with different pore diameters, due to which complex purification of drinking water or, in our case, moonshine distillate is carried out.
Passing through the first filter block (coarse cleaning), moonshine is cleaned of fusel oils, individual chemical compounds, and large particles of harmful insoluble pollutants. At the second stage (deep cleaning block), the filter material retains molecules of heavy metals, organic compounds, and chlorine.
The final cleaning unit contains a sorbent with the smallest pore diameter. Here the final filtration and disinfection of the liquid from the smallest toxic particles, the size of which is 0.5 microns, takes place. After repeated filtration through a household water filter, moonshine is considered suitable for sorting, re-distillation, further processing and internal consumption.
Filters for drinking water and replacement cassettes for them cost a lot. 
Accordingly, the cost of moonshine production when using such devices for distillate purification increases. You can reduce material costs significantly if you make a simple carbon filter yourself.
The technology and operating principle will be no different from the operation of factory filters. The quality of liquid purification, if properly arranged and used, will not suffer either. The most important point when making such a device? choose the right filter material, carbon.
Regular activated carbon in tablets, sold in pharmacies, copes with the task of filtering moonshine, but not well enough. Firstly, it is made from the bones of domestic animals, and starch is used as a binding additive. Micropores in such a sorbent are capable of attracting only small particles of pollutants, while large molecules of fusel oils remain free and are not removed from the distillate. Secondly, the presence of starch in the sorbent worsens the quality, taste and smell of homemade alcohol.
To make a carbon filter suitable for cleaning moonshine, you need to use only charcoal obtained by pyrolysis (combustion without oxygen) of wood. You can get the necessary material from the following sources:
The last position is considered the most acceptable option. This is the same charcoal (birch, fruit) charcoal obtained by pyrolysis. Their composition is selected specifically for the purification of liquids used in winemaking, and if used correctly, they cannot spoil the product. The only downside? higher cost compared to other types of coal.
As for other sources of coal, they must be used carefully to make homemade filters due to the possible presence of foreign impurities in the sorbent. For example, barbecue coals can be soaked in a special liquid for better combustion. It is unknown what reaction these chemicals will give when interacting with alcohols. In addition, large pieces of barbecue coal are inconvenient to use when making filters.
Carbon powder from gas masks or aquarium filters may also contain additional components that, when cleaning the distillate, can worsen its taste characteristics. In addition, if you use a used gas mask, its filter module may contain harmful substances.
Ideally, it is better to prepare charcoal for filtering moonshine yourself. How to do it? The easiest way is to light a fire, let the wood burn out, and while the coals are still hot enough, collect them in a tightly sealed container. After the coals have cooled completely, they are taken out, cleared of ash, washed, finely ground (6-7 mm) and sifted through a sieve.
Store the sorbent obtained in this way in a closed container. 
The advantage of making your own charcoal? possibility of repeated use. Before reuse, the coal is washed in a 2% solution of hydrochloric acid, then in water. After drying, the coals are heated again in a closed metal container over high heat.
As for the question of how to make and use a carbon filter to clean moonshine, there is absolutely nothing complicated about it. They take an ordinary plastic bottle, cut off the bottom, thus obtaining an improvised watering can. Several small holes are made in the lid (mouth of the watering can).
The neck of the bottle is covered with a thick layer of cotton wool. Gauze is placed on top. Third layer of homemade filter? coal. The thickness of the coal layer should be 10 cm. In proportion to the liquid being purified, the amount of coal is equal to: homemade charcoal? 50 g per 1 liter of moonshine; special coal for winemaking (BAU-A, etc.) ? 12 g per 1 liter of distillate. Before pouring coal into the watering can, it is recommended to rinse it, removing small particles of ash and dust.
Passing through such a filter, homemade alcohol is purified from most harmful impurities and is almost completely freed from fusel oils. For the highest quality cleaning, it is advisable to pass the distillate through a homemade carbon filter several times. If after cleaning with charcoal the liquid becomes cloudy, it will need to be additionally filtered through cotton wool.
), you still need to learn how to work with it correctly. Of course, if you know, then worries about the quality of the drink will be minimized. But even those distillers who have been familiar with this technique for a long time sometimes need additional purification of the distillate. And filter jugs for water purification have gained popularity for the purpose of combating harmful impurities in moonshine. There are quite a few filters, but all of them are designed specifically for water, and not alcohol solutions. However, cleaning moonshine with the Kuzmich filter for water at home, compared to other jug filters, seems to be the most successful solution. Why? The “Kuzmich” (“Makarych”) filter is produced by the Geyser group of companies, which specializes in filters for water purification. But this jug is positioned by the manufacturer as a filter not only for water, but also for vodka, moonshine and rectified liquor.
The volume of the jug is 3.4 liters, the declared filtration capacity is 100-200 ml per minute. The design of the jug is such that it fits freely in the refrigerator door. And for the most complete purification of the distillate, filtration must be carried out in the cold. And the moonshine itself is also cooled as much as possible before cleaning (but not frozen). Cleaning moonshine with the Kuzmich (“Makarych”) filter produced by Geyser Group of Companies is completely safe, since the polypropylene from which the jug body is made can withstand contact with alcohol up to 95 degrees in strength.
There is only one type of cartridge in this jug, there is no variety of models. The cartridge is enough for 18-20 liters of distillate. The filter consists of silver-plated coconut carbon and a special catalytic material “Anticetal”, which traps aldehydes (at least 30% acetaldehyde) and impurities of fusel oils (at least 50%). The filter will not help get rid of methanol, so it is not recommended to clean surrogates in it. The cartridge of the Kuzmich filter jug does not contain ion exchange resins, like most water purification filters.
This method can be used to purify both drinking moonshine and raw alcohol. In this case, there is no need to specifically calculate the strength: the raw material is diluted to 18-20 degrees (immediately for subsequent distillation), and the drinking distillate is diluted to the desired strength.
It is important to remember that the strength of cold moonshine differs from that at room temperature. Focus on the strength of the drink at room temperature.
Before cleaning moonshine with the Kuzmich filter, the cartridge must be prepared for use. To do this, two portions of water are passed through it and drained.
As noted above, cleaning will be more effective if the liquid is cooled to 6-10°C (the minimum operating temperature of the cartridge is +4°C). And the filtration itself is also best done in the refrigerator. One “run” of the liquid through the filter is enough to remove excess impurities. After use, the filter is washed with a portion of water and stored in a tightly closed container (or bag) in the refrigerator.
Raw spirit, further purified before the second distillation, makes it easier to re-distill. If you have not decided yet, we recommend purchasing equipment only directly from manufacturers. Of course, you can, but in this case only you will be responsible for the quality of materials and the safety of equipment.
It was the only opportunity to obtain more or less high-quality homemade alcohol; additional purification of the drink by various means was a mandatory procedure. Now you can freely (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand), which will allow you to get a crystal clear drink without unnecessary hassle. Nevertheless, methods for additional purification of distillates are still relevant. The reasons for the need for such a measure may vary. There are many methods, but one of the most common is passing the distillate through a regular water filter.
As a rule, jug filters are used for these purposes: they are easy to use and relatively inexpensive. One of the most popular filter jugs is the “Barrier”. Purifying moonshine with a “Barrier” water filter at home will not be difficult if done correctly.
The simplest and cheapest jug filter cassettes – “Classic” and “Standard” – are optimally suited for purifying distillates. Softeners and additional substances contained in other cassette models can negatively affect the taste and color of the final drink. There is no guarantee that these substances will not interact with alcohol. The simplest cassettes contain what is needed: a layer of coconut activated carbon, a layer of the same, but treated with silver, a layer of ion exchange resins (do not react with alcohol), as well as a fine mechanical filter.
First of all, you need to prepare the filter for operation. To do this, the containers of the jug are washed with soap or detergent and rinsed well with running water. The cartridge itself is immersed in clean cold water for 10 minutes so that all layers are saturated. Next, the jug is assembled into working condition and the first two portions of water are passed through (and drained). Only after this the filter is ready to clean the moonshine.
Strictly speaking, water filters are not intended by the manufacturer to purify alcohol solutions. However, it is still possible to use them for these purposes at home.
It is best to clean moonshine with the Barrier filter by replacing the receiving container with a three-liter jar. This is done in order to minimize the contact of ethanol with plastic. And although branded jugs are made from high-quality plastic, it is rated for water, and not for alcohol mixtures. Do not allow moonshine to remain in plastic jug containers for more than 12 hours.
Moonshine is purified as follows:
The filter must be changed in a timely manner, and after cleaning is completed, rinse with two portions of clean water and put in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Don't forget that the alcohol meter is calibrated to measure strength at room temperature. The strength of chilled moonshine will differ from that at 20°C
Purified drinking moonshine is kept in the cold to stabilize the taste for another two to three days. Raw alcohol can be distilled immediately. Learn tips to ensure you end up with a clean and enjoyable drink. And if you haven’t decided yet, then first of all visit the online stores of official manufacturers of such products.
Homemade alcohol often needs additional purification to remove harmful impurities and unpleasant odors. In order to refine moonshine, a filtration stage is necessary. Without it, the quality of the drink will not be the highest. There are many proven ways to filter moonshine at home.
Filtration of moonshine is a rather labor-intensive process, but the result will be worth the time spent. How to purify the drink at home? The following ingredients are used for the filtration process:
How else can you clean moonshine? The freezing method is used when the liquid is placed in the freezer or in the cold. At sub-zero temperatures, ethyl alcohol does not freeze. Water, together with toxic substances, turns into ice, alcohol remains liquid.
Each filtering method has its positive and negative sides. Regardless of which method you choose, we filter the purified moonshine again. This will help completely get rid of both the characteristic smell and the unpleasant taste. This method is often used: the moonshine is filtered, left to sit for a while, then filtered again.
Once the drink has passed the filtration stage, it must be re-distilled. After the second distillation, moonshine can be considered a high quality drink.
Coal has the ability to absorb many harmful substances. It helps eliminate unpleasant odors, which is why it is often used to clean raw alcohol. How to choose the right charcoal for cleaning? Activated carbon, sold in pharmacies, will do. But pharmaceutical charcoal contains foreign substances such as starch and talc. The taste of the drink after filtration may be bitter. Which type of coal should you prefer?
On a note! Some water filters contain carbon containing water softeners. There is nothing dangerous in them, but experienced people advise not to use such carbon for filtration.
It is better to choose charcoal obtained from birch wood. You can purchase charcoal from suppliers at an affordable price.
There are two methods for clearing moonshine:
How to make a carbon filter yourself? You will need a watering can with a wide neck. It must be laid out tightly with cotton wool, pre-wrapped in a layer of gauze. The next layer is coal powder. The drink is passed through the filter once, then the carbon should be changed and the liquid passed through again.
Homemade carbon filter for moonshine The second option involves immersing the coal in an alcohol liquid. For 1 liter of moonshine you will need 50 grams of activated carbon. The coal needs to be thoroughly crushed, poured into a container, and filled with moonshine. It is recommended to infuse the drink for several days, then filter and re-distill it - this is the basic rule on how to filter moonshine correctly.
Cleaning with milk helps rid raw alcohol of fusel oils and other toxic substances. It is preferable to use milk with a low fat content, since a fatty product can affect the color of the final drink. Moonshine may turn out cloudy.
How to clean moonshine with milk?
Cleaning moonshine with egg whites is another environmentally friendly and affordable method. It is produced after the second distillation, so that the smell of boiled protein does not form. How to clean moonshine:
Moonshine will produce a high-quality product using the filter method, because when we filter moonshine using milk and eggs, we get environmentally friendly moonshine.
Beginning moonshiners are wondering: how to make moonshine transparent while simultaneously getting rid of the unpleasant odor? Baking soda or pharmaceutical manganese powder will help.
Baking soda is used as an independent substance for cleaning moonshine, and in combination with other methods. How to clean moonshine using baking soda?
The purified drink should be distilled again to finally get rid of the unpleasant odor and harmful impurities.
How to clean homemade alcohol using manganese powder:
In ancient times, people did not wonder how to purify moonshine, since rye bread was used in the recipe. Now this method has not lost its relevance.
It is better to use fresh rye bread without additives. Moonshine is pre-cleaned by any other method. The bread crumb is crushed and added to the drink (1 liter of moonshine will require 100 grams of bread). The contents are thoroughly mixed, the container is placed in a dark place for 3 days. Then the liquid must be filtered and re-distilled.
Fruits will give moonshine an unusual taste, but they are not able to completely get rid of fusel oils. Repeated distillation is required with this method. How does fruit purification work? Carrots and apples are peeled, coarsely chopped, and added to moonshine (for 3 liters of 20-degree drink, take 1 apple and 1 carrot). The contents are infused for three days, after which they are filtered and re-distilled.
Vegetable oil neutralizes the effect of toxic substances found in raw alcohol. Refined, odorless oil is used. How moonshine is purified using olive or sunflower oil:
Another simple way to clean moonshine at home is to freeze the product. The container with moonshine is placed on the balcony at a low temperature, or placed in the freezer. As soon as ice appears in the container, the liquid must be drained. The ice should be thrown away, since this is where all the harmful impurities will remain along with the water.
