Purification of moonshine using a water filter. Purification of moonshine with a Kuzmich (Makarych) filter from odor and fusel oils at home

Good moonshine purification includes multiple distillation as well as
chemical and physical cleaning methods.
When cleaning moonshine, it must be borne in mind that alcohol of increased strength
strongly retains impurities, especially at a high temperature of an alcoholic liquid. Therefore, before each additional distillation, moonshine at 60-70 degrees is diluted with spring water by about 1 to 3. If you drove out 3 liters of moonshine, you need to pour them back into a pre-clean distillation apparatus, top up with clean, spring water 9l. The proportion is 1 to 3. At the exit, you can get a cleaner and higher quality product, in contrast to the product that has not been distilled again.
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. Typically, the amount of water should be 50% of the amount of moonshine. For a very strong moonshine the amount of added water is increased, and for very weak moonshine it is reduced. It is used to determine the strength of moonshine when diluted.
In the process of fermentation, under the influence of enzymes and secreted by them, sugar is converted into ethyl alcohol. However, in addition to ethyl alcohol, the fermentation process produces propyl, isobutyl and isoamyl alcohol (fusel oils), as a result of which the moonshine acquires an unpleasant odor and harmful properties.
Fusel oils are removed from moonshine by fractional distillation, the use of special, and also 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 (acetaldehyde,
acetic acid, ethyl formate, formic acid, ethyl acetate,
methyl alcohol, ketones, etc.)
Most of the above impurities are removed during the second distillation.
Impurities that could not be removed during distillation are removed by chemical methods.
For this purpose it applies.

BAU-A coal is poured into a container with moonshine (50 g of coal per 1 liter of moonshine) and infused for several days, shaking occasionally. After a precipitate has formed, the moonshine is filtered using. Or, in the process of distilling moonshine, a coal column is installed immediately after the moonshine still so that the moonshine at the exit from the moonshine is immediately cleaned with coal.
For cleaning from impurities, it is recommended to use an activated
coal sold on our website. Cleaning moonshine with charcoal is the safest and most correct cleaning.

Moonshine stills with tsarga.

If you want to get an odorless distillate of improved quality, use a drawer unit. This is a metal pipe, inside which there is a special nozzle, for example, small copper or stainless spirals. With the help of this filler, the strength of the distillate is increased, 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 beverage, a trial treatment is usually carried out. On average, you need 10 g of bentonite diluted in water per 200 ml of liquid. Usually, bentonite is used to clean the mash before driving it. As you know, the wash is cloudy due to impurities of yeast and other products.
In order to make a good and clean moonshine, you need to start by cleaning the mash.
We advise you to clean the mash before ferrying with this very bentonite. You will be surprised when you see a clean and transparent wash. With the help of bentonite, all the yeast floating in your wash will settle to the bottom. The unpleasant smell of moonshine when driving will go away along with the yeast. + the tank will be cleaner during the ferry because there will be nothing to burn.

Freezing moonshine.


Many people are familiar with water purification by freezing it.
In this case, all salts and alkalis will be eliminated, is it familiar?
Freezing moonshine is carried out in the same way: you need to remove the bottle of moonshine in the freezer. As a result, fusel oils will turn into an ice 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 overtaken in the future.

Cleaning moonshine with fresh bread.

For this method of purifying the distillate, we recommend using only fresh bread (old will only spoil)
For 1 liter of moonshine, you will need about 100 g of bread, which must be finely crushed into a container with a drink. Bread cleaning of moonshine is quite fast: you can filter the liquid after 2 days.

Cleaning moonshine with milk... Moonshine cleaning by pasting

A good material for cleaning moonshine and mash is milk. The essence is as follows: harmful substances adhere to milk particles and precipitate. The resulting gruel is easy to drain with
Take 100 ml for 1 liter of moonshine fresh milk.
Experienced moonshiners recommend using dry milk instead of traditional milk. I don’t know how true this is, I didn’t experience it myself.

Cleaning moonshine with baking soda.

Soda helps to 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 mixed and infused for about half an hour. Then mix again and leave, but already for 10 hours. Before use, you need to filter the moonshine.

Cleaning the moonshine with a chicken egg. Moonshine cleaning by pasting

Just like in milk filtration, when using eggs, flakes are formed in the 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). Beat the eggs with a little water. Pour such a liquid into the moonshine slowly, constantly stirring the distillate.

Purification of moonshine with a water filter.

Some moonshiners do not want to mess with coal and buy a regular water jug ​​filter.

Cleaning moonshine with honey. Moonshine cleaning by pasting

After the second distillation, we dilute the moonshine with water to a fortress of 45 °, put 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, however, small particles of harmful substances and an unpleasant odor may remain. This method is not recommended for use. They gave him as an example and introduction.

Purification of moonshine with food gelatin. Pasting method
Regular food in a sachet. 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, which settled on the bottom. We will not stand for a long time, then we filter through an ash-free filter (well, or ordinary cotton wool). The result is satisfactory, take my word for it, the product in the glass looks crystal clear. The taste is somewhat not It can be said, from the remaining grains of gelatin at the bottom, that 3g per liter is a lot. 1g will be enough.

Purification and filtration of moonshine with a carbon column.

This cleaning is completely harmless to your drink and health!
Coal perfectly cleans and brightens your ferry product.
Reveals true scents, removing unpleasant odors.
Works like a water filter.
After cleaning the moonshine through the coal column, all fusel oils and other impurities will remain in the coal. After cleaning, the charcoal must 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: We added manganese to 3 liters of moonshine at the tip of a knife, closed the can, and shook it a lot. They let it brew for a couple of days. During this time, manganese precipitated out in the form of flakes. Then the moonshine was removed from the sediment. With this method, the smell of the fuselage went away, revealing the aroma of the product. Later we learned that this method is not very good. Since manganese, in contact with moonshine, will emit harmful side impurities, which is not good. This method can only be used if a second distillation is carried out after it.
And after that, re-clean
Let's repeat: BAU-A COAL is the most correct and harmless way to purify moonshine.

On our site there are products that will help you in cleaning and filtering.

Homemade moonshine can be of excellent quality, depending on the manufacturer and his competent cleaning process, removing impurities and toxins from the drink.

Moonshine that has not passed the filtration procedure is harmful to the human body. It contains various harmful aldehydes that irritate the systems of the human body, provide a detrimental effect on the internal organs of a person. Esters, which are the constituent components of harmful fusel oils, organic acids, alcohol variations can cause a severe hangover, intoxication of the alcohol consumer. Purification of moonshine from fusel oils is a necessary process in the production of a drink. These reasons lead to severe headaches from drinking homemade alcohol.

A poorly refined or unrefined alcoholic beverage has an impressive percentage of methyl alcohol, which is toxic to the body and causes death. Ethyl and methyl alcohols have a similar smell, they taste similar, have an identical appearance, making it difficult to recognize the latter. A filtering system is needed to capture various types of ethers (ethyl acetate, diethyl, etc.). Without applying any action to cleanse the moonshine, only poison can be created.

Do I need to use a three-stage filter?

Making homemade alcohol is an art that takes place without rash, rash actions, decisions are not made quickly, everything must be weighed and deliberately, both when making mash and when cleaning moonshine.

The use of water filters "Barrier" and "Aquaphor" is often used in the process of filtering a drink, but not many people think about the consequences of such use. Can moonshine be cleaned with the Aquaphor filter? The answer is yes. But this must be done correctly.

There is a need to use these systems correctly, because their cases are made of plastic. Plastic elements can get into the moonshine if the appliance is misused. The filter cartridge itself may not only consist of carbon, but also contain ion-exchange resins that affect the taste of the finished product.

Why is a home drink filtering procedure needed?

Yeast fungus produces all kinds of harmful elements. This happens during fermentation. Many of these harmful effects are not safe for ingestion. After distillation, the mash becomes the drink popularized in our country. Harmful impurities, foreign hazardous substances do not leave the composition of the product. This can impair the properties and taste of the homemade drink.

When conducting heat treatment distillate will not be able to strongly poison the consumer. Household use alcoholic beverages without proper filtration can lead to death due to severe intoxication of the victim. It is better to use a quality product, do not rush to the flaw.

Proper filter cleaning

When performing the procedure, it is necessary to take into account the factors:

• Choose filter cartridges with safe filling. The most suitable is coal. The search for the above modification is difficult, it is worth looking for coal filters without adding third-party elements.
• Do not use a plastic jug. It is necessary to create a similar product from another material, for example, cardboard.
• Clean only moonshine through Aquaphor and Barrier.

You need to repeat the procedure three times, driving homemade alcohol through water filters and then use purified moonshine.

Distillate purification with water filters

The design of the filter jug ​​consists of a container, a cartridge embedded in it, a container for purified water. The material for the production of jugs and containers is plastic. Replacement cartridge components are specially designed for highly efficient water purification from a variety of impurities. Therefore, purification of moonshine with aquaphor is so often applicable in the field of creating a homemade alcoholic product.

The main component of the filtration module includes elements that have impressive absorption properties, they are called sorbents. The main sorbent is coal, ion-exchange materials.

Improving the purification functions of purifying moonshine with an aquaphor filter, excluding the possibility of microorganisms multiplying in the structure of the cartridge, the carbon material is processed with silver elements. Water disinfection is carried out thanks to the filter module equipped with iodine-containing resins.

Purification of a product made by oneself using Barrier and Aquaphor water filters is carried out according to the principle of ordinary filtration of liquids. The same filtration occurs in the living conditions of an apartment, house, etc. It is necessary to pour water into the container for cleaning, it flows through the filtration components, draining into the jug in a clean state. Filtered alcohol is also created.

The maximum production of the filter is 250 ml per minute. High-quality cleaning is achieved after repeating this procedure 3 to 5 times. The filter cassettes are replaced when dirty.

The filter module is made for pumping 500 liters of liquid. The experience of moonshiners shows statistics on replacing the Barrier filter cartridges after a one-time distillation of up to 15 liters of alcohol.

Savings when using the Aquaphor filter

Aquaphor is slightly more profitable than Barrier. It has multilevel, triple purification, increasing the quality level of moonshine, in comparison with the Barrier filter. The filter units in the device have absorbing materials of different pore diameters, allowing for complex cleaning of the liquid. The coarse cleaning process in the first block of the invention cleans from fusel oil, removes chemical compounds, large particles of harmful dirt.

Deep cleaning in the second unit of the product traps particles of heavy metal, salts, etc. The last step is cleaning with a small pore diameter sorbent. This procedure completes the filtration system and disinfects water or moonshine from small harmful molecules.

After going through all the stages on the way, the moonshine at the exit is suitable only for re-distillation, do not forget about this. Only after repetitions will it be suitable for human consumption.

Purification of moonshine with a filter Barrier is one of the most affordable and convenient ways to eliminate harmful impurities contained in this product distillation. Due to the composition of the used filter element, during such cleaning, the main part of fusel oils will be removed, unpleasant odors will be delayed as much as possible, and the product will be purified from small fragments of raw materials. We will discuss this method of cleaning in more detail below.

Which Barrier Filter is Best for Purifying Moonshine

Purification of moonshine with filters The barrier consists in passing the primary product (distilled wash) through the cleaning element of such a filter.

After the mash passes through the distillation apparatus, the resulting product contains a significant amount of compounds harmful to health and, in some cases, life-threatening compounds.

In particular, the mash obtained as a result of primary distillation contains:

• Methyl alcohol.

One of the most dangerous poisons due to the absence of differences in color, taste and smell with edible ethyl alcohol. A sufficiently large amount of this substance, when ingested, causes blindness, and a critically large amount leads to death.

• Various aldehydes.

These substances are alcohol oxidation products. Some of them (for example, acetaldehyde) pose serious health risks.

• Fusel oils.

They are a mixture of higher alcohols, esters and a number of organic acids. They impart an unpleasant taste and odor to the final product, and in large quantities pose a health hazard.

• Various broadcasts.

Despite the pleasant smell, high concentrations of these substances pose a health hazard.

To remove such substances from the resulting drink, it will need to be passed through an adsorbent capable of absorbing the bulk of harmful compounds. The most readily available adsorbent is activated carbon contained in the Barrier filters.

It is best to use regular carbon filter Barrier for cleaning moonshine. Other types of filter elements designed for softening water, removing excess chlorine and other purposes contain chemical elements, the reaction of which with alcohol can lead to product deterioration.

According to reviews, depending on the specific type, such filters either completely eliminate the desired aroma of the raw materials used (for example, from fruit mash), or impart unpleasant nuances to the taste of the final product.

How to clean moonshine using the Barrier filter

In fact, the procedure for purifying moonshine through a Barrier filter is no different from the process of treating ordinary water. The main difference will be only the resource of the filter element. If, when purifying water, it will be necessary to replace it after about 500 liters of liquid has been passed through, then if used for cleaning moonshine, it is recommended to change it every 10-15 liters of purified product.

As with normal use, to clean the moonshine through the jug Barrier, the wash passed through the distillation apparatus is poured into the upper container of the filter and wait for it to flow through the filter. To obtain a high-quality product, the purification of moonshine through a charcoal filter must be repeated at least five times, since only in this case a sufficient level of removal of harmful substances will be achieved. It is also necessary to remember about the resource of the filter element, since after passing 10 liters of the product, the efficiency of purification of moonshine from fusel oils by the Barrier filter is significantly reduced.

Due to the special composition of the filter element (different porosity of activated carbon, the presence of filters for coarse cleaning of the incoming liquid, and so on), the purification of moonshine or mash with a water filter is one of the most effective ways to eliminate harmful impurities when self-production alcohol. The proposed alternative ways, for example, recommendations to clean the moonshine with pharmacy activated carbon, or even use charcoal as a filter, not to be equal in efficiency to the Barrier.

Moonshine is a real art, and there is no room for quick decisions - there is no need to rush here, neither at the stage of mash preparation, nor during distillation, nor during cleaning. There are many effective ways to make the final product better - they are all discussed separately in our respective publications. And the purification of moonshine with water filters "Aquaphor" or "Barrier" could not remain out of our attention, since many people resort to this method, but few people think about the consequences.

What is the catch of cleaning moonshine with "Aquofor" or "Barrier"?

I must say right away that I am not a supporter of this method for a number of reasons. Firstly, in most cases, the jug itself, like the filter body, is made of plastic, and this is the first catch. Purification of moonshine with Aquaphor or Barrier will allow you to get rid of some fusel oils, but at the same time the drink will be replenished with by-products such as phenolic compounds and formaldehydes, which are formed as a result of the reaction between alcohol and plastic. It turns out "an awl for soap."

Another trick lies in the composition of the filter cartridge filler itself. In most cases, in addition to coal, it contains ion-exchange resins (small white balls), which are not intended for cleaning alcohols, but only for softening water. On the one hand, they do not dissolve in water or alcohol, but on the other hand, the taste of the final product, depending on the recipe for its preparation, cannot be predicted due to their effect.

What is the best way to clean moonshine with a water filter?

I will not say that I did not use water filters at all when cleaning moonshine, but there are some nuances that I took into account. And here's how I did it:

• I chose a cartridge with the optimal composition - ideally, it is a purely carbon filter, but it can be difficult to find such modifications, therefore, in addition to coal and ion-exchange resins, it should no longer contain any additives
• I did not use a plastic jug - for the cartridge, I made a separate disposable funnel from cardboard each time and installed it in a glass jar
• Used the filter only to clean the moonshine

Many of my acquaintances, who are also fond of home brewing, do not complicate their life - they simply run the drink of double distillation through Aquaphor or Barrier three times, and then use it for its intended purpose.

How to make a filter for cleaning moonshine with your own hands?

A purchased filter "Aquaphor" or "Barrier" saves time, but differs in the above side effects... But if you are not lazy, you can get a higher cleaning efficiency without any unwanted consequences. There is a simple way to make a filter for cleaning moonshine with your own hands - for this you need charcoal or coconut charcoal (purchased or homemade), a food-grade stainless steel cylinder with a diameter of about 7-8 cm and a height of 40-50 cm, deaf on one side and open on the other ...

You can order such a cylinder in any metallurgical workshop where argon-arc welding masters work. By the way, from a similar cylinder, but smaller, if you wish, you can make a dry greenhouse. If you don't want to do anything on your own, then just buy a coal column - its price will not exceed 3000 rubles, it is directly connected to moonshine still and works directly during the haul.

Well, those who prefer to work with their hands take our "sleeve" made of food-grade stainless steel, which does not interact with alcohol - this is its plus, and holes are drilled in the muffled bottom - a 2 mm drill, and if your hands are straight, you can take and one. Two or three dozen holes will be quite enough so that the moonshine does not run through the filter too quickly. Next, we put in three, four layers of cheesecloth, cotton wool 3-5 cm, and cheesecloth again on the leaky bottom. We grind the coal to a fraction size of 3-5 mm - no need to wash it into powder. Then we fill it into our filter column with a layer of 20-25 cm, slightly tamping it, but so that it does not crumble. It's better to just shake or tap slightly. You can also cover the top with gauze in three, four layers, and the filter is ready! Just fix it over a glass container and pour moonshine into it.

Run the drink through such a filter 2-3 times, and you will get an even better result than when using "Aquaphor" or "Barrier" for cleaning. One charge is enough for about 10 liters of moonshine, depending on the type and quality of coal.

Purification of moonshine through a water jug ​​attracts home distillers with accessibility, simplicity and low cost. Instead of a relatively expensive coal column, it is enough to buy a cheap plastic tank and replaceable cartridges. The method gives good results, but has several pitfalls, which are best known in advance.

Theory. Any filter jug ​​consists of three main elements: a bowl, a replaceable cartridge (cassette) and a receiving container for the purified liquid. The cartridge is filled with substances that absorb harmful impurities: activated carbon, ion exchange resins, silicon, zeolite and fibrous materials. The composition of the filler depends on the specific task: mechanical, bacterial, chemical cleaning.

Since the main component of the cassettes is activated carbon, the filter jug ​​is suitable for cleaning moonshine. The main thing is to choose the right cartridge and observe the filtration technology.

Criticism and disadvantages of the method

1. On the official websites of manufacturers there is information that cassette filters are intended only for drinking water, whether it is possible to clean moonshine is not indicated there, and the support service does not give a definite answer.

Explanation: pitcher-type filter systems have been developed, tested and meet government requirements for water, so the manufacturer has no right to officially expand the functionality of its products without obtaining the appropriate permits. Due to the design features, such filters do not exactly correspond to GOST for industrial purification of alcohols and distillates, but this does not mean that the cartridges cannot be used at home. It's just that the state and the manufacturer are not responsible for the result.

2. Reservoirs of water filters are made of plastic, which, in contact with alcohol, can emit harmful substances - phenolic compounds and formaldehydes.

Solution: branded tanks are made of high-quality food grade plastic, and during filtration, the contact time of the material with alcohol is insignificant, so hazardous substances do not have time to be released.

The collection container can be replaced glass jar

Another option to secure moonshine is to use, instead of the factory receiving container, an ordinary three-liter can with a filter element installed on the neck - a cartridge in the tank (see photo).

3. In addition to activated carbon, many filters contain other cleaning and water softening agents, such as fluorine or bromine, and it is impossible to predict their effect on alcohol.

Solution: to buy the simplest and cheapest cartridges for cleaning moonshine, consisting only of coal and ion-exchange resins (do not react with alcohol), the presence of other (especially chemical) components is undesirable and can lead to an unpleasant odor, discoloration and (or) the taste of the distillate.

The cassette must contain a minimum of chemical additives

4. After filtration, the strength of moonshine drops by 10-50%.

Solution: properly prepare the cassette for use (see instructions below), do not use reverse osmosis systems, change the cartridge on time (maximum after 15-20 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40%, preferably earlier). Normal losses are up to 3 degrees, often the fortress falls by no more than 0.5%.

How to filter moonshine through a water jug

• to obtain the highest quality distillate, it is advisable to use this method before the second distillation, but the finished drink can also be filtered;
• jug cartridges are not suitable for cleaning mash, wine, tinctures, other drinks and fruit moonshine (part of the aroma disappears);
• most moonshiners use three brands of water filters: Aquaphor, Barrier and Geyser, since these are the most common systems;
• the simpler the cartridge (usually called "classic" or "standard"), the better the result;
• it is advisable not to combine the purification of alcohol and drinking water, but to purchase a separate cartridge for moonshine.

Step-by-step instruction

1. Dilute the moonshine. If a second distillation is planned, up to 18-20 degrees, the finished distillate is slightly higher than the desired strength, leaving 2-3 degrees of reserve.

To improve the quality of filtration, it is advisable to cool the drink strongly, but not freeze.

2. Prepare the filter according to the instructions on the package. It is usually necessary to drain the first few batches of water to flush and moisturize the system.

Attention! Moonshine must not be passed through the new cartridge immediately, otherwise the coal will absorb almost all the alcohol and low-alcohol water will be at the exit.

3. Place the bowl with the prepared cartridge in the receiving container (jug) or on the neck three-liter cans... Pour moonshine into the bowl. It is advisable to transfer the system to the refrigerator during filtration.

4. Wait until all the cleaned moonshine is in the receiving container. The approximate speed is 150-200 ml per minute.

It is advisable not to leave alcohol-containing liquids in the plastic for a long time (more than 12 hours).

5. Repeat the filtration 1-2 more times, since in the case of alcohol, the length of the jug filter is not sufficient for only one run.

To do more than 3 filtrations of one distillate is impractical - due to too strong purification, the drink will become hard (a characteristic "vodka" taste will appear).

6. After filtration, rinse the jug cassette cold water, fold into a plastic bag and leave in the refrigerator until next use.

Empirically it has been established that one cartridge is enough for the normal cleaning of 10-15 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40%, but the exact amount depends on the apparatus, the distillation technique and raw materials, therefore I recommend you to orient yourself by the smell and taste of the distillate, changing the cassette in time so that the accumulated harmful substances do not switched to drink.

7. If the second distillation is not planned, pour the purified moonshine into glass containers, seal it tightly and leave for 3-5 days to stabilize the taste.

To check the strength, heat the drink to 20 ° C, otherwise the alcohol meter will show an incorrect value.

If the technology is followed, the fortress does not change