Fusel oils in moonshine - harm or benefit? The question is multifaceted, many fans strong drinks It is assumed that fusel makes alcohol tasteless and dangerous to health. In reality, everything is not quite like that.
The fact is that fusel oils not only spoil the drink, they also give it a peculiar aroma. From the point of view of the common man in the street, the most “clean” and Reviver- this is vodka, and the most “dirty” is whiskey.
Availability fusel oils in a drink will invariably lead to poisoning, cause severe intoxication, and over the years can lead to organic damage to the liver and brain.
How to recognize healthy moonshine?
Many articles and books have been written about the dangers of alcohol, but do not panic. Systematic consumption of alcohol in large doses causes harm to the body. Moderate consumption of alcohol cannot harm a person or worsen his or her health or well-being.
A certain amount of such substances will invariably be contained in alcohol, unless, of course, we are talking about alcohol that has gone through a multi-stage purification system.
What is meant by fusel oil:
- Acetone.
- Furfural.
- Isopropyl alcohol.
- Isoamyl alcohol.
- Other connections.
The toxicity of these substances is high and they are dangerous to the human body. Furfural can cause damage to the mucous membranes: eyes and nose, and cause skin irritation. With frequent contact with this substance, chronic diseases can develop, including eczema.
Externally, oils resemble a brown or brown liquid. If you put alcohol in a spoon and then set it on fire, you can see the fusel with your own eyes after the burning is complete. These substances are also contained in the steamer.
A steam steamer, or reflux condenser, is a device, part of a moonshine still; it is in this device that harmful components settle.
From verified sources it is known that about 70% of alcoholics have become dependent, using the so-called pure product- vodka. Despite the fact that the concentration of fusel in it is quite low, vodka most often causes poisoning and causes damage to the liver and brain.
Concentration harmful substances its content is minimal, but this does not prevent vodka from having a detrimental effect on the human body. The reason here is precisely in fusel oils: the fact is that these substances not only cause harm, but also benefit.
What's the benefit?
It is quite difficult to say exactly which oils are beneficial and which are harmful. They say that certain substances prepare the liver for the intake of alcohol; they act on the body in a special way, forcing the body to neutralize poisons and toxins on its own. This helps not only to avoid addiction, but also to significantly reduce the manifestations of intoxication.
In addition, fusel oils help:
- give alcohol a pleasant taste and smell;
- reduce its strength.
An example is cognac or whiskey - this alcohol is considered elite, its taste is excellent, and the reason for this is not only in the manufacturing process. Undoubtedly, aging in oak barrels and other tricks affect the quality of drinks. Fusel oils and purification methods play a decisive role in the production of alcohol.
You can check moonshine or vodka for strength using an alcohol meter, as well as using other methods. Pure alcohol - rectified - has a high strength; the presence of a certain amount of fusel in the drink reduces its level of strength. Examples include wine and beer; in this alcohol the concentration of oils is higher than in vodka.
If speak about noble drinks, then their effect on the body is considered to be gentle. That is, they practically do no harm to humans, but this does not mean at all that they do not contain fusels. An example is wine made from Isabella grapes.
During the fermentation process, mash made from grapes of this variety releases a large number of hydrocyanic acid. This substance is dangerous to human health. For this reason, to protect yourself from potential harm, distillers make mash from several varieties of grapes, using not only Isabella.
To preserve the aroma of the drink, winemakers and moonshiners have learned to purify alcohol from fusel using various ways. Multi-stage filters and other devices help preserve nice smell and taste and at the same time purify alcohol from dangerous impurities.
But you shouldn’t be afraid of fusel milk; naturally, an outright surrogate will not bring any benefit to the body, but you can drink whiskey or cognac in reasonable doses without worrying about your health.
Cleaning methods
Among the methods used for processing alcohol, there are several methods that can be successfully used at home:
- Cleaning with egg whites allows you to rid the drink of unnecessary impurities. The protein precipitates, attracting harmful oils and other substances that can harm the human body.
- And also use Activated carbon and potassium permanganate. Tablets are a powerful absorbent; they absorb elements harmful to the human body. Potassium permanganate crystals operate in approximately the same way. After cleaning, the moonshine is drained, and the crystals or tablets are simply thrown away.
- Cleaning with bread has one advantage - this method of removing fusel gives the drink pleasant aroma. Since bread has a porous structure, it absorbs various components like a sponge, thus cleansing the product of impurities.
Bread can be used not only to cleanse the product from oils and other substances, but also as a flavoring agent. In this case, preference should be given to a loaf made from rye flour, it will give the drink a unique smell.
Not only medications and products can eliminate an unpleasant taste and aroma; there are some devices that significantly improve the taste of alcohol.
Such devices include:
- steam tank or reflux condenser;
- bubbler;
- rectifier.
A steam steamer or reflux condenser is a device that helps rid the drink of impurities; it acts as a kind of sump. During the boiling process of the mash, vapors pass through the reflux condenser, leaving a coating of harmful impurities on its walls. The steamer is filled with water, passing vapor through the liquid; the device operates due to the difference in boiling temperatures.
Various components of moonshine boil and begin to evaporate at different temperatures. This feature allows you to clean the distillate from impurities. The device can be equipped with 2 or 3 steam chambers, one of which is used as a kind of storage for flavorings.
Peels of lemon, orange, spices or herbs are placed in the reflux condenser - they help to significantly improve the quality of the drink, its taste and smell.
A bubbler is a device that protects ready-made alcohol from mash during the distillation process. If the process boils intensely, its drops may fall into finished product, thereby spoiling its quality. Since mash contains a large number of impurities, it can affect the quality of the drink and its taste.
The bubbler just protects the moonshine from drops of mash; it helps control the boiling point of the liquid and the pressure level.
Rectifier or distillation column is an additional module that can purify not only moonshine, but also water. You can buy a rectifier or make it yourself. This is a multi-stage filter, the use of which helps to obtain raw alcohol with a strength of up to 96 degrees at home.
A distillation column is quite expensive, but the purchase costs will be doubled. Using this device helps to produce moonshine at home High Quality, which is suitable for making liqueurs and tinctures. But you won’t be able to make whiskey or cognac at home using this device.
Those using devices are more effective compared to those carried out using tablets, food or other components.
Conclusion
Even an expert in winemaking is unlikely to determine “by eye” the presence of fusel in alcohol. You can pay attention to the smell and taste of the drink - this will help you understand its quality. It is also worth paying attention to the color of the product: if it is cloudy and smells bad, has an unpleasant taste, it is not worth consuming, and this is not just about fusel oils.
However, we must not forget that some impurities are beneficial for the body. Their presence in alcohol avoids intoxication and reduces the load on the liver.
Fusel oils can be called the “soul” of any alcoholic drink. In many ways, they determine the taste, smell, color and strength of a hangover. Common people believe that these impurities are undesirable, harmful to health and spoil the taste. In fact, everything is much more complicated, in most cases their presence is vital, and proper cleaning eliminates problems.
Fusel oils- a group of substances of an oily consistency of light yellow or red-brown color with an unpleasant odor, which is by-product alcoholic fermentation of sugar, fruit or starch-containing raw materials. Contained in one concentration or another in every alcoholic drink (the exception is pure alcohol- rectification).
To obtain fusel oil at home, just pour crude moonshine into a spoon, set it on fire and wait until the burning ends. The bad-smelling liquid remaining in the spoon will be “fusel” (popular name). Similar substances can be seen in the steam chamber of a moonshine still after distillation.
Filtered during rectification ( industrial production alcohol), fusel oils are not waste, but are used to produce amyl alcohol, which in turn is used as a solvent in the confectionery and dairy industries.
Dark concentrated fusel oil 
And lighter The composition of fusel oils includes about 40 substances, conditionally divided into two groups. The first group contains liquids whose boiling point is lower than that of ethyl alcohol (78.4°C), these are oil acetate, acetaldehyde and acetone. The second group is represented by substances with a boiling point above 78.4°C: propyl, isopropyl, amyl, isoamyl, isobutyl alcohols, furfural, acetyl and other toxic compounds. The most dangerous is isoamyl alcohol (C5H4OH), which accounts for up to 60% of the volume of fusel. When concentrated isoamyl alcohol comes into contact with the skin, the affected area first becomes red and itchy, then blisters filled with a light liquid appear.
The benefits and harms of fusel oils
The composition and concentration of fusel oils are influenced by: raw materials, type of yeast, fermentation temperature and preparation technology (distillation, rectification or no distillation). From this point of view, the purest drink is vodka, and the poorly purified drink is whiskey.
The problem is that it is fusel oils that give alcoholic drinks their characteristic organoleptic properties. Without these substances, cognac and whiskey will turn into alcohol diluted with water (the effect of aging in oak barrels also significantly, but less), and the taste of wine or beer will change beyond recognition. On the other hand, an excess amount of fusel causes intoxication of the body, poisoning, and a severe hangover.
The harm and benefits of fusel oils are relative - determined by the composition and (or) concentration of substances in the drink. Every self-respecting manufacturer tries to remove toxic impurities as much as possible, leaving only the necessary and harmless ones that determine organoleptic properties. Therefore, the technology for the production of vodka, wine, beer, cognac, whiskey and tequila is different, and the quality of the drinks depends on the purification methods used.
Without fusel oils there would be no cognac For example, it is incorrect to compare the harm from whiskey and vodka. At first glance, it seems that whiskey, which initially contains 260-400 times more fusel oils, is much more dangerous. But when proper cleaning whiskey will be even more harmless than vodka (reasoning in the next paragraph). You can compare the quality of alcohol of the same type, for example, of two cognac producers, but when assessing the dangers of different alcohol, it is difficult to draw the right conclusions.
Until recently, vodka was considered the most harmless alcoholic drink, since thanks to rectification it contains a minimum of fusel oils. But at the same time, it remained unclear why 70% of people suffering from alcohol addiction are vodka alcoholics. A study by Vladimir Pavlovich, professor of the Research Institute of Narcology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, shed light on this issue.
It turns out that some fusel oils protect the body from the harmful effects of alcohol, causing the liver to become active before alcohol begins its destructive effects. The purer the poison (in our case ethanol), the more dangerous it is and is quickly addictive. It is a pity that few people know about these findings.
Purification of fusel oils
Any homemade alcoholic drink contains some harmful fusel oils. But it is impossible to remove them from wine, beer or liqueur without loss of taste. In this case, the only option is to use high-quality raw materials and strictly adhere to the preparation technology. For example, Isabella grapes release a lot of hydrocyanic acid during fermentation, so it is better not to drink a lot of this wine at once or mix the must before fermentation with other varieties.
Sugar, fruit and malt distillates are well purified. To begin with, I advise you to familiarize yourself with the six best ones that are used for sugar and grain raw materials.
The most helpful way to remove fusel oils from fruit distillate (apple, grape, pear, plum, etc.) effective way– double distillation of moonshine with separation of the output into fractions (“head”, “body” and “tails”), which is used in the preparation of cognac, whiskey, Calvados and other strong alcoholic beverages.
Any alcoholic drink, including wine and, contains fusel oil. Experts who are well versed in alcohol call it the “soul” of the drink, since its unique organoleptic properties depend on this component.
First of all, let's figure out what it is and where it comes from? This term is usually called oily compounds that arise during fermentation and partially pass into the finished distillate.
Extracted from alcohol (which is only possible in laboratory conditions), they have a color from light yellow to brownish-red and an oily consistency. They are simply dissolved in moonshine. The concept of “fusel oils” includes more than 40 chemical compounds, divided into two groups:
- The boiling point of which is lower than that of ethyl alcohol (it has 78.4°C). The most famous of them are acetone and esters with acetaldehyde.
- The boiling point of these substances is more than 78.4°C. Among them, alcohols predominate, as well as furfural, acetyl and other toxic compounds.
The benefits of fusel
Many people consider fusel oils to be the culprits of severe hangovers. And they are very wrong! Our bodies perceive any alcohol as poison. The liver tries to break it down and remove it from the body as quickly as possible.
But there is a “discrepancy” here. It is pure poison that acts sharper and more powerfully! And the impurities, which are fusel oils, soften the process and prevent hangover syndrome.
And the main culprits of headaches and debilitating nausea are acetic acid and acetaldehyde. It is “thanks to” them that a large amount of magnesium is washed out during breakdown in the liver. Which causes such a deplorable state of the body.
Therefore, supposedly pure vodka () causes a much worse hangover, and the occurrence of alcoholism is 8 times more likely than other drinks. Although when drinking, for example, whiskey, neither such a hangover nor such frequent dependence is observed, although it contains 200-400 times more fusel oils. In cognac – once every 50.
And the whole point - in proper cleaning. There is no need to remove all impurities, but it is important to remove the most harmful ones.
Is there any harm?
Naturally, we will not sing the praises of the barn owl; after all, it also causes a lot of harm. Let's start with what it gives to moonshine disgusting smell , which sometimes makes it impossible to drink. And the taste of unrefined moonshine leaves much to be desired.
Some fusel oils, for example, the same one, which is also called technical or wood alcohol, destroys internal organs, can cause blindness, etc. And this is in small quantities!
Another type of alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, literally “burns” the digestive system, forming pockets of irritation and blisters that can turn into ulcers. Furfural affects the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and skin, causing eczema.
Concentration
We can more or less accurately indicate the amount of fusel oils in purchased types alcohol. So, in vodka they, according to GOST, no more than 15 mg per liter. According to technical conditions - in wine up to 600, in cognac – up to 12000, whiskey can have up to 6000 mg per liter, that is, more than 6 grams!
It is very difficult to determine the concentration of fusel oils in moonshine, and no one has seriously studied this, although today in Russia there is a GOST for moonshine, according to which only distillate from grain can be considered moonshine. It prescribes the content of fusel oils within the limits from 500 to 6000 mg in terms of anhydrous alcohol.
In some types homemade alcohol up to 60% of fusel comes from isoamyl alcohol. The easiest way to determine the concentration is by smell and taste: the more the liquid stinks and the worse the aftertaste, the more fusel.
How to clean moonshine from smell and fusel oils?
One of the ways to get rid of moonshine more fusel oils is secondary fractional distillation with separation into fractions.
But even after this, it is desirable to bring its organoleptic properties to perfection.
Ideal - when in homemade alcohol you can feel a slight note of the product from which the mash is made and there is no sense of fusel at all. Many methods have been invented for this, which we will introduce you to.
So that moonshine is not embarrassing to put even in front of dear guests and so that it not only catches up taste qualities vodka, but also surpassed it, will do traditional methods cleaning. You can use one of them or try several.
Advice. Test different cleansing agents on small batches of homemade alcohol and compare results.
Having chosen the optimal method, “use” all the moonshine.
Pasteurized milk
In urban environments, low-fat pasteurized milk is used. At home - low-fat, after the cream has been extracted from it using a separator.
The proportions are contradictory: from 200 ml to 2 liters per 10 liters of moonshine with a strength of 45°. Pour milk into alcohol, stir well and place in a dark place in the room for a week. Shake daily. Do not touch the last day of infusion. A layer of curdled milk with impurities forms at the bottom of the container.
Peculiarities. Milk contains casein and albumin. They then bind the fusel and precipitate the oils, forming flakes.
Strain the alcohol through several layers of gauze, then filter using cotton wool or cotton pads.
Egg white
For 1 liter of moonshine you need 2 egg whites. Beat them without fanaticism (no foam is needed) and mix with alcohol. White flakes will quickly begin to fall out. Filter.
Activated or charcoal
You can either prepare charcoal yourself or use a store-bought one, such as BAU-A, which is specially designed for purifying alcohol. Take 50 g of crushed coal per liter. Shake, settle, filter.
Potassium permangantsovka
Perfectly cleans moonshine from fusel oils and odor, while forming other chemical compounds whose benefits are questionable. Nevertheless, the method is popular.
You need to take 3-5 g of manganese per three liter jar moonshine. It's better to dilute it first warm water, but this is not necessary, it will dissolve in moonshine. Filter thoroughly through cotton wool.
How to get rid of fusel by freezing?
The method was adopted from Siberians, who even freeze alcohol from mash in this way. It is enough to place the container with moonshine overnight in freezer, and in the morning drain the alcohol that has not frozen. Then dilute it to the desired degree. Almost all of the fusel will remain in the frozen part.
Baking soda
This substance can neutralize acetic acid, located in unrefined moonshine. Add baking soda at the rate of 1 g per 1 liter. Stir. After 10 minutes, strain through several layers of gauze or filter.
Vegetable oil
Although not everyone likes the method, refined oil moonshine cleans well. Pour in 100 g of oil per 3-liter jar. Shake and leave for a day.
The oil film along with impurities will rise to the top. Drain using a silicone straw. If necessary, filter additionally. This method good before the second stage.
Water filter
It is popular today to use a water filter as a purifying agent. Moonshine is poured into a filter jug and passed through a cassette. Then store it in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. But there are dubious aspects here. Not everything that is intended for water is suitable for alcohol.
Although the main component of such a filter is carbon, there are also impurities that, together with alcohol, may give unknown compounds. In addition, it is not recommended to use plastic with alcohol.
Rye bread
Use fresh bread, crumbling it into a jar of moonshine (1 kilogram loaf for 10 liters). The method is considered good, especially in addition to cleaning with milk. Leave for a day, then filter.
Fusel oil is called mixture of ether compounds, which are formed during the process of distillation or rectification of mash. These esters give moonshine a certain taste and smell that is unique to this drink. It is believed that their increased concentration leads to a deterioration in the quality of alcohol and the appearance of a hangover in the morning. This is why most moonshiners try to get a more tasty distillate.
But what exactly is the benefit of this fusel oil for moonshine, and what harm does it cause to the body? We will list well-known facts that may well surprise even experienced moonshiners.
I suggest starting with the good. Oddly enough, the compounds formed during the distillation process bring tangible benefits to some alcoholic drinks, and without them the effect will not be the same.
- Adds a distinctive taste to whiskey, cognac and moonshine. Fusel oil content in elite alcoholic drinks very high. Without this “fusel” the taste and smell of the liquid will be completely different, so the technology does not provide for the alcohol to be completely purified from these impurities.
- Reduces alcohol strength. Alcohol that is too pure “covers” the body faster and stronger. Impurities prepare the liver for high concentration alcohol and partially inhibit its effect on the body. That is why we can say thank you to him in this matter.
When it comes to village moonshine, meaning a pronounced taste and smell, then again we are talking about “fusel”.
On rural moonshine stills this cannot be maintained good technology, like the production of whiskey or cognac, so this oversaturation of harmful impurities does not lead to anything good.
To obtain an adequate amount of fusel oil in moonshine, it is necessary to double distillation with either after the first distillation, carry out a good or. Only in this case can we talk about some benefit, which will be expressed in good taste and the smell of the drink.
Harm to the body
Fusel oil contains many compounds, some of which are poison for the body. For example, methyl and amyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, acetone, furfural and so on. You can see a table of these impurities in the table below. As you understand, these compounds do not bring anything good to the body.
Some harmful impurities in moonshine and their boiling point
Some of these compounds have a bad effect on vision, others irritate the mucous membranes, and others have a detrimental effect on the digestive system. Yes, even myself ethanol, for the sake of which distillation is carried out, negatively affects the liver and other organs of our body.
A fair question arises: in what doses can you drink moonshine if it contains such harmful impurities? As you understand, the question is rhetorical, since everyone chooses the norm for themselves. It should be remembered that systematic consumption of large amounts of alcohol is harmful, but if you keep a certain line, then everything will be fine.
We recommend that you watch the cartoon video from Mr. Good. The poems describe our moonshine brewing, the people’s attitude towards this matter and some laws that have tried to ban moonshine several times already.
How to reduce the concentration of fusel oil in moonshine
At home, you can purify moonshine quite well and get a very decent drink. In short, you just need to follow the technology for setting up the mash and distilling it, then the results of your labors will be tasty and of high quality.
What can be done to reduce the concentration of fusel:
- Use a steam steamer and a reflux condenser. These devices contain quite a large amount of harmful substances, so we strongly advise against ignoring them.
- Do a double distillation. We consider it inappropriate to distill moonshine 3 or 4 times, but once is usually not enough.
- Cut off heads and tails (harmful fractions). About 50 ml of heads for every kilogram of sugar and everything below 40 degrees as tails. In this case, the “body” of your product will be exceptional.
- Keep fermentation temperature higher. The picture on the right shows that at 30 degrees, much less fusel oil is released than at 20. There is a risk of cooking our yeast, but if we maintain a moderate temperature all the time, then everything will be fine.
- Clean moonshine with a water filter, coal or vegetable oil. This procedure is best done if the quality of your product is not satisfactory. At normal conditions it is not necessary to carry it out.
As you can see, there are no secrets here. Keep up good temperature regime and do not violate the golden rules of moonshine brewing, which have been recognized by more than one generation of distillers.
Hello, my dear readers!
We continue the topic of improving the quality of moonshine. Today we will talk about how moonshine is purified with oil. This procedure is not complicated, and the effect is very good. Removes bad smell and harmful impurities.
Why are we doing this?
By using vegetable oil we can purify moonshine from fusel oils to a fairly good extent. What is a fusel? That's right - a very bad smell and harmful to health.
This method is based on the ability of fusel to dissolve in other oils. You just need to dilute the moonshine to the point where the ethyl alcohol in it can no longer retain fusel oils. Then collect them with plants and remove them. How to do it? I'll tell you now.
Cleaning instructions
- After this treatment you will get a fairly well cleared of impurities and unpleasant odors product.
- This method is also good because it is based on physical processes and does not require the addition of any chemistry.
- Only the “tails” dissolve in oil, but the “heads” (such as aldehydes) do not. To remove them, it is necessary to do fractional distillation.
- You must insert the drain tube into the settled liquid carefully, because... The oil film is very sticky. Inflate it through the same tube from the surface before diving.
- I read that used oil can be recovered and reused. To do this, you need to heat it to 150 degrees and keep it at this temperature for at least half an hour. I haven't tried doing this myself yet.
That's all. As I said, it's simple and very effective method. Using it together with
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