Charcoal for moonshine. Proper cleaning of moonshine with charcoal

Even those who are far from moonshine know the process of making moonshine. This process is the distillation of mash into an alcohol-containing liquid. How much alcohol there is in this liquid depends on many reasons, one of which may be the presence of fusel oils. Purification from impurities (charcoalization) is the main point in obtaining quality product. Many beginning producers have problems with cleaning, as it is necessary to remove odor, remove fusel oils and ensure proper taste. All this directly depends on the cleansing method used at home.

Benefits of purifying moonshine with charcoal

The most the best way filtering moonshine is by passing it through coal. The product obtained without filtration usually turns out cloudy due to the presence of various substances in it.

But to keep it clean and strong, an entire filter system is created, similar to the one used to purify water. Such a filter system is essentially an adsorbent.

The adsorbent traps impurity molecules, thereby making the liquid cleaner. But not every coal can become an adsorbent in moonshine still, since the density of the filter element is capable of transmitting and retaining molecules of a certain size. Let's try to figure out which material meets the requirements.

Types of Activated Carbon

Coals of the BAU-A (LV) brands are most suitable for moonshine.. This stands for “birch activated carbon”. There is also a brand called KAU-A - coconut. These brands are used in industry and were specially invented for vodka and other drinks.

Private alcohol producers, not finding the required product in the store, may consider that it will be enough to buy tablets at the pharmacy. Of course, in the absence best option This one will do too. However, the tableted activated product is not able to retain all unnecessary substances. What's the difference? The fact is that it is often made from processed animal bones, starch and sucrose. In this case, the carbon pores have a different size, and therefore a different throughput.

People associated with the army often use gas mask charcoal inserts. This option is also not suitable. Gas mask filter elements have a different purpose.

Nature took care of itself and created charcoal, which man then began to use in his life.

In tablets

If someone nevertheless decides to use a pharmaceutical product, then be prepared for the fact that a peculiar aftertaste will appear. Experts in the field of moonshine say that the finished product after activated carbon in tablets it becomes even tougher.

If we take water as an example, they try to make it softer after filtration. Here the exact opposite effect is achieved.

Charcoal for barbecue

There is a separate line of charcoal for barbecue or barbecue. It also allows you to remove harmful substances from the made moonshine. chemical substances and connections. Please note that it is burnt material that suits us.

Most moonshiners use barbecue coal in their activities in the following way:

1. Still smoldering coals are taken out of the grill.
2. The coal is placed in some metal container.
3. To prevent air from entering, the container is tightly closed with a lid.
4. After the material has completely cooled, it can be used for its intended purpose.

After filtering on such material, moonshine is obtained with a slight smoky taste. Many people really like the drink mixed with smoke.

After the listed methods, we will consider how to clean moonshine with charcoal from birch, coconut, and cedar.

Proper Cleaning Methods

Birch charcoal mixed with KAU-A cleans much better than just one of them. Birch is still easier to find. In addition, it is considered pure and is used in many industries. The entire process of carbonization, or adsorption with coal, takes place in several stages:

1. Before you begin cleaning, you should ready-made moonshine dilute with water. That is, bring its strength to approximately 40-50 degrees.
2. The coals are crushed, but not very finely, and poured into a clean bowl.
3. Diluted moonshine is added to the same bowl.
4. The dishes are closed with an airtight lid and put away for a period of seven to fourteen days.
5. The entire container is shaken thoroughly every day.
6. After the set period has expired, the moonshine is poured into another vessel through a gauze filter.
7. If there are coal particles left in the liquid, then it can be driven again through a funnel with cotton wool.

This cleaning method requires compliance with the proportions: per liter of moonshine, take 50 grams of coal substance. When using a home-made wood combustion product, everything goes exactly according to this scenario.

In contrast to this method, there is another, less commonly used, but no less effective.

The technique is used during distillation. You just need to make the cleaning device correctly. In production you will need cotton wool (cotton pads), gauze (bandage), crushed coal. Next, the filter element is made like this:

• take a funnel of any size that you can find at home;
• the bottom of the funnel is covered with cotton wool wrapped in gauze or cotton pads;
• crushed material is poured on top of the cotton wool;
• From above everything is again covered with a layer of cotton wool.

Most delicious drink it turns out if it is cleaned in this way.

Getting rid of impurities with cedar

IN in this case You won’t need the tree itself, but only its fruits. Pine nut in the production of alcohol with your own hands, it is both an adsorbent and a taste enhancer. The nut makes the moonshine softer, changes its taste better side. As a cleanser, it absorbs fusel oils. In fact, purification is infusion. How much cedar wood you need to take is up to you to decide. Usually a small handful is poured into the liquid, which is infused for about two weeks. After which the used nut is thrown away, and the product is ready for consumption.

Attention, TODAY only!

Hi all! We continue to fight for the quality of our drinks. The topic of my post today is cleaning moonshine with activated carbon. This method is very effective and is capable of ridding the distillate of 86% of the fusel oils it contains and 92% of the esters.

But if coal is used incorrectly, moonshine can form toxic substances.

Make yourself comfortable, now I’ll tell you everything in detail.

How coal purifies moonshine

On the surface of charcoal there is very a large number of pores, which makes it an excellent adsorbent. It absorbs and retains harmful impurities (fusel) contained in moonshine.

Fusel oils are hydrophobic substances - they dissolve poorly in water, but they do so well in alcohol. Therefore, in order for the cleaning process to occur more completely, moonshine must be diluted with water to a strength of 15-20%. Then the fusel ceases to dissolve in alcohol and the coal readily absorbs it.

With the right approach, a very high degree of product purification can be achieved. Below is an excerpt from the book “Production of Alcohol Beverages” (A.K. Dorosh, V.S. Lysenko)

Not bad, right? By the way, due to such high efficiency, it is not recommended to carbonate moonshine from fruit and berry mash or mash for jam. Otherwise, you risk losing your taste qualities oh such a drink. But for sugar mash this is what you need.

Harmful properties

This cleaning method also has a negative side. With prolonged contact between coal and alcohol, the latter oxidizes with the formation of harmful substances - aldehydes.

I quote again from Dorosh-Lysenko’s book:

It follows from this that the process must be limited in time - a maximum of 20 minutes.

Let's summarize the above: for maximum purification of moonshine from harmful impurities, it must be diluted to 15% strength and subjected to charcoal for 20 minutes.

Yes, I almost forgot. After cleaning, the strength may be reduced by about 2 degrees.

Types of coal

In this section I will list the types that are more or less popularly used by moonshiners to clean their drinks.

1. Birch activated carbon(BAU)

Very popular among moonshiners. Sold in shops for winemakers, as well as in specialized stores such as “Russian Chemist”.

1. Coconut (CAU)

As you might guess from the name, it is made from coconut shells.

Also a very popular brand. This is what I recommend for use. According to many sellers, KAU has a higher cleaning ability than birch. You can buy it in the same place as BAU.

1. Activated carbon from the pharmacy.

Everyone has probably seen this and even tried it. You can use it, but there is one caveat. The composition of pharmaceutical charcoal often includes auxiliary substances, mainly potato starch and sucrose.

I have heard from fellow winemakers that these additives make moonshine harsher. To be honest, I have never noticed a difference, but just in case I try to use only KAU.

1. Charcoal for barbecue

Some distillers use this too.

Activated carbon for alcohol purification is produced at 800-1000 °C. If the temperature is lower, then resins may remain in it in a small but sufficient quantity to ruin our product.

1. Household filters

You can clean moonshine by passing it through a filter jug. He does his job well. True, in some cases there is an increased loss in strength - about 5 degrees.

Instructions for charcoaling moonshine

So, below I will give several methods for cleaning moonshine with coal. As I already said at the beginning of the article, before purification, moonshine must be diluted to 15-20% alcohol. Then distill it again to increase the strength.

The maximum effect can be achieved if you first clean moonshine with vegetable oil.

• Cleaning BAU or KAU

1. Coal is taken at the rate of 10 grams (heaped tablespoon) per 1 liter of sorting.
2. Washed out drinking water from dust.
3. Take the usual one plastic bottle. Several holes are made in the cork and the bottom is cut off. Place a piece of cotton wool or a cotton pad under the cork and fill it with required amount KAU.
4. Well, then the moonshine is poured in and filtered. I run it 3 times.

You can also simply pour the charcoal into a sorting container and shake well. In this case, it is better to double the dosage. Keep the coal in the moonshine for no more than 20 minutes, then filter through cotton wool or filter paper.

• Cleaning with activated carbon from a pharmacy

Everything is the same as during the previous cleaning. Dosage – 45 tablets per 1 liter of moonshine. Crush the tablets before use.

Laboratory analysis of cleaning quality

I present the results of a laboratory analysis of moonshine before and after cleaning with coal.

The analyzes were carried out by a respected member of the Homedistiller forum under the nickname Alexander956. Here link to a post on the forum.

These data confirm what this article is talking about - coal copes very effectively with fusel oils, and the quality of cleaning noticeably increases with strong dilution of moonshine.

Raw alcohol from sugar mash distilled to a temperature of 99 degrees in the cube was analyzed, i.e. almost to the water.

The amount of impurities is indicated in mg per liter of anhydrous alcohol.

Coal regeneration at home

Charcoal can be used several times, but over time it loses its adsorbing properties. In industry it is subjected to regeneration. This can also be done at home. Perhaps not as effective, but still. How to do this is described in the same book by Dorosh-Lysenko. Instructions in the photo below:

OK it's all over Now. Now you know how to properly charcoal moonshine. In combination with this you can get a very high quality and tasty product.

I have plans to write articles about several more cleaning methods, so I suggest subscribing to new articles. I also encourage you to share your experiences in the comments. I'm very interested.

That's all for today.

Bye everyone. Dorofeev Pavel.

Cleaning moonshine with barbecue charcoal allows you to completely get rid of fusel oils, methanol, aldehydes and other harmful impurities.

The substance is a good adsorbent, so its use makes it possible to process homemade alcohol and eliminate unpleasant odors.

Usually, to purify moonshine, an activated type is used, which is sold in the pharmacy chain.

Many novice moonshiners are interested in whether to use a barbecue or whether it is necessary to use only its activated analogue. To answer this question, you must first understand what type of substance can be used to remove fusel oils from alcoholic liquids, and consider methods for using charcoal from a barbecue when purifying the drink.

Choosing methods for filtering alcoholic liquid

A moonshiner has 3 options for purifying homemade alcohol:

• use black charcoal tablets, which you can buy at the pharmacy;
• use high-quality charcoal, taking it, for example, from an old household water filter;
• use the barbecue component.

Pharmaceutical tablets of the activated substance are made from the bones of various animals.

The adsorbent component in them has microscopic pores through which large molecules of fusel oil and many harmful components cannot pass.

Therefore, pharmaceutical coal tablets can only be used when cleaning moonshine that has already passed 2 distillations.

It is recommended to use tableted coal only after 2 distillations

Such a filter does not process mash well. Harmful components remain in the alcohol solution, which must be eliminated by other methods, for example, using potassium permanganate. At the same time, the black tablet contains additional ingredients, such as starch. These substances add bitterness to purified moonshine.

It is best to pass an alcoholic drink through charcoal, which is obtained by decomposing wood during high temperatures Oh. This process takes place without air access (pyrolysis).

Such a carbon substance can be obtained at home, but the process of its production is quite labor-intensive. Some people pull similar components from the filter of an old gas mask, but although they are made by pyrolyzing birch stakes, they are not recommended. Suitable material is sold in specialized stores and is used in water filters and other devices. Learn more about charcoal cleaning in this video:

Birch stakes are used to light barbecues, so many distillers use coal obtained after frying kebabs.

To filter an alcoholic drink, you can also use a mixture of charcoal and coconut charcoal, which is also used to light a barbecue.

Some people use coals from a fire to filter mash, but it must be taken into account that the resulting alcoholic beverage will have a slight smoky aroma. Most often it is not possible to get rid of it completely, but repeated running of the alcoholic liquid through the device dramatically reduces these odors.

How should you use barbecue coals?

For charcoal filtration to be successful, you need to use a homemade filter. To do this, take a metal or plastic watering can. Place 2-3 layers of gauze or cotton wool over the hole in its neck. After this, charcoal for the shish kebab is poured on top so that its particles form a layer approximately 2 - 4 cm thick.

After this, the mash can be passed through the resulting filter device. This method allows you to quickly purify alcoholic drinks at home using the components left over from barbecue. For high-quality filtration, all the described steps must be repeated 5-6 times, and at each cycle the purifying alcohol carbon must be replaced with a new portion.

Pour coal into a cone-shaped vessel

To be completely sure of the quality of the resulting moonshine, you need to use carbon in the form of a filter after the first and then the second distillation of the alcoholic liquid. Moonshine will come out clear, without any harmful impurities, only if high-quality charcoal was used.

If the moonshiner is not in a hurry, then you can increase the efficiency of using a filter with barbecue coals.

To do this, you need to crush the particles of the substance, place them on the bottom of the pan in a layer of 3-4 cm, and then pour in moonshine. The ratio of the amount of coal and the alcoholic drink to be purified is about 50 g of adsorbent per 1 liter of liquid.

Cover the pan with a lid. It should be infused for 3 days. After this, the drink is drained from the sediment so that some alcoholic liquid remains at the bottom. If there are coal particles in the purified moonshine, then you just need to remove them by passing the liquid through 2 layers of gauze. Watch the cleaning process in this video:

If a mixture of coconut and charcoal is used, the cleaning efficiency is the highest.

To use a similar mixture for filtration, you need to take a ratio of charcoal to coconut charcoal of 3 to 1.

By mixing both components, you can grind them - then the quality of filtration will noticeably increase and the purification will be more efficient.

You cannot infuse the purified alcoholic drink on charcoal for a long time, since some of the harmful substances absorbed by it may return to alcohol. If you are using a household, home filter, then you need to know that it may contain components that are not needed when cleaning moonshine. They do not spoil the taste of the resulting drink, but it is better if they are not there at all.

When filtering moonshine, it is advisable to use more adsorbent - this will not spoil the drink, and the quality of purification will be much higher. You need to know that you cannot reuse the same portion of coal.

If an alcoholic drink, after cleaning with charcoal from a barbecue, has a smell of smoke or burnt wood, then you can get rid of it re-distillation moonshine. When grain-based alcohol is filtered through charcoal, the flavor and aroma of the grain is lost.

After moonshine passes through a carbon filter, it loses not only harmful impurities, but also pleasant aromas

If a person does not want to lose the taste of these cultures in moonshine, then he must use other methods for purification, for example, potassium permanganate, Rye bread, milk.

Before filtering alcohol, you need to check the quality of charcoal. To do this, a little moonshine is passed through a small amount of coal

If the liquid turns brown or has a distinct burning smell, this substance should not be used.

In order to get the desired filtration effect, it is best to purchase coconut charcoal. But you need to know that it is not always sold in stores.

Is alcohol filtration always necessary? even if you cut off the tail? and the “head”, and the distillation itself is carried out fractionally, you still need to get rid of fusel oils and other heavy fractions. The most accessible and in a simple way is activated carbon. The larger the pores, the larger the molecules that can be adsorbed in this way.

Is there no need to take a pharmacy for this purpose? it contains starch and talc, as well as salts and some chemical elements, which are now used to treat the substance instead of steam. All this affects the taste and the drink will be bitter.

If you made moonshine from grain raw materials (barley, wheat), which has a pronounced aroma, choose a different cleaning method at home, as otherwise you risk losing this wonderful smell.

What is coal made of?

This is almost pure carbon without impurities, similar in appearance to graphite, which is mined in nature. There are many varieties: bitumen, charcoal, cattle bones, coal coke. The material consists of many pores, thanks to which it has a high absorption capacity (up to 60% of the toxic substance).

Its high adsorbing properties determine its widespread use in many areas for the separation, purification and extraction of substances. Interestingly, the total area (including all pores) of a piece of coal weighing 50 grams is equal to 10 standard football fields.

IN industrial production Any coal is first charred (up to 1000°), and then the pores on it are opened. This is done by heating without air or by treating with steam or carbon dioxide.

We make absorbent at home

Our ancestors knew beneficial features activated carbon and knew how to make it. Main? you need to heat the wood without access to oxygen. In industry, such a furnace is called pyrolysis, and we will try to make its analogue at home. Even now, cooking coal at home will cost you several times less than buying it in a store. Average proportions: you need one and a half kg of wood to get 250 grams of activated carbon.

The easiest way

Street way

1. Make 10 to 20 holes in the bottom of a flat tin can. Place birch chips inside and close the top very tightly.
2. Place a metal weight on top that completely covers the surface. Thus, the wood will char without air access, and all organic substances will immediately burn without a residue.
3. The final stage? activation using steam. Place the coal over a large boiling pan in a mesh colander or gauze bag, and it should not touch the water.
4. Place wet coals in tin can, closed on all sides, and dry them over the fire. When will the steam stop coming out? the activation process at home can be considered complete.
5. Place it in an airtight, odor-free container and store it covered.

Method for room

1. In the cast and solid lid of the pan, drill a threaded hole with a diameter of 8-10 cm.
2. Take a tube of similar diameter and screw it inward. You need to put a rubber band on this so-called fitting and lead its end into a jar of water to block the access of oxygen.
3. It is best to coat the connections between the lid and the pan with some kind of sealant (or clay).
4. Place the pan on the fire and heat the coals. After a few hours, your active carbon will be ready. To check, hold the coal suspended? the easier it is, the more correctly you did everything.

Choosing coal for cleaning moonshine

Purifying moonshine with activated carbon at home between two stages of distillation

Everyone recommends it. It is he who is able to absorb all harmful organic substances.
The most the best materials for charcoal activated carbon are beech, linden, alder and birch. Last? the cheapest and most accessible, since you can always find birch logs for barbecue on sale. But when buying them, carefully examine the label to see if there are any foreign impurities that will greatly affect the final result (coniferous trees are not suitable due to the presence of resins in them).

Birch charcoal grade BAU-A, GOST 6217-74 is on sale. It is fired by hydrolysis, without access to oxygen, and has large pores that are well suited for cleaning. It is easy to buy and costs little.
Good results at home can be achieved by mixing charcoal with coconut in a ratio of 3 to 1. Coconut charcoal, due to its strength, is considered one of the best, another thing is that you need to look for it in the open market.

Vietnamese coconut charcoal is popular due to its price and the absence of pine impurities. It is most suitable for intermediate filtration.

Cleaning moonshine, or how to use coal

Are there two ways to clean at home? immersion directly into the alcohol mixture and through a carbon filter.

Dive

How to make a filter?

Method one:

1. Cut off the bottom of a regular plastic bottle, and make holes in the cork with a hot awl.
2. Place cotton wool wrapped in gauze in the neck, and place coal on it. How much should I take? For 1 liter of water-alcohol mixture? 50 grams of regular and 12 grams of BAU-A variety.

Method two:

1. Place the neck of a plastic liter bottle in a plastic cap, and put it on three liter jar for stability.
2. Line the bottle with gauze, a thin layer of carbon on it, then several layers of toilet paper and again carbon.
3. This way you need to fill a third of the bottle. Over the course of one or two days, the alcohol mixture will flow through all layers, gradually clearing itself.

Filtration plant

If you have a large volume of alcohol, you should consider this option. How much will it cost and how necessary is it? it all depends on the amount produced and the time spent filtering. Under the influence of gravity, such an installation is able to purify the drink at home in the best possible way, the main thing is that the height of the ceilings in the room contributes to this.

The second life of activated carbon

Carbolene from coconut shells is recognized as the highest quality and most regenerative carbon due to its special strength. Not everyone advises regenerating charcoal, since given its cheapness, the question: “How much does the material cost and how much time is spent on the restoration procedure?” leads one to the answer that it is easier to throw it away and buy a new one. But in the absence of available material, you can try calcination on cast iron frying pan without cover. Everything collected in pores will evaporate from the hot temperature.

Douse used coal with a 2% hydrochloric acid solution, then rinse, dry and calcine in a closed container over a fire.

Old charcoal cartridges from water jugs are great to use after they're done. To remove resins, it must be soaked in clean boiled water during the day. The alcoholic drink should be distilled from 3 to 10 times and each cartridge is quite capable of withstanding the filtration of 20 liters of alcohol.

Cleaning moonshine is a very important matter; the quality of the final raw material that you and your loved ones will use depends on it; you should be extremely careful when choosing a cleaning method. One of the most common and simple ones is the use of coal; its absorbent qualities will allow you to absorb all the impurities and unnecessary substances, leaving our drink perfectly clean.

Note! Cleaning must be carried out strictly according to the instructions and only with edible charcoal without impurities.

After cleaning our moonshine, we need to think about the future of the coal mass that remains. Of course, you can throw it away, but ideally, you can restore it using the simple manipulations described in the article and use it again, which will save on the purchase of coal.

Cleaning moonshine using coconut charcoal

Pharmacy activated carbon is made from wood and, in principle, is suitable for purifying homemade alcohol, but it contains additional substances, such as talc and starch, which can harm the taste of moonshine and give it bitterness.

One of the most popular and effective is coconut charcoal. Made from coconut shells and superior to wood in the ability to absorb harmful impurities due to the presence of smaller pores. This allows you to quickly and efficiently get rid of unwanted impurities.

To rid moonshine of additional impurities using coconut absorbent, you must:

• pour the absorbent into the moonshine in the proportion of 2 tbsp. spoons per 1 liter of drink;
• mix the resulting mixture well;
• leave to infuse for a week;
• Shake the container from time to time to improve the effect;
• strain ready drink through the filter.

Benefits of Coconut Charcoal

The main advantages of coconut charcoal over charcoal, medical and other cleaning methods are as follows:

• economical consumption of coal (10 grams of coconut versus 40-50 grams of wood per liter);
• high efficiency - small multiple pores allow you to capture and retain both large and small particles;
• the natural properties of coconut make it possible to enrich filtered moonshine with iodine and iron;
• natural and environmentally friendly - unlike other types of coal, it does not contain additives or impurities.

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Activated coconut carbon

Activated coconut carbon is a 100% natural, highly effective product made from coconut drupe shells, designed to clean the resulting distillate from fusel oils, eliminate extraneous unpleasant tastes and odors, and impart finished product vodka aroma and taste.

Due to the large pore surface area (1150 – 1350 m2/g), coconut charcoal has the highest sorption capacity.

Activated carbon is poured directly into the container with the distillate, based on a ratio of 10 g per 1 liter. To clean the aqueous-alcohol solution from coal particles, it is poured through filter paper or cotton wool.

After distillation

After distilling moonshine, even if you used fractional distillation with cutting off the heads and tails, foreign substances or, if you prefer, fusel oils remain in the resulting water-alcohol mixture.

They not only worsen the taste and smell of the drink, Coconut charcoal for cleaning moonshine recipe, and also have a negative impact on your health.

• The simplest and most affordable way to clean moonshine from fusel has always been and will be coconut charcoal, which adsorbs harmful impurities.
• This article will shed light on this area of ​​moonshine, and you will learn how to clean moonshine with charcoal at home.
• Coconut charcoal is very porous and due to this it has a large specific surface area per unit mass, which makes it an adsorbent.
• Pores adsorb molecules of a certain size, so choosing the “right” carbon is very important.

Coconut charcoal removes excess fusel oils from moonshine, while improving its taste and making the drink more noble. A drink passed through activated carbon is drunk softer, while the use of activated carbon is absolutely harmless to the body, which cannot be said about chemical methods cleaning moonshine.

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We purify moonshine with activated carbon

Activated carbon has a high absorbing effect. This is ensured by the presence of micropores on the surface. Depending on the size of these pores, it is able to purify the liquid from various impurities.

• Previously, the activated absorbent was produced from animal bones.
• A product of this origin has very small pores that are not able to absorb the rather large molecules of fusel oils.
• Therefore, when choosing coal, you need to pay attention to what it is obtained from.
• To purify homemade alcohol, you need an absorbent obtained by pyrolysis of wood.
• This process is achieved by burning its small particles in industrial ovens at high temperatures and in the absence of oxygen.

To purify alcohol, you can also use pharmaceutical activated carbon. Grind it into powder and follow the method described in the section on coconut charcoal. You can also make a homemade filter from such coal and pass alcohol through it.

What kind of charcoal can be used for cleaning

Not all types of coal are suitable for filtering your moonshine. For example, you should not purchase tablets from a pharmacy, since the effect described above will not be fully achieved. The pores of the tablets are too small and are not suitable for absorbing large molecules of fusel oils.

Therefore, it is advisable to clean moonshine with activated carbon at home:

• Using BAU-A (birch activated carbon). You can buy it in specialized stores for distillers or make it yourself
• Using KAU-A (coconut charcoal). We give preference to this particular adsorbent, considering its cleaning ability to be the highest

Amateurs who are just beginning to delve into the intricacies of moonshine often wonder whether it is possible to clean moonshine with charcoal for the barbecue. In fact, this is not recommended. To filter moonshine, you need to use only an activated adsorbent, which regular barbecue charcoal, of course, is not.

Its activation occurs at a temperature of 1000 degrees. If the conditions are not maintained, many harmful substances and carcinogens remain in the product, and eating moonshine, for the purification of which ordinary charcoal was used, is simply dangerous. Therefore, even cleaning moonshine with activated carbon in tablets, rather than specialized birch or coconut charcoal, will be much more effective.

• The mentioned brands BAU-A, KAU-A are already initially manufactured for use in the alcoholic beverage industry.
• Also note that the “A” in the name means the highest degree of activity of the material.
• If you purchase brands BAU-B or BAU-V, then keep in mind that they are actually coals rejected in terms of activity during the production of BAU-A.
• The same must be taken into account when purchasing KAU, when you plan to purify moonshine with coconut charcoal.

How to make your own activated carbon

We will describe how to make activated carbon with your own hands, using wood raw materials, which will be birch logs peeled from bark and finely chopped (into chips about 3 cm long). Charcoal must be prepared with minimal access to oxygen, for this:

1. Prepare a flat jar in which you will cook birch charcoal
2. Punch about 20 holes in it, place the raw materials in it and close it tightly
3. Place the jar on the fire, where organic gases will escape through the holes from the hot coal and immediately burn
4. When degassing stops, remove the jar from the heat and let it cool

1. Activated carbon is wrapped in cheesecloth and placed over a large saucepan half filled with water.
2. Place the container on the stove, where the resulting water vapor will activate our filter material
3. Next, transfer the wet coal into a tin can with holes, which was previously used for degassing, and place it on the fire to remove moisture.

After you prepare the activated adsorbent for moonshine with your own hands, store it only in a dry, tightly closed jar without access to air. Otherwise, the coal will begin to absorb various organic molecules from it, losing its properties.

However, you need to understand that this method of preparation is significantly inferior to the industrial one, where the material is calcined at a temperature of 1100-1200 degrees and treated not with simple saturated, but with superheated steam under a pressure of about 2.5 atm. Naturally, its activity is an order of magnitude higher than that of home-prepared coal for purifying moonshine.

Our advice to you is, don’t save money and don’t waste your precious time, but just buy high-quality coal, it’s not expensive at all.

Why is filtering necessary?

The distillate produces a lot of by-products that not only worsen the taste of the drink, but also make its consumption dangerous. These are fusel oils, all kinds of aldehydes, ethers, etc. Not all harmful impurities are removed by activated charcoal, but using the latter is still necessary. Filtering allows you to remove:

• up to 86% fusel oils
• up to 92% esters

Cleaning moonshine with coal gives this effect due to the presence of pores on its surface, which determine the excellent adsorbing properties of this material.

Cleaning moonshine using charcoal

There are different types of charcoal. To purify moonshine, it is better to use birch charcoal; it can be purchased at a regular store. It is important that the product does not contain additional impurities that can dissolve in alcohol. This information can be read on the packaging.

• Wood absorbent is easy to make at home.
• To do this, it is enough to burn birch wood on a fire. The pyrolysis process is simulated in a non-flammable container with a tight lid that will not let oxygen in.
• Purifying alcohol with charcoal is identical to the method using coconut charcoal. Before use, it is necessary to grind it as much as possible to increase efficiency.
• Another simple way to rid moonshine of harmful substances is to pass the drink through a regular filter, purchased in a store or made independently.

A home-made filter is called a carbon column for purifying moonshine. To do this, take a funnel and put a couple of cotton balls or several layers of gauze into it. We pour birch charcoal on top. When using a home filter, the procedure must be repeated several times to obtain an acceptable result. Before each repetition, the raw materials in the homemade filter must be replaced.

Purification of moonshine at home occurs in four stages:

1. filtering from large impurities through a household filter;
2. infusion of the distillate using birch activated absorbent;
3. settling;
4. straining through a coal column.

Cleaning methods

Infusion

The first stage of the process involves infusing moonshine. To do this, strong moonshine must first be diluted to 40°-50° or even lower if a second distillation is required. This is a must. The higher the strength of the drink, the stronger the molecular bonds and, accordingly, the more difficult it is to remove impurities.

Coal also needs to be prepared. If it is formed into briquettes, they should be crushed as finely as possible. We need to maximize the contact area between the surface of coal and moonshine. For 1 liter of liquid with a strength of 40° you will need 10 grams (2-3 tablespoons) of coal. They put in more, but best result it won't.

Crushed coal must be separated from dust and washed. This will prevent the moonshine from coloring so much. Then place the prepared coal in a container with moonshine and mix thoroughly.

• There are several points of view regarding the duration of infusion. It is recommended to insist from one day to a week. Practical experiments show that two to three hours is quite enough. Increasing this period most often does not change the result.
• Some sources claim that with prolonged aging, moonshine not only does not improve, but, on the contrary, worsens. After some time, the carbon pores open and release back all the collected compounds.
• One way or another, it is better not to exceed the threshold of 3 hours. The container needs to be stirred every 20-30 minutes.

After this time, the second stage begins - filtration. First, using a cotton pad or gauze folded in several layers. This will separate large particles and dust suspension. The result is moonshine with a slight charcoal tint. From the point of view of the presence of impurities, it is certainly pure. But drinking such moonshine is not entirely pleasant. It needs to be brightened. A filter for a coffee maker, a water purification filter, or an ash-free filter are suitable for this purpose. It is better to feed moonshine into the filter in a thin stream or drops. This can be easily accomplished using a regular variable-flow dripper.

Filtration

The second cleaning method is a simplified version of the previous one. In this case, moonshine must be purified immediately through a filter. It can be designed in different ways.

• You can make a kind of coal column. This will require two containers, usually a bottle and a jar. Since it is not recommended to use plastic for operations with alcohol, it is better to use glass or ceramics.
• You need to cut off the bottom of the bottle (for example, with a glass cutter) and place it upside down in the neck of the jar. Pour coconut charcoal into the bottle to clean the moonshine at the rate of 12-15 grams per liter.
• The neck of the bottle is lined with cotton pads to prevent coal from spilling into the jar. Moonshine should be poured through the filter at low speed.
• In a lightweight version, it is proposed to make a filter in the funnel itself, alternating layers of cotton pads or gauze and coal. For the best results of such cleaning, it should be repeated several times, changing the coal.

How safe is charcoal cleaning?

Activated carbon is the most environmentally friendly product for use in the cleaning process. Wood absorbent is used in water filters, gas masks, aquarium filters, etc. This is the raw material you can use. If this choice is made, a number of sources must be used with caution.

Carbon in water filters includes additional impurities that help soften the water. For moonshine, this is not a critical parameter and will not dramatically affect the taste, but experienced winemakers are not inclined to use such a filter.

If you use raw materials from a gas mask, you need to make sure that it has not been used before, as it could have absorbed harmful substances that could dissolve in alcohol and ruin the drink not only in terms of taste, but also make it simply dangerous for consumption.

Coal educational program

• The process of purifying alcohol with charcoal is called charcoalization. Coal is a wonderful natural sorbent, that is, it absorbs other substances.
• To be even more precise, it belongs to the adsorbents: it attracts and holds the molecules of these substances on its surface. This distinguishes it from absorbents, which react and convert the original substances into new compounds.
• Several types of coal can be used in distilling. The most affordable is activated medical. The next type is woody. The BAU-A and BAU-LVZ brands are intended for the alcohol industry. And the third type is coconut based.
• Produced under the name KAUSORB or KAU-A. The name is worth paying attention to, since coconut coals are produced not only for food purposes, but also for hookahs and barbecues. In this case, they may contain aromatic additives or flammable compounds.

Coconut charcoal is produced by pyrolysis - exposure to high temperatures in an airless environment. It is commercially available in crushed form or in small briquettes. A significant drawback: you usually won’t find it on wide sale. You need to order online or look in specialized stores. Sometimes found in liquor stores.

Flow filtration

The first recipe will require some available materials, for example, a jug for filtering water, into which you will need to pour the adsorbent. You can also make a filter yourself, for example, from a plastic bottle. To do this, the bottom is cut off, holes are made in the cork, and the neck is filled with cotton wool.

The filter material should be laid out in the following proportions:

• homemade coal requires about 50 g per liter of filtered solution;
• BAU-A you need to put about 12 g per liter of moonshine.

Moonshine can be passed through the filter element made several times, but the result will be worse each time, so it is better to change the carbon after each filtered batch. It is recommended to wash the amount of filter material required for the process with water to remove coal dust, which will also have to be removed from the filtrate later.

Filtration by adding coal to moonshine

If purification of moonshine with coal is carried out in the second way, i.e. by pouring it into alcohol, then the filter element is taken at the rate of 50 g per 1 liter of distillate. Drink producers with many years of experience often recommend infusing the resulting mixture for 1-2 weeks to filter moonshine at home, shaking it periodically. Next, the drink settles for another 5-7 days and is filtered through a thick cotton filter.

However, such an approach to purifying an alcoholic beverage contradicts scientific facts, indicating that only during the first 15-20 minutes of such treatment the content of aldehydes hazardous to health decreases, reaching a minimum value by the 20th minute.

Therefore, it is better to use coal for half an hour, then you need to remove it or, if necessary, repeat the procedure with a fresh portion of the adsorbent.

Removing coal dust

Next, we’ll look at how to clean moonshine from coal dust in order to make the distillate, which has become cloudy after filtration, as transparent as possible. Let us immediately note that this procedure is not mandatory, since the dust mentioned is not harmful to health and does not in any way affect the taste of the drink. However, to improve the appearance of an alcoholic drink, you can use a good ashless filter.

These elements are made from 95% pure cellulose and are filter paper cut into circle shapes. For example, you can use the White Ribbon filter, which is characterized by high speed filtration and good ability to screen out coarse particles in solution like coal dust.

Reusing a filter

Those who are just beginning to learn the intricacies of making homemade alcoholic beverages often do not know whether the same cleaning element can be used to filter different batches, and also how many times this is allowed.

In fact, this is not worth doing, if only because when the coal pores become saturated harmful substances he loses activity. Moreover, with further use, the adsorbent begins to release these substances back, that is, after its use you will no longer get a filtrate, but a solution saturated with aldehydes and fusel oils.

But if you are using used coal, then before purifying the moonshine, the material must be reactivated. To do this, it is treated with a 2% solution of hydrochloric acid, thoroughly washed with water, dried and re-calcined. However, for high-quality filtration it is still advisable to use fresh, industrially produced ones.

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Oil cleaning

This method is based on the effect of dissolving fusel oils in other oils. Whereas the alcohol itself, when diluted abundantly with water, does not dissolve in it. In order to get rid of aldehydes in the distillate in one procedure, it is recommended to add alkali to the alcohol before cleaning with oil - this will allow the aldehydes to become soluble.

At home, they use refined vegetable oil. This is necessary in order to protect the moonshine from changing the smell after cleaning. The only disadvantage of this choice may be the need for a second distillation of raw materials.

Sequence for cleaning homemade alcohol with oil:

• make sure that the oil is odorless and suitable for cleaning moonshine;
• dilute raw alcohol to 15-30 degrees with water;
• pour oil into a container with alcohol in the proportion of 20 ml per 1 liter of drink;
• close the container with a tight lid and shake continuously for 1 minute, let it sit and after 3-5 minutes repeat the shaking procedure;
• leave the drink at rest for a day in a dark, cool room, the recommended air temperature is 5-16 degrees, the lower threshold will be more beneficial;
• in a day, a film of oil will appear on the surface of the moonshine, which has absorbed harmful impurities. Without damaging it, it is necessary to drain the moonshine. This happens using a tube; we make a funnel on the surface of the film and pour the moonshine through it;
• It is recommended to additionally filter the drained moonshine; for this you can use a carbon filter.

After this cleaning with oil, the moonshine is ready for the second distillation.

In addition to the above methods for cleaning moonshine, there are many more options. All of them are aimed at purifying moonshine from fusel oils and aldehydes. Cleaning moonshine with oil or activated charcoal is the most environmentally friendly, since it is essentially not chemical cleaning, everything is based on physical properties substances. That is why these methods are considered the safest and simplest.

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Why is cleaning necessary?

After the primary distillation, despite the selection of the tail and head fractions, the distillate still contains very dangerous and harmful impurities for human health, such as acetic and formic acids, acetaldehyde, amyl and methyl alcohols. Their common name is fusel oils.

They are what gives alcohol disgusting smell and can hurt people more harm than good.

• Therefore, the primary distillate must be purified.
• Fusel oils contained in unrefined moonshine are harmful to health
• Fusel oils remain on the walls of the steam chamber of the moonshine still.
• For this reason, it is recommended to always rinse the steamer after distillation.
• In the alcohol industry, these oils are not thrown away, but are used to produce an excellent solvent for the dairy and confectionery industry: amyl alcohol.

First of all, cleaning is needed in order to get rid of isoamyl alcohol (C5H4OH).

This component of fusel oils is the most dangerous, and it accounts for the majority (up to 60%) of the total volume of removed impurities. C5H4OH is dangerous because when it comes into contact with the skin it causes blisters from burns, and when interacting with respiratory system─ suffocation and severe cough. For more information about cleaning with a carbon filter, watch this video:

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Step by step procedure

Activated carbon, which is sold in almost every pharmacy, is prepared using wood. This option is quite acceptable for purifying moonshine at home, however, the substances present in this product(starch, talc), can spoil taste characteristics moonshine at the exit, giving it a bitter aftertaste.

The most, at the moment, in demand and effective method moonshine cleaning is cleaning with coconut charcoal.

It is prepared from coconut shells. It is superior to wood-type charcoal in terms of absorbing harmful impurities, because it is much smaller in size. Coconut charcoal makes it possible to quickly and in a quality way remove the entire range of unacceptable impurities from the product.

To remove auxiliary impurities from moonshine using coconut absorbent you will need:

1. Add to alcoholic drink absorbent subject to the following proportion: two tablespoons per liter of alcoholic drink;
2. It is necessary to thoroughly mix the mass that you received as a result of the procedure;
3. After this, the resulting product should be infused throughout the week;
4. Periodically, the manufacturer must shake the contents of the container to obtain a greater effect.
5. Using a filter, you must strain the moonshine.

What is the difference

Activated carbon has an increased absorption effect. This feature is explained by the fact that this type of coal is covered with micropores on the surface itself. It all depends on the size of the pores: the ability to remove harmful impurities is expressed to a greater or lesser extent.

• Activated carbon, as an absorbent, was once produced from animal bone tissue. The product produced in this way has tiny pores that are unable to absorb fusel oil molecules that are too large.
• For this reason, when you decide which coal to use, it is worth inquiring about the method of obtaining it.
• To clear homemade alcohol When using coal, it is necessary that the absorbent be obtained through wood pyrolysis.

This procedure is implemented in this way: small particles are burned in industrial furnaces using high temperature regime and without the presence of oxygen.

Moonshine can be purified using activated carbon, which is sold at the pharmacy. Next, the coal is pushed apart, turning into a fine powder.

Afterwards, the whole procedure is carried out in exactly the same way as when cleaning coconut with charcoal. All actions are almost identical. It can also be used to create a filter through which the drink itself will be passed.

Security level

Cleaning a product with charcoal is one of the most environmentally friendly procedures. Coconut and charcoal are used not only in moonshine. Meth absorbent is present in any water filter, gas mask, and also in an aquarium filter. When choosing coal for making a product, you must remember that this ingredient may contain impurities of varying degrees of harmfulness.

Video on the topic

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About receipt

• Birch charcoal for purifying an alcoholic drink from fusel oils is done like this. Completely dried birch firewood is burned (at high temperature) in a metal container or pit with a lack of oxygen. This is called pyrolysis.
• Coal for filtering moonshine can also be obtained from coal coke using this method. And even from coconut shells and walnuts, peat coke, etc.
• You can also take ready-made coals, for example, for barbecue. The latter is the same wood, but it comes from different types of trees. It is better to choose birch. Coconut charcoal is even better.

About cleaning

How to properly clean moonshine? You need to take the appropriate activated material and build a filter. This substance is found in cans of gas masks, aquarium and water purification filters, and special charcoal for winemaking is also sold.

The same one that is offered in pharmacies contains foreign impurities. And water purification filters contain ion exchange resin to soften water. The gas mask coal must be clean. That is, you need to take a device that has not yet been used.

About different cleaning methods

• Cleaning moonshine with charcoal at home is possible in two ways. The first of them is filtering. And the second is placing activated carbon directly into the moonshine. What do you need to take to make a filter?
• It is made from a cut plastic bottle or a ready-made watering can. Cotton wool wrapped in gauze is stuffed into its neck (you can also take a ready-made tampon). And activated carbon is placed on top of it in layers. Cleansing occurs by straining the drink.
• The process is quite lengthy, but effective. You can support the funnel with your hands. Or secure it over a container into which the alcoholic drink to be purified will be poured in any way.
• How to clean without using a filter? Charcoalization of moonshine by immersing a cleaning reagent in it occurs in compliance with correct proportions. 50 g of activated substance is consumed per liter of drink.

The mixture is infused for up to two weeks with shaking from time to time. Then the moonshine is filtered. This can be done through cotton wool or calcined river sand.

About the shell of the coconut palm

Coconut charcoal has smaller pores than charcoal. Its properties are excellent. And it consumes less per liter of alcohol liquid. It is difficult to make a carbon filter from coconut shells, because coconuts do not grow in Russia. But you can buy a ready-made activated substance from exotic fruit palm trees The technology for purifying moonshine is the same as described above.

About the column

Carbon filtration column with pump

• You can buy a carbon filter ready-made. It's inexpensive.
• Also sold as a steel column. The reagent is placed in it.
• Purification of any alcoholic drink with such a column is effective because it is easy to use. In an hour, a liter of liquid passes through it.
• The speaker will last for many years, as it is made of stainless steel. How to clean moonshine with charcoal is discussed above.

The simplest device

If there is birch charcoal for cleaning, then the manufacture of the simplest filter device begins with crushing, if the pieces are large. This can be done in a saucepan. Then a funnel is prepared from a plastic bottle. Holes are poked into its plug. The cotton wool is tightly packed into the neck.

• The activated material is poured into the funnel.
• During filtration it will begin to float, this must be prevented. The easiest way is to press a mass of coal on top with a metal mesh.
• The bottle is placed on glass jar upside down (it is cut off in advance). And moonshine is poured on top. And purified liquid will flow from below.
• You can repeat the process by changing the coal. The filter for moonshine is used once.

Finally

Adsorption of harmful fusel oils from moonshine by an activated substance must be mandatory. Eliminating fusel oils makes homemade alcohol safer. In combination with double distillation it will get even better.

Upgrading of moonshine with activated and different ways using the obtained substance is possible at home, it is not expensive financially. The main thing is that the drink will become safer for consumption, in general health is more important liver, and indeed the entire human body. Using coal for this is effective. Our ancestors also used a filter to purify alcohol.

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Types of coal

In this section I will list the types that are more or less popularly used by moonshiners to clean their drinks.

1. Birch activated carbon

Very popular among moonshiners. Sold in shops for winemakers, as well as in specialized stores such as “Russian Chemist”.

1. Coconut (CAU)

As you might guess from the name, it is made from coconut shells.

Also a very popular brand. This is what I recommend for use. According to many sellers, KAU has a higher cleaning ability than birch. You can buy it in the same place as BAU.

1. Activated carbon from the pharmacy.

Everyone has probably seen this and even tried it. You can use it, but there is one caveat. Pharmaceutical charcoal often contains excipients, mainly potato starch and sucrose.

I have heard from fellow winemakers that these additives make moonshine harsher. To be honest, I have never noticed a difference, but just in case I try to use only KAU.

1. Charcoal for barbecue

Some distillers use this too.

• I don't recommend doing this. It is unknown what raw materials it is made from. Such coal is most likely not regulated by GOSTs and therefore it is not known by what technology it was obtained.
• Activated carbon for alcohol purification is produced at 800-1000 °C. If the temperature is lower, then resins may remain in it in small but sufficient quantities to spoil the product.

1. Household filters

You can clean moonshine by passing it through a filter jug. He does his job well. True, in some cases there is an increased loss in strength - about 5 degrees.

Charcoal Instructions

So, below I will give several methods for cleaning moonshine with coal. As I already said at the beginning of the article, before purification, moonshine must be diluted to 15-20% alcohol. Then distill it again to increase the strength.

The maximum effect can be achieved if you first clean moonshine with vegetable oil.

• Cleaning BAU or KAU

1. Coal is taken at the rate of 10 grams (heaped tablespoon) per 1 liter of sorting.
2. Wash off dust with drinking water.
3. Take an ordinary plastic bottle. Several holes are made in the cork and the bottom is cut off. A piece of cotton wool or a cotton pad is placed under the cork and the required amount of CAU is poured in.
4. Well, then the moonshine is poured in and filtered. I run it 3 times.

You can also simply pour the charcoal into a sorting container and shake well. In this case, it is better to double the dosage. Keep the coal in the moonshine for no more than 20 minutes, then filter through cotton wool or filter paper.

• Cleaning with activated carbon from a pharmacy

Everything is the same as during the previous cleaning. Dosage – 45 tablets per 1 liter of moonshine. Crush the tablets before use.

Laboratory analysis of cleaning quality

I present the results of a laboratory analysis of moonshine before and after cleaning with coal.

• The analyzes were carried out by a respected member of the Homedistiller forum under the nickname Alexander956. Here is a link to the forum post.
• These data confirm what this article is talking about - coal copes very effectively with fusel oils, and the quality of cleaning noticeably increases with strong dilution of moonshine.
• Raw alcohol from sugar mash distilled to a temperature of 99 degrees in the cube was analyzed, i.e. almost to the water.
• The amount of impurities is indicated in mg per liter of anhydrous alcohol.

Coal regeneration at home

Charcoal can be used several times, but over time it loses its adsorbing properties. In industry it is subjected to regeneration.

• This can also be done at home. Perhaps not as effective, but still. How to do this is described in the same book by Dorosh-Lysenko. Instructions in the photo below:
• OK it's all over Now. Now you know how to properly charcoal moonshine. In combination with double fractional distillation, you can get a very high-quality and tasty product.
• I have plans to write articles about several more cleaning methods, so I suggest subscribing to new articles. I also encourage you to share your experiences in the comments. I'm very interested.

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How to make activated carbon

Making high-quality activated carbon with your own hands for cleaning moonshine is quite difficult. The technology of how to activate charcoal to purify moonshine uses the effect of pyrolysis - burning wood in conditions of oxygen deficiency.

For self-made activated charcoal, you must perform the following steps:

• take birch firewood and let it burn completely in an open fire;
• when only smoldering coals remain, place them in a container with a tight-fitting lid;
• After the coals go out and cool, the filter medium will be ready.

If you follow these steps correctly, the resulting coal will actually not be inferior in quality to that offered in the store.

How to make charcoal

You can prepare charcoal for cleaning moonshine with your own hands using two options:

1. By burning wood in conditions of oxygen deficiency.

After the wood has burned to the point of coal, place it in an airtight container that does not allow air to enter.

1. By calcining firewood without access to air.

The simplest implementation of this method would be to place firewood under a metal basin and build a large fire on it.

In fact, the above steps are also a way to activate charcoal to purify moonshine. It is thanks to this treatment that coal acquires increased ability to absorb harmful substances.

How to restore activated carbon after cleaning moonshine

Reusing activated carbon to clean moonshine is not recommended. Since during use, coal is saturated with harmful impurities contained in the product, it is much easier to replace the cleaning element instead of restoring it.

Some cost-saving tips for alcohol purification can be hazardous to your health. These include tips to rinse the activated carbon after cleaning the moonshine.

It is worth knowing that substances absorbed by the structure of coal cannot be washed out under a stream of water.

• And in case reuse With such a filter material, all impurities absorbed by it can return to the drink.
• There are recommendations to restore coal after use by treating it with a two percent solution of hydrochloric acid, then rinse with water, dry, heat over a fire in a closed container and reuse.
• Considering the danger of harmful compounds remaining in activated carbon getting into the drink being purified, this method should not be used.