Filtration of moonshine with activated carbon. Coconut charcoal for cleaning moonshine at home

Birch charcoal for cleaning moonshine is often used by distillers, since the raw materials are cheap and the technique works efficiently. The method allows you to get rid of most of the harmful components that remained in the distillate after the primary distillation. You can use the technique after the second distillation, but this method is not suitable for mash. Purification of distillate with birch charcoal is not difficult and does not take much time.

birch charcoal

It is birch coals that are easiest to get. They are neutral in smell, will not give the drink an unnecessary aftertaste and have good adsorbing properties. Embers can be bought at the store or made from birch with your own hands. It also won't take long.

How to clean moonshine and cook coal with your own hands?

To prepare activated charcoal, you will need birch logs that need to be burned in an oven or on a fire. As soon as combustion is completed, red-hot coals remain from the logs, which must be collected and poured into a clay pot. If there is no pot, then you can use an iron container. The main thing is that air does not get into the container, then the coals will go out after a certain time. As soon as the fire goes out and the coals do not smolder, the container is opened, the coals are crushed, but not to the state of a fine powder, then they are washed with water and dried.

With the help of coals, there are several. They also depend on the type of coal and its origin. If birch charcoal is used, then the technique is as follows:

• Coal is added to the distillate in a proportion of 50 grams per liter of drink. In this form, moonshine is left for 2-3 weeks. This term applies only to wood coals. If other types are used, then the period should be reduced to 2 hours, since coal provokes the appearance of aldehydes in the composition. In order to better adsorb impurities, the container with coal and moonshine must be shaken every day. At the end of the term, sediment will collect at the bottom of the container, where fusel oils will fall out.
• To get rid of fine coal in moonshine, you need a filter. A household model designed for water is suitable. Gauze is not suitable for this process, because it will not be able to catch all the small particles. The filter can be prepared manually. To do this, the bottom of the plastic bottle is cut off and cotton wool is placed in a thick layer closer to the neck. Powder is poured on top of the cotton wool with a layer of 10-15 centimeters, and the filter is used with the neck down.
• It is possible that after the filtration process, the moonshine still remains cloudy from small particles of coal. Therefore, to get rid of the unwanted effect, it is enough to pass the drink through clean cotton wool again. The filtration itself can be started after diluting the alcohol strength to 45–50 degrees.

In general, the action of activated carbon lies in the method of adsorption. Small particles of a substance are porous, so they attract harmful components to their surface and settle to the bottom. Not only coal, but also walnut shells, for example, have the same property. After the chemical reaction has occurred, it will not be possible to use coal a second time.

Buying coal will not cause much trouble. This product is sold in supermarkets in the kebab and barbecue section. Filters can also be purchased from the store. The cost of these products is inexpensive, but it is important to keep the filter clean so that the quality of the cleaning processes does not fall. The filter cartridges can also be loaded with charcoal or coal, which makes cleaning thorough.

It is better not to use other types of coal. If coking coal is still acceptable in the absence of wood and birch coals, then the tableted version from the pharmacy is not suitable for moonshine. The fact is that coal from a pharmacy is made from animal bones, the pores in it are too large, so the absorption of harmful substances will be less. Also, these tablets contain starch. It contributes to the acquisition of a drink of bitterness, which is difficult to get rid of.

The charcoal itself, which has a cleansing ability, is used for water, aquariums, air system cleaning and other areas, so there is no interruption in this substance. As a high efficiency option, a 3:1 mixture of charcoal and coke can be used.

There are some tips for those who are going to use this method:

• The time of purification, that is, infusion on coal, should be limited. If moonshine is overexposed, then there is a possibility of charcoal returning harmful components to the drink.
• It is important to monitor not only the cleanliness of the filter, but also the composition of the cartridges. There may be impurities and chemicals other than coal. They will not greatly affect the taste of the distillate, but experienced distillers try not to use anything other than natural coal.
• Waste material is not reused due to inefficiency, purification of moonshine with coal is not possible.
• It is better to put a lot of coal than not to report it to the container. It is impossible to go overboard with this indicator.
• If, after filtering through coal, there is a smell or taste of rotten, burnt wood, then you can get rid of the sensations only by distilling the moonshine again.
• If you like the drink to taste and without purification, then it is better not to distill it through coal. And the filtration step should be skipped when the mash was made from grain or fruit. The aroma of such a drink can be lost after cleaning.
• If you are not sure about the quality of coal, it is worth testing it on a small amount of distillate. Old charcoal can give a rotten or burning smell to the drink. It is better not to take risks and not to filter moonshine immediately in full.
• You can effectively mix several types of coal, the main thing is that they are natural and do not have impurities. The number of filtrations through such a barrier depends on the degree of contamination of the drink, as well as on the desire of the distiller.

Of course, it will not work to completely kill the unpleasant aroma or taste of the drink with the help of coal. Only rectification can fix this. But cleaning moonshine with charcoal is capable of getting rid of an excessive amount of fuselage.

Among the most effective ways to clean moonshine from fusel oils is filtering it through various types of coal. Due to the high ability of the carbon filter to absorb harmful substances, this method of purifying alcohol allows you to most fully eliminate various impurities from moonshine.

We will try to give the whole truth about cleaning moonshine with activated charcoal below.

Which coal is suitable for cleaning moonshine

For the filter used to retain harmful impurities, you can use different types of coal.

This list includes the following types:

• activated charcoal from a pharmacy in tablets;
• coal from a gas mask;
• various types of charcoal;
• coal from water filters;
• coconut charcoal;
• special coal for winemakers.

Purification of moonshine with activated carbon

There are not so few questions in this seemingly simple matter, we will try to consider in detail all aspects.

Which activated carbon is best for cleaning moonshine

It is worth noting that the properties of activated carbon in the purification of moonshine are to absorb various harmful substances with the help of pores in its structure. In order to be able to trap various impurities, the pore size in this type of coal must exceed the diameter of the molecules of such a substance.

Since medical activated carbon is made from various types of raw materials (charcoal, specialized types of coal like BAU-A, coke coal, and so on), the pore size in such a substance is small. For this reason, cleaning moonshine with pharmaceutical activated carbon is ineffective.

Activated carbon from gas mask filters is also poorly suited for this purpose. Additional substances used to deactivate the inhaled air may react with ethanol, resulting in a deterioration in the taste of the product.

The best results in the selection of harmful impurities gives the use of activated carbon made from wood. In particular, cleaning moonshine with birch activated charcoal is quite effective.

How to make activated charcoal for cleaning moonshine

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

To make your own activated charcoal, follow these 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 correctly follow these steps, the resulting coal will actually not be inferior in quality to that offered in the store.

How much activated charcoal is needed to clean moonshine

The amount of activated charcoal used depends on how the agent is used. A number of sources recommend cleaning moonshine by filtering it through such a substance. Some advise simply adding crushed activated carbon to the resulting distillate.

For example, regarding how much activated charcoal to put in the product itself or in the filter to remove impurities, there are tips to take one part charcoal for 20 parts alcohol (approximately 50 g of charcoal per liter of product). The indicated proportions can be slightly changed in the direction of increasing the amount of coal used, since a larger amount of adsorbing agent will not bring harm.

It is worth noting that when using a significantly larger amount of adsorbent, the benefits and harms for cleaning the product will not change significantly. The effectiveness of the action of coal on moonshine is finite. Each type of carbon can only hold a certain size of impurity molecules. An increase in the amount of adsorbent will not improve the cleaning efficiency.

The flow rate of the filter medium will also depend on a number of factors. For example, for the primary purification of the resulting distillate, the filter element will need to be changed after each purification of the available volume of alcohol.

The cleaning time of moonshine with activated carbon should ensure the most complete absorption of the impurities contained in the drink, and at the same time exclude the risk of returning harmful substances back to the product being cleaned. It is worth noting that in different sources, recommendations regarding the duration of the infusion of the drink differ significantly.

Focusing on the technological standards for alcohol purification, it can be advised to infuse moonshine on crushed coal for a period of up to five to seven days.

It's important to know

An increase in the duration of moonshine infusion on crushed coal most likely will not lead to an increase in the quality of the product. With an excessively long stay of coal in alcohol, it can begin to dissolve, returning the accumulated harmful impurities back to the product.

How to use activated charcoal to clean moonshine

Most recipes for cleaning moonshine with activated carbon require the use of either specialized grades of coal (BAU-A, BAU-LV, KAU-A) or high-quality charcoal for barbecue. It is not recommended to clean moonshine with activated charcoal tablets from a pharmacy.

There are only two options for using this substance for cleaning moonshine - this is the infusion of the product on crushed coal, or its use as a filter element.

When cleaning moonshine by insisting it, the following sequence of actions is performed:

The process of how to clean moonshine with coal using filtration is somewhat different from the one above.

• First you need to make a filter housing.

Basically, a two-liter plastic bottle is used for this purpose, the bottom of which is cut off.

• We put cotton wool tightly wrapped in several layers of gauze into the neck of the bottle.
• Pour charcoal into the body of the bottle.

The amount of coal used will depend on its type. For example, ordinary charcoal activated carbon is poured at the rate of 50 g per liter of the product to be purified. Specialized coal (for example, BAU-A) can be used less, about 12-15 g per liter of product.

• Pass the product to be cleaned through the prepared filter.

• To ensure the best effect of removing impurities from the filling of the filter, it is advisable to change after each passage of the available volume of moonshine.

How to restore activated carbon after cleaning moonshine

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

Some of the cost-saving tips for purifying alcohol can be hazardous to your health. These include tips to rinse activated charcoal after cleaning moonshine. It is worth knowing that substances absorbed by the structure of coal cannot be washed out under a stream of water. And in the case of reuse of such a filter material, all the impurities absorbed by it can return to the drink.

There are recommendations to restore coal after use by treating it with a 2% hydrochloric acid solution, then rinse with water, dry, ignite on fire in a closed container and reuse. Given the danger of harmful compounds remaining in activated carbon getting into the drink being purified, this method should not be used.

Cleaning moonshine with charcoal

This technique is considered the most popular.

Which charcoal is best for cleaning moonshine

At home, charcoal is most often used for barbecue or barbecue.

How to make charcoal for cleaning moonshine

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

1. By burning wood in conditions of oxygen deficiency.

After burning the firewood to the state of coals, place them in an airtight container that does not allow air to enter.

1. By calcining firewood without air access.

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

How much charcoal is needed to clean moonshine

The amount of use of charcoal depending on the various methods of cleaning (infusion on crushed coal or filtering) is described above.

A charcoal filter for cleaning moonshine can also be made using the previously described technique.

Harm from cleaning with charcoal can only be observed when the filter material is reused. In this case, there is a possibility that harmful impurities accumulated in the filter medium will be washed out into the product being purified. In other cases, the use of coal as an adsorbent filter will only bring benefits.

Coal made from coconut shells has a good adsorbing effect, therefore it is considered a fairly effective tool for cleaning moonshine. Proper cleaning of moonshine with coconut charcoal is ensured only when using a specialized brand KAU-A. The use of other brands of this substance, including those intended for hookah, will lead to the ingress of auxiliary substances contained in such coal into alcohol, and damage to the product.

How much coconut charcoal is needed to clean moonshine

When cleaning moonshine from fusel oils with coconut charcoal, it is advised to observe a proportion of two tablespoons of such a substance per liter of the product to be cleaned. By weight, this is approximately 10 g per 1 liter of alcohol, which is significantly less compared to the use of other types of coal.

If desired, the dosage may be slightly increased. At the same time, an excessively large amount of coal used will lead to the absorption of moonshine by the filter element and significant product losses.

How to use coconut charcoal to clean moonshine

Instructions on how to use this type of coal can be represented by the following sequence of actions:

1. We dilute moonshine with water.

The degree of dilution depends on whether a re-distillation is planned. Before the second distillation, alcohol must be diluted to a strength of about 20%. If re-distillation is not planned, the strength of the product should be about 40-50%.

1. Grind coal into fragments no larger than 1 cm and remove dust.
2. Pour coal into a glass container at the rate of 10 g of coal per 1 liter of 40-degree alcohol.
3. Pour moonshine and place the jar in a dark, cool place for 3-4 days.

It is advisable to shake the jar once every 8-12 hours.

1. After the specified time has elapsed, filter the moonshine through gauze folded in several layers.

The recipe for using coconut charcoal to make a filter is identical to the one above, and differs only in the proportion of filter medium used.

How to recover coconut charcoal after cleaning moonshine

Similar to other types of filter element, reuse of coconut charcoal is not recommended. According to reviews, the restoration of coal by any of the above methods, and its reuse can cause harmful impurities accumulated in such a substance to enter the drink.

Cleaning moonshine is a very important matter, the quality of the final raw materials 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 is the use of coal, its absorbent qualities will allow it to draw in all the impurities and unnecessary substances, leaving our drink perfectly clean.

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

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

Cleaning moonshine using coconut charcoal

Pharmaceutical 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, give it bitterness.

One of the most popular and effective is coconut charcoal. It is made from coconut shell and surpasses 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 for a week to infuse;
• shake the container from time to time to improve the effect;
• strain the finished drink through a filter.

Benefits of Coconut Charcoal

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

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

alcoplace.ru

activated coconut charcoal

Coconut activated charcoal is a 100% natural highly effective product made from the shell of a coconut drupe, designed to purify the resulting distillate from fusel oils, eliminate foreign unpleasant tastes and odors, and impart vodka aroma and taste to the finished product.

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

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

After distillation

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

They not only impair the taste of the drink and its smell, Coconut charcoal for cleaning moonshine recipe and adversely affect your health.

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

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

samogon-reception.ru

We clean moonshine with activated carbon

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

Pharmaceutical activated charcoal can also be used to purify alcohol. Crush it into a powder and apply 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 charcoal can be used for cleaning

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

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

• With the help of BAU-A (birch activated carbon). You can buy it in specialized shops 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.

Fans who are just starting to delve into the intricacies of home brewing often wonder if it is possible to clean moonshine with charcoal for barbecue. It's actually not recommended to do this. To filter moonshine, you need to use only an activated adsorbent, which, of course, is not ordinary charcoal for barbecue.

Its activation occurs at a temperature of 1000 degrees. If the conditions are not met, a lot of harmful substances and carcinogens remain in the product, and it is simply dangerous to eat moonshine, which was used to clean ordinary charcoal. Therefore, even cleaning moonshine with activated charcoal in tablets, and not with specialized birch charcoal or coconut charcoal, will be much more effective.

• The mentioned brands BAU-A, KAU-A are already initially made 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 grades BAU-B or BAU-V, then please note that they are actually rejected coals in terms of activity during the production of BAU-A.
• The same should be taken into account when purchasing KAU, when it is planned to clean the moonshine with coconut charcoal.

How to make your own activated charcoal

We will describe how to make activated charcoal with our own hands, using wood raw materials for this, which will be a birch log 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 raw materials in it and close it tightly
3. Put the jar on the fire, where organic gases will come out through the holes from the hot coal and immediately burn
4. When the degassing stops, remove the jar from the heat and let it cool.

1. Activated charcoal is wrapped in gauze 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 to a tin can with holes that was previously used for degassing, put it on 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 air access. Otherwise, coal will begin to absorb various organic molecules from it, losing its properties.

Nevertheless, it must be understood that such a method of preparation is significantly inferior to the industrial one, where the material is calcined at a temperature of 1100-1200 degrees and processed not with simple saturated, but with superheated steam at a pressure of about 2.5 atm. Naturally, its activity is an order of magnitude higher than that of coal prepared at home for cleaning moonshine.

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

Why filtering is necessary

A lot of side substances are formed in the distillate, which worsen not only the taste of the drink, but also make its use dangerous. These are fusel oils, all kinds of aldehydes, esters, etc. Not all harmful impurities are removed by activated charcoal, but the use of the latter is still necessary. Filtering allows you to remove:

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

Purification of moonshine with coal gives such an 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 grades 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 found 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.
• Purification of 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 get rid of harmful substances from moonshine is to pass the drink through a regular filter purchased at a store or made by yourself.

A home-made filter is called a coal column for cleaning moonshine. To do this, take a funnel and put a couple of cotton balls or several layers of gauze into it. 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.

Cleaning moonshine at home occurs in four stages:

1. filtration from large impurities through a household filter;
2. infusion of distillate using birch activated absorbent;
3. upholding;
4. straining through a carbon column.

Cleaning methods

Infusion

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

Coal also needs to be prepared. If it is formed into briquettes, they should be broken up as finely as possible. We need to maximize the area of ​​​​contact of the surface of coal and moonshine. For 1 liter of liquid with a strength of 40 °, 10 grams (2-3 tablespoons) of coal will be required. They put more, but it will not give a better result.

Crushed coal must be separated from dust and washed. This will allow not to color the moonshine so much. Then the prepared coal is placed in a container with moonshine and mixed thoroughly.

• Regarding the duration of infusion, there are several points of view. 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 coal pores open and release all the collected compounds back.
• One way or another, it is better not to exceed the threshold of 3 hours. Every 20-30 minutes the container must be stirred.

After this time, the second stage begins - filtration. First, using a cotton pad or gauze folded into several layers. This will separate large particles and dust suspension. At the exit, we have 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 up. For this purpose, a filter for a coffee maker, a filter for water purification, an ashless filter are suitable. It is better to feed moonshine into the filter in a thin stream or drops. This is easily accomplished with a conventional variable flow dripper.

Filtration

The second cleaning method is a simplified version of the previous one. In this case, moonshine must be cleaned immediately through the 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 can. Since plastic is not recommended for operations with alcohol, it is better to take glass or ceramics.
• At the bottle, you need to cut off the bottom (for example, with a glass cutter) and install the jar upside down in the neck. Pour coconut charcoal into the bottle to clean 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 through the filter should be spilled 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 performance of such cleaning, it is worth repeating it several times, while changing the coal.

How safe is charcoal cleaning?

Activated carbon is the most environmentally friendly product to use in the cleaning process. Wood absorbent is used in water filters, gas masks, aquarium filters, etc. You can use this raw material. In the case of such a choice, it is necessary to treat a number of sources with caution.

Carbon in water filters includes additional impurities that make it possible to soften the water. For moonshine, this is not a critical parameter and will not drastically 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 absorb harmful substances that can dissolve in alcohol and spoil the drink not only in terms of taste, but also make it simply dangerous to drink.

Coal educational program

• The process of purifying alcohol with charcoal is called carbonization. Coal is a wonderful natural sorbent, that is, it absorbs other substances.
• To be even more precise, it refers to adsorbents: it attracts and holds the molecules of these substances on its surface. In this it differs 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 brands BAU-A and BAU-LVZ are intended for the alcohol industry. And the third type - on a coconut basis.
• 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, 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. On sale it is present in crushed form or in small briquettes. A significant drawback, you will not usually find it in the wide sale. You need to order online or look in specialized stores. Can sometimes be found in liquor stores.

Flow Filtration

The first recipe will require some improvised materials, for example, a jug for filtering water, where you will need to fill the adsorbent. The filter can also be made independently, for example, from a plastic bottle. For this, the bottom is cut off for this, holes are made in the cork, and the neck is laid with cotton wool.

The filter material should be laid out in the proportion:

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

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

Filtration by filling coal into moonshine

If moonshine is cleaned with coal in the second way, that is, by pouring it into alcohol, then the filter element is taken with the calculation of 50 g per 1 liter of distillate. Drink manufacturers with many years of experience often recommend infusing the resulting mixture for 1-2 weeks to filter moonshine at home, shaking it periodically. Then the drink settles for another 5-7 days and is filtered through a dense cotton filter.

However, such an approach to the purification of an alcoholic beverage is contrary to scientific facts, indicating that only during the first 15-20 minutes of such processing, 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.

Coal dust removal

Next, we will consider how to clean moonshine from coal dust in order to make the distillate clouded after filtration as transparent as possible. We note right away that this procedure is not mandatory, since the mentioned dust is not harmful to health and in no way affects the taste of the drink. However, to improve the appearance of an alcoholic beverage, a good ashless filter can be used.

These elements are made from 95% pure cellulose and are filter paper cut in the shape of circles. For example, a "White Ribbon" filter can be used, which has a high filtration rate and a good ability to screen out coarse particles in solution like coal dust.

Filter reuse

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

In fact, this should not be done, if only because when the pores of coal are saturated with harmful substances, it loses activity. Moreover, with further use, the adsorbent begins to give these substances back, that is, after its use, you will no longer receive a filtrate, but a solution saturated with aldehydes and fusel oils.

But if you already use used coal, then before cleaning moonshine, the material must be reactivated. To do this, it is treated with a 2% hydrochloric acid solution, washed thoroughly with water, dried and re-calcined. However, for high-quality filtration, it is still desirable to use fresh, manufactured in industrial conditions.

dom-vinokura.ru

Oil cleaning

This method is based on the effect of dissolving fusel oils in other oils. Whereas alcohol itself, when abundantly diluted 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 alcohol before cleaning with oil - this will allow the aldehydes to become soluble.

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

The sequence of 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 a proportion of 20 ml per 1 liter of drink;
• close the container with a tight lid and shake continuously for 1 minute, let it stand and repeat the shaking procedure after 3-5 minutes;
• 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 useful;
• in a day, a film of oil that has absorbed harmful impurities will appear on the surface of the moonshine. Without damaging it, it is necessary to drain the moonshine. This happens with the help of a tube, on the surface of the film we make a funnel and drain the moonshine through it;
• drained moonshine is recommended to be additionally filtered, for this you can use a charcoal filter.

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

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

tonnasamogona.ru

Why is cleaning necessary?

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

They give alcohol a disgusting smell and can do people more harm than good.

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

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

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

samogonhik.ru

Step by step procedure

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

The most popular and effective way to clean moonshine at the moment is cleaning with coconut charcoal.

It is made from coconut shells. It is superior to wood-type coal in terms of absorbing harmful impurities, because it is much smaller in size. Coconut charcoal makes it possible to quickly and efficiently remove the entire set of unacceptable impurities from the product.

To remove auxiliary impurities from moonshine with the help of a coconut absorbent, you will need:

1. Add an absorbent to an alcoholic drink, subject to the following proportion: two tablespoons fall on one liter of an alcoholic drink;
2. Carefully mix the mass that you received as a result of the procedure;
3. After that, the resulting product must be infused throughout the week;
4. Periodically, the manufacturer must shake the contents of the container in order to obtain a greater effect.
5. Using a filter, you must strain the moonshine.

What is the difference

Activated carbon has an increased absorbent 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 charcoal, as an absorbent, was once made from animal bone tissue. The product produced in this way has tiny pores that are not able to absorb too large molecules of fusel oils.
• For this reason, when you decide which coal to use, it is worth asking about the method of obtaining it.
• To purify homemade alcohol using charcoal, the absorbent must be obtained through wood pyrolysis.

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

Moonshine cleaning is carried out with activated charcoal, which is sold in a pharmacy. Further, the coal is pushed apart, turning into a fine powder.

After the whole procedure is carried out in exactly the same way as when cleaning with charcoal from coconut. 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 the product with coal is one of the most environmentally friendly procedures. Coconut and wood charcoal is used not only in home brewing. Absorbent meth is present in any water filter, gas mask, and also in an aquarium filter. When choosing coal for the manufacture of a product, it must be remembered that impurities of varying degrees of harmfulness may be present in this ingredient.

Related videos

samogon-braga.ru

About receiving

• Birch charcoal for cleaning 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 in this way. And even from coconut and walnut shells, peat coke, etc.
• You can also take ready-made coals, for example, for barbecue. The latter is the same tree, but it comes from different tree species. It is better to choose birch. Coconut charcoal is even better.

About cleaning

How to properly clean moonshine? It is necessary 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 coal for winemaking is also sold.

The same one that is offered in pharmacies contains impurities. And in the water purification filters there is an ion-exchange resin for water softening. The gas mask must be clean. That is, it is necessary to take an unused device.

About different cleaning methods

• Cleaning moonshine with coal at home is possible in two ways. The first one is filtering. And the second is the placement of 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 is taken. Cotton wool wrapped in gauze is stuffed into its neck (you can also take a ready-made tampon). And on top of it is placed in layers of activated carbon. Cleansing occurs by filtering the drink.
• The process is quite lengthy, but effective. You can support the funnel with your hands. Or fix it over a container where the purified alcoholic drink will pour in any way.
• How to clean without using a filter? The carbonization of moonshine by immersing a cleaning agent in it occurs in compliance with the 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 moonshine is filtered. This can be done through cotton wool or calcined river sand.

About the coconut shell

Coconut charcoal has smaller pores than wood charcoal. Its properties are excellent. Yes, and it is consumed 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 an exotic palm fruit. The technology for cleaning moonshine is the same as described above.

About column

Coal filter column with pump

• You can buy a carbon filter and ready. It's inexpensive.
• Sold in the form of a steel column. The reagent is placed in it.
• Cleaning 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 column will last for many years, as it is made of stainless steel. And how to clean moonshine with coal, this was said above.

The simplest device

If there is birch charcoal for cleaning, then the manufacture of the simplest filtering 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 pierced in its cork. Cotton wool is tightly clogged in the neck.

• The activated material is poured into the funnel.
• When filtering, it will start to emerge, it is necessary to prevent this. It is easiest to press a mass of coal from above with a metal mesh.
• The bottle is placed on a glass jar upside down (it is cut off in advance). And moonshine is poured on top. And the purified liquid will pour from below.
• You can repeat the process by changing the coal. The moonshine filter is used once.

Finally

The adsorption of harmful fusel oils from moonshine with an activated substance must be used without fail. Eliminating fusel oils makes homemade rubbing alcohol safer. In combination with a double distillation, this will become even better.

Refinement of moonshine with an activated and obtained substance in various ways is possible at home, and it is not financially expensive. The main thing is that the drink will become safer for consumption, the health of the liver, and the whole human body, is most important. The use of coal for this is effective. Our ancestors also used a filter for cleaning alcohol.

samogonpil.ru

Varieties of coal

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

1. Birch activated carbon

Very popular with moonshiners. Sold in shops for winemakers, as well as in specialized stores, such as "Russian Chemist".

1. Coconut (KAU)

As it is not difficult to guess from the name, it is made from coconut shells.

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

1. Pharmacy activated charcoal.

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

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

1. Charcoal for barbecue

Some distillers use this as well.

• I do not recommend doing this. It is not known from what material it is made. Most likely, such coal is 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 a small but sufficient amount to spoil the product for us.

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 the fortress - about 5 degrees.

Instructions for charcoal

So, below are a few methods for cleaning moonshine with charcoal. As I said at the beginning of the article, before cleaning, moonshine must be diluted to 15-20% alcohol. Then distill it again to increase the strength.

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

• Purification of BAU or KAU

1. Coal is taken at the rate of 10 grams (heaped tablespoon) per 1 liter of sorting.
2. Washable with drinking water from dust.
3. Take a regular 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.
4. Well, then moonshine is poured and filtered. I run 3 times.

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

• Pharmacy activated charcoal cleaning

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

Laboratory analysis of cleaning quality

I give the results of a laboratory analysis of moonshine before and after charcoal cleaning.

• Analyzes were conducted by a highly respected member of the Homedistiller forum under the nickname Alexander956. Here is a link to a forum post.
• These data confirm what this article says - coal very effectively copes with fusel oils, and the quality of cleaning increases markedly with a strong dilution of moonshine.
• Raw alcohol from sugar mash, distilled to a temperature of 99 degrees in the cube, was subjected to analysis. 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 be done at home as well. Maybe 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 coal moonshine. In a compartment with double fractional distillation, you can get a very high-quality and tasty product.
• In my plans, I have articles about a few more cleaning methods, so I suggest subscribing to new articles. I also encourage you to share your experience in the comments. I'm very interested.

vinodela.ru

How to make activated charcoal

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

To make your own activated charcoal, follow these 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 correctly follow these steps, 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 burning the firewood to the state of coals, place them in an airtight container that does not allow air to enter.

1. By calcining firewood without air access.

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 steps above are also a way to activate charcoal to clean 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 charcoal to clean moonshine is not recommended. Since during use the coal is saturated with harmful impurities contained in the product, it is much easier to replace the cleaning element instead of restoring it.

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

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

• And in the case of reuse of such a filter material, all the impurities absorbed by it can return to the drink.
• There are recommendations to restore coal after use by treating it with a 2% hydrochloric acid solution, then rinse with water, dry, ignite on fire in a closed container and reuse.
• Given the danger of harmful compounds remaining in activated carbon getting into the drink being purified, this method should not be used.

Cleaning moonshine with charcoal is called carbonization. This method is common among both beginners and experienced moonshiners due to its simplicity, affordability and high efficiency.

Purifying properties

Coal is a wonderful natural adsorbent. Due to the porous surface, it is able to absorb and retain the molecules of the surrounding substances and chemical compounds. When it comes into contact with moonshine, more than 80% of fusel oils and more than 90% of esters are retained.

Charcoal for cleaning can be made from almost any combustible organic matter. For industrial purposes, petroleum coke, coconut shell, coastal wood are used.

Production is carried out by pyrolysis, that is, combustion at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment. In conditions of industrial production, the firing temperature, depending on the type of material, is 400-1050°C. For wood and peat, for example, 250-400°C is sufficient. During pyrolysis, a degassing process takes place. Gases, resins, ethers are emitted as combustion products. The resulting pyrolysis coke can be called an environmentally friendly product.

Kinds

To clean moonshine with activated carbon at home, several varieties are used.

Birch activated (BAU).

Made from birch wood. Popular among home moonshiners due to the ease of self-production. If we turn to industrial designs, the BAU-A and BAU-LVZ markings are found on sale. These brands are intended for the food industry, and in particular for the alcoholic beverage industry.

Coconut activated (CAU)

As the name implies, the raw material for production is the shell of a coconut. A commercially available coconut product may be intended for smoking and hookahs. The food variety is labeled KAU-A and KAUSORB. Due to its natural properties, cleaning moonshine with coconut charcoal, in addition to removing impurities, can enrich the drink with useful substances, such as iodine. The only downside is that it is not widely available. KAU-A and KAUSORB are found mainly in specialized or online stores.

Professional distillers appreciate coconut for its economy, high efficiency, natural origin and additional useful properties.

medical activated

Familiar to every person, is directly available in any pharmacy at a budget price. Allows you to clean moonshine quickly and without prior preparation and self-production of activated carbon. A significant drawback is the composition of the drug. It is made from animal bone. Therefore, the pores of such coal are numerous, but very small in diameter. Impurity molecules are often much larger in size, so they are not retained. The second point is the addition of binders to the medical product. They are usually talc and starch. According to a number of moonshiners, cleaning moonshine with activated charcoal tablets makes the taste tougher.

For a large amount of alcohol, an impressive batch of this drug will be required. The weight of one tablet is only 0.25 grams. To get a noticeable result, you need about 100 packs per couple of liters.

Wood for barbecues

It differs from the first type not so much in raw materials as in manufacturing technology. The material is also birch. Roasting is carried out at lower temperatures than in the production of activated. Pore ​​activation is not carried out. In addition, for better ignition in the barbecue, wood can be additionally treated with chemicals. If you are sure that coal does not contain toxic impurities, you need to re-burn it, clean the pores and use it for moonshine.

Household filters

Carbon adsorbent is found in most household filters. In this way, water is filtered in household jugs. Another example would be a gas mask. These filters can be used under one condition - they must not be in use. The filter, which served to purify water and, especially, air, contains all the impurities that it collected during previous work. Accordingly, they can get into your product. A used filter can spoil moonshine more than clean it.

Making at home

For supporters of everything homemade and homemade, we offer a way to make activated carbon with your own hands. Birch wood is most suitable for these purposes. The log must be cut into small chips up to 3 cm thick, up to 10-12 cm long.

To independently carry out pyrolysis, you will need a tin container (for example, a tin can) and a fire. Make 15-20 holes at the bottom of the container with an awl or nail. Then put the chips inside, close tightly on top and put on fire. During combustion, tar-containing gases will be released through the holes. When gas formation stops, the container can be removed and cooled.

Charcoal must be activated before use. This will require a tall pot. Inside, we fill half the water and put it on fire. When the water boils, we hang a gauze bag with the resulting charred firebrands to the center of the lid and close the pan with a lid. We check that the bag of water does not touch, but is close enough and steamed from all sides. This expands the pores and increases their ability to entrap. Such carbon can be considered activated. The cleansing effect depends on how many open pores have formed.

Cleaning process

There are 2 ways to make an activated carbon filter. The first option is persistence. The second is flow filtration. Whichever of the methods described below you choose, you must first grind. This increases the contact area of ​​the adsorbent with the liquid to be purified, and increases the efficiency. The resulting coal crumb must be blown off excess dust and rinsed under running water. If this is not done, you can color the filtered moonshine with charcoal in a dark color.

Infusion of moonshine

Proper cleaning of moonshine involves preliminary dilution of moonshine to 40-50 °. This is done in order to reduce the strength of molecular bonds. Fusel oils are poorly soluble in water, but wonderful in strong moonshine. After dilution, it will be easier to extract impurities.

In a container with moonshine, you need to fill in activated carbon for cleaning. The amount depends on the substance chosen. For 1 liter of diluted moonshine you will need:

• 10 grams of coconut charcoal;
• 50 grams of wood;
• 100-150 medical pharmacy tablets.

Mix thoroughly and wait a while. There is an opinion that in a day the pores can open and release impurities back. How true this is is hard to judge. But the maximum effect is created in the first 2-3 hours. It's just pointless to take more. Shake the container every half an hour.

A fairly common method of removing harmful substances from raw alcohol is carbonization. After primary distillation, the mash produces a product with a characteristic odor and a high content of foreign impurities that are far from healthy. After purification, their concentration is minimized, the taste and aromatic qualities of the product are improved. For these purposes, activated carbon is used, which has a high adsorbing coefficient. Moonshine specialists know how to clean moonshine with charcoal. Here you need to have an idea which coal can be used to clean fusel oils, and which one is unsuitable for this.

What coal to choose for cleaning moonshine

Most often, birch charcoal is used to clean moonshine with charcoal at home: for general purpose and for alcoholic beverage production, labeled BAU-A and BAU-A-LVZ, respectively. You can use OU-A and DAK charcoal, as well as KAUSORB brand coconut charcoal. All this can be purchased in departments and stores specializing in the sale of distillery equipment or via the Internet.

Many moonshine makers combine coconut charcoal with birch charcoal, observing the following proportion: for one liter of distillate - 6 tablespoons of wood adsorbent and 2 tablespoons of KAUSORB or KAU-A.

What coal should not be used to clean fusel impurities

Pharmacy activated carbon

A very controversial question: what is the pharmaceutical coal preparation made of? There is an opinion that this is a woody product, and there is a belief that it is made from a bone substrate. Regardless of the nature of the origin of pharmaceutical coal, it is undesirable to purify moonshine. It contains binder starch additives, which do not have the best effect on the taste and transparency of moonshine: starch reduces the adsorbing properties of coal.

Coal from a gas mask, aquarium and household filters

Some distillers pass the moonshine through a household water filter. Filter the distillate in this way should be at least 5 times. However, moonshine specialists do not use this method, since ionizing substances are added to household filters. It is also not recommended to use aquarium filters.

It is highly unacceptable to take carbon filters from gas masks, especially if it is not known whether the gas mask was in use. But even in new gas masks, the filter media contains substances that can give an undesirable reaction with alcohol-containing liquids.

Purification of moonshine with charcoal for barbecue

To obtain high-quality distillate, moonshiners often use cleaning of moonshine with charcoal for barbecue. It is quite suitable for these purposes. Just keep in mind that the coal product intended for barbecues is used after burning out. Moreover, it should burn out without air access. This process is called pyrolysis. As a result of pyrolysis, the structure becomes more porous, which increases the absorption capacity of the adsorbent.

To carry out this process, smoldering coals from the barbecue are transferred to a metal container and hermetically sealed. Completely burnt material is already suitable for carbonization. Moonshine purified with such an adsorbent absorbs the smell of a fire. For those who do not like this taste, it is recommended to re-distill: after the second distillation, the smoky taste will disappear.

Distillate purification and filtration process

Coal preparation

Before starting cleaning the pervach with charcoal at home, the adsorbent is first washed and dried, then crushed. You can crush it in some kind of bowl or put it in a bag and crush it with a hammer. The finer the coal mass, the more the adsorbing surface will interact with the liquid, therefore, the cleaning will be better. It should be borne in mind that both options are a dusty ceremony. Therefore, it is better to carry out manipulations on grinding coal outdoors.

Purification and filtration of moonshine

It is usually practiced in one of two common ways:

• Filtration of moonshine with coal
• Infusion of distillate on coal.

But here, too, there are variations.

Using a homemade charcoal filter

1 option

Cotton or gauze folded in several layers is placed in an ordinary funnel (you can also wrap a little cotton with gauze), pour out a small amount of the prepared adsorbent. The filter is ready, and moonshine is poured through it. This procedure is repeated five times, each time replacing the filter.

Option 2

To make a filter, you will need an eggplant from beer or mineral water, cotton wool, coal. At the eggplant, you need to cut off the bottom and make several holes in the cork, like those that many made in childhood on sprinklers, only a little larger. A tightly folded cotton swab is inserted into the neck of such a homemade watering can, then a cork with holes is twisted. After that, this unit is filled with wood adsorbent at the rate of 60-80 grams of coal per liter of distillate (1 tablespoon holds about 10 g of coal).

Next, the eggplant with a charcoal filter is filled with moonshine and waited for it to be filtered. This option is convenient because it does not require constant presence during the filtration process. But from time to time you need to check if the filter is clogged. If the liquid has stopped flowing out of the plastic container, then shake the eggplant or unscrew the bottle cap a little.

Such a purification can be repeated by replacing the used coal with clean, but someone believes that after the first run the desired result is achieved. Here everyone will be prompted by personal experience. You can pass part of the moonshine through the filter once, and the other part twice or thrice, then take samples and compare.

Infusion of moonshine on coal

The disagreements that apply this method of charcoal cleansing at home mainly relate to the time of infusion. Some recommend adsorption in several two-hour periods, filtering and replacing the adsorbent. They motivate this method by the fact that after two hours the reverse process can begin, and the coal will not absorb impurities, but give them back to the liquid.

Others believe that you need to insist from 4 to 7 days. Still others suggest that the optimal duration of cleaning by immersing the adsorbent in moonshine is two weeks. Here, too, we can recommend empirically to determine how long it will take for high-quality absorption of the distillate. If someone chooses the option of multi-day adsorption, then the cans with purified alcohol must be shaken daily.

There are no special differences regarding the proportions: from 50 to 80 grams of coal are required per liter of liquid. The quality of moonshine will not deteriorate if the adsorbent material is taken a little more than it should be according to the norm. After infusion, the alcohol-containing liquid should be removed from the sediment and passed through a cotton or sand filter. The sand must be thoroughly washed and calcined, it is wrapped in cloth or multi-layered gauze and placed in a funnel. You can use filter paper to remove the adsorbent from moonshine. If a suspension of coal dust is observed in the filtered moonshine, you can repeat the filtration or let it settle, then remove it from the sediment.

And another warning

It is not always possible to be sure of the good quality of coal. If the material for carbonation is in doubt, then it is a good idea to test its adsorbing properties on a small amount of moonshine, so as not to spoil the entire volume of alcohol produced at home.

Attention, only TODAY!