How to select heads. Is it worth distilling moonshine a second time? How to make a double haul correctly at home

Fractional distillation of moonshine is a technology that allows you to get a quality product at home. Regardless of the feedstock, alcohol must be prepared in several stages. The resulting liquid will consist of three fractions, which are separated by distillation. The purpose of the procedure is to remove harmful impurities from moonshine, which can cause acute intoxication and cause irreparable harm to the body. On simple apparatuses, the double distillation method is used.

The separation of moonshine into fractions occurs during chemical reactions. As a result of purification of primary raw materials from harmful impurities (selection of heads and tails), you can get pure strong alcohol, which will not differ in quality from store products. However, it will be safe to use only if the technology was followed during its preparation. The methods of how to select the heads and tails of moonshine are similar, but may differ slightly depending on the raw materials, type of equipment, temperature conditions and other nuances.

This drink contains several fractions that evaporate at different temperatures. The distillation of mash into moonshine is a responsible procedure; the quality and taste of the product depend on the correctness of its implementation. Brazhka is an alcohol-containing substance, but it consists not only of ethyl alcohol, but also of impurities in the form of fusel oils and other harmful substances. During the first distillation, alcohol is purified from unwanted compounds, and during the second, the required strength of the drink is achieved.

With fractional distillation of moonshine, it is possible to influence fractions by heating. As a result of fractional purification of alcohol, a drink without impurities is obtained, but its volume will be less than that of the feedstock. You can calculate the amount of pure moonshine using the distillation formula:

moonshine body - 65%;
heads - 10%;
tails and other unwanted compounds - 25% (calculations may vary, depending on the type of raw material, type of apparatus and other nuances).

Heads and tails of moonshine are those components that must be removed. The main fraction is called the body and consists of purified alcohol. The distillate is obtained during two successive distillations. The selection of heads, bodies and tails of moonshine occurs after the mash becomes usable. This can be understood by the measurements of a special device or by taste - it loses its sweet aftertaste.

heads

Moonshine heads are the first fraction, which consists of harmful impurities. It consists of methyl alcohol, acetone, acetaldehyde and other substances. In high-quality moonshine, the heads are separated at the stage of the first distillation. Some prefer to drink mash in its pure form, without cutting off this fraction, but the feeling of quickly intoxication when using it is actually an acute intoxication that is harmful to the body.

Picking the right head is easy. The main thing is to calculate the number of heads that should separate during the first distillation. Their volume is about 10% of the total liquid.

moonshine body

In order to understand what the body of moonshine is, you need to familiarize yourself with the technique of preparing this product. During primary processing, under the influence of temperatures, the head is separated first. However, the liquid needs further processing, during which a purified alcohol-containing drink is released - it is the body.

Tails

Tailings selection is the last stage of moonshine distillation. These compounds are unsuitable for consumption because they contain a large amount of harmful substances. The tails are composed not only of alcohol, but also of fusel oils, which give the liquid a characteristic cloudy hue. It is very easy to cut them off - it is enough to stop the process of separating the moonshine body in time. Unlike heads, tails can be used for further processing and added to the next wash. However, re-distillation on a moonshine will not be able to improve the quality of the product.

How to separate heads and tails from moonshine

Fractional distillation of moonshine consists in the timely separation of harmful impurities. The sampling temperature of heads and tails depends on the chemical characteristics of these compounds. So, formic ethyl alcohol begins to boil at 20.8 degrees, wood alcohol - at 64 degrees. The boiling point of ethyl alcohol, which makes up the body of moonshine, is 78.3 degrees. If you increase it to 90 degrees, fusel oils begin to evaporate.

Methods for separating heads and tails may differ depending on the raw material, but the process takes place in several successive stages.

The easiest way to select the heads is to heat the raw material to 60 degrees, and then raise the temperature to 75 degrees. After heating, the first fraction begins to evaporate. In order to understand how many heads need to be separated, it is enough to calculate 10-15% of the original volume.
At a temperature of 75 to 90 degrees, pure ethyl alcohol is released, which is the ultimate goal of moonshine distillation.
At the end, moonshine tailings are selected - their amount ranges from 3-5% to 25%. They are represented by ethyl alcohol with fusel oils, which evaporate at 90 degrees.

The selection of heads and tails is carried out during the first distillation of moonshine. Secondary distillation is necessary to obtain purer moonshine and practically does not differ from the first stage.

By sugar

With fractional distillation of moonshine, it is worthwhile to calculate in advance how much each fraction makes up. The simplest calculation of the number of heads can be done if the exact sugar content is known. With 1 kg of this substance during distillation, 60-100 ml of heads are obtained. Some prefer to divide this amount by 2 and separate in half during the first and second distillation.

By alcohol

Separation of heads by sugar is not always possible if the sugar content of the mash was not initially determined accurately. In this case, they are left during the first distillation, and after the procedure, the amount of pure alcohol is measured using instruments. The heads are separated during the second distillation, their amount will be 8-15% of the volume of absolute alcohol.

By temperature

One of the methods that is used in moonshine to separate heads is the temperature regime. This fraction evaporates at approximately 65-68 degrees. At this temperature, the heads are taken - they stand out in the form of drops. Then the mode is increased to 85 degrees and the body of moonshine begins to be taken away. This method is accurate, but the data may vary depending on the machine type.

By smell

In this way, it is possible to determine at what point the head fraction stops separating. These impurities give the liquid a characteristic unpleasant odor, as soon as it disappears - it can be considered that they have been removed. Beginners should focus not on the smell of the product, but on the calculations, but this method can serve as a check on the correctness of the numbers.

What to do with moonshine tails and how to cut them off

Collecting tails is necessary to obtain purer alcohol. However, this fraction contains about 40% ethanol and can be used for further processing. There are several ways to separate the tails in the first distillation. After raising the temperature to 85 degrees, it is periodically checked whether the secreted liquid is a body or is already a tail and should be separated:

using a hydrometer - the temperature will be below 40 degrees;
alcoholometer - not higher than 20 degrees;
set fire to a few drops - the tails will burn badly.

There are several opinions about what to do with the tails, whether they should be thrown away and where to put them after the first distillation. This fraction can be added to the mash when making the next portion of moonshine, or left and used externally (for rubbing and compresses). Separately, it is not distilled again, since the process will not improve the chemical properties of the liquid.

Selection of fractions during subsequent distillations

After the first distillation, crude alcohol is obtained. It is not suitable for ingestion, because it still contains a sufficient amount of impurities. Fractional distillation of raw alcohol is necessary, even if the fractions were partially separated in the first stage. The heads and tails are completely separated during the second distillation, after which the alcohol becomes drinkable. Heads are removed by 50% with each distillation, if initially it is possible to calculate their number, or in full during re-distillation.

At home, you can make natural and safe moonshine. However, for this it is necessary to observe safety precautions and carefully clean the liquid from impurities. Beginners should focus on numerical calculations.

When making moonshine at home, you need to be very clear that we are talking about complex chemical processes, and such a concept as dividing the resulting product into fractions is very important. Braga, in addition to the ethyl alcohol we are interested in, contains a huge amount of impurities, including strong poisons such as methyl alcohol, acetone, fusel oils. But there is one significant plus - almost all these elements boil and evaporate at different temperatures. Conventionally, the whole process is divided into three stages:

"Heads" - at the initial stage, the so-called "light" fractions are expelled, that is, boiling and evaporating at lower temperatures. This is primarily acetone and other aldehydes. They are the least in the output - about 2% of the volume of mash on the first pasture. They should not be used at all, although, as many remember, “pervak” was very much appreciated before, because it hits the head very hard, but, however, the consequences of its use are very serious
“Body” is just the ethyl alcohol we are interested in. It boils and begins to evaporate at a temperature of about +76 C o ... +78 C o , but it also contains a certain amount of by-products that evaporate at the same time as it
"Tails" - they are called "heavy" fractions. These are esters, fusel oils - we don’t need them either, and you can collect them only during the first distillation, and on the second - cut off and collect only to add to the next mash when it is ready for pasture

Tailings in home brewing are a way to get the right strength so as not to drain the remains of valuable ethyl alcohol. But you can’t do this with heads - they don’t have ethyl alcohol at all, since it begins to evaporate only at +76 C o ... +78 C o, and everything that boils and evaporates earlier is poison.

Separation of heads and tails during moonshine

With tails, I'll tell you from personal experience, things are easier. As soon as the moonshine coming out of the coil stops burning, you can cut them off. And even if a little gets into the “body” of moonshine, it’s not scary, since we will carry out additional cleaning. But with the "heads" it is more difficult. Perhaps you will find information somewhere that they can be easily identified by smell ... This, I tell you, is complete nonsense.

Firstly, during the haul in the kitchen, there is already a peculiar smell, and your scent is gradually lost. And it’s worth at least once to smell the condensate directly, as you will finally understand nothing. Yes, with experience you will learn to sort out some differences, but you cannot call it an objective method. I always follow the following rule. It is known that fully fermented mash contains 2% of the "heads" of its original volume. That is, if I have 20 liters of home brew, then I cut off and mercilessly drain about 400 milligrams of “heads” into the sewer. At first it will be a little pitiful - I remember it myself, but later you will understand that this is necessary when you wake up a couple of times in the morning after an evening feast with a square head.

During the second haul, the volume of heads is calculated according to the planned yield of the final product. It will be about 5% of it. That is, no more than 80-100 milligrams, if the initial volume of the mash was 20 liters. At the third stage, this percentage is reduced to 2% of the yield, which is no more than 30 milligrams.

The separation of tails during moonshine begins only by the second stage. The easiest way to navigate here is by the ability of the condensate to ignite or by the thermometer built into the distillation cube. We do not throw out the tails - they can be used. We add them to the new fermented mash in order to completely extract the remaining ethyl alcohol from them.

Important! Even after two or three hauls, moonshine must be further cleaned. Ethyl alcohol is not so special that it evaporates exclusively on its own - it still contains some impurities, so for the maximum degree of purification, use the methods recommended by me in the relevant publications.

Yes, no matter how natural and high-quality the preparation for mash is, if you do not divide the product into fractions, then its use will be associated with unpleasant consequences in the form of a headache, morning hangover and other side effects.

Methods for separating the heads and tails of moonshine March 11, 2016 Together with water and alcohol, mash contains other substances, many of which are harmful to the body. Fortunately, their boiling point is higher or lower than that of ethyl alcohol, so fractional distillation (separation into fractions) can prevent most of the dangerous impurities from entering the finished product. We will consider methods that allow you to select the correct amount of tails and heads of moonshine, which will positively affect the quality of the distillate. Attention! The information is relevant only for a conventional moonshine still, consisting of a distillation cube and a refrigerator in the form of a coil, it is also possible to have a steamer. For devices with dephlegmators and other devices that simulate the operation of a distillation column, the parameters for selecting tails and heads may differ from those described here. I advise you to clarify this point with the designers of the circuit, manufacturers or equipment sellers. I do not consult on commercial models of devices. The amount of harmful impurities depends on the raw materials, water, yeast, temperature, fermentation duration, design of the moonshine still and distillation technology. Even in mash according to the same recipe, the concentration of harmful substances can change every time, but at home, analysis of the composition of the mash is impossible, so you have to take approximate values as a basis. The “head” of moonshine (also called “pervach” or “pervak”) is the initial fraction with a sharp unpleasant odor. Contains the most dangerous impurities: methyl alcohol (many in grain and fruit mash), acetone, acetaldehyde and others. Due to the fact that the boiling point of harmful substances is lower than that of ethyl alcohol, they come out first during distillation, therefore, they can be prevented from entering the main product. In everyday life, pervach is considered the highest quality moonshine, because it is strong and quickly intoxicates. In fact, this is a poison in its purest form, its use causes toxic poisoning, which is often confused with intoxication. Heads are the strongest Heads of moonshine should not be drunk or used for rubbing. This fraction can go exclusively for technical needs, but because of the unpleasant smell, in most cases it is simply poured out. "Body" - the drinking part, the main goal of the moonshiner (the second name is "heart"). In theory, it contains only ethyl alcohol and water, but in practice there are always other impurities in the “body”, since during distillation it is purely physically impossible to divide the output into clear fractions, to one degree or another, different substances with close boiling points are always mixed, the output is obtained " lubricated." For complete decomposition into fractions, rectification is needed, thanks to which pure ethyl alcohol can be obtained. The disadvantage of the method is that, along with harmful impurities, substances responsible for the organoleptic properties of the drink are removed. This means that after rectification, the taste and smell of moonshine from different raw materials (sugar, grains and fruits) will be the same, since only ethyl alcohol will remain in the drink. It should be remembered that the harm and benefits of many substances in the distillate are relative. For example, fusel oils cause the liver to activate before alcohol begins to act, this protects the body from the harmful effects of alcohol. A study by Vladimir Pavlovich, a professor at the Narcology Research Institute of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, proved that rectified alcohol (vodka) causes alcohol addiction many times faster than distillates - whiskey, cognac, tequila, etc. About 70% of dependent people are vodka alcoholics. The purer the poison (in our case, ethyl alcohol), the faster the addiction develops. The correct separation of moonshine into fractions during distillation on a classic moonshine still allows you to remove almost all harmful substances, but leave those that are responsible for the aroma and taste of the drink, which cannot be done during rectification. The "tail" of moonshine - the third fraction, in addition to ethyl alcohol, contains fusel oils, which give an unpleasant smell, taste and cloudy color. The boiling point of fusel oil is higher than that of ethyl alcohol, therefore, in order to separate the tail of moonshine, it is enough to stop collecting the main product - the “body” in time. Although after distillation a lot of ethyl alcohol remains in the “tails” (up to 40%), but the ingress of other substances with it spoils the quality of moonshine, which is why it is so important to finish the distillation on time. Tailings can be recycled, but usually not worth the energy. Unlike "heads", "tails" are recyclable and can be added to a new batch of mash (immediately before distillation) or cleaned in a distillation column. Distilling the “tails” a second time on a moonshine is useless, this will not improve the quality! The question of how much to select "heads" and "tails" is a compromise between the quantity and quality of moonshine. Further, we will use the "golden mean" - parameters that have been tested by more than one generation of moonshiners. You can change them at your discretion both in one direction and in the other. Further, I will pay attention not to specific numbers, but to methods of calculation. How to select the head of moonshine First, the mash is brought to a boil. When the first drops appear, the power is reduced to a minimum, then the heating is gradually increased again so that the device enters the operating mode. Performance depends on the design and power of the stove, there are no average parameters here. It is considered normal when the moonshine comes out cold (the temperature is approximately equal to the temperature of the cooling water). This is what you should strive for. Head separation methods: 1. By sugar. The simplest, but at the same time effective method. Suitable if the sugar content of the mash or the amount of added sugar is known. In fruit or grain mash, sugar content is determined by a special device - a vinometer (hydrometer-saccharometer) before adding yeast. For example, there are 5 liters of mash with a sugar content of 20%, which means that the total sugar content is 1 kg (5 * 0.2 = 1). The calculation assumes that 1 liter of solution by weight is equal to 1 kilogram, in practice this is not the case, but the error itself has little effect on the result, and the calculation simplifies significantly, so I advise you not to "bother". 60-100 ml heads are taken from 1 kg of sugar. It is advisable to divide this amount into two distillations, taking 30-50 ml of yield during the first distillation and the same amount during the second. 2. For pure alcohol. It is not always possible to find out the sugar content before fermentation begins. In this case, the first distillation is done without cutting off the “heads”, then the amount of absolute alcohol is measured. For example, if you get 6 liters of distillate with a total strength of 63%, then it contains 3.78 liters of pure alcohol (6 * 0.63 = 3.78). To simplify the calculations, we take the ethyl strength as 100%, although absolute alcohol can only be obtained in laboratory conditions. During the second distillation, the head fraction is cut off at the rate of 8-15% of the amount of pure alcohol. In our example, this is 0.567 liters (3.78 * 0.15 = 0.567). One of the varieties of this method is the selection of 1% of the heads of the mash volume, but due to various reasons related to fermentation and sugar concentration, this method cannot be considered accurate, it is better to navigate by absolute ethyl. 3. By smell. Suitable for experienced distillers who can identify moonshine heads by an unpleasant odor. The distillate leaving the apparatus is periodically sniffed, rubbing a couple of drops in the palms, when the pungent smell disappears, they begin to select the “body”. In this way, it is good to check the correctness of calculations based on sugar or alcohol. 4. By temperature. Due to the design features of moonshine stills and the different composition of impurities, this method does not always work well in practice. I recommend using it only as a last resort. I bring it for review. The evaporation temperature of the "heads" is 65-68°C. During distillation, when the temperature reaches 63°C (the thermometer must be at the inlet to the refrigerator), the heating power is sharply reduced in order to smoothly reach the above temperature range. Then the “heads” are taken away while drops come out of the apparatus. When the output stops, raise the temperature to 78°C and select the "body" to a temperature of 85°C. The values are approximate and may differ depending on the device! How to separate the tails in moonshine Evidence of the appearance of tails is the fall of the fortress in the jet to 30-45 degrees. In order not to miss this moment, it is desirable towards the end of the distillation to collect the moonshine coming out of the apparatus into a flask or a small jar, in which it is easy to measure with an alcohol meter (the liquid temperature must be 20 ° C). If the strength is high enough, pour the distillate into a common container and substitute the jar again. During the first distillation (especially fruit and grain brews), you can collect the "body" until the degree of distillate falls below 30%. At the same time, moonshine sometimes becomes cloudy, but that's okay, the second distillation, in which the beginning of the tails is considered to be 40% fortress, will fix the problem. Most moonshiners prefer to consider everything that has a fortress below 40 degrees as tails of moonshine. If there is no alcohol meter, moonshine is taken until it burns in a spoon. When the strength of the output falls below the minimum, the distillation is stopped by stopping the heating, or they continue to collect tailings up to 15-20%, but this wastes energy and time, which in most cases does not justify itself.

"Tails" are added to the mash, wanting to increase the degree of the drink. Waste-free production among moonshiners is a common practice. For this reason, heads and tails rich in fusel oils are so often used to make various alcoholic beverages. How effective is the method, and how not to spoil the distillate with experiments?

It is no secret that the entire distillation process can be divided into stages, or fractions. This allows you to ultimately improve the quality of the drink, make it drinkable.

So, why carry out the division into fractions:

To eliminate essential oils and impurities.
Improve the taste and aroma of the drink.

If fractional distillation is abandoned, then the result will be a distillate of dubious quality, which has a sharp aroma and taste. Among moonshiners, it is customary to divide distillation into several stages:

Head section. This is a pervach rich in fusel spirit and aldehydes, it can be used for technical needs or to create raw alcohol.
Receiving a "body" or "heart." They begin when the strength level drops to 40-45 degrees, such alcohol does not contain harmful substances in high concentrations.
Branch of the "tail" part. They start when the fortress decreases, they continue until the degree drops to 20–15, there are no restrictions or prohibitions on this matter.

This process is called fractional distillation, in this way the mash is converted into an alcoholic product suitable for drinking and making noble drinks.

Each faction has its own characteristics, you need to learn how to select. And also in time to start and complete the procedures, so as not to encounter certain problems and not spoil the taste of alcohol.

"Heads"

The “heads” of moonshine are the part that is separated from the “body”, it has the following characteristics:

Specific smell.
Unpleasant taste, burning the mucous membrane of the mouth.
High fortress.

Drinking “heads” is not worth it for several reasons: they have an unpleasant aroma, taste and lead to a severe hangover due to the content of harmful impurities and substances in the composition.

Despite the fact that the strength of "pervak" can reach 60 degrees, it is dangerous for health, you can encounter severe signs of intoxication.

Usually "heads" are used to create raw alcohol, they can also be used for technical needs. Such a product is unsuitable for creating noble drinks, wine or tinctures.

"Body"

This moonshine can be drunk, it has a strength of 40-45 degrees in the jet, the selection begins after the previous part finishes the exit.

Characteristics of the "body" of home distillate:

does not have the smell of fuselage;
has normal taste characteristics;
used to create noble drinks;
suitable for re-distillation.

"Body" has high characteristics, has a pleasant taste and aroma, it is actively used in moonshine brewing, kept in an oak barrel, subjected to repeated distillation, insisted on herbs and nuts.

"Tails"

“Tails” of moonshine do not make it more pleasant, they have the following effect on the product:

Reduce its strength.
Change organoleptic characteristics.
Make it unsuitable for creating noble drinks.

This part is of poor quality, is used for several purposes, and often distillers simply pour it out, as unnecessary. However, this is not always done with “tails”, they are often “put into action”, they do it in various ways.

The use of "tails"

What can be done with the "tails" of moonshine? This is actually a rhetorical question, which not every distiller can answer. In practice, everything is simple, this part is used for the following:

creating mash and increasing its strength;
receiving alcoholic beverages.

If the brew is made on wild yeast, using grain or fruit as the main raw material, then the addition of “tails” will greatly increase the degree of moonshine that will be obtained as a result.

“Tails” are added not during the creation of the mash, but before the start of distillation, so as not to spoil the smell and taste of the drink with frank fuselage.

If there is no desire to pour out the “tail” part, then it is preserved by pouring it into a dark glass container. When enough tails are collected, the product is re-distilled.

Alcohol is distilled in order to improve the quality indicator, to obtain raw materials suitable for drinking.

But you should not dilute the “heads” with the “tail” part, as this is fraught with negative consequences. Yes, as a result of manipulations, the strength of pervak will decrease, but the smell, taste and quality of the drink will leave much to be desired. As a result of drinking low-quality alcohol, there is a risk of developing severe intoxication; drinking such a drink is dangerous for life and health.

How to separate the "tails"?

The separation of the "tail" part takes place in several stages and does not differ in complexity. The whole process goes according to the following scheme, it is not recommended to violate the algorithm, since this can spoil the alcohol, make it undrinkable.

So what to do:

Start tailings when the strength in the jet falls below 40 degrees.
Continue the process until the fortress drops to 20 degrees.

The level of alcohol strength is determined using an alcohol meter, there are no strict restrictions, some distillers continue to select until the strength drops to 15–20 degrees.

If there is no alcohol meter, then you should resort to using a simple test:

soak a paper napkin with moonshine;
try to set it on fire.

If the alcohol-soaked paper burns, then you can continue to collect "tails", some moonshiners complete it at the moment when frank fuselage begins to come out of the apparatus.

If we talk about the re-distillation of "hosts", then it is carried out with separation into fractions, the "tails" are again separated, used for their intended purpose or poured out.

You should not try to make a noble drink out of this part. Waste-free production is good, but it makes no sense to use an outright surrogate. Fusel oils, esters and aldehydes can spoil any product, turn grain mash into low-grade alcohol and completely spoil the taste and aroma of the drink.

The selection of heads, bodies and tails of moonshine is the basis of distillation. Without separation into these fractions, mash will remain mash - a “cocktail” of alcohols, esters, other substances and water, with the addition of solid particles in the form of yeast residues and raw materials. How to collect fractions and at what temperatures? Let's figure it out.

Moonshine stills are different. If you are lucky (we recommend choosing an apparatus with a distillation column of the brand or with a dry steamer of the brand), then be sure to read the instructions and the technical nuances of distillation (they will be written without fail). The methods of working with classic distillers and with columns (mash, distillation) will be different. It is not enough to know, you still need to properly understand its work. However, the physics of the distillation process will be roughly the same for all distillers, so head, body, and tails sampling temperatures will be roughly the same. Only the procedure for achieving and maintaining the desired temperatures will differ depending on the type of apparatus.

If you are planning (or have already done so), then the selection methods will also depend on the type of distiller design, however, a little “lapping” in practice will still be required. The manufacturer will not issue instructions for it.

The volumes of selection of heads and tails of moonshine are varying values. If you select them at a minimum, the quality will suffer, if at the maximum, the quantity of the final drink. Experienced distillers find their parameters.

However, there is a certain “golden mean”, which has already been tested by many generations of connoisseurs of home-made alcohol. Below we will talk about its meanings.

It all starts with the head

Heads are a low-boiling fraction of esters, aldehydes, ketones (acetone) and methyl alcohol. All these substances boil at temperatures lower than ethyl alcohol, and are in their mass extremely poisonous.

They are selected as follows:

Braga is kept at maximum heat until the first drops appear at the outlet of the cooler. Further, the heating is minimized and, slowly increasing the heating, the apparatus is brought to the operating mode.
The heads are separated slowly, drop by drop (at a speed of 1-2 drops per second).
The volume of separated “heads” can be determined by different criteria:

by initial sugar content. It is accepted that from 60 to 100 ml of heads are taken from one kilogram of sugar. Moreover, if the first distillation is fractional, then this value is divided in half (into two distillations): 30-50 ml are taken in the first distillation, and the same in the second distillation. How to find out the sugar content in mash? Before introducing yeast into the wort, the sugar content of the mash is measured. This is done with the help of a wine meter (sugar meter). If the mash is sugar, then it is even easier with it, because the amount of sugar (%) in this case can be calculated without special measurements. Let's take an example. Suppose we have 10 liters of mash with a sugar percentage of 25%. 10 * 0.25 = 2.5 (kg) - Braga contains 2.5 kg of sugar. Here we assume conditionally that 1 liter of mash has a weight of 1 kg, but the error of this convention is very small.
by absolute alcohol content. Heads are selected at the rate of 8-15% of the volume of "absolute alcohol". What does it mean? After the first non-fractional distillation, the strength of the obtained raw alcohol and its volume are measured. Let 5 liters of raw material be obtained with a total strength of 65 degrees. 5*0.65=3.25 (l). That is, this solution of ethyl alcohol (raw) contains 3.25 liters of pure alcohol (conditionally 100% strength).
by smell. If your sense of smell has never let you down, then you can focus on the scent. The heads have a sharp, unpleasant odor, and the body fraction (ethanol) is mild, alcoholic. If you rub a drop of distillate between your fingers and sniff it, you can determine with more or less good accuracy whether it is the head or the body has already gone.
according to temperature parameters. Depending on the device, the numbers may differ, so it is important to carefully study the instructions. The official manufacturer always applies it to their products, which sometimes cannot be said about third parties. Therefore, when choosing a distiller, first of all visit the websites of official manufacturers, it will be easier and more pleasant. However, the temperature ranges of separation of the heads can be designated. The heads begin to evaporate at 65 to 68°C. Body (ethyl alcohol) - at 78°C. When the vapor temperature reaches 63°C, it is necessary to reduce the heating to a minimum and smoothly bring the temperature regime to 65-68°C. When the selection of heads is completed (stops dripping at the exit), the temperature is also smoothly adjusted to the beginning of the selection of the tea fraction (78°C). The body itself is "kicked out" to a temperature of about 85°C. All figures will ultimately depend on the design of the apparatus, and the location of the thermometer on it.

What about tails?

And the tailings begin when the strength of the distillate in the stream drops to a value of 45-35 degrees. That is why, by the end of the selection of the body, the best solution would be to collect the distillate not in the main container, but in small jars or test tubes. The ideal option is a device for continuous monitoring of the “parrot” fortress. If the distillation is the first, and raw material is collected, then the selection of the body can be stopped when the strength drops to 30 degrees in the stream. During repeated distillation, the body is usually taken off at 45-40 degrees.

What if there is no alcoholometer? If alcohol burns in a spoon, it is still a body. If it is no longer lit, then the selection of the body is stopped.

Thus, the tailings are selected according to the residual strength from 45-40 degrees in the stream to 20-15 degrees in the stream. Tails can be used to strengthen new portions of mash. However, most often the “collection of tailings” does not justify the energy and time costs, so they can simply not be selected.