How Much Head Is In Moonshine?

Distilling Hearts & Tails – Foreshots NOTE: You should only use this alcohol as fuel or cleaner. Do not consume this part of your run! The first 5% or so of your run will consist of the fore shots. This 5% contains methanol. Generally, as a standard practice, you would throw out the first 250 ml per 20 liters as this part of your run will consist of these fore shots.

• However, since we’ll be using this alcohol as a sanitizer/disinfectant product instead of a consumable spirit, you should keep them.
• Good rule of thumb is between 5ml/l wash to 10ml/l of you wash.
• The alcohols found in the fore shots and heads work great as strong cleaning agents, fire starters, de-greasers, and solvents.

Again, DO NOT consume these because they are toxic and will poison you and/or make you blind. Heads Next, comes the part of the distillate known as the heads. The heads make up 30% percent of your alcohol run. As mentioned above, you will find lots of different volatile alcohols in the heads of your run.

One of the particularly volatile staples of the heads is known as Acetone. Acetone has a very distinct and solvent-like smell, making its identification easy to recognize. Just like the fore shots, you’ll want to isolate these and use them as strong household cleaning agents and solvents. These are NOT for using on your skin.

NOTE: A great way of isolating both the fore shots and heads in your run is to bring your still to around 75 °C and keep it there for around 10 minutes. The alcohol produced during this duration will consist of only fore shots and heads. Once the condenser stops producing at 75 °C, you’ll know that you’ve collected all of the more volatile alcohols that make up the fore shots and heads of the run.

Hearts The next 30% of your run will be the sweet spot of your alcohol run, known as the hearts. You’ll want to raise the temperature of your still to 80 °C to 82 °C range to start collecting this portion of your distillate. As you get into the hearts portion of your run, you should notice that the solvent smell of acetone tapers off and is replaced with a sweet-smelling ethanol alcohol.

This is where practice makes perfect. In order to maximize high-quality hearts, you’ll need to focus. You should be able to recognize the hearts by their sweet and neutral flavor. Taste just a bit of the distillate on your finger. The main giveaway is the sweet/smooth taste of ethanol.

• If you can identify where the acetone stops and the ethanol alcohols begin, you will be able to maximize the total amount of viable alcohol that you can use as sanitizer or disinfectant.
• Tails The last 35% of your alcohol run is made up of the tails.
• You can recognize the tails by sight, smell, and taste.

You’ll see an oily film start to collect on the top of the distillate and be able to smell/taste a burnt type of flavor. The tails contain protein and carbohydrates from the wash that you don’t want in your final product. Be sure to keep your tails because you can run them again as their own wash in the future to pull out a bit more useful product.

What percentage of a run is heads?

The Heads – As the temperature continues to increase, ethanol will boil, and you will be distilling real spirits. But, while the temperature in the still’s pot is climbing through the range of about 175 degrees Fahrenheit to about 185 degrees Fahrenheit, the distillate will still contain many traces of non-ethanol chemicals that can make your final product have a bit more “bite” and flavor if they are added to it.

1. For a product like whiskey or Scotch, this might be ideal, because the complexity of those alcohols comes from the combination of trace chemicals.
2. However, for a product like moonshine or vodka, which are ideally flavorless, trace chemicals alter and affect the taste of your product negatively.
3. The second cut you will make in your run will be around the 185 – 190 degree temperature range.

The distillate collected after the foreshots and before the second cut is called the “heads” of the run. Set the heads aside for further distillation, or to combine the right amount with your final distillate to flavor the alcohol the way you like. The heads should total about 20-30%% of the final amount of your run.

Are heads safe to drink moonshine?

Everything You Need to Know about Moonshine Moonshine carries with it the stigma of a backwoods drink that can double as an engine degreaser. However for those in the know, can also be a top shelf spirit that connoisseurs around the world will gladly put a pinky in the air for a taste.

1. The number one thing you hear about Moonshine when talking to laymen is, “Won’t that stuff make you blind?” The answer is no, drinking moonshine will not make you blind,
2. At least not any more so than other types of booze, we’ve all had those regretful mornings.
3. The genesis of this concern comes from the fact that a byproduct of distilling, known as methanol, can indeed make one blind.

Combine that fact with Moonshine’s unregulated history and voila. horror stories have long lives. Like so many things, distilling is both science and art, A great distiller has his art down to science, making his product stand out in every way possible. This includes the mash, the temperatures, the timing, and any infusions he may have up his sleeve. When doing a run of Moonshine, you heat your mash to a desired temperature, The mash has been fermenting, and is a slurry of all the stuff you want mixed with a bunch of stuff you don’t want. By heating it, you’re taking advantage of the fact that the stuff you want will evaporate at different temperatures than the stuff you don’t want.

When you begin heating, the first distillate to come out the other end of your still is known as the foreshots, The foreshots are mostly methanol, and they will make you blind. Next, comes the heads, The heads won’t make you blind, but the volatile alcohols they contain will give you a whopping hangover.

The product also smells and tastes terrible, this is because of the acetone that is present. After the heads come the hearts, The hearts are arguably the most important step that separates delicious Moonshine from engine degreaser, Think of this transition as a gradient and you begin to see what makes it so difficult.

Your first and last jars of hearts can be difficult to time, and often what smells/tastes ok to you will be laughed at by a seasoned shiner. Finally we get to the tails, which get oily from water and proteins that are present. If you’re drinking oily hooch, you’re drinking tails. Gross. If you want to learn more about this subject, Mile Hi Distilling has a great article on,

If you check online spirits retailers or if you have a decent spirits retailer near you, chances are good that you’ll find a great brand of Moonshine there. Unfortunately, there’s no way to say what brand is better than another because they all have their own corner of the market.

1. Maybe you like the traditional sweet-corn taste that comes from a full blown corn Whiskey mash.
2. If so, check out Tim Smith’s Climax Moonshine.
3. Or perhaps you’re into flavored Moonshine made from a sugar mash that is built on a more neutral-tasting foundation.
4. If this is your style, check out,
5. If you have distillers close to you, go give them a taste.

If you smell a sweet ethanol and corn coming off the shine, you’re probably in the right place. We’re here to help people try new things more often. Not only do we send out personalized samples & complimentary bottles, we give people access to rare and original Spirits, invite them to great events, and keep them educated & entertained with booze-themed content. Get the freshly distilled booze news, new releases, and awesome deals in your inbox before everyone else, : Everything You Need to Know about Moonshine

How much head should be thrown out?

Dump the first 250ml for peace of mind. It’s a really good idea to use the half pint glass jars to get used to making cuts. You can go with even smaller jars for your first few runs. The smaller the jar, the less chance you have of contaminating your hearts.

Can moonshine be 90% alcohol?

Is Moonshine 100 Percent Alcohol? – No, moonshine is not 100% alcohol. Generally, moonshine falls between 40% and 80% alcohol by volume, but the length of time and process used in distilling it will impact the content. It’s important to note that high alcohol content can have severely detrimental effects on the human body, so drinking 100% alcohol is very dangerous.

Do you sip or shot moonshine?

Download Article Download Article Moonshine is a tasty whiskey drink that was first brewed during the prohibition era in the United States. Now, you can buy moonshine at most liquor stores in a variety of different flavors, and some people still make their own at home.

1. 1 Combine moonshine and cola for a classic drink. Since moonshine is a form of whiskey, you can easily make one of the most popular and tasty alcoholic beverages. Add your preferred amount of ice to a tall glass. Then, pour 2 shots of moonshine and 12 oz (335 mL) of cola over the ice for a cool drink.
   • Some moonshines have a cola taste to them due to the flavor of distilled corn, so this can make for an even sweeter drink.
2. 2 Mix a can of light beer with a shot of moonshine for a boozy cocktail. Add 1 shot of moonshine into the bottom of a glass. Then, choose a lager or a light ale, and pour 12 oz (350 ML) of the beer into the glass. You can add ice for a cooler drink, or enjoy it without ice. Tip: Combine a lemon- or blueberry-flavored moonshine with any light beer for an extra refreshing, fizzy drink in the summer. Advertisement
3. 3 Add ginger ale to moonshine to take some of the bitterness out of the alcohol. Put a shot of any flavor of moonshine into a highball glass with ice. Then, pour 12 oz (335 mL) of ginger ale into the glass over the ice. Taste the drink to see if it’s acceptable, and add more ginger ale until you reach a suitable taste.
   • You should always use non-alcoholic ginger ale, rather than a ginger beer, if you want to make a weaker drink. The alcohol in ginger beer can actually make the moonshine taste stronger.
4. 4 Make Tennessee-style iced tea with moonshine, iced tea, and lemonade. Mix together equal parts iced tea and lemonade to make an Arnold Palmer. Then, combine that with 1 part moonshine in a glass filled with ice. Be sure to stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure that it’s evenly combined.
   • You can also add 2-3 mint leaves and a wedge of lemon as a garnish for this refreshing beverage.

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1. 1 Drink water after you drink moonshine to stay hydrated. Alcohol can make your body dehydrated, especially high-proof alcohol like moonshine. Drink water in between every alcoholic beverage, even if you drink whiskey often. When you finish your moonshine drink, have a full glass of water before having another.
   • You can drink flavored water, like coconut water or a flavored sports drink, if you don’t like the taste of plain water.

   Did You Know? In Thailand, traditional herbal moonshine is known as “ya dong.” Shots of ya dong are served with a small glass of water, a piece of fruit, and a few pickled olives.

2. 2 Chase moonshine with a drink of pickle juice to relieve the burning. The alcohol taste of straight moonshine can leave your throat burning after just a small drink. Keep a glass of pickle juice nearby to counteract the burning by taking a drink of the juice after each drink of moonshine.
   • This can be especially helpful if you never drink whiskey since the saltiness of the pickle juice neutralizes the burn of the alcohol.
   • You can use any kind of pickle juice or brine that you have available.
3. 3 Pour smaller drinks to avoid a nasty hangover. Depending on what kind of moonshine you’re drinking, it may contain trace amounts of chemicals that can be harmful if ingested in large quantities. Even in small quantities, they can cause terrible headaches and discomfort. To prevent this, make “half shots” of moonshine, or only take small sips from your glass to pace yourself.
   • Keep in mind that illegally-distilled moonshine can contain very large amounts of methanol, which can cause blindness or even death if ingested.

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• Question Can you drink moonshine straight? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer
• Question Do you drink moonshine warm or cold? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Either way—it depends on your preference and the type of drink. For example, you might drink straight moonshine at room temperature. Or, warm up some apple pie moonshine for a toasty, comforting drink on a cold fall or winter night. You can also drink it as a chilled cocktail with ginger ale or iced tea.
• Question Do you have to refrigerate moonshine? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer

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It’s easy to get drunk on moonshine quickly, since it’s so strong. Try to limit yourself to 1 drink per hour if you’re drinking moonshine.

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Never drink moonshine from an uncertified distiller, since you can’t be sure what is in the alcohol.

Advertisement Article Summary X Moonshine is a whiskey drink that you can either drink straight with a chaser or make a mixed drink out of. If you want to drink it straight with a chaser, drink pickle juice after your shot of moonshine to relieve the burning sensation.

How much do you have to take off for foreshots?

Home Distiller Distillation methods and improvements. Moderator: Novice Posts: Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 9:47 am by » Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:23 am Right now I’m only able to run 1 quart of my 6 gallon mash at a time (not a lot of money) and I can’t find anything online for a run that small using a basic sugar wash should I still toss the first 100ml or should I toss less because I’m running less I’ve read that when running 6 gallons of mash at once dump the first 100ml should I just use 6 gallons/100ml= 1 quart/ about 5ml or should I just collect everything and double distill it I’m running a pot still made from a tea pot copper tubing and a make shift condenser and a stated before I have about 6 gallons of wash but I can only run 1 quart at a time Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:46 pm by » Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:48 am I’d wait until you can get a bigger still, that is seriously not going to be worth your time to mess with. Posts: Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:20 am Location: Three feet below sea level by » Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:19 am 50 to 100 mls on a 6 gallon charge is fine. You may first want to strip, collecting about 1/3rd of what went in. Collect 3 strips, do one spirit run, toss the first 100 mls, then collect heads, then hearts, then tails.

Drink and/or age hearts. Mix heads and tails and maybe add them to a next batch. Odin. “Great art is created only through diligent and painstaking effort to perfect and polish oneself.” by Buddhist filosofer Daisaku Ikeda. Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:20 pm by » Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:24 am I think you are going to end up with about 3.5 oz.

alcohol total. Collect in shot glasses, throw the first 1.5 oz’s out, enjoy the next shot glass and rerun the rest. Like Hillbilly said, it’s worth the time and effort to mess with. Fail to plan == plan to fail retired Posts: Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:04 am Location: Central Highlands Vic.

Australia by » Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:02 pm as said that to small too make good cuts without wastage. run the whole lot and toss nothing then dilute to 80 proof and rerun it putting something like 30ml aside as fores. It will likely still be a touch wasteful but them’s the breaks, I’d look at turfing that set up real soon though Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Benjamin Franklin Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2013 12:23 am by » Sat Jul 06, 2013 7:11 am I would toss out at least 10 mls per gallon of wash in your stripping run and figure out how much alcohol I have at 100% in my wash. So if I had 6 gallons at 10% I should get 2.8 quarts if you figure your stripping run to be around average of 100 proof or 50% you would get approximately 5.6 quarts at 100 proof from a 10% 6 gallon wash.

And if you figure it by the quart 32 ounces in a quart multiplied by 10% is 3.2 ounces at 100% so it would produce probably around 6.4 ounces at 100 proof. That would be be a mix of foreshots heads body and tails though. But seriously you are going to have a hard time making cuts and by the time you fiinish 28 runs if you take an hour each quart that is alot of time.

Walmart has 20 quart/4 gallon stainless steel pots and bowls that fit perfect cheap enough if I remember right around $20 total cost. You would cut your time down considerably, and your number of runs to two your quality will go up also being able to make cuts.

How do you know when to stop distilling moonshine?

Still Head Temperature For Making Moonshine – When To Start And Finish Collecting – Knowing when to start collecting moonshine from your still and when to finish is very important. You will often start to see some product dripping from your still when the Head / Column temperature reaches 56 Celsius.

But generally the temperature range that you want to collect Moonshine within is between 78-82 °C and we generally stop collecting the distillate once we start getting fusels coming out. This is generally happens at a head temperature of 94 °C or higher. To Learn more about the process of Making Moonshine Head over to our page.

: Still Temperature Guide For Making Moonshine

How do you know when to stop distillation?

How to Monitor Temperature – The temperature of your still varies in different spots. There are three key places on your still where you should monitor the temperature – the pot boiler, the top of the column, and the condenser coil. The temperature inside the pot boiler will tell you about the boiling liquid in the mash.

Keep it increasing, maintaining a range of 175 – 195 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as possible. Turn off the heat when it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature at the top of the column will tell you about your alcohol vapor as it begins to condense. Monitor this temperature, watching for an excess of 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

If it becomes overheated, turn down your heat. It is especially important to use a built-in thermometer at the top of the column in a large column still Keep an eye on the touch-temperature of your condenser coil. The coil should be kept cool to the touch, with cold running water or ice packs. If it reaches room temperature, decrease the heat on your still and pack more ice on the coil.

What percentage of moonshine is foreshots?

Glossary: Foreshots Foreshots are the first vapours to boil off during distillation, usually containing compounds such as acetone, methanol, and aldehyde volatiles. Distillers always discard the foreshots and never allow them to be part of the final product.

Depending on the base material used to make the spirit and the apparatus used, foreshots can be 2% to 5% of the overall volume collected. We always consider foreshots and “heads” as separate parts of the early spirit collection, as for spirits like Gin (or others who are redistilling Neutral Spirit) foreshots are likely to contain the dregs of the previous run left in the tubes.

They may also contain some harmful compounds and are always discarded, while the heads are perfectly potable spirit, but simply an undesirable flavour for their recipe. As the risk of collecting nasty compounds is low when redistilling a pure Neutral Spirit, for gin makers, foreshots are often just 0.1 – 0.2% of the total run, while the heads can be a further 1-3% depending on the recipe.

In this case heads are collected separately, added to tails and sometimes used to make other products. Many distillers who are starting from a wash (i.e. not rectifiers transforming previously distilled Neutral Spirit) such as Scotch Whisky makers and Moonshiners, do not make that distinction and simply separate the distillate as foreshots, hearts and feints.

: Glossary: Foreshots