Moonshine may contain methanol, which can be highly toxic if ingested. It is associated with mass deaths in developing countries.
Sources of methanol in moonshine:
(1) intentional addition, including as a denaturant
(2) poor distillation technique
The amount of methanol in a fermenting mash is affected by temperature, sugar content and other factors. It can be minimized by attention to detail.
Methanol has a boiling point of 64.7°C while ethanol has a boiling point of 78.4°C. This means that any methanol will come off early in a distillation run, with temperature control important for controlling release.
Distillation Fractions (“Cuts”) |
Contents |
Use |
---|---|---|
foreshot |
methanol, acetone and other chemicals volatile at lower temperatures |
discarded |
head |
lower amounts of methanol and acetone with ethanol, acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate |
saved to redistill |
heart |
relatively pure alcohol |
for drinking |
taail |
fusel oils |
saved to redistill |
Cuts are taken based on temperature (if known), smell and taste.
Distillation Fractions (“Cuts”) |
Qualities |
Consquences |
---|---|---|
foreshot |
first part of run, may smell of acetone |
toxic |
head |
sharp, biting taste; smells bad |
severe hangovers, potentially toxic |
taail |
unpleasant smell |
toxic |
Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
ICD-10: ,