I was so scared of Methanol that I didn't want to go into doing home distillation. Thank you George, your informative capacity melted this fear off me.

Singularly the best and most informational yet Thanks George

WOW! Thank you George. This is most informative! Oh and thanks for the tip for using tomato paste as a yeast nutrient. I managed to get my stuck fermentation going by adding some! You are a champ!

Hey George, your videos are the best of them all. You teach the science and art of it. You always say you are available to answers questions. I called and you actually returned my call. I really appreciate it and you. Thank you. Cincinnati, OH - Joker.

i dont know how this guy doesnt have 5 million subscribers but he just gained one more. One of the best explained videos ive ever seen on really any topic. Great video.

Hey George I'm glad you put this video out cuz man I've sure thought thesane thing."well what about all the methanol in wine and beer no oneis going blind from drinking that." Thx i always enjoy your videos.

G'day George, Thank you for the metric conversions! Jimmy

I've always thought that 2 ounces of methanol mixed with a gallon and a half of 100 proof liquor will not hurt you but I still separate it out. Who the heck needs to wake up with a headache and the jitters. Thanks George!!!

George -GOD BLESS YOU- man you set the chemistry straight. ty for doing a lecture again -YOU THE MANN.

Hi George mate i can honestly say if you lived in Australia i would nominate you for the order of Australia medal for your services to the home brew community your videos mate are second to none ever time i have a question i find one of your videos that covers that subject cheers .

Thanks for everything you do. You are a pillar of the community.

So glad you touched on that , I been curious about the methanols in beer and wine since you don’t distill it out ,

George-great video. Very useful information. I hope you enjoy doing these videos as much as we do watching them.

Just now getting into this hobby…I have been watching a bunch of KZfaq. Discovered yours. You make the most sense and I learn from you big time!!

This video is fantastic. I wish when I had turned 21 someone had shown me this video. I knew what methanol was, I knew (theoretically as I've never distilled) it could be in moonshine, but I never suspected that there'd be any in store purchased liquor (that cheap bottle of bourbon and it's headache the next day). This is also the first time I'd seen anyone state the differences in the boiling point of methanol vs ethanol which finally connected the blanks in how safe distilling works (the blanket 2oz statement never sat well with me). I also had no idea and never made the connection that methanol could be in beer or wine. Thank you for this video.

Thank you very much you are a great teacher.. god bless you:)

That cleared up a bunch of the myths I've been hearing, thanks. Keep up the good work.

New to stilling, if that is the right term, have not even done my vinegar run as trying to understand everything first. So far, this has been the BEST channel for information, not over explained, not over whelming; like unpacking my still for the first time.... and WOW on the subject of Methanol, and other topics, truly superior! Thank you.

This is the best info on methanol. Keep up the great videos.

Hello George, been watching you for a while. I really appreciate the amount of your knowledge you dispense. It is so helpful and I learn a lot, Just to add to this, you make very complex information really easy to understand. Quite honestly, it is the sign of a genius. ( You may allow that to go to your head :) ) Anyway, thank you from Langley BC

Can we just have a moment of silence that quart that was thrown out...

Thank you for your "clean" english I use your video to increase my capacity of speaking and listening, ciao from italy! 🇮🇹

The American government needs to give us our rights back. It's horseshit some states are banned from producing thier own alcohol without governmental permissions

Excellent description we have been dumping way too much to error on the side of caution.

Yesterday I made my first batch ever. It was from a one gallon batch of persimmon mead I made. It was horrible. Your videos are very informative. I even used a pot still made from an old canning pot (thank you very much) .

Genius George! If anyone looks to other sources, all I can just say good luck. Thank you for everything and all of your videos!

Finally someone addresses the industrial production of ethanol. Some industrial processes are continuous and I have my doubt that in those processes that most of the methanol, if any, is being removed. So if I distill a mash and DO NOT remove any of the methanol it is not going to make me blind nor dangerously ill, correct? Removing the first two ounces is only prudent not necessary; and in fact if distilling certain liquors some of the desirable flavor maybe in those first two ounces, correct? Very good videos thank you.

George you're the very best. It was your videos a couple of years ago that got me started. You made a great point here that I never digested years ago. The "first two ounces" is the methanol. I also like your explaination of what methanol is and where is exists. So I"m running a good batch of Brandy and I always use the flame test. I have an old moonshiner friend that says the taste is the only way to go but I'm not that refined yet. But I'm learning. Thanks again for making this video and helping us folks out here.

You make learning about home brewing easy and understandable great job Sir love your channel.

Thank you for sharing the truth about this George. Another option is to keep the methanol and use it to light a fire or clean your glass.

Me and my wife where just talking about this. Thanks for the info. Love the videos.

Thanks for all the information you provide it's helped answer a lot of problems and questions. Dave from Australia

What a good video. Always wondered why some NON-alcohol food products give me a head ache, namely apple cider!

You're the voice of reason George, Great video mate!

I took notes, this is a great teacher. my take away from this alcohol distiller, ethanol 172 degrees f flame test blue or clear cut off temp 204 degrees f methanol 145 degrees f flame test yellow. I know you did a video on the amount of output you can get but can not find it

I've learnt a lot of you man, keep up the maths and explain it like you do, and people will keep following your channel like the pipe piper 👍🏻🇦🇺

You rock. I am learning so very much sir thank you. I've been a fan of moonshining for over ten years. And now I have the time to pursue this Timeless American, and ancient tradition of distilling recreationally, and I'm having a blast doing it. Your videos help this amateur out a lot, thank you. I can't wait to see what other answers you have to questions that I haven't even realized yet.

Thanks George! Great lesson in common sense!

Thank you for all the great information You've been very helpful to me I'm just getting started and I Had a lot of questions but I've been watching your videos for a couple months now and you have answered just about all of them.

Thanks for that George, you just reassured a new distiller in the UK.

LOL You started drawing the spoon and I cracked up. Bless your cotton socks \m/,

Great vid. I am new at distilling. As a matter of fact I just bought my first still today. Love Amazon. Lol! Anyway I am terrified of getting all that nasty methanol in my finished product. You have put to rest a lot of my fears. Thank you. Wish me luck...

In Ireland when they make the Poitin, they say the 1st cup is for the Fairies, so they through it away, hehe

Wow!, Your rationality sounds like that from Milton Friedman discussing the free market. Thank you and great job.

Thanks for this. You explain this concept really well.

George, thanks very much for a very informative video, perfect explanation.

Very good video. The reason a little methanol in liquor is ok but the same amount on its own is very toxic is because our liver will ignore methanol in the presence of ethanol. But methanol on its own is converted to formaldehyde. The antidote to methanol ingestion is ethanol (usually vodka).

I always wondered about the wine and beer. I assume what you just said! Thank you for affirming that.

Love watching your videos

Thank you so very much for the video. You are a great teacher ❤🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻❤️

Hi George, great channel and thanks. Is it possible when you give out measurements such as 2 oz, to help us newbies in UK/Europe to also mention what this would be in Milliliters. Just saves us googling what is 2 US Oz for example (almost 60ml by the way ). Thanks

As always brilliant concise description of how to do... George... masterclass..!!

I love your information. Thanks George!

I read through some more of the comments below. Firstly let me say that George is an awesome guy and sells quality products at a very reasonable price...and those come with free tech support. His malted Barley, Rye and flaked corn are all very nice products. But for all of you wondering, this process happens naturally, EVERY TIME and in EVERY run you do. There is no way to get around it. Same as the fact that you will never extract ALL of the Ethanol from a mash...you will never extract ALL of the Methanol. Don't overthink it, point of this video is to show you how to NOT put the extracted Methanol in with the extracted Ethanol. If you're just starting out, buy good equipment. Buy a still with a thermometer built into the vapor stream and listen to George tell you the collection temps (all stills run a little/slightly different temp) in his other videos. He has told you all you need to know in his other vids.

Great video love your work.

Thanks man I always learn more and more from u and I've been at this for some time now so keep them coming even though I've learned most of the common stuff I'm trying to learn more about gravity and mash using a hygrometer

I was searching for videos on Meth Injection (as in diesel engines), but this gentleman was so interesting I couldn't help but stay tuned. Yes, the Channel would have been a clue, but I only jumped on the title. If he doesn't know his stuff, he sure has me fooled. I like that he seems to be talking to us, the audience; not the camera. He's the kind of guy I could sit with in discussion for hours on end.

Clear and solid explanation. I am going to do my first distillation in near future. I am now more confidence about proccess and saftey. Thank you.

A boiling point of 67. 7C for the pure liquid does not mean that all methanol will have boiled off in a mixture at that temperature. Just like a boiling point of 77C doesn't mean all ethanol will have boiled off at that temperature. Check out Rault's Law.

Hello George my name is Mark, and I am brand new to distilling. I haven't even started my first mash yet. I watched your episode using an electric heater and pid. I sure could use some advice on what to look for in terms of watage I want to stay in the 120 vac area as I have no 220 available with out a lot of work. I Have purchased a ss 8 gallon stillstill

My son's father in law is from Romania .I fermented plums and he made brandy twice run through a 5 gallon still .He does not throw out anything .After he cut it with well water the final brandy is quite smooth at about 90 proof .Through his daughter interpreting I was told he never tosses the first part of the distilling .He has a 1,000 gallon fermenting tank from 100 plum trees of fruit in Romania .This was my first experience watching distilling in person .I have learned plenty from your videos .I might be drinking methanol .I had about 10 gallons of must and got about 1.2 gallons of brandy .Call it cultural diversity .They call it moonshine .

Thank you so much for explaining this. You have a new sub. Cheers

Awesome Vid! I was wondering if there are any special considerations regarding methanol when using a thump keg?

Thank you George! In industrial hygiene class and chose this topic

I just love the way you explain thank you George, can you please make detailed video how to make wheat wash without yeast thank you so much for grate work subscribed

So awesome info thank you so much for video ..

Great teacher thanks. Keep it simple

never distilled alcohol before but i recall in highschool chem while fractional distilling all you had to do was hold temp slightly above the boiling point of the most volatile (lowest boiling point) fraction until the temp started to drop then you knew that fraction had boiled off. So one could hold temp at the head around 65*c and once the temp started to dip crank it up to around 80*c.

Thanks so MUCH! Great to have a solid video on the facts of methanol.

This is perfect video busting all the myth's related to methanol and ethenol.Thanx a lot

Thank you George, this video helps me a lot! I will soon be distilling my first alcohol

Hi George thanks for your videos.I want to add some information.We know that we need wood or woody things to produce methanol.Wood contains pectin, and methanol is formed after pectin is broken down by the pectinase enzyme during fermantation .If you use sugar wash to produce alcohol you cant get methanol easily so it is trustworthy and also when you are fermentating beer or wine you are not using woods.In beer fermentation you are using malt only .If you put all the grapes with woody parts without clearing them and also crack the seeds before fermentation you can get methanol.(examine wine production).I want to give this information. Please warn me if I am wrong.

As a conservative republican, I could listen to you all day, even if you were teaching a democrat to vote socialist....lol I am learning a great deal from your videos, so i am glad i can enjoy you teach on a subject i enjoy...

Thank you George. You are very informative.

Thanks for the knowledge. Amazing. 🎅🍄

Is that ramblin jack Elliot playing in the begging of the video? I love it

great video, thank you for the information

Thanks very helpful, I think your F to C conversion for 145 F is wrong and should be 62.8 C NOT 67.7. One video and all my questions answered, bottoms up from Down Under!!

Just adding that the old Moonshiners would use a TRUCK radiator that had LEAD-based solder. The alcohol would pick up the lead and be in the jars. A radiator was faster and more effective than a "worm" of copper pipe.

Great and informative video. I'm concerned as to remove the Methanol that its the Mash that you heat to 145degreesF or is that the temperature measured at the still head/top ? (So the mash would be hotter ?) Or is it a matter of balancing up the mash and head temperatures at a lower temperature first (say 110F) then gradually increasing both together to the achieve the 145 F?

Good info. I however don't trust the flame test....

Hello there! Pure gold information. A little question, organic sugarcane may be considered as a fruit? I’d think it could be, right? Regards!

so let me get this straight, (using a sugar wash only) i dont really need to remove the first 2oz because there is not really any methonol in the sugar wash, but just to be on the safe side i should remove the first 2oz from a 5 gallon batch? then for vodka i should use a reflux still, bring it to 145 degrees f and hold that temp for 10 mins after starting my water flow then bump up temp to 172/178 degrees f for the ethonol? but how do i get the 'triple distilled' version of vodka? can anyone confirm my thinkings as correct? thanks and much love from the uk xxx p.s sorry but i have a medical condition called 'dyscalculia' (dyslexia but with numbers instead of letters) so i am too scared to rely on my own number skills to get this right. thanks for any help xxx

and a thought for you people out there. collect the foreshots as uses it in alcohol lamp, you can use methanol in alcohol stoves but it does not burn as hot

This video helped me a lot! I distilled my sugar wash for the first time today and it was a really cool experience. I absolutely love it😁 Your videos are awesome. You explain everything in a easy to understand, interesting way! Keep up the good work.

I'll never give you a headache!

Great information George

George, I just heard you say your in Texas. I was just getting started and trying to absorb all the great knowledge her but just heard that it's illegal for me to distill alcohol even for private use in Texas. Bummed! Am I uninformed? Can I make spirits for private use here?

Hi george. At 16:55 you wonder whether some industrial (commercial) distillers may not be removing the foreshots, hence hangover headache. They are most likely using a continuous feed process, so are they continually producing foreshots without a way to separate them? thanks

I've only distilled fruit wine once. I think the fore-shots smelled more like acetone than methanol. Acetone seems more plausible because it is in the metabolic pathway near ethanol, while methanol needs another substrate altogether. Is there any research along this line?

Perfect explained. Thank you.

Excelent video! Thank you

Hi George Love your lessons.

This guy is good. I have my own teacher.

Yup, everything I wanted to know

Love all your videos - I have to ask what is a good yeast and are nutrients necessary to be added?

Methanol will not harm you in the quantities we distillers make . Methanol is there from the start in the mash we make. If there is two oz in the original mash, you will not be able to collect all of that two oz. You can not make more methanol by distilling. Once distilled, the quantity of methanal will now be less, even if you do not try to remove any. Just as with the ethanal, it is difficult remove all the methanol from your original mash. If the drink is safe to drink in the first place before distilling, then after its distilled, it will be safer. As a distilled spirit, it would be drunk in a small glass. Thus small sips, small glasses,.slow intake. Even if a shot glass is down in one mouth full, only a very small amount of that 2 oz of methanol wold be consumed Alternatively if diluted with e.g Coke or soda, in a long glass, we are then back to alcohol by volume similar to were we started, but lower, but still a lesser amount of that 2 oz methanol in that now larger drink . So what distiller worth their salt would not remove at least some of the methanol . Greatly improving their product. In some cases some methanol and the congeners may be responsible for emparing flavour or character, as with some rums ect. With most distillers methanol will work against them in what they are endeavoring to achieve Do not be paranoid about methanol unless you are making vodka. But do take reasonable efet to remove and or utilize Methanol as required. Methanal is a poison. So is Alcohol. Even with your Apple cider in the given quantities. I am led to believe that the Alcohol will kill you before the Methanal in the quantities that are available.

Thank YOU GEORGE

Many thanks for your great videos! Are there different temperature set point between a reflux and pot stills. I have used your set point on my reflux with great results. I want to try pot still now. Brewhaus pot temperature setting are completely different than your reflux settings. Please suggest something. Thanks again

nice one mate. cheers from the uk