How Do You Distill Ethanol Or Grain Alcohol?
Ethanol is also called ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol. It’s made from a fermented mixture of corn, yeast, sugar, and water. The resulting alcohol is 100 to 200 proof (200 proof is pure alcohol). In addition to use in the lab, ethanol is a popular fuel alternative and gasoline additive. Because it is flammable, ethanol can be prohibitively expensive to ship, so it may make sense to distill your own. Anyone can have a still, but be advised you may need to get a permit in order to make ethanol. Difficulty: EasyTime Required: 3 – 10 days, sometimes longerHere’s How: • If you are starting with whole corn, you first need to convert the cornstarch into sugar by ‘sprouting’ the corn. Place the corn in a container, cover it with warm water, and drape a cloth over the container to prevent contamination and conserve heat. Ideally, the container will have a slowly draining hole at the bottom. Add warm water from time to time as the liquid level falls. Maintain the setup ~3 days or until the corn h
