AMW311

Thanks for the reply lota! I'm afraid that doesn't necessarily answer my question though. I am aware of the healthy effects methanol poisoning can cause. I am specifically looking for whether or not distilling moonshine would produce a concentrated amount of methanol that could be enough to cause harm if ingested.

Hello everyone, I'm sure everyone has heard the statement that when distilling moonshine, the first few ounces should be discarded due to the concentration of methanol. Most sources of this statement make the claim that because Methanol has a lower boiling point than ethanol, the methanol will boil off first and will be the first type of alcohol to work it's way through the still. A friend of mine told me that this wasn't true, and that regardless of the difference in boiling points, a simple still would not be able to effectively separate the two. He said it mostly has to due with the low volume of Methanol that exists to begin with. He referenced Raoult's Law and the vapor pressures of both substances. I am by no means an expert in chemistry, and I don't full grasp the concept of Raoult's Law, and how you would determine how much of the methanol would separate from the total solution. I was wondering if anyone here could provide more insight into Raoult's Law and how it applies in this situation. If I were to have 100 gallons of solution, comprised of 10% ethanol, .02% Methanol, and 88% water. Would the methanol separate from the solution during the distilling process, and would the amount of methanol be enough to cause harm if ingested? I appreciate any help. Thanks!