How do mass distilleries keep the methanol out of their bottles?

Question

Thanks all for the answers

In: Technology

Answer 1

First of the problem of methanol in distilling is greatly exaggerated.

Though there is a difference in vapor pressure between ethanol and methanol it’s not large enough to reliably separate the two. Also boiling point is not the only thing that decides to what degree one can use distillation to separate two substances. There will be a slightly higher concentration of methanol in the head (first bit of distillate), but the real reason for discarding this is taste not methanol poisoning concerns.

Edit: link to methanol ethanol equilibrium [http://www.ddbst.com/en/EED/VLE/VLE%20Ethanol%3BMethanol.php](http://www.ddbst.com/en/EED/VLE/VLE%20Ethanol%3BMethanol.php)