Why Is My Moonshine Cloudy? Troubleshooting Distillation Problems

Cloudy spirit almost always indicates one of four problems: poor cuts (collecting too many tails), still puking (boiling wash entering the column), water quality issues, or temperature control problems. The good news is all of these are fixable—and once you understand what causes cloudiness, you'll produce crystal-clear spirit every time.

This troubleshooting guide from Distillery King covers the most common home distilling problems, their causes, and exactly how to fix them.

Table of Contents

• The 4 Causes of Cloudy Spirit
• Problem 1: Poor Cuts (The Most Common Cause)
• Problem 2: Still Puking
• Problem 3: Water Quality
• Problem 4: Temperature Control
• The Glass Test: Diagnosing Your Spirit
• Other Common Distillation Problems
• Frequently Asked Questions

The 4 Causes of Cloudy Spirit

Before diving into solutions, let's understand why spirit becomes cloudy. Cloudiness comes from compounds that don't dissolve properly in the spirit—they form tiny suspended particles that scatter light, making the liquid appear hazy or milky.

These compounds typically come from:

1. Fusel oils and heavy alcohols from the tails portion of your run
2. Wash particles carried over when the still "pukes"
3. Minerals from poor quality dilution water
4. Oils from running too fast or hot

Problem 1: Poor Cuts (The Most Common Cause)

If your spirit is cloudy, this is almost certainly the reason.

During distillation, different compounds come through at different times. We separate these into "cuts":

• Foreshots (first 50ml): Contains trace methanol and acetone—always discard
• Heads (next 100-200ml): Harsh, solvent-like—set aside or discard
• Hearts (middle 60-70%): The good stuff—this is what you keep
• Tails (final portion): Heavy fusel oils, cloudy—stop collecting here

How Tails Cause Cloudiness

Tails contain fusel oils (heavy alcohols like propanol and butanol) that are soluble in high-proof spirit but become insoluble when diluted. Your distillate might look perfectly clear at 80% ABV, but as soon as you add water to bring it down to drinking strength, those fusel oils precipitate out as a milky cloud.

The Solution: Make Tighter Cuts

1. Collect in small jars: Use 200-250ml collection jars and number them sequentially
2. Smell and taste each jar: Hearts smell clean and taste smooth; tails smell "oily" or like wet cardboard
3. Test with water: Add a few drops of water to each jar—if it clouds up, you've hit the tails
4. Stop earlier: When in doubt, stop sooner. You can always add tails to your next wash to recover that alcohol

What to Do With Tails

Don't throw your tails away! Add them to your next wash before distilling—you'll recover the alcohol in a cleaner form through redistillation.

Problem 2: Still Puking

Still "puking" happens when your wash boils up into the column and contaminates your distillate with wash particles.

Instead of just alcohol vapour rising through your column, you're getting actual liquid wash splashing up. This carries yeast particles, sugars, and other compounds that cloud your spirit and create off-flavours.

Signs Your Still is Puking

• Distillate comes out cloudy from the start (not just during tails)
• You hear bubbling or surging sounds from the column
• Output rate suddenly increases then stops
• Distillate has an unusual colour or foam

Causes of Still Puking

• Overfilling the boiler: Never fill more than 2/3 capacity
• Heating too fast: Gradual heating prevents violent boiling
• Thick wash: Wash with too many solids foams easily
• No anti-foam: Particularly important with all-grain mashes

The Solution: Prevent Puking

1. Fill to 2/3 maximum: For a 25L boiler, use no more than 16-17L of wash
2. Heat gradually: Don't rush to boiling—bring temperature up slowly over 30-45 minutes
3. Use Turbo Clear: Always clear your wash before distilling to remove solids
4. Add anti-foam: A few drops of distillers conditioner or food-grade anti-foam prevents foaming
5. Degass your wash: Stir vigorously before distilling to release dissolved CO2

Problem 3: Water Quality

The water you use to dilute your spirit can cause cloudiness if it contains minerals or chlorine.

Tap water contains dissolved minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron) that can react with compounds in your spirit, creating haze. Chlorine can also cause off-flavours and reactions that cloud the spirit.

Signs of Water-Related Cloudiness

• Spirit is clear before dilution, cloudy after
• Cloudiness develops slowly over hours or days
• Cloudiness appears even with clean hearts cut
• White sediment settles at the bottom over time

The Solution: Use Quality Water

Always dilute your spirit with one of these:

• Distilled water: Available from supermarkets—this is the gold standard
• Reverse osmosis (RO) water: From aquarium shops or home RO systems
• Demineralised water: Often sold for steam irons and car batteries

Never use: Tap water, filtered tap water (filters don't remove minerals), tank water (contains organic compounds), or bore water.

Problem 4: Temperature Control

Running your still too hot or too fast causes multiple problems, including cloudiness.

When you heat your wash too aggressively, you push compounds through that should be left behind. You're essentially rushing the separation process, which means less pure spirit.

Signs of Temperature Problems

• Distillate flows as a stream rather than drips
• Output rate varies wildly
• Spirit tastes harsh even in the hearts
• You're getting far more output than expected

The Solution: Slow Down

1. Aim for 1-3 drips per second: For a T500, this produces the best quality
2. Adjust your heat: If output is too fast, reduce heat slightly
3. Maintain steady temperature: Avoid constantly adjusting the heat
4. For reflux stills: Ensure adequate cooling water flow
5. Be patient: A good 25L run takes 4-5 hours—rushing produces inferior spirit

The Glass Test: Diagnosing Your Spirit

This simple test tells you exactly what's wrong with your spirit.

1. Coat the inside of a clean wine glass with your spirit—swirl it around to cover the sides
2. Pour out the excess spirit
3. Leave the glass uncovered overnight
4. Smell the empty glass the next morning

Interpreting the Results

• Clean, almost no smell: Your spirit is well-made—any cloudiness is likely water quality
• Sweet, slightly floral: Good hearts, minor heads contamination—acceptable
• Sour, vinegary: Bacterial contamination in your wash—sanitise better
• Solvent-like, nail polish: Too many heads—start collecting hearts later
• Oily, wet cardboard: Too many tails—stop collecting hearts earlier
• Burnt, scorched: Wash solids burning on element—clear your wash better

Other Common Distillation Problems

Low Alcohol Yield

You expected 3 litres but only got 2? Common causes:

• Incomplete fermentation: Check hydrometer reads below 990 before distilling
• Leaky still: Check all seals and connections
• Running too slow: Some alcohol is lost to evaporation during very long runs
• Inaccurate measurement: Alcometers must be at 20°C for accurate readings

Off-Flavours (Harsh, Chemical, Sour)

• Harsh/hot: Usually too many heads—adjust your cut point
• Chemical/plastic: Equipment issue—check for non-food-grade materials
• Sour/vinegar: Bacterial infection—improve sanitation
• Sulphur/rotten egg: Stressed yeast—use copper condenser or add copper mesh
• Burnt: Scorched wash—clear thoroughly, don't overfill, heat gradually

Spirit Turns Cloudy When Chilled (Louche Effect)

This is actually normal for some spirits! Gins with high botanical oil content, absinthe, ouzo, and similar spirits cloud when water is added or when chilled. This "louche" effect happens because essential oils are soluble in high-proof spirit but not in diluted spirit or cold temperatures.

If you don't want this effect in your gin:

• Use less botanicals
• Avoid oil-heavy botanicals like juniper berries (use less, or use vapour infusion)
• Chill-filter your spirit before bottling

Very Low Proof Distillate

If your distillate is coming out much lower than expected (e.g., 40% when you expected 80%):

• Reflux still not refluxing: Check water flow to condenser—it may be too low
• Pot still with thin wash: Low ABV wash produces low ABV distillate
• Still in wrong mode: Air Still Pro users—check you're in the correct mode
• Alcometer at wrong temperature: Must be at 20°C for accurate readings

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I fix cloudy spirit or do I need to throw it away?

You can usually fix it by redistilling. Run the cloudy spirit through your still again, making careful cuts. If cloudiness is from water quality, filtering through activated carbon may help, but redistillation is more reliable.

Is cloudy moonshine safe to drink?

Cloudiness itself isn't dangerous—it's usually just fusel oils or minerals. However, the compounds causing cloudiness can give you worse hangovers and unpleasant flavours. Properly made spirit should be clear.

My spirit goes cloudy when I add water but clears when I add more spirit. Why?

This confirms fusel oil contamination from tails. The oils dissolve in high-proof spirit but precipitate when diluted. The solution is making cleaner cuts next time and redistilling this batch.

Why does my spirit have a blue/green tint?

This indicates copper contamination—copper compounds have dissolved from your still into the spirit. This happens if you're using too much acidic wash, or if copper parts aren't properly cleaned. The spirit should be redistilled through a stainless steel still, and your copper components need proper cleaning between runs.

How do I carbon filter my spirit?

Carbon filtering removes impurities and polishes your spirit. Dilute to approximately 50% ABV, then pass through a carbon filter system or inline carbon filter. For best results, filter slowly—rushing reduces effectiveness.

What's the white powder floating in my spirit?

Usually mineral precipitate from dilution water. Filter through a coffee filter to remove, and use distilled water for future batches. If it appeared before dilution, you may have still puking issues—check your wash clearing process.

Still Having Problems?

Distilling has a learning curve, and every distiller encounters problems at first. If you're stuck, contact our team—we're experienced distillers who genuinely want to help you make great spirit.

Need equipment upgrades? Browse our distilling accessories including carbon filters, clearing agents, and quality testing equipment.

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