Talk:Fusel alcohol

WikiProject Food and drink Tagging
This article talk page was automatically added with WikiProject Food and drink banner as it falls under Category:Food or one of its subcategories. If you find this addition an error, Kindly undo the changes and update the inappropriate categories if needed. The bot was instructed to tagg these articles upon consenus from WikiProject Food and drink. You can find the related request for tagging here. Maximum and careful attention was done to avoid any wrongly tagging any categories, but mistakes may happen... If you have concerns, please inform on the project talk page -- TinucherianBot (talk) 01:06, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Fusel alcohols have a lower evaporation point than ethanol and are concentrated in the "head" of a distillation run. They are called "foreshots". --208.79.57.45 (talk) 03:47, 24 July 2008 (UTC)


 * No, you're thinking of methanol - it's lower-boiling, so it boils before the ethanol does and comes out first, in the head. Fusel alcohols are higher-boiling; they don't come out until after the ethanol, in the tail. 216.75.189.161 (talk) 01:54, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

"Freeze distillation"
Distillation by definition refers to generating vapors and condensing them. I understand why people use the term "freeze distillation" to describe a process by which alcohol at strengths greater than yeasts can produce can be obtained, but it's a misnomer and should be called out as such in the main text, e.g. "by so-called 'freeze distillation'" or "using the misnamed process of freeze distillation." This even if the correct description of the process is but one click away. cobblefinger —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cobblefinger (talk • contribs) 14:14, 7 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Is there a technical term for the process of freeze distillation that is not a misnomer? 198.48.136.149 (talk) 00:25, 21 April 2021 (UTC)

"Acute Illness"
The article lists "headaches, nausea, vomiting, or coma" as possible side effects of ingesting too much fusel alcohol. It is my understanding that these are all side effects of ingesting pure ethenol in sufficient quantities as well, so it is not clear why the article indicates fusel alcohol as being particularly undesirable because of this. A quick bit of searching turned up this study which indicates that fusel alcohol, contrary to popular belief, does not increase hangover effects, and may in fact reduce them. If anyone has counter evidence, please discuss here. Otherwise I'll make some changes to this page in a bit. Rotundo (talk) 23:00, 18 October 2009 (UTC)

"Rotgut redirects here?"
I've always heard the term "rotgut" used to define any low quality whiskey, not just whiskey with a high level of fusels. 72.214.101.161 (talk) 03:21, 29 June 2011 (UTC)

Bond's suggestion
No mention of James Bond's suggestion on how to remove fusel oil from Vodka? 91.46.134.147 (talk) 19:47, 13 December 2013 (UTC)

Not a Hazard
In just what way exactly is having a "much weaker sedative effect than ethanol" a hazard??????? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.138.228.222 (talk) 13:44, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

It is poisonous. Body's Alcohol Dehydrogenase enzyme turns Methanol to Formaldehyde, which is bad causes blindness etc. Fortunately this enzyme prefers ethyl alcohol 7000x than methyl alcohol (also ethylene glycol), so some wood alcohol in your wine or cider is ok. Shjacks45 (talk) 22:41, 2 February 2020 (UTC)

Historical use as fuel in WW2
Nazi Germany in WW2 fermented food scraps (had a collection program) to fusel oil for use as gasoline substitute. Used higher temperature bacterial fermentation not yeast (no conversion to sugar necessary) for faster product and more higher bp product. Fusel oil has a higher "boiling point" than plain ethanol ("pure gasoline", i.e. isooctane, boils 110C, ethanol 78C, methanol 65C, average operating temp of internal combustion engine is 80C+) therefore can be used in higher dilutions (E85 is max 15% ethanol in gasoline) in fuel. Shjacks45 (talk) 21:58, 2 February 2020 (UTC)

Hangovers because of Brandy
First acetaldehyde is prime hangover component, primarily because it builds up due to alcohol inhibiting its oxidation into acetate and normal metabolism. Acetaldehyde is reactive like Formaldehyde which the Alcohol Dehydrogenase (AD) enzyme creates from Methanol. Luckily AD prefers ethanol 7000x more than Methanol so that Pear wine with 10% ethanol and 1% methanol won't hurt you. Brandy is typically made from wine fermented at warm temperatures and contains esters ethers and other toxic components. Inhalation of Ethyl Acetate (in Brandy) causes aggression and intoxication of industrial workers. Illegal distilled product Moonshine is rapidly fermented at hot temps to rapidly create product. Please include names of ANY distillers that use fractional distillation to make sure the product is pure ethyl alcohol. Distilleries take everything below 100C and sometimes treats with activated carbon to clarify and remove the most reactive (harsh) components. Butanol is found in fusel oil and brandy, and profoundly headache forming. Shjacks45 (talk) 22:32, 2 February 2020 (UTC)

Separation from water
Besides boiling and freezing. Higher fusel oil alcohols are not miscible in water and can be salted out. Filters/menbranes can also separate larger fusel oil molecules from water. Shjacks45 (talk) 22:51, 2 February 2020 (UTC)

Other conditions creating more toxins
You list low nitrogen. Hops is antibacterial and also suppresses yeast oxygen metabolism (of alcohol to CO2), forcing fermentation even in presence of air. Does Hops also affect side reactions making fusel oil? Also, I see where products like butyl alcohol and ethyl acetate come from, but what is the origin of branched chain alcohols? Shjacks45 (talk) 23:42, 2 February 2020 (UTC)

Typical concentrations of different fusels and fusel compounds
Is it possible we could include a table of typical concentrations in different beverages. I don't know where this information would be available, but I think it would be useful as people could include known levels of health risk for the different substances. Since some fusels are toxic that would be useful info and what brought me to this page. 198.48.136.149 (talk) 00:29, 21 April 2021 (UTC)

Prevalence in drinks
"Some beverages, such as rum, whisky (especially bourbon), incompletely rectified vodka (e.g. Siwucha) and traditional ales and ciders, are expected to have relatively high concentrations of non-hazardous alcohols as part of their flavor profile. However, in other beverages, such as Korn, vodka and lagers, the presence of alcohols other than ethanol is considered a fault." Couldn't find this in the referenced book. Page 18 mentions the aroma, later chapters list identified higher alcohols along with detection and separation methods. There's a suggestion that the effect on flavour of distilled beverages has led to increased research on page 27.

Maybe it's missing from the Google Books preview, but even poking around with search I could only find references to (non-alcohol) additives in several of the listed drinks: sometimes they're still "faultless", other times they're "off-flavour". Not getting the sense that the presence of non-ethanol alcohols is "expected" in drinks A and B, but considered "a fault" in drinks C and D. Treppin (talk) 14:55, 10 August 2023 (UTC)