Do you run moonshine through a still twice?

Yes, moonshine is typically run through a still twice. The first run, also known as the “low wine”, or sometimes “wild wine”, contains many undesirable elements and impurities, such as heads and tails. Heads consist of toxic byproducts of fermentation, including methanol, acetaldehyde, and ethyl formate, while tails consist of heavier alcohols, such as propyl alcohol (iso-propanol, or 1-propanol). The presence of heads and tails will give the moonshine a bad flavor and odor, so they are typically removed by distilling the liquid a second time. The second run yields a product with a higher alcohol percentage and smoother taste, which is known as “high wine”, or sometimes “pure wine”.