

Methanol separation is possible but not really the goal.
If you’re producing spirits it should be your goal. Especially if there is wood in the mash.
I don’t think the foreshots have a particularly higher concentration of methanol, other nasty stuff sure, but I think methanol is in pretty similar concentration to the ethanol.
Thats wrong, methanol has a lower evaporation temperature than ethanol, thats why it’s in the foreshot.
And yes, most of the time it’s greedy business men mixing industrial methanol in their drinks, but there have been some cases of poisoning with self destilled alcohol in the Balkans, i.e
https://deutsch.radio.cz/methanolvergiftungen-der-slowakei-ursache-ist-tschechischer-schnaps-8337380
Sorry link is in german.
Not only stems, but if you just rake up your fruits and put them in a mash you get all kinds of sticks and leaves also in there. If you ever make a schnaps take care with the foreshot :)