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From what you can put mash for moonshine. Braga from sugar and yeast: the subtleties of cooking and proportions

As a fermentation tank, you can use any container designed for storing food products. It is desirable that it can be tightly closed with a lid, but at the same time be equipped with ventilation holes. The latter successfully replace rubber gloves or more modern water seals.

Many novice moonshiners neglect the cleanliness of containers for moonshine and brew. The flask must be thoroughly washed and wiped with a dry cloth. If the slightest foreign smell remains in it, it will be transferred to sugar and water, which will affect the taste of the final product.

It is not necessary to wash everything clean between distillations, but after finishing and until the next time the still, all hoses and refrigerator should be clean and dry.

As a guide, consider the traditional set of components that will be required for mash and subsequent distillation of 5 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40 °.

The composition of the mash:

pressed ("wet") yeast - 600 gr. or 120 gr. granular dry;
drinking water - 24 l;
citric acid - 25 gr.;
granulated sugar - 6 kilograms.

This recipe for sugar and yeast mash allows you to get classic moonshine without any frills and specific flavors.

Correctly calculate products

To understand what proportions of sugar and yeast mash should be used, first of all, you need to decide how much moonshine you need to get as a result. Subject to the rules of preparation, approximately 1100 ml of an alcoholic beverage with a strength of 48-50 ° will come out of 1 kg of granulated sugar. But the following factors still influence the volume of the finished product:

quality of raw materials;
temperature regime of aging mash on sugar;
additional components, etc.

Theoretical calculations will always be 5-15% more than the real output.

For 1 kg of granulated sugar, 4 liters of purified water are used, in addition another 500 ml, if inversion is required, 20 gr. granulated yeast or 100 gr. "wet".

Invert sugar

The complex term refers to a fairly simple process of mixing sugar and lemon to make syrup. This is one of the main theses on how to properly put mash on moonshine. Pre-mixing the components will improve the taste of the product and speed up the fermentation process.

To make syrup, follow these steps:

pour 3 liters of clean water into the pan, put on fire and bring to temperature regime 70-80°C;
add granulated sugar, the proportions of sugar and liquid should be 2: 1;
stirring the contents, boil it for 10 minutes, while regularly removing the foam “cap”;
when a large amount of foam is formed, gradually pour out 25 gr. lemons and reduce the intensity of the fire to a minimum;
close the lid and cook for 1 hour.

As a result, you should get a viscous dark amber-colored syrup that looks like honey (by the way, unscrupulous sellers often sell invert sugar under the guise of honey).

VIDEO: How to properly invert sugar

We prepare water

Water is an important ingredient in the preparation of mash from sugar and yeast. It forms the taste of alcohol. The correct mash is prepared on a liquid that does not have a shade or taste, it must fully comply with hygienic standards.

Water for moonshine should be soft, purified - most of all, melt, spring and bottled water meet these requirements.

Before preparing the mash, it is recommended to stand the water for two days, this is if tap water is used. Due to long exposure, the composition loses its rigidity, all harmful components settle in the form of a precipitate. Next, you only need to carefully drain or pass through the filter.

Do not use boiled or distilled water. Both of them do not contain the air necessary for the growth of fungi and the active release of waste products - the very ones that make up the organoleptic of moonshine.

Which yeast to choose

Without going into too much detail, we note that the range as a whole is limited to two product groups:

bakery;
alcohol (wine, beer).

You can use both of them, but with some adjustments for the features of fermentation.

Bakery is less suitable than alcohol for the following reasons:

the maximum concentration of alcohol will not exceed 12 ° - anything higher is detrimental to the strain;
in the process of fermentation, a large foam cap will form - when pouring the wort into a container, one third of the volume must be left free;
the finished product will have a specific taste - on the one hand, such an authentic organoleptic is characteristic of moonshine, on the other hand, if you make drinks or tinctures from moonshine, a sharp aroma will be superfluous.

Bakers also have advantages:

price and availability - can be purchased at any grocery department;
fast fermentation - in general, the whole process takes from 8 to 12 days, depending on the composition of the must, while wine can take up to 3 weeks;
the same aroma and taste - for many moonshiners this is a fundamental point.

Spirits, as the name implies, are designed specifically for the preparation of alcoholic beverages. They ferment better - there is practically no residue, they survive even at high concentrations of alcohol, they give a milder taste to the finished drink, there is very little foam. At the same time, they are much more expensive than bakery ones - 100 gr. will cost an average of 140-170 rubles. - and they are sold only in specialized stores.

Mixing components

The second step in the manufacture of mash is to mix the ingredients. The syrup is placed in a fermentation tank, the required volume of water is added to it, in our case it is 24 liters. If a yeast mash recipe with inverted sugar was chosen, then it should first be dissolved. But in any case, you need to use a sweet liquid with a temperature of 26-30 °.

The tank is filled no more than ¾ of its dimensions. This eliminates the possibility of leakage of wort during the action of yeast and syrup. This factor should be taken into account before putting the must on fermentation.

When using bakery, you can only pour 2/3 of the mash into the container - the remaining volume will be filled with a foam cap

The pressed product is added directly to the wort container, but it is preliminarily crushed by hand. Experienced moonshiners dissolve the briquettes in sugar water before adding, after which they cover the consistency with a lid and wait for the formation of a “cap”. As a rule, this process takes 7-9 minutes, after which the mixture is added to the common tank.
Dry products are pre-activated according to the instructions. They are mixed with water 33-35 ° and put in a warm place to form a uniform foam. Next, the contents are mixed into the mash.

fermentation stage

You need to put the mash on sugar and yeast in a dark place with a constant temperature regime of 27-30 ° C. But before that, the container is hermetically sealed with a water seal. To speed up the fermentation, the wort is wrapped in heat-insulating material or an ordinary blanket.

Fermentation can last from 3 to 10 days. Throughout the entire time, you need to mix the mash daily without removing the water seal. Thus, excess carbon dioxide will be released from the mixture.

How to determine the readiness of mash from sugar and yeast:

the smell of alcohol;
bitter aftertaste;
cessation of carbon dioxide formation, hissing;
a lit match continues to burn when brought to the wort.

One match will not be enough, it is best that 2-3 signs are detected at the same time.

Clarification and degassing

Making moonshine from sugar and yeast without this step will be meaningless. Before you put the mash for distillation, you need to remove it from the yeast sediment. This is done with a hose. Next, the composition is heated to 50 ° to remove residual carbon dioxide.

The degassed mash is poured into a clean bottle and clarified. In this case, concrete will be required. It is difficult to find this ingredient in its pure form. But it is contained in the composition of cat litter. Moonshiners have identified several proven brands:

Kotyara;
PiPi Bent;
Closet WC Cat.

When buying a filler, it is important to study the composition, it should not include aromatic substances and dyes.

To lighten 20 liters of sugar and yeast mash, you need 3 tbsp. l. ground bentonite and previously dissolved in heated water with a volume of 0.25 liters. The composition is mixed with the mash and left until the powder settles at the bottom in the form of liquid sour cream. As a rule, it takes up to 20 minutes.

Stages of clarification:

betonite is ground, diluted in water;
the mixture is added to the mash, thoroughly mixed;
the container is closed with an airtight lid and left for 20 minutes;
the purified liquid is drained, and the sediment is disposed of.

Draining sedimentary components into the sewer is strictly prohibited. They form strong plugs in pipes, which are difficult to even mechanically clean.

This is the final stage in the preparation of sugar mash and its purification, followed by the distillation process.

The most popular question among novice distillers is how many times to distill. From experience, we will answer - 2 times, in order to get rid of fusel oils and other harmful components (isoamyl, formic and methyl alcohol, acetic acid, etc.), while correctly selecting heads and tails at each stage. Only in this case, the moonshine will really turn out to be clean and moderately picky.

VIDEO: The easiest and the right recipe sugar mash

Experienced moonshiners know many recipes for making mash. Basically, recipes depend on the raw materials that you have on hand. For example, winemakers have a large amount of pulp, pressing. Pulp is the crushed grapes intended for use in making wine. The crushed berries sink to the bottom, the wine is carefully poured into another container. Sugar, yeast, water are added there. It remains to wait for the readiness of the mash and drive it through the moonshine still or mini-sprit factory. As a result, we get the famous chacha, alcohol or brandy. Whatever you desire. Moreover, now Isabella is ripening in large numbers in central Russia.

Home brew

We will consider the simplest example of making mash at home from improvised means. We collect 14 liters of water. Preferably spring or spring, you can tap water, which must first be defended, cleaned of impurities with a filter. Add 3 kg of regular refined sugar, 200 gr. alcohol or wine yeast. It is undesirable to use yeast for baking for such a delicate matter. The quality of the must depends on how you select the three elements. Or, as the old-timers of production say - a must. From 14 liters of mash you can get: 3 liters of strong moonshine or 1.5 liters of 96% alcohol.

Pour 1-2 liters of water and heat it to a temperature slightly above room temperature. In no case do not heat or use water above 30 degrees, as yeast consisting of unicellular fungi can die in it. Add yeast to warm water. Mix thoroughly. Yeast should be completely dissolved. Put the jar in a warm place. Yeast should "approach".

Add sugar to the remaining water, stirring the water thoroughly, achieve complete dissolution. To dissolve sugar in water faster and make the process easier, pour half of the remaining water into a separate container. Heat the remaining water to 50 degrees, dissolve the sugar in the heated water and mix with the drained water. Thus, you will reduce the average water temperature from 50 degrees to 30 degrees. Pour the water into a separate container. To do this, you can use glass 20 liter bottles. Never use plastic or galvanized containers. In the process of fermentation, the walls of the vessel from contact with the mash can oxidize, releasing harmful substances and impurities during the oxidation process. After about 1 hour, add prepared, sweet water to the "approached" yeast.

Raw material for mash is ready!!! Put the bottle in a warm place. Put a medical glove or balloon on the neck. Sugar under the influence of yeast begins to decompose, releasing carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol. The brew temperature rises. Carbon dioxide escapes into the glove, inflating it. The inflated glove prevents air from entering the bottle. Instead of a glove, you can use a wine lock. To do this, drill a hole in the lid. Insert the tube into the hole and securely seal all the cracks with plasticine or sealant. Pour water into the lock.

After a few days, foam begins to form in the bottle. The main fermentation begins. With the release of gas bubbles.

In the final stage, which occurs after 10-12 days, the foam settles, the release of carbon dioxide stops. The liquid inside the bottle is brighter. Braga is ready.

It remains to choose the time. Using a hose, pour the mash without sediment, which formed at the bottom of the bottle during fermentation, into a distillation vessel. Now you can kick out alcohol or moonshine, depending on your mood.

Moonshine or alcohol

For our part, we recommend that you use an innovative, compact moonshine still. The principle of cooling alcohol is borrowed from the refrigerator, with the only difference being that freon is used as a coolant in refrigerators, and a gas or electric stove heat source is used as a compressor. To obtain the result, it is required to turn the alcohol vapor into a liquid. A primitive serpentine requires a large amount of water. Our innovative moonshine "Bee Brandy 1000" can be lowered into a bucket of cold water. Regularly check the water temperature. If the water has become warm, you can drain the water from the bucket a little and add a couple of liters of cold water. Alcohol vapors resulting from boiling in a closed pressure distillation vessel are fed through a tube into an innovative cooler. Steam breaks out of a thin tube into a cooler, which is wider than the inlet tube, gives off heat through thin walls into the water. The resulting moonshine is fed through the outlet through the tube and accumulates in the bank.

Moonshine still "Bee Brandy 1000" is a rejection of the past in favor of a quality future. No water connection required. Compact high efficiency cooler. If you do not need high quality, but you appreciate the reliability and speed of obtaining a drink, the moonshine still "Bee Brandy 1000" is the right decision for you.

You can also buy a package mini distillery "Pchelka". And already at the stage of running to get high-quality alcohol. By diluting alcohol in water and adding concentrates of tastes identical to natural, you will get excellent spirits. Cognac, rum, home-made whiskey, this is saving the family budget and a new quality and taste of a familiar product. Except
package mini distillery "Bee" we have enough mini distilleries in stock, designed for different capacities. We are able to satisfy the most demanding customers.

In order to get the output good drink one should not neglect the elementary, but very important subtleties of creating mash for moonshine. In this process, any little things are important: how much yeast, sugar, water to take, where to stand, and how to determine readiness.

The quality and quantity of ingredients for mash

The classic composition has only three ingredients:

water - volume 4.5 l;
pure sugar, it is advisable not to use cane sugar - 1 kg;
yeast - 100 gr. (when using "live" pressed) or 20 grams of dry.

To combine the ingredients of the mash, you can use a plastic barrel. It must be made from food grade material. But still classic cooking mash is best done in aluminum dishes. It is not recommended to use a container of more than 30 liters, it is difficult to move and lift it when full. The container must be used airtight (just do not close it tightly with a lid), equipped with a water seal. If it is not there, then you can use the proven method: a medical glove is put on the neck of the vessel, in which a hole is made to let excess air out.

It is equally important to put the braga correctly. In a prepared flask, you need to mix 6 kg of sugar and 24 liters of water. The liquid must be warm, about 30 ° C, you can check the temperature with the back of your hand. Fermentation will go faster only if the sugar is completely dissolved.

Next, you need to take 0.5 liters of sweet syrup, dissolve 600 g of yeast in it and leave to infuse. For good fermentation, the yeast must stand for about 40 minutes at room temperature or slightly above. If they haven’t risen, then it’s better not to use the product, the quality of the mash made with inactive yeast will be low.

The fact that the yeast has played and is suitable for use is evidenced by a lush hat. The finished dough is poured into a container with sugar syrup and mixed thoroughly.

If fermentation is not active enough, it can be improved. To do this, dry peas or corn are added to the composition in a ratio of 250 g per 10 liters. When kneading in a 30 liter container, you need to take 750 g of additional components.

Fermentation - choosing the right container

You need to choose a barrel for mash according to your needs, the main thing is to remember that when the product is play, it will increase in volume. Therefore, it is not recommended to fill the tank more than 80%.

You can put the mash in a container of any material and shape. If you plan to prepare a large amount of raw materials, then the best option would be rectangular plastic tanks (they become more compact and do not take up usable space).

Another advantage of cubic containers is the ability to put it close enough to a heat source. This is especially true during the cold season. Before purchasing a container, if it is made of plastic, you should make sure that it is correctly selected - made of materials suitable for storage food products.

So that the process of obtaining moonshine does not cause difficulties, the flask for distillation must correspond to the container in which fermentation takes place. If moonshine is planned on an ongoing basis, then the best option for a distillation apparatus would be a 40 liter metal cube. The amount of mash in a flask is not more than 32 liters. This means that the fermentation of raw materials should take place in a barrel with a volume of about 90 liters. In such a container, you can cook up to 65 liters of mash, which is enough for two hauls.

If it is necessary to prepare a large volume of raw materials (for example, 50 liters), you need to remember that the container will need to be not only moved, but also lifted, and this is quite difficult. But there is a little trick here. Before you start fermentation and leave the raw materials to infuse, you can put the container on a hill, 50 cm from the floor, which will further facilitate transportation from one container to another. In addition, if you put the barrel on a pedestal, it will warm up evenly from all sides. When located on the floor, the bottom of the container is colder than its upper and middle parts, the mash will play worse, and it will need to infuse longer.

Pouring the finished mixture into a container for distillation can be done manually using a mug or jar. But this process is quite long and sloppy. It is better to use a silicone hose, one end of which runs into a barrel of mash, and the other into a moonshine still. When the container is located on a hill, under its own pressure, the raw material will quickly flow to the right place. The rest can be added
manually.

Best conditions for fermentation

The main condition for obtaining quality mash is the correct temperature. The room where it is planned to put the raw materials should be warm (from 25 to 30 ° C). The component of yeast is living microorganisms, it is at this temperature that fermentation will be optimal. In a cool room, the process of converting sugar into alcohol is slow; if it is too hot, the yeast may die.

Almost everyone who first encounters moonshine brewing has a question about how much yeast to take and which to use. On sale there are special ones that provide a stable yield of alcohol up to 18%. But if it was not possible to acquire them, then you can put the mash on the living. The main thing is not to use a product intended for baking bread and other products. Consumption of yeast is approximately 100 g per 1 kg of sugar.

How to determine the readiness of the mash and how long to stand

Braga, prepared according to the classic recipe, should stand for 10 days, but the process can take up to 2 weeks. It depends on what was the temperature and humidity in the room, as well as on the quality of the ingredients used.

The readiness of the mash can be determined by the following indicators:

Preparation of mash for distillation

Preparing the mash for subsequent distillation is quite simple. You need to know the basic rules of this process:

You need to move and lift the container onto the table carefully, without shaking (it’s good if it initially stands on a hill).
The pouring of raw materials into the distillation apparatus is carried out using a silicone hose (the sediment must be left in the barrel where the fermentation took place).
To obtain a quality product, degassing can be performed. To do this, you need to heat the raw materials to 50 degrees (the temperature at which the remaining active yeast dies and carbon dioxide is removed).
Previously, the mash can be clarified with white clay - dilute 3 tablespoons of clay in a glass of water, add to the raw materials and mix thoroughly, leave for another day and only then pour into the moonshine still.

Braga is one of the most ancient intoxicating drinks known to the Slavs. It was used even before the advent of such strong alcohol as vodka or moonshine. It is believed that in the more southern regions, where there is a lot of sun and vineyards, winemaking was preferred, and in the northern latitudes this replaced the mash recipe.

As is often the case with distillers, home brew recipes for moonshine turned out under a certain set of circumstances. For this, many experiments and experiments were carried out, as a result, most home lovers of strong alcohol choose the combination of ingredients that has become a classic.

How it all started

Quality fermentation is impossible in the presence of oxygen. Only when this gas is removed is it possible to carry out a chemical reaction in which each sugar molecule is split into by-products such as carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol.

This process was studied by the French scientist Lavoisier. He was one of those who proved that living organisms (yeast) are involved in the process, the vital products of which are the final substances of the reaction - methyl and ethyl alcohol, formic and acetic acid, aldehydes and other chemical elements, which together create ready-to-distill product.

Preparatory operations

The manufacture of mash is carried out using three main elements:

water;
sugar;
yeast.

The characteristics of the finished product largely depend on the quality of each of them. When sugar has an unpleasant aroma, it is necessarily transferred to the fermenting solution. However, it allows you to experiment with flavors.

The water is clean and drinkable. It is impossible to use boiled liquid for home brew for moonshine, since oxygen must be dissolved in it, which softens the result.

There are many different yeast cultures on domestic shelves. The recipe for making mash for moonshine involves using one of the varieties for each type of blank:

Alcoholic type of yeast. Provides up to 18% alcohol in mash after complete processing of sugar. The disadvantage is the presence of a significant amount of impurities.

For baking. Such cultures will provide no more than 10% alcohol, which is significantly lower. With an increase in the percentage of ethanol, they die.
To make whiskey. This type is in demand during grain-based wort harvesting.
Wine type. They will come in handy during the preparation of mash for moonshine at home on a fruit basis. The advantage is a high percentage of alcohol with a minimum amount of contamination.

Additionally, with fresh or granulated yeast, other substances can be added to the sugar so that the bacteria process them. Preliminary well-cooked grain or black bread croutons is used. For every 10 liters of brew for moonshine, about a kilogram of additive is added.

It is important to choose a good container for the operation. It must meet the following criteria:

be deep;
only clean dishes will do;
be sure to have a sealed lid.

The most convenient container for cooking

Water seals are used to relieve excess pressure.

How to determine readiness for distillation

In order to understand exactly whether it is time to start distillation or not, at least 3 signs must match, including:

Clear and visible sediment separation

Regardless of which ingredient was the main one (cereals, sugar, berries, etc.), at the end of fermentation, a transition from a dense sediment to a lighter liquid will be visible.

The liquid brightens

Throughout the time, the wort will be cloudy and dark in color. After the mushrooms stop multiplying, the must will lighten.

Stopped emitting carbon dioxide

For this purpose, at the beginning of the process, a water seal is installed on the container or a glove with miniature holes on the fingers is put on. When the gas stops escaping, the water seal does not gurgle and the glove falls off. Wait a day to be sure.

A match lit over a container does not go out

Another proof that CO 2 is no longer being produced.

The bitter taste of the drink

During fermentation, yeast (mushrooms) process all the sugar, so the liquid will be bitter.

Lightening

The classic recipe for mash for sugar moonshine

Asking experienced moonshine makers, you can find the most common recipe, which includes popular ingredients. Variations use it at your own discretion.

A yeast starter is being prepared, which takes the following composition: pressed alcohol yeast - 0.4 kg, as well as 0.5 liters of water and 0.1 kg of sugar. The standard is calculated based on the future proportion of the product, 1 kg of sugar corresponds to 0.1 kg of compressed yeast cultures. If the cultures are loose in a pack, then we pour them out 0.1 kg per 6 kg of sweetness. The preparation of the wort requires bringing 4 liters from the spring and taking 4 kg of sweet sand.

The method of preparation consists in sequential actions. Sugar is added to warm water (500 ml) (previously knead thoroughly until completely dissolved) and yeast, putting everything in a warm corner for a couple of hours. With the active appearance of the cap, pour the mixture into the main container with well-mixed and completely dissolved sugar and water. Sweetness can be preheated in the form of syrup for half an hour on the stove, inverted.

Liquid should be at room temperature. After combining the ingredients, we provide a constant temperature regime in the range of 25-35 ° C.

Dangerous for the quality of the mash is not only its cooling, but also overheating, when a considerable amount of heat is released during the active phase. This is not always positive - when overheated, living cultures quickly die. The process must be under control.

During fermentation, a large head of foam may rise, so it is recommended not to fill the container to the very top, leaving enough free space of about 20-25%. If necessary, you can put out the foam with crumbled dry cookies or dry crushed crackers.

The process takes 4-14 days, but usually 7-8 days are enough. Refrigeration threatens that 20 liters of cooked mash will receive a large amount of undesirable impurities.

At home, readiness is determined by the absence of carbon dioxide from the composition. There is a slight natural clarification and precipitation of dead cultures.

Some beginners carefully drain the liquid from the residue without touching it at all. This is too prudent - a fair amount of alcohol remains in the sediment, so it's better to just strain all the mash.

VIDEO: Secrets of making sugar mash

Possible difficulties

If you do not follow exactly the recipes for cooking, then difficulties may arise:

increased fermentation time;
the remaining sweetness;
permutation threatens to turn sour.

You have to spend more time if the temperature regime is not respected. Poor quality ingredients can also fail.

Excess sugar remains in the composition due to non-compliance with proportions. You can correct the situation by adding yeast.

It is important to focus on the result, in which 1.2 liters of fifty-degree raw alcohol can be obtained from 1 kg of sweet sand.

Other recipes

Experienced moonshiners can make mash from almost any product. Cereals, jam, grapes, berries and fruits, etc. Here are some that even beginners will surely get.

Wheat mash recipe

You can put wheat mash. The result is a light and pleasant drink with a harmonious taste. Natural malt is used for fermentation. It is important to take dry, intact grains that have been stored for about a year.

The proportion is quite simple: for 4 kg of grain we take 30 liters of clean water from the spring and fill 4 kg with sweet sand. The preparation is somewhat different.

A quarter of the grain is taken and filled in a separate container with water 5-6 cm higher. We put it in a dark corner for a couple of days, cover it with a lid. After identifying the seedlings, add sand (half a kilogram). If necessary, add a little water and mix with your hands. Wrap the top with gauze and put in a warm place for a week and a half.

Stir after the prescribed time with the remains of wheat and sugar, adding water, which is slightly warmed just above room temperature. We put the mass under a water seal for another 10 days under conditions of 18-25 ° C.

When the mash is ready, it is distilled as usual, separating the wheat. Solid particles can be used three more times. They will not spoil the taste of moonshine.

apple mash recipe

From such a mash you get a high-quality Calvados. Both good apples and wild game, and even carrion, are used. You should not only use rotten and overly spoiled fruits, so that in the future the taste of the distillate does not become bitter.

Apples are not washed before cooking, in extreme cases they are rubbed with a dry rag from dust. They do this in order not to destroy wild yeast - it is with their help that the fermentation process takes place. They are cleaned from the stalks and from the seed box, after which they are crushed and make the base.

Ingredients:

apples - 30 kg;
water - 20 l;
sugar - 4 kg for sour apples, 3 kg - sweet and sour, 1.5-2 kg - sweet.

Cooking method:

The fruits are sorted out, the bruised and rotten areas are removed, the stalks and seeds are removed and crushed into a puree. To do this, it is convenient to use a meat grinder or blender.
Mix in glass or plastic container mash, sugar and water, close with a water seal or a glove with small holes on the fingers and send to a warm dark place for infusion. The temperature during the whole time is kept in the range of 20-29°C.
Depending on the number and intensity of wild strains, fermentation can last from three weeks to one and a half months. The readiness can be judged by the clearly separated whitish sediment, the bitter taste of the liquid and the absence of carbon dioxide emission - the water seal does not gurgle for more than a day, and the glove completely falls off.

Grape mash recipe - chacha, grappa or grape moonshine

Let's say right away that driving moonshine from grape juice is a crime. It can make excellent wine. It is best to make mash from pomace, but before that you can not wash the berries, so as not to wash off the wild yeast.

Ingredients:

grape cake - 20 liters;
water 30-35°C - 60 liters;
sugar - 2.5 kg

Cooking method:

Cake, 0.5 volume of sugar and water are mixed, mixed well. Leave for 3-4 days, stirring the contents twice a day so that the pulp does not block the access of oxygen.
After 4-5 days, the rest of the sugar is added, again sent to a warm dark place (the temperature is 20-29 ° C), not forgetting to stir the pulp 2-3 times a day.
After 2-4 weeks, the mash “takes off” - the water seal does not gurgle or the glove of opal, after which the mash is filtered and put on distillation.
Distillation only double with obligatory separation of heads and tails. The strength of the second distillation is 63-65 °, diluted with water to the desired value.

Such a distillate can be consumed in its pure form, or you can send it to insist on oak chips at the rate of 50 gr. chips per liter, add a couple of raisins and almonds per 3 liters. Insist from 3 months and above. In a year you will get a great brandy, very worthy of competition for a European product.

Whether to drink mash

You can eat mash prepared in this way. However, this will not bring such pleasure to most tasters. The composition contains impurities harmful to digestion, which can be eliminated even with the help of the cheapest moonshine still. Distillation will greatly improve the quality of the product.

The information provided on the preparation of mash is far from complete. A detailed description of each stage can be found in other materials of the "Moonshine Brewing" section.

VIDEO: How to cook with invert sugar

The question is what better recipe mash to use, occurs not only among novice manufacturers of alcohol, but also among experienced ones. With each mash recipe, the flavor of the final product, the average yield of moonshine and its strength change. The amount of formation of fusel oils and related substances depends on the raw materials and auxiliary components. That is, we can conclude that the quality of future alcohol depends not only on the equipment, but also on the prescription technology and the ingredients used.

What is braga

An alcohol-containing solution obtained by processing the wort with yeast is considered to be mash. Initially, the wort contains a sufficient amount of sugar, which is the "food" for the yeast. As a result of this process, mash is obtained, which is used for further distillation, the manufacture of a strong alcoholic beverage. Together with the mash, related compounds are also formed, for example, carbon dioxide, fusel oils and other compounds.

Basic rules for making mash

Regardless of the recipe chosen, there are basic principles that must be followed if you plan to cook mash. You need to know about them before you start experimenting with alcoholic drinks at home. It will be useful to know what it is, mash, wort, trembling, what sugar affects, what water should be, and under what conditions a quality product is obtained.

Features of the production of wort

The main differences between the recipes are formed due to the different methods of preparing the wort, or rather the ingredients included in it. This solution should be sweet, as yeast will be added to it in the next step. Wort can be made with fruits, grains, legumes, berries, vegetables, and anything that may contain sugar.

Water must be present in the wort, but it must meet certain requirements. No need to use boiled water, and even more so from the tap. It is better to purchase high-quality bottled water or spring water, then the maturation process of the mash will take place in the right mode, the yeast will develop normally. With good water, there will be no extraneous flavors, which can sometimes be transferred to an already finished product.

Proper use of yeast

The quality and quantity of yeast determines the intensity with which the fermentation process will take place, the final strength of the mash, the taste of the distillation solution. There are several options for making a starter using homemade or commercially-bought yeast. The first option will take some time, since it is necessary to wait for natural fermentation due to fungi, which are always present on the surfaces of ripe fruits, berries, and raisins. Another and more common way is to buy ready-made yeast. They can be dry, pressed, alcohol or for making whiskey, as well as wine. It is better to give preference to alcoholic yeast or yeast intended for the manufacture of alcohol, as they allow you to get mash with a fairly high concentration of alcohol and with relatively little formation of side substances.

Yeasts are fungi that will only develop under certain conditions. The correct temperature is important, it should be in the range of 20-30 degrees, since at high parameters the yeast dies, and at lower parameters they slow down their growth, which means that the release of alcohol is significantly reduced.

Sugar and is it needed?

It is very important not to overdo it with the amount of sugar, as some people increase the proportions indicated in the recipe for making mash. You don't need to do this, as too much "food" for the yeast will stimulate too much activity.

Container for mash

The material from which the container for the mash is made must be resistant to a number of chemical compounds, including alcohol, and also not have foreign odors, and be intended for food products. It is advisable to immediately purchase a container in a specialized store, and not fit plastic tanks, pots and other utensils.

Braga Recipes

It can sometimes be difficult to choose your own recipe for making mash, as there are many options, moreover, they can still be classified by each winemaker separately. Each country has its own classic ways production of alcohol, but they all come down to a single fermentation process, only the raw materials are different. That is why there are unusual for some recipes from sweets, bananas, oranges, coffee and so on.

The easiest way is to mix six kg of sugar, 800 grams of yeast, 20 liters of water and put in a warm place to ripen. Recipes for making cereal mash

Cereals are often used to make spirits and here are some options:

Crushed wheat. About 4 kg of crushed wheat is taken and mixed with 3 liters of water and 1.5 kg of sugar and left for 7 days. This will turn out to be a kind of sourdough, to which about 18 liters of water, 4.5 kg of sugar are added after a week. After insisting, when the mash acquires a bitter taste, it is filtered, distilled, it is recommended to do this twice. The peculiarity of the recipe is that the remains after pumping can be reused, they need to add 4.8 sugar, 7.5 liters of water, stand for 9 days, strain and overtake a couple of times;
Sprouted wheat. You should wait until the wheat germinates (5 kg), chop it, add 250 grams of yeast, pour 15 liters of water and wait until high-quality fermentation occurs;
Millet. It is necessary to cook 5 kg of millet, dilute it with 2.5 liters of warm water and dissolve 125 grams of yeast, and then add 0.5 kg of yeast dough and leave everything for the fermentation period. The output is not large and it is better to distill several times;
Rice. You should take 3 kg of dry rice, boil, cool, add 3 cups of ground malt, leave for 10-12 hours and pour 10 liters of water with 200 grams of yeast diluted in it;
Any cereal. Whether it will be wheat, barley or any other cereal, it is suitable for making mash according to the following recipe. The grains are first germinated, dried, even in the oven, crushed, and this whole mixture is poured with boiling water. The result should be a solution resembling jelly, which is left to cool, and only then yeast is added in a proportion of 400 grams per 5 liters of liquid. Sometimes yeast is replaced with peas.

There are other ways to prepare mash from cereals, but to prevent specific odors, such a product recommends distilling several times, and then flavoring, insisting.

Recipes for making vegetable mash

Potato. Potatoes need to be boiled, then mashed to a mashed consistency and add 30 liters of water and 6 kg of sugar, then add the yeast solution at the rate of ½ liter per 200 grams. The readiness of such a mash is about 10 days. There are other recipes with potatoes that use raw grated vegetables, flour, chopped wheat, oats and other ingredients;
Ordinary candle. The option is almost the same as cooking mash on potatoes. Boiled beets 8 kg are taken, 6 kg of sugar, 10 liters of water and ½ kg of yeast are added. Fill with warm water. There are more complex options when the beets are boiled in an ode that is drained three times and is also used for infusion, sugar and yeast are required everywhere. Can also use cereals;
Peas. You can take 2 kg of peas, which must be crushed to the consistency of flour, and this mixture must be boiled in sweet water, at the rate of 7 liters and a glass of granulated sugar. When the solution becomes homogeneous, it is cooled, malt is added and after 5-6 hours yeast in the amount of 100 grams. Braga is prepared for 10-12 days;
Carrot. For 5 kg of boiled and chopped carrots, a liter of water, ½ kilogram of flour, 100 grams of yeast are taken. The mixture is ready for distillation in 8-9 days;
Tomato. It is better to take tomato paste, but you will need a lot of sugar. Per 1 kg tomato paste- 10.5 kg of sugar, 30 liters of water, and beer (1/2 liter) will help stimulate fermentation;
Pumpkin. The vegetable is boiled to a state of porridge, mixed with malt and yeast, and also poured with warm water. Proportions: 5 kg of pumpkin, 2.5 liters of water, 100 grams of yeast and ground malt;

This is only a small part of the ways to use vegetables not only for stews and salads, but for getting alcohol at home. Recipes for making mash from fruits and berries

A distillation liquor made from fruits and berries is considered to be more aromatic than one made from vegetables or cereals, although the distillate will have a subtle hint of raw material. The use of such ingredients is very beneficial for those who have their own summer cottages, gardens with fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. There are practically no restrictions on the type of berries or fruits, but the following methods can be distinguished from the most popular recipes:

Apples. It can even be used dried or in jam. If there are fresh fruits, then they need to be cleaned of damage, seeds, crushed to a puree state. Based on 15 kg, add 10 liters of water, 50 grams of yeast, 2 kg of sugar. If the apples are dry, then the process will consist in brewing 2 kg of fruit in 12 liters of water, followed by mixing 3 kg of sugar and 300 grams of yeast. Sometimes apples and pears are combined, as well as some berries;
Pears. Everything is done by analogy, as with apples. You can also take 5 kg of already slightly rotten pears, cut them, cook them, let them cool, and only then add 20 grams of yeast, a liter of water and a glass of sugar. There are special recipes for wild pears;
Plum. One of the most simple recipes consists in the fermentation of two buckets of plums, which are pre-crumpled. If the varieties are not very sweet, then you can stimulate the fermentation with sugar and yeast;
Cherry. For such a mash, you will have to spend some time, as you will need to remove the bones. You can take 10 kg of cherries, peel them, crush them, add a kilogram of sugar, 100 grams of yeast and a liter of water;
Rowan. It is better to take rowan juice. It is enough to take 4 liters of rowan juice, 100 grams of yeast;
Grape. Grape pomace is often used, and the juice itself can be drunk or made into wine. For 5 kg of pomace, 2-2.5 kg of sugar, 15 liters of water and 250 grams of yeast will be required;

Almost all berries and fruits are suitable for mash, the main thing is to observe the proportions of sugar, for example, for cranberries you need more sugar than for strawberries or raspberries. You can find a large number of options for using fruits, berries, including forest ones, and you can find it without any problems. the best way or come up with your own. Dried fruits are also actively used, including dried apricots, raisins and prunes.

Unusual recipes for mash

For mash, cereals are considered more familiar, as well as berries, some vegetables and fruits, but there are recipes that at first glance seem unusual, especially for beginners. Some of the highlights are:

Cream. If someone does not like melted ice cream, then it can be converted to . To do this, 5 kg of ice cream is dissolved in 20 liters of heated water, supplemented with sourdough and aged for 10-14 days;
Candies. It is preferable to choose stuffed caramel, but candy platter also makes a good base for alcohol. Proportions may vary, but as quantitative indicators, you can take 5 kg of sweets, 20 liters of warm water and 100 grams of yeast (dry). After 6 days, the solution can be distilled into alcohol;
Coffee or cocoa. A syrup is prepared from ½ kg of sugar and 2.5 liters of water, into which 200 grams are kneaded ground coffee or cocoa. In a warm place, the solution will soon begin to ferment and after 4 days you can add another 100 grams of coffee. Distillation in several stages is recommended;
oranges. Braga will be fragrant. For 10 kg of oranges, you need to take 100 grams of yeast and 2 kg of sugar, 100 grams of yeast, a liter of water. The fruits are peeled, grinded, even with stones, and if the oranges are initially juicy, then you can infuse them without water, only with sugar and sourdough;
Bananas. It is better to use overripe fruits, knead them well and they have already gained sweetness. 10 kg of bananas, 10 liters of water, 1/5 kg of yeast, 5 kg of sugar are taken into account;
Watermelon. A whole watermelon needs to be peeled, pitted, and if its weight is 6 kg, then for fermentation it is enough to add 2 cups of sugar, 100 grams of yeast. It is necessary to withstand this mixture for 10 days and can be distilled;
Zucchini, ginger, lemon. All these ingredients are mixed in a ratio of 3 kg, 50 grams, 3 pieces and poured with 5 liters of water. You also need sugar - 1.5 kg, 50 grams of yeast.

These are just some unusual recipes, since each experienced winemaker can find his own original way of obtaining a solution for making alcohol.

Some rules for making mash

Making alcoholic beverages at home is quite a profitable activity, but in order for the final product to taste good and have the right strength, certain rules must be followed. This applies not only to the distillation process itself, the use of high-quality equipment, and not home-made structures of dubious performance, but also to the stage of preparing mash. These include:

When choosing raw materials, you need to focus on the fact that its flavor will be partially transferred to the finished product. For example, when making bread and pressed yeast, you should not expect an exquisite taste, it will turn out more classic with a characteristic aftertaste;
Braga from cereals, vegetables, in particular legumes, must be distilled several times, since a large amount of fusel oils and related compounds are released during the cooking process;
The container for the mash should be equipped with a water seal that allows carbon dioxide to be removed, but at the same time, to block the access of oxygen. Such products are easy to purchase in specialized stores, in extreme cases, you can use a glove;
The maturation of the mash depends not only on raw materials and sourdough, but also on the temperature regime, the observance of which must be monitored;
The rate of ripening, the strength of the solution and the taste depend on the quality of the yeast. If you need to prepare a delicious strong drink, then it is better to use special alcoholic yeast and refrain from pressed ones.

In addition to observing proportions, the technology itself is also important, which must be observed. No need to save on ingredients, including sugar, which can also be different. Alternatively, everything you need for the wort can be purchased at specialized stores for those who are professionally involved in the preparation of alcohol at home. This applies to equipment, as well as other auxiliary devices, utensils, measuring devices.