How to mash moonshine at home. Moonshine from sugar and yeast: simple recipes. How to make the simplest mash

In the last few years, in shopping centers you can find specialized stores selling goods for home brew. The increase in the number of such stores is due to a sharp decline in the quality of alcoholic beverages in the public retail chain. This article explains the basic principles ethanol synthesis or raw alcohol, which can become a good business in a BP environment. After reading it, you will understand what the quality of the resulting product depends on.

Ethanol synthesis or ethyl raw alcohol– a complex multi-stage process. At the first stage, it is prepared feedstock. It can be any product rich in sucrose or starch: sugar beets, grapes, potatoes, apples, halva, molasses, etc. The most common and well-known is sugar. Sugar is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:4, after which it is added to this solution yeast.

The quality of water and yeast determines how quickly you will get matured mash, suitable for distillation. When using tap water, it must first be boiled and cooled to remove the chlorine it contains.

Yeast, before adding them to the sugar solution, it is necessary to “revive” them - that is, place them in warm water (30-35 degrees Celsius) and keep them in this water for about half an hour until foam appears in the yeast solution. After this, the yeast is added to the sugar solution. For better dissolution of sugar, the water in which it is planned to be dissolved is preheated to a temperature of 80-90 degrees. (Or, what is more effective, they boil sugar in it for several hours to obtain the so-called “invert sugar”. In any case, after receiving the medium, it is cooled to a temperature of about 30 degrees. 27 - ideal conditions for the growth and functioning of yeast - Notes from knowledgeable people.)

After adding yeast, the fermentation process begins, lasting several weeks with strict adherence to temperature and constant removal of carbon dioxide, which is formed during fermentation. When the temperature drops, fermentation stops, and when the temperature rises, the yeast may die. Therefore, the temperature must be strictly controlled. Thermostats for aquarium fish do an excellent job of this task.

A water seal is used to remove gases. The simplest design of the shutter is a hose, one end of which is inserted into a fermentation tank, and the other into a jar of water. At the very beginning, the fermentation process proceeds rapidly, with abundant gas formation, so it is necessary to monitor the free flow of the hose.

The fermentation process is not fast and takes an average of 14 days. It can be accelerated by actively mixing the fermentable raw materials. During Prohibition, household washing machines were even used for this purpose.

Special yeast with the prefix “turbo” in the name is also available for sale. This means that yeast contains enzymes that speed up its growth. When using such yeast, a product ready for distillation can be obtained in a few days. At the end of this stage, the product should be mash - a low-alcohol raw material for the subsequent synthesis of ethanol. The strength of the mash, as a rule, does not exceed 14-16 degrees. Braga is a light translucent solution with yeast sediment in a fermentation container.

The next step is distillation or obtaining raw alcohol(moonshine). Yeast-filtered mash is poured into the distillation container and heated to a certain temperature. Vapors from the mash evaporating when heated pass through a coil tube lowered into cold water. During the heating process, the temperature of the mash begins to rise and when it reaches 65-70 degrees, the first drops of liquid with a characteristic pungent odor appear at the outlet of the coil tube. This is the so-called first"(first fraction), which is acetone.

« Pervach"is a strong chemical poison that can cause severe liver damage even in small doses. In industry it is used as a solvent called industrial alcohol. Collect it in a separate container. You will wipe the contacts with a thin layer. In general, it has a lot of uses, since it is a good solvent for fatty deposits. With a distillation cube capacity of 10 liters, you will get at least 200 ml of “pervach”.

When the temperature of the mash vapor reaches 73 degrees, the separation of the primary material stops and begins to flow out of the coil drop by drop raw alcohol, aka moonshine. The heat should be reduced, otherwise the mash brought to a boil will throw sedimentary yeast into the coil tube, which will give the drink a characteristic white color. The temperature on the thermometer stabilizes at 73.0-73.5 degrees and its further growth stops until the raw material with maximum strength is separated. As a rule, this is 40-60 degrees (depending on the initial strength of the mash).

As soon as an increase in temperature is recorded (over 74 degrees Celsius), further distillation must be stopped. If you continue the process while the temperature on the thermometer continues to rise, you will feel the characteristic smell of fusel oils, and the strength of the product will drop in parallel with the increase in temperature.

If you are interested in quality rather than quantity, then it is wiser to interrupt the distillation process at the very beginning of the temperature rise. Having opened the distillation cube, you will be surprised that a fairly large amount of mash remains in it (at least 1/3 of the volume of the cube), only now it is called not mash, but bard. This is a high-calorie raw material rich in enzymes, which in the old days was poured into the manger of cattle so that they would gain weight faster. How you use the stillage is up to you.

What to pay attention to. With a distillation cube capacity of 10 liters and a mash strength of 16 degrees, you should get about 4 liters of high-quality raw alcohol, requiring neither filtration nor re-distillation. This is with scrupulous adherence to the process. Where did the remaining 6 liters go? 200-300 ml – primary product, 4 liters of product, and the rest stillage. Don't mind 6 liters? It's a pity! From them you can get about 2.5 liters of moonshine with a strength of about 30%. True, this moonshine will have a strong smell of fusel oils and will taste unpleasant.

So, it’s a pity to pour out the bard not only for you. At distilleries, where the distillation stills have capacities 100-1000 times larger than yours, tens and hundreds of liters have to be drained of the first liquid and stillage. And these are losses. Therefore, it is not profitable for alcohol producers to produce high-quality products. That is why the alcoholic drinks that reach the shelves are by no means of the best quality. Think about it. Take care of your health! Maybe buy some alcohol mashine- not such a bad idea?

Editor's note

We remind you that at this particular moment only the distribution of home-made alcoholic products is prohibited. For personal use, moonshine can be distilled calmly, but once you start distributing it, especially for money, and not “free of charge, as a service,” then that’s it, administration at a minimum.

UPD: in response to numerous comments

The article is for informational purposes only, intended to give a general idea of the processes that ensure the synthesis of raw alcohol. We deliberately do not consider private cases related to the industrial production of this substance, as well as special cases of manufacturing various wine and vodka products. Nevertheless, we cannot help but respond to the fair comments of our readers. Yes, yeast will most likely die at the specified temperature, since the optimal conditions for its existence are 27 degrees Celsius. Yes, invert sugar is a more efficient medium for their growth, allowing for greater production. Yes, alcohol is produced in production using hydrolysis and rectification methods. And to many other statements the answer is also “yes”. So thank you, dear readers, for fighting so zealously for the clarity of numbers and wording. We are grateful to you for your advice and will try to take them into account in our next articles on this topic.

Moonshine is obtained by observing temperature conditions at all stages of production. Many people ask the question: “How to master moonshine brewing, where to start its production?”

The main points can be noted:

selection and preparation of initial raw materials;
fermentation process;
distillation;
cleansing;
refining, during which the drink is given a certain taste, aroma and color.

Moonshine brewing for beginners can result in a low-quality drink. The production of cloudy alcohol with a bad odor is the result of deviations from the preparation rules. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the main stages. So, let's talk about moonshine. Where to begin?

Selection of initial raw materials

Usually, when choosing raw materials, its availability is taken as the main criterion, that is, saving money. Sugar is often used as a base. This product is valuable and nutritious. Depending on the location of the area in which the drink is made, starch, various grains, beets, and potatoes can be used instead of sugar.

What to choose - a distiller or a rectifier?

Moonshine brewing for beginners involves resolving the question: “Which apparatus to choose?” All distillation devices that are presented by industry can be divided into distillers and rectification columns. Many different units are presented on the website www.zasamogon.ru. Moonshine brewing for beginners is covered quite widely.

Distillers are classic devices, the design of which was invented several centuries ago. The basis of their functioning is to heat the alcohol to a boil and further condense its vapors in a cooling coil.
Rectifiers are devices that appeared relatively recently. They are based on laboratory-invented installations that produce pure alcohol. When distilling mash using this device, a very strong alcohol is obtained. This cannot be achieved using a distiller, even with numerous distillations.

To decide which device is right for you, you must answer the question of what you want to get as a result: pure alcohol or classic drinks that retain the natural taste of the original raw materials?

What are the volumes of the resulting drink?

Don't forget about the performance level. Before purchasing, you must decide how many liters of drink you want to get out at a time. If you do not need large volumes, then it is advisable to purchase a 13-liter moonshine still. In one distillation it makes it possible to obtain 3 liters of distillate. However, if you want to get a larger volume of moonshine, then you should pay attention to 35-liter units.

How to heat the distillation cube?

If the house has a gas stove, then the heating process will not be problematic. But if you have an electric or induction cooker, then certain difficulties may arise, since in this case the distillation cube must have an absolutely flat bottom. This is necessary for maximum interaction with the heating element. And the standard version of the device will turn out to be unsuitable.

Especially for this case, special models of devices suitable for induction cookers and electric heaters have been developed. For example, you can note the brand "Ivanych-Lux".

A separate problem is the availability of running water at the site of moonshine brewing. Undoubtedly, cold water is supplied from the tap in almost all modern homes, and if you are brewing moonshine at home, then there are no problems with the supply of water.

But if you are relaxing in a country house and are going to cook mash there? In this case, the supply of running water may be problematic. To solve this problem, special models have also been invented that operate without running water.

Is a steamer necessary or not?

What should be noted in such a process as moonshine brewing for beginners? The steamer is an integral attribute of the process. Its other name is a reflux condenser (or settling tank). It is needed in order to prevent heavy substances from entering the moonshine during the distillation process. This device ensures good taste and physical qualities of the output moonshine. The drink is obtained without impurities and has no foreign odors.

Also, using a reflux condenser, you can add a pleasant aroma to the drink. For this purpose, citrus zest is placed in the container before distillation.

In settling tanks with a vertical drawer, the level of purification of moonshine is much higher. Recently, devices with double steam chambers have become very popular.

Will you need a thermometer?

Undoubtedly, like a reflux condenser, a thermometer is extremely necessary when brewing moonshine. It is known that water is in the middle between the boiling points of each of these two substances. Knowing this feature, many resort to compiling their own tables to control the temperature at which distillation occurs. The result is a product with a higher level of quality.

However, there are supporters of traditional methods in moonshine brewing, where the presence of a thermometer is not a prerequisite. But every day there are fewer such lovers. In this case, it all depends on the taste of the manufacturer. He has a choice: to buy a moonshine machine with or without a thermometer.

What will you need to make mash?

To do this you must stock up on:

a fermentation container made of food material (plastic, glass, stainless steel, an aluminum milk can is also suitable);
hydraulic valve;
alcohol yeast;
water;
sugar.

Preparation for the process

If you decide to resort to using a 30-liter fermentation container, then it will contain about 25 liters of mash. First of all, bottled water is purchased. You can also take water from pipes, but it must be filtered. Spring water is also applicable, or you will need 20 liters.

The water should be slightly warmed. It should be brought to approximately 40 degrees. Sugar dissolves more easily in warm water. 5 kg of granulated sugar is poured into the water in a ratio of 1:4 and stirred thoroughly until completely dissolved.

Yeast preparation

The smell from them is much less and, as a rule, pleasant, which affects the taste of the mash.
Significantly less foam is formed.
Special yeast shows resistance to alcohol. The mash will become stronger, and the output will be larger.
Yeast for alcohol produces fewer impurities during the fermentation process.

In a business like moonshine brewing for beginners, the proportion of dry yeast is very important. Calculating their number is very simple. For 1 liter of wort you will need about 3.5-4.5 g of alcoholic yeast. It turns out that for 23 liters of mash you will need 80-100 g.

Fill a small bowl with 1 liter of warm, but not hot water, approximately 35 degrees. 50 g of sugar dissolves in it. Then the yeast is added. After some time, bubbles will appear on the surface. This means that the yeast has begun to ferment.

You need to wait about a quarter of an hour and pour the resulting mixture into the prepared wort. The container should be hermetically sealed and a water seal should be installed. A small amount of water is poured into it.

Fermentation will begin in about half an hour. The first two days the mash must be stirred, since the top is covered with a film that prevents the flow of oxygen.

Fermentation activity is monitored by the operation of the hydraulic valve. If gurgling is often heard from it, then fermentation is active. The process can last up to 3 weeks. You can also determine its end by the shutter activity.

The resulting mash should not be sweet, otherwise not all the sugar has been processed and yeast will need to be added to continue fermentation. A device that measures the amount of sugar will help with this. It should have an indicator of 0-2%.

When the drink is ready, it needs to be placed in a cold place, but not in the cold, to clarify. If this is not possible, then simply let it sit for a couple of days so that the fermented yeast precipitates.

Distillation process

The settled mash is poured into a distillation cube. This is done using a hose so as not to raise sediment from the yeast. The tank of the moonshine still is three-quarters full. For example, 9 liters of mash are poured into a 12-liter container. Then the distiller is installed on the cube, and the moonshine still is placed on the stove, cooling water is supplied and the refrigerator is filled with it.

We wait until the thermometer rises to 80°C, after which the water is released. The first drops will appear at a temperature of 80-83°C.

The primary product should not be drunk under any circumstances. In moonshiners' terminology, it is called the “head”. It is based on low-boiling poisons (acetone and methanol). From 9 liters of mash, about 130 ml of the first drops are taken, which should be poured out.

Next, the product for which the entire process was carried out is selected. It's called the "heart". The selection continues until the alcohol in the stream (drops from the apparatus that do not fall into the moonshine container) reaches 40%. You can determine the level of alcohol in the stream using an alcohol meter and a small flask (25-100 ml).

After this, the selection stops. The remainder of the mash, stillage, contains little alcohol, but there is a large amount of fusel oils. If you need to continue selecting the “tails” (moonshine with a strength of 40%), then change the container and continue the process until the alcohol reaches 20%. The “tails” and “heart” of moonshine should not be mixed. The “tails” can be poured into a cube for subsequent distillations.

A classic moonshine still usually produces 1.5 liters of moonshine with a strength of 58-62% from 9 liters of mash.

What is important to consider?

During the distillation process, the mash should not be allowed to heat above 96°C.
Use caution when working with gas. High strength moonshine can easily ignite, leading to a fire.
After finishing the distillation, turn off the heating element to avoid burns.
Let the device cool down.
Pour out the spent stillage.

Cleaning process

What question still faces those who master moonshine brewing? For beginners, cleaning, or rather its rules, is also unfamiliar. This article will describe the most common cleansing method using activated carbon. Birch or coconut is used. It is recommended to use it as it is more porous and will provide better cleansing.

For is passed through coal. The powder itself cannot be thrown into alcohol, as after an hour it begins to release aldehydes.

For filtration, they resort to using a specialized column or funnel made of glass or stainless steel. It is not recommended to use a plastic funnel or pitcher-type carbon filters, as the alcohol reacts with the plastic.

Secondary distillation

To improve the taste, the resulting alcohol undergoes secondary distillation. It is first diluted to 20 or 30%. The process is similar to the previous method. The exception is that this time the number of “heads” selected is half as large.

Ennoblement

The resulting product is of high quality and is used for food. If desired, the drink is given a certain taste, color and aroma.

For 1 liter of moonshine take 1 tbsp. l. honey and 5 whole prunes, and also add 4 g of oak chips. It should be infused for 3-4 weeks. The contents are then filtered.

Improving the aroma of a drink can be achieved in different ways. Many plants contribute to this. The main thing is to know which part of it is more effective.

For example, if you are using mustard, anise, cumin or dill, it is better to take the seeds. If pepper, cardamom or vanilla is taken, then their fruits are used. Saffron and clove inflorescences provide excellent taste. The most fragrant leaves of plants such as marjoram, laurel and tarragon. Cinnamon or oak bark is very suitable. If horseradish, ginger or galangal are used, their roots are used. Nuts can also change the smell and taste. Many people use apricot kernels.

Moonshine can also be sweetened with syrups. The simplest one is made from sugar and water in a 1:1 ratio. The syrup is allowed to brew for 2 weeks. Honey is also used to add sweetness.

When adding syrup and honey, the alcohol must be heated so that gases are released from it. Once gas evolution has completed, the drink is ready for filtration.

In a business like moonshine brewing for beginners, a recipe book will come in handy. It should be noted that there are many ways to prepare this alcoholic drink. Moonshine brewing for beginners fb2 reveals in sufficient detail. Files with the fb2 extension are e-books in the FictionBook format. There is also a book for those who are mastering moonshine. For beginners, the recipes are quite understandable and accessible.

How to make moonshine from jam?

How to master moonshine brewing for beginners? The jam recipe is quite simple. First of all, you should put in the mash, which will then turn into moonshine during distillation.

Such moonshine is usually made when a jar of jam has soured. You can even mix several types of it. The main thing is that it is as sweet as possible.

There are a number of ways to prepare such a drink, including without the use of yeast. However, it is not recommended to make moonshine without their use. This method is especially not recommended for beginners. The jam has already begun to ferment, and in the process sour fermentation may take over. The mash will spoil and the drink will not work.

Another important detail. The jam, on the basis of which the mash will be prepared, should be cooked with sugar, and not with a substitute.

How to prepare moonshine from jam without sugar?

In a business like moonshine brewing for beginners, proportions are very important. To prepare a drink according to this recipe, take 6 liters of fermented jam, 300 g of yeast and 30 liters of water.

The process consists of the following steps:

the water heats up and the jam dissolves in it;
crushed yeast is poured into 0.5 liters of warm water and left until foam begins to rise;
the water with the jam is cooled to a temperature of 40 0 C, and the yeast dough is poured into it;
everything is thoroughly mixed and covered with gauze;
the container with mash is placed in a warm place and wrapped up;
fermentation should take place for 5 days;
moonshine is filtered and strained.

How to make moonshine from jam and sugar?

What recipe can you recommend for people mastering moonshine brewing? For beginners, the recipe for sugar moonshine is also simple. The same ingredients are taken as in the previous recipe, only 3 kg of granulated sugar is added.

The cooking process consists of the following steps:

The water heats up and the sugar dissolves in it.
Jam is added and everything is thoroughly mixed.
The crushed yeast is poured into 0.5 liters of warm water and infused until foam rises.
The sweet solution is cooled to 40 0 C. Yeast dough is poured into it.
Everything is thoroughly mixed and the container is covered with gauze.
The container is wrapped and placed in a warm place. The fermentation process takes place over 10 days.
Fermentation should be controlled, as it may end early and the mash will sour. The distillation process begins at the moment when the mash acquires a bitter taste.
The mash is filtered and distilled.

What is often of interest to people who are mastering moonshine brewing for beginners: how much sugar moonshine is produced? The drink will ultimately come out to 6 liters.

How to make moonshine based on jam without yeast?

This recipe involves replacing yeast with beer.

You should take:

sour jam - 6 liters;
sugar - 1.2 kg;
beer - 1.2 l;
boiled water - 27 liters.

Jam is poured into the fermentation container. Granulated sugar is poured into it, beer is poured in and cooled to 40 0 C is added.

The neck of the container is covered with gauze. The container is wrapped and placed in a warm place for 10 days. After fermentation of the mash is completed, the drink is filtered and distilled into moonshine. The output is 8 liters of drink.

Note

For all three methods of making jam-based moonshine, it is not at all necessary to take 6 liters of jam. You can take as much as you need or as much as you have, the remaining ingredients are reduced or increased in the appropriate proportion.

In order for moonshine brewing to proceed without errors for beginners, you should adhere to a number of important recommendations from experienced specialists:

Never overheat the mash. In addition to ruining the drink, you risk the container exploding. In addition, at high temperatures, the mash may begin to overflow through the neck. To prevent this effect, an additional filter is installed. Take a three-liter jar, which is screwed on with a metal lid. Two small holes are made in it in advance. If high temperature causes the mash to overflow, it will end up in the jar and not in the drink being prepared.
The raw materials are based on both sugar- and starch-based products. A good drink comes from candies, fruits, tomato juice, bread, and peas. But the ideal ingredient is still sugar.
To determine the readiness of the mash, you can taste it. It is ready if it has a bitter aftertaste. If it is sweet, then the fermentation process has not yet ended.
To prevent the starter from getting into the moonshine during distillation, even before the process begins, pour in 0.5 liters of fresh milk and add 2 tablespoons of butter.
Waste from distilled mash can be saved. Components for a new starter are added there. The quality of such moonshine is always higher.
If the base of the starter is flavored water, and the steamer contains fragrant herbs, then the resulting moonshine will not have a sharp, specific odor.

You can find a lot of useful tips on the website www.zasamogon.ru. In this case, moonshine brewing will become easier for beginners.

Connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages will certainly not ignore such a well-known drink as moonshine. After all, moonshine can be considered a classic drink that you can prepare yourself, and its taste can be very diverse and it will meet the requirements of even the most demanding gourmets. Knowing the intricacies of the process and the characteristics of the composition will help you avoid mistakes.

Sugar mash

Braga, made from sugar and yeast, is considered the most popular alcoholic drink among Russian residents, and there are many varieties of it.

However, the process of its preparation should begin by studying some fairly simple recommendations that will allow you to obtain mash of the highest quality, free of foreign tastes and odors, and also characterized by absolute transparency, which should also be considered an important advantage of this drink.

Since it is often the presence of a foreign odor that is considered the main defect of home-made moonshine. it is precisely getting rid of it that should be considered a priority task before starting the moonshine process.

To ensure that the resulting sugar mash is aromatic, does not disappoint with its taste and does not require secondary purification, the following rules for preparing for the main process should be followed:

All containers that are required in the process of producing mash must be perfectly clean. Don’t be lazy, rinse with hot water and a sufficient amount of detergent all the pots, bottles and basins in which you plan to produce the mash, and you will be sure that your moonshine will pleasantly surprise everyone whom you decide to pamper with your own prepared drink;
after thorough rinsing, the container should be wiped with a clean cloth - this will also ensure that the resulting product is of the highest quality and has no foreign odor or taste;
strict adherence to the quantity of all components - this condition must also be observed as precisely as possible, since it is their ratio that makes the drink itself rich, having a clearly defined taste and smell.

Today, moonshine lovers are presented with many different recipes, which may differ both in the constituent components, their quantity and ratio, and in the stages and their sequence in the process of preparing moonshine. The recipe for moonshine may vary depending on the place of its production, the characteristics of the culture and even the natural conditions of the region where it is planned to begin making the mash.

Classic technology for making mash from sugar and yeast: amount of initial ingredients

Moonshine at home, which is prepared using classical technology, is of the highest quality, has no unnecessary odor or unpleasant taste, but is uniquely transparent and at the same time pleasant to the taste, made from the following components:

granulated sugar - 6 kg;
citric acid in the amount of 25 grams;
preferably purified drinking water - 18 liters;
yeast - dry 120 grams or compressed yeast 600 grams.

From the listed amount of ingredients you will get about 5 liters of amazingly tasty moonshine, and the resulting forty-degree drink will be delicious.

Classic mash recipe at home

The classic recipe has a number of specific features that are used when using any number of components and their combinations. The technology for producing mash made from granulated sugar, carried out at home, is quite simple.

Let's take a closer look at what steps should be completed so that your work is not in vain, and your time and effort are not wasted.

Calculation of proportions

To obtain mash at home, you should first calculate the amount you want to receive.

To more accurately calculate the required ingredients, you need to know that 1.1 liters of forty degree drink will be obtained from 1 kg of sugar. However, it often happens that due to the not entirely correct amount of initial ingredients, errors in distillation technology and poor adherence to temperature conditions. For this reason, you should change the recipe for moonshine, and take 10 percent more of all components than recommended.

In order for homemade moonshine to have a pronounced taste, the following ratio of components should be observed: for 1 kg of granulated sugar, take 3.5 liters of high-quality purified water, preferably not tap water (half a liter is added when inverting sugar), as well as yeast in the amount of 100 g if yeast pressed, or 20 g when the yeast is dry.

Sugar inversion process

Inversion, which is the production of syrup from granulated sugar, allows for a more complete breakdown of glucose and destruction of pathogenic microorganisms by raising the temperature. After all, it is microbes that worsen the taste of the resulting mash and at the same time can cause its spoilage.

Also, with the help of inversion, the fermentation process is improved, which greatly facilitates the work of the yeast, and also allows for more complete mixing of all components. And although many recipes only suggest stirring sugar in water, inversion is considered the most preferable option for producing high-quality moonshine.

The inversion process consists of several stages:

heating water - its temperature should be about 80°C;
6 kg of sugar is poured into three liters of heated water;
the syrup is then quickly brought to boiling point, and after 10 minutes 25 g of citric acid should be added to it;
After this, the syrup is boiled again for 1 hour.

Water - quality requirements

Since it is water that is the basis of mash, the moonshine recipe will be most successful when high-quality water was used: not hard, without any foreign taste or smell.

This can be achieved if the preparation of moonshine is based on purchased high-quality purified water. If tap water is used, then it should be collected in large containers, first left for several days and then carefully drained, leaving the resulting sediment at the bottom.

The process of mixing the constituent components

After receiving the sugar syrup, it is poured into a container in which fermentation will take place. Water at room temperature is added to the syrup with constant vigorous stirring. The final temperature of the mixture should be about 27°C.

After mixing the syrup and water, the resulting homogeneous mixture should not occupy more than 3/4 of the maximum volume of the container used, since during subsequent fermentation the foam may overflow.

Pitching Yeast

For a more active action, the yeast should first be kneaded with your hands, placed in a small container with warm water, then left for a short amount of time (about 10 minutes) - this is necessary to begin the fermentation process. This applies to compressed yeast.

Dry yeast should also be pre-soaked in warm boiled water, left until maximum dissolution, and then wrapped and placed in a warm time. After about 40 minutes, a stable cap of foam appears on the surface - this is an indication that the yeast is active and the fermentation process has begun.

If, when using dry baker's yeast, too active foaming occurs, you should add a small amount of cookies to the container to activate the yeast: this will not negatively affect the quality of the mash. Moonshine at home will now retain its excellent qualities and delight you with its excellent taste.

Fermentation process

Next, moonshine brewing at home continues by transferring the filled containers to a room where a constant temperature is maintained, the most optimal for the active work of yeast is 25-30 ° C. The use of invert sugar allows you to obtain mash with a pleasant taste and caramel smell.

The containers in which fermentation occurs must first be equipped with water seals. Also, to maintain a constant temperature, containers are wrapped in warm clothes (blankets, fur coats, building insulating materials), and an aquarium temperature maintainer can also be used.

The duration of fermentation is about 3-11 days, most often the end of this process is observed already on days 5-8. Shaking containers with mash after 10-12 hours allows you to speed up the process and also remove excess gas from the mixture.

the process of foam formation stops;
a lit match brought to the table does not go out;
there is an alcohol smell;
the resulting liquid tastes bitter, which indicates the end of the transition of sugar into alcohol.

The integrated use of the listed signs can help you avoid making mistakes in determining the readiness of the mash.

Lightening the mash

Using natural white clay, or bentonite, allows you to lighten the resulting mash and eliminate excess carbon dioxide.

To do this, the mash is drained from the yeast sediment and then heated. High temperatures kill any remaining yeast.

Now the mash is poured back into the container, bentonite is added to it and the resulting mash is clarified. Bentonite is first crushed using a coffee grinder, then mixed with water at a low temperature until the consistency of liquid sour cream is formed and the resulting mixture is poured into the mash. Intensive stirring allows for the best possible cleansing and clarity of the mash. Next, the mash is left completely alone for 25-30 hours.

Pour the cleaned mash into a container; the sediment should not be poured into the sewer, as it can harden and turn into a hard-to-break cement plug that is difficult to remove and creates serious problems in the sewer.

The process of obtaining moonshine

Moonshine at home is distilled from the resulting and purified mash, which is ready for use. To do this, you must also follow a certain sequence of actions.

First distillation

This process is to extract as much alcohol as possible.

To do this, the clarified mash is poured into a distillation cube, the fire is turned on low, and individual fractions are separated. The first of them, “head”, is 50 ml and is the most harmful to health. It can be used strictly for technical purposes.

The rules are not at all complicated, you should pay attention to them before preparing moonshine.

Preparing the Components

It is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of water, since it is one of the main components. It is better to take purchased water, which has been thoroughly purified mechanically. Clean water is an additional plus in the absence of any unpleasant odors in moonshine.

As a last resort, you can take the amount of water required for the process from the water supply and let it sit for several days, then drain it, leaving sediment at the bottom.

In the classic preparation of the drink, the following components are used:

sugar - 6 kg;
citric acid - 25 grams;
water - 18 l;
120 grams of dry yeast or 600 grams of compressed yeast.

From this amount of ingredients you can make approximately 5 liters of moonshine.

Another tip when calculating the ingredients - from 1 kg of sugar you get about 1.1 liters of a 40-degree drink, but many practitioners advise taking 10% more of all products, this is due to many factors - the quality of the raw materials, the temperature of the products, etc. All this can slightly reduce the amount of the final product. Much depends on how to prepare moonshine.

Inverting sugar

When preparing moonshine, this stage is one of the most important. The main thing is not to boil the sugar syrup to avoid the formation of furan aldehydes, namely hydroxymethylfurfural. This substance is poisonous - it promotes the development of cancerous tumors and depression of the central nervous system.

The essence of inversion is to break down sugar (sucrose) into simpler substances (fructose and glucose). Yeast is able to break down sugars on its own, but during its work it will release many toxic substances that will reduce the quality of the final product. Plus, the yeast will take a long time to process the sugar, so inverting the sugar speeds up the brewing process.

Some moonshine recipes instruct you to simply mix water and sugar in a fermentation container, but it is precisely the production of sugar syrup from these two components that will make the moonshine more pleasant to taste and smell.

During heating, microbes die, this helps the yeast do its job better and increases the organoleptic properties of moonshine.

Inverting sugar is carried out in several steps:

heating water to 60-70 degrees;
adding sugar - 2 kg of sugar per 1 liter of liquid;
Constant stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved;
slowly add 2 grams of citric acid per 1 kg of sugar used;
heat the syrup to 80 degrees and hold the temperature for 1.5-2 hours;
Remove the pan from the stove and wrap it in a blanket for 40 minutes.

Instructions for inverting sugar

Adding Yeast

The resulting syrup is poured into a container with water; the volume of the resulting mixture should not exceed 3/4 of the container intended for fermentation, since when yeast is added, a large amount of foam may form.

Before adding yeast, you should prepare it slightly. The pressed yeast is kneaded and mixed with warm water, then left for 10 minutes. If the yeast is dry, then it should be slowly poured into warm water, while stirring with a whisk to avoid the formation of lumps and left for a while, covered with a cloth.

Foam should appear on the surface, which indicates that the yeast has been activated. If too much foam forms, you can knock it down by sprinkling it with regular cookies; this will not spoil the taste of the moonshine.

Instructions for preparing yeast

Fermentation process

For dishes in which fermentation will take place, a water seal must be provided in advance. It is needed to protect the mash from unnecessary contact with oxygen, which can cause the product to sour. After adding all the ingredients, the container is placed in a warm place - a room with a constant temperature of about 25-30 degrees.

The process takes 10-12 days, but it can be accelerated by mixing the contents of the container every other day. You can determine that fermentation has completed successfully by the following signs:

there is no movement of bubbles in the water seal;
foam no longer appears on the surface;
presence of alcohol odor;
There is an alcoholic taste - bitter.
the match does not go out when it is above the surface of the mash.

It is important that all signs must be present, not just a couple of them.

Checking the completion of fermentation

Moonshine clarification

Bentonite or natural white clay, mixed with warm water until creamy. This consistency is then poured into the fermented wort, which has been purified as much as possible by straining, settling and removing the sediment.

Having mixed the components well, the container is left to settle for 2-3 hours. Next, when the wort brightens and becomes transparent, it is carefully removed from the sediment by pouring it through a small silicone hose. The sediment obtained from the liquid should not be poured into the sewer, as it is clay, which can harden and create problems with the sewer. The mash is ready, now you just need to remove the moonshine from it.

About ways to lighten mash

Moonshine distillation

Distillation is performed in two stages - in principle, the same thing happens in both, but there are nuances. The purpose of the first distillation is to obtain the maximum amount of alcohol, which is usually called “raw”.

Alcohol “Raw” is an intermediate product between mash and moonshine; it cannot be consumed, as it contains quite a lot of harmful substances that are dangerous to the human body. This product can only be used for technical purposes.

The clarified mash is poured into the distillation cube, filling it 3/4 of the total volume. The process takes place over low heat while measuring the strength of the distillate.

For convenience and subsequent process analytics, you can keep records in a table indicating the start and end times of the distillation cycles, the volume of the product obtained and an indication of its strength.

The first distillation of the mash is carried out until the alcohol meter shows the alcohol content in the resulting liquid. It is not necessary to bring the indicators to zero; the distillation process can be stopped at 10-5 degrees of strength.

At this point, the distillation process is completed - the “raw” alcohol is obtained. Everything that remains in the distillation cube is disposed of, the container is thoroughly washed and prepared for the second distillation.

A clear example of the first distillation

Second distillation

The purpose of secondary distillation is to cut off the “heads” and “tails” that contain impurities harmful to health. Before the start of the second distillation, the raw alcohol is filtered through a coal column, thanks to the adsorbing properties of coal, it is possible to partially get rid of harmful impurities.

For clarity, below is a diagram of this simple device. The site has a detailed article about. If you are too lazy to assemble it yourself, you can always purchase it in a factory version.

Before filtering raw alcohol, it must be diluted with water so that its strength is approximately 20 degrees. At this concentration, filtration in the carbon column occurs better. The result of distilling the diluted “raw material” will also be of better quality, since in a diluted form it is easier to monitor the cutting off of heads and tails.

Diluting alcohol with water makes the distillation process safe! If you distill alcohol whose strength is high, there is also a high risk that the alcohol vapor will ignite or the distillation cube will explode.

The diluted and filtered alcohol is poured into a clean distillation cube and its heating begins until the first drops appear at the outlet of the moonshine still.

And now in more detail what “heads”, “body” and “tails” are.

“Head” is the product obtained at the initial stage of distillation. It has a sharp, unpleasant odor and is a real poison for the human body, as it contains harmful ether and aldehyde compounds. The “heads” can be used for technical purposes, so they can be collected in a separate container.

“Body” is a high-proof food distillate, consisting of ethyl alcohol, water and a small amount of harmful impurities.

“Tail” - the product obtained at the final stage of distillation, has a strength of less than 40 degrees. The composition is dominated by a large amount of fusel oils, which affects the unpleasant odor. Not suitable for consumption as alcohol, as there is a high risk of poisoning with serious consequences. The tailings can be processed by pouring them into a new mash, ready for the first distillation.

How to select heads?

The first drops of moonshine have arrived, we select the heating intensity of the cube so that the output is 2-3 drops per second - with this mode, the “heads” are selected more efficiently.

The volume of selected “heads” for sugar mash is approximately 50 ml per one kilogram of sugar used. This calculation has been tested by several generations of moonshiners, but you should always pay attention to the smell of moonshine.

“Heads” most often have the smell of acetone; if it is still present despite the fact that the heads should have already been selected based on the volume, then selection should be continued until the smell of acetone is no longer present.

Selection of the “body” of moonshine

The “body” needs to be sampled in portions of 200-300 ml to measure the alcohol content of the moonshine. The main task when distilling the “body” is not to miss the moment when the strength in the moonshine still drops below 40 degrees - at this moment the “tails” begin to flow. You also need to pay attention to the smell of the product; if it is not pleasant, it means the fusel has gone bad.

What to do with the “tails”?

The last fraction contains the most fusel oils, so it is excluded from the components of the finished moonshine. It is better to dispose of everything that remains in the distillation cube. You can, of course, completely expel the “tails” and add them to the new mash before distilling it. But as they say, there are no comrades according to taste, each moonshiner has his own attitude towards the final faction.

Moonshine in a couple of hours - is it possible?

Homemade moonshine recipes are varied. Some of them are not so proven, but less expensive and take less time. Can making moonshine take not 1.5-2 weeks, but a couple of days or even a couple of hours?

This is hard to believe; perhaps the moonshine is not of very good quality. You can’t do without a personal, practical test of this express method :) Below is an experimental video on the production of moonshine in a washing machine.

You need to take:

water - 30 l;
sugar - 10 kg;
yeast - 100 g;
milk - 3 l.

Everything is loaded into a non-automatic washing machine and rinsed for 2 hours. After this process, the product is subjected to double distillation.

Moonshine per day

This recipe, as the name suggests, takes a day, but is also relatively short compared to classic sugar mash.

sugar - 5 kg;
warm water (no more than 30 degrees) - 15 l;
yeast - 500 grams;
milk - 1 liter;
peas - 1 kg.

Everything is mixed and infused for a day, after which the distillation process occurs.

There is another “daily” recipe.

sugar - 5 kg;
warm water (no more than 30 degrees) - 25 l;
yeast - 500 gr;
milk - 1 liter;
bread - 4 loaves;
grated potatoes - 25 pieces.

Again, all ingredients are mixed, infused for 24 hours, and the mixture is ready for distillation and further refinement.

Home brew recipes for moonshine

As an example, below are brief recipes for mash. Each recipe option is worthy of a separate article, with a detailed description of the production steps. The site has a small but detailed one for moonshine.

For jam

This recipe is not quick to prepare, but its taste should pleasantly surprise you.

berry or fruit jam or syrup - 6 l;
warm water (room temperature) - 30 l;
yeast - 200 g;
sugar - 2 kg.

The mixture of the presented products ferments for about 7 days in a warm place, and then is also distilled, and an alcoholic drink with a wonderful berry taste is obtained.

From grain

It’s not easy, but the resulting drink will have a rather mild taste and can become the basis for “noble” drinks - whiskey or cognac. Moonshine made from grain is the topic of a separate article, but for a rough understanding, let’s look at a brief recipe.

You should start by making the wort. The raw materials are flour, cereal or grain mixture, they are boiled at 75 degrees. If whole grains are used, they must be sprouted to convert the starches into sugars.
Saccharification can be carried out without germination; for this, “amylosubtilin” and “glucavamorin” are added to the wort; these are enzyme preparations to maintain the vital activity of bacteria.
After this, the wort is sharply cooled, preventing the development of harmful microorganisms. And the most important thing is not to kill the yeast, since they are added at a temperature of 24-28 degrees.
Alcohol yeast is added, and after fermentation is complete, the grain mash is ready.

It is an order of magnitude thicker than usual, so it is distilled a little differently - in a water bath.

From berries or fruits

The berry part will be 75%, the remaining 25% comes from sugar. It is important to maintain exactly these proportions, otherwise the process may not be successful. The crushed fruits are left for a couple of days, the mixture begins to ferment, after which sugar and water are added. The product is ready for distillation.

From caramel

It sounds quite attractive, but the taste is slightly unusual. 5 kg of caramel is dissolved in 2 liters of warm water. Alcohol yeast is added, the mixture is left to ferment for 5 days, then clarification and distillation.

From starch

For 10 kg of starch, take 20 liters of water, everything is brewed as when making jelly;
after everything is cooled to 30 degrees, 0.5 kg of yeast and 1 kg of sugar are added;
fermentation about 5 days;
distilled, and 11 liters of alcohol come out.

From tomato paste and beer

1 liter of tomato paste;
0.5 l of beer;
30 liters of warm water;
10 kg sugar;
This makes 7.5 liters of alcohol.

From cherry

Finely chop unwashed, pitted cherries and keep in a warm place for 2 days. This is done to increase the amount of wild yeast. After this, add clean water and sugar - monitor the end of the fermentation process.

Grape

10 liters of mashed grapes;
5 kg sugar;
100 grams of yeast;
30 liters of water at 30 degrees temperature.

The mixture is infused for a week and goes through the distillation process twice. This drink can be an excellent base for cognac.

Pear

10 kg of pears;
400 g sugar;
50 grams of yeast;

Boil the pears, crumble the yeast, add 1-1.5 liters of water and leave for 7 days.

From potatoes

10 kg of potatoes;
6 kg of oat grains;
37 liters of water;
0.5-0.8 kg of yeast;

The potatoes are chopped on a grater, the oats are also finely ground, after which a little hot water is poured in. In the process of pouring oats, chopped potatoes are gradually added, everything is left to infuse for 3 hours.

After adding water and yeast, the container is tightly closed and left in a darkened room for 3-4 days. A sign that the mash is ready is the presence of sediment and the absence of bubbles in the water seal.

From rowan

Rowan berries are collected after the very first serious frosts; the berries acquire a sweet taste, since starch is converted into sugars with a sharp drop in temperature. They are kneaded to extract juice. Next, the juice ferments in a warm place and is distilled twice. The taste is soft and noble.

Flavoring and coloring

Ready-made moonshine is easy to improve. The drink can be especially tempting in taste and smell. With the help of herbs and berries, you can give moonshine a pleasant look and smell, which will only benefit it.

Spices and nuts

45 g cinnamon;
20 grams of nutmeg;
20 grams of crushed violet root;
50 g pistachios;
15 grams of cloves;
800 grams of chopped unwashed raisins;
12 liters of double distilled moonshine.

Everything is mixed and infused for 7 days, after which it is distilled over low heat.

Mint

The mint is poured with moonshine, and the mixture is infused for 3 days and distilled. The resulting moonshine is poured into black currant leaves, the alcohol is infused for some time until a greenish tint is detected. The drink is filtered; if necessary, you can sweeten it with syrup (take half a liter of water for 1.2 kg of sugar and boil the mixture).

Lemon peels

1.2 kg lemon peel;
20 grams of salt;
12 liters of moonshine.

The mixture is infused for 3 days and goes through distillation again. If desired, the drink can be sweetened with syrup.

Lavender

100 grams of lavender flowers;
25 grams of cloves;
25 g cinnamon;
12 liters of moonshine.

The dry mixture is poured with moonshine and kept for a whole week. A piece of black bread is carefully coated with honey, put into the drink and distilled over low heat.

As you can see, moonshine can be made from various ingredients, from almost all available products. Any adequate experiments will become a discovery in this area, and thus a new recipe for moonshine will appear.

It is important to remember that moonshine at home requires compliance with hygiene rules and the correct proportions, otherwise there is a risk of preparing a not-so-successful drink.

Homemade moonshine

If you don’t yet know how to make homemade tasty and high-quality moonshine, it’s time to master this process. Everything is simpler than it seems. It’s easy to understand why homemade moonshine and drinks based on it are so popular in our country and among our closest neighbors. Mixed here are the reluctance to pay five times more than alcohol actually costs, the low quality of store-bought products, the joy of making it yourself, and simply a spirit of contradiction. So, despite the growing store assortment and government quality control, there are more and more home distilleries.

Everything is simpler than it seems

To make moonshine in your kitchen or garage, you don’t need any special equipment or any skills or knowledge. You only need a little:

Utensils for preparing mash.
Factory or homemade moonshine still (at first you can get by with improvised means).
Knowledge of the recipe.
The simplest ingredients.
Compliance with technology.
Some free time.

If you have everything available and want to make moonshine at home, it’s time to start studying the theory.

Equipment and utensils for home distillery

To make homemade moonshine, first you will need a container for making mash. This can be a regular saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, but it is best to use a glass bottle. Through the glass you will be able to see how the fermentation is progressing, the clarity of the wort, and the precipitation of sediment. If you don't have one at home, you can easily order it. The optimal volume is 20–30 liters.

After the mash is ready, the most interesting part comes - making moonshine at home. This is done through distillation (rectification) in an apparatus, the simplest diagram of which you can see below.

Distillers who constantly distill moonshine at home and fight for quality acquire more complex equipment with a steamer, pressure and temperature meters. But at first, you can get by with this for cooking. Moreover: you can build a distillation installation from a saucepan and a basin (metal bowl), which you can find at home.

In addition to dishes and equipment, it is worth getting an alcohol meter: moonshine brewing at home involves removing fractions with a high content of harmful impurities. And here it will be difficult to do without a strength degree meter.

Preparing the brew

Before preparing moonshine, we need to obtain an alcohol-containing product - mash. There are dozens, or even hundreds of recipes online on how to make good mash from a variety of products, but the simplest one looks like this.

Required:

sugar - 5 kg;
water - 22 liters;
pressed yeast - 200 g (or 70 g dry inactive).

If you don’t yet know how to make moonshine at home, rather than in a laboratory or factory, this the option will be the easiest for you. The output will be a good preparation to get strong homemade moonshine - from 4.5 to 6 liters with a strength of at least 45°. The technology is also not complicated:

We dilute the sugar in 0.5 liters of warm (+25°–+30°C) water until completely dissolved, then crumble the yeast into it. Place in a warm (+30°C, but not higher!) place for approximately 30–60 minutes. During this time, active foaming should begin.
We also heat the remaining water to +25°C and pour the yeast mixture into it. Mix everything well and leave at t +25°–+27°C. We put a rubber glove with several punctures on the neck of the bottle - carbon dioxide will be removed through them. It takes about a week to make mash from the wort.

The end of fermentation is determined as follows:

foaming stopped;
there is no separation of carbon dioxide - the glove has fallen off;
You don't taste sugar, you taste alcohol.

the water should be settled, but not boiled or distilled, the wort in the bottle should occupy approximately 1/3, since the process involves active foaming.

Making a distillate

Now the most important phase has come - making moonshine at home. Pour the mash into the distillation cube and start heating. Since according to our recipe there will be no sediment (if there is, it needs to be filtered through cotton pads), the tank can be immediately heated strongly. The distillate output rate should be approximately 350–400 ml/hour.

For those who do not yet know how to make moonshine according to all the rules, it is necessary to explain that not everything will work. The expelled product is usually divided into three fractions:

The “head” is the product that is first obtained during distillation. It has a strength of 75° or more and contains a huge amount of fusel oils. It will be difficult to separate them, so we “cut off” this portion. It is 50 ml for every kilo of sugar that we threw into the mash. In our case - 250 ml.
"Body". When moonshine is distilled at home, it is this part that is taken for further processing (it can be consumed immediately). The minimum strength should be 40°. We check with an alcohol meter or see whether the expelled liquid burns or not (less than 40° it does not burn).
"Tail". This fraction also contains many harmful impurities. However, the “tails” can be used when preparing the next batch of mash.

Now that we have received a good product - the “body” fraction, we can bring it to mind.

Moonshine purification

Even with very high-quality equipment, during the initial distillation of the mash, completely get rid of components harmful to health will not be possible. So making moonshine at home requires mandatory purification of the resulting alcohol.

Here are the easiest ways to remove impurities:

Filtration through activated or regular carbon. You can throw it in a jar, let it react for 24 hours and strain it. You can install a funnel with a homemade (a layer of cotton wool, a layer of coal, another layer of cotton wool) or a purchased carbon filter at the outlet of the moonshine still.
Planting sediment using potassium permanganate. The maximum amount is 2 grams per 3 liters. After 2-3 days of settling, you need to filter the liquid, add baking soda, stand again and clean. Experts in the process recommend distilling the moonshine again after this.
Adding milk, settling and removing flakes through a filter.

This way you will get a fairly high-quality moonshine that will contain a small amount of harmful substances.

Softening the taste

If you decide to prepare moonshine at home in accordance with the best recipes, then

It is optimal to do secondary distillation and another stage of purification from harmful impurities. Your drink will be many times cleaner than what is offered in stores. However, even after this it may have a purely moonshine taste and excessive hardness.

To improve the characteristics of the drink, you can use various additives. There can be a lot of options here, but it’s best to add:

lemon;
citrus peels;
unshelled pine nuts;
walnut partitions;
burnt sugar.

Before cleaning and softening the finished moonshine, it should be diluted to a strength of no more than 40°. At a higher degree, the removal of impurities is less effective.

There is no limit to perfection

Now making moonshine is no longer something unknown and incomprehensible to you. At first, you should hone your skills and ensure that the product turns out really tasty and free of impurities. Well, when things get going, you can try out new recipes and even come up with your own. Surely friends and acquaintances will repeatedly and gratefully remember your branded liqueurs, homemade cognac and Calvados.