Determining the quality of the mash and its readiness for distillation is very important point in the process of making homemade strong alcoholic drinks. What if you start making strong alcohol ahead of schedule using unfermented mash? the yield of moonshine will be less, the sugar not involved in fermentation will be wasted. The mash left over for several days will begin to sour, worsening the taste of the moonshine.

There are five ways to determine the readiness of the material for the distillation procedure. Experienced producers of ?fire water? It is recommended to use such methods in a comprehensive manner.

Possible errors in production and their elimination

The process of preparing mash, which seems simple on the surface, has its own characteristics. The very technology for producing material for a future alcoholic drink requires compliance with all standards for laying products, observing temperatures and deadlines.

Selection of dishes. For the containers used to make mash, milk cans or plastic barrels are mainly used. If the choice falls on a plastic container, you should check whether such containers are suitable for storage food products whether it has any foreign odors. The liquid should not fill the container more than 70-75%? otherwise, the foam that appears as a result of the ongoing processes will flow over the edge of the dish.

Water. The quality of water used during the manufacturing process determines the final product. To prepare mash, the water must be soft and low in salts. But is it not recommended to use boiled water? it has a low oxygen content, which is necessary to maintain the vital activity of bacteria found in yeast.

The optimal solution is water if it was taken from a well and has proven quality indicators. Using water from springs, although considered a time-tested option, is actually quite dangerous? It is unknown what bacteria are in it. In urban conditions, it is suitable for making mash drinking water, sold in bottles or plain, “from the tap?”. The only condition for use tap water? should she stand alone? two days.

The use of yeast allows you to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Are baker's, dry and alcohol yeast used to prepare mash? They have to
comply with the expiration date of the product, and they must be made according to the instructions on the package.

For a confident result, it is better to choose alcoholic yeast. Such yeast will allow you to make a fairly large amount of moonshine and, in comparison with its?colleagues? have a number of other advantages:

• increased vitality;
• shorter period of the process;
• being more resistant to aggressive environment alcohol, alcohol yeast allows you to increase the strength of the mash to 16-18 g;
• lack of excessive foaming;
• Being a special culture, alcohol yeast in the process of its work produces a minimal amount of sulfur oxides and other harmful impurities.

Dissolved yeast should be added to warm solution sugar and water, but at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees. ? otherwise the culture will perish.

Compliance with the recipe required to make wort, matching the proportions of sugar and yeast, and the amount of water. The proportions that will be used in the manufacture of mash may vary depending on the yeast used, but on average, the recipe range ranges from 10/1/30 to 10/1/50 (sugar/yeast/water).

Compliance temperature conditions necessary for the reaction of fermentation processes to be successful. The optimal temperatures required for successful fermentation are considered to be in the range from 18 to 28 degrees. Such temperature regime allows the yeast culture to completely process sugar.

The lack of yeast nutrition is one of the factors that affects the production of mash. The introduction of additional nutrient medium will allow the yeast organisms to normally complete the process of their activity.

Problematic issues

One of the most frequently asked questions that are encountered in the production of mash? what to do if mash
stopped playing, but remained sweet. This may have several reasons:

• low-quality yeast;
• incorrect calculation of the amount of sugar and how much yeast was added;
• temperature violation;
• excess sunlight;
• lack of subcortex necessary for crops to work.

In case of untimely, early completion of the process or if the mash has not fermented, most recommendations boil down to one piece of advice: add fresh yeast and ensure an optimal temperature range of 18-28 degrees.

The second question that may arise during the production process is this? Why does the fermentation process take a long time and go poorly? If all the requirements of the moonshine production recipe are met, this may be due to the quality of the products used and the temperature of the room in which the container with the mash is located. In this case, it is necessary:

• put insulation on the container with liquid to maintain the temperature;
• shake the mash container more often? This procedure makes it easier for yeast fungi to access the processed material.

The process of making mash is simple, but it requires compliance with the necessary recipe, time and patience from the manufacturer.

Have you started making alcohol at home? Do you want to know how long the mash ferments, what problems may arise during the process and how to get rid of them? This article was written especially for you.

Here you will get acquainted with the basic intricacies of the “game” of alcohol, and also gain useful skills that will later help you make premium alcohol at home.

The fermentation process is the basis for making moonshine. The quality, taste, aroma and other indicators of the finished product directly depend on how responsibly you approach this procedure. Even a novice distiller should know... Otherwise, he will not be able to provide his product with the required degree measure and taste characteristics.

Did you know? If you add peas to a mash that has just begun to play, a large number of foam to speed up the process. To put it out, you only need to crumble the cookies into a container.

How long does it take for the mash to ferment: optimal timing

It is almost impossible to say exactly how long the mash should sit for moonshine, just as it is impossible to say exactly when the procedure will begin. These indicators depend on a number of factors, namely:

• Raw materials. The first thing every experimenter pays attention to is the quality of the main ingredients. You must understand that all products from which mash can be made today begin to ferment at different times. For example, the most popular sugar wort, subject to technological standards and requirements is activated already in the first hours after filling the container. At the same time, it is worth checking the readiness of the product already on the 5th day. Typically, such products ferment from 5 to 14 days. If you use starch as a base, then be prepared for an accelerated process that lasts approximately 3-5 days. Grain and potato starch need much less time to play, but the finished product is not as rich. Grape and fruit mashes, unlike the above-mentioned analogues, are prepared within 2-4 weeks. Their active fermentation usually begins only on the 5-7th day.
• External conditions. just like similar indicators when playing other variations of alcohol, plays a colossal role. The higher the temperature environment, the faster the procedure goes. At the same time, experts do not recommend allowing products to ferment during high temperatures, since this results in the loss of original aromatic and gastronomic flavors. The silence factor is also important. Any vibrations and extraneous noise can seriously affect the structure of the alcohol, disrupting its preparation. For this reason, it is advisable to put the container away, where no one can harm the stable fermentation of the product.
• Chemical composition. In addition to the main raw materials on which you will make the product, you need to pay attention to additional elements allowing products to ferment better. You need to know, or you will have to spend a considerable amount of time and effort waiting until the product is completely fermented. The ideal solution To speed up the process is to use special yeast or add sugar.
• Container type. The mash container also plays a significant role. Under no circumstances allow the drink to ferment in containers made of non-food metals. Such containers can saturate the product with metal oxide and thereby spoil the flavor and aromatic colors. The final product will have an unpleasant sour taste. It is best to use containers made of aluminum, copper, food-grade plastic, glass and stainless steel.

How long can the mash stand after fermentation is complete?

Another important point is the period of time for the product to stand after playing and before distillation. It is not always possible for home distillers to immediately distill alcohol.

This raises questions as to whether such alcohol will spoil and whether it will be possible to distill it in the future after a certain period of time. There's no need to worry. If you followed the fundamental principles of hygiene and after fermentation moved the container to a dark, cool place, then the mash can be distilled without spoiling the taste even after a month of storage in a calm state.

In this case, the main thing is to seal the container hermetically. As for the nuances, if you are not sure that the procedure has come to an end, be sure to use a water seal during the sealing process. It will prevent the unfermented product from turning sour.

What problems may arise and how to solve them

The question of why the mash ferments for a long time or why this process was abruptly interrupted should concern every home-grown distiller. The reason for this is nothing other than the characteristics of the final product.

Improper fermentation of alcohol can lead to distortion of taste characteristics and a significant decrease in the strength of the product. Next, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the most common problems and ways to solve them.

Did you know? According to generally accepted standards, for normal uniform fermentation, the container with alcohol should be filled to 2/3 of its volume. Moreover, if you use products that can produce a large amount of foam, then fill the container only halfway.

Long game

What to do if the mash ferments for a very long time? Almost every second beginner faces this question. Being very careful, after filling the container with the appropriate products, beginners send the containers to ferment in basements and other cold places.

It is the lack of temperature that can seriously affect the timing of alcohol consumption. If the ambient temperature is below 16-18 degrees, then the process, even with fertilizing, can last several weeks.

High temperatures have an even worse effect. They kill the microelements necessary for the life of yeast, sometimes completely stopping the procedure.

No fermentation

Even if the room temperature is normal, the floor does not always have the necessary characteristics to guarantee play. You should not place containers with alcohol on “bare” tiled or ceramic floor, whose temperature is extremely low.

As a result, the process may not begin at all. If you have nowhere else to put the container, place a warm pad under the bottle.

Intensive foaming

Adding baker's yeast, honey, malt and other ingredients to the wort can lead to the appearance of a large amount of foam, which can “crawl” over the edge of the container. Prepare for the fact that it will ferment quickly, and do not leave such containers unattended.

To get rid of this effect, try to move the container to a colder room. You can also divide the product into two containers, pour a little into the wort vegetable oil or add ice.

Abrupt stop of fermentation

If the wort has stopped fermenting, keep in mind that there are several reasons for this unpleasant situation. The wort may lack yeast, may have a high sugar content, or the container may have been exposed to excessive stress. low temperatures. The causes should be eliminated one by one, adding tremors and water or raising the temperature to the required standards.

Did you know? The ideal temperature for uniform wort play is considered to be 20-22 degrees. At the same time, it is permissible to organize the procedure in more wide range temperatures, from 18 to 28 degrees. The fact to remember is that the higher the temperature, the higher the speed.

Prepare drinks at home correctly, using the experience of millions

Study the generally accepted principles of organizing fermentation and ways to neutralize a variety of unpleasant moments that may arise in the process of preparing strong homemade alcohol.

Thanks to the skills you acquired in this article, tomorrow you will be able to organize decent playing conditions for anyone homemade product, in order to subsequently pamper both your loved ones and yourself personally elegant taste and premium cleanliness. Surround yourself useful information, which has been tested in practice by more than one thousand amateur and professional distillers.

So how long should you steep the mash for moonshine? The time will depend on the raw materials used and their quality, as well as the quality of water, sugar and yeast. Do not use boiled water to prepare mash: it lacks the oxygen that yeast needs to breathe. In addition to the quality and type of raw materials, the temperature, air humidity and the presence/absence of drafts influence how long the mash should be left to brew. Due to such an abundance of parameters, it is only possible to navigate the readiness time approximately. On average, this figure ranges from 7 to 10 days.

Below are the approximate fermentation times for mash made from different raw materials:

Sugar mash: 5-14 days (optimally 7-10 days)
Grain mash: 3-7 days
Grape mash without using yeast (with “wild” yeast): 3-9 weeks
Homemade jam: 5-10 days
Braga on peaches: 30-35 days
Braga with birch sap: 7-15 days

To distill fully matured mash, it is best for a beginning distiller (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand) that meets quality standards. It will make distillation an easy, non-burdensome process. High-quality moonshine will allow you to fully enjoy the organoleptic taste, as well as please your friends and family delicious drinks By .

The basic rule for obtaining a high-quality alcoholic drink at home is the correct preparation of mash. The condition of the wort is determined using various instruments. It is worth noting that an experienced distiller can determine the quality and readiness of the product by taste and external signs without much difficulty. But it is difficult for beginners to understand this issue. So how can you determine whether the mash is ready for further distillation or not yet?

The duration of the wort depends on many things - some factors can be adjusted and shorten the fermentation time, some cannot.

Yeast for moonshine

Not only the degree of alcohol, after which microorganisms die, but also the fermentation time of the mash depends on the type of yeast.

On this moment The following types of raw materials are used in moonshine making:

1. Alcoholic yeast– the product is designed for the production of alcoholic beverages, therefore it continues fermentation until the ethanol level in the mash reaches 18%, while the duration of the raw material is 5-7 days.
2. Bakery– are used much more often. This type of yeast works up to a concentration of 14%, and the product is ready for distillation in 7-10, and sometimes 14 days.
3. Wild– the most tender and sensitive, cease vital activity at 11%. . But when using this product, you need to be prepared for the fact that the mash will work for a month and a half, or even more.
4. Yeast "Koji"- special yeast based on molds - “Koji”, which saccharify starch (process it into sugar) without malt and enzymes.
5. Wheat without yeast- most often used for making homemade moonshine.

The fermentation time directly depends on the quality of the yeast; often, if the product is old, the mash process may not begin. To prevent this trouble from happening, you need to take only fresh and high-quality products for the wort and constantly monitor the mash; if the activity of the liquid has decreased ahead of time, then you should add a little yeast.

Which yeast will make the sugar mash ripen faster, which will have a better strength, etc. You will learn from this video, in which an experiment is carried out with different yeasts:

Additional Ingredients

The fermentation time can be determined not only thanks to the yeast and its quality, but also based on the raw materials that are used when mixing the mash.

Let's look at some recipes:

• Sugar mash is one of the most popular. If the preparation technology is fully followed, it will be ready for distillation in 5-10 days. As soon as 5 days have passed after mixing, you need to check it for readiness. But, as a rule, the most optimal time Readiness time is from 7 to 10 days.
• Braga, to which starch has been added, the source of which is potatoes, grains, peas, will work much faster and will be ready in 3-5 days.

Advice. When peas are added to the mash, it begins to foam strongly, which increases the risk of losing some of the product. To reduce foaming you need to add to the container fermented milk product 2 tbsp. l per 10 liters of wort.

• Mash made from fruits and berries to which yeast has been added will last for 2-3 weeks, and only then can it be distilled.
• If you use only berries and fruits that are fermented without yeast, you will have to wait about a month before distillation. But if you add rice or peas to the mash, this process can be halved. It is worth remembering that when this process It is necessary to equip a water seal, otherwise at the end of fermentation you will not get mash, but vinegar.

Important! There is no need to take the specified time as a rule, since the ripening time of the mash, among other things, depends on the temperature.

Temperature

Alcohol is produced at a temperature of 18-38 degrees, microorganisms are especially active at temperatures of 30-34 degrees.

But it is worth knowing that temperatures above thirty degrees contribute to the appearance of a large number of harmful essential oils, so it is worth maintaining the fermentation temperature up to 28 degrees. If the fermentation temperature drops to 18 degrees, the yeast will not work as actively.

Important! Yeast microorganisms die at temperatures below +4 degrees and above + 40.

Storage

If the mash is ready, and distillation is planned for a later time, then you cannot leave it in the heat - it will peroxidize and it will not be possible to save the product. You can store the finished product for 2-3 weeks, but only in the refrigerator in tightly sealed glass containers.

Ways to speed up the work of wort

It is worth understanding that the longer the fermentation process lasts, the more harmful impurities are formed in the mash, so this process is accelerated not only to quickly obtain a distillate, but also to improve its quality.

Also, if the wort is used for a long time, there is a high probability that the product will peroxidize and turn into vinegar. Therefore, as soon as you notice that the yeast is not working at full strength, take urgent measures.

Inverting sugar

The name is complicated, but to put it simply, it is the conversion of sucrose into glucose monosaccharide, which is more quickly processed by yeast microorganisms. Preparing syrup is a troublesome task, but thanks to the invert product, you can not only speed up the production of mash, but also improve the taste of the final product.

How to cook:

• 3 liters warm water add 6 kg of sugar and stir until completely dissolved;
• place the container with the syrup on medium heat and simmer with constant stirring, remembering to remove the foam;
• add 25 g citric acid. This must be done carefully and gradually, since when lemon gets into the syrup, it will begin to foam heavily;
• then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and leave the syrup to simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Advice. These ingredients are designed for 25 liters of water; for other volumes you need to change the proportions.

Top dressing

You don’t need to put in much effort to apply fertilizing, but if you add a few special ingredients, you can significantly speed up the fermentation of the sugar mash.

You need to feed your mash with minerals - most often, experienced distillers use:

• ammonia or nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers. 5 g of ammonia or 2 tsp of fertilizer for every 10 liters of product. The origin of this fertilizer is inorganic, so it is used if moonshine is prepared for commercial purposes;
• black bread is an excellent top dressing for wort; for 30 liters of mash, add 1 loaf of bread;
• An excellent remedy that speeds up the fermentation process is tomato paste, 100 grams of which are pre-diluted in a glass of warm water and only then poured into a container with mash. This volume of tomato paste is designed for 10 liters of mash;
• for the same amount of wort add ½ glass of natural juice or 10 any crushed berries;
• Boil 250 g of malt in sugar syrup (several minutes) and add to a container with mash; this will not only speed up fermentation, but also make the final product soft.

Correct temperature

One of the main tasks of a distiller is to ensure the correct temperature conditions. Of course, you can heat the room to maintain the air temperature within 28 degrees, but this is not only impractical, but also uncomfortable. If the room is +24, then additional insulation containers with mash are not needed.

If it's a little cooler, you can do the following:

• wrap the bottle in an old coat, blanket or sleeping bag;
• can be applied thermal insulation materials which are used in construction;
• install a thermostat for aquariums in the bottle;
• Place the mash near the heating radiator.

These simple methods will help support optimal temperature mash.

Overheat monitoring

It is worth considering that during fermentation the temperature of the mash increases, so if the wort is placed in the summer, and even in a large container, then the product can become very overheated - which is absolutely not allowed.

If the temperature rises to +30, you need to urgently take measures to cool it: you can line the container with ice, or pour cold water on it.

Yeast activation

If there are few yeasts in the solution, then the mash will work for a very long time.

It is worth taking into account that the same problem can arise due to an incorrect recipe, or low-quality raw materials, but this can be corrected:

• the easiest way is to add yeast, but many try to grow microorganisms in the mash on their own because they don’t want to spend extra money;
• the addition of additional microelements has a good effect on the speed of the mash, as it begins the accelerated reproduction of yeast microorganisms;
• aeration. All living microorganisms multiply in the presence of oxygen, so many experienced distillers use an aquarium aerator, installing it in a container with mash for the first 2-3 days;
• preliminary activation of yeast. Pour all the yeast into a liter of warm water, add 5 tbsp. l sugar and mix well. Then put the jar in a warm place for 40 minutes. As soon as the mixture starts working, you can pour it into the mash;
• stirring - during fermentation, a lot of carbon dioxide is formed in the liquid, which prevents microorganisms from multiplying. During stirring, gas is removed from the mash and it is saturated with oxygen, which significantly reduces the fermentation time. It is enough to shake the bottle several times without removing the lid.

Gradual addition of sugar

The cell wall of yeast microorganisms works in 2 directions. Mineral components and carbohydrates go inside, and carbon dioxide and ethanol come out. This process occurs very quickly if the density of the liquid outside and inside the cells is the same.

Sugar increases the density of the liquid, so you need to add it in portions:

• when mixing the composition, only half of the sugar is added, the second half is added a day later;
• You can do it differently - when kneading, add 50% of the sugar, after 12 hours ¼ of the sugar, and a day later the rest of the sugar.

There are forgetful moonshiners, and there is some trick for them. As soon as the first portion of sugar is added, the mash is stirred until completely dissolved. The second portion is poured in immediately, but not stirred, allowing the sugar to settle at the bottom. This way it will dissolve gradually.

Using the above tips, every novice moonshiner will be able to prepare high-quality mash in a short time. It is worth taking into account that in this matter everything is important: the quality of raw materials, temperature conditions, the right recipe. The process of making homemade alcohol is not very complicated, but to obtain quality product you need to take into account all the nuances and be attentive and patient.

Craftsmen who brew moonshine for themselves save money family budget, and do not risk being poisoned by a dangerous surrogate. The moonshine process itself is also interesting.

There are many recipes for preparing raw materials for making homemade drinks, hundreds of them, here we will consider only the most common and original ones.

What are they used to make mash for moonshine? Moonshine is made from the raw materials that are on hand and in abundance, according to time-tested recipes, the main unchanged ingredients are water, sugar and yeast in their various forms.

Alcohol is released by yeast when it has a sweet "food". This process is the basis of yeast moonshine and all recipes.

Classic mash for moonshine made from sugar

Beginning moonshiners learn the basics of making proper home brew by mixing just three ingredients. What does an ideal yeast-based mash with sugar consist of? From:

• water – 3 parts;
• sugar – 1 part;
• yeast - 1/10 part.

The process is simple. Dissolve sugar in water. Separately, brew the yeast in a small amount of warm 25-30℃ sweetened liquid. When they are completely separated, pour the contents into the main container.

Close tightly with a lid with a water seal and place in a warm place.

How much should mash cost for moonshine?

On average, at room temperature, a simple sugar mash “ripens” in 7-10 days. The yield of proper pure moonshine is approximately equal to the amount of sugar.

Important: Fill the tank no more than 3⁄4 full.

How to make moonshine from jam

Sometimes sour, fermented or candied jam is used for processing. In this case, the calculation of the number of components changes slightly. Estimate approximately how much sugar is already in the “fermented” jar and take it into account when calculating the recipe for the moonshine product.

It is worth remembering here that the fermentation process has already begun, so the homemade jam for moonshine may be ready a little earlier. Using this recipe, you can use products that were considered unsuitable.

Home brew with honey for moonshine

Before using, the candied honey must be melted in a water bath. To prepare 5 liters of honey moonshine, mix the yeast mash:

• honey – 3 kg;
• sugar – 2 kg;
• water – 20 l;
• dry yeast – 60 g.

Honey mash is prepared in the same way and takes the same amount of time as regular mash.

Grain mash

All grains contain starch. This means they represent a potential raw material for home distillation in a moonshine still. High-proof drinks are distilled from barley grain, rye flour, oats, etc. These also include bread mash. Barley also contains a lot of starch.

Grain mash from bread

Bread moonshine is sometimes made without using yeast and sugar. Raw materials can be collected from the remains of white and black bread, bread crumbs. The ingredients used are rye flour, moldy crackers made from wheat and rye bread. For the wort you need:

• water 3-5 l;
• raw bread 2 kg.

Leftover bread sprinkled with water should be placed in plastic bag and leave in the light until mold appears. Grind in water and leave to ferment. For weak fermentation, you can add 1 kg of sugar and 20 g of dry yeast. From 3 liters of bread wort you get 0.7 ml of good moonshine 40-degree liquid.

Wheat mash for moonshine with “wild” yeast

Rural craftsmen have long learned to use grain raw materials in the process of winemaking using natural yeast products. At the same time, corn, barley, pearl barley, millet, rice, rye, oats and even peas are poured into the tank.

Wheat grain mash is considered the cheapest, and the wheat drink is considered the most delicious. It uses natural yeast, which contains wheat. The process begins with washing the grains and removing the pleura and debris with a sieve.

1. Prepare a “wadd” from 1 kg of wheat, 200 g of sugar and 1 liter of water and place in a warm place for 3 days;
2. Mix the fermented composition of grains with syrup (1.3 kg of sugar + 6 liters of water);
3. Drain the mash for distillation moonshine still, and fill the remaining wheat starter with syrup again. It can be used 4 times. Sprouted wheat is also used as malt for moonshine.

Important: mash on grain is considered ready when it has become relatively transparent and unsweetened.

From rice without sugar

Rice vodka is popular in the East. They drive her out of the rice mash.

• rice – 1.5 kg;
• water 6 l;
• green wheat sprouted malt 250 g;
• dry quick yeast – 10 g.

Cook the rice porridge over low heat, stirring it constantly. Let cool to 60℃. You can use crushed grain or even flour.

Pass the malt through a meat grinder and mix the ingredients. Cover thoroughly with a blanket and leave in a warm place overnight. In the morning, add diluted dry yeast to the brewed mixture. Rice mash will wear off in 4-5 days. The yield after the first distillation is 1.5 liters of 45-degree pervak.

Barley mash (pearl barley)

To prepare barley moonshine, you can use regular barley, barley grains or pearl barley flour.

The saccharification of grain barley mash occurs approximately like this: 20 liters of water are brought to a boil. Pour 3.6 kg of eggs into it and cook for 5 minutes. Then the mash with pearl barley is left to cool to 60-65℃.

Sprouted malt (about 2 kg), minced, is added to the cooled porridge. If the mash is very thick, you can add up to 2 liters hot water. After cooling, add 10 g of dry yeast. After about 2-3 hours, the barley mash can be mixed and placed under the lid.

Millet mash is made using the same recipe.

Important: Sprouted malt can be stored in freezer. Its properties are not lost because of this.

Quick pea mash

Pea mash is very active and completes all processes in 3-4 days. Exactly this quick cooking wort. For pea mash you will need:

• 15 liters of water;
• 0.5 l of milk;
• 0.6 kg split peas;
• 30 g dry yeast.

Mix all ingredients as usual. There is one small caveat to this pea recipe: the process is so fast that it requires constant quenching of the foam. In this case, it is unrealistic to use a water seal. Pea moonshine has a mild taste and smells like peas.

Corn moonshine

Corn mash is mixed from 6 kg corn flour or cereals and 2 kg of wheat flour. Pour corn flour into boiling water (40 l), constantly stirring the mash. After a few hours, the corn mash will cool down to 65℃. Add 2 kg of crushed malt to it.

Saccharification lasts 1.5-2 hours. Add 50 g of dry yeast to the wort cooled to 25℃. The corn mash lasts for about a week. The output is 10-12 liters of delicious moonshine.

If you pour it into oak barrel and keep it in it for 2-3 years, you will get a classic bourbon from the American state of Kentucky.

Vegetable mash

It is known that many vegetables have their own sugar reserves. Why not use this natural pantry in moonshine brewing.

With tomato paste and beer, without yeast

Every experienced distiller has his own original recipes. Here's one of them. Prepare:

• 1 liter of tomato paste;
• 1 bottle of beer 4-6º;
• 30 liters of water;
• 11 kg of sugar.

All products in the beer mash should be at room temperature. Combine them into a sugar beer mash, stirring well. Fermentation will last approximately two weeks. It is better to use barley beer with natural malt.

From tomatoes (instant cooking)

Quick mash can be prepared from 2 parts sugar, 6 parts water and 10 parts well-ripened and chopped vegetables. After mixing all the ingredients, pour 50 g of dry yeast into the container. Ripening lasts only 3-4 days.

And if you use your own unwashed tomatoes, the ripening process of the quick mash will be completed in 2 days. Unsalted tomato juice or diluted tomato paste can replace live fruits.

Important: Only in temperature range 60-70℃ starch mash converts glucose into sugar for further fermentation.

From potatoes

If you take 20 kg of potatoes, 1 kg of any malt, one and a half buckets of water and half a kilo of pressed yeast, you can ultimately get 8-10 liters of good moonshine.

Mash made from frozen potatoes contains more sugar, so it ferments better and there is a lot of starch in the potatoes.

• Wash and grate the potatoes.
• Place the mixture in hot (70℃) water and let cool to 65℃.
• Add malt.
• Maintain temperature for 20 minutes, stirring.
• Cool to 30℃.
• Let it sit and drain the top until sediment is deposited into the fermentation tank.
• Pour the sediment back in warm water 50℃, stir, stand, drain. Do this with mash 4 times.
• Pour yeast into the tank, cover and leave for 5-12 days.

Potatoes are the most common product in Russia and one of the cheapest. It is profitable to distill from it, but the moonshine turns out to be somewhat harsh.

Mash made from fruits, juice and berries

Recipes for this brew are distinguished by delicate fermentation, and the resulting drink has a delicate taste. The ideal fruit mash uses natural sugar and internal “wild” yeast bacteria.

Grape mash

Grape chacha is a Caucasian moonshine, made from grape pomace or pulp, squeezed from juice, rubbed skin.

It itself contains live yeast and can ferment, but the process will be long. To adjust it a little, wine yeast is used. Grape moonshine aromatic and soft, so baker's yeast is a bit rough for it.

For 30 liters of water, take 10 kg of cake and the same amount of granulated sugar. 10 g of yeast is added gradually, and only if the process is sluggish. Whether the raw materials for grape moonshine will ripen will depend on their quantity, whether it will take 10 or 30 days.

To prevent mold from forming on top of the “cap” of the flesh, you need to open the tank with the future moonshine every day and mix the mash.

Birch sap mash without yeast and water

Birch sap contains a large amount of glucose, which is broken down during fermentation and saccharification occurs.

To preserve the properties of natural yeast, it is necessary to pour 3 liters of juice from 30. Boil all the remaining liquid over high heat to 10-11 liters.

Mix 3 liters and 10 liters of boiled cooled liquid, add 1 tbsp. kefir or milk. Place the tank with fermenting birch sap in a warm place for 9-16 days.

Yield 3-3.5 liters of forty-degree moonshine made with birch sap.

Pumpkin mash

Pumpkin pulp contains a large amount of sugar and starch, so pumpkin has become an object of use in moonshine. U different varieties Their content is different, so the recipes differ in the amount of sugar. Mix 15 liters of water, 15 kg of pumpkin puree and 100 g of quick yeast. This will be pumpkin malt mash.

Peeled pumpkin is twisted in a meat grinder and simmered for 1 hour. Add malt to pumpkin pulp cooled to 65℃ and keep at this temperature for 2 hours. Then cool, add yeast and leave to ferment for a week.

Apple mash for moonshine (homemade Calvados)

Apples have been used in moonshine brewing in Rus' for a long time. Strong, tasty apple drink from anise, Antonovka, streifling and Moscow pear does not cause a hangover.

For 5 liters of freshly squeezed apple juice Take 1 kg of granulated sugar and a 10-gram bag of quick yeast. Apple mash lasts a long time: from 20 to 30 days. Once filtered, it is passed through the apparatus twice. Apple sugar mash produces a pleasant drink in a 4:1 ratio.

After distillation, moonshine can be flavored with dried apples.

Interestingly, even simply throwing apple slices into the classic sourdough delays the process for several days.

Dried fruit mash

To release sugar, dried fruits must be boiled and crushed. 2 kg of dried fruits are poured into 6 liters of water, 3 kg of sugar and 5 g of citric acid are added, and the compote is boiled for half an hour.

After cooling, add the remaining 7 liters of water and pour in 60 g of dry yeast. It should stand for about a week in a warm place.

Yield: 2.5-3 liters of aperitif.

Braga with raisins

Raisin moonshine (Paisakhovka) is a Jewish national drink that is prepared for the Passover holiday. Mixture of 200 g raisins, 2 tbsp. water and 1 tsp. Heat sugar to 40℃ and grind with a blender. Leave it to ferment.

When the first signs of ripening appear, repeat the operation with the remaining raisins (1800 g) and 9.5 liters of water. Combine both batches. Fermentation lasts 3-4 weeks. The cake can be used for moonshine again. To give it a pleasant taste, you can add a pinch of vanilla sugar to the finished moonshine.

Important: The softer the water used, the more active the fermentation occurs.