What to do if the mash is overheated. Questions about cooking mash

The quality of the resulting moonshine and the speed of its preparation from the initial ingredients worries many moonshiners. Every question that even remotely concerns the possibility of improving these parameters is discussed on the forums with a large number of arguments for and against, and disputes sometimes reach conflicts. The same applies to stirring the mash, namely, is it necessary to stir the mash during fermentation?

Mixing mash

Since this issue is being discussed quite vigorously, on the forums of moonshiners you can find a lot of examples given when mixing the mash is still necessary. If you do not consider the process of elementary acceleration of fermentation, then you can hear the following arguments:

• In the manufacture of mash from fruit raw materials, mixing leads to greater fermentation, especially the dense part. When using flour (not cereals) for the manufacture of mash, it can also settle to the bottom, and then the yeast does not reach the lower layers. Sometimes you can solve this problem by simply shaking the container, but you will have to do this several times a day, which is quite difficult.
• Some moonshiners note the souring of yeast in the foam.
• In some cases agitation is required if, for example, pulp is floating on top of the foam.
• Another opinion regarding this is due to the fact that a certain amount of solid surfaces is necessary for the formation of gas bubbles, and if they are not enough, then the liquid can be supersaturated with CO2, which will inhibit the fermentation process.

The main problem in mixing the mash is the fact that it must be done without air access. Therefore, such a method as simply using a wooden spoon or stick for this when removing the water seal is not suitable.

1) Many use a magnetic stirrer for this purpose. Then, at the cooking stage, a magnetic stirrer anchor is placed in the wash, which looks like a small capsule. After the container is closed, it is placed on the stirrer platform and the mixing process is started. The advantage of such a stirrer is that you can adjust how long the process takes; as a rule, it is not too noisy and compact.

There are heated magnetic stirrers, this will be a very useful attribute when preparing mash, since at a temperature of 28-30 degrees the fermentation process is more efficient. But it will need to be regulated, and this requires additional installation of a thermometer. When using a magnetic stirrer, you should be very careful, as many of them are compact in size. It imposes certain restrictions on the weight that can be placed on them, because their main purpose is to mix reagents in small containers in a chemical laboratory.

In extreme cases, a magnetic stirrer can be made independently. But for this you need to have some knowledge in electronics.

2) Another quite affordable option- buy a special water seal, which is designed in such a way that it allows you to mix the mash. The main disadvantage is that you have to do it manually.

3) The other is an aquarium pump. You need to use a more powerful one. She dives into herself. But there is an opinion that the aquarium pump cannot cope with mixing the mash, since it is designed for clean water.

As the experience of many moonshiners shows, this is not so. True, in this case, it is hardly suitable for pumping mash from container to container, but for this, many adapt the pump from the washing machine. The main problem of the aquarium pump is that if the solution is heated in parallel, and the pump suddenly turns on, then the mash can boil. To do this, you need to have a very powerful water seal.

4) Vibration unit for mixing mash. The principle of such an installation is similar to special machines that are used to shrink tiles or concrete. The principle of their work is that they make the bubbles move up. One of the options for such a stirrer is a design that mixes the mash in a small container, while rotating the entire container. But it is suitable only if the mash is in bottles or jars of no more than two liters, which is not always convenient.

Adapt for this purpose and ultrasonic washing machines, make special stirrers with blades at the bottom of the fermentation vessel, and so on. Everyone chooses for himself the most successful design.

The main disadvantages of mixing mash

The question of whether it is necessary to interfere with the mash during fermentation is often asked by novice moonshiners. There are several arguments that are given as an argument "for", in particular, that the mixing process significantly speeds up the fermentation. Without additional devices, the mash is unlikely to stand for more than two weeks.

Most often, even with them, the gain will be insignificant - a day or two. Another thing is that some moonshiners on the Internet promise to speed up this process to a day or so. But think about it, will such a mash be done correctly? Wouldn't the output from it be too small? Many moonshiners come to the conclusion that moonshine is a process that does not tolerate haste.

Yeast, which are living microorganisms, takes part in the fermentation process. So they still need some time to do their job. Many moonshiners prove from their own experience that the process of mixing the mash in total does not affect the time of its readiness.

Why is it not necessary to interfere with the mash?

What happens in mash during fermentation:

1) The most favorable conditions are created, first of all, this means the absence of oxygen. And also the temperature regime and the presence of sucrose are very important. After all conditions are met, the process of processing sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide begins.

2) Next, the yeast is distributed evenly throughout the container through a process similar to boiling. Small bubbles of carbon dioxide rise from the bottom and walls, similar to a bottle of champagne or other carbonated drink. The same process includes mixing: together with gas bubbles, yeast particles move from the lower level to the upper one.

3) Gradually, the yeast descends, and the upper part is deposited. This is because alcohol accumulates on top, and a sufficient amount of it leads to the fact that the yeast falls into suspended animation.

Why does alcohol get to the top of the vessel? From the school physics course, we know that its density is less than the density of water, the more sugary liquid that settles to the bottom of the tank. Next, the yeast is precipitated naturally. Therefore, a natural thing happens, which is necessary, otherwise the yeast will then burn in the distillation vessel, thereby worsening the taste and smell of the product. It turns out the following: by lifting a sugary liquid from the bottom of the mash and mixing it with alcohol, we, on the contrary, slow down the fermentation process.

The process of degassing mash

Degassing is the process of mixing the mash at the end of the fermentation process. More precisely, this is a whole range of measures aimed at removing carbon dioxide from the mash before distillation.

Why is this needed? In the process of fermentation, yeast, as already mentioned, process sugar. Moreover, one molecule of glucose is converted into two molecules of ethanol and two molecules of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide creates excess pressure in the tank, and it must be removed. For this purpose, there is a water seal. It is a special water lock that releases carbon dioxide and prevents oxygen from getting inside.

As the process progresses, fermentation weakens, and the gas does not come out so much. At the very end, some of it remains in the inner layers of the liquid. Depending on the type of raw material, temperature and duration, some amount of carbon dioxide remains.

When making carbonated alcoholic drink some carbon dioxide is a must. Sometimes, in order for gas to be present there, the fermentation process is restarted for a while. But usually in mash, gas is specially artificially removed.

They do this so that during distillation there is no increased foaming, which in turn leads to flooding. moonshine still and spray. In the first case, the distillate goes into the receiving container with spitting, in the second it becomes cloudy due to the fact that part of the mash enters the coil.

Theoretically, if left for a few days fermentation tank open, the gas will come out by itself. But with the access of air, the conversion of mash and alcohol into vinegar is activated, and the quality of the moonshine will deteriorate at the output and its quantity will decrease.

How is mash degassed?

After the end of fermentation, the mash must be drained from the sediment - its liquid part is poured through a tube into another container.

Next, the actual bubbles are removed. This can be done in two main ways: heating and stirring. In the first case, the mash is poured into a saucepan or into a bucket with a wide neck diameter. It is desirable that the container be of stainless steel, but enameled is also suitable. Next, the mash is heated to 50 degrees at maximum heating power and periodically mixed. They wait until bubbles begin to rise from the bottom of the mash, and immediately remove it.

Since the process is fast, and the temperature to which the mash is heated is low, this prevents it from rotting. The disadvantage of this method is that it is rather cumbersome, since quite large batches of liquid have to be poured from vessel to vessel several times.

Mixing is usually done using a hammer drill, drill or aquarium pump. The first method is more reliable, as it is done faster. In order to mix the mash with a drill, you must have a construction nozzle, which is mainly intended for diluting plaster mixes. It, of course, must be new, since it is problematic to completely clean it.

We lower the drill into a container with mash and turn it on for five to seven minutes until the smell of carbon dioxide released from the vessel disappears. Important: to mix the mash with a drill, you must use only plastic barrels.

After degassing, you can use bentonite, gelatin or tea to clarify the mash. The distillation technique does not change when the mash is degassed, but in this case, 10% more raw materials can be poured into the distillation cube.

How else to speed up the fermentation process?

As you can see, there are arguments both for and against mixing mash. In any case, if you do not know how best to proceed, then you should not touch it. More experienced moonshiners can be advised: carefully monitor the technology of the mixing process and in no case allow the mash to be saturated with oxygen.

Some are trying to experiment: will the mash be ready earlier. To do this, it is worth recalling that the fermentation process depends on a large number of factors, only with the simultaneous observance of which it can be said that the mixing itself somehow affected.

If you still decide to resort to methods that speed up the fermentation process, then follow these basic recommendations, which will help to make the alcohol yield optimal:

• It is necessary to ensure the complete tightness of the container under the water seal.
• Keep the mash indoors, the temperature in which is about 25 degrees. In this case, it is necessary that the number of vibrations be minimal.
• Use only high-quality yeast, best tested in practice or recommended by friends. Try not to experiment with proportions.
• Do not drain the mash ahead of time, let it stand longer. It is optimal that this period exceeds a week.

And most importantly, do not interfere with Braga calmly “play”: it has been proven by many that she herself will ripen without your participation. Sometimes, if necessary, you can shake it up. As a last resort, if you need to get moonshine as much as possible short time and at the same time you are ready to sacrifice its quantity, remove the mash earlier. But it is recommended to do this only as a last resort.

As you can see, the question of the need to mix the mash is quite difficult. Before making a decision, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons, it would also be useful to try this method on in large numbers raw materials. In most cases, mixing the mash is not required and can affect it for the worse. But in principle, mixing is not always superfluous, at least in situations in which it becomes necessary. But you need to do this wisely and prevent oxygen from entering the container with mash, violating its tightness.

#1 Is water important for mash?

The main requirement for water is that it must be drinkable. Also, excessively hard water slows down the fermentation process. And do not boil the water, so it loses oxygen, which contributes to the vital activity of the yeast. We do not recommend the use of distilled water or very soft water for wort, it does not contain necessary for yeast trace elements, which can hinder and slow down their development.

#2 What is the best yeast to use?
Yeast selection is a serious matter. Most often, baking pressed yeast is thrown into the mash, and gives good result. Of the proven dry yeast for moonshine, SAF-LEVUR is used. And if it's possible to get special yeast alcohol is ideal.
With caution, you should use fast dry baker's yeast (such as "saf-moment"), they often do not give a high percentage of alcohol in the mash, they do not ferment.

#3 Braga foams a lot, I'm afraid to pollute the apartment. How to be?
From folk remedies. You can pour crushed biscuits into the wash. Or pour out a bag of dry "quick" baker's yeast, for some reason they also extinguish the foam.

#4 Does yeast in Braga "eat" only sugar, or does it need something else?
If there is nothing in the mash but sugar and water, the yeast is not very comfortable, they need more. Without them, fermentation is the same, but more harmful impurities. Therefore, it is better to feed sugar mash. Yeast mainly needs nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore, for every kilogram of sugar, ideally, ammonium sulfate should be added - 1.5-2 g; superphosphate - 3-4g. You can instead put a teaspoon of complex mineral fertilizer, such as nitrophoska.
You can do without "chemistry", many suitable food products contain the right ingredients. You can add fruit juice to the mash for feeding or the fruits and berries themselves in a crushed form. You can add bread, usually black. You can use grain raw materials, which are better pre-boiled. The amount can be recommended approximately 0.5 - 1 kg per 10-15 liters of mash.

#5 Is it true from good sugar- good moonshine?
Right. It's hard to make candy out of g.. The quality of sugar greatly affects the quality of moonshine. The speed of fermentation does not depend on this, because they ferment molasses, and molasses, and raw beetroot. Only Sam from this painfully unpleasant, according to reviews.

#6 I want moonshine from grain. Just add water and yeast?
No. There is almost no sugar in the grain, and the yeast will have nothing to ferment. But there is starch in the grain. And the starch molecule easily breaks down into sugars under the action of enzymes at a temperature of 50-70 degrees. The necessary enzymes are contained in malt, that is, sprouted grain. Each kilogram of malt is able to turn about five kilograms of grain into starch into sugar. Also, there have long been microbiological enzymes that are used in industry. And they are easy to get.
It must be added that making moonshine from grain is much more difficult than from sugar, but the result is worth it.

#7 Why does the mash ferment badly?
1 cold
2 bad yeast
3 little yeast was added
4 not enough top dressing - nutrients

#8 I don’t have enough yeast and I don’t have it in the store, what should I do?
You can grow yeast from a small amount. Yeast needs air to reproduce and, if possible, sterile conditions. It is necessary to make 2 liters of wort as for mash, always with top dressing, boil it for disinfection and pour boiling water into three-liter jar, which is tied with several layers of sterile gauze. After cooling, put a little yeast there and tie it again with gauze, put it to ferment in a warm place. It is useful to shake the jar periodically. It will be there in 2-3 days. enough yeast at least liters per 50 mash.

#9 What is a water seal and is it necessary?
This is something that does not allow air to enter the fermentation tank, provided that the tank is hermetically sealed. In simple terms, this is a tube through which fermentation carbon dioxide exits, the end of which is lowered into a glass of water. When preparing mash, a water seal is by and large not needed, because, subject to the rules, it ferments rapidly and quickly. A water seal is needed where a calm long fermentation is used, for example, the fermentation of wine, beer. And the oxygen of the air will promote the reproduction of unwanted microorganisms and the formation of unnecessary substances. It also prevents infection by foreign microorganisms, which are full in the air.

#10 Yeast loves heat, should you insulate a container with mash?
It depends on the temperature in the room. capable of heating a large barrel of mash above 40 degrees. So, if the mash is in a warm place, on the contrary, you need to control it, no matter how it overheats, because yeast begins to die at temperatures above 40 * C. And in cool place Braga can be wrapped up, but vigilantly monitor its temperature!

#11 My mash stopped fermenting, but still sweetish, why?
Because the yeast has already released so much alcohol that they cannot continue to work normally. Here, either the proportions of the mash were violated - a large percentage of sugar, or the wrong yeast was used, which can tolerate a much lower concentration of alcohol.

#12 Can you make moonshine from fruit?
Can. And its quality will be better than that of sugar. Even if sugar has to be added to fruit mash due to insufficient sugar content of raw materials. Look and

#13 I want to distill clarified mash, but I have to wait a long time for the yeast to settle, is there a way out?
To speed up clarification, you can use bentonite, this is a kind of clay. When mixed with home brew, it promotes rapid settling. The source of bentonite is some cat litter, oddly enough. Such is the know-how. You can read. AND

#14 Why is the strength of the mash not accurately measured?
Because in Braga, in addition to alcohol, a lot of things are mixed. Here and floating yeast, and sugar residues, and carbon dioxide. All this together introduces a significant error in the measurements with a hydrometer.
If you really set out to find out how much alcohol is still in Braga, at home you can do this:
take 1 liter of mash,
add 1 liter of water,
drive off exactly 1 liter of moonshine,
measure the strength with an alcoholometer (hydrometer).
the measured strength will accurately show the strength of the original brew.
Another thing, apart from simple interest, this has no practical meaning. Indeed, at the beginning of the distillation of the entire mash, it is possible to determine the strength of the mash with sufficient accuracy by a simple calculation, or by getting the first liter of moonshine.

#15 Why ferment yeast and how to determine its ability to ferment wort?
Yeast, usually used for home brewing, is in a depressed state and is unable to immediately begin to ferment, which is fraught with infection of the mash. In addition, there is always the possibility that the yeast has completely died during storage, and it is necessary to check it for fermentation. For yeast, diluted in 0.5 liters tap water, in which 70 g of sugar has been added and remain in a warm place (ideally at 30 * C) in an open container for 1-1.5 hours with frequent stirring to dissolve oxygen. A sign of yeast revival is active foam. Can be drained into a fermentation container. Read.

#16 How long can fully fermented mash be stored?
Storage of the finished mash is undesirable due to the possibility of the formation of by-products, however, if it is not possible to overtake immediately, it can be stored in a cold place for up to a week with a mandatory water seal to prevent souring. (The French generally recommend storing grape brews for distillation for cognac for 1.5-2 months on sedimentary yeast. But these are the French and grapes).

#17 How to store yeast?
Storage conditions and periods are usually indicated on the manufacturer's packaging. However, the shelf life of pressed yeast is usually 7-10 days. Such yeast may well be stored in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator for up to 1 year without a noticeable loss of fermentation ability. It is better to defrost them in warm water, and be sure to ferment them.

#18 How is yeast different?
From the point of view of microbiology, all commercially available yeasts belong to the same species and differ only in the size and rate of sedimentation and are suitable for making moonshine from any raw material. However, in the process of industrial selection, they have some features. Brewer's yeast is intended for fermentation of grain mashes with a low sugar content, they quickly form a precipitate, but they accumulate little alcohol: 5-7%. At high concentrations of alcohol, they begin to "get sick" and release a lot of impurities. Bakers are grown on a medium of pure sugar and are suitable for sugar-based brews, but only 7-9% alcohol is produced without abnormalities. Alcoholic yeast is similar to baking yeast, but it develops better on grain brews, the limiting alcohol is the same 7-9%. Wine yeast (cultural) is good for fermentation from fruit raw materials, some varieties are able to ferment up to 16% alcohol, but this lengthens the fermentation period. Wild yeasts are found on the surface of fruits, especially on grapes. Good for fermenting fruit brews, fermenting 7-9% alcohol.

#19 How to close the container with mash?
A common "water seal" for wide-mouth jars is a rubber glove with 1-3 needle punctures in the fingers to release fermentation gases. People call it: "Greetings to Gorbachev." Such a device allows you to visually control fermentation. The glove puffed out - fermentation is on. Opala, it means it's time for distillation, fermented completely. However, it should be borne in mind that with a change in temperature, especially with a sharp cold snap, the glove also falls off, sometimes even being sucked into the vessel.

Many people are engaged in moonshine in our time. Beginning moonshiners often ask themselves the question: what to do if the mash is sweet? If you calculate the proportions correctly and use selected ingredients, you should end up with an excellent product.

Alcohol is always present in human life. Whether it's a holiday, just a meeting of old friends or the preparation of a medicinal tincture, moonshine was and is best product for use. The cheapness of the drink high quality- these are just two reasons that contribute to the popularity of moonshine. The process is very simple: mix sugar, water and yeast. But in any technology there is always something difficult. Making mash is only the first step towards the end result. Driving moonshine with a modern apparatus is not so difficult. The main thing is to create all the conditions for the brew to turn out.

Fermentation conditions

To understand why Braga stopped playing, you need to know the intricacies of the technology. The fermentation process is quite simple: yeast bacteria actively process sugar into liquid, while the product of their vital activity, alcohol, is released. When its concentration begins to exceed 12%, yeast bacteria die and fermentation stops. In the active phase of the process, foam forms on the surface of the mash, so experts often advise not to fill the vessel to the top, but only by a third. Then the foam leaves, and carbon dioxide begins to be released from the liquid, which extinguishes the flame brought to the surface of the solution.

At the final stage, after increasing the concentration of alcohol, the bacteria die, the mash becomes transparent, and a sediment can be observed at the bottom.

Temperature plays an important role in the fermentation process. Everyone knows that yeast loves heat, “fall asleep” when low temperatures and die at high enough. Therefore, anyone who wants to bring the fermentation process to its logical conclusion needs to know which temperature conditions required to create for the active life of yeast. All about the process of mash fermentation, see this video:

It is possible to almost completely stop the work of yeast bacteria if the temperature of the mash drops below 18ºС. And when heated above 32ºС, bacteria die. So the conclusion is: optimum temperature for active processing of sugar by yeast is from 20 to 25ºС. When kneading the mash, warm water is used, which immediately starts the fermentation process. But if you do not wrap the container, or do not put it in a warm place, over time it will cool down and the yeast will “hibernate”.

One of the reasons for stopping fermentation is non-compliance necessary proportions. Too much sugar in the water can act as a preservative. Another problem in this case can be a high concentration of alcohol, which will lead to the death of yeast bacteria, and they will not have time to process all the sugar.

What to do with unfermented mash

Before sounding the alarm, you need to think about whether it’s too early to want a result. Do not wait for the appearance of foam on the surface of the liquid immediately. Depending on the kneading process and the quality of the products used, fermentation can start even after 8 hours.

If the diagnosis of “freezing” is made, then in order to begin the process of resuscitation of fermentation, you need to understand the reasons for what happened.

If there were violations temperature regime, you just need to put the container in a warm place. In case of overheating, only a new portion of fresh yeast can save the situation.

Perhaps the problem lies in an overdose of sugar. On initial stage its concentration should not exceed 15-20%. After analyzing the amount of added sugar, we draw conclusions. If it is too large and led to the death of bacteria, you need to add water and, of course, live yeast. Otherwise, you need to give them more raw materials for processing, that is, add sugar.

Also, the use of low-quality yeast can be a problem. Partially or completely dead bacteria in this product may either not start the fermentation process at all, or not bring it to the end. In this case, you need to buy a new, more quality product, and add to the sweet liquid. Live alcohol yeast is best, not dry.

The quality of the water is of great importance. Chlorinated water can stop the fermentation process and even kill yeast bacteria. It is better to use oxygen-rich filtered, spring, well or bottled drinking water.

A few last words

It happens that all measures for the resuscitation of the mash did not lead to a positive result. What to do in this case? You can just pour out the liquid and give up trying to become a successful moonshiner forever. However, let's not forget that in the case of busting with the amount of sugar, the alcohol in the mash has already reached the required level. In this case, the product should be distilled, although the yield of vodka will be much less than originally planned. But this does not matter either: unprocessed sugar remains in the stillage. To this residue, you just need to add water, yeast and half of the amount of sugar that was originally introduced. See the recipe for a proper marriage in this video:

Experienced moonshiners even believe that such a mash can produce more of the final product, and the fermentation time in this case will be several days less.

It is impossible to ignore such a question as unusual raw materials for home brewing. After all, you can use not only sugar, but also products containing it. The well-known Buryachanka is made from sugar beet cake, available to almost everyone who lives in the provinces. Due to the unprocessed beets, vodka can be obtained with bad smell and flavor, but that's unlikely to stop anyone. When mixing mash, sour jam, honey, ripe or rotten fruits are often used. In such cases, you must comply correct proportions, however, for experienced moonshiners this is not a particular problem, and vodka will turn out with the taste of the raw materials used.

The degree of maturity of the mash, is it ready for distillation and obtaining quality vodka, can be identified by a number of signs:

Braga acquires these properties at the end of the life of the yeast. The alcohol content of the wort, reaching a certain value, leads to the death of the yeast culture. Classical baker's yeast die when it reaches 11° of strength, special wine and spirit cultures withstand 14-17?. Dead yeast is concentrated at the bottom of the fermentation tank in the form of a dense sediment. It is worth paying attention to a number of common mistakes arising in the manufacture of mash.

Unkindness or sweet mash

Start-up producers homemade vodka in the manufacture of mash, they often face the problem of the so-called negligence. This means that the fermentation has stopped, and the mash is not ready - it remains sweet. Stopping fermentation occurs due to a significant reduction or complete death of the yeast population in the fermentation tank before the sugar is completely processed. This flaw occurs on both sugar and grape mashes. As a result of their distillation, losses in the amount of finished vodka are inevitable.

The most common reasons leading to this error are:

• wrong hydraulic module? The ratio of water and sugar is violated in the recipe. With more water, the yeast can tolerate a higher percentage of alcohol;
• poor quality yeast;
• the temperature of the wort below 18°C ​​stops fermentation. yeast fungi do not die, but almost completely stop their vital activity and nutrition;
• heat? above 32°C can lead to a complete stop of sugar processing due to the death of yeast. Sudden temperature changes should not be allowed. Optimal conditions 23-25°C.

If , you can try to make corrections as follows tricks:

• raise the temperature to 25-28°C;
• shake the mash;
• with a high concentration of sugar, add water;
• separate from the sediment and add a fresh yeast culture;
• you can add top dressing (boiled peas, urea).

If in sweet mash it is not possible to start fermentation again, despite the fact that it is not ready, distillation is carried out. Is excess sugar left in the stillage? liquid remaining in alembic after extrusion. It is used a second time, adding sugar and yeast. At the same time, water and yeast take normal rate and sugar? half the norm.

Splashing mash. Increased foaming

Active fermentation at the initial stage leads to the formation of a large amount of foam, which escapes from the fermentation tank. Together with the foam, a significant amount of mash can also go away. Most often, active foaming occurs when using baker's yeast. Alcohol and wine yeast form a much smaller layer of foam. To combat splashing, the fermentation tank is not filled with wort to the top by a quarter, leaving room for foam bubbles.

Various defoamers are widely used:

• the old way? adding vegetable oil or melted fat;
• simple store-bought cookies crumbled over the surface;
• adding a small package (11 gr.) Saf-Moment active dry yeast;
• while maintaining a constant circulation of the wort with a small aquarium pump, the mash does not run away.

Mold on braga

Insufficient amount of sugar in the wort, use of contaminated fungi raw materials, too long fermentation at low temperatures. During production, the mold enters the must from the surface of the fruit. Unwanted micro-organisms often develop in mash if waded into plastic container. At the initial stage of infection with mold the product can be saved if you make a small hole in the mold film with your finger, carefully insert a thin hose into it and pour the liquid into another vessel. This must be done with great care so that the film and sediment do not fall into a new container.

Properly seasoned, good taste and the aroma of mash, especially appreciated for the production of distillates: vodka, homemade cognac, whiskey, chacha. If you make alcohol with distillation column? improve taste qualities bragi is not needed. The column allows you to make almost the same rectified alcohol from any raw material. The distillate, on the other hand, largely inherits the aromatics and taste of the wort.

Braga recipes

Disputes about how to do it right do not subside. Many recipes are known that differ in the initial composition, nuances of preparation, purpose (for vodka, tincture, calvados, chacha, etc.).

From inverted sugar

The following advantages make it one of the best

• excellent taste;
• no unpleasant odor;
• high fermentation rate.

Bring to a boil 7 kg of sugar mixed in 3 liters of water, add 30 g citric acid and continue to heat over low heat for about an hour. Add another 22 liters of water, 1 kg of pressed yeast. Keep at 28°C. Braga should be ready in 48 hours.

Inverting splits sugar into glucose and fructose, which yeast loves. Vodkas made on inverted raw materials have soft taste, nice smell.

Sugar with added wheat

For 30 liters of water you need 6 kg of sugar, 3 liter jar washed wheat, 130 gr. dry active yeast Saf-Levure type. Fermentation lasts 10-14 days. The finished vodka retains a light grain aroma.

On kefir

In 15 liters of water, stir 3 kg of sugar, 1.5 kg of boiled and crushed potatoes, 1.5 liters of kefir, 100 gr. yeast. Ready to race? after 3-4 days of exposure in a warm place.

From sweets, kefir and peas

At 9 l warm water dilute 25 g of yeast, 0.5 l of kefir, 0.5 kg of boiled peas, 3 kg of sweets (can be done with any, caramel is more often used). Stir until the sweets are completely dissolved. Fermentation duration? about 10 days.

Honey

Dissolve 4 kg of honey, 0.5 kg of yeast in 40 liters of water. Distill after 4-5 days.

Beekeepers, who, more often than other moonshiners, undertake to make mash from honey (due to the availability of raw materials), claim that it is much more difficult than from sugar. Bees endow honey with preservatives that make it difficult to ferment. If they are not destroyed by heating, they will ferment slowly and for a very long time. The yield of vodka from honey mash is less than from sugar mash. If moonshine from honey mash is not filtered through coal, a pungent odor remains.

From grape pomace

To 10 kg of grape pomace add 5 kg of sugar, 100 gr. yeast and pour 30 liters of water. Fermentation lasts 8-10 days. For high quality chacha or grape vodka double distillation is required.
Since not only wild yeast, but also unwanted mold fungi, other harmful microorganisms, it requires special care. Grape must should be protected from oxygen, which contributes to sourness. For this, a water seal is used. It prevents contact with air, and carbon dioxide freely escapes through the tube into a container of water.

Instead of a water seal, you can put a pharmaceutical latex or rubber glove on the fermentation bottle. Make a thin hole in the finger to bleed carbon dioxide. At proper fermentation the glove will inflate and stand up. The fall of the glove signals the end of fermentation. To obtain high-quality vodka, the fermented wort is decanted before distillation (carefully drained from the sediment) and carefully filter.

From tomato paste

A classic recipe from the Soviet past without the use of yeast: per 1 kg tomato paste 10 kg of sugar, 30 liters of water and 0.5 liters of beer. Fermentation ends in 10-12 days.

From birch sap

You should not make mash from birch sap bought at the store. Juice should be taken only fresh. Otherwise, the preparation of the wort differs little from the recipe of a typical sugar mash: for 10 liters of warm filtered birch sap, add 3 kg of sugar, 200 gr. yeast, 0.5 cups of kefir or yogurt. Fermentation is carried out under a water seal for about two weeks. Requires double distillation.

Fruit and berry mash

When fermenting berries and fruits (except grapes), grain is added to activate and develop the yeast culture. Wheat, rye, barley, peas are suitable for this. Such an additive not only speeds up fermentation, but also makes it more pleasant taste and aromatics of future vodka. The amount of sugar is selected depending on its content in fruit and berry raw materials. Water is added to the crushed raw material in a ratio of 1:1. Such mashes contain a lot of fusel impurities, acetaldehydes, methyl alcohol, therefore, to improve the quality of vodka, they require double distillation, careful separation of the head and tail fractions.

You can make mash from ready-made fruit juice. For 20 liters of sweet juice, 600 gr. yeast. If it stands in a warm place, it will ferment in 2 weeks.

Ready mash does not like long-term storage. However, if the distillation is delayed for some reason, it can be stored without loss of quality in a cool place. There is a well-known practice of keeping the mash in the refrigerator for a year.

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Sometimes it may happen that the mash does not ferment. At the same time, they use good yeast, pure water and quality raw materials. But the fact remains. What to do in such a situation? It is a pity if the product has to be poured. Can it be saved in some way? In order to find a solution to this issue, you must first understand the causes of fermentation..

Why is there no fermentation

Braga is literally alive. Yeast works tirelessly in it. This special mushrooms for which the environment in which they live is extremely important. This directly affects their viability.

Alcohol is a by-product of yeast. It is also carbonic eye, which is produced from sugar. In order for the yeast to be constantly at maximum activity, and the mash is fertile, you need:

1. Indispensable nutrition. Braga should contain a sufficient amount of vitamins, sugar and important trace elements. The priority raw materials are cereals and fruits. Sugar or inverted syrup is added to them, which increases the sugar content.
2. Optimal temperature. A wide temperature range is suitable for yeast. How many degrees are optimal? They become more active at temperatures from +22 to +28.

It is important to take into account not only the activity of yeast, but also other subtleties. Among them:

1. The container must be completely sealed. A special water seal is used. It freely releases carbon dioxide to the outside, but oxygen cannot penetrate inside. Accordingly, the mash will not oxidize and will not turn into vinegar.
2. It is important to observe optimal proportions liquid base, sugar and yeast.
3. The use of excellent quality water also plays an important role.
4. It is also worth considering the type of yeast and its quality.

The quality of fermentation is affected great amount all sorts of factors. But it is extremely difficult to kill the braga completely. Such situations happen extremely rarely, so you don’t have to worry about this.

If it seems to you that the mash is completely spoiled, most likely it is not. Most likely, there was a decline or an insufficient increase in yeast activity. Why is the fermentation process disturbed? And what can be done about it?

Braga does not wander. What's happened

It is worth mentioning right away that you can objectively assess the intensity of the fermentation process only if you use a transparent fermentation container (usually made of glass). You will see boiling activity and color. With this, you will immediately understand what to do.

If the container is opaque, you should focus only on the water seal. But it often happens that with a non-intensive fermentation process, gurgling is absent. What to do? No need to hurry. It is best to use a fermentation tank, which has a faucet at the bottom. This will allow you to drain the mash and evaluate how good it is. Why does fermentation take a long time or stop altogether:

1. It's just been too long. Braga does not always play right away. It all depends on the temperature, type of yeast, raw materials and the method of introducing yeast directly into the wort (in a diluted form or not). Signs of fermentation: hissing, foaming, bubbles, and a characteristic smell appear quite often only after a few hours. If the mash did not start, and more than 8 hours have passed, then something has gone wrong and it is important to do something about it.
2. The temperature of the air and the wort dropped. You just need to move the mash to another place where it is much warmer. In this case, the room should be well ventilated. During fermentation, a large amount of carbon dioxide is released. This should not be forgotten. If the volume of mash is large, and fermentation takes place at night, when you sleep, in best case you'll get away with the usual headache.
3. The proportions were not met. If you do not know how much sugar to take, know that 3 liters of purified water and 70 grams of yeast are taken per 1 kilogram of it. If you are using natural products: pears, plums or apricots, for example, it is important to consider their sugar content. At the same time, tables that can be found in large numbers on the Internet will not help much here. This indicator is constantly changing even for one tree.

   You just need to add 50 grams of yeast per 10 kg of raw materials. Also, 50 grams of yeast is taken for each kilogram of sugar, if you want to fix the mash that you have already spoiled, it is important to know which ingredient you did not report.

   Accordingly, the missing water, yeast or sugar should be added.

4. Wrong sugar content. Before fermentation begins, the must must contain at least 20% sugar. If the sugar content is high, it will prevent fermentation.

   Also, too much sugar can increase the strength of the mash. Most of yeast stops working if alcohol strength exceeds 14%. If there is a lot of sugar, the mash gains strength quickly, but at the same time, the yeast simply does not have time to process the existing sugar into alcohol.

   If there is little sugar, the yeast will work faster. But at the same time, distillation will require more time and energy. Have to heat up large quantity liquids.

   How much sugar to take? It is best to find a middle ground. If the sugar content is high, just add water. It should be cold or warmed up to 30 degrees.

5. Poor quality yeast. Active pressed yeast is always a uniform grayish or yellowish color. At the same time, their consistency is firm in moderation. They keep in the refrigerator for a maximum of 12 days. If putrefactive appeared musty smell, this indicates that the product is defective.

   Dry yeast should be free-flowing.

   If the sugar content and temperature of the mash are normal, you should simply add other yeast.

6. Water Bad quality. It cannot be boiled, distilled or passed through reverse osmosis systems. Fermentation can stop if there is a lot of chlorine and other substances harmful to bacteria in the water. If this happens, you need to add high-quality water to the mash (from 50 to 100%);
7. There was a depressurization of the water seal. If this problem is not noticed in time, the mash will simply turn into vinegar. After that, it will be useless to add sugar or yeast. You are just wasting your money. You just have to pour the vinegar, leaving it a small amount of for cooking meat with marinade. You just need to put the braga again.

Don't overthink your choice of yeast. If you decide to make mash, it is not necessary to purchase special spirits. They, however, have one significant advantage: increased resistance to alcohol.

They allow you to quickly process sugar into alcohol. if “exit” is essential for you, it is worth taking alcohol yeast. If you have high-quality bakery at hand, you can safely use them.

Do not be afraid of sulfur oxide or excessive foaming. Sulfur oxide appears when applying alcohol yeast. Foam is completely normal. This phenomenon is completely harmless. It will allow you to see that fermentation is taking place.