How to insist grain moonshine in oak barrels. Infusion of moonshine in an oak barrel

The golden rule of storing moonshine in oak barrel: the longer the container and the aging time, the higher the strength of the distillate should be. For a small 2-3 liter barrel, a 45-degree drink will be enough, especially if the period does not exceed 3-4 months. For containers of 10-30 liters, it is recommended to fill in moonshine with an alcohol content of 55-60%. This is also true for long-term infusion of the drink for a period of more than 2 years.

Oak barrel - not the most sealed container for storage. Through its walls evaporation of alcohol(it is called the "angel's share"), due to which the strength of the drink decreases over time. That is why it is recommended to take an extremely responsible approach to the issue of choosing a barrel, since not only the taste of the tincture, but also its strength will depend on it.

Appearance of a classic oak barrel with a tap.

Exists important nuance, which should be considered when choosing a similar container: the smaller the oak container, the faster the alcohol matures in it. For homemade moonshine You won't find a better brew than a 3 or 5 liter barrel. They cost less, are prepared faster, and the time of infusion of the drink is less.

illustrative example: how long does it take to insist decent moonshine in an oak barrel?

• Barrel of 5 liters - 4 months.
• For 15 liters - 6–8 months.
• For 20 liters - 8 months.
• For 30 liters - 10-12 months.

It makes no sense to store distillate in a small container for more than 9 months. During this time, the drink will sufficiently absorb the color, smell and taste of oak, after which the banal evaporation of alcohol will begin.

If your volumes are much larger, then it makes sense to buy a large capacity and prepare really strong moonshine. It should have been insisted on for years.

The taste of the drink will depend not only on the period of infusion, but also on the variety of oak.

The issue of maturation speed was raised in a video on the Youtube channel Bondarnaya Lavka.

Which oak barrel is better to choose for home brewing

If you drive distillate only for your own consumption (we do not take family members and friends into account), then barrels of 3, 5 or 10 liters are quite enough for you. Small containers are easier to work with and the drink matures much faster in them..

With large volumes of distillation, it is worth considering buying several barrels of medium volume (up to 60 liters inclusive). The manufacturer must think about improving their product, so sooner or later you will want to experiment with taste. It is for this case that you will have several good containers.

Average prices for oak barrels in Russia:

Give preference to good wood from the Caucasus or France, it will last much longer.

• 3 liters - 3500 rubles.
• 5 liters - 4200 rubles
• 10 liters - 5000 rubles.
• 20 liters - 6200 rubles.
• 25 liters - 7000 rubles.
• 50 liters - 9000 rubles.
• 100 liters - 12,500 rubles.
• 225 liters - 23,000 rubles.
• 400 liters - 34,000 rubles.

The cost will greatly depend on the type of oak. Estimated prices are shown on Caucasian sessile oak.

The shelf life of a good barrel is about 40 years.. Since far from all storage conditions will withstand ideally, feel free to divide this period by two, or even three.

An interesting video can be viewed on the channel Moonshine Sanych. The author talks in detail about the choice of an oak barrel and considers various varieties wood for these containers. We highly recommend that you take a look if you are planning to purchase such a container.

How to properly prepare an oak barrel for use

The procedure is extremely responsible and sometimes physically difficult, so be patient and strictly follow the step-by-step instructions:

Leakage of water through the cracks during the initial flush is normal. When the container swells, everything will be fine.

1. Primary barrel filling cold water . First, the container must be cleaned of dust, chips and other foreign bodies. In addition, the wood swells and, as moonshiners say, "falls into place." The water will drain quickly, so keep adding water all the way to the top. After a few days, the container will stop flowing. It will be necessary to wait for this moment, drain the water and you can proceed to the second stage.
2. Secondary barrel filling hot water with soda (about 80 degrees Celsius). Thermal steaming of containers is necessary for washing out harmful substances And bad smell. Fill the container with hot water and soda (5 grams per liter) and wrap it with blankets to equalize the temperature outside and inside. After a day, pour out the water and proceed to the third stage.
3. Tertiary hot water flush. The baking soda needs to be cleaned out, so rinse the container vigorously once more, after which it will be almost ready for use.
4. Let the barrel dry for a day. This time will be enough for the wood to be fully prepared for pouring moonshine.

Having completed all of the above steps, you can pour absolutely any alcohol into the barrel - moonshine, vodka, wine, and the like.

Not only cognac and whiskey are prepared in oak containers, but also other delicious alcoholic drinks, so this container can be called truly universal.

The experience of preparing an oak barrel is shared in his video Georgy Kavkaz. All actions are clear and understandable, so you can use its technology. Just keep in mind that the first filling should still be done with cold water, and not warm or hot.

The aging of the drink in an oak barrel is still relevant today, since it is this container that gives a special taste to any alcohol. Therefore, the question of what strength of moonshine to pour into an oak barrel to get a shade of whiskey is often asked by distillers.

Requirements for moonshine before pouring

Tannins like tannin give not only the smell, but also the color of the drink. In order for moonshine to really be preserved, and not deteriorated, you should follow the rules for using oak barrels and recommendations for the drink itself.

Storage of moonshine in an oak barrel

When using such containers, alcohol vapor calmly leaves the barrel, the drink breathes, oxidizes and acquires a unique aroma.

Required for oak barrels can be different and depends on factors such as:

• container volume;
• planned holding time.

If aging is planned at home, then it is advisable to pour moonshine with an alcohol content of 43-46% into a barrel of 2-10 liters. It is recommended to keep the drink for 6 months. But if the container volume is from 10 liters, and the exposure is from three years or more, then the strength of the drink should be in the range of 60-70%. How longer term storage and the larger the barrel, the stronger the drink should be.

Moonshine in an oak barrel, in addition to the volume of containers, is also influenced by factors such as:

• Air humidity. Ideal performance is 80-85%.
• Medium temperature. For strong alcohol suitable 14-16 degrees, for wine 10-12 degrees.
• Infusion time.

The first two factors are controllable. The infusion time is calculated independently, depending on the strength of alcohol and the taste of the drink. To know the taste of moonshine, you need to periodically try it and determine the readiness. As soon as the desired result is achieved, the drink can be poured into airtight glass jars.

Also a recipe good drink from the barrel depends directly on how many times the container has been used. The shelf life increases along with the duration of the operation of the keg. After the third and subsequent fillings of moonshine, due to the decrease in wood components, the rate of their extraction gradually slows down. Therefore, the container serves only as a reservoir, and not a source of useful substances. This process is called wood depletion. Therefore, it is important to monitor not only the drink, but also the barrel in order to increase its service life.

But just pouring moonshine into a container is not enough. The barrel requires preparation before storage, which takes place in several stages.

Rules for the use and storage of containers

To begin with, the barrel is filled with ordinary clean water. The liquid is left for 10 minutes and drained with the remains of the wood. The inner surface must be steamed for hygiene reasons. In addition to removing bacteria, this method also enhances the aroma of the barrel.

Heated stones are laid out at the bottom and filled with water so that the liquid occupies a third of the volume. Then the barrel is closed, and steam is produced inside. After the amount of steam decreases, the barrel is opened and filled with hot water, and also whipped with a fragrant broom.

When the wood swells, the easy flow from the barrel stops. But gaps may also remain, and then leakage of alcohol from the container will be observed. If the barrel is leaking, then you can close up the leak with the help of dough and insist the product to the end. If the leak is large, then you should pour the alcohol into another container, and then dry the place with a hairdryer. Sometimes after such a procedure, the leak closes, otherwise the barrel cannot be used.

It is necessary to soak the container before use with hot water. To follow the recipe correctly, you will need to pour boiling water into the barrel by a third of the volume, and then close it tightly and store the container in this form for half an hour. Then it is necessary to swing the barrel in order to completely wash its walls from the inside. After that, you need to carefully fill the tank warm water and change it once a day for two weeks. You need to change the water until it becomes transparent and free of wood impurities.

And some distillers wash the cask soda solution. Soda is taken at the rate of 20 grams per liter. The water temperature should reach 70 degrees Celsius. After 10 minutes, the solution is poured out. But if the barrel is not new, then there is no point in such a procedure.

Of course for strong drinks container is ready. You can pour moonshine, cognac, whiskey into it. If the barrel is used for wine, then distillate should be added to it. double distillation sugarless. You need to withstand it for a month, and the strength of the drink should be at the level of 18-20 degrees.

You also need to store an empty barrel so that it does not deteriorate. After transfusion ready drink in glass jars, pour into a barrel cognac spirit. It is this procedure that will help maintain the capacity for for a long time and prevent depletion of the container. All this must be observed, because stronger alcohol, poured into a barrel, the more substances it absorbs and sucks out of the tree. Barrels are not recommended to be kept empty for more than a day, since the properties of the container disappear.

How to infuse a product in an oak barrel?

The aging of the drink also requires compliance with certain conditions. The thing is that the alcohol that is obtained after distillation usually has a harsh taste, a cloudy appearance, so you want to soften all these qualities. After aging in a barrel, the composition of the drink changes for the better. Moonshine acquires a golden hue, arises pleasant aroma. Tannin and other substances help to improve the strength, but at the same time, moonshine will be softer and even acquire a vanilla flavor.

Oxidative processes contribute to the nobility and consistency of the drink. For this you need to follow temperature regime, monitor the amount of alcohol evaporation from the barrel. It is also forbidden to store the container under open sunbeams. It is better if it is a dark room with high humidity, like a cellar.

Extraneous movements, vibrations, smells, contact with moonshine stills and braga are undesirable. To raise the level of humidity in the room, it is enough to place a basin with clean water near the barrel. Water should also be changed and it should not be allowed to bloom.

The technology of using barrels and pouring moonshine into them is clear even to beginners. Of course, the process is time-consuming, requires economic costs, but at the same time, it is fully justified by the result.

The technology for the production of elite alcoholic beverages involves a long exposure of alcohol in an oak barrel so that the liquid fed up useful substances contained in wood.

The properties of the tree are such that oxygen from the air easily penetrates into the middle of the container, enriching the drink located there. But there is no way back for alcohol vapor.

Oak barrels for home use small capacity from 2 to 50 liters. At the same time, alcohol ripens faster, saturating with the taste and aroma properties that oak wood gives to the drink.

The contact of each liter in a two-liter keg with the surface of the container is 400 sq. cm, and with a container volume of 50 liters, the contact area is only 152 sq. cm. Therefore, for your own consumption, it is better to purchase oak barrels. up to 10 liters.

An oak barrel for moonshine must meet the following requirements:

• optimal capacity for household needs - 2-50 liters;
• container produced made of oak wood chipped along the grain. The price of the product directly depends on the growth of the tree. For example, wood from Serbia is quite expensive, and oak barrels grown in Russia, Slovenia, western Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary are relatively cheap;
• it is desirable that the inner surface be burnt by fire not less medium degree. Processing helps release the flavors from the cheap wood. At the same time, medium roasting is characterized by the smell of vanilla, coconut, almonds, caramel, which is suitable for converting moonshine from an oak barrel into, brandy. Strong roasting releases aromas suitable for Calvados. The drink is saturated with the smell and taste of chocolate, cocoa, a smoky aroma of prunes appears;
• do not do it purchase products with inserted metal faucet. In the event of a leak at the connection point, the entire beverage can flow out within a sufficient short term. If there is no other choice, it is recommended to remove the tap altogether by plugging the hole with a wooden gag;
• better choose waxed products. If you purchased an untreated oak barrel, you should carefully wax it yourself. Wax does not prevent the tree from “breathing”, at the same time protecting the product from damage;
• hoops on the barrel should sit tight. Material - galvanized iron or stainless steel, as the environment of use of the container is characterized by high humidity. If the hoops dangle, it is necessary to carefully knock them around the circumference with a hammer, avoiding distortion.

An oak barrel is practically not made by hand, as special training, skill and work experience are required. It is necessary to take the purchase of a container seriously so that the wooden product lasts as long as possible.

What is the share of angels and how to reduce it?

When moonshine is aged in an oak barrel, natural evaporation of liquid. The amount of loss is 1 liter per year, regardless of the size of the container. Therefore, it is undesirable to store alcohol in a small volume of containers for a long time: in 2 years the drink will completely disappear from a two-liter keg.

The evaporating volume is called share of angels, each alcohol manufacturer tries to reduce this share without compromising the quality of the drink:

• cracks are closed natural oils, paint;
• the outer part of the oak barrel is waxed;
• to withstand moonshine is not worth it in a barrel for a long time. As soon as the drink acquires the desired qualities ( cognac color, softness, pleasant aroma), it is recommended to pour the liquid into glass bottles. Further infusion and storage of moonshine takes place in another container.

What strength the drink is obtained depends on the storage conditions:

1. at high humidity (65-75%) moonshine becomes less strong, but the proportion of angels also decreases;
2. if alcohol is stored at room temperature (20-25 ° C), then it ripens faster, the strength increases, but natural evaporation is also higher.

Preparing a new barrel

A new product is not suitable to immediately fill it with moonshine. Should conduct pre-processing barrel to reduce the content of tannins.

Preparation of an oak barrel for moonshine includes several mandatory operations:

1. soaking product allows you to detect and correct the shortcomings of the keg. In addition, components that are unnecessary for infusion of alcoholic raw materials (tannins, dyes, tart substances) pass into the water.
2. Steaming, except for waxed containers, helps to clean the container from harmful bacteria that can harm homemade alcohol.
3. Drying finished product provides long-term use oak containers for delicious alcoholic drink.

Soak the oak container first every day, filling the container with water to the top and leaving it in the barrel for a day. Then it is recommended to extend the period of infusion of water content up to 2-5 days. After half a month, the water infused in the container should be absolutely transparent, colorless and have no foreign smell.

The second stage begins with steaming the inside of the barrel with boiling water (steam is better). The container is half filled with boiling water with the addition of baking soda, the amount of which is approximately 10% of the liquid volume.

The inner walls are thoroughly washed with a hot soda solution by rolling the barrel on the ground on its side. Then hot water is required to wash off the soda solution.

The oak product is washed several times with clean warm or cold water. The container storage conditions must comply with the following characteristics:

• air humidity about 75%;
• lack of drafts and direct sunlight;
• temperature regime from 10 to 15°С.

How to use the secondary container?

How to prepare an oak barrel for infusing moonshine for reuse:

• it is necessary to rinse the container several times with clean cool water;
• roll the barrel on its side, half filling it with boiling water;
• remove the remains of tartar with a hot solution of soda (2%);
• thoroughly, rinse the product several times from the remnants of soda;
• after storage in a red wine container, it is desirable to treat its inner surface with a 2% bleach solution. Then rinse the wooden surface with boiling water and steam;
• Rinse again with cold water and dry outside in direct sunlight.

If the treatment did not help get rid of the sour musty smell, the inside should be fired and the container should be washed in the manner for a new product. The use of secondary containers is more preferable for infusing moonshine. Barrels after Sherry enjoy special authority.

A properly prepared oak wood barrel can last for several years, providing homemade alcohol unique aroma noble drinks.

Many of our clients and just readers of the library of our site are interested in: how to improve the taste of moonshine? What are the moonshine recipes? Is it possible to withstand moonshine in a barrel?

It turns out that there is a way to put a bottle of your homemade moonshine on a par with the products of the most famous French and Scottish distilleries! Own cognac at home or whiskey in the kitchen - quite realistic in a couple of months. Do you think this is fiction? Read to the end!

We have already talked about mash recipes and methods for cleaning moonshine after distillation. Today we will talk about, perhaps, the most popular drink that can be obtained from ready-made moonshine.

If you thought about vodka, then, alas, you were mistaken. Moonshine (in the traditional, classical sense of the word) - and not. Read about the differences between these two forms of existence of alcohol in the article "Distiller or distillation column". Now let's just recall that a rectificate is, in fact, ethanol. This drinking alcohol, alcohol of high industrial degree of purification. However, "cleaning" is a double-edged sword, because in its process you not only get rid of harmful impurities and mechanical dirt; You can also lose flavor, lose what makes rum rum, tequila tequila, and whiskey whiskey!

This is how vodka is produced in the factory - mash is rectified, turns into pure alcohol(well, or we want to think so), ethanol is diluted with pure (in our dreams) water, and, devoid of taste and smell (we continue to idealize the domestic alcohol baron), it is bottled. Vodka, therefore, is the quintessence of intoxication, a liquid that serves solely to turn off the neurons of the cerebral cortex, to stimulate hypoxia, alcohol intoxication. Vodka is not drunk in small sips, it is not savored or discussed taste qualities. good vodka This is vodka with no taste.

Some of us, however, though to get to know the taste of a drink that is long and painstakingly produced. And an oak barrel will help with this at home.

Both whiskey and cognac are aged in oak barrels, in which the base drinks, wines, were previously aged and matured. Oak itself gives whiskey a lot of flavoring substances. These are, first of all, oak tannins - plant compounds that give the drink a tart, astringent taste and having anti-inflammatory properties. These are also acetals. - ethers that give moonshine fruity shades; lignin, the most complex aromatic polymer that breathes into your moonshine the smoke of a distillery, the spirit of ancient folios and exotic spices. Oak fibers contain many types of lipids, lactones and cellulose, which in different combinations get into your drink, making the taste original and unique.

Not every oak is suitable for aging a drink. For example, American Oak, or White Oak (Quercus Alba) contains a lot of lactones, which gives the drink an inexpensive flavor. American bourbon. But Rock Oak (Quercus Petraea), common in France, is often used to ripen French wines. For original cognac use oak from the forests of Tronce or Limousin.

Oak barrel - great way personalize your drink. An oak barrel must always be kept full: leaving it without liquid, you run the risk of getting huge gaps between the rivets, the planks from which the barrel is assembled.

Partial selection of "cognac" or "whiskey" is also not recommended - the so-called "share of angels" increases, the loss of alcohol due to evaporation. Yes, the rivets are falling apart.

The larger the barrel, the more time it is necessary to keep the distillate in it, since a significant increase in volume leads to only a slight increase in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe inner surface.

The keg must be prepared for aging whiskey - washed for a long time, soaked, kept in it as a preliminary base-wine. To seal the barrel, many moonshiners smear the barrel with wax melted in linseed oil. Although it is also not a panacea for leakage and evaporation.

An oak barrel is a wonderful male entertainment if you have a cool and not too dry place at home to store it for several months to several years. For example, for the smallest barrel with a volume of 3 liters, you will need a cool container 30X25X25 cm (better, of course, 50X50X50 to eliminate temperature changes and humidity fluctuations).

If you do not have the opportunity or desire to deal with oak barrels, we offer the best alternative. At home oak chips(specially chopped oak chips from dried and prepared for the production of solid French oak barrels) seems to be quite a sensible solution.

Your drink can mature in a hygienic and airtight glassware, do not be afraid of changes in temperature, pressure and humidity, do not require the conditions of a cool dark basement; the surface area of ​​the chips is simply huge compared to the useful contact area of ​​​​the drink and the keg, which means maturation is much faster. Yes, and you don’t have to share with the “angels” (and these devils drink up to half a barrel during the aging of cognac!)

To prepare an interesting and unique alcoholic drink, you only need a teaspoon of wood chips per liter! Having withstood 40-50% moonshine for 1-4 months, you will surprise your guests at the table. The shelf life of such chips is unlimited and the aroma of the final product is amazing. The store site offers you oak strong roasted chips made in France. Each piece of wood chips has a stable uniform tone, even noble fiber and a light color saturated with the Mediterranean sun of France. Oak practically does not crumble, and in the airtight jar that you receive, there will be only oak chips ready for use.

Interesting experiments for you!

To make moonshine truly noble drink, you may need special barrels for moonshine. Since the Middle Ages, it has been concluded that the storage of alcohol in wooden barrels has a significant effect on its taste. It becomes richer and more enjoyable. The thing is that the wood that makes up the barrel "breathes". This contributes to the saturation of the drink with oxygen. Alcohol vapors, on the contrary, cannot go outside. As a result, the process of additional oxidation of moonshine and giving it new flavors takes place. The best option wood is oak. Oak barrels contain tannins, which will not only improve the taste of moonshine, but give it a noble color.

In order to infuse moonshine, barrels with a volume of 2 to 10 liters are suitable. The smaller the volume, the pass faster process. This is due to the fact that in small barrels the area of ​​​​contact of moonshine with the walls of the vessel is much larger. But if you still plan to insist on moonshine for a long time, then it is better to give preference to a larger barrel, 10-50 liters.

It should be remembered that when the drink ripens, a small part of the proportion of alcohol still evaporates. It has the name "Angel's Share". It is believed that about 1 liter of the drink flies away per year, and it doesn’t matter what volume the barrel was. Waxed barrels are used to reduce the volume of silent losses. Waxing also protects the barrel from various external influences, which prolongs its service life. Wax does not affect gas exchange, and moonshine will ripen well. All this applies to barrels up to 20 liters, there is no point in waxing large volumes.

The wood from which the barrels are made must be dried in the open air for at least 3 years. From the inside, it can be burned. Roasting contributes to a better transfer of tannins into the drink. Hoops must be galvanized or stainless steel.

Pay attention to the faucet. This is the weakest point of any barrel, as it leaks very often. If the crane is important to beautiful presentation drink on the table, you can use a separate barrel of small volume for this. In other cases, it is better to avoid this accessory.

A new barrel should not be immediately filled with moonshine. It must first be properly prepared. During preparation, the concentration of tannins (tannins) in the wood is reduced. If this is not done, then the drink will be unpleasant. tart taste, it is also called "plinth" or "Pinocchio".

Preparation consists of several stages and will require you a large number water and a long period of time.

1. First you need to fill a new container with water room temperature by 90% volume. Close the barrel and leave it for 3-4 hours. It is necessary to inspect the barrel for leaks. Small leaks are not critical. Oak staves will get wet and the leak will disappear. Drain the water after 4 hours.

2. Refill with water and leave for 2-3 days. If there are leaks, it is necessary to periodically add water until they are eliminated. If the leak is large, the barrel needs repair. Drain the water. It should be brown, dirty yellow.

3. Pour boiling water 10% of the volume. Close the barrel and shake it so that the water washes the walls completely. After an hour, add water to the brim and close the barrel.

4. Change the water every day until it becomes colorless and odorless. It could take a month

5. The next step is to fill the barrel halfway with water at a temperature of 70°C. First, soda must be dissolved in water at the rate of 20g per 1 liter. Shake the barrel well for 10 minutes and drain the water.

6. Now you need to clean the container from soda. To do this, you must first fill it with hot water for 15-20 minutes, and then with cold water for 10-12 hours.

7. Pour moonshine of primary distillation with a strength of 20-30% into a soaked barrel with the addition of wine. Insist 2-3 months.

8. Drain, rinse. Now your barrel is ready to infuse moonshine

To withstand moonshine in a barrel should be in a ventilated area, without heat sources. Humidity should be around 80-85%. If it is too dry, the strength of the product will increase, and if it is wet, then vice versa it will fall. In both cases, the total number will decrease. Therefore, sometimes it is necessary to top up the contents. Once a month, you should taste the extract of moonshine. It is better to underdo than to overdo.

After each use, the ripening period increases. Valuable substances each time more and more slowly they turn into moonshine. Already after the third time you can notice the difference. The recommended number of cycles is 6-7 times. If we count six months per cycle, then it will be about 3.5 years. But these are all approximate terms and you can increase them if you use a barrel for storage afterwards.