How to insist moonshine on oak chips and how to cook it. A simple recipe for making moonshine on oak chips (chips)

Alcohol, infused with oak chips, has a noble color, does not require special preparation costs and is quite pleasant to the taste. The preparation process is quite simple, can be carried out at home and usually does not require much time.

Do-it-yourself oak chips for moonshine

The main material is oak, from which chips are prepared. Among the wide variety of species, Caucasian (Krasnodar oaks) are the most valued. They have specific characteristics (physical and chemical), which are highly valued by world wine experts.

Chips should be split along the wood fibers with a length of about 10 cm and a thickness of up to 2 cm. Then it is dried naturally in the sun and wind. You can also use artificial drying. This method is preferable, as it allows you to take full control of the entire process and significantly reduce the drying time. The dryer, made in the form of a plastic shelf with a fan, does a good job of this. After drying, the oak chips are ready for further processing.

Next comes the soaking process. To do this, the chips are placed in a container with cold water for one day. It is recommended to change the water every 6 hours. In the process of the last soaking, a little soda should be added to the water (1 teaspoon per 5 liters of water).

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When this stage is over, oak chips are washed very thoroughly in rather cold water and put on steaming (up to 2 hours). To do this, you can use a strainer (metal) placed on top of a pot boiling with water. This process can be replaced by pouring boiling water over the chips, which will significantly reduce the time.

At the end of the process, the chips are again washed with very cold water, after which they are dried for 12 hours. At the same time, they are periodically mixed to achieve uniform moisture removal. Dried oak chips are placed in an oven and heated at a temperature of about 150-160 ° C for three to four hours. During warming up, a very pleasant spicy vanilla aroma appears.

Next, it is fried (preferably on the grill) to give it a dark color. This must be done with special care so that the blanks do not catch fire and do not overcook. When the desired shade is reached, the oven turns off and the door is left open. This process is easy and does not take much time.

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You can use prepared oak chips to infuse moonshine several times. The consumption of oak material is usually from 20 to 40 g for every 10 liters of alcohol having a strength of 70 °. A drink infused with oak chips should have a straw color. If the shade turned out to be darker, then the technological process was violated.

Roasting oak chips at home

After the soaking and boiling procedures, oak pegs are well washed and dried. Dry blanks that have got rid of moisture should be laid out in a fairly even layer on a baking sheet and placed in the oven. A microwave oven can also be used for this purpose. The temperature for frying is recommended to be set within 150-160 ° C, and the process itself is carried out for 2 hours.

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You can do it in a slightly different way, which can save a lot of time. Without waiting for complete drying, the chips are placed in an electric oven, the lower and upper heating is turned on at a temperature of 150 ° C. The final drying time is 20 minutes.

During this process, it is necessary to turn the wood chips over a couple of times for better drying. Upon completion of drying, the temperature rises to 200 °C, and calcination is carried out for 15 minutes. A small light smoke signals the end of the process. Carefully monitor the condition of the chips - in no case should the appearance of fire and charring of the edges be allowed.

As a result of roasting, the pegs acquire a characteristic color (brown). Heat treatment turns part of the tannins into vanillin and some other compounds. The sugar present in the wood caramelizes. Chips browned in this way should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated room. The presence of high humidity can have a detrimental effect on wood.

Distilled alcohol has a specific and rather unpleasant taste and smell, reminiscent of medicinal alcohol.

That is why many insist on various materials, including oak chips, as well as on oak bark.

Wood chips are prepared in a special way. Incorrect preparation of oak chips for tinctures can spoil the taste and aroma drink.

In this article, we will cover:

• what effect oak chips have on the distillate;
• how to cook it;
• how to regulate the taste and smell of tincture;
• how to insist alcohol on oak chips;
• how many times can you use wood chips for infusion.

During the infusion of alcohol on wood chips, multiple simultaneous processes.

The mixture of water penetrates into the pores of the wood and leaches the tree sap out of them, which changes the taste, color and smell of alcohol.

If the wood surface is subjected to heat treatment, then under the action of alcohol and water, the destroyed chains of cellulose and lignin are converted into simple sugars, that is, glucose, fructose.

These sugars also mix with alcohol, giving it special taste.

In addition, alcohol interacts with tannins, which impregnate the bark and oak wood, as a result of which some of these substances enter the alcohol, changing its taste.

Oak chips add to the drink cognac color and taste, which not everyone likes, therefore, to improve the taste and color, it is processed in various ways, the most popular of which are frying and soaking.

During caramelization, the chemical chains of cellulose and lignin break down into simple sugars (monosaccharides), which enter the distillate and change its flavor.

Due to the small amount of monosaccharides, they cannot drastically change the taste alcohol, but can spice it up and make something more memorable.

For impregnating wood chips pour sweet wine or other alcoholic drink with a pronounced taste, which they then give to the distillate.

Depending on temperature and time roasting changing influence oak wood for alcohol.

The use of wood chips minimum roasting (temperature 120-160 degrees, time 2-3 hours) gives the distillate a slight smell and taste of vanilla.

Medium roasting (temperature 180–200 degrees, time 6–10 hours) gives the drink a taste and smell of caramel.

Maximum roasting (temperature 200–220 degrees, time 15–20 hours) fills the alcohol-containing liquid with aroma and bitter chocolate flavor.

How to prepare material for infusion?

Chips can be of various sizes and shapes, from cubes with a side size of a few cm, up to large slats or small chips. Chip shape only affects convenience. pouring it into a container with distillate, because sometimes it is insisted in bottles, and it is difficult to pour large cubes or planks there.

The size of the material affects impregnation rate alcohol and the intensity of metabolic processes, therefore, for short-term infusion better to use thin wood chips, but thicker material is better for a long time.

However, no one bothers to do, and vice versa, the difference in the results is so insignificant that the determining factor is the convenience of obtaining wood chips.

You only need to make chips from healthy wood, for example, branches from a nearby oak tree. It is undesirable to use an oak board or any oak product for this, because they treated with different reagents, protecting against moisture, bacteria or fire.

If you put such wood in a container with distillate, then instead of a pleasant tincture, you get something undrinkable.

Sometimes a fresh branch is used for infusion, but due to the huge amount of tannins it first you need to cut into chips, then boil for a long time in water with the addition of soda and rinse in clean running water.

If this is not done, then the drink will get too sharp astringent and tart taste, and bad smell.

However, chips from aged wood will have to be soaked and boiled, because even in them the amount of tannins is still too high.

When the wood is cured 6–12 months in a dry, ventilated room, the amount of tannins in it will decrease, so the chips from it will be more useful. Mandatory condition - wood should be without bark, after all, it is in the bark that most tannins are contained.

For the manufacture of chips, you can use any method, because it size and shape don't really matter., so we recommend that you carefully read the article Do-it-yourself chips.

Soaking and boiling

Suitable for soaking spring water. Tap water can be used, but not at all stages, it can not be boiled and rinsed, but it is suitable for soaking if it settles for a day.

To soak wood chips from wood that has lain for at least six months, enough days, however, soaking fresh material will require 2–3 days.

Chopped wood is poured with water so that the water is in 5-6 times larger in volume. Water is changed every 6-8 hours.

When the soaking time is over, the chopped wood is washed with spring or other clean water, then filled with saline solution(a tablespoon per 1 liter of water) for 2-3 hours, after which they will rinse again.

Then wood chips boil down, for which it is desirable to use stainless steel container because indelible marks remain on enamelware.

You can try to boil it in an aluminum pan, but sometimes traces still remain on the walls, so it is better to use a stainless steel container.

Chips from aged wood boiled in running water for an hour changing the water every 20-30 minutes.

Chips from fresh wood are first boiled for an hour in soda solution the same concentration as indicated above, then rinsed and boiled for another 1-2 hours in running water. Only after that the wood can be send to dry.

Sometimes experienced moonshiners and distillers neglect boiling and soaking, but in doing so they use wood harvested at the end of winter, before the start of the resumption of sap flow and aged in a cut state for several years.

In addition, they select more suitable roasting modes, which to some extent compensate for the increase in the amount of tannins, making the taste of the finished drink sharper and more pleasant.

Drying

The drying time depends on the size of the chips, therefore:

• for chips and other small things is 5-7 days;
• for planks and cubes 1 cm thick or more may take 2-4 weeks.

It is necessary to dry chopped wood in a dry, ventilated room with a temperature over +15 degrees. The maximum temperature is not limited.

After drying, the chips are roasted using an oven or gas burner. Drying is necessary to increase the efficiency of roasting, because the more water in the wood, the more steam will be released, which will reduce the temperature of the outer surface.

caramelization

Sometimes roasting is called caramelization, because monosaccharides, which appear as a result of the destruction of polysaccharides, smell of caramel. Further roasting results in chocolate smell.

If an oven is used for caramelization, then the chopped wood is laid on aluminum foil in a thin layer (maximum 1 cm).

If frying is carried out using a gas burner, then the chips are placed in a large ceramic container, periodically stirring and turning over.

Sometimes for frying large planks use a bonfire, but this method of caramelization is very difficult due to the fact that it is very difficult to maintain a constant temperature in a given range.

There is no perfect recipe roasting, because it is impossible to accurately determine the effect of this process on the final product.

For this it is necessary conduct a series of experiments, but even this approach does not guarantee that those who decide to repeat it will have identical results. After all, the assessment of the taste and smell of the tincture is based on subjective perception, so a lot depends on who will take the sample.

However, the general principles of roasting are the same - the wood is exposed to hot air or open fire, constantly monitoring the condition of the chips.

If the roasting temperature less than 120 degrees, then there is no destruction of the chains of polysaccharides. At a temperature over 220 degrees not only polysaccharides are destroyed, but also monosaccharides, which react with oxygen and oxidize with the formation of singed areas.

Therefore, it is necessary to experiment, keeping within the temperature range of 120–220 degrees.

petty scorched wood chips clean up, but with a large cut off charred areas.

Often, it is the charred and trimmed bars that give the best result when infused, giving the alcohol the taste of real dark chocolate.

Used for frying electric and gas ovens, because they provide simultaneous heating of wood from all sides.

In addition, the influx of fresh air into the oven is minimal, as a result of which the wood does not char, but caramelizes, that is, polysaccharides do not oxidize, but break down into monosaccharides.

This way of roasting more suitable for inexperienced and beginners distillers, because even a slight excess of temperature and processing time is not critical.

How to burn the oven?

The best way to achieve caramelization at home is to toast oak chips in the oven:

1. The oven is heated to a temperature 150–210 degrees(depending on the degree of roasting, the correct mode can only be selected through experimentation).
2. chips pour out onto a baking sheet in 1 layer.
3. The baking sheet is placed in the oven and the door is tightly closed.
4. Checked every 20 minutes the color of the chips, viewing it through the glass of the door.

As soon as the color reaches the desired value, the oven is turned off and left to cool. It is undesirable to take out hot chips or open the door during roasting, because wood can flare up and char.

Here is the effect of the color of the chips on the taste of the final product:

1. Golden- a slight aftertaste of vanilla and a barely noticeable bitterness.
2. Brown- the taste of almonds and caramel appears, and the bitterness intensifies.
3. Almost black(without scorching) - the taste and smell of dark chocolate and freshly brewed black tea appears.

How to fry in a pan?

In the absence of an oven, you can also use a frying pan for caramelization. It must have a thick bottom.

You need to fry over medium heat, stirring and watching the color of the product.

However, to fry oak chips in a pan must be constantly monitored state of chips, and this is not very convenient. Therefore, most users choose the oven.

Impregnation

This operation is then performed when taste, color and smell, which give alcohol oak chips, do not like. For impregnation, you can use both alcohol-containing liquids of any strength, and various juices.

They will not radically change the taste, color and smell, but even slight aftertaste or a hint of smell can turn an ordinary into a noble drink.

Soak the chips that have been pre-treated as described in the previous sections, including roasting them.

Depending on the thickness soaking can take 5-50 hours, after which the wood is dried for several hours in a ventilated room or on the street and placed in a container for infusion.

Sometimes, to make the drink similar to or tequila, chips insist on tails remaining during distillation. A small amount of "tails" gives the drink some fuselity, but this is exactly what distinguishes whiskey or tequila from vodka.

Proportions per liter and the time during which you need to keep in alcohol

clear proportions alcohol and oak chips does not exist. Some masters say that 5-10 grams of wood chips are enough per liter of moonshine, chacha or other distillate, others declare the need to use 20-50 grams.

If there are no scales, then you can measure the material with a tablespoon. A tablespoon holds 3-5 grams of wood chips.

In addition, there is no agreement on the time during which the chips should be kept in alcohol. Some say that 10-15 days is enough, others say that 3-6 months, or even more, are needed.

Regardless of the amount of wood and the time of infusion there is a general rule, which states that alcohol can only take a strictly defined amount of substances from wood.

Therefore, an excess of wood chips will not cause an increased content of these substances.

Nevertheless, total intake may be much higher than the comfort level and the taste of the product will deteriorate.

Therefore, by changing the amount of chopped wood and the time of infusion, you can change characteristics drink, adjusting its taste, smell and color.

For infusion, glass containers are needed, which can be close hermetically, or at least tight.

A slight loss of strength (2-5%), which can occur due to a leaky lid, will not spoil the product, because when in oak barrels, 10-20% of its strength is lost, which manufacturers call the "angels' share".

Containers with alcohol and oak chips are placed in a dark cool place and check their condition every 5-10 days. The condition of the tincture is checked by color, taste and smell.

Can it be reused and how many times?

At the end, the spirit is drained and filtered to separate the chips, which can be reused for infusion. 3-5 more times.

And the used wood no need to soak, boil or fry, it is immediately sent either for soaking or for infusion.

insistence on the bark

In addition to wood chips for infusion of alcoholic beverages, you can also use. Most moonshine insist on oak bark.

However, the technology for its application very different. After all, the content of cellulose and hemicellulose, as well as lignin in the bark is noticeably less, but much higher proportion of juices and resins.

And this applies not only to the bast (inner), but also to the outer layer of the bark.

Another difference is that the can't be fried for caramelization, because the outer layers start to char before the cellulose and hemicellulose of the bast layer break down into monosaccharides.

Oak bark for moonshine at home is prepared in the same way as wood chips - first the material is soaked, then boiled and dried.

These operations not only remove excess tree sap, but also remove dust that has entered the pores of the outer layers.

To insist on moonshine on oak bark, for a start cut or break into pieces of a suitable size, then put in a jar of alcohol. A liter of drink will require a tablespoon of the outer layers of the bark or a teaspoon of the bast layer. Next, you need to let it brew and moonshine on oak bark is ready.

smack bark-infused alcohol less wealthy than a drink infused with oak wood, therefore, in addition to the bark, other components are also used, such as:

• herbs;
• leaves;
• flowers;
• spices.

The simultaneous use of honey and bark not only adds sweetness finished product, but also fills the pores of the bark with sugars, due to which the infusion of the next batch of alcoholic beverage, even without the addition of honey, will give it barely noticeable sweet aftertaste.

The choice of bark breed is done in the same way as the choice of wood chips, because the composition of juices and resins in wood and bark layers is approximately the same.

Despite the fact that there are some recommendations on the use of one or another breed to obtain the desired taste, each master independently develops his own recipes, thanks to which his drinks acquire a unique pleasant aftertaste.

Related videos

The video shows the recipe for making oak chips for tinctures:

Conclusion

The taste of alcoholic tinctures on oak chips and bark much nicer than pure distillate. By changing the technology of wood preparation and the aging time of the drink, you can adjust such parameters as taste, smell or color.

Now you know how to choose the material for making oak chips and how to use the chips to infuse distilled alcohol.

In contact with

It is difficult to imagine the world of alcoholic beverages if one of our ancestors did not notice the influence of an oak barrel on their taste and aroma. According to experts, about 80% of the taste of whiskey, cognacs, calvados, rums and other aged distillates is obtained from an oak barrel. Today, becoming the owner of quality has become available to almost everyone. But before ordering a cask, which is somewhat difficult to own, we decided to tell you about beer refining with oak chips as an effective, inexpensive and fairly simple way to turn homemade beer, wine or aromatic distillate into something incredibly tasty and with a hint of authenticity.

Oak as a source of flavor and aroma in drinks

Oak for the production of barrels was chosen for a reason. First of all, it is valued for its ability to retain liquids due to the structure of the wood, mainly due to the formation of tyloses (growths inside the vascular system of the tree that prevent it from drying out during drought) and multi-level medullary rays. Oak wood is also quite strong and elastic, which makes it possible to form curved barrel parts from it. But more importantly, oak wood, after heat treatment, contains many different compounds that in one way or another affect the color, taste and aroma of the drink.

American and European oaks, which are traditionally used to make barrels, have a similar wood structure, consisting of cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose. None of these structural polymers are subject to extraction or dissolution in their original form. Only after drying and heat treatment (in order to give the oak riveting a curved shape, it is first steamed out), they depolymerize, forming many more complex compounds that are subject to extraction with alcohols. More than 100 extractable volatile components have been identified in the structure of heat-treated oak. Among them: 35 aliphatic compounds (do not contain aromatic bonds), 54 aromatic compounds, furans and terpenes. Also found at least 7 fatty acids.

Most of the flavors and aromas typical of oak-aged drinks are obtained from the decomposition of lignin, which, after depolymerization, forms aromatic compounds such as vanillin, vanillic acid and sinigaldehyde. The degradation products of lignin have low sensory thresholds and therefore have a great influence on the development of the sensory qualities (flavor and aroma) of the aged beverage. Charred American barrels produce large amounts of volatile phenols such as guaiacol and syringol (which is why charred wood chips are most commonly used). It has been found that some compounds desirable for the organoleptic qualities of bourbon are found deep in the charred wood, up to 6 mm under the charcoal (one of the advantages of deep roast oak cubes, which are usually 10 mm long on the sides). Hemicelluloses, after hydrolysis under the influence of acids and other factors, form monosaccharides that give softness to drinks.

Otherwise, the main compounds formed after the depolymerization of structural polymers contribute the following flavors to drinks:

• vanillin- vanilla;
• apocynin(acetovanilon) - vanilla;
• eugenol- spicy, green;
• isoeugenol- spicy, green;
• guaiacol- cloves;
• ethyl guaiacol- sweet, medical;
• vinyl guaiacol- clove, smoky, peppery;
• trans-β-methyl-γ-octalactone- nutty, smoky, astringent;
• cis-β-methyl-γ-octalactone- nutty, smoky, coconut, woody;
• cinnamaldehyde(cinnamal) - cinnamon;
• sinigaldehyde- sour, lilac;
• p-coumaric acid- balsamic;
• cinnamic acid- floral, honey.

In other words, without the influence of oak, many drinks lose most of the flavors and aromas for which we appreciate them so much. But taste isn't everything. Oak contains substances of the tannin group, which are an important component of any wine. They prevent the oxidation of white and red wines during their maturation, make them stronger, and also contribute to clarification after the completion of alcoholic fermentation. Tannins are also an important element of the "structure" of taste - thanks to them, the wine seems "dry". After all, oak barrel aging helps oxidize some of the compounds in raw brews, making them more wholesome and round. And all this magic can be done at home, using oak chips for refining.

Oak chips for refining drinks

Not every alcohol enthusiast, especially a resident of a metropolis, can afford a barrel, because it takes up a lot of space and requires special conditions. However, there is an easier and more affordable way to give the drink the necessary "oak sensory" - to use oak chips (chips, cubes, spirals, etc.). oak chips- These are segments of oak wood prepared according to a special scheme. A small number of such segments in a drink can, in a fairly short period of time, enrich it with flavors and aromas typical for aging on oak. And time in this case plays a very important role.

Even in a small barrel of 5-50 liters, which are most often used at home, the drink acquires the characteristics necessary for it to be considered aged, not earlier than 4-6 months. At the same time, a decent amount of alcohol evaporates from the barrel through the pores, up to 500 ml per month - this is the so-called "angels' share". Even if you observe the necessary storage conditions with optimal temperature and humidity, as well as cover the barrel with wax, the "angels' share" will be at least 200 ml / month. Agree, for a home distiller, this is a decent loss. But they can be avoided, because the refinement of drinks with oak chips takes place in hermetically sealed glass containers, and they acquire the necessary organoleptic, due to the increase in the contact area with oak, in just 1-3 months.

During industrial processing, oak wood blanks are crushed into oblong segments, small chips, cubes, or other shapes are made from them, for example, spirals. After that, they are soaked in water, then in water with soda, then steamed and dried. Such treatment is necessary for the complete disinfection of wood and the removal of an excessive amount of tannins from it, which adversely affect the taste of drinks. After that, the chips are either left in this form, or fried. The degree of roasting affects the taste of the aged drink, as well as its color (however, the distillate aged on properly prepared wood chips will still have a weak or intense straw color):

• light roast– subtle vanilla, fruity and floral aromas;
• medium rare- pronounced vanilla, almond, coconut, spices, caramel;
• deep roast- smoky and chocolate aromas.

Unfired or lightly roasted chips are used during the processing of grapes and alcoholic fermentation of wine - it increases the tannin content and brings fruit, almond, vanilla and woody undertones to the drink. For aging beer, wine and distillates, it is recommended to use medium to strong wood chips. It is advisable to prepare the chips before use. To do this, you need to dip it in boiling water for 5-10 minutes for sterilization, and then insist on raw alcohol for 1-2 days to remove excess tannins. During the aging process of any drinks, samples should be taken regularly, since excessive infusion of the drink on the wood chips can lead to not the most pleasant taste sensations (popularly, a drink excessively saturated with oak is called “skirting”).

Dosage, infusion time and use of oak chips

The most important question that a brewer, winemaker or distiller should ask himself is how much wood chips should be used to refine the drink? In fact, this decision remains with him, but there are certain recommendations that we have formed in the form of a simple table:

Oak chips and strong alcohol

To give homemade distillates the properties of drinks aged in an oak barrel, chips of medium or strong roast are placed directly into the distillate at the rate of 2-30 g of chips per 1 liter of drink (2-4 g / l is enough in most cases). Before adding wood chips, the distillate must be diluted to a strength of 45-55% alcohol by volume. It is believed that the strength of the drink affects its ability to extract certain compounds from wood. For example, 55-50% distillate will “pull out” more aromatics from the wood chips, and with a strength of 45-49% - more monosaccharides from hemicellulose, which will make it softer. Based on these properties of wood chips, the distillate can be infused in two stages: first, for some time at a strength of 50-55%, and then complete the exposure, diluting it to 49-45%.

The time of infusion depends on the degree of roasting of the chips and its size, but on average it is 1-3 months. During aging, it is recommended to periodically "ventilate" the drink, leaving the container without a lid for about 1 hour - this will stimulate the oxidative processes necessary for the formation of a whole and rounded taste of the distillate.

On a note! Many noble drinks are aged in wine barrels, due to which they acquire completely new flavors. This technique can be adopted and, at the stage of preparing the wood chips, before use, soak it not in raw alcohol, but in any wine suitable for this (traditionally it is sherry and port wine, but you can try dry red wines from different grape varieties). Wood chips can also be soaked in bourbon - many producers of Scotch whiskey and rum use barrels from American whiskey to age their drinks, which, by law, can only be aged in new charred barrels.

Oak chips and wine

Traditionally, a variety of wines are aged in barrels. Well performed in this: Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Chianti, Burgundy wines, Fume Blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Shiraz and Pinot Blanc. Unfired chips are traditionally used at the stage of grape processing and serve as a source of tannins (proportions in the table). Also, it and lightly roasted wood chips are used in the process of wine fermentation - so wood chips not only participate in the formation of strong, transparent and fairly “dry” wine, but also have a strong influence on its taste. For aging wine in order to give it an "oak sensory" wood chips of medium or strong roast are used. Before use, it must be prepared according to the scheme described above, while maintaining maximum sterility in order to avoid contamination of the wine.

On a note! To refine wines, it is safer to use a concentrate: infuse a small amount of wine on a sufficiently large amount of wood chips (about 10 g/l), and then blend it with the main batch of the drink.

Oak chips and beer

Some beers are aged in oak barrels to give them oaky flavors and aromas, as well as to create a flavor profile typical of older styles that used to be stored and transported in oak barrels. Oak is most closely related to English and some Scottish ales such as aged ales, stouts, porters, brown ales, IPAs and bitters. Some brewers use wood chips in Belgian styles. Very rarely, oak can be traced in the dark varieties of Central Europe, for example, in the sides and schwarzbiers. The recommended dosage varies from 0.5 to 3 g of chips / chips / cubes per 1 liter of beer. It is a common practice to impregnate wood chips with noble spirits or wine. Terms: from 1 to 2 weeks with constant tasting.

On a note! So-called "oak tea" is often used to refine the beer with oak, which allows more precise control of the taste. To prepare it, the required amount of oak chips must be poured with water and boiled for 10-15 minutes. The resulting oak decoction must be added to the beer in small batches until the desired taste is obtained.

How to choose wood chips for refining drinks

About 300 types of oak are known to mankind, but traditionally, barrels from the two most common types are used to age strong alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, dark rum, cognac, Calvados, etc., as well as some types of beer and wine. In North America, white oak (Quercus alba) dominates, barrels from which are ideal for roasting and subsequent exposure to bourbon. On the opposite coast of the Atlantic, most distillates are aged in pedunculate oak wood (Quercus robur), sometimes called European, English or French oak. Pedunculate oaks, along with other European species (Q. sessilis, Q. petraea and Q. sessiflora), are considered the best for aging distillates.

In Russia, sessile oak (Q. petraea) is traditionally used to make barrels, the groves of which occupy more than half of the entire forested area of ​​the Caucasus. Joint studies of domestic and French scientists have shown that the Caucasian oak has all the necessary properties for the manufacture of high-quality wine barrels. To date, Caucasian sessile oak barrels are widely used for refining alcoholic beverages not only in the former Soviet Union, but also in Western Europe, including for cognac aging in France. That is why most of the wood chips presented in our online store are made from high-quality sessile oak wood from the Caucasus.

Chips come in different shapes and sizes. The most common form factor is oblong segments 10-12 cm long and 4x4 mm in section. This size is considered optimal, since it has been proven that alcohol, with a short maturation, penetrates into the wood by at least 2 mm. Elongated segments are best used for aging - they are easy to remove and dose. The so-called oak chips are small chips, respectively, they provide a faster extraction. Chips are the best option for use during grape processing and alcoholic fermentation, but also perform well when aging drinks (may need to reduce the time). Cubes with a side length of 10 mm are conveniently soaked in noble, already aged distillates. In addition, oak cubes, due to their relatively large size, can be reused - segments and chips are quickly developed and it is impractical to reuse them.

Cognac is an excellent alcoholic drink based on wine alcohol. It is very popular with us - they drink it at any celebration, and just in the company of good friends, cognac is quite capable of diversifying gatherings. But quality cognac is quite difficult to buy. And it's not about its high cost, although this is also one of the reasons. The main thing is different, today cognac is forged by everyone who is not lazy. For this reason, you have to buy a drink only in trusted stores and on the recommendations of friends.

Homemade cognac is a completely different matter. Especially if the alcohol for it was distilled by you personally. Only in this case, you can be 100% sure that the drink will be completely natural and of high quality.

Cognac must be insisted on oak wood. But buying a barrel for cognac is an extremely expensive pleasure. And it will only be enough for 5-7 shutter speeds. But it's not about endurance. When calculating 5 infusions for 3 years, it will last for 15 years. The thing is different: the price of barrels grows exponentially with the increase in their capacity. In order to save money, you can resort to an option that will cost absolutely nothing: the use of oak chips.

Why a sliver and not a barrel

Oak chips, like a barrel, perfectly give alcohol all the tannins that are contained in the wood. A couple of things distinguish wood chips from barrels:

• Getting them is much easier;
• You can find wood chips for free;
• Wood chips are enough for one infusion;
• You can insist at least 100 liters of homemade cognac, as long as there are containers where to store it.

Where to get oak chips

Do-it-yourself oak chips for moonshine can be taken from anywhere: from the nearest forest, from a friend who has a summer house and regularly stocks up on firewood, from a familiar carpenter or woodcarver ... There are a lot of options.

The main rule is not to buy oak at logging warehouses. There, wood is often treated with special compounds of chemical origin. Wood lies longer, rots less and insects do not start in it. But for use in the form of cognac chips, such a tree is categorically not suitable.

Even if they will convince you that the boards have not been treated with anything, still think about it: a dusty warehouse; boots of workers who regularly visit the restroom; gasoline and fuel oil dripping from forklifts and cars ... Do you need it?

Therefore, it is best to take a tree only from those sources in which you are absolutely sure. It is best to go and saw off a branch from an oak tree yourself. So you are guaranteed to get an environmentally friendly product.

Another way is to buy oak bark at the pharmacy. But it is not welcomed by experienced moonshiners, since there are not so many tannins in it. As a result, the cognac will turn out to be the wrong color, and the taste will not be the same as expected.

And last but not least, alcohol stores. You can easily find oak chips, pegs or shavings in moonshiner stores. But there are a couple of caveats here:

• Such stores are not in every city;
• The price of oak there is overpriced at least 5 times, or even more.

In light of all of the above, the best solution would be to find wood for free. Moreover, it is not difficult at all. Well, now let's go directly to the question of how to cook wood chips before sending alcohol to insist on it.

How to use wood chips

Once you have found the wood chips, it must be properly processed. There is nothing complicated in this, although there are several recipes. We will consider each of them.

Preparation begins with a banal wash. The pegs are washed well several times to completely clean the tree of small parts. After each wash, be sure to dry the chips well.

The second stage is soaking. Just fill the chips with water at room temperature and leave for a day. We repeat this procedure 2-3 times. Some experienced moonshiners advise adding half a teaspoon of baking soda to a liter of water, which is an excellent absorbent. It "pulls out" from the wood all the harmful substances that it has managed to feed on during the life of the tree.

Some recipes advise soaking the bark until the drained water runs clear. This is completely useless, but rather, harmful advice. You can spend up to 15 soaks a day long, but still not achieve the desired purity of water. Pointless waste of your own time.

The next step is digestion. We put the chips in water, which we bring to a boil. You need to boil for about 5-10 minutes. During this time, the pores of the wood will open and it will better transfer the beneficial components to alcohol during infusion.

Roasting or roasting. There are several recipes that advise burning wood to varying degrees of "doneness". In fact, this is the same recipe for preparing wood, just with different degrees of roasting, you can get different tastes in the final drink. It is best to roast in an oven heated to 160 degrees Celsius. It is imperative that the oven has a window to control the degree of "roasting":

• Light brown wood color. Cognac will turn out with a floral-vanilla flavor and will acquire a straw color;
• Brown color. Taste - almonds with caramel. Brown color;
• Dark brown. Taste is chocolate. Color like strong tea leaves;
• Brown with black - chips are spoiled, you can throw them away.

After that, the bark should be sealed in a jar if you are not going to use it right away. But it is better if all cooked oak chips for cognac are used immediately after roasting, so as not to lose a single gram of flavor that it will give to cognac.

It is necessary to withstand the tincture for at least six months. Only then can we say with certainty that you are drinking real cognac. If you start using tincture, then it will be only tinted alcohol and nothing more.

Attention, only TODAY!

Oak barrels are needed, but at home there is a good alternative for them - wood chips. It gives the drink similar taste, aromatic and aesthetic properties.

At the same time, in order to prepare a high-quality tincture, it is important to choose the right wood from which the chips are made, fry it in moderation and, following a proven method, insist. You can make wood chips yourself or replace them with bark.

It remains only to get acquainted with the issue in detail and enjoy - "homemade cognac" -.

Oak chips for moonshine are a convenient and affordable alternative to its "barrel aging". At the same time, the processes for saturating the liquid with tannins and tannins are very similar.

Distillate, and you can infuse not only sugar, but also any grain or fruit version, acquires a characteristic cognac aroma and flavor with notes of chocolate, vanilla and fruits. The result is a drink that combines flavor and aroma properties from both the original raw materials and newly acquired ones.

This is one of the ways, even a simple sugar one, and besides, the technique is very simple and not expensive, and for those who are not looking for easy ways, we can advise making "moonshine-whiskey at home"-.

How to use oak chips for moonshine

Proper alcohol

A distillate based on raw materials such as:

• sugar;
• cereals;
• fruits and berries.

The optimal, of course, is the authentic cognac raw material - grapes, but other options will please you with an extraordinary taste and aroma. For other types of raw materials, oak chips are not always suitable, as a result of unpredictable biochemical reactions, various harmful compounds, a pungent odor, or simply “moonshine will start to taste bitter” may appear.

Oak varieties for chips

Depending on the region of growth, climatic conditions and soil vary, which directly affects the saturation of wood with various substances. As a result, chips made from different varieties of oak or the same, but growing in different countries, give the drink different taste and aromatic qualities. The wood of the common oak is considered the best., or in another way petiolate, grown in France, in the homeland of cognac.

In addition to this type, Western Europe grows winter, it is also a stone, and summer oak, which are also used in the distilling industry for aging alcohol.

On the territory of the Russian Federation, oak wood from the Khadyzhensky, Afipsky and Apsheronsky regions of the Krasnodar Territory has good properties. Other successful options are varieties that grow in the Caucasus, Crimea, Tatarstan, near the Ural Mountains, in the Voronezh region, in Western Ukraine and in the Republic of Belarus.

Standing apart is the white oak growing in the USA, which is also used for the production of some varieties of whiskey. It gives the tincture a unique flavor and aroma coloration, both similar and different from that obtained using petiolate.

The degree of burning of wood

Another important criterion that, like the region of oak growth, affects the taste and aroma of the drink, is the degree of roasting of the chips. There are three main levels:

• Easy. The wood takes on a light brown color, the distillate takes on fruity, floral and vanilla notes and a straw color. The processing of the material must be stopped when the first haze appears.
• Average. The material acquires a brown color, moonshine - notes of almonds, herbs, vanilla and caramel and a rich brown color, similar to cognac.
• Strong. The chips become dark brown, close to black, as does the color of the tincture afterwards. On the palate, notes of smoke and chocolate appear.

Cooking method

For the manufacture of tincture on oak chips, you will need a clean container, preferably glass, wood chips in the proportion of 4-6 g per liter and, in fact, moonshine made according to the correct recipe, with a strength of 45 degrees. If the fortress is lower, there are "methods to increase it", if it is higher, you can "dilute the moonshine with water".

• put wood chips in a jar and pour distillate;
• close tightly and set aside in a cool place out of direct sunlight;
• insist 3-6 months, the first time it is better to start with a weak tincture;
• after the expiration date, the product is filtered through a paper filter folded with a funnel; for better aeration, the height from which the liquid falls should be about half a meter;
• the tincture is ready to be consumed or bottled.

Did you know? To make the color of the drink more cognac, you can add "burnt sugar" to it in the proportion of 1 tbsp. spoon per 1 liter of liquid. It is better to dissolve caramel in a tincture heated to 40-50 C degrees. At the same time, the strength of moonshine will decrease by about 2-3 degrees.

Did you know? The aging period can be reduced by 3-4 weeks by adding 0.3-0.5 g of vanilla, a few cloves and allspice peas per 1 liter of distillate. It is important not to overdo it with spicy herbs, otherwise the taste may become unbalanced.

In order not to get a large amount of tincture with the “wrong taste” for the first time, you can close not large jars, but 0.5 and 1 liter each with different amounts of wood chips and additional ingredients. In this way, it will be possible to calculate suitable proportions with minimal risk.

What Not to Do

• Frying chips too long.
• Use raw wood.
• Insist in a plastic or metal container.
• Putting a lot of spices, both in the amount of one and in the number of different ones, it is almost impossible to overtake the spoiled taste.
• To withstand the tincture for too long.

Do-it-yourself oak chips for moonshine

An alternative to purchased chips, and there is not always an opportunity to purchase a quality product in a store, are home-made ones, while ordering on the Internet is just playing roulette. You can get raw oak wood from almost every construction market. You need to process it like this:

• First, the bark is peeled off the logs.
• The wood is split into splinters 10 to 15 cm long with an approximate diameter of 5 to 25 mm.
• Oak chips are soaked in water for 24 hours, changing the liquid every 3-4 hours.
• Next comes drying at high temperature to remove some of the tannins from the wood.
• Dried wood chips are poured with soda solution in the proportion of 1 teaspoon per 5 liters of water for 6 hours.
• After insisting, oak chips should be thoroughly rinsed with water and boiled for one hour on low heat in clean water.
• Next, the pegs are hung to dry for 24 hours.
• At the final stage, oak chips are fired in an oven at a temperature of 160 C degrees to one of the three described conditions: light, medium or strong, which will determine the final taste of the tincture.

How to insist moonshine on oak bark from a pharmacy

For tincture, you will need the following components in the following proportions:

• oak bark - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• moonshine - 2 liters;
• honey - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• St. John's wort - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• oregano - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• cloves - 4 buds;
• ground cinnamon and vanilla - a small pinch each;
• peppercorns - 8 pcs.

The manufacturing process is as follows:

• The ingredients must be poured into a glass jar and poured with distillate, mix thoroughly and close with a tight lid.
• The minimum exposure period is 14 days, while shaking the container once every one or two days.
• At the end of the tincture period, the liquid should be filtered through cheesecloth or paper filter from solids, after which it can be bottled.

Spices will increase the formation of sediment, which is why the number of strainings must be increased to at least 5 times. The resulting drink can be safely attributed to the "list of the best, made from moonshine at home."

Did you know? When making moonshine tincture on oak bark for the first time according to an unfamiliar recipe, it is better not to change the proportions of the ingredients immediately “by eye”, but to do this by tasting the finished product well, considering what it lacks, for example, flavors for moonshine, or what can be redundant. Thus, the chance of getting a completely illiquid tincture is greatly reduced.

Instead of an afterword

Infusion on oak chips is one of the options for “refining moonshine at home”. The simplicity of the manufacturing technique and the availability of ingredients make it possible not only to get a tasty and aromatic drink, but also to discover an amateur distiller in oneself.

By experimenting with the proportions of the main components, as well as supplementing them with herbs and other spices, you can create a unique, extraordinary brandy, and who knows where the next Richard Hennessy will appear.