Mineral top dressing for mash. Effective methods and types of fertilizing mash

Hi all! Remember, I recently wrote about how to cook? In that recipe, I recommended adding rye bread to the wort for top dressing. Today I would like to tell you in more detail why you need to feed yeast in sugar mash and how this can be done.

Why feed yeast

As you know, the faster the mash ferments, the better the final product is obtained (more details - Here). To make the yeast feel more comfortable, they can be fed with nutrient minerals. First of all, they need nitrogen and phosphorus.

Then satisfied yeast will multiply well, work faster and at the same time release less harmful impurities. This can be done by adding mineral fertilizers used in suburban areas, or using food products.

It is highly desirable to apply top dressing, because. without it, the yeast gets sick and produces a large amount of fuselage.

Mineral fertilizers

Below is a list and proportions of fertilizers that need to be added in order to create comfortable conditions for our yeast. You can use any of the items, but only one. Do not be afraid that the smell of some substances will affect the moonshine, even the sharp aroma of ammonia will not leave a trace - the yeast will eat it completely.

1. Diammonium Phosphate (NH4) 2HPO4 - 3.3 g for each kg of sugar in Braga
2. Ammonia, also known as ammonia (10% solution from a pharmacy) - 1 ml per 1 liter of mash + Superphosphate (Ca (H2PO4) 2 * H2O and CaSO4) - 3-4 g per 1 kg of sugar.
3. Ammonium sulfate (NH4) 2SO4 - 1.5-2 g together with Superphosphate (Ca (H2PO4) 2 * H2O and CaSO4) - 3-4 g per 1 kg of sugar.
4. Carbamide, also known as urea (NH2) 2CO - 0.8 g together with Superphosphate - 3-4 g per 1 kg of sugar.

For those who do not listen to my advice and have not bought accurate scales from Chinese, I give approximate volumes:

1 teaspoon: Superphosphate - 4.5 gr; Urea - 2.5 gr

Ammonia (ammonia) is sold in pharmacies, it is inexpensive. Adding it to the mash can reduce the amount of fusel oil by half.

All these substances can be bought at any store that sells fertilizers. Every gardener knows this.

natural food products

You can replace mineral fertilizers with food products that are almost always at hand. But it is worth noting that mineral fertilizers are more effective. Here are the most common food supplements:

• Rye bread. It is cut or crumbled into small pieces and 250-500 g of bread is added to 50 liters of mash.
• Freshly squeezed berry or fruit juices. The proportion is 0.5-1 l per 50 l of must. From the pulp can not be separated. You can also just add mashed fruits and berries. Raisins are excellent.
• Jam. 0.5-1 liter is added per 50 liters of mash. Jam should not contain mold!

What should be the water

• For normal functioning, yeast also needs trace elements: potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, calcium. They are required in very small quantities and are found in water of medium hardness. Those. It is not necessary to add them specially, but it is desirable to use water of medium hardness.
  
• Yeast also likes an acidic environment, so if possible, the water can be acidified (for example, with citric acid) to Ph 5-5.5. But here it is important not to overdo it, and if you have nothing to measure the acidity of water, then it is better not to acidify it at all. I wrote about how to do this and how to measure it in an article about flour mash.

What else can be added

• In addition to top dressing, you can add vitamin B1 (C12H17N4OS). The proportion is 1-2 mg for each kg of sugar.
• Olive oil. In the amount of 1 drop per 50 liters of mash. The oil must be first cold pressed, not refined.

Conclusion

Once again, I want to remind you that you need to apply one thing. Either chemical fertilizers or natural products. But vitamin B1 and oil can be added with both.

And don't worry about adding chemicals to the mash. Firstly, all homemade cucumber-tomatoes are grown on it, but what is sold in stores, I think, is processed with much more serious substances. Secondly, such dressing is used in the industrial production of alcohol, it is even added to wine. And thirdly, the salts still do not evaporate and will remain at the bottom of the distillation cube after distillation. They will not bring any foreign smell after distillation.

Mineral fertilizers give a more stable and better effect. With the right weights and the optimum temperature, the mash will be ready in 3-4 days.

That's all. It seems to be such a simple operation, but the fermentation process will go much better and the quality of the mash will increase. Try it and share your impressions in the comments.

See you soon!

Best regards, Pavel Dorofeev

Inexperienced distillers believe in the myths that adding any components to the mash to speed up the fermentation process is harmful or even dangerous. In cases where moonshine is made on berries or fruits, it is not always advisable to add top dressing: they already contain the necessary minerals. And if the mash is put only on sugar, it is simply necessary to resort to special additives.

Yeast needs to be fed in order for the wort to ferment faster, and the alcohol to turn out to be stronger and of better quality. The most suitable top dressing for mash, according to professionals, is minerals, the main of which are phosphorus and nitrogen.

Of course, the must can be insisted without any additions, only on yeast alone, but its maturation period will increase significantly, by the way, along with the amount of harmful impurities. One teaspoon contains five grams of superphosphate, four ammonium sulfate and three grams of urea.

How to feed at home?

Moonshine lovers often ask themselves the question “how to feed the yeast in sugar mash?”. Their interest is understandable, because mash on sugar
at home, it ripens for a rather long time, unlike the berry or fruit version (they already contain the mineral components necessary for fermentation). Consider what substances can be added to the wort to speed up fermentation without spoiling it.

Chemical substances

Experienced winemakers actively resort to the help of chemicals to feed and speed up the fermentation process of yeast.

The most common of them are the following:

• fertilizers for the garden - urea 0.8 g plus three grams of superphosphate per kg of granulated sugar;
• diammonium phosphate - three grams per kg of granulated sugar;
• ammonium sulfate 1.5 g plus superphosphate - three grams per kg of sugar;
• in rural conditions, rotted chicken manure is actively used - 45–50 g per 10 liters of must;
• vitamin B1, bought in a pharmacy in the form of a solution in ampoules - 2 mg per kg of granulated sugar;
• ammonia - five grams per 10 liters of mash.

Adding malt

Malt is the dried and germinated seeds of millet, barley or rye. Using it for yeast growth is considered the most environmentally friendly and efficient option. The downside is that it needs to be purchased or made independently.

For 40 liters of wort, one kg of ground malt is required. To do this, water is heated to 63 ° C and sugar and malt are gradually added to it, stirring continuously. The resulting substance is boiled for five minutes. Then cool to 30 ° C and add yeast. After one week, the mash can be considered ready for distillation. The resulting alcohol will have a rich grainy smell.

Yeast with additives

With the development of the chemical industry, special yeast with additives appeared on sale. They speed up the fermentation process and increase the strength of the mash. Manufacturers place the inscription "Turbo" on the packaging of such yeast.

In the manufacture of this product, chemical additives and special vitamins are used. Due to this, the percentage of alcohol in the wort is from 15 to 20, as opposed to 12% with conventional baker's yeast. Moonshine in this case turns out to be of high quality, with high organoleptic characteristics.

People's secrets

Folk secrets to speed up the fermentation process have been developed for several centuries.

Here are the most popular ones based on 10 liters of mash:

• the third part of a loaf of rye bread (200–300 g). It is added at the starter stage, in some cases, when fermentation is delayed, it can be added later;
• 100 g of tomato paste;
• a handful of raw peas;
• 100 g of any fresh crushed berries;
• 10 pieces of raisins.

In general, there are many ways to speed up the fermentation process. You can choose the most suitable and get strong quality alcohol.

Top dressing for mash is an optional, but desirable procedure that helps to give the yeast extra nutrition and make it work faster. Top dressing is different, using all kinds of natural and chemical compounds. At the same time, the main task of the moonshiner is to saturate the distillate with phosphorus and nitrogen.

In most cases, only sugar mash is fed, the product that is made on the basis of grain or fruit rarely needs to be fed, which is understandable. After all, mash already contains all the necessary components that help the yeast to actively process sugar into alcohol.

Top dressing of sugar mash with black bread

What affects the fermentation process?

Top dressing of the mash begins in order to optimize the fermentation process. The fact is that, having put the mash based on sugar and yeast, it is worth monitoring it and controlling the entire ripening process.

Factors affecting the fermentation process:

• Room temperature. The place where the mash will stand should be distinguished by a stable temperature, since a draft, a sharp temperature drop can “slow down” the fermentation process and lead to the death of yeast microorganisms.
• Type of yeast. Alcoholic yeast ferments well, they help not only to speed up the maturation process of the wort, but also to increase its strength. Bakery - this is the worst option that can only be. Such yeast is characterized by an unpredictable character, it is difficult to say how the mash put on such a product will behave for the first few hours.
• The moonshine brew is afraid of sunlight. The rays of the sun are detrimental to the product and can also affect the fermentation process.

It is also worth considering that the quality of the wort may change as a result of the use of poor quality water or containers made of unsuitable material.

The moonshine brew from sugar will be ready earlier, provided that the manufacturer inverts the sugar by making syrup from it. Inverting helps to expand the sugar into sucrose and glucose and makes it easier for the yeast to work. However, inverting has its drawback - the preparation of syrup leads to a decrease in the amount of distillate obtained at the output.

If you follow the recipe and the rules for storing the mash, you should take into account that the must can ferment from 5 to 10 days, while the alcohol yield will be the same. If there is no time to wait, then it is worth resorting to the use of top dressing.

You can cook this component yourself at home and add it to the mash, or you can buy top dressing in the store.

Natural top dressing: varieties

Top dressing of sugar mash begins with an assessment of the condition of the must and the fermentation process. As well as the choice of the type of substances that are ways to activate the fermentation process.

Yeast nutrition, varieties:

1. One of the simplest types of top dressing can be called raisins. To make microorganisms work faster, it is worth taking 10-15 raisins, but you do not need to wash them. You can grind the raisins in a blender, and then send it to the wort. There are wild yeasts on the surface of the raisins, and it is they who start the fermentation process with renewed vigor. This type of top dressing is especially relevant for those distillates that are subsequently planned to be turned into a noble drink.
2. Black bread is a good top dressing for yeast. It has been used for centuries, it helps to feed microorganisms, speed up their work and reproduction. In addition, bread will give the drink a pleasant aroma of fresh baking. Only fresh bread can be used as bait, it is cut into cubes or slices and sent to the mash. But there is one drawback with this product, it can make moonshine cloudy. It will be possible to eliminate the turbidity only by re-distilling moonshine in a distiller.
3. Peas are another product that is of natural origin and can be used as an activator of the fermentation process. Various types of yeast are fed with peas, it is enough to throw a handful of beans into a container with mash so that it “comes to life”. Peas are rich in nutrients and trace elements. With the addition of it to the wort, active foam formation will begin, the mash will boil and gurgle. But peas have one minus, it will give alcohol a peculiar taste and aroma, which can be removed by repeated distillation.

Sweet juice can also act as a complementary food for moonshine. It is enough to pour a glass into the container and mix everything thoroughly. This will help the yeast to start working more actively. In this way, the mash is often reanimated.

When microorganisms do not have enough heat, and the room temperature drops below 17 degrees, they “fall asleep” or go into standby mode. At this, the fermentation process stops, you can “revive” the yeast by raising the temperature to an acceptable limit (28 degrees). But a glass of freshly squeezed juice will just help to activate their work.

You can also crush a few raspberries, cherries or strawberries and bring them along with the juice into the wort.

When trying to make yeast work faster, it makes sense to pay attention to its quality and match the proportions. Perhaps the reason for the long fermentation lies in non-compliance with the recipe or it lies in the poor quality of the product used.

Still, when feeding fungi, you can use malt. Malt is a natural product found in beer and other alcoholic beverages. It is recommended to use it if you want to speed up the fermentation process, save time and ultimately get a high quality product. Since malt will only improve the taste of moonshine, make it soft and pleasant.

At the same time, you can prepare top dressing from malt at home. The recipe is not particularly difficult, 1 kg of malt will help "revive" up to 40 liters of mash.

Action algorithm:

• Heat water in a saucepan to 63 degrees.
• Gradually add sugar and malt to the heated water, while not forgetting to constantly stir the liquid with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Cook top dressing for about 5 minutes, cool the mixture to 30 degrees.
• When the malt has cooled, add yeast to it.
• We send top dressing to the mash and close it with a lid with a water seal. After a few days, the product will be ready for processing.

If there is malt in the mash, then it will have a pleasant grain aroma that will remain after distillation.

All products that can only be used as activators of the fermentation process have a minus. This is their low efficiency. But everything is known in comparison, and natural products are compared, as a rule, with chemicals.

Chemistry for the benefit of moonshine

Top dressing for sugar mash is not only the usual food, but also chemicals that affect microorganisms.

As already mentioned, the environment is of great importance for yeast. If microorganisms have enough food, they actively work and multiply. Some substances are able to endow the mash with the very necessary substances: phosphorus and nitrogen.

What is used as a feed?

• Ammonia, despite the fact that this substance has an unpleasant odor, is added to the wort in a small amount: about 1 gram per 2 liters of water. It is worth noting that after distillation the smell will go away. Such moonshine will not differ in any way from what was made from mash without this component.
• Complex fertilizers with phosphorus and nitrogen are added in a small amount to the mash, everything is mixed with a spatula or spoon and the fermentation process is monitored. You can add just 1 teaspoon of fertilizer to the wort to make the fermentation process go with a vengeance.
• Superphosphate and ammonium sulfate are 2 more substances that do not differ in natural origin. They are added in a small amount to the mash (literally 2-3 grams) and the fermentation process is observed. It is worth noting that it is these substances that are part of complex fertilizers.
• An alternative option is to use chicken manure. The latter is diluted with water and poured into a container where the wort ferments. If such an alternative is in doubt, then keep in mind that the litter will not affect the taste of the finished moonshine, it will not make alcohol worse. But the thought of using this ingredient confuses many distillers.
• You can purchase a special mixture that will help feed the yeast, it contains all the necessary substances. Some moonshiners claim that the mixture is unhealthy. In fact, there is nothing harmful in such a product.

But it is better to use special yeast, they have additives in their composition. These additives help give the yeast the nutrition it needs. The use of such a product in the production of moonshine is fully justified. Despite the fact that yeast with additives is more expensive, they justify their price. However, the difference in price can be called insignificant.

You can buy such yeast in a specialized store. The prefix "turbo" allows you to recognize them among similar products. It is enough just to dilute the yeast according to the instructions on the package, add it to the water with sugar and put the container in a room with a stable temperature.

Turbo yeast can be called an ideal option for those who save time and are ready to spend extra money on the production of high quality alcohol.

When choosing the ideal top dressing for yeast, it is worth understanding for what purpose the product will be used and what effect it will have on moonshine. If the production of alcohol is put on stream and goes on an industrial scale, then you can trust chemistry. If moonshine is made for yourself, then experimenting with substances is not advised.

PROPORTIONS YEAST-SUGAR-WATER

HOW TO PUT BRAG CORRECTLY

YEAST GROWTH

FEEDING SUGAR MASH

The yeast starts to work, and after the volume in the jar has increased by about 2 times, pour the yeast into the main container.

FOAM IN BRAG

MASH READINESS

The main signs of the readiness of the mash:

MASH FERMENTATION

To prepare the sugar mash recipe, you need:
Capacity. Photo per page about equipment for moonshine
Water. I use regular tap water.
Sugar. Ordinary canteen.
Yeast for sugar mash. The most affordable and easy-to-use dry Pakmaya and Saf-Levure, page which yeast is better for mash
Top dressing of sugar mash. I usually use a handful of raisins.
1-2 cookies. To prevent foaming.

In practice, it is very easy to control the presence of bubbles - as a rule, during the day, you stumble upon a container with mash several times. If the bubbles have become much smaller and the fermentation time is approaching the usual, it is necessary to carefully control the mash.
If there are no bubbles within 30 seconds, you need to taste the mash. It should be bitter, that is, all the sugar has fermented. You can do lightening the mash.

If the mash was fed with black bread, the bubbles practically do not stop, in this case the only sign is a bitter taste.

MASH LIGHTENING

It is undesirable to pour this cloudy liquid into the moonshine that we have obtained. It is necessary to lighten the mash. You can wait 1 ... 2 weeks, the mash will settle on its own, but it is better to speed up the process.

Large impurities (cookies and top dressing) can be removed by filtration. To filter large impurities, we use "hose 1", "filter", "clamp", "funnel 1" (see page about equipment for moonshine). We assemble a device similar to that shown on the page cleaning after the first distillation , The only difference is that we use "funnel 1", and put the bandage into the funnel in several layers for better filtration.

We removed large impurities, but the main turbidity remained. Bentonite (a kind of clay) is used to remove it, in practice it is a cat litter. It is not very common to use it, but almost 100% of moonshiners do this.
It is very difficult to buy bentonite as such, apparently just because it is easily replaced by cat litter.

The problem is that you have to choose from a large assortment of pet stores. I bought this package a few years ago, if now there are such (down to the color), the easiest way is to buy one. If there are none, then the principles of choice:
First- in the name the word bent (in English).
Second- natural product.
Third- no fragrances.

Proportions of bentonite for mash- for 18 liters of mash - 3 tablespoons of bentonite.
Many sites for breeding bentonite recommend grinding it in a coffee grinder. There is a simpler solution that does not require such effort.
Preliminary (about 2 days) pour 3 tablespoons of bentonite with cold water (3 fingers above the level of bentonite) and set aside. Never mix, that is, they poured water and that's it.
For two days he is very well bred. Immediately before use, stir the bentonite until completely dissolved and pour into the mash, then stir thoroughly.
We put the bottle with mash in a quiet place for 12 hours. During this time, bentonite, together with turbidity, settles to the bottom of the bottle.
We perform filtration using "hose 2", "clamp" and "funnel 1" with a bandage filter (see the moonshine equipment page).
After cleaning, the mash is ready for the first distillation.
VERY IMPORTANT!- do not drain the remains of bentonite into the sewer! After a while, the sewer will clog tightly, the pipes cannot be cleaned, only changed.

Finally.

The information on this page is enough to correctly put the mash. But if you want to use other yeast (not Saf-Levure or Pakmaya), or study the issue of making mash in more detail, I highly recommend that you look at the page What is the best yeast for mash. Some of the nuances are described there, as they are more related to the topic of yeast.

Homemade alcohol has always been in demand because it was the epitome of quality. Only natural products were used for its preparation. At the same time, the use of various impurities, which manufacturers love to use so much, is completely unacceptable.

Today it is difficult to find a craftsman who would not know anything about cooking mash at home. But at the same time, each person has his own recipe, which seems to him the most optimal. And although there are a huge number of different variations of alcohol, moonshine mash made from sugar and yeast is considered a classic drink.

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Cooking mash based on sugar and yeast

This recipe will use only alcoholic yeast. Therefore, if you intend to use any type of baker's yeast, then keep in mind that it will be necessary to change the proportions of the ingredients. In this case, you will need 1 liter of liquid for every kilogram of sugar taken.

To prepare a classic mash, you will need the following products:

• sugar - 4 kg;
• water - 16 l;
• yeast - 80 g.

You can use not only dry yeast but also pressed. They will need 400 grams. For cooking mash with turbo yeast, there is no single ratio. You should pay attention to the recommendations indicated on the packaging so as not to be mistaken.

Before proceeding directly to cooking mash, you should do the preparation of sugar. It is highly recommended not to neglect such a procedure as inverting Sahara to convert sucrose into a form of glucose that is more accessible to yeast. In other words, if you want fermentation to happen faster, you need to turn sugar into a monosaccharide, since it is quickly absorbed by the yeast.

Remember! If you want to get high quality moonshine and without impurities, then you should definitely invert sugar.

To prepare the syrup, you will need sugar, water and citric acid. Per 1 kg Sahara you should take half a liter of water and 5 g of citric acid. The cooking process is quite simple and is divided into several stages:

• put a pot of water on the fire;
• when the liquid heats up, pour sugar into it and wait until it is completely dissolved;
• constantly stirring the mixture, cook it for 5-10 minutes over low heat;
• after the specified time, add citric acid to the syrup;
• after adding the lemon, make a minimum heat and cook the syrup for 60 minutes until fully cooked.

If you doubt that the syrup is ready, drop some water into it. If the drop diverges into threads, then the preparation is over.

Important! Before you start preparing the mash, you should think about what kind of dishes will be used as containers. Much of this choice depends on what kind of yeast you plan to use. For example, baker's yeast foams quite strongly, so it is necessary to leave about a third of the container free. But if you intend to use alcohol yeast, then you can safely fill the container to 80% of its maximum volume.

1. Dissolve the amount of yeast indicated in the recipe above and 2 tablespoons of sugar in 1 liter of water (slightly warmed, but not hot).
2. Put the resulting dough in a warm place. She needs to stand up for a while.
3. When a foam cap appears on the surface of the dough, you can continue working with it.

In most cases, 20-40 minutes is sufficient for foaming. But if no foam has formed within 40 minutes, we strongly recommend that you play it safe and replace the yeast. If you are using alcohol strains, you can skip the step to activate them. They are poured directly into the wort itself.

Sourdough is a simple step that involves mixing all the components of the mash. And although this stage can be safely called not only the fastest, but also the easiest, there are several recommendations that should be followed to improve the result. Below step by step the stages of preparation of sourdough are described.

1. Place the bottle that you prepared in advance as a container for mash on any elevation. It can be a regular chair or table. This is necessary in order to ensure uniform heating of the mixture and facilitate the draining of the sediment.
2. Fill a container with lukewarm water and dissolve the sugar (inverted syrup) in it.
3. As soon as the sugar or syrup is completely dissolved, pour the yeast into the container and stir the mixture until it is completely dissolved.

Important! In order for the fermentation rate to be as high as possible, it is recommended to add sugar in portions. The second portion is applied after 12 hours, and the third after 24. Some use a method that involves adding sugar twice with an interval of 24 hours.

Recipes, including starch and fruits, are simpler because they do not require top dressing. However, sugar Braga for moonshine, which in its composition does not have the substances necessary to maintain the activity of yeast fungi, it definitely needs to be fed. It is recommended to feed yeast mushrooms with one of the following products:

• bread;
• tomato paste;
• fresh berries or juice;
• young malt;
• ammonia.

It is not necessary to try to find the optimal feeding yourself. If you are having difficulty choosing, you can purchase ready-made powdered dressings that are sold in stores. Their packages also contain step by step instruction.

We put the mash

So, all preparations are over. Now you can put the braga. Be aware that wort contains bacteria that can cause the product to turn sour. To prevent this, it is necessary to limit the supply of oxygen. This can be done using a medical glove in which holes were made, or a water seal. Place a glove or closure on the mouth of the container and secure well.

To avoid problems with fermentation, you should choose the right place in which the container with the mash will stand. The best option is to install a container next to the battery. If this is not possible, then cover the bottle with blankets or install a thermostat inside it that will maintain the set temperature.

Remember! At temperatures below +18 degrees, fermentation stops completely, and at temperatures above +30 degrees, the synthesis of fusel oils is activated.

How much braga will stand?

It is rather difficult to answer this question, since the exact time depends greatly on what type of yeast was used and on the preparation technology. However, on average, the process takes about a week, and rarely stretches for 10 days. To accurately determine the end of fermentation, you need to pay attention to the signs that indicate this:

• the liquid no longer foams and does not make hissing sounds;
• the top layer is visibly lightened;
• sediment appeared at the bottom;
• bubbles do not come out of the water seal (if you used a glove, it will have to deflate);

When the fermentation process comes to an end, you will feel that the sweetish smell has almost completely disappeared, and Braga I started to smell like alcohol.

Do not rush to pour the liquid into the distillation cube after the end of fermentation. Lighten it first to get rid of impurities. You can do this by lowering the temperature to 3 degrees or raising it to 50 degrees.

If the temperature method is unacceptable to you, you can use additional substances such as bentonite. It is worth noting that acidity can also be increased with the help of ordinary citric acid or hibiscus tea.