Correct mash: temperature for fermentation. How to improve the fermentation of mash for moonshine

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

Mixing mash

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ultrasonic washing machines are also adapted for this purpose, special mixers are made with blades at the bottom of the fermentation vessel, and so on. Everyone chooses for himself the most successful design.

The main disadvantages of mixing mash

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

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

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

Why is it not necessary to interfere with the mash?

What happens in mash during fermentation:

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

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

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

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

The process of degassing mash

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

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

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

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

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

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

How is mash degassed?

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

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

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

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

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

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

How else to speed up the fermentation process?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Making alcohol with your own hands has always been a fascinating experience, especially since the result is a proven and excellent product.

When fermenting raw materials from sugar and yeast, for tasty and high-quality moonshine, it is not enough just to strictly observe the proportions in the composition of a good “mash recipe”. Here, one of the most important points will be carefully maintaining the optimum fermentation temperature.

In order not to be mistaken with the temperature for comfortable fermentation of sugar and yeast mash, it is necessary to understand all the intricacies of its maturation.
The most important fermentation catalyst is, of course, yeast.

After all, it is thanks to their vital activity that carbon dioxide is formed in the process of absorbing sugar, the wort is heated and alcohol is necessarily produced.

But the Braga contains a lot of other microorganisms that can begin to actively multiply as soon as the vital activity of the yeast weakens as a result of sharp jumps in temperature conditions. It is generally accepted that it must be maintained in the range from 24 to 30 ° C.

• Lowering the temperature regime entails braking and a complete stop of the process. It is also fraught with an increase in the level of “the acidity of the mash,” which adversely affects its taste and strength. It usually takes no more than a week for the normal maturation of the wort from sugar and yeast, while hypothermia extends this period to several months. But if such passive fermentation is welcome in winemaking, then it is unacceptable in the manufacture of distillate. Therefore, if after a drop in temperature - the mash does not roam -, the situation will have to be urgently saved by moving to a more comfortable and warm place.
• But if the hypothermia of the wort from sugar and yeast can really be corrected, then after overheating the yeast fungi can no longer be revived. Therefore, it is so important to prevent the temperature regime from reaching a dangerous temperature mark of more than 40 ° C. At the same time, it must be remembered that the process of converting sugar into alcohol with the help of yeast is accompanied by an active release of heat and threatens with a sharp heating of the yeast raw materials. And in order not to disrupt the distillation process as a whole, it will be necessary to correct the mistake made only by preparing a new mixture for fermentation. Therefore, compliance with temperature conditions in the range from 24 to 30 degrees is considered the most optimal.
  

  It is desirable to maintain a temperature that is even and without sudden jumps, as this will adversely affect the quality of the raw materials and the finished drink. To reduce the level of fusel oils in the composition of a high-quality distillate, fermentation is allowed up to a maximum of 32 degrees, but no more.

Do I need to stir the mash during fermentation

Considering that the wort heats up more during fermentation in the upper part, it is logical to assume that it is possible to ensure uniform heating by periodically stirring it. Especially inexperienced moonshiners suffer from this, who at first are very concerned only with the speed of its maturation.

But they also often ask a counter question - is it necessary to mix the mash during fermentation. And since this is the result of a self-sufficient vital activity of yeast and sugar, it is worth listening to weighty arguments in favor of calmer fermentation conditions. The yeast fungus dies in a saturated alcohol environment, therefore, after working, it gradually sinks down and precipitates, giving way to the released less dense ethanol.

By moving live yeast to a more aggressive alcoholic environment, you only slow down the fermentation, and not vice versa. There is another important reason not to disturb the natural course of fermentation. After all, such an intervention primarily involves a violation of the tightness of the fermentation tank, and this is fraught with excessive souring of the raw materials.

That is, by accelerating fermentation in this way, you can turn a good wort into a mixture of acetic acid and ethanol. Therefore, you should not disturb natural fermentation by stirring in order to avoid negative consequences for the quality of the drink.

At what temperature is it right to drive moonshine

To prepare home-made moonshine, it is necessary to bring the finished mixture to the boiling point of alcohol vapors, in order to then condense them into a liquid.
But the evaporation itself is divided into several stages with different temperature conditions for the water, alcohol and fusel oils included in it. And in order to timely separate a quality product from harmful impurities, it is important to know at what temperature moonshine is driven at each stage. Basically, the physical processes during distillation are very similar and are within the power of any model of a standard moonshine still.

The distillation of mash into moonshine with or without a steamer is guided by strict adherence to the temperature indicated for a certain period.

• First, the wort is heated to a maximum of 60-63 ° C and a sharp decrease in heating is maintained with a smooth transition to the selection of the head fraction at 64-68 degrees. It is under such conditions that alcohol with fusel oils begins to evaporate. If this is not done, then part of the boiled liquid will enter the system, and the moonshine will be cloudy and with a sharp fusel smell. Due to the high content of harmful impurities in pervak, it is definitely not worth drinking it, because after a quick intoxication, severe intoxication of the body occurs. Experienced moonshiners recommend cutting off the initial 8-10% of the distillate from the total volume and using it only for household needs.
• Next, they proceed to the selection of the main, so-called body of the product after heating it to 78 ° C. To do this, continue to maintain the degree at the same level, trying not to exceed it above 83-85 ° C. The timely transition to the isolation of the qualitative component of the distillate is accompanied by a characteristic alcohol smell without unpleasant shades.
• Toward the end of distillation, the temperature at which moonshine is driven rises to 85 degrees, and the remnants of the alcohol base are expelled along with the fusel. This negatively affects the quality of the product, therefore, at this key point, the collection of the body is urgently stopped and the selection of the tail part of the alcoholic beverage is started. As soon as its strength during distillation decreases to 20 ° C, this fraction is also stopped and moonshining is considered complete.

Boiling point table of alcohol in Braga

Only after understanding the nuances of preparing wort from yeast and sugar, it becomes clear how important it is to maintain a comfortable fermentation temperature. Therefore, in order to end up with high-quality and soft alcohol, when preparing raw materials, it is necessary to be able to constantly monitor and regulate the temperature regime.

Braga preparation? The process is simple and accessible to everyone. If you have the necessary tools and ingredients, it will not take much time.

Almost all vegetables, fruits, grains containing sugar and / or starch are suitable as the basis of the wort for mash. Old jam, honey will fit perfectly for grouting. Starch-containing products are first saccharified, then the mash is kneaded. Sugar? the main component in the must, since alcohol is formed precisely from the combination of yeast with sugar.

Preparation of mash from sugar and dry yeast

When mixing wort from fruits and vegetables, it is difficult for a beginner to determine the consumption of sugar, yeast and the volume of moonshine at the exit. But there is a simple, proven recipe with a guaranteed result. To implement it, you need to prepare the following products:

• water;
• sugar;
• yeast.

The number of ingredients is determined based on purely personal needs for moonshine.

The proportions of the classic recipe for obtaining 10 liters. moonshine:

• water? 30 l
• granulated sugar? 8 kg
• dry yeast? 150-200 gr.

It is believed that from 1 kg of granulated sugar 1.2 liters will be obtained. moonshine.

Some winemakers insist on the ?rule 10? (10 liters of 40-45 ° moonshine comes out of 10 kg of sugar):

• water? 40 l
• granulated sugar? 10 kg
• dry yeast? 300 gr.

The amount of yeast is always approximate, since their activity depends on the expiration date, on the manufacturer.

Sugar is added to the mash without further processing. There is no need to turn it into syrup. It dissolves well in warm water.

Water can be taken from the water supply, only it needs to be allowed to settle for half a day. Boiled water is unsuitable for fermentation. Yeast in such water will not work to its full potential.

According to the classic recipe, mash is prepared by simply mixing all the ingredients. Sugar is poured into the water, stirred, and diluted yeast is added.

Which yeast to use

Yeast is one of the main components in the preparation of the beer substrate. They are represented by different
types:

• pressed;
• bakery;
• alcohol;
• beer;
• wine.

Wine yeast is very expensive and is used to ferment wine. Beer houses are more used in cosmetology and medicine. Pressed or live? the product is perishable, you can find them at bakeries, in specialized stores. For regular grocery stores? this is a rare product.

The most commonly used dry alcohol or baker's yeast, but marked "for baking and drinks". Such yeasts are more viable. But how they will behave is difficult to predict. It can be a rapid fermentation in 15-20 minutes, or their activity will manifest itself in a few hours.

How to cook mash for moonshine

Braga is prepared in food-grade plastic containers, aluminum flasks, and barrels. The main condition is that the material does not succumb to oxidation. Therefore, galvanized and copper dishes are not suitable. Is it desirable that the canisters be with a wide neck? they are easier to wash after distillation. The volume of the container depends on the desired amount of moonshine.

During violent fermentation, the foam rises with a cap, so the vessel must be filled so that a quarter of it remains free. When the foam breaks out of the container, the mash can be poured into another dish, and then drained back. After 2–3 days, active fermentation will end and pass into a passive stage, which will last another 8–10 days.

At this stage, a water seal is installed on the tank. The following facts speak in his favor:

• it is convenient to monitor the maturation of the mash by the emerging gas bubbles;
• the smell in the room becomes less;
• a water seal prevents souring.

Optimal temperature for fermentation

Temperature control? important condition for fermentation. The temperature range should
stay in the region of 20-28°. Will lowering the temperature slow down the yeast? high temperature is completely destructive for them.

It should be taken into account the fact that in the early days, during rapid fermentation, the temperature of the liquid rises, so there is no need to additionally warm the mash.

In the following days, at low room temperature, the container with mash can be wrapped up to keep warm. Old blankets, outerwear are suitable for this.

In the heating season, the vessel is placed on batteries or is it resorted to using a special device? thermostat. This device is used to heat water in aquariums. The alternating operation of the thermostat avoids the effect of boiling. Just keep in mind that if the mash is very steep, the must particles can stick to the walls of the device.

Is it worth stirring the mash during fermentation

At the first stage of fermentation, when the foam breaks out, it is not necessary to knock it down and mix the mash. This will only make the situation worse. It will be enough to pour out some of the liquid.

During the ?quiet? ripening sometimes requires heating. When using a thermostat, the mash must be stirred for uniform heating, since the device heats up and shows the temperature of the upper layer.

In general, there is no need to mix the mash. This will not speed up the maturation process and will not affect the strength. The natural fermentation process will do it all by itself. The spent yeast will settle to the bottom, and stirring will only excite them and interfere with determining the readiness of the drink.

How to determine the readiness of mash

It is important to determine the right moment for distillation. Premature forcing will reduce the yield of moonshine and lower its degree. Braga overexposed for more than two weeks can turn sour.

The readiness of the product for distillation is determined in several ways:

It is better if there are results on several indicators at once.

Do you need to remove sediment?

The opinions of winemakers are divided on the issue of whether to remove the mash from the sediment or not. In many respects it depends on the device of the distillation cube of the moonshine still. In simple distillation devices, the container with mash is used as a cube. In this case, it is not necessary to remove it from the sediment. It is believed that from this the fortress of moonshine is lost.

For the preparation of alcohol in devices of a more complex design or industrial production, it would be better to get rid of the yeast sediment, since it can burn to the walls during the heating process.
distillation cube, especially if the wort was prepared from fruit raw materials.

You can remove the mash from the sediment using a flexible hose with a diameter of about 1 cm. It is not advisable to use a pipeline with a smaller diameter, because it will clog. The end of the hose is lowered into the wash and fixed 2–3 cm from the sediment. The mouth draws air from the hose to start the movement of the liquid.

Lightening is also optional. This procedure is carried out to free the mash from the remaining suspension. It is believed that this will improve the taste of moonshine and in the future it will take less time to clean it.

The most common method? clarification with white clay. Clay (1 tablespoon) is diluted in 500 gr. warm water and poured into the vessel. A day later, the mash is again removed from the resulting sediment.

Braga, mashed on fruit, is clarified with gelatin. A package of gelatin is poured overnight with water, then added to the drink. The flakes precipitate after 2-3 days. Braga is ready to move.

The most important detail in home brewing is a properly prepared mash. You can determine its status with special tools. But any moonshiner with experience can determine its readiness by external and taste characteristics. For people who first decide to start moonshine, it can be difficult to determine whether the mash is ready for distillation or not.

Folk ways to determine readiness

The quality of moonshine depends on the readiness of the mash for distillation. It is very important not to miss this moment and learn how to determine it correctly. If the mash is overexposed, it will become sour and the taste of moonshine will deteriorate. And with early distillation, there is a smaller yield, which is why some of the sugar disappears. To find out that the mash is ready for distillation, there are several proven folk methods. To make the result more accurate, use all methods at once:

• By time. You can determine how much mash for moonshine should cost by time, but you should not completely rely on this method, since it is not too accurate. For fermentation of a simple sugar mash, which includes water, sugar and yeast, it takes from 4 to 14 days. It depends on the temperature and humidity of the room, as well as on the quality of the raw materials used. (with starch content) about 3-7 days is sufficient. The longest period of 20 to 60 days is required for grape mash without yeast.
• By type. If the foam ceases to stand out, the hissing stops and no bubbles appear on the surface, the mash is ready. In this case, the remains of the yeast will settle to the bottom, and the top layer of the mash will become light.
• Taste. The most accurate way to determine the quality and readiness of mash is the taste. The sweet taste suggests that little time has passed and the yeast did not have time to process all the sugar into alcohol. Taste with bitterness - mash is ready for distillation.
• With a match. Carbon dioxide, released during fermentation in large quantities, displaces oxygen from the bottle. This allows you to determine the readiness of the mash. A lit match is brought to the surface. If it is damp, then the fermentation process is still going on. If the match continues to burn, then, therefore, the fermentation is over and you can start distillation.

Professional verification method

Two devices will help to accurately verify the quality of the final product: a hydrometer and an alcoholometer. Even experienced moonshiners prefer to use these devices, which are the most accurate, instead of folk methods. But since during such a check the mash will have to be drained, they are used for fermentation tanks with faucets. Ways to determine the readiness of mash for distillation using instruments:

Need to know! The resulting mash is needed immediately, as it is not stored for a long time.

Inventory for must be clean, otherwise any contamination can spoil the taste of the product. Therefore, the container is thoroughly washed in hot water and dried. As an inventory you can use:

It is important to know! Do not use galvanized dishes for fermentation. With prolonged contact of the liquid with zinc, the metal is oxidized, and for a person this threatens with serious diseases. Experts recommend using 25-38-liter plastic milk cans. Stainless, enameled, porcelain and aluminum containers are suitable.

Raw material preparation

For the preparation of raw materials, it is recommended to take 3-4 liters of water and 100 g of live yeast per 1 kg of sugar. You can spoil the mash imperceptibly if you shift the extra yeast. To ferment the wort faster, add mineral top dressing. Top dressing is not needed if berries or juice are added to the composition. From 1 kg of sugar, 1 liter of moonshine is obtained. Cooking takes place in stages:

1. To obtain 5 liters of forty-degree moonshine, 6 kg of sugar, 120 g of dry yeast and about 27 liters of water are required.
2. First of all, prepare the water. Distilled and boiled water is not suitable. It is better to use spring water or draw from a tap and let it stand for several days. Then yeast is added to the water and put in a warm place for half an hour. If foam appears, then a small amount of ground crackers or dry cookies is poured into the composition. This will help stop the fermentation.
3. Then prepare the sugar syrup. Stir 6 kg of sugar with 3.12 liters of water, bring to a boil and add 4.8 citric acid. The syrup is boiled at 100-degree temperature from 1.5 to 2 hours.
4. Ready syrup is poured with water. Rye bread is crushed and added to the wort. For every 50 liters of wort, there is half a loaf. Thiamine can be added if desired.
5. To keep the yeast from dying, you need to monitor the temperature of the finished wort. It should be at the level of 30 degrees, but not exceed 35 degrees. Warming the container with a blanket or fur coat will help to avoid temperature fluctuations.
6. In a lid that is put on a jar, make holes. A water dispenser with a tube brought out to the outside will help get rid of the unpleasant odor released during fermentation.
7. The wort is stirred every 12 hours for a minute.

If the raw materials were prepared correctly, then the mash will be ready in 2-4 days.

There are a few little tricks that will help speed up the maturation of the mash. This is the conversion of sugar into syrup, compliance with the thermal regime and top dressing. Professional moonshiners have been using them for a long time and apply them with great success. It takes little time to prepare, and the result is of high quality and on time.

1. sugar processing. In order for yeast microorganisms to multiply several times faster and better process sugar into alcohol, they produce. Sugar inversion is the preparation of a simple syrup where sucrose is converted to glucose. In this form, the sugar becomes more accessible to the yeast. Sugar 3 kg is diluted in 1.5 liters of warm water. Then bring to a boil and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, removing the foam that appears from the surface. Then citric acid is slowly added to the mixture - 12 g. At this point, large amounts of foam will begin to form from the acid. The fire is set to a minimum, and the container is covered with a lid. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Before use, the finished syrup is cooled.
2. Compliance with the thermal regime. Subject to the correct thermal regime, the mash will be ready at the appointed time. It is very difficult to constantly maintain a room temperature of 28 degrees. Therefore, it is possible to keep the heat released inside the bottle during hydrolysis by covering it with a warm blanket or an old coat (fur coat). You can also maintain the temperature in the room with the help of an aquarium heater, while not being afraid of excessive overheating. A stove or heating equipment helps a lot. It is enough to put a bottle next to them.
3. Top dressing. yeast mushrooms are simple unicellular microorganisms. Their nutrition requires not only sugar, but also minerals that experienced moonshiners add to the water. Half a loaf of crumbled brown bread is added to a 15-liter bottle. Instead of bread, you can use about 10 crushed berries or replace them with 100 g of freshly squeezed juice. You can mix 150 g of tomato paste with water and add it to the mash. Fermentation will pass quickly, and moonshine will be soft when sprouted and dried grains are added. Very rarely, nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers or rotted chicken manure are used as top dressing. Moonshiners who prepare moonshine for themselves do not use this top dressing.

Do not forget about mixing the mash. If you shake the bottle with a closed water seal twice a day, the carbon dioxide released by the yeast will evaporate, and the fermentation process will be more active.

Fermentation problems and their elimination

If you find that the mash is not good, you need to establish the cause and try to eliminate it. The reason may be hidden in slow fermentation, excess sugar or poor raw materials:

• extra sugar. When, according to all indications, it is clear that the fermentation has stopped, but the taste of the mash remains sweet, it means that the components were added in the wrong ratio. Fermentation stopped when the alcohol content reached a critical state. Therefore, yeast microorganisms did not have time to process excess sugar. To fix the problem, you need to reduce the strength of the mash by adding water to it.
• Fermentation has become slow. If all signs show that fermentation continues, but the set period has expired, then unfavorable temperature conditions have been created in the room. At a temperature of +26 to +28 degrees, the vital activity of yeast microorganisms passes quickly, and at a temperature of +18-30 degrees - medium, which is also acceptable. At lower temperatures, fermentation does not stop, but becomes much slower. To fix the problem, the container is transferred to a warm place or carefully insulated.
• Poor quality raw materials. Sometimes fermentation does not start, although all the temperature and prescription conditions were observed. This is due to not very good raw materials. You can check how good the quality of the purchased yeast is by dropping it for 30 minutes in a glass of warm water, to which 2 tablespoons of sugar are added. The formation of foam on the surface indicates that the yeast is suitable for use.

Attention, only TODAY!

Cooking mash is a simple process and accessible to everyone. If you have the necessary tools and ingredients, it will not take much time.

Almost all vegetables, fruits, grains containing sugar and / or starch are suitable as the basis of the wort for mash. Old jam, honey will fit perfectly for grouting. Starch-containing products are first saccharified, then the mash is kneaded. Sugar is the main component in beer wort, since alcohol is formed precisely from the combination of yeast with sugar.

Preparation of mash from sugar and dry yeast

When mixing wort from fruits and vegetables, it is difficult for a beginner to determine the consumption of sugar, yeast and the volume of moonshine at the exit. But there is a simple, proven recipe with a guaranteed result. To implement it, you need to prepare the following products:

• water;
• sugar;
• yeast.

The number of ingredients is determined based on purely personal needs for moonshine.

The proportions of the classic recipe for obtaining 10 liters. moonshine:

• water - 30 l
• granulated sugar - 8 kg
• dry yeast - 150-200 gr.

It is believed that from 1 kg of granulated sugar 1.2 liters will be obtained. moonshine.

Some winemakers insist on the “rule of 10” (10 liters of 40-45 ° moonshine comes out of 10 kg of sugar):

• water - 40 l
• granulated sugar - 10 kg
• dry yeast -300 gr.

The amount of yeast is always approximate, since their activity depends on the expiration date, on the manufacturer.

Sugar is added to the mash without further processing. There is no need to turn it into syrup. It dissolves well in warm water.

Water can be taken from the water supply, only it needs to be allowed to settle for half a day. Boiled water is unsuitable for fermentation. Yeast in such water will not work to its full potential.

According to the classic recipe, mash is prepared by simply mixing all the ingredients. Sugar is poured into the water, stirred, and diluted yeast is added.

Which yeast to use

Yeast is one of the main components in the preparation of the beer substrate. They are represented by different types:

• pressed;
• bakery;
• alcohol;
• beer;
• wine.

Wine yeast is very expensive and is used to ferment wine. Beer houses are more used in cosmetology and medicine. Pressed or live product is perishable, you can find them at bakeries, in specialized stores. For ordinary grocery stores, this is a rare product.

Most often, dry alcohol or baker's yeast is used, but marked "for baking and drinks." Such yeasts are more viable. But how they will behave is difficult to predict. It can be a rapid fermentation in 15-20 minutes, or their activity will manifest itself in a few hours.

How to cook mash for moonshine

Braga is prepared in food-grade plastic containers, aluminum flasks, and barrels. The main condition is that the material does not succumb to oxidation. Therefore, galvanized and copper dishes are not suitable. It is desirable that the canisters be with a wide mouth - they are easier to clean after distillation. The volume of the container depends on the desired amount of moonshine.

During violent fermentation, the foam rises with a cap, so the vessel must be filled so that a quarter of it remains free. When the foam breaks out of the container, the mash can be poured into another dish, and then drained back. After 2 3 days, active fermentation will end and pass into a passive stage, which will last another 8 10 days.

At this stage, a water seal is installed on the tank. The following facts speak in his favor:

• it is convenient to monitor the maturation of the mash by the emerging gas bubbles;
• the smell in the room becomes less;
• a water seal prevents souring.

Optimal temperature for fermentation

Compliance with the temperature regime is an important condition for fermentation. The temperature range should stay in the region of 20 28 °. Lowering the temperature will slow down the work of the yeast - high temperature is completely destructive for them.

It should be taken into account the fact that in the early days, during rapid fermentation, the temperature of the liquid rises, so there is no need to additionally warm the mash.

In the following days, at low room temperature, the container with mash can be wrapped up to keep warm. Old blankets, outerwear are suitable for this.

In the heating season, the vessel is placed on batteries or resorted to using a special device - a thermostat. This device is used to heat water in aquariums. The alternating operation of the thermostat avoids the effect of boiling. Just keep in mind that if the mash is very steep, the must particles can stick to the walls of the device.

Is it worth stirring the mash during fermentation

At the first stage of fermentation, when the foam breaks out, it is not necessary to knock it down and mix the mash. This will only make the situation worse. It will be enough to pour out some of the liquid.

During "quiet" maturation, heating is sometimes required. When using a thermostat, the mash must be stirred for uniform heating, since the device heats up and shows the temperature of the upper layer.

In general, there is no need to mix the mash. This will not speed up the maturation process and will not affect the strength. The natural fermentation process will do it all by itself. The spent yeast will settle to the bottom, and stirring will only excite them and interfere with determining the readiness of the drink.

How to determine the readiness of mash

It is important to determine the right moment for distillation. Premature forcing will reduce the yield of moonshine and lower its degree. Braga overexposed for more than two weeks can turn sour.

The readiness of the product for distillation is determined in several ways:

It is better if there are results on several indicators at once.

Do you need to remove sediment?

The opinions of winemakers are divided on the issue of whether to remove the mash from the sediment or not. In many respects it depends on the device of the distillation cube of the moonshine still. In simple distillation devices, the container with mash is used as a cube. In this case, it is not necessary to remove it from the sediment. It is believed that from this the fortress of moonshine is lost.

For the preparation of alcohol in devices of a more complex design or industrial production, it would be better to get rid of the yeast sediment, since it can burn to the walls during the heating process. distillation cube, especially if the wort was prepared from fruit raw materials.

You can remove the mash from the sediment using a flexible hose with a diameter of about 1 cm. It is not advisable to use a pipeline with a smaller diameter, because it will clog. The end of the hose is lowered into the wash and fixed 2-3 cm from the sediment. The mouth draws air from the hose to start the movement of the liquid.

Lightening is also optional. This procedure is carried out to free the mash from the remaining suspension. It is believed that this will improve the taste of moonshine and in the future it will take less time to clean it.

The most common method is clarification with white clay. Clay (1 tablespoon) is diluted in 500 gr. warm water and poured into the vessel. A day later, the mash is again removed from the resulting sediment.

Braga, mashed on fruit, is clarified with gelatin. A package of gelatin is poured overnight with water, then added to the drink. Flakes precipitate after 2-3 days. Braga is ready to move.

OTHER

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