At what temperature should moonshine ferment. How to cook mash or the right temperature for fermentation

For many novice moonshiners, the main problem is haste and impatience, so they try to speed up all stages from preparing raw materials to obtaining the final product by any means, and as a result they lose quality. In this material, I will consider the question - how much does the mash wander in time, but not from the point of view of theory - on the Internet you will find a bunch of slender tables and mathematical calculations, but based on my own practical experience. I drive moonshine all year round, so my mash ripens in the most diverse, and sometimes even fantastic conditions for it, and I cook it on various types of raw materials.

How much mash wanders and what does it depend on?

In my practice, mash matured over time intervals from 4-5 to 60-70 days. Yes, yes, do not be surprised - this is a unique case when in the fall I collected a plum carrion - about 40 kg, cleaned it, kneaded it, added a little water and forgot about it for 2 months. At the same time, she stood in the basement at a temperature of about +7 ... +12 C o. Many will now say - yes, nonsense, perished! And I will say - the pipes, not only survived, but also fermented in a chic way for alcohol due to natural yeast - I did not add them to this mash.

So what does the rate of fermentation depend on? Let's look at all these factors point by point:

• External conditions - temperature and rest. I never tire of repeating that the mash is alive, and therefore it requires appropriate treatment. Not only the temperature, the optimal range of which is +22 ... +28 C o, affects the intensity and speed of fermentation, but also rest. Remember when mom or grandmother puts the dough to come up, then puts it in a warm room and asks not to run there? Vibrations can "frighten away" the yeast, and the dough may fall. So is Braga - ideally, it should stand in a quiet and dark place. That is why in my cellar, even at the minimum temperature, it completely fermented without the addition of yeast and sugar, however, over a long period of time, like wine
• Chemical composition - we are talking about both the quality of water and the type of raw materials. So, for example, fruit brews ferment faster than cereals, since the sugars in them are more easily accessible to yeast. And to stimulate a good fermentation of pure sugar mash, I use a little secret that in the summer allows me to achieve optimal gassing of homemade kvass, which I also want myself. I add some raisins to it. For 20 liters of mash, 50 grams of raisins are enough. The trace elements contained in it are a natural top dressing for yeast, so fermentation proceeds more actively.
• Type of container - remember - never, under any circumstances, use containers made of non-food metals for making mash! In such a container, it does not turn sour, but it is filled with metal oxide, acquiring a disgusting taste - this is my personal experience, and I did not even distill such a mash. Optimal types of containers - glass, food stainless steel, aluminum, copper. These types of metals interact very weakly, and glass does not interact with liquids at all. Food grade plastic is also fine, but is less preferred over glass.

How to achieve optimal results and what to focus on?

Optimal fermentation time

If you do not take into account exceptional cases, my mash, regardless of its composition, wanders on average 8-10 days. Pure sugar mash ferments about the same at the proportions of 1 kg of sugar per 3 liters of water and 50 grams of live baker's yeast. In principle, it is possible to distill it (especially summer) already on the 7th, 8th day, but I try to achieve the maximum yield. Most often I drive from what grows in the garden, and in my case it is plum, apple, quince, pear, apricot and grapes. Yes, yes, quince is added solely for the sake of aroma, since its yield is small. Most of all I have plums, so mash is more often from it. Braga I prepare as follows:

• I collect carrion - fallen fruits
• I clean from stones (if not laziness)
• I load it into a forty-liter aluminum flask (it’s also my distillation cube), I crush it in mashed potatoes
• For 15-20 kg of pulp I add about 15 liters of water
• I add to this volume 2 kg of sugar and 100 grams of baker's yeast
• Mix well and put under water seal
• I let it ferment for 8-10 days - during this time, the fermentation process at a temperature of +25 C o completely stops

And then, attention! I take out the silicone tube from the water bottle, which acts as a water seal, and put the flask on the gas burner. Yes, yes, without pulp separation, without clarification - just on gas! And I connect the pipe to the refrigerator through my homemade steamer. Nothing burns on me, everything is perfectly distilled, and I talked in detail about how I distill mash for moonshine in another article.

When I make whiskey mash, and the main ingredient is corn grits, I let it ferment for at least 14 days! I will say more, you can safely leave it for 17-20 days - the main thing is that the water seal and the container are airtight. Even after digestion into wort, corn starch is quite difficult to process with yeast (both baker's and wine yeasts). Therefore, 15 days is the optimal period for which the sugars are completely processed, and the aroma will open properly.

Alcoholic fermentation underlies the preparation of any alcoholic beverage. This is the easiest and most affordable way to get ethyl alcohol. The second method - ethylene hydration, is synthetic, rarely used and only in the production of vodka. We will look at the features and conditions of fermentation to better understand how sugar is converted to alcohol. From a practical point of view, this knowledge will help to create the optimal environment for yeast - to put mash, wine or beer correctly.

Alcoholic fermentation Yeast converts glucose into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment. The equation is the following:

C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH + 2CO2.

As a result, one molecule of glucose is converted into 2 molecules of ethyl alcohol and 2 molecules of carbon dioxide. In this case, energy is released, which leads to a slight increase in the temperature of the medium. Fusel oils are also formed during the fermentation process: butyl, amyl, isoamyl, isobutyl and other alcohols, which are by-products of amino acid metabolism. In many ways, fusel oils form the aroma and taste of the drink, but most of them are harmful to the human body, so manufacturers try to purify alcohol from harmful fusel oils, but leave useful ones.

Yeast- These are single-celled spherical fungi (about 1500 species), actively developing in a liquid or semi-liquid medium rich in sugars: on the surface of fruits and leaves, in the nectar of flowers, dead phytomass and even soil.

This is one of the very first organisms "tamed" by man, mainly yeast is used for baking bread and making alcoholic beverages. Archaeologists have found that the ancient Egyptians for 6000 years BC. e. learned how to make beer, and by 1200 BC. e. mastered the baking of yeast bread.

The scientific study of the nature of fermentation began in the 19th century, the first chemical formula was proposed by J. Gay-Lussac and A. Lavoisier, but the essence of the process remained unclear, two theories arose. The German scientist Justus von Liebig suggested that fermentation is mechanical in nature - the vibrations of the molecules of living organisms are transmitted to sugar, which is split into alcohol and carbon dioxide. In turn, Louis Pasteur believed that the basis of the fermentation process is biological in nature - when certain conditions are reached, the yeast begins to process sugar into alcohol. Pasteur managed to prove his hypothesis empirically, later the biological nature of fermentation was confirmed by other scientists.

The Russian word “yeast” comes from the Old Slavonic verb “drozgati”, which means “to crush” or “knead”, there is a clear connection with baking bread. In turn, the English name for yeast "yeast" comes from the Old English words "gist" and "gyst", which mean "foam", "to give off gas" and "boil", which is closer to distillation.

As a raw material for alcohol, sugar, sugar-containing products (mainly fruits and berries), as well as starch-containing raw materials: grain and potatoes are used. The problem is that yeast cannot ferment starch, so you first need to break it down to simple sugars, this is done by an enzyme called amylase. Amylase is found in malt, a germinated grain, and is activated at high temperature (usually 60-72 ° C), and the process of converting starch to simple sugars is called "saccharification". Saccharification with malt ("hot") can be replaced by the introduction of synthetic enzymes, in which the wort does not need to be heated, therefore the method is called "cold" saccharification.

Fermentation conditions

The following factors influence the development of yeast and the course of fermentation: sugar concentration, temperature and light, acidity of the environment and the presence of trace elements, alcohol content, oxygen access.

1. Sugar concentration. For most yeast races, the optimal sugar content of the wort is 10-15%. At concentrations above 20%, fermentation weakens, and at 30-35% it is almost guaranteed to stop, since sugar becomes a preservative that prevents yeast from working.

Interestingly, when the sugar content of the medium is below 10%, fermentation also proceeds poorly, but before sweetening the wort, you need to remember the maximum concentration of alcohol (4th point) obtained during fermentation.

2. Temperature and light. For most yeast strains, the optimum fermentation temperature is 20-26°C (bottom-fermenting brewer's yeast requires 5-10°C). The allowable range is 18-30 °C. At lower temperatures, fermentation slows down significantly, and at values ​​below zero, the process stops and the yeast "falls asleep" - they fall into suspended animation. To resume fermentation, it is enough to raise the temperature.

Too high a temperature will kill the yeast. The threshold of endurance depends on the strain. In general, values ​​above 30-32 °C are considered dangerous (especially for wine and beer), however, there are separate races of alcohol yeast that can withstand wort temperatures up to 60 °C. If the yeast is “cooked”, you will have to add a new batch to the wort to resume fermentation.

The fermentation process itself causes a temperature increase of several degrees - the larger the volume of the wort and the more active the yeast, the stronger the heating. In practice, temperature correction is done if the volume is more than 20 liters - it is enough to keep the temperature below 3-4 degrees from the upper limit.

The container is left in a dark place or covered with a thick cloth. The absence of direct sunlight avoids overheating and has a positive effect on the work of yeast - fungi do not like sunlight.

3. Acidity of the environment and the presence of trace elements. Medium acidity 4.0-4.5 pH promotes alcoholic fermentation and inhibits the development of third-party microorganisms. In an alkaline environment, glycerol and acetic acid are released. In neutral wort, fermentation proceeds normally, but pathogenic bacteria actively develop. The acidity of the wort is corrected before adding the yeast. Often, amateur distillers increase the acidity with citric acid or any acidic juice, and to reduce the must, they quench the must with chalk or dilute it with water.

In addition to sugar and water, yeast requires other substances - primarily nitrogen, phosphorus and vitamins. These trace elements are used by yeast for the synthesis of amino acids that make up their protein, as well as for reproduction at the initial stage of fermentation. The problem is that at home it will not be possible to accurately determine the concentration of substances, and exceeding the permissible values ​​\u200b\u200bcan negatively affect the taste of the drink (especially for wine). Therefore, it is assumed that starch-containing and fruit raw materials initially contain the required amount of vitamins, nitrogen and phosphorus. Usually only pure sugar mash is fed.

4. Alcohol content. On the one hand, ethyl alcohol is a waste product of yeast, on the other hand, it is a strong toxin for yeast fungi. At an alcohol concentration in the wort of 3-4%, fermentation slows down, ethanol begins to inhibit the development of yeast, at 7-8% the yeast no longer reproduces, and at 10-14% they stop processing sugar - fermentation stops. Only certain strains of cultured yeast, bred in the laboratory, are tolerant of alcohol concentrations above 14% (some continue to ferment even at 18% and above). About 0.6% alcohol is obtained from 1% sugar in the wort. This means that to obtain 12% alcohol, a solution with a sugar content of 20% (20 × 0.6 = 12) is required.

5. Access to oxygen. In an anaerobic environment (without access to oxygen), yeast is aimed at survival, not reproduction. It is in this state that the maximum alcohol is released, so in most cases it is necessary to protect the wort from air access and at the same time organize the removal of carbon dioxide from the tank in order to avoid increased pressure. This problem is solved by installing a water seal.

With constant contact of the wort with air, there is a danger of souring. At the very beginning, when fermentation is active, the released carbon dioxide pushes air away from the surface of the wort. But at the end, when fermentation weakens and less and less carbon dioxide appears, air enters the uncovered container with the wort. Under the influence of oxygen, acetic acid bacteria are activated, which begin to process ethyl alcohol into acetic acid and water, which leads to spoilage of wine, a decrease in the yield of moonshine and the appearance of a sour taste in drinks. Therefore, it is so important to close the container with a water seal.

However, yeast requires oxygen to multiply (to reach its optimal amount). Usually, the concentration that is in the water is sufficient, but for accelerated reproduction of the mash, after adding the yeast, it is left open for several hours (with air access) and mixed several times.

To make delicious moonshine, you need to monitor not only the amount of ingredients (sugar, yeast and water), but also observe the temperature regime. Below we will consider what the fermentation temperature of the mash should be for good moonshine. We will also consider the issue of the necessary devices for this.

Thermometer and thermostat

To prepare good and high-quality moonshine, you need to use a thermometer and a thermostat. The fact is that during the preparation of mash for moonshine, you must carefully monitor the temperature in order to get a good final drink.

Thermometer

A thermometer is an instrument for determining the exact temperature of a liquid. You also need to have your own room thermometer, since during fermentation you also need to monitor the temperature in the room itself.

The thermostat is a device that allows you to maintain a constant temperature in the fermentation tank. Many people prefer to do it "the old fashioned way", without a thermostat. However, we would not advise you to do this, as this device is cheap and does not consume much energy, and it is quite easy to install.

Temperature regime

To get mash according to the classic recipe, you must adhere to the following requirements:

• Yeast preparation stage. In order for the fermentation to go well, it is necessary to ferment the yeast in advance. Take half a liter of water, while the water should have a temperature of 25-30 degrees no more, add 100 grams of sugar, mix and pour out the yeast. The required amount of yeast must be calculated individually for each mash (see).
• The stage of adding yeast to the wort. When introducing yeast dissolved in water into the wort, care must be taken. The temperature of yeast and wort should not differ by more than 5-10 degrees, and the wort should be between 20 and 25 degrees with a maximum of 30 degrees allowed.
• fermentation stage. After adding the yeast, the mash must be left to ferment in a dark room. The optimum temperature for mash fermentation is 20-25 degrees, the maximum allowable temperature is 28-30 degrees.

You also need to remember that at temperatures above 30 degrees, the yeast dies and fermentation stops, but if the fermentation is very sluggish and long below 15 degrees, this is more suitable for making wine or beer. Therefore, it is very important that the temperature of the mash is between 20 - 25 degrees. In the event of a force majeure situation, you will have to do cooling or heating so that the mash does not stop playing.

What to do if the temperature is low

If it falls below 15 degrees, in this case you will have to do the heating of the mash with your own hands and heat it up. For this we need a heater. As a heater, a thermostat for liquids is well suited. Place it in a fermentation tank and set the temperature in the range of 20-25 degrees. The thermostat copes quite well with the problem of overcooling the mash, since it can be used to maintain a constant temperature in the tank for a long time.

If you don't have a thermostat, you can buy a regular aquarium heater.

What to do if the temperature is high

If it has risen above 30 degrees, in this case, the mash must be urgently cooled. As an urgent measure, you can place the container with the mash in a bath of cold water. Or keep a few plastic bottles of frozen water in the freezer just in case. It is important to understand that water and ice are only temporary cooling measures; if the increase in temperature is associated with a warming environment, you should place the container with the mash in a dry, cold room, for example, in the basement or cellar, and make sure that the temperature of the mash does not fall below 15-18 degrees.

Conclusion

So at what temperature should mash for moonshine roam? The ideal temperature is 20-25 degrees, the lower the fermentation is, but less unnecessary substances are also fermented.

Many people make alcohol at home. Braga preparation? an important matter that requires vigilance, attentiveness and scrupulousness. You will spend labor and time, but you will gain experience, an exciting activity and a finished high-quality home product. It is important to observe the subtleties: fermentation temperature and recipe. The result will not keep you waiting.

Yeast? These are microorganisms, to be more precise, fungi. They live in water and eat sugar. At the same time, in the process of reproduction, they emit heat, carbon dioxide and alcohol. With their help, home craftsmen prepare moonshine.

Temperature readings: the importance of process compliance

Fermentation temperature? this is the indicator that must be followed with all rigor. By average standards, the norm is 24-30 ° C. But in this case, the need for yeast in future moonshine cannot be discounted. It should be noted at what temperature they will begin to ferment. Only in this case they will give off heat. And this? determining factor in the preparation of mash.

As soon as the yeast starts to work, the mash will heat itself up. Overheat? an unacceptable oversight that would jeopardize the entire operation. It is important that during fermentation, the thermometer does not have an indicator above 40 ° C. Once the temperature reaches dangerous levels, the yeast will die. Moonshine will not be distilled from anything and everything will have to be started anew.

How? hurry up? mash? We accelerate fermentation

Thermometer and thermostat. Features of operation in distillation

During the fermentation process, it is necessary to prepare the necessary technological attributes to help. At this stage, the temperature regime? the most important indicator that cannot be ignored. To support it, you need a thermometer.

We need a mercury unit, which has a scale of up to 120 0 C. As a rule, we are talking about a glass device, with which extreme care must be taken.

If there is a logistical possibility, you can mount a bimetallic thermometer. A multimeter is also suitable for our purposes. These devices can be used to determine the exact temperature at the distillation stage of moonshine. They make it possible to determine the exact time of collection of a high-quality product.

Under the thermostat, you need to understand the unit that allows you to maintain a stable temperature in a container with mash. The power of this device directly depends on the volume. If there are up to 50 liters in a barrel, buy a unit with a power of at least 100 watts. The operation of this unit is cyclical, so it does not require a lot of electricity.

Please note that the feedstock is mostly heated from above. In order for the temperature regime to be uniform throughout the volume, mash needs to be stirred from time to time.

Installing the thermostat is easy. You don't need to drill holes to mount it. Bend the wire over the edge so that the body of the device is dipped into the wash. There should only be a sensor on the surface so that you can monitor the temperature. Press the wire of the unit with a cover, but do this very carefully so as not to damage the wire. It is important not to twist the wire, in order to avoid breaking it.

The importance of temperature

Each moonshine has a completely unique taste. The secret of this uniqueness lies in the original recipe of each individual mash.

In the classical sense, mash is prepared according to the following canons.

Distillation or boiling temperature

When the mash reaches a temperature of 65 ° C, the evaporation of light harmful fractions occurs. The resulting moonshine is called "pervak". Experts say that pervak? it is a dangerous poison. It must be collected in a separate vessel and disposed of or used for technical needs.

Until the temperature reaches 63 ° C, the future moonshine is heated and boiled over the highest fire. Then the heating rate is sharply removed to slowly reach 65-68°C. If this is not done, hot mash will flow into the refrigeration part of the unit. The color of the drink will be fusel. The quality will drop. The only way to improve the situation is by re-distillation.

Gradually, the temperature of the distillation of the mash will increase, and the intensity with which moonshine is driven,? fall. The collection of moonshine is stopped when the mixture is heated to 85 ° C. From this moment, fusel oils begin to evaporate, making moonshine cloudy and deteriorating its quality.

When? Pervak? comes out, you should substitute a container for collecting moonshine. Gradually increase the heater power. This is necessary for the mash to reach a new temperature regime - 78 ° C. After a while, the output of the main product will begin.

Once the temperature has reached 85°C, the distillate is collected in a new vessel. The so-called? tails? add to a new portion of mash to increase the strength.

The process of home brewing has a number of features, without the knowledge of which a good distillate cannot be obtained. Compliance with the temperature regime is one of the nuances that should not be neglected. In this article, we will talk about this in more detail.

Fermentation temperature

The principle of producing moonshine at home is based on the natural properties of yeast. Yeast is a fungus that in the process of life is able to produce heat, carbon dioxide and alcohol. Compliance with certain temperatures in the preparation of mash is aimed precisely at activating the vital activity of yeast.

If it is not warm enough, the yeast stops working and fermentation stops. Overheating of the wort is also dangerous, at a temperature of 40 ° C, the yeast simply dies. The most commonly used for home brewing is ordinary baker's yeast. The yield of alcohol when using them is 10%. Special alcohol yeast is able to give a moonshine yield of 23%. Wine yeast is suitable for fruit and berry mash. Moonshine from grapes can be made without using yeast, fermentation will occur due to the natural wild yeast contained on the skin of the grapes.

Initially, the water temperature for the mash should be 25-30 ° C. Yeast is introduced into the warm wort and their work begins immediately. This level of heat should be maintained for about two hours. This time will be enough for the fermentation process to start in full force.

Then the wort is removed to a warm place, you can put it near the battery. The temperature of the mash should be at least 18 ° C, but preferably 25 ° C. This will be enough for a full fermentation. After all, the yeast will already begin to emit carbon dioxide and the wort will warm itself on its own.

Important! Braga is heated from above, to ensure a uniform temperature, it must be mixed daily.

Thermometers and thermostats

Temperature measurement will need to be carried out at all stages of making home-made moonshine, so you can’t do without measuring instruments.

You can use a mercury thermometer, the scale of which reaches 120 °. Such a measuring device is glass, so using it, you need to be extremely careful.

In the presence of material resources, it is more advisable to use a bimetallic thermometer or multimeter.

Today, there are many moonshine stills with a built-in thermometer. However, the accuracy of such built-in devices is not accurate enough, so you still need to use a conventional thermometer.

Thermoregulators allow you to maintain the required temperature in the fermentation tank. Temperature controllers come in various capacities, which one to choose depends on the volume of the container. So, for a barrel of 50 liters, a device with a power of 50W to 100W is suitable. The device works cyclically, so the cost of electricity will be negligible.

An aquarium thermostat is perfect for constantly maintaining the required temperature, it is not expensive and you can buy it in almost any pet store. It is worth buying at the rate of 1W of power per 1 liter of liquid. You should not take a very powerful one, since the heating will not occur evenly and the yeast in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe thermostat can burn and die.

If it is not possible to use a thermostat, and the temperature of the mash is insufficient, it can be heated in warm water. To do this, water is drawn into the bath and a container with mash is placed there. It should be kept in water until the required temperature is established.

The temperature of the mash during distillation

To produce a distillate from the mash, it is necessary to create conditions for the evaporation of alcohol. Already when the mash is heated to 65 ° C, the evaporation of the first fractions begins. In the people this alcohol is called "pervak". Experts say that the first and last fractions contain many harmful substances and such moonshine can only be used for technical purposes.

Braga is heated over high heat until the temperature reaches 63 ° C. Further, the heating of the mash to 78 ° C is carried out over low heat. If the fire is not turned on in time, the tobraga will flow into the cold part of the unit, and the distillation will need to be done again. At 78 ° C, the release of the product we need begins.

Gradually, the temperature of the mash will rise and reach 85 ° C. When this happens, the distillation process stops. At such a high temperature, fusel oils begin to evaporate, which affect the quality of the finished moonshine, it will be cloudy and with an unpleasant odor. "Tails" are also collected. Such moonshine can be used to increase the strength for the next portion of mash.

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