How much mash wanders on sugar: determining the exact time. How to understand why the mash does not wander and what to do

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.

If you put the mash using the right technology and maintain optimal fermentation conditions, then no need to mix. In most cases, those who cannot properly prepare mash and force the yeast to break down sugar come to this procedure.

There is nothing worse than doing well the work that does not need to be done at all. This is exactly the situation with mixing mash.

I would not like to use complex terms, so I will try to explain everything in simple terms.

Stirring will not fix the foam problem.

1. Yeast won't work faster. During the fermentation process, pure alcohol rises, while yeast and sugar sink to the bottom. As a result of this, the splitting of the molecules proceeds correctly, and the agitation of the wort even leads to a slowdown in the work of the yeast. When or , other decisions must be made to resume this process.
2. The yeast won't process any more sugar. There is an opinion that in some places of the fermentation tank sugar is stale and it needs to be shaken in order for it to be processed normally. An extremely wrong point of view, which misleads many moonshiners. Yeast and sugar settle to the bottom, so there is no point in mixing them.
3. Harmful microorganisms get into the wash along with oxygen. By mixing your base for moonshine, you can provoke the development or appearance of the wort on the surface. That is why it is recommended to always install a water seal and check the tightness of the connections.
4. Fermentation takes longer. It will take some time for the wort to calm down and play again. Quiet work is disturbed, as a result of which the ripening period increases.
5. Foaming increases. Some struggle with copious foaming with agitation. This leads to an even greater reaction, as a result of which everything only gets worse. Better read about and choose the best option.

Stirring in no way affects the quality and efficiency of the yeast. To speed up fermentation, use the methods described in this publication -.

At best, you won't spoil the wort and just delay the yeast's processing of the sugar. At worst, you will stain the mash with pathogenic fungi and then simply pour all the liquid into the toilet.

When to mix the mash and how to do it right

Below is a list of situations when it is appropriate to shake the wort and mix the brew:

Use a probe thermometer to measure temperature. It should be between 20-30 degrees Celsius.

1. At the start of fermentation. When you have added all the ingredients to the fermentation tank, it would be appropriate to mix them intensively. After that, it is necessary to put a water seal and do not touch this mixture anymore.
2. After adding more yeast. If little yeast was added or if they were “cooked” from high temperature, then it will be necessary to add a new portion of fungi and mix the wort well so that they pass through the top layer of pulp and alcohol.
3. For liquid degassing. When the mash is ripe and ready for distillation, it is recommended to shake it for 1-2 minutes so that all carbon dioxide bubbles come out of it. This will have a positive effect on the distillation process, so in this situation it is also appropriate.

There are no other objective reasons to do so.

It is better to think again about the reasons that led to the fact that you wanted to mix the wort and achieve some result. In most cases, they are associated with non-compliance with the technology of making mash.

Braga mixing methods

Objectively speaking, there is not much difference between the presented options. Main, maintain hygiene of instruments And prevent dust, mosquitoes and other foreign particles from entering the liquid.

Built-in stirrer.

1. plastic paddle. Long and comfortable thing, made of good material that will not stain the liquid.
2. Stainless steel pipe. It must first be thoroughly cleaned, after which it can be safely used.
3. Magnetic stirrer. A capsule is lowered to the bottom of the container, which mixes the contents due to vibrations.
4. Built-in agitator. Some fermentation tanks are equipped with a handle that mechanically stirs the wort. You can make it yourself, but in most cases it is useless, since it will be used infrequently.
5. Aquarium pump. A rather exotic thing, which can also be used to shake the mash. It is intended for aquarium water, but it does an excellent job with thick slurry and pulp.

Try to exclude wooden stirrers, as over time they accumulate harmful substances on their surface, which are almost impossible to wash.

It is best to use food-grade plastic or stainless steel, and large sizes so that the tool reaches the bottom of the container.

As a video, I would like to show you a video from Beaver Bobrov, which shows the consequences of the explosion of a fermentation tank. This situation once again confirms the fact that there is no need to invent a bicycle. It is enough to use the technologies and instructions known to everyone that allow you to achieve good moonshine in a simple way.

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 uniform heating can be ensured 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.

Fermentation is one of the main stages in the preparation of moonshine. If the mash does not ferment, then all subsequent processes cannot be performed. Sometimes the mash becomes completely unsuitable for further use and must be disposed of. We will understand in detail, if the mash does not wander, then what to do, and whether this kind of situation can be corrected.

Signs of readiness of mash

There are several ways to determine the degree of readiness of the mash:

1. Infusion time. To use this method, you need to know how long the fermentation lasts. This method does not give accurate results, it only allows you to outline the time frame of maturation. If starch or other starchy raw materials were used to prepare the mash, it will ripen in 3–5 days. Sugar-based mash 1-2 weeks. Grape goes about 4 weeks. All dates are approximate, since in addition to raw materials, environmental conditions also affect the duration of fermentation.
2. Taste test. This is one of the surest ways to determine readiness. Fermented mash has a bitter taste. And if the mash is sweet, it has not yet ripened, and the yeast has not processed the sugar well.
3. Appearance. As the mash matures, the yeast sinks to the bottom of the container, and acquires a lighter shade, becomes transparent.
4. The release of carbon dioxide. The water seal stops gurgling, which means fermentation is over. In addition, foam should stop forming and hissing should stop.
5. Combustion. Carbon dioxide released during fermentation displaces oxygen. If you light a match or a lighter above the surface of the mash and the flame goes out, this means that the yeast continues to work and the mash is not yet ripe. And if the flame is stable, the product is ready for further processing.

Using a sugar meter (hydrometer). This is a device for measuring the level of sugar in mash. It is lowered into the mash and they look at the indicators. If the hydrometer value drops below 1%, it means that the yeast has processed the sugar and the mash can be distilled.

If the above signs are absent, then somewhere in the cooking process an error was made.

Fermentation: deviation from the norm

If the mash has stopped fermenting, has not fermented, or wanders for a long time, its further use remains in question. Therefore, immediate action must be taken to correct the situation.

For the yeast to work properly, several important conditions must be met: a comfortable temperature, protection from light, the correct quantity and quality of the ingredients used, and tightness.

Temperature regime

The permissible temperature range in which yeast can work is 18-32°C, the most comfortable is 20-26°C. If the temperature of the room in which the mash is located drops below 18 ° C, the yeast fungi work very slowly or stop their work altogether and fall asleep. If the temperature rises strongly, the yeast dies and it is no longer possible to revive the mash.

Insulation from direct sunlight

The place where the braga walks should not be brightly lit. Cover the container with a dark cloth to isolate from ultraviolet rays.

Amount of sugar

Before making the mash, you need to prepare the required amount of ingredients. To prepare the mash according to the classic recipe, you must use 4 liters of water, 100 grams of pressed or 20 grams of dry yeast per 1 kg of sugar. With high sugar content, which is a carcinogen, the fermentation of the mash either slows down or stops completely. When using berries and fruits as raw materials, the amount of sugar present in them must be taken into account. In the course of its life, yeast converts sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol. With high sugar content, the alcohol concentration increases to 14%. The high strength of the mash has a detrimental effect on most strains of yeast fungi. They simply die, leaving a nasty - not processed sugar.

Quality and quantity of yeast

Another problem is the incorrectly calculated amount of yeast. If they are not enough, the mash will have a sweetish taste and ferment for a longer time. If you add a lot of yeast, then some of them will not start working. And although the mash will ferment faster, it will retain a yeasty flavor, which will eventually affect the final product.

To prepare mash for moonshine, you can add both baker's yeast and special spirit or wine yeast. You can find information that when using baker's yeast, an unpleasant smell and taste appears from a large amount of sulfur oxide produced by yeast fungi. In addition, the mash begins to foam strongly, and volatile impurities are released, for the removal of which it is necessary to use additional purification. This is not entirely true. The fact is that when using alcoholic yeast, sulfur oxide is also formed, just in a smaller amount. Yes, and increased foaming - a small problem, it can be repaid with special means or simply crumble the “magic” cookies on the surface of the mash. The only important advantage of alcohol yeast is its greater resistance to alcohol, they die when their concentration reaches 18%.

Particular attention should be paid to the appearance of yeast - they should be firm in texture and have a pinkish-cream, yellowish or grayish color. An important point is the absence of a putrefactive odor. Dry yeast should be free-flowing and free of lumps.

Water quality

Braga will play well only when using water saturated with oxygen and trace elements. And although the fermentation process itself occurs without access to oxygen, it is necessary for yeast fungi to reproduce and gain biomass. It is important to find the "golden mean". With an excess of oxygen, the yeast, gaining biomass, eats too much sugar, and with a lack, the mash will play much longer, and this is fraught with infection by harmful microorganisms.
The best option is to use filtered or bottled water, ordinary tap water is not suitable due to the large amount of chlorine. If the water is too hard, it can be boiled and allowed to cool. But in this case, oxygen is displaced, and this prolongs the fermentation process. You can additionally carry out aeration, for example, with an aquarium compressor.

Sealed water seal

During the work of the yeast, a large amount of carbon dioxide is released, the accumulation of which is fraught with the appearance of high pressure in the fermentation tank. To prevent an explosion, this gas must be removed, but this must be done in such a way that oxygen does not enter the container. If the mash comes into contact with oxygen, oxidation occurs and the alcohol turns into vinegar.

Why does the mash turn sour?

If the water seal is depressurized and stays in this form for a long time, the oxygen that has got inside turns alcohol into acetic acid. As a result, the mash sours and becomes unsuitable for further use.

How to start a mash

If the mash did not ferment or does not ferment at all, it is necessary to analyze whether all of the above conditions are met. Having determined the exact reason why the mash does not wander, you can revive it.

The temperature regime is violated

If the temperature in the room where the yeast is located is too low, it is necessary to transfer the mash to a warmer place and mix. If the opposite situation arises and part of the yeast fungi died from high temperature, the first step is to find a cooler place. Then it is recommended to separate the mash from the sediment with yeast and add a new batch.

Wrong amount of ingredients

If the mash has stopped fermenting, but still remains sweet, then you need to calculate how much sugar and yeast were used. Excess sugar can be corrected by adding the missing amount of yeast or water. If the mash tastes bitter or sour, it may have had little sugar or a lot of yeast. Re-adding sugar will help solve this problem.

Poor quality ingredients

If the room temperature and sugar content are normal, but the mash does not ferment, new yeast should be added, checking their quality in detail. If the problem lies in low-quality water, you need to start the mash by adding 50–100% of the initial volume of high-quality water to the mash. If dry yeast was used for preparation, it is necessary to check once again whether their revival was carried out correctly. As a rule, on the packaging for them there is all the necessary information, which must be followed exactly.

Leakage

It is necessary to check the tightness of the water seal by blowing strongly through the outlet tube. In problem areas, a characteristic whistle will appear. It is important to notice such a problem in the initial period of fermentation, but if this is done later, the mash can turn into vinegar.

Active intervention in the work of yeast

Is it necessary to stir the mash during fermentation and how many times should this be done? The fact is that the task of moonshiners is to mix products and create comfortable conditions. The yeast will do the rest. Frequent stirring slows down fermentation. In addition, during the opening of the container for the mash, oxygen enters it, which is fraught with its souring.

Can the braga stop?

As practice shows, in most cases, the mash can be easily revived. But if the time frame was not observed, and the mash was rearranged with oxygen getting into it, it can turn sour. In such cases, correcting the situation becomes impossible, as the mash turns into vinegar. It is possible to drive moonshine from overstayed mash only if there are no extraneous odors and a strongly sour taste.

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.