Malt moonshine. Braga from malt and technology for producing malt moonshine

Making moonshine from malt is somewhat more difficult than sugar, but the result is worth the effort. Depending on the selected grain (barley, oats, rye or wheat), the finished distillate will have unique flavor notes and a unique smell. Masters call it the "soul" of the drink. Next, we will consider the nuances of the technology for making malt mash and the correct distillation.

Ingredients:

• malt (any) - 6 kg;
• water - 25 liters;
• dry yeast - 50 grams (or 300 grams pressed).

Suitable for both shop (beer) and home-made malt. In the second case, you can not dry the sprouted grain, but immediately make mash from green malt. Good results are obtained by mixing different types of malt. For example, 50% barley, 25% wheat and 25% rye. Or 50% wheat, 40% barley and 10% oats.

The proportions may be different, experienced moonshiners select the proportions at their discretion, guided by taste. For beginners, I advise you to first work with one species and only after several successful distillations start mixing. From wheat and green malt, soft moonshine with a slight sweet aftertaste is obtained, rye and oats bring notes of hardness, barley - beer tones and aroma of whiskey.

It is desirable to make real malt moonshine without sugar. But if there is a desire to increase the yield, sugar can be added at the 5th stage of preparation, and for each kilogram added, an additional 4 liters of water should be added, without this the mash will not ferment at all or the fermentation will be very weak. The theoretically possible yield of distillate from malt and other starchy raw materials is shown in the table. In practice, losses are usually 10-15%.

Raw materials	Alcohol, ml/kg
Wheat	430
Barley	350
Rye	360
Corn	450
oats	280
Peas	240
Millet	380
Rice	530
beans	390
Potato	140
Starch	710
Sugar	640

Green malt for moonshine

It is very important to adhere to the temperature ranges indicated in the recipe, otherwise the yield of moonshine will be extremely low, since the starch in the malt will not be saccharified.

Malt mash recipe

1. Grind white (dried) malt to coarse flour. This can be done with a grain crusher or a roller mill. Often store-bought malt is sold ground, which saves a lot of time. Grind green malt with a meat grinder, blender or grinder with a special nozzle.

2. Pour crushed malt into a large saucepan, pour hot water (50-55°C). In the process of adding water, stir the wort with a wooden spatula so that the flour does not clump and stick to the bottom of the container. Stir until the mass becomes homogeneous.

3. Heat the wort to 63°C, mix well again, close the container with a lid. Maintain the temperature at 55-62°C for 60-80 minutes, stirring the contents of the pan every 15 minutes. When the top of the wort clears and the porridge settles to the bottom, move on to the next step.

4. As soon as possible (especially if green malt was used) cool the wort to 24-27°C so that it does not sour. There are 30-40 minutes available. You can not wait until the temperature drops by itself, artificial cooling is required. For example, lower the container into a bath of cold water.

5. Pour the chilled wort into a fermentation tank, add the yeast diluted according to the instructions, mix well.

6. Move the container with mash to a dark place with a temperature of 18-25 ° C, install a water seal on the neck.

The simplest water lock

7. Depending on the sugar content of the malt, temperature and yeast activity, fermentation lasts 3-7 days. Once a day, remove the water seal and mix the mash with your hand or a wooden stick. Braga is considered ready when it has become light, has a bitter-sour taste without sweetness, and gas has not been released from the tube for 12-16 hours.

Braga is ready

Obtaining malt moonshine

8. If not a steam generator is used for distillation, but an ordinary moonshine still, first the mash must be filtered by pouring it into a distillation cube through a colander and a strainer so that small particles of grain do not burn with strong heat.

9. Distill the malt brew for the first time. Select distillate before the drop of the fortress in the jet below 30%. Moonshine may turn cloudy, this is normal.

10. Measure the total strength. Determine the amount of absolute alcohol (multiply the volume by the percentage of the fortress and divide by 100).

11. Dilute the distillate with water up to 20%, can be cleaned with charcoal and distilled again. Collect the first 12-15% of the yield from the amount of pure alcohol in a separate container. This harmful fraction is called "head", contains dangerous substances, therefore it is used only for technical purposes.

12. Collect the main product (“body”) until the strength in the jet falls below 45%. After that, finish the distillation or select the "tail" in a separate container.

13. Dilute the obtained moonshine from malt (“body”) with water up to 40-45%, pour into a glass container and close tightly.

14. Leave for at least 3-4 days to stabilize the taste.

Those who have already mastered the preparation of “moonshine sugar mash” can begin to improve their skills and study the technology of making moonshine from grain malt, which, along with fruit distillate, is considered one of the highest quality.

Despite the rather long and laborious process, such a noble drink will please everyone with its finely balanced taste, which has its own interesting notes, depending on the culture used.

For example, barley-based malt moonshine will remind you of “elite whiskey” with its taste, and if you use fermented rye malt for moonshine, then alcohol will have an amazing aroma of fresh Borodino bread and a slightly burning aftertaste.

Let's find out how to properly prepare green malt for delicious high-grade moonshine at home, and we'll figure out the difficult technology for making good-quality mash from it, followed by distillation into high-quality alcohol.

You can purchase ready-made malt in specialized stores or seek help from online stores. However, no self-respecting moonshiner will deny himself the pleasure of making green malt on his own. Let's understand this simple technology.

Preparation

1. Pour the grains with running warm water, stir thoroughly and leave in this form for 10-15 minutes.
2. After this time, we collect the husks, lightweight grains and other debris that has surfaced.
3. We repeat the cleaning process until the ascent of impurities stops.

Germination

1. Pour the peeled cereals with clean cold water so that the liquid covers the grains by 2-3 cm, and leave them to infuse for a day.
2. Drain the liquid and lay out the wet grains on a tray or baking sheet, evenly distributing them over the surface.
3. We cover the cereals with a damp cotton cloth and leave it in a ventilated room at a temperature not lower than 16 degrees.
4. Every day, once every 8-10 hours, we stir the grains with our hands and moisten the cloth. It is very important that there is no water at the bottom of the pan. Germination usually takes one and a half to two weeks.

Drying

1. When the sprouts reach a length of 6-8 cm and begin to intertwine with each other, this means that the germination process is over.
2. We remove the cloth and take the baking sheet with the contents into the open air and put it in a place lit by the sun's rays.
3. Periodically stir the grains so that they dry evenly and simultaneously.
4. We grind the finished green product in a blender or meat grinder with a fine nozzle to the state of coarse flour.

Did you know? Green malt is the most active product, in contrast to the purchased one, and provides up to 750-800 ml of strong moonshine from 1 kg of malt. It is necessary to prepare it immediately before making the mash, because if it is not used during the day, then the dried malt will significantly reduce the amount of alcohol yield.

Malt moonshine recipe

The presented method of making mash on malt is perfect for making homemade whiskey, the aromatic and taste qualities of which are practically not inferior to the elite brands of this drink. According to experienced moonshiners, any home-made alcohol made at this wonderful brewery has a “soul” and is distinguished by a particularly delicious aroma. Many lovers of strong alcohol, having tasted malt distillate, refuse to use sugar.

List of required components

Step by step cooking

Step-by-step preparation of moonshine

1. Carefully pour the finished mash from the sediment into a separate container. Then we filter through several layers of gauze and a cotton filter. Otherwise, particles of cereals will float in the mash, which, in the process of boiling the mash, can burn to the walls of the moonshine still, which will negatively affect the taste of the finished moonshine.
2. Pour the purified raw material into the distillation cube and begin to distill the mash without selecting fractions. We collect the distillate until the strength of the output in the jet drops to 6-10 revolutions.
3. After the first distillation, the resulting raw alcohol is purified with potassium permanganate or coal.
4. We measure the overall strength of the product and dilute it with well water up to 20-23 revolutions.
5. The diluted crude is again poured into the distillation cube and fractional distillation is carried out with the selection of the head fraction. We collect the first 10-12% of the yield in a separate vessel - this is a harmful fraction containing hazardous substances, therefore it is used only for technical purposes and is unsuitable for consumption.
6. We collect the drinking fraction until the exit strength in the jet drops below 46 revolutions.
7. We finish the distillation, selecting the "tails" in a separate container. Later they can be added to the mash to increase the amount of distillate.
8. We measure the total strength of the main fraction and dilute it with well water up to 40-45 revolutions.
9. We pour the finished alcohol into glass bottles, seal them hermetically and send them to a cool place for 3-5 days to stabilize the taste.

Did you know? If desired, the finished moonshine can be insisted on oak chips for 3-4 months or poured into oak barrels, if any. The result is a noble drink, comparable in quality to elite whiskey.

Video recipes for making moonshine from malt

Video #1. After watching this video, you will learn from an experienced moonshiner how to make homemade whiskey by mashing malt. The master will not only demonstrate the whole process, but also tell you how not to do it so as not to ruin the effort and time spent.

Video #2. After watching this video, you will meet an eminent moonshiner who will show you how to make oat-wheat moonshine with green wheat malt. He will also share his experience and tell in detail about the most important process of saccharification with green malt. Finally, the master will share his opinion regarding the tasting qualities of ready-made alcohol.

Video #3. Here you will get acquainted with the hot saccharification of barley malt, the special preparation of fragrant mash and its subsequent distillation into high-quality moonshine.

Helpful information

• Beginners in moonshine brewing will probably need information about the “acidity of home brew.” To obtain high-quality home-made alcohol, ignorance of this nuance can negate all the efforts and time spent.
• I also advise you to find out simple solutions to the problems associated with the fact that "mash does not wander".
• And it doesn’t hurt at all to know what methods exist for “lightening the mash,” especially if you are engaged in cooking. After all, not everyone will like a cloudy alcoholic drink.

By following exactly the instructions in the recipes described, you will certainly get high-quality moonshine. In fact, this method is very interesting and exciting, each stage brings joy and desire to continue your journey along the interesting path of moonshine.

Enjoy homemade alcohol and write your comments about its taste. Victory and good luck to you in the labor-intensive field of home brewing!

It is believed that sugar-type moonshine is much easier to make than malt. However, the result will be worth your work. The finished distillate will delight you with an interesting aroma and taste, which will acquire different shades depending on the grain used.

Classic malt recipe

First of all, let's turn to the classic recipe for a product based on malt. Grind it until it turns into flour. Assistants for this are either a grain crusher or a roller mill. And if you make flour at home, then a blender with a meat grinder, or already crushed kind of malt from the store.

Next, place the powder in the right bowl, pour it with not boiling, but hot enough water, 50 degrees. It is important to constantly stir the malt and add water to avoid lumps, so that a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Next, it must be heated to a level of 65 degrees and do everything possible to maintain it for 60 minutes. Periodically, the wort can be stirred with a wooden spatula. As the wort clears and sediment settles, start chilling the contents to 25 degrees.

To prevent possible souring of the product, everything must be done promptly, so it is recommended to finish this stage in half an hour. If you cool in an unnatural way, then the sour contents will not make sense. Experts recommend using a bath with cold water for a more rapid decrease in temperature.

After that, the resulting product is placed in an already prepared container, where the fermentation process itself will already take place. Add dry yeast and mix thoroughly. And so, we carry out the installation of a water seal and place the resulting mixture in a place without light and heat. The process takes approximately one week or less. Do not forget to stir the product once a day.

Read also:

The finished product should be decanted through gauze and placed in the distillation part of the apparatus for preparing a drink. Otherwise, the malt particles are capable and the taste will suffer. And when planning the initial run on a steam-water boiler or with a steam generator, then the mash does not need to be filtered.

Braga from malt for moonshine

So after filtering the product, you should turn the first stage. The distillate is withdrawn until the level of the degree in the jet drops to 30 percent. It is possible to get a cloudy liquid, this is within the normal range.

After the first distillation, moonshine is cleaned with or.

Braga is diluted with water up to 20 percent and distillation is applied again. Approximately an eighth of the amount of alcohol in its pure form should be placed in a separate container. This is done because of this so-called fraction - the “head”, which includes harmful substances that are applicable only for technical purposes.

The resulting moonshine from malt should be diluted to 40-45 degrees, poured into a glass container and closed in an airtight manner. We store it like this for 3-4 in order to establish the taste, let the product rest in the glass. You can make an infusion on a sliver of oak.

Solot sugar mash

Creating classics from sugar and malt will require 3 kilograms of sugar, 1.2 kg of malt, 300 grams of yeast. They must be of the pressed type.

We start cooking by heating the water base to 40 degrees. Then we fill her container for fermentation. A third of the amount of sugar also goes there. Grind the yeast until crumbs form and place in a mash. Mix everything thoroughly.

Read also: moonshine cleaning,

Grind green type malt to the consistency of grits. Also place in a bowl for the fermentation process. Mix everything again and leave to rest for a couple of hours in a not cold place.

If you follow the recipe exactly, then this duration is just perfect for starting fermentation. Next, add the sugar that has not yet been used. It is recommended to dissolve it with tepid water before pouring it.

And now, the drink is ready. We put the drink in a warm place without light and wait for it to ripen. It should ferment faster, as the green must will help. The drink will be ready for distillation after five days.

Whiskey at home

Is it possible to enjoy whiskey made at home? Yes, by using barley malt specially prepared for this purpose. You don't need sugar in this recipe. Save 8 kg. malt, barley, yeast and water - about 32 liters.

First of all, we heat the water base to 70 degrees. Pour the malt in a thin stream, remembering to use a wooden spatula to stir. We have a homogeneous mass, similar to porridge. We warm it up to 65 degrees, then the flame decreases, and the product is left on the stove for an hour and a half, again stirring constantly.

Then the resulting product should be cooled to 25 degrees, after removing it from the stove. Then add already fermented yeast, already placed in a fermentation container. Mix everything again. We install a water seal on the neck of the dishes. Now it remains to place it in a place without light and coolness. Braga should ripen in about ten days. Do not forget to stir it constantly to avoid souring the wort.

Malt version without yeast

Thanks to sprouted grains and malt, this type of moonshine will please you with a soft and natural flavor. We prepare it on the basis of grain, 4 kg of sugar and 23 liters. water. As a result - 30 liters of moonshine.

Moonshine from malt made from various grain crops is considered one of the quality products for the preparation of distillate, it is used to make elite alcohol.

Malt alcoholic drinks are prepared in several stages:

1. grain preparation,
2. cooking mash,
3. distillation.

It is worth noting that the preparation of malt moonshine will require a lot of patience, diligence and time from the distiller, compared to sugar mash. But the result is delicious, aromatic alcohol of the highest quality.

Depending on the raw materials, the drink is obtained with aromatic notes of bread, which attract many distillers. Once tasting malt distillate, moonshiners give up the sugar product.

Malt is a product obtained from germinated grains of various crops (wheat, barley, rice, corn, millet, and so on).

Maltose is widely used in the culinary and food industries. It is used when baking or cooking various dishes. In addition, malt and in the preparation of elite alcoholic beverages, for example, the well-known and beloved by many whiskey.

Reference! It can be bought in specialized stores. But many distillers prefer to create this product on their own.

Buy fermented or not?

Stewed, red product - fermented malt. The fermentation process is carried out under the influence of high temperatures. Then it is dried in special rooms, also at elevated temperatures.

Unfermented malt does not undergo such processing, so its properties are very different from the red, rye product.

As for the application, red malt is added to the dough when making rye bread. Thanks to this particular product, the color of the crumb becomes more attractive brown-brown. In addition, the taste of baking changes, it becomes more rich, fragrant, homemade.

Fermentation is a very labour-intensive process that requires a lot of time and expense. Approximately 20% of the dry product will be wasted. But the benefits that fermented rye malt brings are invaluable.

How to do at home?

It is not difficult to buy malt in specialized sales points, but you can cook it yourself at home.

Grain selection

To do this, you can use any grain:

• rye;
• barley;
• buckwheat;
• wheat
• oats;
• millet.

If used in the preparation of mash wheat malt, then the moonshine will turn out soft and sweetish. Rye will make the drink hard, and barley malt is used in the preparation of whiskey.

But you can also experiment by mixing several types of malt, and then you can make your own exclusive alcoholic drink.

Step by step cooking

Germination is a very laborious and lengthy process, which is divided into three stages:

1. Preparation of raw materials.
2. Germination of grain.
3. Drying.

The algorithm is as follows:

• The raw material is soaked in water no more than 20 degrees, while it must be mixed while in the water.
• Anything that floats to the surface of the liquid must be removed. It can be garbage or empty grains that are not able to germinate.
• Drain the dirty water and fill the grain with a new portion, so that the water covers the grain by 1-2 cm. Leave for a day.
• Drain the water, sprinkle the raw materials on pallets with a layer of 2-4 cm, and put in a room in which the air temperature is 15 cm. The mass must be mixed 3 times a day until the grain sprouts. This will probably happen in the second week. The sprouts should sprout as long as a grain and taste sweet. We received green malt, which can already be used in home brewing, but if mixing mash is not planned at the moment, then it needs to be dried.
• It is better to dry in the open air, or in a well-ventilated area at a temperature of 25 to 40 degrees. But you can use an electric dryer or a conventional oven.

Brewing malt is not difficult, despite the seeming intricacy of the process, the only thing you need to spend is your time.

But if you try an alcoholic drink that will be prepared by yourself from sprouting grain to distillation, then you will certainly like the result.

How long does it take for seeds of different crops to germinate:

1. Barley– 9-10 days before sprouts appear.
2. oats– 7-9 days.
3. Wheat– 6-8 days.
4. Rye– 4-6 days.
5. Millet- 3-5 days.

As you can see, different cultures germinate at different times. Knowing the time for germination, you can try to make malt from raw materials with fast pecking, and then gradually switch to grain with a long germination period.

Reference! To obtain a quality product, it is better to use wooden boxes in which the process is faster and more even, but if there are none, then enameled dishes can be used.

The video tells about the technology of making malt at home:

A simple recipe for grain mash

To prepare malt-based mash, you will need the following products:

• 10 kg of malt.
• 40 liters of filtered water.
• 50 g dry yeast.

Important! Any malt is suitable for making moonshine, green malt is often used if it is prepared at home on its own.

It is better to distill water through a carbon filter to prevent chlorine from getting into the mixture - if the mash is closed in an apartment. Dry yeast can be replaced with pressed.

Cooking:

1. Pass the malt through the grain mill, bringing it to the state of flour, this is necessary so that the saccharification process goes quickly. If the malt is green, then it is passed through a meat grinder.
2. Warm water (50 degrees) is poured into a shutter tank with a capacity of 50 liters. Pour the malt gradually, stirring constantly so that there are no lumps. For quick mixing, you can use a drill with a mixer attachment.
3. Then raise the temperature of the mixture to 65 degrees, to do this, wrap the tank with a blanket and leave for an hour to saccharify. At this time, you need to constantly monitor the temperature, it should not fall below 63 degrees. As soon as the hour is over, remove the iodine sample.
4. After an hour, the sweet wort is quickly cooled by placing it in an ice bath or by overlaying the tank with bottles of frozen liquid.
5. As soon as the wort has cooled, it is poured into a fermentation tank, mixed, closed with a lid with a water seal.

Place the container in a warm place for fermentation - the temperature is 26-28 degrees, it will last about 4-7 days.

Reference! Readiness is determined by taste, the mash will have a bitter taste, it will brighten and stop walking.

In the video, an experienced moonshiner talks about how to properly prepare mash from malt:

As you can see, the preparation of malt is a process that takes a lot of time, but the result of its use in the creation of home brew and subsequently moonshine will exceed all your expectations.

If everything is done correctly, and the resulting alcoholic drink is poured into an oak barrel for 6 months, then you will get a great elite drink.

After you have learned how to make moonshine from sugar mash, you can move on to more complex recipes ─ to make moonshine from malt or from fruit and berry mash. Such drinks are classified as elite, making them at home is more difficult and requires a more careful approach to observing technological nuances, but the result is worth it.

Often, those who have tried malt moonshine, then completely refuse sugar mash, despite the ease of preparation.

Especially those who are fans of Scotch or Irish whiskey, because properly prepared malt distillate is whiskey.

What is malt

Malt for moonshine is sprouted, dried and ground grains. The most commonly used barley, but it can also be rye, wheat. From the grains used, the distillate will have a different taste, so in the process of production and accumulation of experience, you will have your own proprietary recipe that will suit your taste.

Wheat gives the drink sweetness, and rye - bitterness

Wheat gives moonshine sweetness, and rye - bitterness, makes it more rigid. Purely distinguished by a special aroma, appreciated by lovers of Irish whiskey. You can also use corn, millet and other grains in the preparation of home brew.

Malt preparation

A bit of theory

To start the fermentation process, you need yeast and sugar. Dry grains do not contain sugar, but contain starch. The process of converting starch into sugar is called saccharification and consists in the germination of seeds. In the process of the appearance of a sprout in cereals, chemical processes are launched, as a result of which a special enzyme is formed ─ diastase, which converts starch into sugar.

Fans of absolutely natural products and purchased yeast do not use, but make sourdough from seeds at home. The recipe for its preparation is not particularly complicated, so you can try it, because even with minor errors in the distillation technology, moonshine will not have a characteristic yeasty smell.

Malt preparation technology

The malt recipe itself is divided into three steps: preparation, germination, drying.

1. For the preparation of high-quality malt for moonshine, freshly milled grain is not suitable. It is necessary that it rest for at least 2 months, and preferably about six months. Such a grain should be soaked in water at a temperature of 15 - 20 ᵒС, mixed, removed debris and seeds that have surfaced and left for a day. Water covers the grains by 1-2 cm.
2. Soaked grains are distributed on pallets with a layer of 1 - 4 cm and left at a temperature of 15 - 18 ᵒС. To speed up the process, you can cover the grains with a damp cloth. Once every 8 - 10 hours, the seeds must be mixed. Well visible sprouts should appear on the grains, they should reach a size of 5 - 6 mm. The terms of germination of crops are as follows: barley - 9 - 12 days; rye - 5 - 7 days; wheat - 7 - 10 days; oats, millet - 4 - 6 days.
3. Drying of grains takes place in the summer in the open air or in a well-ventilated room at a temperature of 25 - 40 ᵒС. You can use an electric dryer or hair dryer.

Grind dried grains together with sprouts in a grain crusher or meat grinder. We got "green" malt. It must be used to prepare home brew within 1 day. To saccharify unsprouted grain, it is enough to add 1 kg of malt per 5 kg of grain, but the more malt, the better. See how to make malt from A to Z in this video:

Malt can be prepared for future use even at home. The recipe is as follows: the malt must be washed with a 1% sulfuric acid solution and dried in the dark until the humidity drops to 8%, then the grains are dried at a temperature of 40 ᵒС (oven or hair dryer) to a moisture content of 3%, the sprouts are removed and ground into flour. The resulting "white" malt has a slightly lower (80%) activity than fresh, which must be taken into account when using it.

Preparation of sourdough (for moonshine without yeast)

Sprout 100 - 150 g of grain in the same way as for malt, then add 50 - 70 g of sugar, mix. Add water if necessary.

Cover the container and put in a dark place at room temperature for 5-7 days.

There should be foam and a slight smell of fermentation. The starter is ready. To prevent souring, it is better to put the finished sourdough under a water seal before adding it to the mash.

To prevent souring, the sourdough is placed under a water seal.

Preparation of malt milk. Add water heated to 26 - 29 ᵒС to ground malt as finely as possible. The proportion should be: 3 liters per 1 kg of malt. The resulting milk must be used to prepare mash during the day.

Home brew

For the preparation of mash, unsprouted grains, crushed to flour, are used. You can take ready-made flour. The recipe is quite complicated, so be careful. Add water heated to 50 ᵒС (4 liters per 1 kg of flour).

The mixture must be constantly stirred so that lumps do not form.

Raise the temperature to 60 ᵒС, hold for 15 minutes. Then increase to 65 ᵒС for another 15 minutes. Then bring the wort to a boil and cook for 2 hours, stirring constantly so that the mass does not burn from below. The wort should become homogeneous, therefore, the larger the mass of barley and coarser grinding, the longer it will take to boil.

The wort must be homogeneous

The finished wort must be cooled to 60ᵒС and add malt milk. It is necessary to maintain the temperature within 55 - 65 ᵒС. In order to make it easier to do this at home, the container can be wrapped with insulation and closed with a tight lid.

The saccharification process lasts from 2 to 5 hours, during this time it is necessary to carefully monitor the temperature regime.

At temperatures above 70 ᵒС, the enzymes that support saccharification are destroyed and the process will stop without the possibility of recovery. To check whether the process is over, you need to take a sample of the wort and drop iodine into it. If the iodine has not changed color, then the process is over. If it turns blue, it means that there is still starch left in the mash, you need to add a little more malt and continue the process. Ready mash should taste sweet.

It is possible to prepare wort without flour. In this case, they germinate all the grain that will be used to prepare the mash, that is, it is prepared only from green malt. Braga will be sweeter, but also thicker. In the process of distillation of such mash, it is necessary to use a steam generator to heat it. About that, watch this video:

In order for the wort to be ready for fermentation, it is necessary to cool the resulting mixture to 28 ᵒС as soon as possible, the easiest and most effective way is to place it in a large container with cold water. After that, pour the mash into a fermentation tank, it should be filled with a maximum of 75%. If you need to increase the volume of the wort, you can add sugar and water in the proportion of 4 liters per 1 kg of sugar. Add sourdough or yeast. Yeast is added at the rate of 2 g dry or 10 g pressed per 1 kg of raw material. Yeast pre-dilute according to the instructions.

The container must be airtight and closed with a water seal or a medical glove.

It is necessary to withstand the must in a dark room at a temperature of 18 - 25 ᵒС. The fermentation process lasts 5-7 days. The finished mash brightens, stops emitting gas, and sediment forms at the bottom. Sugar should not taste.

Wash distillation

The process of distillation of grain mash is no different from the distillation of regular sugar mash, but there are a few nuances. The wort from grain is thicker, so it is recommended to use a steam generator to heat it to avoid burning the mash in the distillation cube. If the use of a steam generator is not possible, the mash can be strained through cheesecloth, but this will reduce the amount of the finished product. Grain mash is distilled twice, the first time it is distilled without separation into fractions. The selection ends when the fortress falls below 25 ᵒ. The distillate from the first distillation will be cloudy, but this is normal. Read more about the distillation of malt mash in this video:

To determine the volume of “heads”, it is necessary to measure the strength of the resulting distillate and calculate the volume of pure alcohol in it. We count according to the formula. For example, we have 10 liters of pervak ​​with a strength of 60 ᵒ, which means that the volume of alcohol is 10 * 60 * 0.01 = 6 liters. The volume of “heads” is approximately 10%, which means that in our case it is about 600 g. “Heads” cannot be drunk, they contain the maximum concentration of harmful substances, they have an unpleasant and pungent odor.

The selection of the main mass of moonshine during the second distillation is completed when the strength of the drink falls below 45 ᵒ. The remaining product, the so-called "tails", can be added to the next batch of mash to increase the fortress. The resulting distillate on malt is diluted to 40 - 45 ᵒ, poured into glassware and allowed to stand for 2 - 3 days in a dark, cool place so that all reactions are completed after mixing with water. To obtain whiskey, the finished product must be insisted in oak barrels or on oak chips.