How to make mash correctly at home? A detailed recipe for mash for moonshine made from sugar. How to make the right homemade mash from sugar and yeast

Braga is a low-alcohol drink that is made both for drinking and for further distillation. The history of this drink dates back to the distant past. Due to the ease of manufacture, it has become available to almost all segments of the population.

Every year, humanity has experimented with improving the production of mash, and today there are many recipes for preparing this alcoholic product.

Its production is based on the fermentation process, as a result of which sugar breaks down into carbon dioxide and alcohol. A prerequisite for this process is the complete absence of oxygen. The quality of the drink depends entirely on the prepared ingredients, which are: sugar, yeast, water. In this article we will look at how to make high-quality mash at home.

Yeast selection

Yeast is the main component, without which it is impossible to obtain the desired result. The course of the fermentation process and the strength of the drink depend on their quality. There are several types of yeast from which you can choose the most suitable one.

Instead of these ingredients, you can use both fresh and dried berries, fruits and raisins, which contain wild yeast and can perfectly support the fermentation process.

Quantity of ingredients

To prepare a quality drink, the proportions of the ingredients must be strictly observed. To calculate how many components are needed, let’s first decide which container is best to choose for fermentation.

A popular and correct capacity is milk can with a capacity of 30 liters. It has a very airtight lid that will prevent air from getting inside the container.

To release carbon dioxide and reduce pressure, we make a hole in the lid and solder in a small tube. So, we will need:

• water - 24 l;
• granulated sugar - 6 kg;
• yeast - 600 gr. (pressed) or 120 gr. (dry).

This amount of ingredients is just enough for the selected container.

Water selection

The quality of water plays a big role in the preparation of mash, as well as other alcoholic beverages. When choosing it, you should consider the following rules:

So, we have selected all the ingredients and proceed directly to preparing the low-alcohol drink.

We are the first make syrup from sugar. Without going into a chemical analysis of the process, let's just say that this will speed up fermentation and when heating the sugar, harmful microorganisms will die.

To do this, take a large saucepan and pour all the sugar into it. Then pour 3 liters of water and put on low heat. Stirring constantly, boil the syrup for an hour. As soon as the syrup has cooled, stir it with water in the prepared container.

The next step is yeast activation, which is needed to quickly start the fermentation process. To do this we do the following:

• Prepare a small amount of warm sugar solution and dissolve the entire portion of yeast in it (pre-knead the pressed ones).
• Place the container with the workpiece in a warm place.
• After half an hour, foam should appear, which means the yeast has been activated, and the solution can be added to the syrup.

When all the ingredients are used, close the can tightly, put a hose on the tube in the lid and lower its end into a jar of water. As soon as bubbles come out of the hose, the fermentation process has started. Usually this the process lasts from 4 to 6 days. As soon as the release of bubbles stops, the process is over and our mash is ready.

Quick cooking method

There are several ways to prepare mash in a matter of hours. One way is to constantly heat the mash wort.

Many use aquarium heaters, which are set at 25-30° C.

This drink will be ready in three days. The fastest way is using old washing machines. Prepare the ingredients as described above and pour them into the washing machine. We turn it on for rotation and in two hours the mash will be ready.

These methods are good, but the final product is of questionable quality.

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Making sugar moonshine can be called a classic of domestic moonshine. In terms of love and popularity among Russians, this alcohol is the undisputed leader. There are many recipes for sugar mash and distillation methods, but not all methods give good results. So that beginners do not waste precious raw materials, I will tell you how to properly brew moonshine at home. If you follow the technology, the drink will turn out better than most store-bought vodkas. We will consider in detail all the nuances of the process.

First, I advise you to take care of the cleanliness of the containers you use. The container should be rinsed with hot water and wiped dry with a clean cloth. The cleaner the bottles and pots, the higher the quality. Many novice moonshiners make the mistake of neglecting sterility, and then complain about a foreign smell or taste.

As an example, I will give the exact quantity of ingredients that are needed to prepare just over 5 liters of forty-degree moonshine using classical technology:

• sugar – 6 kg;
• water – 24 liters;
• dry yeast - 120 grams (or 600 grams pressed);
• citric acid – 25 grams.

Sugar mash recipe

1. Calculation of proportions. First, let's decide on the amount of moonshine that is needed at the exit. At home, 1 kg of sugar produces 1.1-1.2 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40 degrees. But when making calculations, I advise you to increase the amount of ingredients by 10-15%, since for various reasons (temperature, quality of raw materials, improper distillation) the real yield is always less than the theoretical one by this amount.

For 1 kg of sugar add: 4 liters of water (plus another 0.5 liter if inverting is done) and 100 grams of pressed yeast or 20 grams of dry.

2. Inverting sugar. A very complex name refers to the preparation of ordinary sugar syrup with citric acid. The fact is that during fermentation, yeast first breaks down sugar into simple monosaccharides - glucose and fructose, and only then converts these substances into alcohol. Heating also kills pathogenic microorganisms on the surface of the sugar, which are waiting for more favorable conditions to reproduce (temperature and humidity). The activation of harmful microbes in the mash is undesirable, since it can negatively affect the smell.

Moonshine made from inverted sugar ferments faster and tastes better. Although the inversion step is considered optional, and most recipes only suggest dissolving the sugar in warm water, I still recommend boiling the syrup.

To invert sugar for mash, you need to do the following:

1. Heat 3 liters of water to a temperature of 70-80°C in a large saucepan.
2. Add sugar (6 kg) and mix slowly until a homogeneous mass is formed.
3. Bring the syrup to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, skimming the foam from the surface.
4. So slow(a lot of foam will appear) add citric acid (25 grams), reduce the heat on the stove to a minimum.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 60 minutes.

3. Water preparation. A very important stage, during which the taste of the finished product is largely formed. Water for mash must meet hygienic standards and have no color, taste or smell.

Attention! Water for moonshine should not be boiled or distilled, as this will lead to the loss of oxygen needed by the yeast for fermentation.

4. Mixing ingredients. Pour the syrup prepared at stage 2 into a fermentation container, add cold water (24 liters). If using non-inverted sugar, dissolve it in warm water, stirring vigorously. In both cases, the optimal temperature of the finished mixture is 27-30°C.

The container cannot be filled to more than ¾ of the volume, otherwise during active foaming the mash may overflow over the edges and you will have to collect the product with a specific odor along the floor.

5. Adding yeast. Pressed yeast can be added directly to the container after kneading with clean hands. But it’s still better to first dissolve the briquette in a small amount of prepared wort (water and sugar), cover with a lid and wait until foam appears. Usually everything takes 5-10 minutes.

Before adding to the wort, dry yeast needs to be pre-activated. To do this, just strictly follow the instructions on the bag. In most cases, boiled water is cooled to 32-36°C, the required amount of dry yeast is added, covered with a lid, and the container itself is wrapped in thick cloth or placed in a warm place to maintain a stable temperature. After 20-40 minutes, a uniform foam cap will appear on the surface. This means that diluted dry yeast can be added to the wort.

When using baker's yeast, active foaming sometimes begins, which extends beyond the container. As a defoamer for mash, I recommend using a crumbled half of dry store-bought cookies or 10-20 ml of vegetable oil. Adding these products will not affect the quality of moonshine in any way.

The video shows a method for setting mash without inverting sugar with a hydromodule of 1:4.

6. Fermentation. Install a water seal on the bottle with mash and move it to a room with a stable temperature of 26-31°C (very important for normal yeast development). Braga made with inverted sugar has a pleasant caramel smell that does not spoil the air.

To maintain the temperature regime, cover the container with blankets or fur coats, insulate it with building thermal insulation materials, or install aquarium heaters with a thermoregulation system. Fermentation lasts from 3 to 10 days (usually 4-7). Every 12-16 hours I recommend shaking the mash for 45-60 seconds without removing the water seal. Thanks to shaking, excess carbon dioxide will evaporate, which interferes with the normal functioning of the yeast.

Signs that sugar mash is ready for distillation:

• bitter taste (all sugar is processed by yeast into alcohol);
• the release of carbon dioxide has stopped (the water seal does not gurgle);
• the upper layers of the mash became lightened, and sediment appeared at the bottom;
• the hissing stopped;
• there is an alcohol smell;
• a match brought to the mash continues to burn.

Use the signs comprehensively; you need at least 2-3 to appear at the same time, otherwise it’s easy to make a mistake. For example, an excess of sugar leads to the fact that the yeast dies before it has time to process everything. Most yeast fungi “fall asleep” at an alcohol concentration above 12%, so even the finished mash will remain sweet.

7. Degassing and clarification. Making the right moonshine is unthinkable without this stage. It's time to remove the sugar mash from the yeast sediment by pouring into a large saucepan through a straw, then heat to 50°C. High temperature kills remaining yeast and promotes the release of carbon dioxide from the liquid.

Pour the degassed mash back into the bottle and lighten it with bentonite (preferably) - natural white clay, which is sold in bags and as part of cat litter. Verified brands (at the time of publication): “Pi-Pi-Bent”, “WC Closet Cat”, “Kotyara”.

Attention! When choosing white clay, make sure that the composition does not contain aromatic additives that will irrevocably spoil homemade moonshine. Also, fermentation must be completely finished before clarification, otherwise the method will not work.

To clarify 20 liters of mash, you need to grind 2-3 tablespoons of bentonite in a coffee grinder and dissolve in 250 ml of warm water. Then stir and wait until the clay turns into a thick mass, reminiscent of rich sour cream. This takes 10-15 minutes.

Add bentonite to the mash, close the container tightly and shake vigorously for several minutes. Next, leave the mash alone for 15-30 hours, after which you can begin distillation.

The sediment should not be poured into the sewer; cement plugs may appear there, which are then difficult to eliminate.

The use of bentonite removes foreign impurities that did not precipitate during fermentation. As a result, the mash loses its unpleasant yeasty smell, and distilled moonshine is much easier to clean, since the clay removes most of the harmful substances.

How to distill moonshine

8. First distillation. Drain the bentonite-clarified mash from the sediment into a distillation cube. The purpose of the first distillation is to separate the alcohol from other substances. Many novice and lazy moonshiners stop there, never having tasted the taste of real homemade moonshine made according to all the rules.

Distillation is performed over low heat. I propose immediately dividing the output into factions: “heads”, “body” and “tails”. Collect the first 50 ml per 1 kg of sugar in a separate container. According to our proportions, this is 300 ml of “pervak” - the head fraction, which can only be used for technical needs; due to harmful impurities, this distillate is hazardous to health.

Then select the “body” - the useful middle fraction, called raw alcohol. Stop sampling when the strength of the distillate (in the stream) drops below 40 degrees. It is better to determine the strength with an alcohol meter (necessarily at a temperature of 20°C), but you can also use the traditional method - while the distillate is burning in a spoon, continue sampling.

The last thing to collect in a separate container is the “tails” - the third fraction containing a lot of fusel oils. This distillate can be poured into the next mash (after removal from the sediment) to increase the strength or not collected at all, turning off the moonshine still after collecting the “body”.

9. Cleaning. Before the second distillation, the middle fraction (raw alcohol) needs additional purification from harmful impurities. There is no single generally accepted method; any can be used.

Purifying sugar moonshine with charcoal is considered natural and environmentally friendly, but with the right approach, for example, potassium permanganate with baking soda also gives good results. The main thing before cleaning is to dilute the distillate with water to 15-20 degrees so that the molecular bonds become weaker.

10. Second distillation. Pour the diluted raw alcohol (necessarily for fire safety purposes) into the distillation cube and begin distillation over low heat. As the first time, especially if you are brewing moonshine for yourself, cut off the “heads” - the first 50 ml for each kilogram of added sugar.

Immediately after selecting the first (head) fraction, it is advisable to replace the steam chamber, if the module is provided for in the design of the moonshine still. Next, until the strength in the stream drops below 40 degrees, select the main product.

11. Dilution and settling. At the last stage, dilute homemade moonshine with water to the desired strength (usually 40-45%). To make the taste of the drink softer and more balanced, pour the finished product into bottles, cap it, and let it brew for 3-4 days in a cool, dark place. This time is enough for the completion of chemical reactions that occur when mixing liquids.

Stanislav shared the secrets of diluting alcohol with water especially for Alkofan.

Braga is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks, appearing long before vodka and moonshine. Even before our era, people noticed that any sweet juice left in a vessel for a long time produces a cloudy, foamy drink containing alcohol. Mash recipe for the preparation of moonshine appeared by accident, but thanks to the experiments carried out, as well as work to improve the taste and quality of the drink, it has survived to this day, having gained enormous popularity among the peoples of the world, especially the Slavs.

Moonshine is a high-strength intoxicating drink, which is the result of distillation of mash (alcohol-containing raw materials). We will tell you how to properly distill moonshine at home in this article.

One of the main components of mash is sugar, the quality of which determines the final result of alcoholic products.

When using bad sugar, you are guaranteed an unpleasant smell and taste of the mash. However, on the other hand, different sugars allow you to experiment with the taste of the resulting moonshine.

Water is also important, which must be potable and absolutely clean. Under no circumstances should the liquid be boiled - the water must contain oxygen.

At the next stage, we select yeast, because without this product you will not get a high-quality drink. There are the following varieties of yeast, each of which has its own characteristics:

In addition to yeast wort, you can use other minerals, for example, dried black bread or well-cooked grain. To prepare 10 liters of mash, use 1 kg. other elements.

And the last rule is to block the release of carbon dioxide.

How to make mash at home?

The moonshine brewing process includes the following steps:

Choosing raw materials

As mentioned earlier, sugar is needed to produce wort. You can simply take granulated sugar or use products that contain sugar. These can be various fruits, berries, sugar beets, etc. Also used as raw material starchy ingredients (rice, corn, rye, wheat). Starch itself does not have fermentation properties, however, under the influence of enzymes contained in malt, it is easily converted into sugar. Remember that the quality of moonshine is, first of all, determined by the quality of raw materials.

Fermentation

After completing the wort preparation stage, it undergoes fermentation, which results in the conversion of sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The quantity and quality of the final product directly depends on the correctness of the fermentation process. At all stages of moonshine brewing, including this one, adherence to technology is very important.

In the room where the fermentation tank is located A certain temperature must be maintained, and temperature changes should be avoided. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the temperature of the mash, since it heats up during the fermentation process. The optimal room temperature is considered to be 25-28 degrees. If the temperature is lower, fermentation will slow down, or even stop altogether (below 20 degrees). The mash itself should not heat above 40 degrees, otherwise the yeast will begin to die. The duration of the fermentation process is determined by the selected yeast, raw materials, as well as temperature and ranges from 1-14 days or more.

To make mash at home, granulated sugar is most often used, so the most popular recipe is the classic one.

How to properly prepare sugar mash?

This method is considered the simplest and most accessible, and on its basis you can prepare a drink in various variations. To prepare the mash you will need the following ingredients:

Water - 5 l;

sugar - 1 kg;

pressed yeast - 100 gr. (or 18 gr., Saf-moment).

First, sugar is dissolved in warm water, after which yeast is added. If they are pressed, they are pre-diluted in a small amount of sugar solution and wait until activated (3-5 minutes); if they are dry, they are simply scattered over the surface of the syrup. The container is closed with a water seal and left for 7 days for fermentation. After this period, the liquid (without yeast sediment) is drained and distilled through a moonshine still.

In order to refine classic moonshine, you can add any berries, fruits, such as blackthorn, plums, grapes, etc. to the mash, which not only improve the taste of the drink and give it a delicate aroma, they also actively promote the fermentation process thanks to wild yeast, present on their surface.

How to put mash on moonshine from starch raw materials: recipe

Moonshine made from grain has an original taste and aroma, therefore it is one of the most noble drinks. The process of preparing it is a little more complicated than the classic one, however, the end result will please you very much. Flour, grain or cereal can be used as raw materials. The grain contains a large amount of starch containing sugar molecules. They are the main component necessary for fermentation.

The conversion of starch into sugar occurs under the influence of enzymes found in malt - sprouted grains. First you need to sprouted grain (1 kg), grind it and mix it with crushed (not sprouted) grain, flour or cereal. Since the starch in these components is locked inside the cells, the cereal (flour, crushed grains) should first be boiled, which helps to destroy the shell to facilitate the release of starch out. This solution is the wort.

The main difficulty in preparing starch moonshine lies in the density of the fermented wort, which makes classical distillation through the apparatus impossible: the product will certainly burn to the walls of the apparatus and the moonshine will be spoiled.

It is necessary to distill the grain wort using steam or using a water or any other bath (for example, glycerin).

How to prepare mash for moonshine: alternative methods

To prepare a high-quality and aromatic drink, you can use other ingredients besides sugar and starch.

How to make mash for moonshine from jam: recipe

We will need the following components:

• Warm water - 30 l;
• fermented jam - 6 l;
• pressed yeast - 200 g;
• sugar - 3 kg.

Mix the jam with water, add yeast, then sugar. Leave for 5 days. The result is 6 liters of tasty and high-quality mash, suitable for distilling moonshine.

How to put mash on apples?

For the recipe we need:

• Warm water - 20 l;
• dry yeast - 100 g;
• whole apples - 30 kg or chopped - 10 kg;
• sugar - 4 kg.

Cut well-washed and peeled apples into small pieces, removing rotten parts. The fruit is then crushed, but not to a puree. To do this, you can use a grater, crusher or blender. The result should be 10 liters of apple mixture.

The ratio of water and sugar is mandatory should be 5:1, regardless of the number of ingredients taken.

To prepare apple mash, it is better to use dry yeast - this will help avoid souring. But if their specific smell annoys you, you can use wine ones.

First, sugar syrup is prepared, to which apple wort is then added, everything is thoroughly mixed. Before adding yeast, you need to prepare it - dilute it in a small amount of water (warm only) and leave for 20 minutes. After this time, all components are connected.

When using baker's yeast, such mash is prepared for 10 days, with dry yeast - up to 21 days.

The mash distillation process quite simple and consists of the following:

To obtain good moonshine, an important role is played not only by the quality of the ingredients taken, but also by the cleanliness of the dishes. Of course, no special sterilization is required; just rinse the containers with boiling water and dry thoroughly.

Neglecting this rule can lead to the distillation of stinking moonshine. Therefore, before starting the process Be sure to soak hoses, pots and other necessary utensils in order to completely remove even small particles.

How to distill moonshine correctly at home?

After all the preparatory activities have been completed, we proceed to the main stage of preparing moonshine. This truly Slavic drink is prepared in stages:

Drink, manufactured in compliance with technology, will undoubtedly delight you with its taste and purity. When you use it, you will always feel joy, and the next morning you will not feel any headache.

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Any container designed for storing food products can be used as a fermentation tank. It is desirable that it can be tightly closed with a lid, but at the same time be equipped with ventilation holes. The latter successfully replace rubber gloves or more modern water seals.

Many novice moonshiners neglect the cleanliness of containers for moonshine and mash. The flask must be thoroughly washed and wiped with a dry cloth. If the slightest foreign odor remains in it, it will be transferred to sugar and water, which will affect the taste of the final product.

It is not necessary to wash everything clean between distillations, but after finishing and until the next time, the still, all hoses and the refrigerator should be clean and dry.

As a guide, let's consider the traditional set of components that will be required for mash and subsequent distillation of 5 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40°.

Composition of the mash:

• pressed (“wet”) yeast – 600 gr. or 120 gr. granular dry;
• drinking water – 24 l;
• citric acid – 25 g;
• granulated sugar - 6 kilograms.

This recipe for mash from sugar and yeast allows you to get classic moonshine without any special frills or specific aromas.

We calculate products correctly

To understand what proportions of mash from sugar and yeast should be used, first of all you need to decide how much moonshine you need to get as a result. If you follow the preparation rules, 1 kg of granulated sugar will yield approximately 1100 ml of an alcoholic drink with a strength of 48-50°. But the volume of the finished product is still influenced by the following factors:

• quality of raw materials;
• temperature regime for aging mash on sugar;
• additional components, etc.

Theoretical calculations will always be 5-15% more than the actual yield.

For 1 kg of granulated sugar, use 4 liters of purified water, in addition another 500 ml, if inversion is required, 20 g. granulated yeast or 100 gr. "wet".

Inverting granulated sugar

The complex term refers to a fairly simple process of mixing sugar and lemon juice to make syrup. This is one of the main points on how to properly put mash into moonshine. Pre-mixing the components will allow you to achieve improved taste of the product and speed up the fermentation process.

To make syrup follow the steps:

• pour 3 liters of clean water into the pan, put on fire and bring to a temperature of 70-80°C;
• add granulated sugar, the proportions of sugar and liquid should be 2:1;
• stirring the contents, cook it for 10 minutes, while regularly removing the foam “cap”;
• When a large amount of foam forms, gradually pour 25 grams. lemons and reduce the heat intensity to a minimum;
• cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour.

As a result, you should get a viscous dark amber syrup that looks like honey (by the way, unscrupulous sellers often sell invert sugar under the guise of honey).

VIDEO: How to properly invert sugar

Preparing the water

Water is an important component when preparing mash from sugar and yeast. It shapes the taste of alcohol. Proper mash is prepared in a liquid that has no color or taste; it must fully comply with hygienic standards.

Water for moonshine must be soft, purified - melt water, spring water and bottled water best meet these requirements.

Before preparing the mash, it is recommended to let the water stand for two days, this is if tap water is used. Due to prolonged exposure, the composition loses its rigidity, all harmful components settle in the form of sediment. Next, you just need to carefully drain or pass through a filter.

Do not use boiled or distilled water. Both do not contain the air necessary for the growth of mushrooms and the active release of waste products - the very ones that make up the organoleptics of moonshine.

Which yeast to choose

Without going into unnecessary details, we note that the assortment as a whole is limited to two product groups:

• bakery;
• alcohol (wine, beer).

You can use both, but with some adjustments for the characteristics of fermentation.

Bakery drinks are less suitable than alcohol drinks for the following reasons:

• the maximum alcohol concentration will not exceed 12° - anything higher is detrimental to the strain;
• during the fermentation process, a large foam cap will form - when pouring the wort into the container, you need to leave a third of the volume free;
• the finished product will retain a specific taste - on the one hand, such authentic organoleptics are characteristic of moonshine, on the other hand, if you make drinks or tinctures from moonshine, the strong aroma will be unnecessary.

Bakeries also have advantages:

• price and availability - can be purchased at any grocery department;
• rapid fermentation - in general, the entire process takes from 8 to 12 days, depending on the composition of the wort, while wine can take up to 3 weeks;
• that same aroma and taste - for many moonshiners this is a fundamental point.

Alcohol, as the name suggests, is intended specifically for the preparation of alcohol-containing drinks. They ferment better - there is practically no residue, they survive even at high alcohol concentrations, they give a softer taste to the finished drink, and there is very little foam. At the same time, they are much more expensive than bakery ones - 100 g. will cost an average of 140-170 rubles. – and sell them only in specialized stores.

Mixing components

The second stage of making mash is mixing the ingredients. The syrup is placed in a fermentation container, the required volume of water is added to it, in our case it is 24 liters. If you have chosen a recipe for mash with yeast with inverted granulated sugar, then it must first be dissolved. But in any case, you need to use a sweet liquid with a temperature of 26-30°.

The reservoir is filled no more than ¾ of its size. This eliminates the possibility of wort leakage during the action of yeast and syrup. This factor should be taken into account before putting the wort into fermentation.

When using baking machines, you can only pour 2/3 of the mash into the container - the remaining volume will be filled with a foamy head

1. The pressed product is added directly to the container with the wort, but is first crumbled by hand. Experienced moonshiners dissolve the briquettes in sugar water before adding them, then cover the mixture with a lid and wait for the “cap” to form. As a rule, this process takes 7-9 minutes, after which the mixture is added to the common tank.
2. Dry products are pre-activated according to the instructions. They are mixed with water at 33-35° and placed in a warm place to form uniform foam. Next, the contents are mixed into the mash.

Fermentation stage

You need to put the mash with sugar and yeast in a dark place with a constant temperature of 27-30°C. But before this, the container is hermetically sealed with a water seal. To speed up fermentation, the wort is wrapped in insulating material or a regular blanket.

Fermentation can last from 3 to 10 days. Throughout this time, you need to stir the mash daily without removing the water seal. This will remove excess carbon dioxide from the mixture.

How to determine the readiness of sugar and yeast mash:

• the smell of alcohol;
• bitter aftertaste;
• stopping the formation of carbon dioxide, hissing;
• a lit match continues to burn when brought to the wort.

One coincidence will not be enough; it is best for 2-3 signs to be detected simultaneously.

Clarification and degassing

Making moonshine from sugar and yeast without this step will be pointless. Before putting the mash into distillation, you need to remove it from the yeast sediment. This is done using hoses. Next, the composition is heated to 50° to remove residual carbon dioxide.

The degassed mash is poured into a clean bottle and clarified. In this case, you will need bentonite. This ingredient is difficult to find in its pure form. But it is contained in cat litter. Moonshiners have identified several proven brands:

• Kotyara;
• PiPi-Bent;
• Closet WC Cat.

When purchasing a filler, it is important to study the composition; it should not contain aromatic substances or dyes.

To clarify 20 liters of mash made from sugar and yeast, you will need 3 tbsp. l. ground bentonite and pre-dissolved in heated water with a volume of 0.25 liters. The composition is mixed into the mash and left until the powder settles to the bottom in the form of liquid sour cream. As a rule, this takes up to 20 minutes.

Lightening stages:

• bentonite is ground and diluted in water;
• the mixture is added to the mash, mixed thoroughly;
• The container is closed with a sealed lid and left for 20 minutes;
• the purified liquid is drained and the sediment is disposed of.

Discharging sediment components into the sewer system is strictly prohibited. They form strong plugs in pipes that are difficult even for mechanical cleaning.

This is the final stage of preparing mash from sugar and purifying it, followed by the distillation process.

The most popular question among beginning distillers is how many times to distill. Based on experience, we will answer - 2 times, in order to be sure to get rid of fusel oils and other harmful components (isoamyl, formic and methyl alcohol, acetic acid, etc.), while at each stage correctly selecting heads and tails. Only in this case the moonshine will really turn out clean and moderately strong.

VIDEO: The simplest and most correct recipe for sugar mash

SUGAR (C 6 H 12 O 6) + YEAST + WATER (H 2 O) → ETHYL ALCOHOL (2 C 2 H 5 OH) + WATER (H 2 O) + CARBON DIOXIDE (2CO 2)

Alcohol is a by-product of life yeast, i.e. they eat sugar, releasing minerals in the aquatic environment alcohol and carbon dioxide. Therefore, to quickly obtain high-quality mash, it is necessary to monitor the condition (well-being) of the yeast. Optimal mash temperature 24°-40°. When the lower temperature threshold decreases, yeast (bread) fall asleep, and with increasing upper die. When adding the latter, the solution can be heated (put in a warm place), and if it exceeds 40°, in a cooler place and add yeast. Fermentation process(yeast reproduction) can be accelerated by periodically stirring the mash, as is done in the production of beer. I haven’t tried it myself, but they say you can cook it in an old-style washing machine. mash for moonshine in a few hours. You can also speed up the fermentation process by adding catalysts: potatoes, peas, tomato paste, hop decoction.

Fermentation speed depends on the concentration of sugar in the solution, the more of it the better, but when the strength of the mash is reached, the higher 15°, the yeast begins to die from alcohol and the fermentation process dies down. Therefore, excessive sugar content in the mash (if we use it later for distillation) leads to its loss and an increase in the cost of the final product. After finishing fermentation just try mash, it should be bitter and without sweet taste.

If we don’t distill the mash in the future, but drink it like mead, then I would advise using less yeast so that there is no yeasty taste, and more sugar, you still won’t get mead above 15°.

How to make mash for moonshine Right.

17. from beets

recipe 1 8 kg of sugar beets, 5-6 kg of sugar, 10 liters of water, 500 g of yeast. Peel the beets, grate and boil (or bake in the oven). Add 10 liters of water and yeast diluted in a small amount of water to the still warm beets. Leave in a warm place for 3-4 days. When the beet mass sinks to the bottom and becomes crusty, mix everything and distill 2 times.

recipe 2 2 kg of beets, 50 g of yeast, 4 liters of water. Grate the beets on a coarse grater, then add water and boil for 1-1.5 hours. Pour the broth into a vessel, add water to the beets again and boil for 1-1.5 hours, then drain. Do this a third time. Mix all three decoctions, add yeast and leave for 10-15 days. Distill.

18. from syrup 6 liters of syrup, 200 g of yeast, 30 liters of water. Dilute any syrup in warm water, add yeast. Wanders week. Then distill. Yield approximately 7 liters.

19. from plums 12 kg plums, 1-1.5 kg sugar. Peel and chop the plums, add sugar. It ferments for 2 weeks. We distill it 2 times.

20. from dried fruits 2 kg of dried fruits, 10 liters of water, 3 kg of sugar, 300 g of yeast. Brew dried fruits in hot water, add the rest of the ingredients. It wanders for a week. Then we distill. Yield approximately 3.5 liters. Before distillation, you can add - for aroma and coloring - a bunch of dried thyme.

21. from pumpkin 2 parts pumpkin, 1 part water, malt (100 g per 10 liters of pumpkin raw materials). Clean the pumpkin and cut it into small pieces. Boil and grind into a homogeneous mass. Mix the pumpkin mass with crushed malt, add yeast and put on fermentation. Distill as soon as will ferment.

22. Apple mash 15 kg apples, 1 kg Sahara, 65 g yeast. Leave for 7 days, distill 2 times. Yield 1 l.