Infusion of moonshine on cherry chips. Should I make cherry moonshine? For the simplest of them, you need

In our article we will talk about an alcoholic drink of self-preparation. Cherry tincture on moonshine can decorate your table. The drink is very light, and its preparation does not require serious expenses. But in terms of taste, it is not inferior to analogues from the store. At the same time, homemade cherry tincture on moonshine is a natural product without chemicals and any additives. Cherries are grown in almost all regions, their cost is low compared to other products. In addition, for the preparation of liquor, you can use not only fresh berries, but also frozen and dried ones.

Ingredients for pouring

An excellent liqueur is obtained on the basis of moonshine. But if you do not have such a product at your disposal, then you can use ordinary vodka. There are many recipes for cherry tincture on moonshine. In our article we want to talk about the most successful, in our opinion. To prepare a decent liqueur, you need to know some of the nuances.

Another essential component for tincture is sugar. No matter how sweet a cherry is, it still shows sourness. And that's why you can't do without sugar. But here its quantity should be regulated, excessive sweetness is also useless. First you need to put a small portion, and only then bring the liquor to the ideal state to your liking.

As a rule, we apply concepts such as liquor equally. In fact, there is a difference between them. Tincture is a stronger drink. You need to put no more than 30% sugar per liter of its preparation, otherwise you will get exactly the liqueur. In general, such nuances are important only for gourmets. If you do not like the finished product to your taste, then you can dilute the drink or add sugar.

Regarding the preparation of cherry tincture at home on moonshine, there is one more nuance. These are bones, there are always disputes around: whether they are needed for cooking or not. The fact is that they contain hydrocyanic acid, which, of course, is harmful to the body. It is for this reason that bones are often removed. In addition, their presence makes the drink more intense. It acquires a characteristic heavy aroma.

But still, if you have prepared cherry tincture on moonshine with seeds, then you should not worry. penetrates the drink only after six months. In general, every recipe for cherry tincture on moonshine can be used for berries with and without stones.

Good liquor and liquor are obtained if it is used weakly for cooking. To get such berries, you need to put them in the sun to dry for two to three days. If you do not have such an opportunity, then you can warm the cherries in the oven at a temperature of 60 degrees for about five to six hours. During this time, they will lose excess liquid, after which they will be able to give off flavor to the tincture.

The simplest tincture recipe

We offer to prepare cherry tincture on moonshine with seeds. This recipe is very simple. For cooking you will need:

1. Moonshine (50%) - 0.75 liters.
2. Cherries - 1.5 kg.
3. Sugar - ½ kg.

Berries are thawed or used slightly dried in the oven or in the sun. Dried cherries are used for the reason that excess liquid leaves them, therefore, after insisting, the strength of the drink does not change. The aroma of the drink is very rich, although this is a matter of taste.

All components are mixed in a glass jar, on top it is closed with a lid. Next, we send the container to a dark and cool place for a month. Once every three days you need to shake the jar, but you do not need to open the lid. After a month, the liquid must be filtered through cheesecloth. If the drink is corked into clean bottles, then it can be stored for three years in the basement.

Seedless tincture recipe

You can also make cherry tincture on pitted moonshine.

Ingredients:

1. A kilogram of cherries.
2. Three kilos of sugar.
3. Strong moonshine (not less than 50 degrees) - liter.

Cherries should be washed well and pitted. After that, the pulp is transferred to a jar and covered with sugar. After three hours, the fruits should release juice. After that, add moonshine to the dishes and tightly cork it. We send the jar to a dark warm place for several weeks. When the tincture is ready, it is worth tasting it. If the taste is satisfactory, then the drink must be filtered so that there are no particles of pulp left, and bottled. In this form, the tincture can be stored for up to three years.

Recipe with spices

If you are thinking about how to make cherry tincture on moonshine, then you can use the recipe using spices.

Ingredients:

1. Two kilos of cherries.
2. Ten carnations.
3. Liter of moonshine.
4. Nutmeg.
5. Cinnamon.
6. Ten tablespoons of sugar (tablespoons).

This recipe allows you to use fresh and dried cherries. Before mixing the components, it is advisable to pierce each cherry with a toothpick. Berries, sugar and spices are placed in layers in a glass jar. The container must be filled to about seventy percent.

Now you can pour vodka or moonshine into the container. Alcohol should completely cover the berries. The jar needs to be corked or closed with a cloth, then the taste of the drink will be softer. For several months, the container with the drink should be stored on a well-lit windowsill. Once every three days, the tincture should be shaken.

Cherry tincture on moonshine without sugar

You can also make a drink without sugar. In fact, connoisseurs recommend choosing only sweet varieties of cherries, since the tincture is much tastier from them. Our ancestors have been preparing strong cherry tincture on moonshine since ancient times. However, they did not use sugar. The drink was infused, filtered, and only then, if necessary, a little sweetener was added. Modern connoisseurs of the art of making a drink also recommend doing it this way, since sugar changes the natural taste of berries. Of course, there are times when you can’t do without adding it, but you shouldn’t overdo it either.

Ingredients:

1. Ripe sweet cherry - two kilograms.
2. Moonshine (40-50 degrees) - 0.8-1 liter.

Slightly dried cherries must be poured into a jar. In this case, the berries should occupy approximately 2/3 of the total volume. Next, pour moonshine into the dishes to the top. The drink is infused from 1.5 to 3 months. Every three or four days, the jars with the contents are shaken. After a while, the tincture must be filtered and bottled. If you are satisfied with the taste, then you should not add sugar.

Recipe with wood chips or leaves

The best recipes of our ancestors, who knew a lot about making drinks, have survived to this day. One of them involves the addition of cherry leaves. And you can make a tincture even on cherry chips. This is done in order to give the drink a more noble taste, while the color also changes, it becomes more brownish. Cherry chips add even more flavor.

Here is one of those recipes.

Ingredients:

1. Cherry berries - two kilograms.
2. Sugar - 1.6 kg.
3. Litere of water.
4. Liter of moonshine.
5. 1.5 teaspoons of citric acid.

We wash the berries and leaves well, and then fill it with water, add sugar. We send the dishes to the fire and boil the contents for fifteen minutes. After that, we filter the contents. It is best to use gauze, as it does not allow even small particles of pulp to pass through. Add citric acid to the broth, then boil for another ten minutes. Next, the drink should cool to room temperature. Only after that we pour it into bottles, cork them and send it to infuse for twenty days. If during this time a precipitate appears, then the drink must be filtered through cotton wool.

Kirschwasser

Cherry tinctures have long been prepared in many countries. Until now, in Western European countries (Austria, France, Switzerland and Germany) they prepare a very popular drink called "Kirschwasser". The old recipe is passed down from generation to generation. Each specialist has his own secrets. The main feature is the use of sweet cherries or dark-colored cherries, but with a small stone.

Kirschwasser is prepared only from very ripe berries, which are ground into a homogeneous mass, but the bones are left intact. The drink is infused from a certain type of wood, which does not give an extraneous aroma. The mass wanders for about three weeks. During this period, the barrels are regularly opened and their contents are well mixed. After readiness, the wort is distilled as the simplest moonshine. In this case, the first portion is always poured out to get rid of unnecessary fusel oils.

The original tincture recipe

You can cook the original cherry tincture on moonshine from frozen cherries.

Ingredients:

1. A kilogram of frozen cherries.
2. Moonshine - 350 ml.
3. Cognac - 650 ml.
4. A kilogram of sugar.

We take out the frozen berries from the freezer and give them the opportunity to melt a little. Next, the berries are transferred to a clean jar and covered with sugar, after which they are left at room temperature for four hours. During this time, the juice should stand out from the cherries. After that, moonshine and cognac are poured into the container and the mixture is stirred until most of the sugar is dissolved.

We close the jar tightly and send it to a cool, but dark place for three months to infuse. Periodically, the mass must be shaken to activate the process. After the drink is infused, it is certainly filtered and poured into containers that need to be hermetically sealed for further storage.

Spice tincture

Based on folk recipes, you can experiment on your own by adding certain ingredients and spices to make an original drink. We offer a recipe using an interesting set of spices. A drink based on it turns out to be very refined and at the same time aromatic, but has a lower strength.

Ingredients:

1. Cherry - two kilograms.
2. Liter of moonshine.
3. 0.3 kg of sugar.
4. Spices.

For cooking, you need to take only sweet and ripe fruits, since the final result depends on this. We wash the cherries well and sort them out, removing rotten berries. Next, pierce each fruit with a sharp knife or toothpick. Such a simple move helps the juice stand out faster. Next, pour the fruits into a container with a wide neck, but at the same time alternate layers of spices and sugar with berries.

In general, the set of spices can be anything, but the spices must be suitable for making a drink. Experienced connoisseurs recommend using cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, coriander, cloves. You can take a teaspoon of all the spices, or you can use just one. In this case, it all depends on your taste. If you do not like the smell of spices, then do not abuse them, because in the end you may not like the drink.

Pour a liter of moonshine into a container with berries and sugar. We cork the jar and send the drink to infuse in a sunny place for several months, after which the cherry can be filtered and bottled for further storage.

Instead of an afterword

We have given only some options for making cherry tincture on moonshine. The cooking rules are quite simple. In addition, it is possible to make your own changes to obtain the original flavor. Some drink lovers prepare real masterpieces at home, bringing the tincture to perfection.

Not everyone can afford to buy high-quality elite alcohol because of the high cost. But it is quite possible to make good brandy or whiskey at home. To do this, you need to prepare a grain or fruit distillate and keep it in an oak barrel. Such a drink will be much better than cheap analogues that we offer to buy in stores. But again, there is a small snag here - the acquisition of a good oak barrel, which also costs a lot of money. There is a way out, replace the barrel with oak chips. Chips are easy to prepare yourself.

The tannins contained in oak wood, when in contact with alcohol, improve its quality, saturate it with new aromas and tastes. Fruity notes, vanilla, chocolate and floral aromas appear in the distillate infused with oak chips.

To a greater extent, alcohol made from fruit or grain raw materials is insisted. After infusion, it has the taste of the raw materials: apples, grapes or grain taste. But even ordinary sugar moonshine becomes more pleasant and aesthetic, the taste becomes softer, it is easy to drink.

Attention! To infuse moonshine, chips are made not only from oak chips. For infusion, wood of cherry, apple, bird cherry is used. Each type gives the distillate astringency and originality of tastes and aromas. Each home distiller is determined for himself with the choice of the desired breed himself, depending on his tastes.

Instructions for preparing oak chips

Currently, many specialty stores and online stores offer oak chips for moonshine or cognac of various qualities, different roasting and oak origin. Often you can purchase low-quality material, so if you can find raw materials on your own, it is better to cook wood chips with your own hands. Oak chips for moonshine have a larger contact area compared to a barrel, so the infusion process is faster. People often ask how much oak chips per liter of moonshine are used. The usual sample is 2-4 grams per liter. Too much can spoil the alcohol. The taste of the drink will be dominated by the smell of wood, which is not very good.

1. For chips, you need to choose oak logs of old oak. Oak branches are not used for wood chips. Also, oak bark is not suitable, in which there are a lot of tannins.
2. Remove bark. Saw the log into chocks of 5-7 centimeters, then split into sticks 0.5-1 cm thick. Such chips can be placed in the neck of an ordinary bottle.
3. Put the required amount of wood chips in a saucepan, pour water and stand for a day. Every 3-4 hours it is necessary to drain the dirty water and fill it with clean water.
4. Pour the chips with soda water solution. One teaspoon per 5 liters of water. Soak in soda water for 6 hours. Then rinse the bars in cold water.
5. Pour the chips with clean water, put on fire and cook after boiling for about 1 hour.
6. Spread the wood chips on a mesh pallet, dry in a draft during the day.
7. Arrange dried oak chips on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 140-160C, place a baking sheet in it and keep the chips for 2 hours.
8. The final stage is roasting the chips to the desired firing. The taste and color of the resulting home-made alcohol depends on the degree of roasting. According to the degree of roasting, wood chips are divided into three types:

• Light firing - light brown color of chips, occurs at the moment the first haze appears. Light roasting gives the distillate a fruity-floral aroma with slight hints of vanilla. The color of infused moonshine turns straw.
• Medium firing - brown chips. The infused distillate contains almonds, coconut and caramel. The color of the drink is more saturated closer to cognac.
• Strong firing - chips of dark brown color closer to black. Distillate with taste of chocolate and smoke.

Video instructions for preparing oak chips.

How to insist moonshine on wood chips

As an alcohol base, it is necessary to use fruit or grain moonshine with a strength of 40-45% after the second fractional distillation.

Ingredients:

• Moonshine - 3 l;
• Oak chips 10-12 gr;
• Caramel for color - 1 tbsp;
• Vanillin - 1 sachet;
• Allspice - 3 pcs;
• Carnation - 3 pcs.

How to make a drink on oak chips.

1. Place prepared oak chips in a jar, pour moonshine. Add spices and vanilla.
2. Close the jar and insist the contents for 3-4 months. Once a week, you need to open the jar in order to saturate the infusion with oxygen. It is better to use an aquarium compressor and turn it on for 3-4 minutes. In the process of infusion, it is necessary to taste the drink, excessive infusion threatens alcohol with excessive saturation with tannins. As a result, you can spoil the moonshine and get a plinth.
3. At the end of the infusion, prepare caramel from sugar and water. Kohler will give the drink a noble color. For cooking, put sugar in a pan and pour in water at a ratio of 3: 1. Cook over low heat until brown, let cool and pour into the moonshine. Mix well until completely dissolved.
4. After infusion, filter the drink through a cotton-gauze filter. Pour into bottles, cork well. Wait a few days before use. Ready-made moonshine on oak chips can be stored in a cool place for an unlimited time.

In order for moonshine to taste and smell like more noble cognac or whiskey, you should figure out how and from what oak chips for moonshine are prepared at home. This is the most important component that allows you to transfer a certain amount of tannins to alcohol, due to which the drink acquires a characteristic amber color and astringent taste. Not everyone knows that in order to prepare a product, it is necessary to select the right raw materials, as well as to know the degree of roasting. From this will hang the fortress of the final result.

Looking for the right tree

When choosing oak, it should be taken into account that its place of growth is reflected in the taste of an alcoholic beverage, regardless of the purpose for which oak chips are used - cognac, vodka or whiskey. The taste qualities of the same alcohol will differ if the product is insisted on the same species of oak, but growing in different regions.

Even the growth of the tree matters - the Crimean, Krasnodar and Caucasian forests are well suited for Russia

Tasters among all the variations distinguish oak, which grows in France. It is clear that not everyone has the opportunity to get a branch of a real French tree, so we will pay more attention to the domestic flora. Trees from the following regions are suitable for concentration:

• Khadyzhensky;
• Apsheron;
• Afipsky.

It should also be noted that more valuable tree species grow in the Republic of Crimea, Tatarstan, Ukraine, Belarus and the Caucasus.

For moonshine, oak chips obtained from areas with high humidity are not suitable, since they contain a very high concentration of tannins, which spoils the organoleptics of the product.

It matters not only where it grows, but also what you are going to use. We need branches up to 5 years old, but not younger than 2 without bark. The trunk does not fit categorically, the old branches are similar. You can not take blanks from sawmills, where wood is treated with antiseptics.

What affects the change in taste

With the right selection of chips for infusing drinks and following the recommendations of experts, you will get soft-tasting alcohol, with a pleasant tart aftertaste and rich aroma. The change in the characteristics of the drink occurs for the following reasons:

1. Oak chips act as an adsorbent. The pores of the wood material absorb components that boil even at low temperatures. This list includes substances that cannot be completely eliminated in the distillation process. Therefore, long-term infusion in a barrel or on wood chips shows significantly better results than alcohol infused with other raw materials.

It is easier to work with chips - they are suitable for any container, while at the same time adsorbing harmful impurities

1. The composition of the tree contains a variety of chemical elements, they make the drink softer. In addition to the fact that alcohol gets a new taste, color and smell, the components from the wood chips also bind especially dangerous compounds. Therefore, tincture is often prepared for medicinal purposes.
2. If you prepare oak bark for infusion, then you will end up with a "bitters" with a red-brown color. And thanks to the tannin contained in the product, the drink will get a tart aftertaste.

Oak bark contains a large amount of tannin, which gives a tart aftertaste, but compared to chips, the bark is much less valuable.

We make oak chips with our own hands

The product is sold in a specialized store, but those who want to experiment can make oak chips for moonshine with their own hands. For this you need to follow the steps:

• dry part of the log at room temperature for 1-2 weeks and peel it from the bark;

The bark can not be thrown away and left for the preparation of healing infusions.

• cut the log into pegs measuring 20x20x100 mm;
• place the prepared oak chips for cognac or whiskey in clean cold water for a day, while changing the liquid to a new one every 7 hours;
• in a separate container, mix 10 liters of water with 2 tablespoons of soda, send the stakes to infuse for 8 hours, then rinse well;
• then put in a saucepan, fill it with clean water and bring to a boil, boiling for 45-50 minutes;
• place the workpiece on a baking sheet and send it to the oven for 2 hours at different temperatures, depending on the desired taste.

VIDEO: Home cooking technology

Firing time and temperature

Roasting oak chips in the oven is considered an important step; the aroma of future alcohol depends on the level of roasting. To achieve the desired result, you should know how to properly burn the product to obtain different smells:

• minimum processing 2 hours at a temperature up to 120 ° - the smell will give off vanilla, berries and a little smoke

Minimum

• medium 2 hours 150-160°С - aroma of caramel in combination with almonds

Medium Rare (Medium)

• maximum 2 hours 180-185°C - the drink will acquire a rich smoked and chocolate smell with a similar aftertaste

Strong roast

Chips are wrapped tightly in foil before being placed in the oven to prevent smoke from escaping. If this is not done, there will simply be nothing to breathe in the room.

If soot appeared on the logs - black burnt marks, it is no longer possible to use them for tincture.

This is the final stage of preparing chips, then you should choose the right base, calculate the required number of stakes (an average of 50 grams per liter) and use one of the most suitable tincture recipes.

Which moonshine to choose

After the oak chips for cognac are prepared, you can proceed to the selection of moonshine. There are three main types of raw materials made on:

• fruits;
• grain crops and cereals;
• sugar and yeast.

The first two options are great for making chacha, but it depends on the taste preferences of the taster. The best option is sugar moonshine.

The fact is that fruit or grain distillate has various components that react with the chemical constituents of wood. Such a process can give a completely unexpected result that does not meet the manufacturer's expectations.

As previously reported, fruity notes can be achieved by frying chips - small cubes that are quickly and thoroughly fried. Therefore, before you burn the pegs, you need to understand what taste you are trying to achieve. In addition, you can use special nutritional supplements, a few drops of essence can completely change the smell and taste of alcohol.

Cognac essence - some winemakers add a few drops of concentrated liquid aroma along with infusion on pegs

The process of moonshine on oak chips

After carrying out the above manipulations, you should calculate how much oak chips per liter of moonshine. In this case, the following proportions must be observed:

• moonshine with a strength of 45 ° - 1 l;
• sliver - 40-60 gr.

It turns out that 3 liters of drink will require an average of 150 gr. wood chips. Moonshine should be infused in a glass container or a tank consisting of stainless steel. Bars are placed in it and filled with distillate to the very brim to reduce the volume of air.

Next, the container must be hermetically sealed with a lid, and then placed in a dark, cool place for at least 2 months, and preferably for six months or a year. You can also increase the duration of infusion, the longer this process lasts, the softer the drink will be.

VIDEO: Moonshine on wood chips: apple, cherry, plum, pear, oak

Common Mistakes

Novice distillers, out of inexperience, often make mistakes when making wood chips at home. The result is a tincture with a strange taste of plinth. To avoid an unpleasant situation, the following factors should be considered:

• no need to bake the pegs for a long time, in this case more does not mean better;
• it is not recommended to use a raw log, it contains a large amount of tannins;
• do not use plastic or plastic containers to infuse the drink, the distillate will absorb chemical components and the smell of plastic during the exposure time;
• experts strongly advise against using a large amount of fragrant herbs, spices and other spices in the recipe, as well as insisting the drink on them for a long time;
• do not use an untested recipe when making a large volume of tincture, it is better to first verify the quality of the result by preparing a small container.

VIDEO: Homemade tincture is better than Hennessy

All strong alcoholic drinks obtained by distillation of mash are analogues of moonshine and differ only in certain nuances of technology.

Therefore, properly prepared moonshine is in no way inferior to the best examples of tequila, brandy and other strong alcoholic beverages.

• how to choose material for mash;
• how to cook mash, and what ways to get it exist;
• which method to choose for a particular material;
• how, by changing the composition and technology of making mash, you can change the taste of the finished moonshine;
• what methods of distillation of mash exist;
• how the method of mash distillation affects the taste, color and smell of the finished product;
• what gives insisting on wood chips;
• how the choice of wood species affects moonshine infused with wood chips;
• how to cook and how long it takes to insist moonshine on oak chips, a recipe for cherry, pear, apple and other types of chips;
• how to store and consume the finished drink;
• what can be done from the mash distillation fractions that were not included in the moonshine.

Braga is the basis any moonshine. From her chemical composition depends on taste, color and smell the finished product, because moonshine is an extract from mash or wine.

Therefore, during the distillation process separation of mash into light and heavy fractions.

Light fractions include various acids and alcohols, and heavy fractions are esters, oils and water with pulp.

Therefore, it is necessary to be very careful in choosing the material for the mash and the way it is fermented, because any mistake will change the organoleptic properties of the finished product and may make it undrinkable.

During the perestroika moonshine made from any vegetables, or even just from yeast and sugar. The drink turned out to be strong, with a high content of methyl alcohol, which increased the "boost" of moonshine, but was harmful to health.

The combination of mash and sugar is ideal for the production of alcohol, but to give the desired taste and color, other components have to be included in the composition of the mash products.

No less important is the amount of sugar-containing substances, because bacteria process sugar into ethyl alcohol until one of the following conditions is met:

• ran out of food (sugar), and the bacteria died of starvation;
• the alcohol content (strength) reached a critical value, and the bacteria died from intoxication.

By changing the amount of sugar-containing products, they regulate the strength of the mash and the balance of sugar, which will go into the distillate, giving it a sweetish taste, as well as saturating it with fusel oils. By changing the type of sugar-containing product, they regulate the taste of the finished moonshine, because each product gives it some of its own features.

Moreover, much depends on the fermentation technology, therefore, the taste and smell of the finished product obtained from the same components can differ markedly for different masters.

Using products with a high content of polysaccharides to obtain mash, that is, potatoes or various cereals, you need to add sugar or malt to them.

They break down long chains of polysaccharides into short monosaccharides.

If the amount of sugar or malt is not enough, then part of the long chains will fall into the mash, and from it into the distillation apparatus.

There it will be broken down into monosaccharides, giving the finished drink a sweetish taste. The same effect gives excess sugar, which remains after the death of bacteria and gives the finished drink a sweet aftertaste.

Equally important is the choice of water. because it is a habitat for bacteria. Tap water contains chlorine, which inhibits the activity of microorganisms, so the mash not only ferments more slowly, but often turns out to be moldy or rotten.

Boiled water loses the oxygen dissolved in it, so bacteria cannot exist normally and die quickly.

The best choice is stream water or a spring, but you need to make sure that it does not contain harmful or toxic substances, so it is advisable to take it for analysis.

Water with high hardness is also not suitable, because excess calcium and other minerals inhibit bacteria.

Training

To get high-quality mash, from which excellent moonshine will come out, it is necessary to carefully prepare everything and follow the instructions for its manufacture.

In preparation select dishes for fermentation giving preference to:

• glass;
• enamelled;
• aluminum.

Desirable do not use small utensils, because the ratio of mash and moonshine with a strength of 45 degrees is approximately 6: 1.

With an increase in the strength of the distillate, this ratio becomes even greater. Proper selection of components and fermentation mode slightly reduces this ratio due to an increase in the strength of the mash.

When choosing components, it must be remembered that each of them has an impact on the properties of the mash. Even a slight change in any of the components, as well as deviations in technology lead to a change in the organoleptic properties of the mash.

Therefore, we recommend making the mash in large batches so that the fermentation conditions in all containers are the same. Even if different batches of moonshine differ from each other in color or smell, within one batch such a deviation will be minimal.

It is advisable to use containers with a relatively narrow neck. so that you can install a water seal on them or put on a rubber medical glove.

During fermentation, a lot of carbon dioxide is released, and a decrease in the rate of its release indicates the end of fermentation. Therefore, it is very important to track the amount of gas by the bubbles in the water seal or by the size and shape of the glove.

Also you will need a warm (23–26 degrees) room, closed from bright light and with low humidity. It is desirable that the room is ventilated.

It is necessary to provide a place for storing containers, which would make it possible to periodically mix the contents. Such mixing improves the quality of the mash and raises its strength.

Choice of Ingredients

If the proportions are chosen so that the set of maximum strength and the full production of sugar occur simultaneously, then after distillation it turns out distillate with a neutral alcohol taste.

Moreover, any sugar-containing product is converted to methanol during fermentation and other toxic substances that are cut off during the distillation process.

Potatoes, all cereals and stone fruits during fermentation release more methanol than other products. Least of all methanol in mash from sugar and yeast, but it also contains fewer other substances that give this drink a more pleasant taste and smell.

Therefore, there is no recipe for how to infuse the ideal brew for moonshine, which would give an excellent taste and do not contain toxic substances.

Theoretically moonshine can be made from any product containing simple or complex sugars. Therefore, it is not particularly important what exactly to use to get the mash.

Most often, to get mash, they use what is easiest to get. Residents of regions where the cultivation of wheat and other cereals is developed make mash from them. Those who grow apples, pears or stone fruits in their yards make mash from them.

If it is impossible to get fruits or cereals, potatoes, beets or cabbage are used. Regardless of the choice of the main component for effective fermentation, sugar and yeast are required.

Considering the abundance of types of sugar, as well as the difference between the sweetness of granulated sugar familiar to everyone from different manufacturers, we will give only average proportions of the components that will need to be refined as a result of numerous experiments and experiments.

Yeast can be any, including Pakmaya, which can be bought at any grocery store.

The most effective wine yeast, but not everyone can get them. Yeast selection affects the strength of the mash, changing within 9–18%.

In addition, baker's or brewer's yeast, which is noticeably inferior to wine yeast, can produce higher alcohol content with better thermal management. So the type of yeast changes only the amount of distillate but not the quality.

Braga recipes

We have selected several popular recipes from various products that allow you to get mash suitable for making high-quality moonshine. In addition to the combination of products in each recipe, there are recommendations for preparing and fermenting the mixture.

Sugar with wine yeast

This recipe is classic for the perestroika era, but moonshine is obtained from it. with a minimum content of fractions, giving it a pleasant taste and smell. Here is the number of products:

• water 25 l;
• sugar 5 kg;
• pressed wine yeast 0.5 kg.

Water is heated to a temperature of 30–35 degrees and sugar is poured in, maintaining the temperature until completely dissolved.

Then wait until the temperature drops. up to 25–27 degrees and pour a little syrup to dissolve the yeast in it, while the temperature of the main mass support on same level.

When the yeast is completely dissolved, they are mixed with the bulk of the syrup and sent for fermentation. Fermentation time is 4–8 days.

Wheat malt

Here are the proportions of the main components:

• wheat that has lain in dry storage for 2–10 months since harvest, 4 kg;
• sugar 4 kg;
• water 30 l.

1 kg of wheat washed several times with clean running (not tap) water, then soak for a day or two changing the water every 6-10 hours.

The water is drained, and the soaked wheat washed with a weak solution of manganese or iodine, after which they are placed in a shallow dish and leave to sprout covered with a moistened cotton cloth.

For more information on how to soak wheat and germinate it, see this article (Whiskey). Wheat turns into malt when the length of the sprouts becomes slightly longer than the length of the grain.

The malt is crushed with a blender and mixed with sugar and a small amount of water heated to a temperature of 30 degrees, after which it is placed in a warm place for 10 days.

Then the remaining water is heated to a temperature of 30 degrees, sugar is dissolved in it and the ground grain is poured into this syrup, after which, according to the recipe, an infusion of malt is poured into the mixed ingredients. The finished mixture is sent to fermentation, which will take 10-20 days.

Wheat with yeast

Here quantity of required products:

• grain (as in the previous section) 5 kg;
• sugar 2 kg;
• baker's yeast or Pakmaya 50 gr;
• water 30 l.

The water is heated to a temperature of 30 degrees, after which the yeast is diluted with it, as it is written on the package, and sugar is diluted in the rest of the water. Then cereals and diluted yeast are added to the syrup, after which the mixture is sent to fermentation, which take 6-12 days.

Apple

Here is the amount of ingredients:

• fresh apples 30 kg;
• running water 20 l;
• sugar 1.5–4 kg, depending on the sweetness of the apples;
• wine yeast 200-300 gr.

apples are not washed, because the bacteria necessary to start the fermentation process live on their peel.

However, carefully cut out the seeds and any damaged or rotten areas are necessary.

Then crushed with a blender or in any other way and mixed with water and sugar. This mash can be made with or without yeast.

The only difference is that without the addition of wine yeast, fermentation takes 3-7 weeks, and with them - 5-10 days.

Watermelon

Ingredients:

• ripe red pulp 100 kg;
• sugar 10 kg;
• pressed yeast 200 gr or 1 sachet of Pakmaya.

Can use only whole watermelons without damage, preferably freshly assembled.

After all, the longer they lie, the more fructose and glucose turns into sugar, which is more difficult for yeast to eat.

The rinds are cut off, and the pulp is ground through a sieve to remove the bones and white streaks. All components are mixed and sent to a warm room for fermentation, which take 7-15 days.

Raspberry

Here is the amount of ingredients:

• fresh raspberries 60 kg;
• sugar 10 kg;
• water 50 kg;
• yeast pressed or wine 500 gr.

Raspberries are cleaned of stalks and damaged berries, after which they are thoroughly kneaded. You can not wash the berry, because this will remove the natural yeast necessary for fermentation.

If you make mash with yeast, then its taste will become much worse., as well as the taste of finished moonshine, but the fermentation process will end 20-30 days earlier, namely for 5-8 days.

If you decide to add yeast, then they are poured into a container with raspberries and water, then sugar is poured there. If they are made without yeast, then only sugar is added to the water and raspberries.

Fermentation

For fermentation, you need a room in which you can maintain a stable temperature at 20-25 degrees.

A decrease in temperature will slow down the action of bacteria that convert sugar into alcohol, and activate pathogenic microflora, which also feeds on sugar, but produces substances unsuitable for distillation.

Temperature increase over optimal will lead to the appearance of putrefactive processes that will spoil the mash.

Another condition is no bright light, because some of the bacteria and processes are sensitive to it, so an excess of light will disrupt fermentation and introduce undesirable changes into it. However, a small light bulb with enough light to keep you from wandering in the dark will not harm the mash.

A prerequisite for successful fermentation is cutting off the mash from the influx of fresh air.

This can be done with using a water seal or a medical rubber glove, in one of the fingers of which a hole is pierced with the thinnest needle.

The water seal and glove do not prevent carbon dioxide from escaping from the fermentation tank, so they can be used as sensor signaling the end of the fermentation process.

When the water seal sharply reduces the number of bubbles, and the glove stops inflating, it is necessary to open the container and check the condition of the mash.

All water-soluble parts should precipitate with a clear boundary between the precipitate and the liquid. Itself liquid should be relatively clear, without thick turbidity. Then you need to try the mash.

A sweetish taste indicates that the yeast has not been able to process all the sugar, so you must either wait a few days or add water to reduce the strength of the mash and allow the yeast to finish its work.

This moment is associated with risk, because an incorrect assessment of the situation can lead to souring of the mash. Therefore, experienced moonshiners check the strength of the mash with an alcohol meter and compared with the maximum strength that certain yeasts can develop.

When the mash is ready, her filtered to separate liquid and sediment, after which the liquid mash is poured into the moonshine, and the sediment is used as yeast for the next batch of mash or used as fertilizer in the garden.

Distillation

Distillation requires moonshine(alembic), which you can make yourself or buy in a store.

The main condition for obtaining high-quality moonshine is to use an apparatus that provides Possibility of constant temperature control.

This will allow you to regulate the chemical composition of moonshine, thus affecting its taste and smell. In one of the articles (cognac on oak chips), we already talked about the importance of observing the temperature regime, as well as about such distillate fractions, how:

• head;
• body;
• tail.

When distilling, the following must be taken into account:

1. Head, consisting of methyl alcohol and other poisons, in small quantities (1-2%) makes the moonshine more "picky", that is, with the same strength the intoxicating effect is more pronounced, but the load on all organs increases sharply.
2. Body, completely cleared of the head and tail, turns into an analogue of medical alcohol - a drink, having an alcoholic effect and an alcoholic taste that does not have any zest.
3. Tail much less dangerous than the head, but attaches moonshine fusel smell, inherent in tequila, whiskey and many other drinks that are classified as noble.

Therefore, there is no perfect distillation recipe. Some drain only part of the head, turning the drink into a killer smelly drink, others make an analogue of vodka, devoid of any special taste and smell.

Infusion on wood chips

To improve organoleptic properties its moonshine is insisted on chips of various tree species.

Initially for this used wooden barrels, however, they take up a lot of space and are quite expensive, and the effect of their use is enough for 3-5 treatments, after which the wood loses the necessary substances, and the infusion of moonshine no longer changes its properties.

Keeping the distillate in barrels from is still used in the industrial and semi-industrial production of strong alcoholic beverages.

Those who make moonshine for themselves make do with wood chips.

When distillate interacts with wood, it fills the pores, and the diffusion process begins, as a result of which part of the moonshine elements replaces what filled the wood, and its contents enter the distillate.

If the wood that will interact with alcohol, pre-burned, the drink acquires an additional taste and smell, which depend on the degree of firing. This is due to the fact that the temperature effect destroys cellulose and lignin, turning them into glucose and simple sugars, which change the taste of the distillate.

In addition, roasting destroys many other substances, as a result of which oils and esters are released, which also affect the taste and smell of the finished product.

Chips will have an even greater impact if if pre-soak it in good wine or liquor. Once in moonshine, she will give it an unusual pleasant taste and smell thanks to which he will be able to compete on equal terms with many well-known drinks.

After all, the general principles for the manufacture of any strong alcoholic drink are unchanged, that is, brandy, cognac and other well-known products, in fact, are the same moonshine.

Selection and preparation of wood material

Most often, oak, alder and fruit woods are used for infusion. Oak and, accordingly, tincture from it contain a lot of tannins.

Such substances give a special bitter tart taste and unusual smell drink.

A fruit trees, due to the large amount of resins and esters, attach the smell of moonshine aroma of wood and earth, and the taste is slightly sour, sometimes with a sweetish tint.

We have compiled a table that turned on the most popular types of wood used for infusion, as well as the effect they give. To obtain the results, identical jars were used, in which 600 ml of distillate were poured and 5 g of wood chips were placed.

The infusion time was 14 days, so the effect of wood chips was minimal. When insisting for several months, the effect will be more pronounced, and may also change over time.

Chip making

The best thing for insisting use fresh wood, for example, a freshly cut branch or a sawn trunk, and the older the tree, the stronger the chips from it will affect the moonshine. The question of where to get one is always very relevant.

Such branches can be picked up while felling trees, and it is desirable that the thickness of the branch be 5 cm or more.

Form chips irrelevant, the main thing is that it passes without problems through the neck of the container for infusing moonshine. Therefore, you can use wood chips that are produced by a chipper that processes branches, or you can chop it yourself with an ax. Read more about this.

An exception constitutes chips in case, if they will previously soak in other alcohol.

In this case it is advisable to use cubes with a side size of 3–5 cm, they will give off the liquid absorbed into them for a long time.

Thanks to this, metabolic processes will be more efficient, and a constant but slow intake of sugar-soaked liquid will not lead to the multiplication of sugar-eating bacteria, which is difficult to avoid when using thin chips soaked in sugar.

The only condition is chips must be obtained from living healthy wood, only in this case it will give the maximum taste and smell to the drink, and also will not damage it.

After all, pathogenic bacteria multiply in diseased wood, processing the residual sugar of both wood and distillate, while releasing substances that will spoil the taste, color and smell of the drink.

Therefore, when using wood chips obtained from the disposal of branches with a chipper, carefully inspect each chip and remove it at the slightest suspicion. Also, do not use wood chips with bark.

Burning

Roasting can drastically change the wood chips the effect, therefore, for many years, each master has been looking for and creating his own recipes for making a drink at home, giving the distillate an unusual taste, color and smell.

Some share their little secrets in recipes and tell how and how much to infuse a drink on special forums, post useful videos.

Quite often there are recipes for tinctures on wood chips of medium roast. How is it the color of the wood material after firing a given degree shown in the photo.

In addition, mixing wood chips of different breeds and different processing methods allows you to make tinctures according to the same recipe, but with a unique combination of color, taste and smell.

For firing, the wood chips are loaded into an oven heated to a temperature of 120–210 degrees and left there for a while.

Gradually, the chips begin to change color, because in the absence of a constant supply of oxygen going on not wood oxidation, but caramelization, as a result of which lignin and cellulose break down into monosaccharides. During soaking, monosaccharides pass into the distillate and give it a special taste, color and smell.

Soaking in other alcohol

If you decide to soak the wood chips in another alcoholic beverage, then consider the following rules and instructions - preparation and soaking will take:

• chips 2-5 mm thick - 10-15 hours;
• cubes with a side size of 1-2 cm - 30-50 hours;
• cubes with a side size of 3 cm or more - 1-3 weeks.

For soaking, you can use both strong and weak alcoholic beverages. Soaking gives good results chips in various juices, which then enter the distillate and change its taste.

You will find more detailed information about wood chips for moonshine and how to process it.

How to insist and how much?

clear formula and proportions relative to quantity, that is, how many grams of wood chips should be put into 1 liter or, for example, 3 liters of alcohol, which provides the best result, does not exist.

The more chips, the stronger its influence, up to too strong, spoiling the taste and smell of the drink.

A further increase in the proportion of wood chips is impractical, because it will only slightly reduce the infusion time and, with a high degree of probability, will give the drink an unpleasant taste and smell, which go unnoticed at a low concentration of wood chips.

For infusion use glass and enamel containers with hermetically sealed lids, in which, following the recipe, wood chips are first loaded, then moonshine is poured. Infusion time from a week to a year, depending on the desired result.

In a shorter period of time, the processes occurring inside the wood will not have time to noticeably change the composition of alcohol, and exceeding this period will not affect the taste and color of the moonshine.

At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the more wood chips, the faster the filling of alcohol with the contents of wood pores, so it is necessary to experimentally determine the balance between the amount of wood and the time of infusion.

When preparing chips for infusion, remember that apple, cherry and other fruit trees do not contain tannins, so the moonshine infused with them will have a pleasant smell and a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Unlike them, oak contains a lot of tannins, so it will give the drink a cognac smell and taste. Due to the unusual influence of oak, lovers of vodka and light spirits leave negative reviews about cognac and its recipes on wood chips of this wood, stating that it "stinks of bugs."

It is necessary to insist moonshine on wood chips in a room closed from light with a temperature of 10-15 degrees.

Exceeding this temperature can lead to re-fermentation and souring of the product due to the growth of harmful bacteria.

After insisting, the chips can be used several more times, but each time its influence will be less and less. infused alcohol need to pour into glass bottles and store in a dark cool place.

A video on how to make a fragrant drink, insisting moonshine on wood chips, with your own hands, what kind of smell and taste give types of wood chips of various fruit species and oak:

Conclusion

Infusion of moonshine on wood chips can turn it into a noble drink, which will not be ashamed to treat any guests. Yes, and on holidays, such a tincture will be just as appropriate as expensive drinks such as whiskey, cognac or brandy. After reading this article, you learned how to:

• make moonshine;
• regulate its taste and color - how much wood chips should be added per 1 liter of alcohol, and how much the drink should be infused;
• wood chips affect the distillate.

In contact with

In production, for the same purpose, oak barrels are used from boards of varying degrees of roasting, but in everyday life its purchase is quite expensive. Not quite a complete, but quite a worthy replacement would be wood chips and, to a lesser extent, bark, which can be bought at any pharmacy. How to use it correctly and what to do with it in general - in our article.

What is the use of chips

The cost of a barrel is directly proportional to its volume. Quite small - 5-liter - will cost an average of 4-5 thousand rubles, 50-liter - from 8 thousand, etc. But even this is not bad, with the regular preparation of cognac products you can fork out, but the fact that the barrel is designed for a maximum of 10 refills. After that, there is no longer any use for it - it will just be a storage container. You don't have to be a mathematician to figure out how much pleasure will cost. Oak chips for cognac and whiskey are many times cheaper, especially since you can find it for free - in the nearest forest or in the country house where oaks grow.

You can not use boards from logging enterprises - the wood goes through a stage of chemical treatment from beetles, rotting and to increase the shelf life.

Even if we assume that the tree has not yet been processed, the dubious benefits of such an acquisition are obvious - dusty warehouses, oil and fuel oil from loaders neutralize all the useful properties of the tree.

The easiest way is to find a middle-aged tree in the nearest forest and saw off its branch (may the Greenpeace and environmental inspectorates forgive us). It will be a truly 100% natural product, which will only be chopped into small chips and pre-prepared.

There is an option to buy blanks in specialized stores - 50 grams cost an average of 80-100 rubles. This amount of oak chips is enough to infuse 2.5-3 liters of future cognac.

Oak chips "Premium" (strong firing) cubes - price 112 rubles. for 50 gr.

Log or bark?

In extreme cases, you can use the pharmacy bark, which is sold in all pharmacies. But this is exactly a fallback option, since real cognac will not work on it. Before packaging, it is processed, as a result of which a large amount of tannins is lost. The finished drink will not have an intense aroma and color, and the aftertaste will be completely slurred.

VIDEO: Harvesting technology at home

How to make oak chips for cognac

Do-it-yourself preparation of oak chips for cognac consists of several stages:

1. cleaning

Be sure to after collecting and cutting into pegs with a cross section of 5-7 mm, they are washed under running water from small particles, dust and litter. You need to rinse it 3-4 times, between which it is dried.

1. Soak

The task of this stage is to clean the wood from the inside. You can simply soak the pegs in water at room temperature for a day, or you can add baking soda at the rate of 1 tsp. for every liter of water. Soda in this case absorbs all those substances that the tree managed to gain during its growth. Soak for an average of 2-3 days (changing water every day), after which it is dried again. There is no need to wait until the water becomes clear. This may not work. But some of the substances will go away during the soaking process.

1. Digestion

A very important step, which allows you to avoid the taste of "skirting" in the finished drink in the future. On the other hand, during the process of digestion, the pores open as much as possible, respectively, with alcohol there will be a better composition.

To do this, put the pegs in cold water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid and leave at a minimum heat for a quarter of an hour. After they were taken out, cooled and dried.

1. Burning

Depending on the conditions in which oak chips for cognac are prepared, they can be burned in an oven at a temperature of 160 ° C or over direct fire. The degree of roasting can be different - minimal, medium and intensive. In the future, this affects the color and taste of the drink. We recommend doing all 3 types and insisting on each separately in order to further determine your preferences.

• minimum roasting - a tree of golden color - the taste will be vanilla with a slight bitterness;
• medium - brown - a distinct sound of almonds with caramel notes, bitterness is felt more, but unobtrusively;
• intense - dark brown - in the future, the taste of freshly brewed tea and chocolate will be felt.

If black marks appear on the tree, you cannot use it - it will simply be impossible to drink such cognac.

1. Storage

Store prepared pegs in an airtight container to preserve the flavor of the smoke. It is advisable to use oak chips for moonshine as soon as they are prepared. In this case, all the notes and accents of the fragrance will be preserved. The more the workpiece is stored, the less pronounced the organoleptic will be.

Making homemade cognac

In this case, we are not talking about imitation of the taste of cognac, but about real brandy from grape mash. Try to follow the instructions as accurately as possible so that at the end you get, if not a drink of French masters, but very close to it.

For mash, you need to use sweet grape varieties - Isabella, Lady's finger, Lydia, etc. He must be ripe.

• grapes - 15 kg;
• sugar - 1.5;
• water - 2 liters.
• oak chips.

If sweet juicy southern grapes are used for mash, sugar is not needed at all. In this case, pure grape spirit will be obtained - an ideal basis for brandy.

Cooking:

1. Grapes are removed from the bunch and crushed right along with the seeds.

1. The liquid is poured into a bottle and, if the grapes were not very juicy, sugar is added at the rate of 1 kg of sand for every 10 liters of must. Drinking water is also poured there, it is measured in advance at the rate of 1 liter per 7.5 kg. Cover with cotton cloth and send to a warm dark place for 4 days.

1. The mash is mixed daily with wooden sticks so that the foamy cap of the pulp does not collect - it cuts off oxygen, and the yeast cannot fully develop.

By the end of the first day, you can start stirring the mash to prevent sourness.

1. On the fifth day, the mash will have all the signs of active fermentation - hissing, aroma, the pulp will rise all up. Now the slurry needs to be filtered, and the lumps of berries are squeezed well.
2. Add sugar (a small amount) to the juice, mix with a wooden stick, pour into bottles, leaving a third of the volume unfilled. Close with a water seal and send for 35-40 days in a dark place. The temperature of the mash all this time should be in the range of 19-27 ° C, for which it is convenient to use an aquarium heater.

1. When fermentation stops, the wort will brighten, and the sediment will fall to the bottom, it can be filtered and sent for distillation.
2. Ideally, an alambik (copper apparatus) should be used for distillation, but in the absence of one, a regular one will do. Pour into a distillation cube and run at maximum temperature, without taking away the tails and heads. Stop as soon as the strength of the raw material drops to 30 °.
3. The resulting crude is diluted with water to 8 °, after which it is put into a second distillation. Here, the heads are already taken (no more than 12%) and the tails are cut off - with a decrease in the fortress to 30 °.
4. In order to get wine alcohol in its pure form, it can be sent for the third distillation, for which the raw material is diluted with water to 20 °. Heads (12%) and tails are taken again after 45°. Measure the strength of the distillate and dilute it with water to 42 °.
5. Now comes the turn of insisting on oak chips. On average, the infusion time should be at least six months, but the longer this process goes on, the brighter and richer the taste will be. The maximum holding time is 3 years.

1. Caramelization is an essential step in adding color to the finished drink. This is how they do it in all industries. Caramel is being prepared - 1 tbsp. sugar per 1 tbsp. the water is boiled down to a brown color and added to the strained and filtered drink. Insist 10 days and bottled.

Cognac is ready, now it's time for tasting.

VIDEO: How to make sugar color for homemade cognac